Chapter 34
“What should we export and import to develop the territory as the lord of the North?”
I asked Derion, but the answer came from Arches instead. As I mentioned earlier, it seemed like he wanted to finish the discussion as quickly as possible.
“This place is surrounded by mountains, so developing through trade won’t be easy.”
“Mountains?”
I tilted my head at his words, prompting him to explain further.
“I don’t think a territory surrounded by mountains is inherently bad. There are advantages too. It’s easier to defend against invasions, and the mountains themselves act as a strong fortress surrounding the entire territory.”
Coming from someone living peacefully in the 21st century, this was something I didn’t know.
“But that’s all there is. The disadvantages outweigh the advantages—trade is cut off in exchange for peace.”
His precise words made me pay closer attention.
“The people of the North, with no interaction with others, have continued to live as they always have, whether they lacked resources or not. Because the leader hasn’t sought other methods, Anadelma has stagnated—simple as that.”
I understood what Arches meant.
“So… why not just do it? Start trading.”
But when I still tilted my head in doubt, he kindly continued to explain.
“To trade, you’d have to cross several mountains higher than this fortress. Transporting dozens of large carts over raw, natural mountains safely is impossible. Merchants prefer safer areas, like the central territories, over the dangerous North.”
“Yes, exactly. Why cross mountains? You could just go by sea.”
“There is no sea in Anadelma.”
“There is.”
“?”
“?”
A pair of question marks appeared above both my face and Arches’.
Derion looked at us with wide eyes, alternating between us.
“If you mean the river…”
“No, the sea.”
“There is no sea in Anadelma.”
“There is.”
“?”
“?”
So it went: there is a sea, there isn’t, there is, there isn’t… I stared at the [map] I had opened earlier.
There was definitely a sea there.
‘I can’t show the [map] that only I can see.’
I had no choice but to show it directly.
“Ugh! Come here!”
“Where?”
“Where else? You said Anadelma is stagnant, right? If it’s stagnant, we have to break through it!”
“I-I’ll come too! Sha-sha.”
With quick steps, I ran ahead.
And as soon as we arrived, I understood why no one had discovered the sea until now.
The surface was rugged and uneven.
The slopes were so steep that climbing was unthinkable.
The peaks rose so high that the top was invisible.
We arrived at a cliff made of stone.
And the sea…
“…is beyond this.”
“Beyond this?”
“Yes.”
Arches furrowed his brows, looking incredulous.
I, too, would not have believed it if it weren’t for the [map].
“If there really is a sea beyond here, I understand why no one has discovered it until now. The North itself is full of mountains and cliffs, so people probably didn’t even consider crossing the stacked rocks. Even if they tried, all they’d find is more mountains.”
“What do you think, Derion?”
Derion flinched, apparently not expecting to be asked.
“…I’m not sure, but I smell something new from afar.”
Sniffing carefully, he gave a small answer, confirming my words were closer to the truth.
“Step back.”
The two of them moved obediently, though curious about my words.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m going to break it.”
“What?”
Their eyes widened cutely, mirroring each other.
“Derion, you’ve cut through iron doors with your nails, and Arches, you’ve taken out goblins with a single sword strike. Why are you so surprised?”
“Is that the same thing?”
“Pretty similar, isn’t it?”
Arches looked at me in disbelief.
Unlike him, Derion still watched me cautiously.
Normally, he would have immediately agreed with “Sha-sha is right!”
‘So disappointing…’
Realizing that, I froze.
‘Disappointing…?!’
Had my body shrunk, making my mind feel younger too? Irrational feelings kept surfacing, and I hurriedly reminded myself:
‘I’m an educator, an educator!’
I needed some mental control.
“Trainer deactivated, Hero activated.”
‘Your class has been changed from Trainer ▶ Hero.’
As soon as my class changed to Hero, my demeanor shifted immediately, regardless of how I felt inside.
<System>
‘Hero’ class passive skill [Always Poker Face] activated.
Class effect allows the Hero to control outward expressions to maintain a neutral face.
My sparkling eyes calmed, and my voice became flat and even.
