Chapter 531 Carnival Activities

The Blade of Vengeance Fleet arrived early. When they docked their ship at the pier of Stodd Port on the Isle of a Thousand Piles, three days still remained before the Lunar Tide Banquet.

Naturally, they couldn't just sit on the ship and wait around doing nothing.

After a long and exhausting voyage, the crew needed plenty of rest. The Class Holders, acting as the core members, also needed to prepare for the upcoming banquet.

Gathering intelligence, purchasing supplies, and even scouting locations in advance—there was a lot to do.

The Blade of Vengeance Ship had barely steadied at the pier before Captain Lorraine took Hein ashore to handle the relevant chores.

At the same time, in a place as chaotic as this, with its motley mix of fish and dragons, it was impossible to leave the ship unguarded.

The twin Warriors, Ryan and Gordon, were left behind on the Blade of Vengeance Ship as usual.

The Barbarian Aken showed some dissatisfaction compared to before, but for safety's sake, he was left behind as well.

With three Class Grade veteran adventurers staying on the ship, even if an unexpected incident occurred, they should be able to hold out until Lorraine and the others heard the commotion and rushed back.

It was worth mentioning that, perhaps out of some unknown concern or simply because she knew how to read the room, the dragonborn Sarissa—a temporary passenger on the Blade of Vengeance Ship from the wiped-out Black Tide Hunter Fleet—had no intention of disembarking despite the bustling port pier.

Instead, she took the initiative to ask Lorraine and the others if she could remain on board.

Naturally, they did not refuse.

As for the remaining three—Xia Nan, the Halfling Alton, and the tabaxi Sasha—Lorraine assigned them the task of gathering intelligence, sending them ashore to collect information about the banquet.

This mainly included finding out which key figures were attending the feast, whether there were any hidden dangers they didn't know about, and most crucially, gathering relevant intelligence regarding "Algae Scale" Dodd.

Truth be told, whether it was Xia Nan, Alton, or Sasha, none of them were professional intelligence gatherers, nor did they possess any unique techniques for prying out information.

But they were adventurers. If they really wanted to inquire about something, all they had to do was spend a little money and sit in a crowded tavern for the entire night.

Whatever happened on the island during the day, and whichever notable big shots had appeared at the port, would all become crystal clear amidst the alcohol-fueled chatter of the surrounding adventurers. They just needed to discern the truth from the lies and filter out the drunken boasting.

Right now it was early morning, still quite a while before the taverns reached their liveliest peak at night.

Taking the opportunity, Xia Nan's trio strolled around the pier to kill time, searching for the most popular tavern among adventurers on Stodd Island while also seeing if they could gather some early intelligence through other means.

"Clack, clack, clack."

It was different from the muffled footsteps on the stone-paved ground of Barracuda Bay.

The floors of the platforms surrounding Stodd, the Isle of a Thousand Piles, were constructed entirely out of Water-Iron Wood. Stepping on them felt like walking on sheet metal, letting out crisp sounds as they struck the soles of their shoes.

A weather-beaten artisan with calloused hands sat cross-legged in a corner, a half-carved Water-Iron Wood board resting across his knees. Scattered wood shavings drifted onto the mat of the small stall in front of him, which displayed various Water-Iron Wood products like wooden bowls and spoons.

A skinny, dark-skinned girl hugged a clay jug full of fresh water. She wobbled as if she might fall the next second, but without even lowering her head, she skillfully stepped over a warped wooden plank that should have tripped her. She ran barefoot across the covered bridge and disappeared deep into the alleyway.

The shouts of vendors and the chatter of passing pedestrians blurred into an indistinguishable, noisy hum that filled the air. The wooden buildings on both sides of the street weren't symmetrical like those in inland towns; they were arranged haphazardly according to the underwater pile foundations. Shrines leaned against shops, and workshops sat tightly next to taverns.

During the Sea Rhythm Festival and the Lunar Tide Banquet, there were noticeably more outsiders on the island than usual. Adventurers, merchants, and even lavishly dressed nobles bustled back and forth along the streets.

Occasionally, one could even spot reckless adventurers who were unfamiliar with the local environment tumbling off the suspension bridges while crossing the platforms, falling miserably into the shallow sea below.

Finding it amusing, Xia Nan walked down the street, carefully observing the surroundings filled with the unique characteristics of the Isle of a Thousand Piles, soaking in the local customs and atmosphere.

"Hey, hey, Xia Nan, look at this!"

