Despite saying otherwise, Hikari's group ended up in front of the Ocean Explorers Guild. As they entered, the elf noticed all of the model ships decorating the walls. Many of the people inside were dressed like sailors who were ready to go on a voyage. As she graced the counter with her presence, Hikari got the usual stares and reaction from the receptionist.
"An elf? What are you doing so far away from the forest? Are you a princess?" The young woman asked.
An elderly woman tapped on the girl's shoulder from behind. "Hey, don't be rude. Rember your training."
"R-right," the girl said, looking back towards Hikari and her group. "I'm sorry. I'm llana. I can help you with anything related to our guild."
Hikari smiled and waved the girl off. "Don't ntion it. I get it all the ti. A young woman such as yourself should be curious. It's a healthy curiosity that keeps exploration alive, wouldn't you say so?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes! Is there anything I can help you with?"
"That depends. I heard there is a quest to hunt down the silk from spiders. Though, I'm not part of this guild, I do have an Adventurers Guild license. Am I required to join the guild to reap the rewards of this hunt?"
llana shook her head and pointed towards a board on the side. "You must be referring to that. Yes, the lord put out a request. As luck would have it, our guild is partnered with the guild you speak of. It's actually a preliminary safety asure for guarding ships. Though there is no Adventurers Guild in this city, you can sign up for the request here and board soone else's ship depending on your rank."
Hikari pulled her card out and had the girl scan it.
llana's eyes widened as all of the achievents began appearing on her tablet. "Defeat of a dungeon, defeat of a skeleton army, so of these are even blanked out, and it seems this card is outdated. How is this even possible? An 8th tier adventurer? I've never heard of that!"
Hikari's mouth flopped open like a fish and she grabbed the tablet from the other girl. The achievents that were hidden from llana showed themselves plainly here. Things like beating a demon general by herself appeared, and the elf could only smile wryly. She pictured the bright grin the queen of Amalin must have had at the ti, and it made the elf want to grit her teeth. She quickly handed the girl back her black tablet.
"With these credentials, you'll be able to join the lord on his ship. Actually, it might even be possible that you outrank the lord. The Empire values strength above all else. If you'd like, I can send word to the Emperor, and you'll be hired as a personal guard should he decide to take a voyage."
Hikari waved her hands and shook her head. "No, and please keep your voice down. Just get on the lord's ship. If possible, you don't need to ntion my rank to anyone. As long as they know I am high enough to join the crew. Oh, and my friends here should be of the sa power level."
The girl nodded and looked towards Kurayami, Mizuko, and Ayase. "Then, will you three also be joining in on this?"
Each of the girls nodded.
llana smiled. "Good, they should be leaving in three days, and I will make them know of your arrival. The ship you will board is called the Dragoneer Voyager."
"Isn't that a bit conspicuous for a ship na?"
llana shrugged. "The Empire's been in love with dragons since its conception. Did you know about the marble drakes guarding the Empire? Those were also made by the wizards of old who had a fascination with dragons."
"Why does the Empire love dragons so much? And the lord of this island should be only loosely associated with the main royal family from what I've heard."
llana's eyes widened. "You never heard the stories? No, I suppose it makes sense from an outsiders perspective. But most children of the Empire hear this story several tis before they co of age. It was said that in the ti of ancients, the first Emperor set sail with his band of wizards. They journeyed out west to find the edge of the world. In those tis, there was no such thing as the Misty Isles, but sailing was still harsh."
The woman continued. "They braved the strong winds and the harsh waters, but they did not find the edge of the world. Instead, they arrived at the very Eastern shores of the Dragon Islands. They were so taken in by the majesty of the creatures that they gave on offering. The peace offering was the entire coffers of the royal family. In return, the dragons offered to escort them back to the Empire. And so it was that the wizards and scholars built marble statues in their images, forever turning them into the protectors of the Emperor. There are many to this day who still worship the dragons, and the Imperial College bears the dragon insignia from that day. The museum holds the proof inside with the scale of an elder dragon."
Hikari placed her hand to her chin, thinking about the story. "So, it's more of a historical story than a myth."
"Considering it actually happened, it's historical, but the story has since been embellished. As are all good stories."
"Thank you."
"Don't ntion it. I love telling stories to travelers like yourselves. Allow to process this. In the anti, please enjoy what our city has to offer. There's a ship museum not too far away from here."
Nona raised both of her arms at that. "A ship museum! Let's go to the ship museum!"
The group headed out of the guild, and Kurayami scoffed. "Hmph, I bet those dragons are nothing special."
Hikari chuckled at the silly dragon. "Perhaps to you they're not, but you're very special in comparison. Also, I'm surprised that you didn't make such a comnt while we were talking to that woman."
"Well, Mizuko said that doing such a thing could make Master look bad, and I don't want to make you look bad, even if its to these ants. You have no idea how much I've been holding back, Master. Please give pats."
The elf giggled and patted the dragon's head. "Very good job, but I don't actually mind too much. I'm not trying to make you robotic. I just wish you could see the things humans are capable of."
"Oh, Master, I understand. They're pretty good at making kurry. Even though Master would easily beat them in a cooking competition. But this is also because they're so weak. They have to create many underhanded tactics to try and beat those that are stronger. When it cos to cooking, they invent new recipes for the sa reason."
Hikari smiled wryly at the dragon. "Is that so?"
"Yes, Master. Think about it. All I have to do is kill a creature and burn it, and then I can eat it. But they're too weak. They have to team up to even kill the tiniest ant. And when they finally kill it, they team up again to beat in cooking."
"I see...But then, how do you explain the fact that I am good at cooking?"
"Oh, that's easy. It's because Master is good at finesse, and because Master cares so much about all of us. She'd rather learn the cooking arts to make us happy. That's why Master prepares the best als because she cares the most."
Mizuko nodded at the dragon's explanation. "It makes sense. It's only natural that the strongest mistress would cook the best tasting als. All of the maids can only watch in awe and try to replicate it."
Ayase laughed as she pulled the handle of the museum door for everyone. "My Lady," she said dramatically, "for all of your hard work, please allow us to take care of you."
Hikari looked in horror at the bowing witch. Et tu, Ayase? The elf thought. This girl was slowly being corrupted by her other two followers, and she had no idea how to redy that. The elf felt like her chuuni army was growing, and the worst part was that she was at the center of it all, dying of secondhand cringe. Her ears were dyed red and twitching in embarrassnt.
The elf looked over towards the angel. At least that maid wasn't as corrupted as the other two. She seed to have her head screwed on tighter. Yet, as the elf looked at the girl, the angel looked back with a certain hunger in her gaze. Maybe she's not as normal as I thought…
Hikari shook her head and entered the ship museum. Imdiately, she noticed the enormity of it. It was like a massive, open coliseum, and each ship hung from the ceiling or adorned the wall like a piece of decoration, despite being full-sized.
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