Journey and Whim
Translated by Mlzkzr
Edited by Mlzkzr
“Uwah, that’s amazing. This still isn’t the ocean, right”
Moved by the sight of the horizon even though it was inland, I plunge my hand into the lake and wash my face.
The water was not salty as I thought, and it made me realize that this is not the sea, but a freshwater lake.
The main industry of the Republic of Zia is water transportation, using the Lake Zia, from which it takes its name, and the rivers that flow into and out of it.
Anywhere in the group of small nations……., although it’s nothing like that as expected, the Zia Republic plays a significant role in distribution within the group of small nations.
Both the wheat of the Principality of Travoia and the fruits of the Kingdom of Ardeno are transported by boat from the nearby river to the Republic of Zia, where they are scattered throughout the group of small nations.
In other words, the Zia Republic is characterized by its thriving commerce as a transit point.
As I walk along the river from the village of Parnor, I come across a large lake, the Lake Zia, and from there, a two-hour walk along the road along the lake would bring me to the town of Focca.
My identification to enter the town is, as usual, the senior blacksmith certificate and a document with delivery history and evaluation given by the blacksmith’s union of the Principality of Travoia.
If I only showed them the senior blacksmith certificate, they would treat me as an outsider with good blacksmithing skills, but if I present them with documents showing my delivery history, I will be treated as an outsider who may be useful to the group of small states.
In short, it increases my credibility.
Of course, it’s not like you’d get that document for every job, as it was something like a letter of appreciation from the blacksmiths’ union of the Principality of Travoia.
It will be a great proof of identity, provided that it is within a small group of nations.
The fee required to enter the town of Focca was a small amount, just ten copper coins.
Moreover, if you take a boat from here and move to Ruronte, there is no need to pay a tax to enter the town.
But the traveler I shared a meal with at a bar in Focca was mumbling and complaining that the amount was added to the lake crossing fare by the boat anyway.
I don’t know the actual situation, but, well, it’s not an impossible story.
But I also think that they dare to keep the taxes, or tariffs, on the comings and goings of the town low in order to stimulate commerce.
Lower tariffs will increase the flow of people and goods, increase the amount of money that falls into the town, and ultimately increase tax revenues.
This is the kind of policy that a country whose main industry is water transportation would take.
This is the kind of policy that a country whose main industry is water transportation would take.
For what it’s worth, I have no intention of staying in Focca for long.
I have avoided boats going on rivers in the past for fear of getting seasick, but …… as expected, Lake Zia is too big for me to go around and proceed.
From Focca to Ruronte, if I set sail with the boat in the morning, I will arrive in the evening.
However, once the sun sets, there is no way to resist the monsters that live in the lake, so boats only leave Focca for Ruronte in the morning.
The lake crossing fare by boat was three silver coins, which was indeed expensive.
It’s a price that I can understand that travelers sharing a table at a bar can complain about.
However, since the boat will also carry a rower to ensure speed and an armed escort, it is a price that can’t be helped.
Even if the price is cheap, if the boat is slow and there is no escort, there is a possibility that the boat will be attacked by monsters and fall into the lake, and if that happens, there is no way out of it.
If you really want to save money, you can bypass Lake Zia, although it is very troublesome.
Once I decide to get on board, the only thing left to do is to pluck my courage.
After I paid the ferry fare and boarded the boat, I was guided to one of the seats prepared in the center.
The edges of the ship are in danger of being attacked by lake monsters, so apparently, passengers are gathered in the center like this to protect them.
The boat, floating on the water, was already swaying a little before it left the port, but it didn’t make me feel uncomfortable.
Then, when it is time for the boat to leave, drums are sounded at the stern of the boat in a steady rhythm of “dong, dong”.
The rowers row their oars in unison to the rhythm of the drums.
As the strong men rowed with all their might, the boat’s speed increased so rapidly that I could feel the wind in front of me.
It was a lot faster and much more fun than I had imagined.
I hear the voice of the spirit of the wind frolicking in my ears.
The wind on the lake is cool, which is very pleasant.
The surrounding scenery is also excellent, and the way the sunlight reflects off the lake is something I could watch forever and never get tired of.
Perhaps it is thanks to this sense of openness.
I didn’t feel any discomfort like when I was riding in a carriage.
Don, don, the sound of the drum continues to ring without stopping.
Whatever that drumming is, it’s not just to get the rowers in rhythm, but also to keep cautious monsters away and draw the attention of belligerent ones to the drummers at the stern of the boat.
Therefore, the drummer is the bravest and most capable of the sailors, and he attracts the attention of the monsters, preventing them from attacking unexpected places.
If it were not for the sound of the drums, the monsters would target the rowers or attack the bottom of the boat.
Because if that happens, in the worst-case scenario, the boat could even sink.
The drummers put themselves on the line to attract the attention of the monsters and also the honor of the other sailors.
In addition, by narrowing down the area where the monsters could attack, it would also make it easier for the escorts to do their duties.
Protecting the entire boat would be a challenge, but if they knew it was the drummers who were going to be attacked, there’s less attention to be paid.
……Nevertheless, there is nothing better than not being attacked by monsters, so the drummers and rowers keep the boat moving toward the destination without resting their hands at all.
Then, when the sky turned red, the ship arrived at Ruronte, on the opposite shore of Focca.
Ruronte is a twin city of Focca, and the structure of the town is almost identical.
The two cities are designed to be symmetrical across the lake.
There is the public facilities such as ports and town halls, of course, but even the warehouses and shipyards of their Chamber of Commerce are in the same location and have the same shape, which makes me feel somewhat paranoid.
After all, the same places that had lodging in Focca also had such lodging in Ruronte.
Therefore, there is nothing new in Ruronte that I want to see, and after spending the night, I left the town early and headed for Odine.
I have no regrets, though I feel that I could have seen a bit more of the area if I had not been too relaxed in the town of Janpemon.
Looking back, it seems like it was a really good trip.
In the distance, a walled city with many tall spires comes into view.
Powerful magicians from small nations, people called mages, are said to flaunt their presence by living in the spires.
In other words, that was Odine, the land of magic.
The destination of my trip is just around the corner.
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