Reaching the boats didn't consume much of his time. Only one man awaited him at the quay, clearly the boatman. He drew near and inquired, "Where's your destination?"

"To Mata Village."

"Upfront payment."

Alden reached for his gold pouch, one of the three things attached to his leather belt, retrieved two gold coins, and passed them to the boatman, saying, "Here, take them!"

The boatman held the gold coins in his hand, gazed at them for a few moments, then his eyes grew wide. "Oh, but this!" He eagerly popped the gold coins into his mouth and began clinking them against his yellowed teeth. With each clink, an odd, high-pitched noise, "Chinn!" echoed from his mouth. Once he was satisfied with the peculiar sound, the boatman gave Alden a thorough once-over.

Alden assumed that the boatman doubted the authenticity of the gold. He grimaced and asked, "Is something wrong? Not impressed, are you?"

The boatman replied, "Oh, sir! I'm beyond impressed!" He clapped his hands together. "I'm just curious..."

"Curious about what?"

"Where did you acquire these gold coins?"

"These are the official currency of my homeland."

"Which country do you hail from?"

"I'm from Meung’burg," Alden stated without hesitation, but his accent had changed. His final words were spoken in a thick, lisping accent, reminiscent of Huratanla. Alden didn't even notice this.

As soon as the boatman heard the word "Meung’burg" in Huratanla, he immediately bowed to Alden and began to implore. "Sir, please! Forgive me, please!"

Alden was bewildered by the sudden change in the boatman's behavior. He grabbed the boatman's shoulders and shook him. "Hey! Hey! Snap out of it, man! What's going on?!"

The boatman gradually regained his composure as Alden shook him. He asked, embarrassed, "I... I don't know what to say! Have you truly been to Meung’burg?"

"Of course, I have! It's my home! But... What happened to you all of a sudden?"

"Sir, if you'd like, please board the boat. I'll explain it to you during the journey, as it's a long story. And I apologize for my previous behavior..."

Alden followed the boatman's instructions and boarded the boat. The boatman immediately began rowing the oars. For a while, neither of them spoke as they ventured out into the open sea.

Alden marveled at the vast sea, standing on it for the very first time in his life. Lost in the beauty of the glistening waves, he suddenly realized the boatman had started speaking.

"Isn't she beautiful, sir?"

"What?"

"The sea..."

"Ah, indeed!"

"My... My life has been filled with mistakes on the sea, you see? My biggest blunder was to disrespect the City Under the Earth, Meung’burg, and bring its curse upon myself, upon 'us.' I've suffered a lifetime for it, and still do."

"I'm not quite sure what you mean... Could you start from the beginning?"

"Which beginning? I've started anew so many times in this life... Or would you like to know my name?"

"Ah, I apologize for my rudeness! I'm Jekk."

"And I am Liet Alden. Pleased to meet you."

"So am I, Master Liet."

"Why do you still call me 'Master'?"

"I'm not sure how to explain... You might not believe it, but I used to be a pirate!"

"A pirate?"

"Yes... I guess those are unfamiliar terms to someone from Meung’burg. A pirate is a rogue who earns his living on the seas, Master Liet. They engage in constant battles, they love plunder, and they love to drink!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, indeed! I was once such a pirate, a captain even. I had my own substantial ship and crew."

"And then what happened?"

"Because the people living on the neighboring islands were very intrigued, the ultimate aim for all pirates was to locate Meung’burg and seize its treasures."

"And what were these treasures?"

"Look here," he said, pointing to the gold he had taken from Alden.

"Have you seen this gold before?"

"Only once. There was a pirate greatly admired by all other pirates, a true adventurer. Even those closest to him didn't know his real name. He had lost his right ear, which earned him the name 'Captain Eyeless Vil as it was rumored he lost it in battle. One day, our ship encountered Captain Eyeless’ ship. Despite my experience as a pirate, I was thrilled to see him for the first time. It was pouring rain, and the ships rocked in the ocean like cradles. Then something incredible occurred. I don't quite understand it myself. With a tremendous noise, Eyeless Vil's frigate split in two!"

"Wait a moment! You just mentioned that these are unfamiliar terms to someone from Meung’burg. You've consistently said that, if I recall correctly from the books I've read. A frigate is a much larger vessel, isn't it? And the ocean is the grandest of all seas?"

"Oh, forgive my oversight... Yes, Master Liet!"

"And then what happened?"

"I jumped into the water, but I couldn't swim! The waves were too powerful. One of my crew tossed me a rope from above. I tied the rope around my waist and fought against the sinking ship, stroke by stroke, using all my strength. Finally, I spotted him—the legendary Eyeless Captain! He looked terrible, emaciated and miserable. He clung to a piece of debris from his ship, holding one of these gold pieces you've given me. The gold with the two dragons facing each other in the center, the spoils of Meung’burg... Then, he began to tap the gold against his teeth, making a piercing sound that still haunts me."

