Chapter 402 Price, Ocean-View Room, Departure

"Me?"

The corners of Hera's mouth curled up uncontrollably, a smile spreading across her face. Xia Nan's words were clearly quite to her liking.

"You certainly think highly of me."

"Truth be told, while I did receive their invitation many years ago, you know I couldn't possibly attend."

"And ever since then, I have been excluded from the guest list for their Lunar Tide Banquet."

Hera was the owner of the Three-Legged Sea Dog tavern and one of the largest information brokers in Barracuda Bay. The channels inherited from her father, combined with her own years of diligent management, allowed her to maintain ties with many factions across the Southern Archipelagos.

Under these circumstances, whatever might happen in the dark, the intricate relationships between those factions required her to maintain absolute neutrality on the surface.

Any overt bias could easily sever parts of her network, or even sour her relations with the forces backing those channels.

The Lunar Tide Banquet that "Algae Scale" Dodd attended might have been massive in scale, but truthfully, if a wanted criminal of the kingdom like him could receive an invitation, the complexity of the guest list was easy to imagine.

If Hera attended, she could undoubtedly expand her channels in the Southern Archipelagos, but it also carried the substantial risk of compromising the network she had already established in Barracuda Bay.

Ambitious as she was, after weighing the pros and cons back then, she had still opted for the safer route.

"However..."

Hera abruptly changed her tone.

Her emerald eyes blinked, flashing with an intriguing gleam.

Having spent some time with him, she knew this black-haired young man kept his emotions in check and rarely wore his thoughts on his sleeve. Deciding not to keep him in suspense, she presented her offer directly.

"I do actually know someone who recently received an invitation to the Lunar Tide Banquet over there."

"If you want, I can introduce you to her."

"Of course, whether she's willing to take you along, or what kind of compensation you'll have to pay, will be entirely up to you."

Xia Nan understood what the tavern owner meant, but his expression didn't change at this breakthrough in his plan to find the [Dream Weaving Corridor] key. He merely pondered for a moment before raising his head to look at the dark-green-haired woman smiling across the table.

"So... what's the price?"

"How much compensation will this introduction cost me?"

Evidently having planned for this, Hera wasn't surprised by Xia Nan's question. She even casually raised her glass and took another sip.

Only then did she reply with a soft chuckle: "Heh, there's no need to be so serious. It's just a trade."

"I'll introduce you to this connection who can take you to the Lunar Tide Banquet. The fee for the information on 'Algae Scale' Dodd we just discussed can be included in this as well, so I won't charge you extra."

"In return, I need you to do something for me."

'Just as I thought...'

Knowing she had an agenda, Xia Nan remained calm on the surface while his mind raced.

He didn't answer, simply watching her in silence.

"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult."

"If luck is on your side, you'll be back in a few days. You might not even have to draw those two longswords on your back."

"I need you to deliver a shipment for me."

...

...

"Rustle..."

The sheer curtains by the window swayed and fluttered.

The sound of the tide crashing against the reefs mingled with the distant clamor of crowds at the port, sweeping into the warm room on the slightly salty sea breeze.

Fully armed, Xia Nan stood by the desk. He held the [Honey Tangerine] dagger high, letting it catch the sunlight from the window as he narrowed his eyes to inspect it closely.

With a slight twist of his wrist, the sharp pink crystal edge refracted a translucent, glass-like luster in the sunlight, casting a dazzling pink reflection on the mattress behind him.

This loot from the cleric in Sheep Horn Town had average stats; aside from its durability, there was almost nothing remarkable about it.

But he had to admit, it looked stunning.

When Xia Nan first got his hands on it, he had even been a bit reluctant to use it as a skinning knife for carving up monster materials. Seeing its magnificent, translucent blade stained with blood made him uncomfortable, though he gradually got used to it.

After admiring it in the sunlight for a moment, he sheathed the [Honey Tangerine] back into its leather scabbard at his waist.

Three days had passed since his trip to the casino.

For the sake of the [Dream Weaving Corridor] key, he had agreed to Hera's trade, acting as a guard to deliver a shipment of goods for her.

Today was the day of departure.

Three days wasn't exactly long, but it wasn't short either.

