The salty air reached Noel's nostrils even before she spotted the city.

"Wake up, everyone! We're arriving."

A week had passed since their outdoor camping experience. Their trip had mostly proceeded without incident, and thanks to Noel's careful planning, they'd avoided sleeping outside again. Despite the knight's initial reluctance, the voyage to the port city had been enjoyable. Flare's reactions to the various villages and cities they passed through were endearing, and she too enjoyed visiting new places. Still, she couldn't help but sigh in relief as they got closer to their goal. Even though she and Marine had been taking turns, riding a horse for most of the day left her sore and hurting all over. And the whole "being a knight on the run from conscription" situation had her more anxious by the day. Enough time had passed that her faked demise was likely to have been communicated to the capital, after all, and the last thing she wanted was to meet someone who was aware of her identity.

"Ohh! Is that the sea-peko?"

Pekora leaned forward, her body nearly three-quarters out of the wagon.

Noel couldn't blame her. It was quite a beautiful sight. Water and sky met in the horizon, and unlike the rivers or lakes she was used to, the sea seemed to stretch on endlessly, no matter how much she squinted her eyes. Above it, white seabirds squawked in the early morning sky, uncaring of the people below. At this distance, she could just make out the undulating waves, endlessly rising and falling, along with a few tall wooden figures.

Boats, she thought. She'd seen them before, of course, but only the kind that were made for short trips up and down the river. It would be her first time seeing a real ship up close.

"Woah… It's pretty." It was Rushia who uttered those words. She'd become more comfortable around the others in the last few days. There were still awkward moments, of course, but they definitely knew each other better now. As for the moon rabbit, well, she was still quite secretive about her past, but she seemed to have at least warmed up to the group.

"It really is." Flare smiled. "I can't believe I'm finally seeing the sea. We're closer than ever now."

"There's still a pekoing long journey by sea, you know. Right, Marine?"

"Huh?!" Marine looked unusually startled. "Oh, yes. It takes a few months."

That's not a Marine-like answer. Was she drinking again yesterday?

The captain, who had very much shown her true colors since the beginning, had two major problems. The first one was flirting with any woman or man she found remotely attractive, and the second was drinking. Noel had had to physically drag her away from a bar counter more than once. Not just for Marine's own sake, but also because if she got a hangover, Noel already knew she would have to steer the carriage by herself all morning, and most of the evening too.

"We're arriving at the entrance, everyone. Take out your papers." She announced and, after a pause, added: "Do you have any documents, Pekora?"

"Of course I do. Who do you think I am?" The rabbit smugly reached into her right pocket, which was noticeably devoid of any carrots, and took out a small square card. It was decorated with drawings of tiny, round rabbit-like creatures, and displayed an intricate signature at the bottom.

"Usada Pekora, Pekoland's..." Noel read.

Pekora quickly pocketed it once more.

"This should be enough for them. "

"Well, we should be good to pass, then."

"Um… I don't have anything like that…" Rushia said in a minute voice, bashfully raising her hand.

"Huh? Really? " Noel asked. "You should have gotten papers before leaving from-"

The knight interrupted herself. Rushia had told them about the difficulties she had faced before they met. It had been a bone-chilling tale, and it only made Noel more grateful that she'd decided to give the girl a chance.

"Still, that's an issue… I doubt they're letting anyone without identification inside, especially with this traffic." She murmured. Despite the hour, there was already a line of people and carriages slowly making their way into the city as the guards scanned them.

"It's okay." Rushia gave a weak smile. "I can hide in the shadows. They won't notice me."

"Oh." Noel recalled how she'd disappeared suddenly the first time they'd met. That was certainly a useful skill to have.

"I don't think you'll need it." the rabbit displayed a mischievous smile, something Noel had noticed she'd been doing often as of late.

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about it. I have a plan."

Noel frowned. Whatever the rabbit was thinking of doing, it could spell big trouble for them if it failed. Still, she couldn't deny she was curious as to what sort of tricks moon rabbits could pull off.

Eventually, their turn arrived.

"Alright, papers please-" The sleepy-looking guard opened his eyes in shock. "A- a moon rabbit?"

"A real one, yes. Will you let us through or not?"

"I, I need to see your permits…" The guard attempted to compose himself, armor rattling as he shook his head. His remark had already caused several people to look behind, nearly causing one or two accidents and leading to a shouting match a couple of meters in front of them.

"Annoying one, aren't you? Here you go." Pekora handed over the documents.

The guard took a quick look at each one, only stopping at Pekora's rabbit-full identification.

"I, I'll have to check with my superior, we don't really get moon rabbits here, but these seem fine. There are five of you though, right? I only see four papers…"

"Oh, Don-chan ate hers." Pekora's scarf looked up, clearly offended at being accused of wrongdoing he had nothing to do with. "He's a little devil, this one. I don't give him carrots for a moment, and he goes and eats such an important thing. Honestly, what a troublemaker."

