14xx/07/11 Johannes Calendar
71 days since arrival…
We bid farewell to the village and head toward the port via feathers. We manage to get there early, so was the other crew members as well. Natsuki and Oskar is there with their bags as well. Kael arrived with a stack of ancient books he wanted to study. The Captain came last, looking no worse for wear. Seems like he knows how to relax more than we do.
The galleon itself on the inside were surprisingly clean. Well, as clean as a wooden ship can be. Can't do much about the salty smell when your entire career revolves around the sea. But my initial inspection yields satisfactory results, just enough to put most of my worries at ease. The Captain truly spared no expenses in making sure his heavily-armed merchant ship were seaworthy.
In fact, in between the dozens of freshly cut oak wood that replaces the old waterlogged one, I can see Water Stones embedded upon the simple steel frames of the ship. The amount is little, but it was spread sparingly across the ship, perhaps as extra precaution against water damage in highly-sensitive points? If what the rumours says is true, perhaps an extra layer of defence against the sea is very warranted.
Other than that, the ship didn't change much at all other than the holes that were there before were patched up and painted over to match the color of the ship itself. The Ilias figurehead were polished and cleaned up, showing off its white painting and golden trims to the whole wide world. I noticed that it also has a new necklace consisted of the same Water Stones I saw on the select frames I saw while walking around the ship.
How effective are these stones anyway?
At the start of departure, I can see our sailors scrambling to their posts to get ready to leave. Oskar and Kael was in the middle with a bunch of young elemental magicians from Gaia's Servants. Oskar made a very long prayer for safe and fast travel, almost taking half an hour from our schedule. But he was glowing like a fucking searchlight when he was praying, so we assumed that he's doing something right. The young mages too were on the same shit, but instead they were chanting and waving their wands. Would've looked ridiculous if not for the long string of blue energy connecting the mage's coven to the myriad of Water Stone embedded within the ship.
After all that hullaballoo is done, we finally set off into the unknown.
Honestly, it felt different than I expected. I did go on a cruise once, and the departure isn't as extreme as this. I can still remember the snickering of the crewmates when I slipped and fell on my ass the moment the ship raised its anchor and let the wind guides them. I didn't expect the shaking would be quite severe!
I was led to the officer's quarters where I will spend the rest of my days in somewhat modest living condition. Considering that this is a pseudo-medieval era, I was expecting something worse, more like a long rows of bunk bed nailed into the woods. I didn't expect to find rooms as if we were in a cruise ship, even if said rooms were the size of a walk-in wardrobe. At least we have privacy, as suffocating as it is.
Nothing too crazy, just a simple bunk bed and a table for two. We do have a sea chest each, but it too small for Kael to bring everything. Instead, he chose to carry a stack instead of four. Everything I own that cannot be replaced is already on me, so I have no problem. Bulk of the luggage was food and water, which Latina was responsible for.
Poor girl. She was incredibly important to my travel. And her reward is to be stuck down there in the cargo, where all the sweaty and swarthy sailors were packed together like sardines.
On second thought….
Oh well. This is it. We will finally travel to the next country. This feels weird, like I was actually making headway to something. I have been doing nothing but running around the countryside like a headless chicken already. Maybe crossing the sea would trigger the Chapter Two, as that White Rabbit said.
God, I am both terrified and excited. Is this how Columbus feels like when he moved into a new continent? That strange rush of endorphin that rewards the curious and the enterprising? That lightness of step you felt when you realise that you are heading to new territory, and that sinking feeling of pure terror as you realise you might stumble into things you never ever heard of, let alone understand.
Fuck, the shaking is not helping in writing this fucking journal. I'll guess I write this thing down when it was less shaking.