Ch.105Gibson’s Port: The Journey (3)

“Thank you so much, Lord Victor. Without you, I can’t imagine what would have become of us by now…”

Greyson shuddered as if he didn’t even want to imagine it.

It had been three days since they left Hamilton Village, and apart from getting thoroughly soaked by heavy rain the day before, their journey had been remarkably smooth.

Bandit groups would find it difficult to attack such a large number of people, and monsters that judged strength by numbers either passed them by or ignored them altogether.

“There’s no need to thank me repeatedly. I merely fulfilled my duty as a knight.”

“But not all who have duties actually fulfill them, do they?”

“…”

“Humility is admirable, but taking pride in your achievements is by no means arrogance. The mercy and kindness you’ve shown us deserves to be rewarded with the highest honor.”

I nodded slightly.

The highest honor. Could there be any better words for a knight?

I twisted my lips slightly beneath my visor and looked back at the dozens of wagons following behind.

Though we hadn’t lived in luxury for the past three days, we had at least eaten three meals a day, and everyone now looked reasonably human again.

Children who had been gaunt and breathing heavily now had chubby cheeks again as if they’d never been thin, playfully charming their mothers and fathers. The elderly who had seemed on death’s door now sat in small groups, complaining about their back pain.

“What do you plan to do when we reach Gibson’s Port?”

“First, we’ll need to negotiate with the mayor there. Even though Gibson’s Port is a harbor city open to outsiders, they can’t possibly accept hundreds of refugees who suddenly appear.”

“I see.”

Greyson was a village chief with a good head on his shoulders.

Of course, he wasn’t a village chief anymore since the village no longer existed, but he could at least serve as a senior official in the city government of a small town like Gibson’s Port.

I couldn’t guarantee whether the mayor of Gibson’s Port would utilize his talents, but at least the addition of hundreds of new residents wouldn’t be bad for Gibson’s Port.

With many people who could immediately join the workforce, there would be no need to kill or exile them and create resentment.

“What does Lord Victor plan to do in Gibson’s Port?”

“I plan to cross over to the Miriam Continent.”

“The Miriam Continent… may I ask why?”

“To make a pilgrimage to the 52 Wonders of the World. I’ve already visited all the famous sites on this continent.”

“Ah… I see.”

The 52 Wonders of the World—a perfectly appropriate number—was one of the most significant things that made adventurers’ hearts race.

If there were 5,200 wonders, even elves wouldn’t dare attempt to see them all. If there were 520, one would literally have to crisscross the continent, causing many to drop out. But 52—a number that seemed both reasonable and quite small—was apparently the decisive factor in determining these appropriate landmarks.

“I once dreamed of becoming an adventurer too. Those who travel the world and seize wealth and fame… who in this world would refuse such an opportunity?”

“People like you, who have responsibilities.”

When I said that, Greyson smiled awkwardly as if I had hit the nail on the head.

For “free people” like adventurers to exist, paradoxically, there must be “slaves” who are bound.

Whether to family, country, or faith.

For some people, freedom is nothing but a daydream, and such an illusory freedom isn’t worth even a handful of candy for their children’s mouths.

Adventurers are the only truly free people in this world.

Due to ancient laws and divine covenants, no one can shackle our souls and bodies, so we can journey to the ends of this world illuminated by the sun’s radiance and the moon’s afterglow.

And what we grasp at that end, what we encounter on the journey there, is determined solely by the adventurer.

“Perhaps your son or daughter might live the life of an adventurer.”

“Perhaps. It’s harsh to tell children they must live their entire lives as city laborers or country farmers. If they can’t endure that harshness, they become adventurers; otherwise, they carry on the family business.”

I nodded.

In the end, what matters is the choice of the individual with agency.

How one perceives the world as an object is ultimately determined by the subject that is oneself.

With that, our brief conversation ended, and the remaining seven days passed by.

*

“That must be Gibson’s Port.”

I raised my finger to point at the complex of city streets and harbor before me.

A towering clock tower and people as small as grains of wheat moving along the docks came into view.