The Halfling Alton had bought a sun hat made of Water-Iron Wood bark from somewhere.

The wide brim, which could cover almost half of his face, paired with his short stature made him look exceptionally comical.

It even blocked his line of sight, forcing him to push the brim up with both hands just to see the road ahead.

"Yeah—it suits you quite well."

Never one to be a killjoy, Xia Nan saw the little guy's jubilant look and complimented him somewhat contrary to his own convictions.

Hearing Xia Nan's praise, Alton couldn't help but chuckle. He took off the sun hat and used the straps on the inside of the brim to hang it behind his neck.

The overly large sun hat made the little guy look like he was carrying a grayish-brown shield on his back.

"I bought it over there!" Alton pointed at a small stall not far down the street.

As if sensing their gaze, the stall owner also looked over.

When he saw Xia Nan, fully armed and looking like an elite adventurer, his expression clearly stiffened, and he forced a flattering smile onto his face.

Seeing the vendor's reaction, Xia Nan already had a guess. He turned to Alton, who was fiddling with his sun hat, and asked, "How much did you pay for this hat?"

"Two silver coins! He said it was handcrafted by some famous artisan on the island and could be worn for decades with normal use!"

The little guy answered absentmindedly, as if the two silver coins he'd spent had just been picked up off the ground.

Based on Xia Nan's observations of Stodd Island's prices along the way, and judging by the vendor's expression upon seeing him, there was no doubt that Alton had run into a crooked merchant.

Normally, this sun hat would cost a few copper coins at most. It was nowhere near the point of needing silver coins as the unit of measurement.

He figured the vendor probably assumed Alton was a newcomer and a rookie. Because of his short stature, he didn't look like an adventurer, so the merchant had directly quoted a high price.

Who would have thought the little guy wouldn't haggle at all? He just pulled out his money and bought it, giving the stall owner a massive profit.

Speaking of which, with Alton's personality, when faced with something he found interesting, he would generally just buy it on the spot unless the price was truly outrageous. He didn't care in the slightest how much money others made off him.

However, to some extent, given his status as a favored of the Goddess of Luck, the vendor taking advantage of him like this might not necessarily be a good thing.

For all he knew, the guy could make two silver coins one second and be forced to spit them back out with interest the next.

Hearing Alton's answer, the tabaxi Sasha beside them also realized the Halfling had been scammed.

His fluffy long tail, which had been swaying leisurely behind him, abruptly stopped and lifted slightly. It looked like he was about to march over and demand an explanation from the crooked merchant.

Seeing this, Alton grinned and stopped him. "It's fine, it's fine. It was all going to be offered to the Goddess later anyway. One or two silver coins doesn't matter."

Let alone two silver coins, even with just a single copper, it wouldn't stop Alton from winning enough chips at the casino to pile the card table high, only to lose it all back again.

Although he had a normal concept of money, his repeated rituals of appeasement in the casino proved that he had no real pursuit of wealth itself.

Since Alton had said so, Sasha—who appeared aloof and distant on the surface but cared deeply for his companions—stopped in his tracks. He merely gave the distant vendor one last vicious glare with his feline pupils, letting out a dissatisfied growl from his throat.

For the ordinary people living on Stodd Island, passing adventurers were not uncommon due to the island's specialty of Water-Iron Wood. The roadside vendors generally had a bit of an eye for people.

Because of this, when the stall owner who had just pulled a guilty stunt saw Xia Nan and Sasha standing beside Alton, he appeared so terrified and embarrassed.

Filled with regret, he was already prepared to forfeit his entire fortune just to keep his life.

Now, although Xia Nan and Sasha hadn't approached thanks to Alton stopping them, the vendor no longer dared to do business there.

After being glared at by the tabaxi, he hurriedly got up and packed away his stall.

However, panicked as he was, his movements were a bit too jerky. The mat full of pots and jars accidentally bumped into a passing adventurer with a face full of fierce, bulging flesh.

"Huh!?"

He was then hoisted up by his neck and dragged straight into the adjacent alley.

Cries of pain and pleas for mercy could vaguely be heard from deep within the alley.

Xia Nan retracted his gaze.

No wonder the little guy could always maintain this kind of personality, doing things entirely according to his mood. Even if it seemed like he took a loss sometimes, it would quickly be made up for in some other form.

The favored of the Goddess of Luck wasn't just an empty title...

The minor episode on the road soon passed.

Alton's mood wasn't affected in the slightest. He acted just like a tourist visiting the island, weaving excitedly through the crowd.

