For the next week, Isabella and I slept in shifts to make sure none of the other passengers bothered us.
A few times they would encounter us, but ultimately we were left alone.
Much to my surprise, at least.
Isabella, on the other hand, wanted to trust people more than I did. I couldn't fault her for it though. Being friendly was something that was slowly slipping away from me.
I was becoming more closed off and resentful of others. Distrusting everyone to an extent.
As much as I could tell, everything that happened was also affecting Isabella. Her mind was becoming somewhat damaged as a result of the loss, grief, and stress. She coped with it by clinging onto me relentlessly and making friends with others.
But I knew the truth.
She put on a front of someone willing to protect me and others. Someone willing to shoulder people'a burdens... As a former Princess, it was what she was raised to do. But internally, she was breaking.
I recalled the time where I saved her from death by divine intervention...
Was that really the right choice? Would it have been more merciful to her to allow her to die?
Surely not.
She would have met with a fate worse than death...being consumed by the Black Ooze.
I would probably have been blamed for her passing and targeted. And worst of all, I'd be completely alone. Filled with a vengeful rage that could swallow the world; I likely would have become even more closed off than I was now.
But I had someone to keep me company now. Someone to help me shoulder the burden of protecting the world. I needed Isabella and she needed me.
She would protect me.
And I would slay our enemies.
* * *
I woke up at some point fourteen days after we boarded the ship and simply stared forward.
Isabella held me close to her and I'd fallen asleep on her chest... Unintentionally, of course.
It was quite comfortable. Very soft...and big...
I looked up at her and she smiled at me.
I had thought about what would happen if I failed to save her. I wondered if she was better off, but I never thought about how she felt.
She was happy to be alive. Happy to be with me. It was enough to keep her going every day.
"Good morning, my love. How did you sleep?" She asked.
"Slept well... I didn't expect to wake up here..." I said.
"If I can sleep on your chest, then you can sleep on mine. Besides, it wouldn't be right for you to sleep on the floor."
"Right...are you tired? Do you want to switch?" I asked.
"No. I think I would like to get some fresh air. Some food would be nice, too," she said.
"Alright. Let's go up top," I said.
I tried to get up and she held onto me.
"Hmm...a little longer. I like this feeling," she said.
Demanding, are we?
"This is a bit embarrassing..." I said.
"But you're so satisfying to hug! And I can hug you as much as I want!" She said.
I didn't bother arguing. I was also really comfortable.
I relaxed and continued laying against her chest for a short while.
Eventually, she had her fill and let me go.
We got up and made our way to the main deck shortly after that.
Once we were up, we saw several sailors moving about and keeping the ship running.
They paid us no attention.
Isabella and I had run out of extra food several days ago and since she had made friends with some of the crew. They would offer us food when we needed it.
We didn't tell them our last names, and our identities were left mostly secret. Some of them knew I was an Iratus, but chose not to make a big deal about it.
The food on the ship was actually freshly caught and prepared on the ship as we moved.
Occasionally the ship would stop moving and we would fish.
Isabella didn't know how to fish, so I had taken to helping out. They were offering to feed us, after all.
Also, it was nice to engage in one of my favorite hobbies. I hadn't fished in a long time and was very happy to so do.
Fishing was something I thoroughly enjoyed doing and often went out with my father to do a long time ago. In all honesty, if I could have chosen a career other than adventuring, I would've been a fisherman.
Regardless, once we had caught a sizable number of fish, we began cooking them.
The food was prepared by a bowl-shaped fire pit sitting on top of a metal sheet. We could place another sheet of metal on top to grill the fish or put a pot on top to make a stew when we had ingredients.
Isabella made the mistake of mentioning that I was good at cooking. They wanted to test this and from that point on, I was the designated chef until we got off of the ship.
It didn't help that I still had a hard time trusting people, but most of the ones on the ship seemed okay.
"The air feels like it's getting warmer lately doesn't it, Mizik?" Isabella said with a smile.
"Yeah, the map says we're getting close to Hakumo. Should be just a few more days," I said.
"I think you'll like Hakumo, Mizik. It's supposedly a very pretty place. The local people are nice," Isabella said.
"I barely knew anything about it until recently. Have you ever been to Hakumo?" I asked.
"I haven't been there, no, but I learned a lot about the world through my studies. Although...certain things make life hard..."
"Like what?"
"Funny you should ask. I should have probably mentioned a while ago that I was never taught how to swim... There was no need. So this journey makes me a bit anxious."
