Chapter 13: Port Otas

The salty tang of the sea breeze, unique to a coastal city, filled the air.
The air was fresh, and the vegetation fragrant.
Rows upon rows of houses lined the streets.

The architecture of Port Otas was thoroughly Victorian in style, predominantly in neutral colors like black, white, and gray, with pointed arches and slender eaves.
The doors and windows were arranged in an orderly, almost absurdly regular fashion.

This was my first time entering a city in this world.
Looking at the gradually increasing number of pedestrians around me, I had a surreal feeling.

The crowd was bustling.
The women mostly wore long dresses, the kind whose hems almost touched the ground, and wide-brimmed hats, some adorned with flowers, others with feathers.

The men wore common wide trench coats and leather shoes, and some even carried walking sticks.

They looked like they belonged hanging from a lamppost.

The rate at which people turned to look at me as I walked down the street was particularly high.
Some people even stared in a daze.
Damn it, I should have covered my face.
A few young guys in suspenders were staring straight at me.

I think the feeling of being watched when I first entered the city probably came from these people.

‘Mother’s kiss, you like to look? If you look again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!
Two eggs under your eyebrows, you only know how to blink, not how to see.
Believe it or not, I’ll fill you up with two bullets.’

Pursing my lips, I rolled my eyes, left this bunch of animals behind, and continued on my way.

Since we were going to cross the sea by boat, we definitely had to check out the port situation.
We might even run into some other races.
Although I didn’t know the specific location of the port, as long as I headed towards the sea, I couldn’t go wrong.

Because walking on the main street was too conspicuous, whenever I encountered a crowd, I would duck into a nearby alley and then continue in the general direction.

And so, after walking for half an hour, I finally…

Arrived at a food street…

I could smell the aroma of food from far away.
Out of a bodily instinct, I couldn’t resist coming over to take a look, just a quick look, to see what to buy for Little Nia to eat.
It’s definitely not because I want to eat it myself!

Let me see what the food in this other world is like~

There were both restaurants and food stalls on both sides of the street.
All kinds of food were on display, and it was a bit overwhelming.
The smells were all mixed together, so it was better to listen to the vendors’ calls.

“Freshly baked bread, 3 Holy Grace per pound, 10 Holy Grace for three pounds!”

“Barbecue~ Ku’doen Mountain beef, exclusive recipe, a century-old heritage.”

“Cheese, black-striped cheese, smells bad but tastes good!”

“Hey, hey, hey! Here we go!”¹

???

What is all this?
Leaving aside the last two, why is there a black-hearted bakery²?
Only that barbecue stall seems reliable.
I’ll go check it out.

When I arrived at the barbecue stall, the owner was a rough-looking middle-aged man, a bit chubby, giving off a strong tavern owner vibe.
He was also very enthusiastic.

“Oh! Miss, your beauty is truly like a creation of the gods.
It would be my honor if my humble shop could serve a customer like you.”

“You’re too kind,” I replied politely to the owner.
“How much is the barbecue? It smells quite good.”

“We have medium, large, and extra-large portions.
If you’re eating alone, I recommend the medium portion, only 15 Holy Grace.”

A medium portion for one person… but there are two of us and one dragon, so an extra-large portion would be more cost-effective.
But, given Elvira’s actions, she’ll have to work for her barbecue.

“Boss, I’ll take an extra-large portion, please. I have friends with me.
Also, seeing as I’m being such a good customer, how about a little discount?”
After saying that, I made a tiny gap between my thumb and index finger.

Living on a tight budget, being frugal is a virtue.
And it’s not my own money, so every bit saved is a bit earned.

The boss was also very straightforward and agreed immediately without hesitation.

“Alright, no problem. The extra-large portion is 75 Holy Grace, but I’ll charge you, little lady, 70 Holy Grace, and I guarantee the portion will be more than enough.”

I smiled and nodded.
Seeing this, the boss turned to work on his earthen stove.
Soon, my meal was ready.
Paying, getting change, and saying thank you, all in one go.

