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Adventurers on a Remote Island – Part 01

The ship’s white sail billowed in the wind. Paula never tired of watching the splashes created by the vessel as it sailed across the vast expanse of the open sea.

“Wow…”

Although the voyage lasted only about three hours, everything felt fresh to Paula, who claimed it was her first time laying eyes on the sea.

“Ugh…”

On the other hand, Lavia, reclining on a deck chair, had a pallid face as she leaned against Hikaru. It was evident that she was suffering from seasickness. Perhaps she had an inherent sensitivity to rocking motion. Paula cast Healing Magic on her multiple times, but when it became clear that she wasn’t getting any better, Lavia couldn’t bring herself to rely entirely on Paula, who was brimming with excitement about her maiden voyage. Thus, she endured the seasickness in silence.

Apart from Hikaru’s group, the deck was occupied by only a handful of young children and their parents. The other passengers were dozing off in the ship’s spacious interior, as if they were already well-acquainted with the vessel.

It was Hikaru’s first time sailing on a ship in this world, and he couldn’t help but be taken aback by its size, which surpassed the Japanese passenger ships he was familiar with. The ship had no trouble accommodating a hundred people. However, bigger dimensions meant a more pronounced rocking motion, making the journey uncomfortable.

“I could really use something to drink,” Lavia said.

“Are you up for it?”

Hikaru uncorked his water flask and offered it to Lavia, who took a small sip before passing it back.

“You must be exhausted from the long journey,” Hikaru said. “Once we reach our destination, we’ll take a few days to relax.”

“I’m sorry…” Lavia replied.

“There’s no need to apologize. If anything, I should thank you for coming with me all the way out here.”

“I’ll go anywhere with you,” Lavia said, leaning closer.

Hikaru smiled. She was only 14 years old, but she was a strong and independent woman. Since she rarely relied on him like this, he couldn’t help but feel delighted.

“I wonder what kind of island it is,” Lavia pondered.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s mostly inhabited by demi-humans. But the ship and the port town we departed from felt different from what I imagined, so we won’t truly know until we see it for ourselves.”

“The dungeon too?”

Hikaru nodded. They had boarded this ship to fulfill the task that Unken gave him.

“I have already drilled the basics in you. Now it’s time to put them into practice. I will let you choose one dungeon. Your task is to earn 100,000 gilans or more. Consider it your graduation exam.”

Unken presented them with five options for dungeons:

1. Underground City of the Ancient Gods (Kingdom of Ponsonia)
2. Jade and Red Copper Great Vein (Quinbrand Empire)
3. Headless Summit (Quinbrand Empire)
4. Temple of Amnesia, Golden Monastery (Maritime Nation of Villeocean)
5. Maze of Magic Locks (Theocracy of Bios)

After learning more details about each dungeon, they eliminated options 1 and 3 due to the presence of eerie Undead monsters. Option 2 required carrying a pickaxe and engaging in mining activities, which clearly didn’t suit Hikaru. Option 4 seemed promising, but the location remained undetermined, hence the name Amnesia. It meant finding the dungeon first.

For these reasons, they settled on the Maze of Magic Locks, not just as a process of elimination, but also because they had specific reasons for actively choosing it.

This dungeon is located on an island called Southleaf, which happens to be the southernmost point of the continent.

Although summer had already passed its peak, the southern regions were still expected to be hot, with beautiful blue seas.

There are also resort facilities, so we can have fun.

They had been enduring intense days recently, and Hikaru was in need of some rejuvenation.

In fact, he had even bought new clothes for the occasion. He wore a refreshing linen shirt, and to match it, he had his baggy pants tailored to sit below the knees (shorts weren’t a cultural norm here, so the store clerk found it peculiar). Completing his summer look was a boater hat, reminiscent of a Panama hat woven from straw.

Lavia donned a light blue dress that mirrored the color of her eyes, but she wore a cardigan to shield herself from the scorching sun. She resembled a young lady from a noble family, and rightfully so, being the daughter of a Count.

