Finally, they arrived at the port city where they could cross the Carib Sea.
Valentin looked around, blending in with the people from different regions, each wearing slightly varied styles of clothing. Even the pungent sll of fish wafting from the nearby market seed like the scent of people’s hard-working lives, and it made Valentin’s heart swell. Without realizing it, he took a deep breath. Life and vitality, no matter when experienced, were always magnificent.
As he stood there with an excited expression, Asif ran over, leading a cal and a donkey, both relieved of their burdens.
“I’ve paid the fare. We need to board soon.”
“Got it.”
“I’ve already loaded the luggage onto the ship, so all you need to do now is get yourself on board. Are you sure you're okay carrying that stuff around all the ti?”
Asif, still concerned, asked one last ti about the sturdy bag full of papers, sketchbooks, and art supplies that Valentin, a nobleman and a pregnant one at that, had been carrying everywhere. Valentin shook his head firmly.
“I have to carry this myself, no exceptions. I can’t just let it get tossed around carelessly.”
Valentin still had the habit of never entrusting his art supplies and drawings to others. It would be disastrous if soone else handled them roughly, possibly breaking the delicate and fragile oil pastels.
“If you’re sure, I won’t insist anymore. There’s a place in that alley over there where I can leave the cal and donkey. I’ll go take care of that, so you go ahead and board the ship. It’s the one with the blue flag on the mast. Do you see it?”
Following Asif’s gesture, Valentin’s gaze found the rows of ships at the port. Among them, he spotted a ship with a small triangular blue flag fluttering like the sea. Valentin nodded and said, “Yes, I see it clearly!” Asif, looking reassured, left with the two grateful animals.
As Valentin got closer to the ship, a loud trumpet blared from the vessel with the blue flag.
“Huh?”
They had ntioned the ship would leave soon, but this quickly? Asif hadn’t returned yet! Valentin unknowingly started running.
“Are you trying to catch that ship?”
A middle-aged man running beside him asked, and Valentin nodded vigorously.
“Hurry up, or you’ll miss it! That ship only sails once a week! If you miss it, you’ll have to wait another week.”
The man, who was apparently late as well, urged Valentin on, his thick mustache flapping in the wind. Although Valentin briefly thought it strange that the ship only sailed once a week, he dismissed the thought as more people around him started running, and he picked up his pace.
“Hurry up! I told you to board earlier!”
“Oh, co on, everyone has their reasons for being late!”
“You’ll be at sea for several days, so you’d better eat well before boarding!”
Days…? Valentin should have felt sothing was off right there. But given his long history of getting lost and making the wrong choices, who knew where this life would lead?
“Haah… haaah…!”
Amidst the shouts urging him to hurry, Valentin was practically pushed onto the ship along with a group of wealthy-looking rchants, as if he were one of their party. Gasping for breath, it was no surprise that he felt utterly exhausted.
As soon as the gangplank and ladder were removed, signaling the start of the voyage, soone called out loudly to Valentin, who was still catching his breath at the railing.
“Valentiiiin!!!”
“Oh… Asif! Asif!”
Realizing he had boarded alone, leaving Asif behind, Valentin was startled. His guide and friend was waving his arms and shouting from the dock below.
“My companion hasn’t boarded yet! Stop the ship, please!”
“Young man, once a ship sets sail, it doesn’t stop or turn back. Is this your first ti on a ship?”
“Oh dear, it looks like your companion missed the timing. Happens all the ti.”
“That friend of yours will just have to catch the next ship.”
The older n who had leisurely boarded were now casually comnting, their words mingling with Asif’s continued shouts.
“That’s the wrong ship, Valentin!!!”
“What…?!”
“You got on the wrong ship…! It’s not the right one!”
Valentin slumped down onto the deck of the ship that was now crossing the Carib Sea, feeling as if all his dreams and hopes had vanished from the world.
Damn it… What kind of shitty life is this…? How did I end up with such rotten luck? Of all things, getting swept up with those n like an idiot…. Valentin blad his foolishness and despairingly considered jumping into the sea.
With his elbows resting on his knees, Valentin buried his head in his hands. A deep sigh, as heavy as the earth, escaped him.