Stopping and going, after walking across the platforms for about twenty minutes, the trio arrived at the core of the Isle of a Thousand Piles.

It was a small plaza near the beach of Stodd Island.

Its area wasn't large, not even half the size of the central plaza in Barracuda Bay. But contrasted against the dense wooden buildings surrounding it, it felt exceptionally spacious.

The Water-Iron Wood platform making up the ground here was noticeably thicker, clearly reinforced with multiple layers. The buildings around the plaza were no longer as haphazard and simple as the ones they had seen on the way; they were all meticulously designed.

The official council hall, long-established shops, the Church—

Xia Nan shifted his eyes, sweeping his gaze across the surrounding buildings to find a tavern for gathering intelligence.

His gaze suddenly paused.

He saw that adventurers were visibly congregating in the center of the plaza, making it look incredibly lively.

Just as he was feeling puzzled, the little Halfling, Alton, who had stepped ahead, pushed his way out of the crowd on his short little legs.

"Come quick! There's an event we can join here!" Alton called out, hopping up and waving enthusiastically upon spotting Xia Nan and Sasha.

The Sea Rhythm Festival had a long history, occurring only once every three years. It was an occasion worth celebrating for all the residents of the Southern Archipelagos.

Right now, the festival was approaching, and the Lunar Tide Banquet was about to be held.

To entertain the adventurers rushing in from all over, a massive number of carnival activities were hosted on Stodd Island.

The discounts and promotions at the various taverns and shops went without saying.

As the host of this banquet, "Algae Scale" Dodd had also partnered with the local Pile Dwellers of Stodd Island to throw a rare, large-scale event with generous rewards.

"Everyone can participate!" a middle-aged man with a goatee, dressed in a tailored formal suit, announced from behind the registration desk in the center of the plaza, addressing the adventurers before him, Xia Nan included. "There are five events in total. As long as you complete all of them, you can enter the raffle on the day of the festival. Prizes include but are not limited to: combat techniques, enchanted equipment, and alchemical potions—those who perform exceptionally well might even win a chance to have dinner with Mr. Dodd!"

'Seriously? Such a massive payout?'

—

Standing in the crowd, Xia Nan inwardly clicked his tongue in amazement.

They were all adventurers; the value of formal combat techniques that could yield actual results went without saying.

Even if someone won one and found it unsuitable for themselves, they could sell it to others or hand it over to the Association for points, obtaining a rather hefty profit.

As for enchanted equipment and high-quality alchemical potions, there was even less need to explain—they easily started at three-digit gold coins.

Xia Nan had never heard of any previous Lunar Tide Banquet hosting such a generous welfare event.

As soon as the goatee-wearing man finished speaking, the entire plaza erupted into an uproar.

Clearly, the adventurers were all deeply tempted by the rewards he mentioned.

Although Xia Nan wasn't exactly strapped for cash right now—he was covered in enchanted equipment, and his combat techniques required careful consideration to choose—since it was a raffle and he happened to be right there, there seemed to be no reason not to participate.

On a more practical note, when it came time for the raffle, if he had the little guy beside him lend a hand, they might just score big.

On the other hand, while it might not hold any appeal for the other adventurers in the plaza, Xia Nan actually really wanted the chance to have dinner with "Algae Scale" Dodd that the host mentioned.

After all, his entire purpose for traveling thousands of miles from the inland to the Southern Archipelagos was to acquire the [Dream Weaving Corridor] encryption key that Dodd might possess.

If he could get into close contact with the other party through formal channels, it would also make it easier for him to observe and pry for information.

"Anyone who wants to participate, please come register with me!" the goatee-wearing man in the formal suit called out.

"I'll join!"

"Count me in!"

"Is there a time limit? I'm going back to call my teammates over right now!"

The crowd surged. In the blink of an eye, the adventurers had already formed layer after layer around the registration desk.

"How about it, are we joining, Xia Nan?" Alton asked, standing on his tiptoes to peer into the dense crowd ahead.

Although Sasha didn't say anything on the surface, the swinging long tail behind him also revealed his internal eagerness to try.

'Hmm—there are still three days until the banquet anyway, and it's still early right now. With so many adventurers participating in the event, there will definitely be plenty of socializing along the way. In a way, it counts as a form of gathering intelligence.'

After pondering for a moment, Xia Nan made his decision.

He nodded at the two of them, and then they squeezed toward the registration desk together.