Rhode never thought he would have the chance to board a wooden sailing ship in his life.
He assumed that with trains around, the sea ferry would at least be a steamship, but it turned out to be a wooden sailing ship.
It felt like hanging a skull flag on the mast wouldn't feel out of place at all.
However, listening to the captain's orders and watching the sailors shouting and pulling various ropes, their palms stained with black tar...
Seeing the sailboat set sail with everyone's concerted efforts, it seemed to have its own charm.
Silently, he enjoyed a breeze at sea...
It was a bit chilly in autumn, and Rhode shrank his neck, instinctively grabbing Gray's coat:
"Gray, are there pirates at sea?"
"Yes." Gray didn't ask for his coat back; he wasn't cold.
Rhode asked, "There really are? Are they searching for treasure?"
Gray replied, "They might look for it, but mostly it's robbery. There are plenty of killers among them."
Wendy seemed a bit scared; she said she couldn't fight at all.
Even though she learned Dragon Slayer Magic known for its destructive power, Wendy was more adept at and preferred the healing abilities of Sky Magic.
"A ferry with fixed routes might be more prone to encountering pirates, right?" Rhode planned to send a River Crab to scout ahead.
Gray said, "There's no need. The lookout's vision at sea is much broader than your crab; they will provide early warning.
Besides, no mage would become a pirate. If we encounter them, either escape or deal with them. The sailors are armed."
"True." Rhode nodded.
Real pirates are certainly more vicious than the ones I've seen in comics, but even if we encounter them here, there's no need to be afraid.
The cabin of this ship isn't large; it feels stuffy inside, so everyone stayed on the deck chatting.
It's just inconvenient to eat snacks or play cards without a table, so...
"Ice-Make: Afternoon Tea Set!"
A small round table, four beach chairs, and a parasol appeared out of thin air.
The intricate design even exuded a chill.
"Oh~~ it's the mage!"
"What amazing magic!"
Sailors and other passengers on deck exclaimed in admiration, some unconsciously adding an honorific title.
Curious but not daring to approach rashly.
Gray casually sat down: "Why do I have to use magic for this?"
Rhode took a seat and placed the snacks he bought on the table: "Isn't shaping magic ideal for this kind of task?"
Wendy couldn't help but remark, "Gray's magic is so amazing!"
Even Carla had to admit, "Indeed, to create such a complex design in an instant, this guy is surprisingly good."
Compared to Rhode, who thought it was ordinary, Laki's Wood-Make Magic seemed similar, right?
'Starting point' in a place filled with talented people, it's hard to say if it's good or bad.
Then...
"Ugh~~ It's too cold!" Rhode jumped up in seconds.
It felt like sitting on this ice chair for a meal would certainly lead to a stomach ache in the afternoon.
Wendy and Carla couldn't bear the icy chairs either.
"Troublesome." Gray dissolved all the chairs, lowered the table legs to turn it into a dining table fit for sitting on the floor.
Carla was even more surprised—it wasn't a reshape but a direct modification?
How precisely had he mastered shaping magic?
"Let's play cards! Ten pine nuts per person, loser does push-ups or sit-ups."
Rhode began dealing the cards, and when the other three tossed a few cards on the table, he was dumbfounded.
"Um... What are the rules again?"
This wasn't Dou Dizhu, not Rummy, not Big Two, nor did it look like Bridge—he couldn't understand!
Though he had seen them play games like Old Maid, this wasn't obviously it.
What were their assumed rules?
Carla slapped her cards on the table, loudly complaining, "You don't know how to play!"
Gray commented, "Now that you mention it, I've never seen you play cards before."
"I... I've been busy learning magic, catching up on common sense, normal entertainment activities..."
Mostly shopping with Mira, chatting and brawling with everyone, or reading interesting books.
Card games were something he hadn't gotten involved in.
Wendy admired, "You work so hard."
Rhode smiled wryly, "My situation is special; it can't be considered hard work."
Gray suggested, "How about calling Warm out; it plays better than you."
"What?" Rhode was confused; was he not attentive enough to Warm?
Gray continued, "Warm watches us play sometimes and occasionally joins in. If snacks are gambling chips, Warm plays better than Hapi."
"..." Rhode summoned Warm, holding it while watching it play cards to learn the rules.
Despite its tiny paw, it could handle such a pile of cards well.
Warm played quite well; it nearly won the first round, leaving Rhode without a single pine nut.
"Those are chips, chips!" Rhode shook Warm vigorously, "And you didn't even peel the shells!"
"Hm~ hummm~"
Warm showed no signs of discomfort, even seemed happy, like a child playing a game of being lifted high.
…
When the ship docked, it was almost dark, and the four had to find an inn to stay.
The original plan was to reach the Cat Transformation Inn before dark, but Wendy sensed an impending storm en route and warned the captain.
Wendy's Sky Dragon Slayer Magic made her sensitive to air changes, allowing her to predict the weather to some extent.
Even seasoned sailors couldn't match her in this respect.
The captain was unwilling to trust children and outsiders until they revealed the Mages' Guild Emblem to caution him.
This delay caused the journey change, so they had to stay near the port and set off again by carriage the next morning.
This time, Rhode rented a carriage drawn not by a regular horse but a purple pig.
This pig was called a creature; one could match the power of two horses, and if encountering bandits, it had slightly more intimidation power than regular horses.
Of course, it was just an ordinary animal in this world; only Rhode was fascinated.
Having only ridden regular carriages, he wanted to try it since it wasn't expensive anyway.
As for the feeling of riding...it seemed no different from a regular carriage.
"Disappointing."
Gray scoffed, "Don't have strange expectations for carriages."
Wendy smiled slightly, "Mr. Rhode, at times you can be quite immature."
Carla added, "Becoming more peculiar."
She always found this person awkward; when it came to crucial tasks, he was almost terrifyingly reliable, yet he might make common mistakes in trivial matters.
In everyday behavior, he seemed mature but became curious like a child once outside the town.
Rhode couldn't help it; books and magazines didn't cover everything.
Upon encountering something for the first time, he naturally showed a naive side.
Perhaps that's why the President kept sending him on more tasks and encouraged him to travel around.
"By the way, Wendy, is your guild the whole tribe?" Rhode asked.
"Do you have things one absolutely can't say, gods not to offend, or any other rules?"
Wendy tilted her head, pondering, "There doesn't seem to be anything specific?"
"There is." Carla eyed Gray and said, "You can't go naked."
"Hey!"