The bag for the extra-large barbecue was bigger than my head.
It was a bit inconvenient to hold, but I was very happy.

The wilderness survival of the past few days had left me mentally exhausted, almost depressed.
Now I can finally eat food with seasoning.
It’s such a blissful feeling.

I popped the pieces of what-was-it-beef barbecue into my mouth one by one.
The boss cut the meat into just the right size, making it easy to eat.
The taste was also fantastic.
The feeling of the juices and fat exploding in my mouth was too wonderful~

I squinted my eyes like a kitten, covering my mouth with one hand.
It felt so delicious I thought I was going to swallow my tongue.
It’s just that the seasoning on the barbecue was a bit spicy, and it got spicier the more I ate.

The extra-large portion was truly generous.
I tried my best but only managed to eat a small part of it.
Eating as I walked, I soon arrived at the port’s pier.

What came into view was an endless sea.
Waves surged and crashed against the docking platform.
Bare-chested workers came and went, carrying wooden boxes of various sizes on their shoulders.
Their destination was the ships beyond the platform.

The ships of this world had not yet developed to the level of steam power.
They were all tall-masted, with a three-deck structure, a bit like the style in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

Next, I had to find the other-race fleet that Elvira mentioned.
Since the people of the Holy Nation of Mancius ostracize other races, then…

My gaze swept back and forth across the docking platform.
In a distant, inconspicuous corner of the platform, I saw a uniquely shaped ship.
It was also separated from the other ships by a large distance, as if there were a solid wall between them.

It seems I’ve found my target for this trip.

As I walked towards that other-race ship, I saw a bright red line on the platform, which happened to separate the other-race ship from the other ships.
And people were intentionally staying away from that area.

The moment I stepped over the red line, I clearly felt several gazes sweeping over me.
I didn’t pay them much mind and finally stopped in front of the other-race ship.

There was no movement on the deck, and it was empty.
Very strange.

“Hello, is anyone there?” I shouted, but there was no response for a long time.

Perhaps I shouted the wrong thing?

“Hello, is any… other-race here?”

Still no response… but the ship’s cabin clearly shook a little.

“Then I’m coming aboard,” I took two steps forward.
“I’m really coming up now~”

“Hold it.”

A voice interrupted my actions.
Immediately, the owner of the voice stepped out from behind the mast.
It was a young man with yellowish-brown hair, and… rabbit ears?

The man’s face was stern, and he looked at me with great vigilance.

“Human, we have no contact with you.
If you dare to take another step forward, don’t blame us.”

“Are you defining my race?” I asked.

“Hmph, an Inquisitor of the Holy Nation. Beating around the bush is not your style.
Is it because your Grand Inquisitor is dead?”

Oh, he saw the gun at my waist.
Then how should I explain this…
Directly saying that I’m a witch is definitely not going to work.
He probably wouldn’t believe it.
Besides, there are many eyes watching.
Maybe I can hint at it subtly?

“Peters! Don’t waste your breath on her!” a shrill voice suddenly sounded, and a patter of footsteps came from the deck.

And then… I saw a group of… little green people.

Pointy noses, long ears, and a faint glow in their small eyes.

Aren’t these f*cking goblins??!!

Wait, this world, is it a serious one?

Footnote:

¹ 嗨害嗨！来了嗷！(Hāi hài hāi! Lái le áo!- Hey, hey, hey! Here we go!): This is a catchphrase from a popular Chinese internet meme featuring a food vendor. It’s an energetic, slightly nonsensical greeting. The inclusion here is a humorous, out-of-place cultural reference.

² 黑心面包店 (hēixīn miànbāo diàn – black-hearted bakery): This refers to the pricing (3 for one, 10 for three). In a fair deal, three pounds would be 9 Holy Grace, but the vendor is charging 10. This is a common marketing trick, and the character is calling it out as being dishonest or “black-hearted.”