The journey from Elion to Iona took six full days and five nights aboard a sturdy galleon, cutting through calm seas all the way. By some good fortune, they encountered no pirates or storms—their passage was as smooth as could be hoped for.
They docked at Port Daengho as the morning sun began to climb the sky, and Vincent's eyes immediately went wide at the sight before him. There stood Mount Iona, rising so tall and majestic that its peak seemed to brush against the clouds themselves.
"Look at that," he breathed, staring up at the mountain as they made their way through the bustling port town. But his attention was soon pulled away by another temptation—the rich, savory scent of noodles wafting from a small restaurant just ahead.
"Where are you off to?" Kei called out as Vincent veered toward the doorway.
"Getting something to eat—we just spent days at sea, didn't you feel your stomach growling at all?" Vincent shot back, already heading inside. "What kind of iron gut do you have?"
Knowing he couldn't talk Vincent out of it, Kei simply followed him into the cozy resto.
"Welcome, welcome!" The chef—an older man with flour dusted on his apron—beamed as they entered. "You look like you've come a long way! Would you like me to serve you our house specialty? It's perfect for travelers needing a good meal."
"Oh, absolutely!" Vincent replied enthusiastically.
"Wonderful! That'll be 20 copper kyeols for the both of you."
Vincent paused, patting his pockets before turning to Kei with a sheepish look. "20 kyeols… right. I completely forgot—all we have are the 300 sars we brought from Elion."
The chef nodded understandingly, waving a hand dismissively. "No trouble at all! You can head to the town hall first to exchange your currency. It's not far—just go down this street, take a right at the wooden archway, and keep walking until you see the big stone building with the blue roof. That's where you'll find the exchange counter."
"Thank you so much, sir!" Vincent said gratefully, already heading for the door. "We'll be right back for those noodles!"
As they made their way toward the town hall, the streets grew steadily more packed with people. "What's all this commotion about?" Vincent wondered aloud, craning his neck to see over the crowd.
Up ahead, a ring of townsfolk had formed, their voices rising in cheers as they watched a woman of striking beauty stand her ground. She wore a flowing purple haori that caught the afternoon light, and a delicate rose-shaped clip held back strands of dark hair from her face. Beneath her steady gaze, a man lay sprawled across the cobblestones—her foot planted firmly on his chest to keep him from moving. As she fixed him with a sharp, unwavering glare, the crowd erupted into loud applause and shouts of approval.
Vincent's eyes went wide as he drank in the sight of her. "Wow… she's like a goddess," he breathed, completely transfixed.
Kei, however, paid little attention to the woman. His gaze was locked on the man on the ground, noting the way he clutched his side and the subtle marks on his clothing that suggested he might have been up to no good.
Moments later, guards pushed through the crowd and led the man away in handcuffs. With the commotion over, Vincent and Kei continued on to the stone building with the blue roof. Inside, they exchanged their sars for local currency—receiving 30 copper kyeols and 60 silver kyeols in return.
"Great—now let's go get those noodles," Vincent said eagerly, already heading back the way they'd come.
When they returned to the resto and ordered the chef's specialty, they picked a table near the corner and sat down. They were so focused on settling in that neither noticed the very same woman from the street was sitting at a table across from them, talking animatedly to another elegant-looking woman.
It wasn't until she laughed that Vincent looked up—and did a double take. "Kei, look! That's her—the woman from earlier! She's even more beautiful up close," he whispered, though his voice was loud enough to carry.
The woman's head snapped toward their table, her eyes narrowing with wariness. Vincent quickly turned his gaze to the wall, pretending to be deeply interested in a faded painting hanging there.
Kei leaned in, his voice low and polite but firm. "Would you mind keeping your voice down for just a moment, Vince?"
Before Vincent could respond, the woman stood up and crossed the room to their table. "I believe I was the subject of your discussion just now," she said, her tone sharp. "And who might you two be?"
"Um—hi there!" Vincent stammered, scrambling for an excuse. "I'm Carl, and this is… John. We're from Gammora, so please forgive any odd way we speak." He flashed what he hoped was a friendly smile, making up names on the spot.
The woman studied them for a long moment, her expression still suspicious. "I'd prefer it if you didn't go around talking about me," she said, her voice carrying a clear warning.
"Of course! Absolutely—won't happen again," Vincent promised quickly.
With one last assessing glance, she turned and made her way back to her table.
Once they'd finished their meal, the two wandered through the town's winding streets, looking for an inn where they could rest for the night. As they passed a quiet alleyway, Kei suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Something wrong?" Vincent asked, noticing the shift in his companion's demeanor.
"I can hear a child crying," Kei said, his gaze already scanning the area.
"Really? You've got ears like a hunting hound," Vincent marveled.
Kei's eyes began to glow with a soft blue light—a sign that he'd activated his inherent ability. Not only did this gift let him identify vital points in combat, but it also acted as a precise sensory tool, allowing him to isolate specific sounds from the chaos around him and visualize their source with perfect clarity. Within moments, he'd locked onto where the crying was coming from.
They followed the sound to a narrow side street, where a young girl sat huddled against a wall, tears streaming down her face as blood seeped from cuts on her feet. Nearby, a man who looked to be her father lay unconscious on the cobblestones, his brow furrowed as if in pain. As Kei moved to kneel beside the girl and calm her, a familiar voice cut through the air.
"I knew you two were up to no good!"
The woman from the resto appeared at the street's entrance, drawing an unsheathed sword—though its blade was still wrapped in cloth to keep it from cutting. Even so, she moved with impressive skill, swinging the weapon toward Kei in one fluid motion.
Kei stepped back casually, dodging each strike with minimal effort before leaping sideways and planting his foot firmly on the wrapped blade during her attack, pinning it to the ground so she could not lift it.
"You're more capable than I thought," she admitted, though her jaw was still set with suspicion.
"We're not your enemies," Kei said calmly, his eyes never leaving hers. "We haven't hurt this child. We were just trying to help."
"Is that so? Then you won't mind coming with me to the town hall to answer a few questions, will you?" she said, trying to pull her sword free without success.
Kei let out a quiet sigh. "We need to go, Vincent," he said, then made a quick hand gesture. A cloud of thick smoke erupted around them, and by the time it cleared, both men had vanished without a trace.
Just then, the elegant woman who'd been talking with her at the resto hurried down the street, her eyes wide with concern. "Princess Yejin! What happened here? I saw the smoke and came running. Are you hurt?"
Yejin shook her head, pulling her sword free now that Kei and Vincent were gone. "I'm fine, Tsuyu. No need to fret over me." She glanced toward the girl and the unconscious man, her expression softening. "But we need to act quickly. Please help me get them to the healer's quarters—see that the child's wounds are treated and the man is looked after. We'll need to find out what really happened here once they're safe."
Tsuyu nodded immediately, moving to lift the man carefully while Yejin knelt down to scoop the little girl into her arms. The child, still sniffling but calmer now, wrapped her small hands around Yejin's neck as they began making their way toward the town's medical hall.