Episode 63
The carriage stopped at the entrance of a back alley near the port of Bern.
Since it was a Grand Mage’s carriage, it couldn’t risk drawing attention.
Snap—
Jade snapped his fingers lightly, casting a spell over the carriage to make it invisible to ordinary eyes.
The three of them tightened their robes and pulled up their hoods.
The Port of Bern was bustling with ships and people—meaning many watchful eyes.
They stepped out carefully, making sure not to draw attention.
Thankfully, the alley was quiet.
Koselico peeked out from under Miel’s hood, observing the surroundings.
“Five minutes to departure for Harbin Island!”
“Ten minutes to departure for the Corobo Island tour ship!”
True to its name as a busy port city, the area was alive with noise and movement.
Announcements rang out constantly, and passengers bustled about.
The ticket office area was particularly crowded with a wide variety of people.
Miel, Jade, and Troy headed there next.
‘This world really needs an online reservation system…’
Miel sighed inwardly as they joined the ticket line.
The Port of Bern offered sea routes to countless continents and islands, which explained the crowd.
Among them were dwarves and beastfolk—rare even to spot—as well as people with unfamiliar skin tones.
‘Blue-skinned… what race is that?’
There were also a few people with East-Asian features—likely from the Eastern Continent.
Seeing them, Miel felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Of course, they looked nothing like her current self, but…
‘Must be the memories from my past life.’
Smiling softly, she followed the slowly moving line.
“They’re probably from the Eastern Continent,” Jade muttered quietly to their group.
“Yeah. They’re quite different from us, but they have a unique beauty,” Troy replied calmly.
While they exchanged words, it was soon their turn to buy tickets.
“Three tickets to the Eastern Continent, please,” Miel said.
Naturally, Troy stepped forward to pay.
The cost was steep—it wasn’t cheap to travel to the Eastern Continent.
‘That’s about a month’s wage for a commoner… No wonder most people can’t even dream of this trip.’
She accepted the tickets and thought to herself.
Even though it wasn’t much compared to her income as a mage, it was still a significant amount.
“It looks like we have some time before the ship departs. Should we go somewhere for a bit?”
Once they were away from the crowd, Miel handed the tickets to the men and suggested it.
“About thirty minutes left, it seems.”
“Let’s eat something before we board,” Jade and Troy said.
Miel nodded. The bustling area around the port had naturally turned into a commercial hub.
“Oh—that place has the biggest crowd.”
She pointed toward the busiest eatery.
It didn’t look particularly fancy, but the aroma of grilled meat filled the air.
“Hm. That must be a local favorite.”
“If that’s what you’d like, let’s try it.”
The two men led the way, their large statures parting the crowd like water.
Miel followed behind them easily.
Inside the restaurant, the diversity of customers stood out.
They managed to snag the last available table.
‘The turnover seems quick—food should come out fast.’
Miel glanced around, though she couldn’t spot any menus, which left her a little confused.
“Three servings!”
A staff member quickly placed food in front of them.
Apparently, this place only served one dish.
‘Those are usually the best kind of restaurants.’
She nodded solemnly as she looked down at the meal:
brown, glistening pieces of pork covered in various sauces.
‘Let’s give it a try…’
Miel cautiously took a bite. The flavor burst in her mouth—sweet, salty, and spicy.
‘Whoa. This is incredible.’
The meat had just the right balance of lean and fat.
Without even realizing it, she began devouring it with the bread served alongside.
Seeing her eat so happily, the two men also picked up their forks.
“This is really good. Miel, you’ve got a great eye. As expected of my disciple.”
Jade smiled warmly as he watched her eat.
A strand of Miel’s hair slipped forward.
Jade, without thinking, reached over and tucked it gently behind her ear.
“Th-thank you,” she said shyly, smiling before continuing her meal.
Troy’s face stiffened for a brief second at the sight, but he quickly masked his reaction.
“Here, Coco. Eat.”
Miel tore off a piece of meat and handed it toward her hood.
Koselico peeked out and eagerly munched on it.
“Oooh! This taste—!”
His excited chirp echoed near Miel’s ear.
Smiling, Miel continued eating.
“This is the best meat dish I’ve ever had!”
“Right? I thought so too.”
They enjoyed a warm, satisfying meal.
When their thirty minutes were up, the trio left the restaurant and made their way to the boarding area for the Eastern Continent-bound ship.
The ship was docked deep inside the pier.
“It’s so big…”
Miel murmured as she took out motion sickness medicine and drank it.
She also gave some to Koselico.
“It has to be. The Eastern Continent route is long.”
“Yes. With such a lengthy journey, they need space for many supplies,” Jade explained.
Miel nodded, and the three of them lined up.
A crowd had already formed, showing tickets to the dock inspectors.
More than half of the passengers appeared to be from the Western Continent, but other races were mixed in too.
‘If I recall, the trip to the Eastern Continent takes about a day.’
As she thought that, she inched forward with the queue.
Then—suddenly—there was a commotion behind them.
“P-Please! Let me on board!”
A man cried out desperately, attempting to force his way onto the ship.
Port staff rushed over to stop him.
‘What’s going on?’
Naturally, Miel turned to look at the noise.
“Please! I must deliver this to the young lady—her life might depend on it!”
The man clutched a pouch in his hands and pleaded, but the staff remained firm.
“I’m sorry, sir, but you can’t board without a ticket.”
“If I don’t get on today, she could die!”
Tears welled up in the man’s eyes as he pleaded even more.
‘He looks like he’s about my age…’
What could be so urgent that he’d be this desperate?
“Please… I didn’t lose the ticket on purpose. I definitely bought it. You can ask the clerk at the booth!”
“Even so, without physical proof, we can’t let you on.”
The back-and-forth grew heated, drawing murmurs from the surrounding passengers.
“If he lost it, he should buy another!”
“Seriously, he’s making a scene…”
Despite the growing criticism, the man didn’t stop.
He looked like he was about to cry.
‘He’s not lying.’
Miel studied him closely.
His clothes were of the Western Continent’s style, but clearly not noble in quality.
‘A commoner, huh… That’s probably why he’s begging so desperately.’
The ticket fare for the Eastern Continent was no small thing.
Normally, Miel would have ignored this.
Like everyone else.
But since she started searching for the woman in the vision, her heart had begun to change.
“…Excuse me. I’ll pay for his ticket.”
Her voice rang out—enough to make people turn and stare.