"And what did you do?"

"I called out to him. Despite the waves battering him like a heavy-handed slap, he gazed at me. His ship was wrecked, his crew gone, but he replied, 'What is it? What do you want?' I told him I wanted to save him."

"What did he say?"

"He said something I'll never forget: 'No one can save us,' he said with desperation, 'we're doomed!' And then, he vanished beneath the waves."

"You didn't attempt to save him?"

"I wanted to, but the rope around my waist restrained me. They pulled me up with the rope, and that day, my lifelong dream transformed into a purpose. If someone could genuinely find that treasure, even a portion of it, I believed I could find it as well! I sensed that whoever discovered it would also unveil a great secret. Despite understanding the danger involved, my curiosity got the better of me."

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"And you gave in to your curiosity at last?"

"Regrettably, I did. I surrendered to my curiosity and went farther than I should have. I journeyed far, and... And I saw them!"

"Them?" Jekk's hands started to tremble, and his eyes fixated on a single point, as if he was reliving the memories right in front of him. "Them," he whispered, "Master Liet, they were everywhere!"

"What are 'they'?"

"The curse!"

"Hey, Jekk! Calm down and now explain to me what this curse is!"

"I... I can't tell you, sir!"

"But why?"

"Because I've found you! I don't want to go on living, believing I'm cursed. I don't even want to mention them... I can only say one thing."

"What's that?"

"There's nothing beyond these seas."

Alden was deeply moved by Jekk's story. He longed to continue their conversation, but their arrival at the docks of Mata Village interrupted them. Jekk expertly slowed down the boat, leaped ashore, secured it to the dock's mast with a sturdy rope, and warmly greeted Alden, "Welcome to Mata Village, Master Liet!" Together, they strolled towards the village center, where the inhabitants seemed more conventional compared to Koa Village. "At least here, everyone appears to be minding their own business," Alden reflected. Expressing their desire to meet the village leader, they inquired with the first villager they encountered about her whereabouts.

"The village leader, Kungkwạỵthidi, resides in the grand castle atop the hill in Karideh," one of the villagers informed them. With that, they left the village center and followed the path to the east, embarking on their journey to meet the village leader.

After a leisurely walk, they reached the castle. Upon requesting an audience with the village leader, the guards stationed at the castle's entrance granted them entrance without hesitation, as per the village's laws that allowed anyone to seek an audience with the leader. The villagers believed that the village leader possessed special abilities to discern malevolent intentions, enabling them to thwart potential adversaries before they reached the gates. Alden proceeded into the leader's chamber alone, while Jekk waited by the doorway. The village leader greeted Alden with a warm smile and studied him in silence for a few moments before extending her welcome.

"Please, have a seat."

"Madam, my name is Liet Alden. I have come from the village of Koa to seek your assistance."

"Oh, is that so? Your name suggests you are not from Koa Village, and certainly not from our vicinity."

"That is the crux of the matter."

"I'm listening."

"I suspect I suffer from amnesia. I cannot recollect when it began precisely, and thus the accuracy of my recollections is questionable. However, I distinctly recall that I was born in Meung’burg."

This time, his speech was in a more conventional accent, drifting away from Huratanla dialect.

"Meung’burg?"

"Yes, I retain fragments of memories from it. They are indistinct, yet not entirely obliterated."

"Can you provide any proof?"

"Koa’tan instructed me to read something; I believe it was ‘Huratanla ’."

"What do you mean? Can you read Huratanla ?"

"I believe I can."

The leader extracted an old book from a concealed compartment beneath her desk and placed it in front of Alden.

"Go ahead, read it."

Before Alden could fully grasp the situation, he articulated two words in Huratan, written in cuneiform-like characters within the book.

"Hucatanarli Kbhna!"

"W-What a revelation! How do you possess this knowledge?"

"I cannot remember."

"It is quite intriguing... You know, many individuals once had knowledge of this language several centuries ago. Then, something transpired—terrible things. Every artifact related to Huratan culture was amassed by the leader of Koa Village at the time. Subsequently, leaders from villages outside Koa Village began meeting untimely ends. This book was concealed here by Mata Village's leader of that era. He was the last leader to pass away, and he bore witness to the deaths of his counterparts. He even composed a will, which divulged the location where he had hidden the book and the reason for concealing it. His sole wish was to ensure that the Huratan language was not forgotten, for he believed it would one day be of vital importance."

"Kungkwạỵthidi, I frequently hear about it, but what precisely is Huratanarli?"

