Chapter 651: Captain Cat’s Tour
“Headaches and stomachaches can vary in symptoms, but I’ll prepare a remedy that’s effective for the most common ailments on a ship, along with a more general one that has a broader range of effects, even if its potency is weaker. Pain relief, too. It would be better to have the newer ones, so could you tell me the day you plan to leave the island?”
“It depends on the negotiations with Soleil. I don’t think there will be any issues with those conditions, but I’ll let you know once it’s decided.”
“Okay.”
And just like that, we wrapped things up.
Pamela’s shop had Spirits both among the hanging herbs and on the medicine shelves, so I believed the remedies would be quite effective.
In this world, the situation regarding medicine is complicated. Even if it’s just superstition, there are regions where Spirits genuinely heal, and sometimes even fake remedies can’t be dismissed.
“By the way, is there any herb from the Demon Forest that you want?” I asked Pamela as our conversation came to a close.
“Nothing in particular at the moment. The diseases we suffer from differ due to the different climates here and there, and many ailments can be treated with herbs that are easier to find here, even if they have the same effects. If I were to request anything, it would probably be for my research.”
I see. If the medicinal effects are the same, it’s cheaper to gather them from nearby locations due to transportation costs. In my case, I don’t have any transportation costs, though.
“Don’t sailors head north as well?”
“Sailors are in Naruadeid. I’m just the pharmacist on this island,” Pamela easily dismissed Captain Cat’s inquiry.
“Or are you planning to become a resident here?”
“No, I…” Captain Cat hesitated.
A sea man who doesn’t settle on land—I’d like to say that, but he’s probably drawn to Karn… to the King’s Branch.
A sea man is captivated by the king of a landlocked country.
Since the Age of Winds, nations with ships have grown larger. Coastal nations have developed more than inland ones, like Es and Shulm.
It seems that with Soleil and Captain Cat’s cooperation, trade routes have been secured, but I can’t say that Karn’s Country is particularly convenient. On the other hand, it’s not easily invaded.
Which is better, I wonder?
After parting ways with Pamela, I returned to the main street.
I walked while avoiding tourists and the overflowing security. It required a high level of skill to navigate the cobblestones without stepping on the wrong blocks.
Grandfather Paorul, haven’t you increased the number of them too much…?
There are many shops lining both sides of the main street. As I approached the square, high-end stores catering to tourists increased. These are things that the island’s residents don’t really need.
Tourists visiting this island have a wide range of movement, but ordinary residents rarely cross town borders, let alone national ones, sticking to a narrow range of activities.
It sounds nice to say they are rooted in their region, but in reality, it’s just that the passage tax is high, and beyond that, the country is practically robbing them!
The island’s residents do travel back and forth to Naruadeid, but they don’t seem to go much further than that.
The main attraction is the shop that sells the island’s specialty, the blue cloth. Affordable blue ribbons are popular, while the blue cloth itself is quite expensive. Recently, there are also shops selling leather goods dyed with indigo.
By the way, the leather from the lizards I hunted in the Demon Forest and the demon beasts around the Fortress City that I targeted for meat are priced uncomfortably high.
“This island is quite well-organized,” I remarked.
“That’s because it was built all at once,” she replied.
All the buildings were made from the same workshop, and I had bought the materials.
Once I deviated from the main street, it became a maze, and if you weren’t familiar with it, you couldn’t pass through.
“And the water is abundant.”
“Yeah.”
The water flowing down from the castle tower fills the island’s waterways. Thanks to that, it feels quite cool despite the sunlight.
“Naruadeid is said to possess the genuine ‘Spirit’s Branch’ and is sometimes referred to as the City of Flowers. With its refined buildings, colorful clothing, exotic foods, fine wines, and extravagant spending on art.”
“The prawns are delicious, aren’t they?” I added, even though they can be found on my island too.
I caught some today along with the conch, so I’ll grill them with salt later.
“But compared to here, it drops off sharply. The houses are cramped, the ground is obscured, and the port and waterways that draw in seawater can become stagnant and smelly depending on the season—this place is a different world.”
“Thank you?”
That was probably a continuation of what Pamela hinted at earlier about whether she would belong to this island.
“But I’m sure Captain Cat wouldn’t choose this place, right?”
“Yeah.”
He’s the type who would rather carve out his own path than settle into a prepared spot. Even without the King’s Branch, if given the choice between the island and the developing Karn’s Country, he would likely choose the latter.
“I wish there was a port closer to the sea.”
“Yeah,” Captain Cat replied.
Auro probably doesn’t understand the meaning behind that, but he remained silent without interjecting.
“Maybe the port in Amijin is closer than Naruadeid? Feel free to use it. I’ll talk to Soleil about it.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
As I listened to Captain Cat’s brief response, I continued walking down the street.
Flowers planted by the gardener Charles bloomed here and there. On the windowsills of the houses, flowers tended by the residents also grew. Half of these were distributed by the castle.
Did I prepare too much on my end? With the condition of ‘cleanliness’ for living here, the residents feel less like residents and more like extras…
While crops are grown in Talia’s enclave, tourism is the main source of income for this island, so it makes sense.
Though not all the buildings are identical, they share a cohesive look with their stone structures of the same color, glass windows, and wrought iron grilles—wait, did they have grilles?
Amijin has been entrusted with the construction near the port. Since there are people who originally lived there, I communicate what I want built and leave the rest to Soleil and the people of Amijin.
The fortress near the port is handled by Soleil, while the other lands prioritize the wishes of the Amijin people as much as possible.
—Speaking of which, I remember receiving a consultation from Soleil about the personnel allocation for Amijin. It would become difficult to manage with Soleil’s trading company members if the population increased.
“I should also follow Karn’s example and recruit someone who resembles a vassal from somewhere.”
“A vassal, you say?” Auro asked, his face showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
“Someone who can stay in Amijin.”
“…” Auro averted his gaze with a smile.
Changelings really don’t want to leave this island, do they…?