The guard stared at the creature and blinked. Noel doubted he'd ever seen anything like it. Had anyone?

"I… I see…"

"Well, thank you! We'll be going now." Pekora ripped off the documents from the guard's hands.

Noel took the clue and prompted the horse to move. She expected the guard to come after them, but he just stood where he was, stunned.

"Hahahaha! He looked so confused!" Pekora laughed hysterically once they'd gotten a fair distance inside.

"That was dangerous…" Noel sighed. "He can still report us, you know?" It had also been very much illegal, but when they were so close to leaving the continent, it felt unnecessary to get upset at such a small transgression.

"He won't…maybe." Pekora stared at the sky.

She totally didn't think about that…

The streets were packed, even more so than the other towns they had stayed in. All around them, stalls were set up with people selling fish of near-infinite varieties, along with shells, squids, medusas, and other sea-related products. Ahead of them, a vendor yelled about the healing properties of a certain type of algae. Thankfully, the roads were wide enough to support both the consumers and the ones who were simply passing by, but only just. Their horse huffed and puffed, clearly annoyed at having to draw a carriage through such a dense crowd.

"Can we really find an inn with this many people in town?" Flare asked.

"I don't think so… It was already difficult in the villages we passed through. Do you have any ideas, Marine? You've been here before."

"Mhm." She murmured so low it was easily drowned out by the hubbub of the crowd.

"Marine?"

"Umm, yes. I know someone who'll have a place for us. Should have somewhere to park our carriage, too.

Marine's energy levels were several notches below their usual amount.

"Are you okay? You seem down." asked Noel.

"Huh? I'm fine, I'm fine. Fresh as a leaf!" She forced an awkward smile.

"Do you want to switch, then? Since you know the way."

Marine took the offer without any complaints. Now that was strange.

There's definitely something wrong. Noel thought. She would have to question her once they'd arrived at a quieter place.

For now, though, she decided to enjoy the view while they made their way deeper into the town.

The tavern they'd be staying at was surprisingly expensive-looking. It went several stories into the air, and young girls in maid outfits were running around the place. Much of the furniture was made of polished stone, not wood, and the guests, while not of noble blood, were in any case opulent enough to mimic the fashions of the nobility. Even the stables were large and clean, with several servants parking, cleaning, and feeding the horses.

Noel worried if they'd really be able to pay for something as extravagant as this, but Marine had dismissed her concerns. Something about the owner owing her a favor, she said. Well, it was a relief she wouldn't have to think about money, at least.

Marine, Noel, and Flare stood outside the entrance to the inn. Rushia and Pekora were being shown to their rooms, and the atmosphere inside felt far too stuffy for all of them.

In front of them, a large vehicle was being guided to the stables. It belonged to someone with means, that was for sure, though the shock pink color made their tastes doubtful. Decorated with half-moon symbols, it almost looked like an attempt to recreate the carriage of some fairy tale.

I wonder if there's a princess inside…

Noel knew that couldn't be true, though. No matter how fancy this place was, nobles were rich and demanding enough that it was probably still too cheap for their tastes. No, it was probably some merchant with too much money.

"This town really is pretty, isn't it?" Marine's sudden comment pulled Noel from her thoughts. Her voice was fast-paced and breathy as if she had just been running.

"It is. Hey, Marine…" Now seemed like a good time to bring up her odd mood. She had an idea of what could be causing it, but the knight sincerely hoped she was wrong.

"I think you all should take a walk around. I bet you haven't ever had fresh seafood Oh, and I've heard there's this new fad, where they take minced octopus and shape it into a ball. It's great!" She smiled awkwardly.

"What about you?" Noel squinted her eyes.

"I, um, have some business to take care of. I'll meet with you later." Marine took a step back.

Noel sighed. A child would have come up with a better excuse.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"What? Me? No, I wouldn't lie to you." You could practically see the sweat running down her forehead.

"No one said anything about lying…"

"I'm just, uh, going to go. Have fun!"

Marine turned around and started running. She got around two steps in before her legs were caught in a mass of plants and vines, making her fall over spectacularly onto the ground with an oof.

"Good job, Flare."

The half-elf gave a thumbs up.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us exactly what's going on. Why are you so nervous?"

Marine opened her mouth only to close it immediately after. She looked around, but all the passersby were so busy with their own lives they hadn't even noticed her fall.

"I hope you're not thinking of running away and leaving us stranded here." Noel's stare could make a stone shiver.

"N-no! I just…" Marine took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. You got me. I wanted to check on the ship before you did."

"Why?" Noel's face relaxed. Just the fact that there was indeed a ship made the situation better than what she initially feared.

"I uhh. I don't know what sort of condition it is in. I told you, I haven't checked on it for a few years."

"How many exactly are a few?" She never did make it clear, back when they met.