For a newcomer like Xia Nan who had only recently arrived in Barracuda Bay, all he could do was familiarize himself with the environment or gather some minor intelligence.

He had originally planned to find a blacksmith to try and repair the [Purgatory Pulse].

This Fine (green) quality equipment, forged by "Rockhammer" Barn from Purgatory Steel and other special materials, had sustained damage during the battle with the cleric in Sheep Horn Town. The iron plating near the chest had a noticeable dent.

However, upon asking around, he learned that fully repairing the armor would not only cost a fair amount of gold coins, but more importantly, it would take at least a week.

Xia Nan was about to set sail to escort goods for Hera, meaning he would have to leave the armor at the blacksmith's if he wanted it repaired.

Given that the standard stock in the shops was only of ordinary quality, and enchanted gear required even more time to custom-order, he decided to make do with it for now and wait until he returned from the mission.

The grade and materials of the [Purgatory Pulse] spoke for themselves. Even damaged, its defensive capabilities still far exceeded the mass-produced, cookie-cutter gear sitting on the blacksmiths' shelves.

It was more than enough to handle ordinary combat.

Standing in place, Xia Nan shifted his dark eyes, sweeping his gaze across the room.

After three days of staying here, this high-end guest room in the Three-Legged Sea Dog tavern—which cost 2 silver coins a night—bore a few more traces of being lived in compared to when he first arrived.

The arched window facing the ocean was wide open. Through the swaying double-layered sheer curtains, the distant, crystal-clear sea shimmered like dazzling aquamarine gems. He could vaguely make out the ships coming and going, as well as the seagulls circling and crying out above.

The floor was covered with a woven rug from the Eastern Continent. The walls on either side were decorated with an ornamental two-handed sword, an illustration of a star compass, and a nautical chart of the nearby waters.

In the center of the room sat a massive four-poster bed, large enough to sleep three people. The dark oak bedposts were carved with delicate spiral patterns, and indigo curtains hung halfway down from the top.

He was eating and sleeping well.

This was the first time since his transmigration that Xia Nan had stayed in such a high-end room.

But he had to admit, the price of two silver coins a night was well worth it.

He had confirmed this on his very first day. After sleeping for six full, uninterrupted hours on that soft, comfortable bed and restoring all his mental and physical energy, he had climbed out of bed with sleepy eyes, caught sight of the vast, azure ocean outside the window, and immediately felt convinced.

In his past life, an ocean-view room of this caliber during peak season would have cost at least a high four-figure sum, if not over ten thousand, for just one night.

But here in Barracuda Bay, the bounty of just one and a half goblins could afford him a beautiful two-night stay.

Compared to custom-made enchanted gear that easily cost hundreds or thousands of gold coins, Xia Nan finally had a real sense of the purchasing power of the eight hundred or so gold coins he carried.

He checked the room one last time to make sure he hadn't left anything behind.

Picking up the luggage he had packed and left by the entrance, Xia Nan pushed the door open and headed toward the tavern's main hall.

...

He had just arrived in the main hall of the Three-Legged Sea Dog when a lively, enthusiastic, and crisp voice called out from a table by the window.

It was the halfling Alton, waving vigorously in Xia Nan's direction.

He was chewing on something, which muffled his voice, and his waving hand tightly clutched a half-peeled Sugar Tangerine.

"Over here, Xia Nan! Over here!"

Nodding in greeting to Hera behind the bar, Xia Nan walked over to Alton, set down his luggage, and sat across from him.

"The Sugar Tangerines here really are much sweeter than the ones I've had before! Hehe, we came to the right place!"

Alton smugly peeled the tangerine in his hand, tilting his chin to gesture at the table full of food in front of him.

"Yesterday, I asked the chef in the tavern's kitchen about their recipe for cream of mushroom soup. It's totally different from the one in Rivervale Town! I heard the mushrooms they use are specially foraged from coastal caves, so the flavor is a lot saltier than the ones from the forest..."

"Oh, right! When I was wandering around town the night before last, aside from those two food stalls I told you about, I also found a shop that specializes in making furniture. I hear a lot of rich people from the White Cliff District go there for custom orders, and I..."

