Published: August 1, 2025
"Paradise of the End," Luhab Island.
Although technically territory of the Dirts Kingdom, its history is quite brief.
During wartime, this island was occupied by a large empire called Sphain.
About eighty years ago, a Sphain warship accidentally took a wrong course and drifted here. Taking advantage of the situation, Sphain seized the island. It was a perfect relay station for their long-range voyages.
Before that, this small island had no name, and a few hundred islanders lived a leisurely life.
The invasion by Sphain dramatically changed life on the island—or so one might think. But actually, not so much.
The commander of the Sphain fleet, Mr. Divomov, stayed on the island for a few days, then declared:
— What a beautiful island! We must not stain this great nature with oil and blood. Our cooperation will be limited strictly to resupply and rest —
"It’s a nice story, isn’t it? The hero Divomov protected the island for us. We’re grateful. It’s our precious birthplace," said Thomas, the gatekeeper of Granado Castle, who hails from Luhab. I knew this as part of Sphain’s history, but when I mentioned it, Lord Cyrus shook his head.
"Humans tend to overlook the value of blessings close to them."
…? I wondered what he meant.
Unlike me, who was leaving Dilz for the first time, the merchant Lord Cyrus had traveled through many countries. He had traded with Luhab and reportedly set foot on the island several times.
"From now on, along with most of the crew, we’ll disembark and spend two nights on the island. Although Luhab has become a tourist spot, there’s no large hotel that can accommodate the entire crew. We'll all split into small inns to rest."
"I wonder what kind of place we’ll stay at. I’m really looking forward to it."
Suddenly, Lord Cyrus wore a mischievous smile, shrugged playfully, and chuckled softly.
"Oh dear. I may have done you a bit of a disservice."
"What do you mean?"
"Calling this place 'Paradise' is no exaggeration. It’s like serving the main course in heaps right at the start, even though we plan to tour many other countries and cities."
He kept the rest a secret, saying it would be our surprise upon arrival, so I gave up pressing further.
Besides, there was no time for chatting—we had to prepare for landing!
I returned to my room, packed my belongings. Luhab Island was hotter than Dilz’s summer, so I chose cooler clothes. I only had things for two nights, but Lord Cyrus carried several large bags for a trade negotiation.
After finishing preparations, I left the room and knocked on the one opposite across the hallway. Just as Lord Cyrus grasped the doorknob, a shout rang out.
"Ah, don’t open it!"
But it was too late. Through the narrow crack, a red object suddenly darted out.
"Ah?"
I thought it would crash into Lord Cyrus, but instead it used his chest as a cushion to leap even further. It lightly landed on my shoulder, then jumped again… and finally landed on my father, Baron Chadelan’s head.
"Ah!"
"Ahhhhh!"
My father screamed, clutching his own head, but missed. A few strands of his fine blonde hair were plucked and fluttered in the air. Sacrificing his precious locks, the red-furred creature then leapt towards me—and I succeeded in catching her.
"Tattered Red Cat. There, there, you’ve woken from your nap."
"Meow."
Her name was Tattered Red Cat. We had met this stray kitten inside Granado Castle in the middle of summer. Originally, children fed her, but eventually she became officially cared for.
We were to leave the castle for a while due to certain circumstances and entrusted her to the attendants... but somehow, she sneaked into the travel luggage and was coming along on the sea voyage.
When I tickled her with my finger, Tattered purred contentedly. Hehe, so soft and cute.
While the cat and I got along, my father and Lord Cyrus furrowed their brows and shouted at each other.
"You’ve done it again! How many times must I tell you to open the door only a crack too narrow for cats to slip through?"
"Baron, how many times must I say the same? It’s fine to leave her be."