Chapter 109. To the Knocking Island (1)

“My lord! I have never stolen any bread in my life!”

“…..Sleep.”

Once again, Cleven fell asleep on the back of the brown horse that Ian had brought. It is hard to keep track of how many times that has happened already.

“How is it that there is not a single decent personality?”

Ian was heading towards the open seas in the west, to the port city of ‘Pilten’, a port city where the region’s castle of the great lord of Pilten was located, with Cleven who was in and out of consciousness. It was for the purpose of finding information on the ‘Knocking Island’, in the west of the sea, as referred to on the stone.

‘Hmm… Knocking Island.’

Ian swore that it was an island that he had never heard of or seen before. Hence, information on it was desperately needed. The ocean is expansive. It’s even more expansive than a continent. Although it has been narrowed to ‘west of the sea’, it would be nearly impossible to locate it.

‘Unless certain characteristics were known.’

So, wouldn’t a port city like Pilten, where the west of the sea is its main area of activity, be most likely to have helpful information? Also, it being one of the largest port cities within the continent, many coastal maps would certainly be available as well.

‘I’m just losing time due to this bastard.’

It is impossible to exercise teleportation magic as I’ve never been to the port city. I could get there faster by flying… if this Cleven, child, I mean a weirdo, wearing a mask of a child wasn’t with me.

‘I can’t leave him at the house either.’

His original thought was to leave Cleven at the house, then after locating the island, bring him back using teleportation magic. However, he had changed his mind. It was because it wasn’t certain as to when he would return as a reasonably normal personality. There were so many things to ask about and request for him to do when that happened.

‘Coastal map first.’

The very first thing that Ian had obtained was the principality’s coastal maps when he had arrived at the port city of Pilten. But he ran into problems from the get go. No matter how hard he looked, he could not locate the island, known as the ‘Knocking Island’. It was the same situation when he studied other maps as well.

‘What is it?’

Having wrestled with the coastal maps, at least with the one that he was able to obtain from the port city of Pilten, there was not a map that had the drawings of the ‘Knocking Island’. Things have turned more complicated than he had anticipated.

“Hmmm…..”

The coastal maps are useless. What’s left to do was to run around in person? Thinking that some information can be obtained by asking the seafarers, Ian walked towards the pier, at the end of the west coast of the sea.

“Hey! You, sons of bitches! Can’t you listen carefully? These are items to be sent to Greenriver! If something happens, that hideous monster sorcerer, with the staff, would come after us! You think you can handle that? Huh? Didn’t you hear that even his crowned prince went mad after rubbing the monster in the wrong way? Even if you have a death wish, plan to die in peace!”

The seafarers at the pier overcame with vitality. Of course that was a pleasant way to put it. Everyone moved their muscles in unison, with thick perspiration, as they carried the goods onto the ship. As he heard, it appeared that all those goods were being prepped to be shipped to Greenriver, that is, Ian’s home country.

‘The hideous monster sorcerer?’

That saying particularly bothered him. Was it possible that they were talking about Ian, himself? Not just a monster, but a hideous monster? He wasn’t too happy with the connotation.

“Nah, do you believe that that sorcerer would come after nobodies like us? It was said that he even has their own country’s crowned prince in the palm of his hand, I’m sure that he is just preoccupied living a life of extravagance. Unless of course the goods are something that is being prepared between two nations, there is no need to scare the crews.”

A man of small stature approached the man that was shouting at the top of his lungs. Looking at his pale white skin and size, he didn’t appear to be a seaman. Perhaps, he was a person involved with trading and working with the top people.

“You don’t know what you’re saying! Based on what I hear, his influence reaches far beyond everything? What was it, what do you call their master’s tower?”

“Ivory Tower.”

“Right! Ivory Tower! You also know how much crazy stuff you have to go through in order to open a deal and become the first trading partner with that Ivory Tower? You must certainly know as a merchant?”

“Well….. I’m sure that you have to endure all sorts of crazy deeds.”

“Yes! Yet, that top dealer had been replaced with someone he had known from his home town without any hesitation? For no good reason, except for the fact that the head of the group was an Asian person!”

Ian was flabbergasted as he listened to what was being said. Just for being an Asian, Foian was made the top dealer of the Ivory Tower? He couldn’t make any sense of it at all, neither heads nor tails.

‘Is this what is known as…..’

False exaggeration of gossip? Ian let out a deep sigh.

‘Well, people do not know the situation.’

As it was a promise made for making an excuse for the secret auction, it’s only fitting that that may just be how it may appear on the outside.

‘There is nothing else I can do.’

Dropping his head weakly, Ian shook his head. No matter what the reason was, it wasn’t a pleasure experience to be seen as such a person.

‘… I suppose, it would be better than to be seen as a slaughterer.’

Ian finally felt some sense of peace in his heart. No matter what, it was still better than the former life. Compared to the time when all the people in the world were in fear of the bloodied hands of Ian, it was hundred, thousand folds better.

“Hello…..”

After organizing his thoughts, Ian approached the coarse looking seaman and the merchant. It was to carry out the objective of coming to the pier, which was to inquire about the ‘Knocking Island’.

“Uh?”

Their attentions turned to Ian. That was only for a moment as soon the coarse seaman replied with apathetic expression in his face.

“What is it?”

“May I ask a question?”

“Let me see, are you asking to be taken on board? Not interested.”

After taking a quick measured look of Ian, from top to bottom, the seaman murmured as if there was nothing more to say. Based on the accent of a principality and shabby clothes, he must have dismissed him as someone attempting to be a stow-away.

“No, that’s not it….”

“Then are you looking for work? With your small boned physique? This is nuts. Do you see this work as being easy?”

As a matter of fact, it wasn’t appropriate for Ian’s physique to be described as being small boned. His bones have actually gotten much bigger than in his former life.

Re-edited by FlawFinder