Published: August 1, 2025
The dock on Luhab Island wasn’t along a pier but a sandy beach. Large trading ships couldn’t dock there directly, so they anchored offshore, and passengers had to transfer to boats to row to shore.
Of course, normally the sailors would do the rowing, but for some reason, Lord Cyrus took the oars himself.
He proudly flexed his biceps and said,
“The canals surrounding the Dilz Royal Capital are under the jurisdiction of the Granado Family. There isn’t a sailor who rows better than me.”
“Come on, sir, you just want to show off in front of your wife,” one of the sailors accompanying us teased.
Lord Cyrus scratched the back of his head. Haha, somehow this feels like déjà vu.
Every time Lord Cyrus pulled the oars, the boat surged forward. In no time, the Baltandels Ship was growing distant, and the sandy shore was approaching. I couldn’t help but cheer.
“Amazing! It’s really fast! Lord Cyrus, you’re really skilled at rowing.”
“Right? But seawater is a bit different from the river. When we get back to Dilz, I’ll take you on a river trip. I can row even faster there.”
“Hehe—I’m looking forward to it.”
Suppressing my laughter, I nodded. Sometimes, Lord Cyrus can be like a child. I wonder if he’d get angry if I called him cute?
Trying not to let my smiling lips show, I hid my face behind a handkerchief and turned away from him—when suddenly, I exclaimed.
“There’s another ship. Is that also a Granado Trading Company ship?”
Lord Cyrus turned around and leaned forward.
Where I pointed, a ship about the same size as ours was anchored slightly closer to the shore.
“No, that’s someone else’s ship. Luhab Island is a resort, so many tourists come from neighboring countries…”
Lord Cyrus stopped rowing and fixed his emerald eyes on the ship.
“That galleon… it’s not a passenger ship but a cargo vessel used for trade. The figurehead on the bow is the Oracle’s national emblem.”
I narrowed my eyes as if to imitate him. My eyesight was a bit worse than Lord Cyrus’s, so I couldn’t clearly make out the emblem he mentioned. But judging by the ship’s massive size and sleek design, it was clear it came from a scientifically advanced country.
Oracle is known for its thriving medical and academic fields, so it made sense.
“So, Oracle’s traders are also landing on Luhab now?”
“No, Oracle shouldn’t be trading with Luhab. That region to the east… Ipsandros and Shaina have active exchanges, but why they’re here, I don’t know.”
Lord Cyrus wore a serious expression. He had no discrimination against foreigners. That stern look was probably from his caution as a merchant, wary of competitors.
I decided not to ask more. If it wasn't for trade, maybe they were here to investigate Luhab’s history or geological strata… I want to talk to them. I want to learn about Oracle’s culture. Maybe there’s a chance we’ll stay at the same inn? If so, I’d love to share tea or dinner and hear about Oracle’s traditions…!
As my heart fluttered with excitement, Lord Cyrus chuckled softly.
“You really love interacting with foreign cultures, don’t you?”
“Ah, s-sorry. I’m just a tourist, but Lord Cyrus is here on business and might even be rivals with them.”
“No problem. It could be an opportunity to build a beneficial alliance. If we meet somewhere on the island, we should try talking to them.”
Just as he smiled warmly, a boy’s voice called out from afar.
“Hey, you guys over there, stop the boat!”
The voice came from a Luhab Island local still on the shore, boarding a small boat. Then he rowed toward us at full speed.
“A welcome from the inn, perhaps?”
I asked Lord Cyrus, who just gave a wry smile.
“No, that’s probably just a peddler. If you get caught by him, it’ll be troublesome.”
“Troublesome?”
Before I could ask more, the boat arrived.
Sure enough, it was a boy, about twelve or thirteen years old. Wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts that barely reached his thighs—about as lightly dressed as you could get. He rowed roughly and didn’t seem to mind his clothes getting soaked in seawater. When he lazily pulled up beside us,