CHAPTER 398: ARC 6, CHAPTER 14: INTO TOURENSHIRE

"You’re Namora’s kid, right?"

Interrupting the conversation the three were having, a woman in a long red skirt, a harness with bejewelled white buckles and a white blouse stood at the table. She had an hourglass figure and a hand on her waist as she leaned a little left.

Her jet-black hair was tied up in a messy bun, but the seamless makeup and gem earrings made it seem intentionally messy. "Depends who’s asking," Fumeko replied with a squint.

"It is you then," she pulled up a chair and sat with the backrest facing them. She crossed arms and rested her chin on the chair. One arm she put out, "Detective Rosemary Chesire; pleasure."

Fumeko warily shook across the plates of finished deserts.

"How did you find us...?" Asobi held her wand and leaned back against the wall, while Tiffany looked confused.

"Trade secret. You’re all off to South End, right?"

"Did a bird tell you?" Fumeko raised a brow.

"Did the bird lady tell you?"

"Not necessarily."

"Anywho, I know how secretive you all wanna be; where’s a blonde and a wolf-woman?"

"Jotou went to look at the stars by the riverside and Hotaru’s in the bathroom," Asobi answered.

"Ah so that’s the blonde. Anywho, the borders are a little tight with the whole fiasco up north going on. Nothing too major, just some extra traffic and checks. I’m meant to hand this to you lot," she flipped a brown envelope from her hand towards them.

Fumeko took it and opened to scan the contents.

"Just some passes to smooth things along. Flash them to border patrol and you’ll be heading south faster. Otherwise they’ll check any weapons, belongings and for people like you? Hours on identifications."

"What do you mean people like us?" Fumeko furrowed her brows.

"Adventurers, magic users; dangerous don’t you know. Especially with the cult adding more terror to the idea of magic."

"How the hell am I supposed to trust you?" Fumeko handed the envelope back. "They’re not gonna stop the Thundering Blade and the Azure Firefly."

The woman pushed it back into the brunette’s hands, "Trust me they will. Yes, Kira sent me the letter. That enough for you to trust me~?"

Fumeko took the envelope with leering eyes.

The lady let out a sudden sigh, "Finally met the detective’s kid and she’s as serious as him."

"Excuse me madam, you’re not supposed to take that chair-"

"Oh pardon me," the woman hushed the waitstaff and lowered her head. "I’m so sorry darling, this isn’t going to cause a ruckus is it?" she stood uncomfortably close.

"Uh, no-"

"Oh thank the gods," she smiled and faked relief. "I’ll just have a word and I’ll be out of your establishment," she bowed her head.

"I-it’s alright ma’am," the waiter took the seat and put it back in place before walking away.

She turned back to the three with a calm face, as if that whole predicament did not happen, "There’s also a map in there that leads you to the location you’re looking for—Casten Castle. Should be where that whole case last year happened.

Good luck," the woman gave a wink to the three and strode out of the premises, her heavy perfume kicking up as she did.

_

"Morning."

Jotou roused awake and saw the redhead standing by the bedside of the small hotel room. Evident by the grooves in the bed, the two had slept apart throughout the night. "Morning," Jotou stretched and yawned.

"We’re running late."

Jotou forced herself to wake up faster, "Why didn’t you wake me up then," she grouched.

"..."

Jotou looked at her, blinking a few times. She narrowed her eyes and slanted her head, "You can wake me up, it’s not some intrusion."

"Noted."

Jotou got out of the bed, "Ai, ai, ai."

"Once we get past the border with the documents that detective gave, there’s two ways to go. We can continue on carriage, but there’re also boats through the Casten River and we can either walk or take a carriage to the guild. I’ll leave it up to you."

"What’s the difference exactly?"

"One’s more scenic and the boat’s relatively cheaper. The ’roads’ in Tourenshire are more so made for walking. Not a lot of carriage drivers back and forth to places."

"By boat it is."

"Going to take a shower?"

"Aren’t we running late?"

"I was just joking, you have time," Hotaru said without a smile or a scowl.

Jotou leered...

_

Past the border, the rivers grew more sparse and the opulent city was behind them by noon. Once the forests were darker shades of green and grew more dense, it was the indicator of their entry into the state of Tourenshire.

Instantly, various critters began interrupting the carriage by scurrying in front of it. The road itself was no longer brick or properly cleared.

Rather, it was a cleared path of yellow and brown dirt that was not free from intruding foliage. The horses had to slow down and the entire carriage rocked up and down every jagged rock it would roll over.

Acorns and other red fruits were scattered by the roadsides, which squirrels rushed to grab. Asobi pointed and gleefully bounced in the carriage as she spotted a skulk of red foxes with pups at the front.

Insects landed and took a ride on the windows briefly each time till the babbling riverside could be heard nearby. A small dock was constructed, ferrying people and cargo up and down the clear blue river.

