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Chapter 57 - A Merchant Ship

Nyell stood on the deck of a merchant ship, staring at the planks under his feet with incredulity. He couldn't help but frown, resisting the urge to jump and kick to see whether the wooden planks were truly sturdy or if they were, in fact, light as a feather and easily breakable–because the latter seemed more logical to him, who thought that the material of such a large vessel had to be almost weightless to float. Otherwise, it wouldn't make any sense, and it should sink.

Nudging the floor with his heels, Nyell discreetly bounced in place. The planks didn't even emit a cracking sound, leaving him perplexed. Was it really as sturdy as Allen claimed…? Looking around at the crew doing their own things, it might indeed have been the case. No one seemed the slightest bit worried about potentially breaking the floor with their weight and falling through, and some of the sailors looked as heavy as a gorilla. So, maybe it was safe.

'I don't get it,' Nyell pursed his lips, but reality was in front of him, and he had to accept it. 'Could it be… Is this sorcery? Yeah, right, now I'm spouting nonsense. Later, I should ask Allen about the principles behind how boats of this size don't sink or capsize. This guy should know.'

Still, it felt strange to stand on something sturdy while simultaneously floating on water. Of course, Nyell had traveled on a canoe before, but canoes were small and unsteady. One wrong move, and it could get capsized in the snap of a finger. On a boat, he could run around without a problem. A dozen people were currently boarding and unboarding the deck, bringing in and out boxes and heavy-looking bags. Many activities were going on, yet the ship wasn't even rocking. It left Nyell in awe.

"Is everything alright with your companion?" A gentle but sharp voice asked, drawing Nyell's attention to his left. If he remembered correctly, Allen called him 'captain' when he asked for permission to come onboard earlier. This man had an imposing aura, and even Nyell's instinct was telling him not to mess with him. Whether or not he would listen to it was up to debate, however. "He looks a little out of it." 

"Well, it's his first time seeing a ship," Allen chuckled, his tender but amused gaze stirring up something deep in Nyell's guts. Seriously, what was that look for? "Let's say that Nyell hadn't seen much of the world."

"What the heck does that mean…?" Nyell grunted but couldn't refute Allen. His world had been confined to the jungle and its edge. Although it was a vast territory, it wasn't the world itself, and much existed outside of the jungle. He didn't need to go far to get bewildered by the scenery change. Nevertheless, he was confident in his knowledge of his own little piece of the world, even if Allen seemed to know a lot about it, too. It was something Nyell refused to admit, however. "It's not like you know much about my jungle, either…"

The words slowly died on Nyell's tongue as he took a look at the captain. He seemed surprised, and Nyell couldn't tell why. Or maybe he could, in fact. The people of the White Moon tribe had been throwing him shocked gazes as he traveled down the settlement, and the whispers spread like wildfire in his wake. But it strangely hadn't been the kind of whispers he had been expecting. No, he could sense curiosity and an odd sense of excitement. There had been no one to hurl insults and no one to show condescension. It was weird, considering he was supposedly a devil. But on the other hand, no one dared to get closer, and everyone watched from a safe distance. Although he wasn't sure if they stayed away because of him or Allen… In the end, he decided to let go of Allen's hand halfway down the road toward the harbor. The reactions he had been expecting were less amusing than predicted.

"Is something wrong?" Nyell asked the captain, eyeing the man with suspicion. The guy seemed to be on friendly terms with Allen, and anyone who got along with Allen and his aides must have had a screw loose. Because what sane person would want to have anything to do with this jerk? "No, seriously, why are you gawking at me?"

"Oh, sorry, it's nothing. It's just that your name is very similar to my right-hand man, and it took me off guard," the captain shrugged before lifting his head toward the main mast and screaming, "Miell, come down here a second."

"…?"

Not even a second after the captain shouted, a shadow appeared in the sky, and Nyell almost had a heart attack. Someone jumped from the crow's nest from the main mast and gracefully landed next to the captain. He made no noise as his feet touched the floor, and the planks didn't even creak. The man, named Miell, yawned, his crystal clear blue eyes misty with sleep. 

"You called?" 