"You...can't swim? We're going to a country that is literally a collection of islands...and you can't swim?" I said.
"Sorry..." Isabella bowed her head. "They didn't think it would be important to know... There's not a lot of water near Albatross city. But that just means you can teach me!"
"Don't worry then, I'll teach you when we have time. Until then, stay close to me when we're near the water," I said.
Isabella nodded and gazed back out onto the water.
After that, we spent the day fishing and cooking food with the crew and other passengers.
* * *
A few days later, the first sight of Hakumo came into view.
"LAND HO! LAND HO! PREPARE TO DOCK AT GENMU PORT ON USAMI ISLE!" One of the sailors shouted as we were enjoying a meal together.
After another hour, we docked at the port and stepped off of the ship.
Almost immediately...
Both Isabella and I felt an incredible pulse of that familiar feeling we hated so much.
Impending doom.
"Mizik...do you think the Source is here?" Isabella asked.
"Maybe..." I replied.
Isabella seemed to get the same sense of impending doom that I did when the Ooze was nearby. It implied that this particular feeling might be a result of the unknown skill.
That was what I assumed, anyway. She didn't get these feelings before, so it was the only explanation I could come up with. We stepped forward into the coastal town and pulled our hoods down.
Isabella told me that this port town was located on the island of Usami. Part of the massive archipelago that was the island nation of Hakumo.
Within the center of the archipelago was island of Tatsu. The largest island which housed a large mountain with the water dragon's temple built into it.
"What should we do first?" I asked.
"Hmm...I think it would be a good idea to ask around to find out what's happening," Isabella said.
"Right. Let's go then."
After that, we started walking into town.
We saw a woman standing alone, so we approached her.
"Hello, can we ask you a few questions?" I asked.
"...?"
"Umm..."
I wasn't sure how to react to her because she was speaking a different language.
Avernian was the standard language most people used, but secluded areas and certain nations still spoke other languages.
Isabella stepped forward and began speaking to the woman in the same language.
I was surprised to see her expertly mimicking the accent as well as the words perfectly. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was a native of this country.
After Isabella finished speaking, the woman smiled and talked to Isabella.
A moment later, Isabella's face turned bright red.
She pointed to me and started frantically speaking back to the woman in the Hakumo language.
The woman smiled at me and waved. She looked me up and down and then turned to Isabella. She said a few more things then Isabella grabbed my arm and pulled me away.
"What's going on? What happened?" I asked.
"That...that perverted woman wanted us to do some of the dirtiest things I've ever heard in my life to her! When I told her that you were my husband and that we weren't interested, she said...ugh...disgusting..." Isabella said as she was still visibly flustered and annoyed.
I looked at the woman and she eyed me seductively.
Why are there so many perverts around, lately?
"Let's just go find someone else," I said.
Isabella and I found a man this time and spoke to him.
Basically, he wanted nothing to do with us.
We tried talking to other people and found that they were either perverted or rude.
There were also several brothels and prostitutes on the streets. Both male and female.
Eventually, we became frustrated by the locals and sat down next to a building.
"Ugh! I can't stand this place! Why are these people so dirty!?" Isabella said angrily.
I just shook my head as she kept talking.
Didn't you say the people were friendly?
"I've never heard such things! Who does that!? Honestly! I feel disgusting after listening to these people... " she continued.
Moments later another woman approached us.
She had long blonde hair and wore the standard cool clothing of the islanders.
"Excuse me? Are you two new here?" She asked.
"Great...they speak Avernian too... Mizik, cover your ears," Isabella said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't intend to abide by Usami custom. I was just wondering if you two needed any help," the woman said.
"Usami...custom?" Isabella said.
"Yes... It's custom here to...do certain things...with travelers or people from other islands. It's why we call this place Usami. It means Rabbit. This is the island that people usually come to...procreate on. For us locals, it is a bit awkward. Some of us realize that the tradition is less than safe, though...and also really dirty... It's also why we have so many brothels here. I'm Hana, by the way," Hana said with an awkward smile.
The island is called Rabbit Island because the people here breed like rabbits? Why couldn't we have gone somewhere else!?
"It's good to finally meet a reasonable person," I said.
"Thank you for being normal..." Isabella said.
"Haha...sorry about all the nonsense you've had to endure! Do you two need a place to stay? My husband and I have a house with a vacant room nearby. We don't mind having visitors," Hana said.