Looking back, the ship with the green flag—the one he should have boarded—was still docked nearby. It wasn’t supposed to be a blue flag. Damn this ‘blue’… whether in this life or the last, this color was always causing trouble. Soone should just ban it already! Valentin sniffed back the tears threatening to spill and took a deep breath through his nose.
[I'll make sure your luggage gets to the destination!]
Asif’s final shout, yelled with all his might, was the last thing Valentin could hear. The rest had already faded into the distance.
Yeah… my luggage…. Except for the art supply bag strapped to his back, Valentin was penniless and left with nothing.
“Where were you headed anyway? I can help you out, don’t worry!”
The sa man who had been running alongside him earlier seed to have caught on to the situation and spoke apologetically, patting his broad chest with assurance.
“All sea routes are connected, you know. You can get anywhere eventually!”
The man, who introduced himself as a rchant traveling along the Silk Road and across continents, was full of confidence. Valentin, on the verge of tears, answered in a shaky voice.
“I was on my way to the city of Marqand, across the Carib Sea…”
“…Mar… Marqand?”
The man hesitated for a mont, and those around them chid in.
“That’s the complete opposite direction, isn’t it?”
“This ship is heading down a canal connected to the Afrakan continent!”
“They’re taking you far off course for soone who just needed to cross the sea.”
“Looks like you’re in for a much bigger journey than you expected, thanks to that guy.”
“Yes, the sea routes are all connected… if you’re willing to sail halfway around the world.”
The confident rchant suddenly found himself being scolded by the others, who clicked their tongues and slapped him on the back, telling him he bore so responsibility for dragging the young man along. Soon enough, a crowd had gathered around Valentin, embodying the Middle Eastern and Central Asian mindset of "we’re all family and friends."
As Valentin’s face beca more distressed, the older n, seeing him as though he were their own son on the verge of tears, began to look equally troubled.
“Is Marqand your ho?”
“No…”
Valentin sniffled, the sound echoing from him unconsciously.
“Then where were you headed?”
“Can’t you tell? A kid like him wouldn’t be from Marqand! He’s clearly from the western continent!”
“Well, I was just asking! Why are you looking down on ?”
“I’m an expert on Marqand! Who were you heading to see?”
When Valentin ntioned the noble family of Babar that had taken responsibility for his care, the group exploded with more declarations.
“My family’s descendants are related to Tamar the Great!”
“I once did business with the second son of that family!”
“My grandfather was from the sa town as the head of that household three generations ago!”
“The late patriarch of that family went to the sa synagogue as my daughter-in-law’s father!”
This had reached the point where the connections were more distant than a second cousin’s in-laws… practically strangers, but in this culture, such weak ties were enough for people to consider themselves family or friends.
“If you’re a guest of that family, then you’re a guest of mine! So, where exactly are you headed?”
“To the Heston Empire…”
As Valentin, with tears welling up in his eyes, spoke, the group’s expressions shifted as if they were watching a hamster that had just lost all its sunflower seeds.
“Oh dear, what are we going to do…?”
“That’s quite a detour you’ll be taking…”
“You’ll probably have to disembark in Israel and then head up to the western continent.”
“Yes, that’s the only way.”
“But you left all your other luggage behind, didn’t you? Do you even have enough money for the trip?”
The ship was a large galley typically used by wealthy rchants, and the n surrounding Valentin exuded an air of affluence. Many wore the signature gold accessories typical of the Middle East, which made their wealth all the more apparent. They began rummaging through their pockets as if they were ready to help the young man in his ti of need. The man who had led Valentin onto the wrong ship pulled out a piece of parchnt and began writing.
“This is a letter of guarantee from Abdullah of Baghdad. With this, you shouldn’t have any trouble borrowing a horse when you disembark in Israel. Show it to the owner of the third shop you co across in the harbor, and they’ll give you a mount. I’m really sorry about this.”
“I was confused too… thank you so much.”
Still shaken and upset, Valentin held out his hands to receive the parchnt, his chin trembling.
“Take a swig of this, it'll calm your nerves.”
Another old
man with a magnificent turban handed Valentin a leather flask from his belt. The pungent sll of alcohol hit Valentin’s nose imdiately.
“Ugh.”
A gag reflex ca out involuntarily, causing the group of n gathered around to widen their eyes in shock.
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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - I'd really like to see how far Leon goes and how far we can increase the number of chapters. Thanks~!
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