Miell spoke, but Nyell barely heard him. He was staring at the animal ears standing atop the newcomer's head and the feline tail that was lazily falling behind his legs. They were undoubtedly feline, and if Nyell had to guess from what species, he'd say probably from a leopard. Although… the whitish color with black spots made him a little doubtful. And the tail seemed more fluffy and longer than usual.

"Hm? Never seen a beastman before?"

Nyell slowly shook his head. He had heard legends about beastpeople, but legends were legends, and he hadn't thought they were real. Even if Nyell was a werewolf and possessed animal characteristics, including an exceptionally keen sense of smell and uncanny instincts, he could only transform into a wolf during the full moons and, otherwise, had no visible animal physical attributes. Beastman, on the contrary, always exhibited animal characteristics but couldn't transform into a whole animal. They were a mix between human and their animal counterpart.

"Well, I guess my kin do tend to stay on the eastern continent."

"Eastern continent?" Nyell repeated, peering at Allen.

"We're on an island near the southern continent."

"…What's a continent?" 

The question seemed to stun Allen, as well as the captain and Miell. Nyell looked between the three, wondering why they looked at him like that. Or was 'continent' common knowledge…? Maybe. The thought made him click his tongue. What could he say? He lived in the jungle, and his knowledge was limited to the jungle and the little pieces of information they had gathered from other tribes. The word 'continent' wasn't in his tribe's language, just as 'sea' hadn't been.

"Myrven," Allen smiled at his aide, "from what I recall, you're a good teacher, right?" 

"…Should I start with geography lessons when we get back?" 

"Please, do."

"How about asking for my opinion first?" Nyell's mouth twitched.

"Honey," Miell grinned, tapping Nyell's shoulder as if to comfort him, "at least you have someone to teach you. When I ventured out into the world, I had to figure out everything on my own. Just to tell you, I even got captured by assholes who tried to sell me off as a slave, so you're quite lucky in comparison."

"As far as I know," the captain sighed, "you raised hell in your captors' lair."

"It's not my fault they had no idea what beastmen are capable of," Miell playfully grimaced. "It's not because they've seen some of my brethren being enslaved by these nobility jerks that it automatically means we're an easy target. I mean, I heard about one crazy beastman who outright burned down a whole fleet, and they were just a kid. I swear, some humans need to have their brains checked. Oh, not saying you need to check yours, Captain. You're one of the few with a good head on his shoulders."

"I'm not so sure about that," Allen smirked, an unfathomable light dancing in the depths of his mesmerizing eyes. "He's still dragging his crew here despite how dangerous the sea has been lately. Is maintaining a good trading relationship with us really worth putting your life on the line?" 

"Of course, it is," the captain grinned as he puffed up his chest. "You have no idea how crazy the northern nobles are about your goods. They pay a fortune to get their hands on them, and now that the trip is riskier, we can raise the price as much as we want. Not many merchants still dare to brave the Dark Sea."

Not many? Nyell couldn't help but look around at the captain's words. He still felt like the harbor was crowded. Just how lively was it usually? And Dark Sea? What was that, and where was it?

"Oh, by the way," Miell said, peeking at Nyell before refocusing his attention on Allen, "I don't know how reliable the rumors are, but I've heard you went to the Devil's jungle to figure out how to handle the Sea Gods' latest tantrum. Seeing that you're back, did you find a solution? Their bad mood is starting to affect most seas and even the ocean. So many ships have gone missing lately…"

"Who knows," Allen shrugged, redirecting the conversation elsewhere. The captain and Miell got the cue and didn't probe further, which made Nyell a little uneasy. Allen was purposely keeping their attention away from him, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was as if it didn't matter whether people knew of his existence, but probing was strictly prohibited. He couldn't tell whether it was to protect him or mislead others. 

As Allen and the crew exchanged words, Nyell felt more and more lost. He couldn't understand half of what was said, even though it seemed important. It was uncomfortable. Nyell was confident in his skills as a warrior and a hunter, but it seemed like he'd need to learn much more if he wanted to make himself a place in the White Moon tribe. The thought crossed his mind, and he frowned. Why would he want to include himself in the White Moon tribe's matters, anyway? It had nothing to do with him. He had come just to exist and be a thorn in Allen's side. Nothing more, nothing less. He shouldn't forget that.

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