Un-See I

Silora stood with her father's old horse on the edge of a red hill, the gentle breeze caressing her face. In front of her, a charming town unfolded - the River's Mouth town. She had never seen it before. It lay on the shore of a crystal blue ocean, with a massive roaring river running through the middle of it. Behind the town, towering red mountains with white peaks watched over it with a gentle eye.

Her expression turned to one of excitement and anticipation, something she couldn't control. fortunately for her, there was no one around to witness her silliness.

Her happiness stemmed from the fact that she had reached the town, her first goal and true starting point. She understood that she still had many things to do below. But all she could do for now was wish herself the best, and she did.

In the distance, the golden rays of the sun reflected off the blue water of the vast ocean, giving it a blinding sparkle. Silver wooden ships with white sails sailed like silver dots glittering on the water's surface. In this vast expanse, Silora identified the faint shapes of neighboring islands in the Island Alliance.

One of the things she had planned before was to get a complete map of the Island Alliance. But when she checked the map her mother had left her, she found no need to do so now. It was a complete one. She had already charted her journey during her days in the rainforest.

Although this map was good news, it also carried its oddities. An out-of-place note left by her mother. No matter how hard Silora tried, she couldn't imagine that this was her mother's doing. She thought the note had been written on the map before her family bought it. But she couldn't be sure.

The note highlighted a central point in the Island Alliance on the map. The point was a clear symbol of the famous giant whirlpool around which the Free City - the heart of the alliance - was built. The words read, "The Free City is a beautiful place, you should experience it."

Although Silora found it hard to believe that this note was from her mother, she would still pass through the Free City as it was part of her planned route. She hoped to hear something about her father's killer, Ashe, but doubted she would. Nevertheless, she would ask around anyway, clinging to the faint hope.

She didn't allow herself to dwell on wishful thoughts. She focused on her present and next steps.

She descended from the hill she was standing on. She passed through a winding path between dense trees, even though it would take her longer because she clearly couldn't leave her father's horse behind. But Silora preferred safety over haste. Additionally, the sounds of birds singing in the distance slightly lifted her mood, helping her continue her journey calmly and patiently.

After a while, the features of the town became clearer to her. Silver-roofed houses were scattered among the red spaces. The shapes and sizes of these houses varied, but they maintained the same artistic style, giving the town a beautiful and harmonious appearance. From her position, she could barely make out the faint shapes of people moving between the wide streets of the town.

On her way to the town, she thought about her main goals and what she needed to do upon arrival. Her first goal was to find a good place to stay for the night. Although she loved camping, she preferred sleeping in a comfortable bed as long as she was mingling with civilization. Secondly, she would sell the things she didn't need. As she had already divided her belongings between what she would keep and what she would sell.

What she would keep were, of course, her clothes and shoes. The remaining food she had. Her supply bag with small utensils. Survival tools, the map, and the compass. She would also keep the firestone, which had been a great help to her. Although she didn't need it, she was hesitant to use her fragile powers for any given reason.

And of course, there were the obvious essentials, like the silver dagger, the strange wooden box, and finally, her means of storing money.

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What she decided to sell were the maintenance and repair tools for the horse's attachments, and its care equipment as well. And obviously, the horse itself. But she decided to postpone selling it until the next morning. She would leave it today in a public stable on the outskirts of the town, under the care of the workers there. She couldn't drag it with her into the depths of the town.

Following the detailed map instructions, she found herself in an open space. In her field of vision, a wide range of stables of different sizes and specializations spread out. But what really caught her eye was the vast number and variety of animals that also spread out in this vast, beautiful red field. She couldn't recognize most of these creatures inside the fence, but they were attractive to her eyes.

Around each fence, there was a group of people, some on foot, some on horses. 'Perhaps farm workers and caretakers?' She stood there like a fool, watching everything in amazement and astonishment. But as soon as she spotted a horse coming towards her, she adjusted her posture and calmed her breathing, remembering her mother's words, 'The first impression is what we are in the eyes of others.'

Silora put on a cold expression as she waited for the person on the horse to arrive. Although this was her first time leaving her family's farm, it didn't mean she had never interacted with strangers. If anything, it was the opposite. She interacted with her father's friends when he invited them from time to time. She also helped her mother supervise the sale of hibiscus - the specialty of her family's farm during the selling season, where a large number of buyers would flock, each trying to get the best price for themselves.

So she was not only a good speaker but also an excellent negotiator.

The man on the horse arrived in front of her, but he didn't stop. Instead, he circled his horse around her and her father's old horse. She understood that he was trying to assert his authority, so she said nothing, leaving him the first word. "Hello, girl. Are you lost?" She didn't respond to his words; she waited until he stopped circling.

Once he did, Silora answered his question in a neutral tone. "I know exactly where i am and what I want." She took a full look at his thin figure, short black hair, and untrimmed beard, then met his large green eyes and continued in the same tone, "Are you in charge?"

His playful expression collapsed into a serious one, he even dismounted his horse and stood in front of her. With a small smile, he spoke in a serious voice, "How can I help? Is it selling, renting, buying, or care?"

Silora maintained her cold, serious expression as she said, "Care for one night, and a potential sale." Before he could say anything, she continued in an uncompromising tone, "I won't sell today, and I won't negotiate now."

There was a reason for not selling her father's horse now and leaving it for care instead. She wanted the people at this farm to experience how easy it was to handle compared to other horses. When she returned, they would be eager to buy, and she would get the best price. Who knows, she might also get a good price for the horse's attachments.

With a forced smile, the thin man responded to her bold words, "I understand, we will take well care of your horse, and,... well, consider the sale." He pretended to think about what to say next, and with a difficult expression, he announced, "Care for one night will cost you a dark blue shell."

Silora nodded at his assessment. It seemed he wouldn't try to cheat her with an unfair price after knowing she was ready to sell.

The 'shell' was the currency used on every island in the Island Alliance. The value of the currency varied according to the color of the shell.

The white shell, the lowest currency, was enough to buy half a liter of milk. The gray shell was enough to buy a full breakfast for one person. The dark blue shell was enough to buy a regular piece of clothing. The light blue shell was enough to buy a large bag of rice. The highest currency, the golden shell, was enough to buy two large bags of rice.

Each shell was stamped with the name of the island it originated from, to prevent counterfeiting due to their widespread on any shore. But the most important reason was diversity and openness. Each shell - currency was a testament to the enormous commercial success achieved by the Island Alliance since its inception, and a sign of the immense achievement and pride felt by the citizens of this alliance.

There was a higher value currency, gold. Selora had never had the chance to see one due to its rarity, especially in the daily life of an ordinary person.

She refocused her attention on the farm manager, who was waiting for her response, which she deliberately withheld. After pretending to think for a moment, she said in a dissatisfied voice, "I can agree to that, but I won't pay until I return and verify the quality of your services."

The manager easily agreed and led her to a large stable where she would leave her father's old horse for the night. The interior of the stable was divided into several sections, each designated for one horse. She left almost all her belongings in the section she was given; it wasn't a big deal, everyone did that.

She only kept the silver dagger, the strange wooden box she had previously wrapped in a cloth, the money she would need to get around the town, and a few other things she couldn't just leave in the stable.

She wanted to move lightly, without heavy burdens delaying her mission. So for now, she bid farewell to her father's horse, exchanged a few words with the manager, and went on her way to the River's Mouth town.