In the distance Fumeko saw what seemed to be the remains of some structure. Hotaru took notice and stated, "There’s a lot of those around here. Dungeons, ruins and the like; though, we’re not here to particularly explore those, are we," the redhead said disappointedly.

"Who knows, maybe we’ll have time," Fumeko blinked into the small boat they chartered. The boat rocked with all their belongings and four of them already inside.

"Don’t get my hopes up." Hotaru lifted the hem of her skirt and peered below the dock. She lifted her foot up and leaned her neck over more—her ears drooped down.

Jotou stood up in the boat and begrudgingly gave the redhead her hand. Hotaru pouted to the side, eyeing the blonde. She took Jotou’s hand and was aided onto the boat gracefully. The boatman took off after starting up the boat propeller.

"You can’t get seasick on a river, right?" the elf asked.

"Indeed you may," Tiffany made sure to sit in the middle, lest her clothes or makeup be splashed by water.

"Oh no..."

"Have you ever been on a boat?" Jotou knitted her brows.

"No! But I might get seasick!"

"Asobi doesn’t like boats? That’s shocking," Fumeko replied. "I thought you’d love the concept of gliding across water."

"That was until this thing started shaking," Asobi shivered. "I can barely swim. What if all my clothes sink to the bottom of the river and the fish wear them? I don’t wanna wear clothes a fish wore!"

"I don’t know, it’s pretty deep there," Jotou looked over the side of the boat. "Besides, a mermaid might wear them."

"That’s still half a fish!"

"Well, are mermaids fish or mammals?" Jotou pondered. ’Do they even exist here? Not as part-humans at the very least.’

"Let’s not get into this..." Hotaru held the side of the boat as it continued southwards. Down the Casten River they went, with a much clearer path than before.

The current followed along as the early evening sky came by. The sound of the propeller bubbling through the water was the most noise in their vicinity.

Forest shrubbery had grown and dipped into the sides of the riverbank. A small herd of deer drank up water till they heard the boat approaching.

No other boats were nearby while the five took in the scenery; the air itself felt much cooler and smelled fresher. "Over here little buddy," Asobi dipped the tip of her wand into the water as a lizard was running across the water.

"Splosh!" The lizard disappeared and a shadow from underneath it lunged out of the water.

"SplaT!" Some large fish landed in the boat, causing Tiffany to widen her eyes and stumble up with a loud shriek. Hotaru who sat by the boat’s side got startled and moved, causing the boat to rock further.

The fish flopped and bounced in the middle of the boat, causing the five to flinch, move or shift sideways in the boat till, "Hey, hey, watch it!" the boatman put a hand up.

However, it was much too late as the boat tilted to one side too quickly and the boat capsized, throwing all of them into the water, the boatman included.

Everyone yelped or gasped for breath before holding it. Plunged into the water, Hotaru surfaced first, her hair drenched. "Aegis-Aura!" Six were covered by a bluish aura in the water.

Multiple spots of paddling hands and splashing water she could spot as the boat drifted left and right. The boatman surfaced. Fumeko flailed and flailed in the water, splashing her arms around as water went in and out of her vision.

Finally she saw clear daylight and blinked into the air in shadows and blinked onto the capsized boat. She saw Tiffany flailing right at the boat’s edge and quickly gave her a hand, "Spider Walk," her feet were anchored to the boat as she pulled the blonde in.

Tiffany hyperventilated with her arms on the boat and clothes and hair clinging to her form. Meanwhile, the boatman got to the boat and went under to quickly disable the propeller.

Hotaru swam towards a gasping, yelping Asobi who held her wand up with a glowing white light. "I got you, I got you," the redhead quickly pulled Asobi’s arms onto the boat to allow her to float.

The redhead wiped her face, "Where’s Jotou!?"

Fumeko looked around, "This side! Hey, Jotou!" Fumeko tried to lend a hand, but she was a little out of reach.

Jotou felt water go up her nose as her form had sunken several times into the water. Her legs kicked and jerked out of control as her arms beat the water to give her brief periods of air as panic set in.

But before Jotou inhaled too much water, she felt an arm around her waist that hoisted her up. Jotou gasped for air and shook her head to move her drenched blonde bangs. Her panicked heartbeat rang with no clarity for a few seconds.

The boat came to a stop and everyone was afloat. Hotaru held Jotou by the waist and kept her up. Jotou spat out water and sniffled, "You can swim?"

Hotaru breathed heavily, keeping one arm up to stay floating, "I’m from Kria!" she essentially shouted in Jotou’s water-clogged ear.

"Sorry!" Tiffany shouted.

"It’s not your fault," Fumeko replied.

Asobi whined into the air. "I thought the lizard would be scared, not be attracted!"

"I don’t think it has anything to do with that either!" the brunette had a much easier time wringing out her short hair compared to previously.