Long accustomed to Alton's boundless curiosity and enthusiasm for seemingly everything, Xia Nan automatically filtered out the useless information to extract the key points.

His gaze swept across the table.

Knowing they were about to set sail and would probably not get to eat such a lavish meal from the Three-Legged Sea Dog out on the ocean, Alton had ordered a whole table full of dishes.

Naturally, this included the uniquely seafood-flavored cream of mushroom soup. Having spent so much time together, the thoughtful and kind halfling had long memorized Xia Nan's preferences.

It seemed it had just been served; fragrant, hot white steam rose from the surface of the soup.

Even though it was early morning, it didn't feel too rich at all. Narrowing his eyes unconsciously, Xia Nan picked up his spoon and happily dug in.

Three days ago, when he was discussing information related to the Lunar Tide Banquet with the tavern owner Hera, Alton had been present.

Unsurprisingly, the halfling had taken an interest in this massive banquet held during the Sea Rhythm Festival.

And the moment Xia Nan accepted Hera's commission, Alton had asked if he could tag along.

It was impossible to refuse, of course.

Setting aside everything else, given their relationship—the halfling being one of Xia Nan's few close friends—he was willing to fulfill his wish, provided it was safe.

Not to mention, Alton himself was a favored of Tymora, the Goddess of Luck.

To put it bluntly, even if the little guy had absolutely zero combat ability and served purely as the team's mascot, Xia Nan would still have brought him along.

Those three absurd, deeply memorable instances where the [Fate Coin] was used had given Xia Nan a thorough understanding of "luck"—an intangible and invisible phenomenon.

Having a favored like Alton by his side was akin to stepping into the sights of The Smiling Lady.

And as long as that entity high up in her divine kingdom gave them even a little wink, "good luck" would surely follow.

It was a temptation no adventurer on the Aifala Continent could resist.

To some extent, perhaps this was exactly why Hera had deliberately discussed the Lunar Tide Banquet with Xia Nan in front of the halfling.

If their escort party included someone so closely related to the legendary Gambler of Fate, Arlene, their journey would undoubtedly be much smoother.

Alton was lively but detail-oriented, and his halfling racial traits instilled him with an intensely strong sense of responsibility toward his friends.

Even though Xia Nan had agreed to his request, it was impossible for Alton to just sit around doing nothing, waiting for Xia Nan to complete the commission before tagging along to the Lunar Tide Banquet.

Naturally, he had also become a member of this escort mission.

Thinking of this, Xia Nan's expression suddenly turned a bit strange.

He remembered that their very first meeting had also been during a merchant caravan escort commission, though things had taken a slight detour later on.

The current situation gave him an indescribable sense of déjà vu.

'Does that also mean this mission...'

While he was lost in thought, the sound of footsteps approached.

Her seaweed-like, dark green hair was simply tied behind her head, with a few loose strands swaying gently near her temples.

Hera's gaze swept over the halfling Alton on the other side of the table before landing on Xia Nan. A smile appeared on her lips: "So, are you all ready?"

"Don't worry, the people I hired are old friends I've worked with for many years. They're highly experienced sailors. If you run into any issues at sea, just look for them. They're very reliable."

She leaned forward slightly, picked up a Sugar Tangerine from a plate on the table, and casually peeled it open.

"Today's meal is on me, so eat up."

"When you get to the port later, just give them my name. The manager there will make all the proper arrangements for you on the ship."

Having already discussed the specific details of the escort mission with them, Hera was just giving her final instructions before they set off.

Knowing that both Xia Nan and Alton were experienced adventurers, she didn't feel the need to say much more.

After briefly reiterating a couple of precautions, the tavern owner excused herself and returned behind the bar.

Scooping the last spoonful of cream of mushroom soup into his mouth, Xia Nan narrowed his eyes, savoring the lingering umami sweetness on his tongue. He then raised the glass next to him and downed the last of his lemonade in one gulp.

Xia Nan looked at the halfling Alton, who had finished his meal long ago and was now curiously watching the pedestrians coming and going outside the window.

"Well then, is there anything else you need to prepare, or should we just..."

Alton turned his head with a grin and excitedly hopped off his wooden chair.

"Let's go, let's go!"