"That would be lovely! Thank you, Hana!" Isabella said before I could respond.
"Wait, Isabella. This could be a trap," I whispered to her.
"It's not like they can actually hurt us. Try having faith in people, Mizik," she whispered back.
She raises a good point... How many people can kill two level 150 magic sword users at the same time?
"Alright..." I said while standing up.
Isabella followed suit and we were led to Hana's house nearby.
Once we walked in the door, we were greeted by a large muscular man with dark skin.
"....?"
He spoke the Hakumo language and I tilted my head to him.
Isabella responded cheerfully and he laughed heartily.
"Welcome! Sorry about that!" He said.
"Ikoma, these two will be staying with us for a the night. I hope that's okay dear," Hana said.
"Of course it is! I love visitors! What are their names?" Ikoma said as he flexed his muscles.
This guy is a little weird...but I like his style.
"I'm Mizik, and this is my wife, Isabella," I said.
"Mizik and Isabella. Those are some interesting names. You two aren't from around here, are ya?" Ikoma said...once again flexing his huge muscles.
Do you really need to do that?
"No... We're from...Albatross..." I said.
Hana gasped.
"Albatross...? I heard that country was..."
"Yes, unfortunately... We weren't there when it happened, though," Isabella said.
"Well, that's good, at least. I heard that the Princess and her husband were away in Kalsa when it was destroyed. I can't remember their names, though..." Hana said as she placed her finger on her chin.
I looked at Isabella and she shrugged.
"The husband was an Iratus, right? I heard he was a lucky guy getting the Princess of Albatross to fall for him!" Ikoma said as he flexed his muscles again.
Please stop.
"Ahem..." I cleared my throat.
"Wha...hey you're an Iratus, aren't you? You've got those green eyes. Was the guy that married the Princess related to you?" Hana said curiously.
"I guess there's no harm in saying. You two seem nice. He's me," I said.
"Whaaaaat!? Get outta here! If you're the Prince then that means..." Ikoma said with a slightly smaller flex.
Do you HAVE to do that!?
"My name is Princess Isabella Victoria Albatross. But since my country is no more, I don't consider myself a Princess any longer. I also prefer to be called Iratus instead of Albatross," Isabella said with a graceful bow.
The two of them stared in shock.
"Y-y-your Majesty! W-welcome to our h-humble home!" Ikoma said frantically. He didn't flex this time, surprisingly...
"Eeeeh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know! I hope I haven't disrespected either of you! Please make yourselves at home!" Hana said frantically.
I managed a chuckle and Isabella smiled.
"It's alright. We're people just like you now. No need to treat us so special," I said.
"Indeed. Please treat us normally. Also, if you could keep quiet about our previous identities, that would be wonderful," Isabella said.
"Of course! We can keep it a secret! It's wonderful to meet you both!" Ikoma said as he resumed flexing.
You just keep going, don't you?
"We actually have a few questions, if you don't mind. About the area and the water dragon," I said.
Suddenly, both of them got deathly serious.
"We keep ourselves updated with the situation. What do you wanna know?" Ikoma said.
"We heard about a man spreading the Black Ooze. We think he's the source of this global disaster. He needs to die," I said.
"We saw a really mean guy with white hair being followed by a hooded person wearing a mask about a month ago. He went into the temple and no one's seen him since. What's more, is that ever since he entered the temple, that place has become dangerous..." Ikoma said.
"How dangerous?" I asked.
Hana looked uneasy.
"An army's worth of monsters started showing up in and around the temple shortly after he arrived. None of the monks came out and we're worried about the water dragon. No one has been down there to see her in a while," she said.
"Do you think the water dragon is in danger?" I asked.
"She's...really powerful. Rumored to be the most powerful being in our entire world. Wise beyond all logic and also very kind. It's hard to imagine someone capable of hurting her. Even if that guy went into the temple, he hasn't been seen since," Ikoma said.
"I have another question. This person travelling with the white-haired man. What did they look like?"
Ikoma thought for a moment.
"Well...I can't say. He never took the mask off. He wore a bulky, armored robe and the mask had a symbol that looked like an eye on it. He followed the white-haired man real closely and didn't say a word. Also, he was kinda short. Just a bit shorter than Hana, maybe. They seemed to shimmer...like they weren't really there or somethin'."
He almost flexed again, but stopped himself.
I seemed to recall the news from Falkos saying that the Source had a bodyguard.
Was that man his bodyguard?
I only had more questions at this point...