“Now it’s time to part ways with Lord Victor. Thank you for everything.”

“Indeed. May the gods’ blessing be with you.”

And now it was time to say goodbye to Greyson and the refugees from Smithy Village.

Though our paths were the same, there was no longer any need to match pace, and our Iron Walker party, all mounted on horses, could enter the city much faster.

Greyson and I exchanged brief well-wishes and parted ways, and we rode our horses toward the distant city.

Clop-clop-clop!

“Neeeigh!”

“Haha! Run, Bruiser!”

Bruiser, who had been irritable from not being able to run properly for a long time, galloped through the wind with a refreshing cry, and my wife, nestled in my arms, screamed with joy.

Gibson’s Port, which would be our final journey on this Faerun continent, drew ever closer, and behind us, I could hear the sound of our companions’ horses running hard to catch up.

“Haha. Now I feel a bit more alive.”

I laughed as I embraced my wife.

She was already drooling on my arm, having had to suppress her lewdness and sensuality for the past week due to the presence of others. I kneaded her body like rice cake, further accelerating her lust.

“Mmm… darling…”

“Don’t worry. When we reach the city, I’ll play with your body to your heart’s content.”

“Yes…”

As she said this, my wife kissed me, and by then our party members had caught up with us.

“Ain’t ya embarrassed to be suckin’ face with yer wife in the middle of the street?”

“Nope.”

“Humans really are interesting, I tell you.”

Lucia’s cackles, Kasia’s giggles, and Simon’s hearty laughs formed a trio for a moment, and we entered Gibson’s Port laughing together.

*

“Let’s find an inn first. We’re all tired from playing escort for a week.”

“Sounds good.”

Our Iron Walker party, having entered Gibson’s Port, agreed to secure lodging first.

For a week, we couldn’t move at our own pace and had unknowingly pushed ourselves to protect and control hundreds of refugees. I actively agreed with Simon’s suggestion, and my wife, who hadn’t been able to nestle in my arms for ten days, also enthusiastically agreed.

“I’ll go with my wife to the harbor to check on the regular ships to the Miriam Continent. The rest of you find an inn and wait under the clock tower.”

“Got it.”

Lucia, Kasia, and Simon began riding through the streets and soon disappeared from our sight.

I placed my wife on Bruiser and pushed through the crowds toward the harbor. The sight of steamships, sailing ships, and hybrid vessels cutting through the waves and sea fog as they approached the harbor in the distance was truly majestic.

“Do men like this kind of scenery?”

“Most do, I suppose.”

“Hmm… then which do you like better, me or the ships?”

“You.”

I said this as I embraced Laisha tightly.

So tightly that I could hide her inside my coat.

I kept her wrapped up like that until we reached the ticket office at the harbor, and only when it was time to dismount did she manage to escape from my embrace.

“Haa… haa…”

“How dare you try to measure love. I trust you’ve reflected enough now?”

She nodded and nestled in my arms, eagerly inhaling my scent as if wanting more.

Thus, I carried her ocean-like buttocks with one hand to the ticket office, and with each step I took, the clerk’s expression changed moment by moment.

A teenager in armor carrying a voluptuous woman with one hand was approaching with large strides—I can hardly blame them for their dynamically changing expressions.

“Tickets for a regular ship to the Miriam Continent. Five people and three horses.”

“Uh… please wait a moment.”

At my request, the clerk began flipping through an incredibly thick schedule of regular ships, checking for vessels and schedules that met my criteria.

“There are three ships in total… one is a sailing ship, and the other two are steamships.”

“I see… let me know about the sailing ship.”

“The sailing ship… the Mary Ross… arrives five days from now, and the total voyage time is about one month.”

“Good. I’ll take that.”

I completed the transaction and left with tickets for five people and three horses.

I carried my half-dazed wife to the base of the clock tower, met up with Kasia who was waiting there, and headed to the inn that Simon and Lucia had found.

And that night, Laisha experienced a total of 53 climaxes over 3 hours and 21 minutes.