"Five." Noel stared at her. "Ten, actually. Twelve? I don't remember too well, I was a child."

"You haven't seen this boat since you were a kid?!"

"I told you I inherited it from my grandpa! But… my parents didn't want to tell me, so I only discovered it recently."

Noel rubbed her eyes. She could feel the tinge of a headache forming.

"You did say the people here would take care of it, though. Even if it's a bit old, it should be fine if it was looked after." Flare pointed out.

Marine seemed to brighten up after hearing that comment.

"That's right! Grandpa was a famous pirate. There's no way they'd let his boat rot in the docks!"

"And yet, you wanted to check before we could."

"Well…"

Noel sighed once again.

"Let's just all go together to see this boat. I'll go call Rushia and Pekora."

"Umm, I still can't move." Marine pointed to the vines wrapped around her legs.

"Oops." With a swift hand movement from Flare, the plants retreated into nothingness.

"Interesting things, these vines. Can they wrap your arms as well?"

"Huh? I guess so, yeah."

"Huh…"

Marine thought of a joke, but even she could tell now wasn't the time for messing around.

The five made their way to the docks. Rushia, Flare, and particularly Pekora strolled lightly, chatting about this and that and pointing at all the oddities that a city this close to the sea had. Noel was slightly too worried to appreciate the sights, though she appeared the very picture of calmness when compared to the so-called pirate captain. Marine took uncertain, wobbly steps as she repeatedly looked down at a rough map of the docks in her hands. As they got closer, Noel couldn't help but gasp.

She knew there would be a lot of boats. That's what docks are for, after all. But still, there were enough that you could barely see the sea. They undulated in unison, both the large, tall ships with dozens of sailors working in and around them and the small dinghies that looked like they would flip over if you so much as pushed them.

Noel didn't really know what kind of boat they were looking for, but judging by Marine's look, they hadn't found it yet. She turned the map over a couple of times before taking a sharp turn right.

"It should be around here…" Marine mumbled after a few minutes.

Noel took a look around. They were definitely in a poorer area. There was still quite a bit of foot traffic, but the houses were mostly single-floored and made of wood, and the ones that weren't had an abandoned look to them. Noel saw Rushia grimace as her eyes met what looked to be a long-forgotten warehouse, with overgrown greenery all around it. The ships were in better shape, though not by much, and some looked like they would splinter if you gave them a strong push.

It was one of these vessels that Marine approached. She looked at it with an inquisitive look and brushed some dust off of a metal plaque. "Houshou's Pirate Ship", it read.

There was silence for a few moments before Marine turned to the rest.

"Here it is!" She tried to sound enthusiastic, but her voice came out strange and high-pitched.

Noel looked at it again. It looked like it had been sturdy enough to handle a long voyage, a couple of decades ago. It was still a great ship, definitely big enough to accommodate all five of them and their provisions. However, the good points ended there. The wood looked old, and some of it had disappeared to dry rot. There were small holes in the hull, the masts were devoid of any sails, and some of the shrouds had fallen to the ground. Noel didn't doubt that the inside would also be in a similar condition. It wasn't total junk, but it was hardly a usable ship.

"You know, I honestly expected worse." shrugged Pekora, breaking the silence.

"How?! It's falling apart!" exploded Noel, turning to Marine. "You said you had a boat that could take us to Hololive!"

"Well, it can… It just needs a bit of maintenance…"

"A bit? This thing looks like it will sink the moment it goes into the water!" She was furious as she pointed a finger at Marine. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted you."

"Noel…" Flare put her hand on the knight's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

"Flare, we don't have enough money to get a different boat." She bit her lip. "The trip takes months, you know? Months! There's no way this thing will hold on for that long."

Marine clicked her tongue.

"You don't need to speak like that. It may take some time, but this level of damage should be repairable. This one was made to last." She crossed her arms. "You haven't ever been in the sea, so don't act like you know a thing about ships."

In the back of her mind, Noel knew she was being mean. No matter its state, the ship was an inheritance, and Marine looked like she did care about it. Nonetheless, she was too angry to think rationally. She'd seen her get drunk and have fun without a care in the world countless times during their journey. Surely she could have spared a moment to tell them she didn't know the state the vessel they'd be traveling on was in. It was her fault for not being honest about it.

"Well, have you?! Or are you just a fake, dressing up as a pirate?"

"Noel!" Flare yelled.

Marine stared at her for a while. It was the first time she'd seen that look on her face. Noel was sure she'd have been slapped if she was closer.

The knight turned back and stormed off. Flare hesitated for a few moments before following her.

Rushia looked panicked, her head flickering between the two girls, mouth open in shock. Pekora had her back turned to the others, staring intently at the sea, saying nothing.

Marine heaved a long-winded sigh before taking off in the opposite direction. No one, not even her, noticed her trembling hands.