Paula, as always, remained garbed in a habit. However, for the summer season, she made some adjustments, such as wearing lighter undergarments, and she claimed it felt much cooler than it appeared.

In reality, there was another reason why Hikaru had chosen the Maze of Magic Locks specifically.

“Lord Hikaru!”

Paula ran over, her eyes sparkling. The ship swayed, almost causing her to stumble, but she grabbed onto a nearby table securely fastened to the floor.

“What is the—What’s up?” Hikaru asked.

Although his speech had become less formal with Paula, he still lapsed occasionally, which made her sad, since she believed that polite speech meant distance. Determined to break down the emotional barriers after revealing his secret to her, Hikaru found himself speaking more naturally.

“The sea is so blue!” Paula exclaimed.

Hikaru chuckled. Of course it is, he thought. It’s the sea.

“N-No, not like that! It’s a striking blue!”

With a start, Hikaru glanced at Lavia. She looked glum, clearly enduring discomfort.

“Let’s go check it out,” Hikaru told her.

“Ugh… You can go alone…”

“No, you should definitely see it too.”

“Huh?”

Upon hearing the words striking blue, Hikaru realized something.

And as he looked up, he noticed seabirds circling above the ship—a sign that land was nearby.

This was the tropics, and stunning seas meant one thing.

“You can see coral reefs.”

Lavia sat up abruptly, but her body lurched when she attempted to stand, so Hikaru and Paula quickly supported her from both sides.

“Wow…”

In the distance was a vast expanse of emerald green sea. It was Lavia’s first time laying eyes on coral reefs. Hikaru was well aware that ever since they decided to head south, she had been frequenting bookstores, immersing herself in books about the southern region of the continent.

The coral reefs were located on shallow waters, and beyond them lay…

“An island!”

The island featured lush, mountainous terrain with clusters of houses nestled at the foot of the mountains.

Thirty minutes later, Hikaru’s party arrived at Southleaf Island, the location of the Maze of Magic Locks.

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A sharp clanging of metal signaled the ship’s arrival.

The ferry that connected Southleaf Island and the mainland came once every four days, and there was only one port on the island where it could dock. Since the ferry carried various living necessities, the islanders surrounded the ship with catamarans or trimarans. They assisted in unloading the supplies or offer themselves as “legs” for passengers to step onto—essentially acting as barges. As the ferry Hikaru’s party was on was too large for the size of the port, it had become customary for passengers disembarking on Southleaf Island to utilize these smaller boats.

“Hop on this one!” one called.

“There’s three of us,” Hikaru replied.

“Got it.”

They got on a small boat operated by a child of about ten. Hikaru carried the massive travel bag that contained all their belongings, securing it with a rope before lowering it onto the trimaran. The young ferryman pulled the bag with practiced motion toward the center of the boat.

Three connected boats provided significant buoyancy. Even with the bags on board, the trimaran remained afloat.

Hikaru leaped from the rope ladder onto the boat. It sank slightly under his weight but quickly regained its balance.

Lavia was scared, so Hikaru told her to jump and caught her. Surprisingly, Paula effortlessly transferred herself onto the boat.

“That getup. Are you guys adventurers? You’re so young. Pretty impressive,” the boy with sun-tanned blue hair commented.

Introducing himself as Daigo, he had dog-like ears protruding from the top of his head, but otherwise appeared human. He was likely a Beastman with a mild beast blood.

“I recommend Biltappo el Debab as a place to stay. It’s a bit away from downtown, but it’s quiet and calm. You can hear the waves at night. If you seek solace away from the hustle and bustle, there’s no better choice.”

He seemed unusually mature for his age. His refined movements when rowing the boat said he was already a man of the sea despite his youth.

Biltappo el Debab was a forest Fairie in Southleaf Island’s folklore.

After Daigo carefully rowed Hikaru’s group to the pier, he told them the location of the Adventurers’ Guild and Biltappo el Debab.