“<Inventory>”
I immediately drew the [Hero’s Whip] and gripped it confidently.
<Auto-hunting mode activated.>
Whoosh—!
I had a clear task, so no time was wasted.
“[Split Whip]”
The whip flew with incredible speed, striking a section of the cliff.
Boom—!
The sound was far louder than one would expect from a normal whip, and dust from the rocks billowed into the air.
Some debris flew toward Derion and Arches.
“[Capture Whip]”
Before it even got close, the rocks were pulverized by the whip.
A perfect hole appeared in the previously endless cliff. Ridiculously easy.
‘From here, it’s Derion’s turn.’
The remaining dust was carried away by a gentle wind.
“It’s really broken…”
Arches thought even sword masters would have difficulty breaking it so precisely.
We listened in silence.
Splash—.
The sound of water came from beyond the cliff.
Swish—, the water continued to hit and splash. Esia had been right.
“A real sea…!”
Arches’ eyes widened.
The Anadelma recorded on the kingdom’s old maps had no sea.
But far to the northwest, there really was a sea.
Between it and the cliffs, the terrain was impossibly massive for humans to break.
That was why it had always been declared that Anadelma had no sea.
Yet before our eyes, there it was—undeniable.
Splash—!
Once again, waves collided against the cliff.
“Could it be that the sea has slowly eroded the cliff over centuries…!”
“Even dripping water can pierce rock.”
Arches could only marvel at nature’s mystery.
Derion tilted his head, hearing the waves for the first time.
“A sea?”
“Derion, have you ever seen the sea?”
“No!”
“It’s fine to get closer.”
As if waiting for permission, Derion immediately stuck his head through the hole.
“Wow…”
His tail, once straight up in excitement, now thrashed wildly.
Even without asking, I could guess his feelings, but I was curious what he would say. Blue? Vast? Amazing?
“How is it?”
But his answer was nothing like I imagined.
Derion pulled his head out of the hole and brightly said, forgetting his earlier caution.
“You’re like Sha-sha!”
“Me?”
“Yes!” Derion stared straight at me with a bright expression.
“You really are like Sha-sha!”
And what he said next completely embarrassed me.
“The sea was in your eyes too, Sha-sha.”
How sweet!
“!”
The innocent, sincere words made me scream internally before I even realized it. My face felt hot.
“What…?”
If I hadn’t had [Always Poker Face], my face would have clearly shown my strange fluttering feelings.
‘It’s because my body shrank! My mental age got younger too!’
That was the only explanation.
“You’re beautiful, Sha-sha.”
“That’s unnecessary.”
My legs instinctively took a step back, despite my neutral expression.
“Anyway, let’s continue.”
“Mm…”
Thankfully, no one noticed my backward step as embarrassment because of my poker face.
Derion sulked again.
“I found the sea that no one could find until now. Now the North can trade. But what about you, Derion?”
“…….”
“What can you do for the North, for the people who trust you?”
“…….”
Derion didn’t answer immediately.
But unlike before, a serious expression appeared on his face.
It meant he was taking this situation seriously.
“I… I’m not as smart as Sha-sha, so I can’t use difficult words.”
The salty scent from beyond the cliff brushed over us.
“But being with you, Sha-sha, I’ve learned a lot.”
The breeze ruffled his hair slightly.
“When happy, express it with a smile, not throwing. When sad, with tears, not clawing. When in pain, express it, not destroy.”
The wind even touched Derion’s hair on his shoulders.
“Even though I’m still learning about the world late, being with you, Sha-sha, makes me feel smarter. And being with you, my differences from others don’t feel different at all.”
It wasn’t even spring yet, but the feeling of spring seemed to come alive.
“So maybe I unconsciously spoiled myself with you, Sha-sha.”
The weather was just right—cool yet cozy.
The sea breeze carried a floating feeling.
“Thank you.”
“…I’m glad you think so.”
“And I like you too.”
“……!”
I was startled by the sudden confession.
Derion’s expression was bright, without a trace of darkness. His words were proper for a confession, yet gentle, not playful.
“And you, Sha-sha?”
