Allen and Laxus sat side by side in the carriage. As the wheels kept turning, the carriage rocked along with them. Although they were traveling on a main road, it was still full of bumps and potholes. After two days of jolting, they finally saw the outline of Rainbow Port.
As the carriage gradually approached the harbor, a sea breeze carrying a salty tang suddenly rushed toward them, instantly lifting their spirits.
Laxus widened his eyes and excitedly gazed at the bustling scene before him.
The harbor was filled with the din of people, and all kinds of sounds rang out without end—the noises of ships entering and leaving the harbor, the vendors' overlapping cries as they hawked their wares, and the lively conversations of the people coming and going all blended together.
It was Laxus's first time seeing such a magnificent sight, and his childlike nature resurfaced. His curious eyes darted around without pause. One moment, he was looking at the enormous merchant ships; the next, he was staring at the workers busily transporting cargo on the docks. His eyes were filled with wonder and amazement. Allen, by comparison, appeared much calmer, but even he couldn't help feeling deeply moved as he gazed at the bustling scene. Rainbow Port really lives up to its name. As one of the Kingdom of Fiore's important ports facing the Northern Continent, it welcomes and sends off countless ships and travelers every day. Although everyone seems to be rushing around, it isn't hard to tell from their happy smiles that this city is full of life and vitality.
As the caravan slowly entered the port's exclusive grounds belonging to the Heartfilia Trading Company, Laxus still couldn't suppress his curiosity. His head kept turning from side to side, as though he wanted to take in everything around him.
Once the carriage came to a stop, Allen and Laxus quickly jumped down and hurried over to Todd. They sincerely thanked him, saying, "Brother Todd, we really have you to thank for your help this time. Without you, who knows when we would have arrived? If you ever need our help with anything in the future, just come to our guild and find us!"
Todd laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Oh, you two are too polite! When people are traveling away from home, they ought to look out for one another. It was nothing worth mentioning. I hope everything goes smoothly for you in Rainbow Port!"
After Allen and Laxus said goodbye to Todd, Laxus asked Allen, "Big brother, where are we going now?"
Allen had already observed the buildings around them on the way there. After hearing Laxus's question, he led him in one direction and answered, "Let's find somewhere to rest first, then have a look around the port."
Allen led Laxus to an inn that looked fairly well decorated.
The moment they entered, they saw the innkeeper sitting leisurely behind the front desk.
The innkeeper looked to be around forty years old. He was slightly plump and wore a kind, amiable smile. When he noticed the arrival of guests, that smile instantly grew even brighter, making the two of them feel very welcome.
"Welcome to the Rainbow Inn here in Rainbow Port, you two. Are you looking for a room?" the innkeeper asked with a broad smile, his tone warm and friendly.
Allen nodded. "That's right. Sorry for the trouble, but could you give us a room with two beds? We'd like to book it for three days for now." As he spoke, his eyes quickly swept back and forth across the inn's spacious hall.
"Certainly! Please wait a moment, and I'll have someone take you to your room." As he spoke, the innkeeper pressed a button beside the front desk.
Before long, a young female attendant hurried over.
The girl looked to be just over twenty. Her golden hair appeared to have been curled naturally, giving her a much more poised appearance. Her skin was fair, and there was a lively air between her brows and eyes.
After the innkeeper briefly gave the female attendant a few instructions, she stepped forward and smiled gently at Allen and Laxus. "Hello, guests. My name is Caitlin. I'm pleased to be of service. Please follow me." As she spoke, she gracefully turned around and led them toward the stairs.
The room at the inn wasn't very large, but it was clean, tidy, and comfortable overall. They could also see part of the harbor outside the window.
After setting down their backpacks, the two lay on the beds to rest for a while. The jolting of the past two days had truly been unpleasant.
After moving around a little and stretching his body, Laxus opened his mouth to say something. "Big brother..." Before he could finish, Allen raised a hand and made a stopping gesture, signaling for him to remain silent for the moment. Allen then quickly walked to the door and focused on sensing the activity outside. A moment later, after confirming that no one was nearby, he began setting up a soundproofing Magic Circle.
Watching Allen's actions, Laxus's heart tightened. His previously relaxed expression instantly turned serious, and he immediately entered a state of high alert. Once Allen had successfully set up the Magic Circle, he turned around and looked at Laxus with a slightly reproachful expression. "Have you been getting a little careless lately? In a completely unfamiliar place like this, we have to remain highly vigilant at all times. The slightest mistake could put us in danger."
Hearing Allen's words, Laxus showed a trace of shame. He reached up and scratched his head, thinking to himself, That's right. How did I relax my guard without even realizing it? That was completely unacceptable!
After reflecting on it for a moment, Laxus took a deep breath and steadied himself. Then he looked up at Allen and asked, "Big brother, what should we do next?"
Allen narrowed his eyes slightly as he recalled the overall layout of the port that he had observed upon entering. After thinking for a moment, he answered, "We'll go out and walk around for a while, familiarize ourselves with the terrain and environment, then adapt to the situation and see whether we can find any useful clues or discover anything unusual. In short, we must act with caution."
After Allen finished speaking, he took a few things from his bag and put them on himself, then left with Laxus. They had an entire afternoon to look around the port.
Night fell, and the port's lights flickered in every direction, giving Rainbow Port's night view a unique charm. Allen and Laxus sat in a restaurant eating dinner while organizing the things they had observed around the port that afternoon.
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