"Forgive me?"

"I am inquiring about Hucratanarli."

"Even though you claim to hail from Meung’burg, you profess ignorance about Huratanarli?"

"Yes."

"Ah, intriguing... Huratanarli is the term for the Blind Dragon. They inhabit a mythical realm known as the Undercity, or Meung’burg in their language, with no connections to the outside world."

"The Blind Dragon, huh? On Earth, that's how it is known."

"What is life like beneath the surface?"

"I have never encountered a Blind Dragon."

"Perhaps your memory eludes you. You must be quite special to originate from a place devoid of an exit."

"In truth, you are mistaken. Meung’burg does have one significant exit—a colossal pit we call Zar’Ikat Pit.' I must have emerged from it. Ah, that's why I have sought your help—to learn how to locate that pit."

"I have never heard of such a pit. Do you have any indication of how it appears from the exterior?"

"Yes, I know it lies between two imposing mountains."

"Is that all you know?"

"Yes."

"My dear, no offense intended, but there are countless locations featuring two mountains in this region. You will never find it with this information."

"Pff!"

"Do you not recall how you ascended to the Earth's surface?"

"I can't recall. All I remember is that I found myself plummeting. I was falling from a considerable height. Then, I collided with tree branches, which slowed me down, and I reached the ground... And then," Alden removed the sword from his belt and placed it on the table, "I discovered the sword."

"Oh! But... This is strikingly similar to Lifkaruz!"

"Lifkaruz?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kungkwạỵthidi eagerly leafed through the Huratanli Kbhna. Approximately halfway through the book, she located the page she sought and displayed it to Alden. He could hardly believe his eyes—it was indeed the same sword he had found, pictured in the book. At the top of the page, he read the word "Lifkaruz."

"I can read, yet I do not comprehend it. What does 'Lifkaruz' signify?"

"Huratanarli Kbhna translates to 'Life of the Blind Dragons.' For nearly one-quarter of the book, Huratan is taught as a form of communication. Another quarter consists of a mini-dictionary with meanings for Huratanarli words. The vocabulary is not overly extensive, but to the best of my memory, 'karuz' implies 'to cut.' The word 'lif' is intricate, as it can signify 'space,' 'air,' 'current,' or 'time.' However, considering the Huratanli Kbhna, we can deduce that it means 'one who cuts space.'"

"What does it entail?"

"Do you mean that you are unaware of the sword's nature?"

"I think... " Kungkwạỵthidi then picked up Lifkaruz and said, "Toss something to me!" while looking at Alden. Alden was not quite certain about her intentions. "Do you want me to throw the sword at you?" he asked. "Yes, yes, yes! You possess this... Hinin... Hah! Take this wooden figurine in your hand and throw it in my direction! It was a gift from the village of Koa. Chh! I dislike statues!" Alden still had some uncertainty about the situation but complied with Kungkwạỵthidi's request, taking the wooden figurine in hand and tossing it toward her. As soon as the figurine left Alden's hand, the village leader swung Lifkaruz in the direction of the oncoming object. As she swung the sword, a thin, colorful line emerged along its axis. Upon reaching the line, the figurine vanished with it!

"Oh, this is extraordinary! How did this happen?"

"It's quite... ... Isn't it magnificent! I never imagined I'd witness it firsthand. Liet Alden, thank you greatly for bringing to fruition a dream I had long yearned for, one that I thought might never come true."

"N-No problem... You can even keep it. After all, I discovered it too."

"Don't say that! You yourself mentioned you suffer from amnesia. You may have even forgotten that fact. Furthermore, I believe you will require this more than I do to find your way home."

"If you say so... Do you have any recommendations?"

"Is it related to Meung’burg?"

"Yes."

"Indeed I do! The waters around these islands are under the dominion of pirates, perhaps you've heard of them?"

"Yes?"

"Hah! Even though pirates aren't held in high regard, there was once a pirate who was respected by all—a brilliant and immensely powerful pirate. Rumor has it he stumbled upon a map of Meung’burg."

"Really? And where might this pirate be?"

"I'm sorry, but he went down with his ship... However, it's widely known that the map lies somewhere in that shipwreck, because no one has ever dared venture to the location where the legendary Eyeless Captain met his end."

"Captain Eyeless?"

"Do you happen to know of him?"

"I think..."

"Very well! If you journey to the wreckage with a weapon like Lifkaruz, Alden, you may discover what you're seeking. That's the sole advice I can offer you." After departing Kungkwạỵthidi's chamber, Alden soon found himself back at the boat with Jekk. On the way, he relayed his conversation with Kungkwạỵthidi to Jekk, and Jekk presented Alden with a proposition. A proposition that would usher in an entirely new adventure.