The Hope of the Whole Village

Of course, he couldn't just leave on a whim.

The journey from Southshore to Durnholde Keep would take at least two or three days, and a round trip wasn't convenient. Rhode had to get everything settled before he could leave with peace of mind.

If only I could learn a few teleportation spells. That would make things so much easier.

In a world with such inconvenient transportation, teleportation was absolutely essential.

Time is money, my friend!

But that would have to wait until he reached the mage tower. If they had spells like that, he would learn them!

For now, the most important matter was naturally the construction of the docks-or rather, the harbor.

Mayor Marebu would personally oversee the project. Apart from the engineers hired from outside, most of the workers would be townspeople.

The main labor force, of course, would be the Murloc tribe led by Bumpelba.

Since they were working for the "Sea God," the Murlocs were brimming with enthusiasm. With Bumpelba keeping an eye on them, there shouldn't be any problems.

Well... communication might be a bit of a problem. So Rhode started a basic Murloc language class, teaching the harbor construction team's key members simple phrases such as "here," "carry those over here," and "hammer these down." Naturally, he also included everyday expressions like "thank you" and "thanks for your hard work."

For a while, a craze for learning this foreign language swept through Southshore, and cries of "wurloo-walla" could be heard everywhere.

The Murlocs weren't working for free, either. Led by Nat Pagle, Southshore's fishermen would pay them in fresh Longjaw Mud Snapper and Spotted Catfish. There would even be Blackmouth!

Of course, Lilia was the one most reluctant to leave these adorable Murlocs behind.

She hugged Bumpelba's head and babbled for ages, her eyes rimmed with red. Rhode spent a long time coaxing her, but it was only when he said, "Once we've settled in over there, we'll bring the Murlocs over to live with us!" that her tears turned into a smile.

Good grief, there wasn't a sea near Durnholde Keep, was there?

There seemed to be a narrow river over toward Tarren Mill, but that was a little too far away.

Would I have to build an artificial lake or something for these Murloc babies to live in?

A promise was a promise. He would just have to figure out a solution when the time came.

Next, he had to entrust the farm to a friend.

It was a sizable piece of farmland, after all. He needed to leave it with someone he could trust.

In truth, during his years in Southshore, he had spent most of his time holed up on his farm. He hadn't mingled much with the townspeople, and there were even fewer he could call friends.

Stalvan, the young teacher who often lent him books and sold him paper, was one. Monica, the tavern owner, was another. Add Mayor Marebu, Sheriff Redpath, and Nat Pagle, whom he'd only gotten to know later, and that was about the extent of it.

Those merchants... didn't really count.

Of those friends, Monica was the best choice. She knew how to run a business, had people working for her who could manage the place, and... she had always treated him pretty well.

As for Stalvan, Rhode offered him only one piece of advice: "Promise me that if you go somewhere else to teach, you won't fall in love with your students."

Stalvan said, "...??"

When Rhode had everything arranged and set out for Durnholde Keep with Lilia, quite a few townspeople came to see them off.

No, actually, almost everyone in town had come.

Yes, it felt rather like the whole village was sending its brightest hope off to study in the city.

Farmers, miners, fishermen, merchants...

Behind the dense crowd, a group of Murlocs knelt on the ground. They, too, had come to bid farewell to their Sea God.

Still, it was time to say goodbye.

Rhode reached the junction, turned back, and waved to the crowd.

Once he rounded the next bend, Southshore would disappear from view.

Many people in the crowd waved back.

He could even vaguely make out something glistening in the eyes of Monica, the tavern owner.

Rhode felt a faint tug at his heart.

But every gathering had to end.

People had to keep looking forward.

"If I don't make something of myself, I'm not coming back!" Rhode shouted one last, rather nonsensical declaration at the crowd. Then he took Lilia's hand and walked away without looking back.

Once they followed the main road east, even Southshore's last building vanished completely behind the trees.

Besides a letter of introduction, Mayor Marebu had given Rhode a crude map. It showed only the main roads and a few major buildings, but that was enough.

After all, Rhode still had a rough idea of the route from his memories of playing the game.

Heading north out of Southshore would take them through the town called Tarren Mill. Farther north lay the already-destroyed Kingdom of Alterac.

But Rhode's destination, Durnholde Keep, lay to the east, so that was where he and Lilia headed.

If Rhode had been traveling alone, it might have taken two or three days. With a little girl like Lilia along, it would take a bit longer.

A journey that long, with nothing to do but walk and walk, was generally very dull.

But Rhode had Lilia, the adorable little elf, for company. They chatted as they walked, making the trip quite pleasant.

When they were tired, they rested. When they were hungry, they ate some dry rations.

After just one day, though, Lilia had already grown tired of the dry, unappetizing food.

Seeing brightly colored little mushrooms growing all around the low bushes beside the road, she reached out and said, "Mushrooms... they look so tasty."

"Stick to your rations," Rhode said.

"The rations aren't tasty. I want mushrooms." Lilia pouted.

"Do you know what kind of mushrooms these are?"

"No."

"Then you can't eat them."

"Why?"

"What if they're poisonous?" Rhode said.

"They don't look poisonous. They're pretty."

"So they're not poisonous because they're pretty?" Rhode said. "The prettier a mushroom is, the more likely it is to be poisonous. And that doesn't just apply to mushrooms. Plenty of other animals and insects are the same. Their bright colors warn predators: watch out, don't attack, or suffer the consequences."

"Really?" Lilia tilted her head at Rhode.

"Really." Rhode smiled. "Lilia, remember this: the prettier a woman... no, the more handsome a man is, the better he is at lying."

"I don't believe that," Lilia said.

"Why would I lie to you?"

"You're so handsome, Rhode, but you're a really good person, not a bad one." Lilia looked at him with a sweet smile.

The little girl had called him handsome, and looking into those innocent eyes, Rhode was certain she wasn't just flattering him.

He was rather pleased with himself. Reaching out, he pinched the sweet little girl's cheek and gave her a knowing smile. "You're absolutely right. But you really can't eat these mushrooms. I'll find you some fruit in a bit. Or we could get some meat."

"All right. Thank you, handsome Rhode."

Once they had rested, the two also took some time to practice spells and swordsmanship. They weren't in a hurry to arrive, anyway.

How did that saying go?

It wasn't the destination that mattered, but the scenery along the way and the mood in which you enjoyed it.

And so their journey was happy and fulfilling, not miserable in the slightest.

Had they been walking for three days, or four? Five? Even Rhode was starting to lose track. After all, he had neither a watch nor a calendar.

As they walked that day, Rhode suddenly spotted what seemed to be rows of buildings at the far end of the road.

They weren't the single-story houses he'd seen in town.

They were fortress walls.

They had reached Durnholde Keep!