Like how they managed to travel from Falkos to Hakumo so quickly. That shouldn't have been possible.
I looked back at Hana. She was maybe around 5'6 in height. This bodyguard was slightly smaller.
Regardless, I had a question for her as well.
"And how long ago did those two arrive again?"
"About a month ago in the middle of the night. Something appeared over by the port while we were having a walk. It looked like an eye opening in the middle of the street. The two walked out of it and went straight towards Tatsu Isle as if it were perfectly normal. It scared us... The white-haired man was tall and had these dark-purple eyes. He looked scary..."
"Alright. Has anything been done about the water dragon's temple? Has anyone gone to see if he's still there?" I asked.
"Not yet. But there's a request at the guild for a group of people to enter and clear out the monsters. They also want to make sure that the water dragon is okay," Hana said.
"We'll be taking that request then," I said.
"That's really dangerous though! You could die!" Hana said frantically.
"Don't worry, we're pretty strong. We should be able to handle whatever those monsters throw at us!" Isabella said as she raised her fist.
"Is that so? Well then I guess we can't stop you. They're planning on leaving tomorrow around midday. You should register your location at the guild and stay here tonight," Ikoma said.
"I can lead you to the guild and back. Let's go!" Hana said.
* * *
Hana led us to the adventurers guild and once we reached the front counter, Isabella stepped forward to speak to the clerk.
The clerk greeted Isabella in the Hakumo language and Isabella responded. As she spoke, she motioned to me.
The clerk nodded.
"Hello, there. Welcome to the Genmu adventurers guild on Usami Isle. Are you two already adventurers?" She asked.
"Yes, we're adventurers. We would like to register our locations and update our status in the library please," Isabella said.
"Certainly. Please touch the viewer stones here."
The clerk placed two viewer stones on the counter and we both used them.
A moment later, the woman looked at both of them and then jumped back in surprise.
"WH...WHAT IS THIS!? BOTH OF YOU ARE..." She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "L...level 150!? How...?"
"That's not really something that needs to be said right now. We're with the Red River adventurer company. I'm the leader, Rose."
"Yes...Ms. Rose... You two are powerful, if you don't mind me saying... Like literal Demigods," she said.
I saw Isabella's eye twitch slightly.
"Actually it's Mrs. Rose. Thank you."
"Ah...I see. Well the two of you should be fine to take requests here, now. If I could recommend one that needs powerful individuals, a war party will be formed tomorrow to investigate the water temple," the clerk said.
"That is what we're here for, actually. We would like to help with the investigation," Isabella said.
"Very good! I'll just put you two down... Mrs. Rose and...Mizik," she said...
My eye twitched as she pronounced my name as Miz-eek.
"His name is pronounced Miz-ick. Not Miz-eek. Also, it's Mr. Mizik. He's my husband."
Thank you...
"Right! Sorry... I'm still recovering from shock... I didn't think I'd be meeting two demigods today... The group will be meeting at noon tomorrow. Please get to the designated meeting area by then, okay?" The clerk said.
"Of course. Thank you very much. We hope to clear the request as swiftly as possible," Isabella said.
"Before you two go, I think I'll go ahead and up you both to Diamond Rank. Its only one below the maximum, but you two will probably be Onyx soon anyway..." The clerk said.
She left us at the counter and came back a few minutes later with two diamond badges for us.
We accepted them, thanked her and followed Hana back home.
We spent the rest of the night enjoying Hana and Ikoma's company while eating dinner with them.
Later on, it was time for bed.
We had one hell of a day ahead of us, tomorrow.
We got ourselves cleaned up and ready, then laid down to sleep.
* * *
This night felt strange...
For some reason, I couldn't seem to sleep properly.
Isabella let go of me at some point during the night and now slept at my side instead.
Originally, I planned to read some of my father's other journal entries, but I felt a strange presence nearby.
As I looked around, I saw something floating in the air in the darkness of the room.
It looked like...an eye.
It just hovered in the corner of the room and stared at me.
The eye was pitch black with several purple lines crossing within it. It seemed to shift in the dark.
And the more I stared back at it, the more faint I felt.
It was like staring into an endless void of nothingness. As if everything within simply ceased to exist. Overwhelming terror began to grip me as the eye continued its horrifying gaze.
And just as quickly as it appeared..the eye closed and vanished completely.
I felt my fear begin to fade and gasped for breath.
"What...what the hell is happening to our world!?" I said fearfully.