Chapter 175: Before Departure

"Let Anne go?"

Hearing Rhode mention her name, Anne curiously leaned her head to the side. After thinking for a while, she nodded.

"No problem, Leader. Anne will follow you wherever you go."

After saying it, Anne went back to focusing on the food before her and began to eat again. It seemed that she didn't care about what Rhode told her to do; she'd do it anyways. As for why Rhode chose her, what were they going to do? It didn't seem to have anything to do with her? If she had the time to think about the answer, it would be better spent eating the bread before her.

"Do you want me to go with you too, Mr. Rhode?" Lize and Marlene glanced at each other, then both of them said.

"There's no need."

Rhode shook his head. The Black Pine ruins weren't that troublesome anyways and there's also no undead creatures. Lize, as a Cleric, didn't have to go with him; it would be too much of a waste. At first, Rhode didn't plan to bring Anne along; it was just that he couldn't bring the Mystery Ball back by himself. Although judging from its name, it didn't seem too big, but ping pong balls were also balls, as were basketballs and the moon... Rhode didn't think that he would have the power to lift up a moon. Originally, in the game, to take the Mystery Ball, one would need a barbarian class character. However, Rhode didn't have any barbarians as his subordinates, but Anne, as a half beast, was also not bad... at least she was a lot stronger than him.

"I hope these few days you guys can take care of Christie. She just arrived here, so there must be a lot of things she isn't accustomed to yet. Since you guys are girls, you must be understand her more than me."

"Alright." Hearing until here, Lize hesitated for a while then agreed. She wasn't too worried with Rhode's arrangement. In fact, Lize also wished that she could stay by Christie's side. However, it seemed that she wasn't well accustomed to her current environment, so she kept some distance from them. Christie was only relieved when Rhode was by her side, but with Rhode's words, Lize finally could justifiably get closer to Christie.

"When are you guys going to depart?" Marlene looked at Anne, who didn't seem to care about anything beside eating, and asked the question in her stead.

"Next morning. Later, I will ask Randolf to buy two ship tickets. If there's any information from the Administrative Officer, just directly tell him that I'm not here. Just say it after I get back."

These few days, Rhode reported the matter about High Cliff Village to Klautz. But as for what Klautz was going to do, or wanted to do, it wasn't his problem. Since the mission was completed, even if the people in High Cliff Village were wailing to ask for help, it was still their own problem, although most likely they wouldn't even dare to complain.

"I understand." Hearing Rhode's answer, Marlene nodded. At this time, Rhode suddenly saw Christie who was holding the water jug while looking at him uneasily. There was a trace of attachment and unwillingness in her eyes.

"... Rhode... are you going?"

"I'm only going for a while to do something." Facing Christie's uneasiness, Rhode only showed a warm smile to assure her then said.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in few days."

"... Ok..."

Hearing Rhode's answer, Christie nodded and no longer said anything. In truth, she was also feeling very complicated. In High Cliff Village, she never encountered anything good. She had been accustomed to that kind of life and wouldn't even think anything about it. If there were no expectations, there would be no disappointment. Since she had never expected the villagers to treat her nicely, then she also wouldn't resent them for beating her up. The same went with the Village Head; although she was brought up and supported by him during her hardest times, the Village Head had never cared about her and always treated her as air. Even she herself had accepted this kind of life, although in other people's opinion, this kind of life was full of suffering. But to Christie, who was accustomed to it, it was nothing. This was just like a person who was born in the freezing cold and snow; if people from a warm place went there, they would certainly be freeze to death, but to the people born there, they were already accustomed to the cold. Beside it being a little bit troublesome, it wasn't really much of a problem.

However, now, she felt a little bit painful.

Indeed, everyone treated her nicely here. But the nicer they were, the more afraid she became. Since birth, she has never felt such warmth. She understood cold and suffering more than anyone in the Starlight mercenary group. Christie knew just how cruel a person could become; she also knew what would happen to her if those people came to hate her. This made her worried and afraid. Right now, Lize, Anne, and Marlene were very gentle toward her, but she had never felt this kind of warmth. The gentler they were, the more afraid she became. She was afraid that they might leave her someday. She wouldn't be able to accept that blow.

Other people might not care about this kind of worry, but to Christie, it was a must. Many people were born in warm environments, under parental protection, and with a circle of friends. Of course, they would experienced various struggles in the future, but because they had the privilege to feel such warmth, they were born with goodwill. It was different from Christie, who was hated, cursed, and despised ever since she was born and abused and beaten up. If it were other people, they might have lost hope toward this world full of hatred. However, Christie could still maintain her pure heart; it was already very rare...

That's why every time Lize and others were gentle toward her, and she had to respond to them and couldn't help but think about her worries. Her instinct for self-defense made her hesitant about the friendly hands other people stretched out to her. She feared that she might suffer if she took that hand. If that were the case, it would be better for her to distance herself from the beginning so it wouldn't hurt that much...

Only in front of Rhode, Christie didn't have such thoughts. As long as she saw him, she felt that the worry and problem in her heart disappeared. She didn't know why, but she wasn't cautious toward this person who was born with the same appearance as her. It was as if staying by his side was very comfortable, and she wouldn't think about anything weird beside him. She felt really comfortable.

Because of that, Christie didn't want Rhode to leave. But because of what happened to her, she was more mature than many of her peers, so she knew that she couldn't be selfish this time. She nodded and said nothing, but her gloomy expression showed her feelings.

Rhode could see her current expression and felt a dilemma. However, he didn't say anything; emotion and intellect were two different things. In the future, he might even have to be out longer than this, so Christie couldn't stay by his side forever. Her body condition also didn't allow her to travel far...

Although he felt sorry for her, he also had no better way and could only do so.

In the next morning, Rhode took Anne to the port that was located in Deep Stone City.

On the surface, it seemed to be no different from any other port. A ship docked there, and thick, long ropes were tied to the ship and pillars to maintain its balance. A gangway connected the ship and port while workers carried the goods, such as ore, to the ship. They were holding the cargo or pushing the wagon toward the ship. The carriages were parked on the other side and they were waiting for the vegetables, fruits, and other goods that brought down from the ship.

It looked no different from another city's bustling trade ports—if the fact that it was built on the hillside was ignored.

In the game, Rhode was once amazed with this magnificent scene, but he didn't think it was strange. Since no matter how real, it was still only data. What was strange with sending things flying in the sky or floating in the sea? But in reality, when he looked at the crowded port, looking at the floating ships come and go in the air, he felt that it was really incredible. Just by looking at the ship that was floating in midair without any machine or power to maintain it. There was only a rope tied into it. It was really too unreliable; what if the ship actually fell off?

He looked at the floating ships not far from him and shook his head. After that, he pulled his cloak to hide his appearance. He didn't want to attract any unwanted attention on his journey, so he decided to be low-profile. He knew just how much trouble his face might bring to him. Since he was young, the teacher and his peers always treated him like a girl. When he arrived in the game world, it was finally a lot more pleasant. He chose a burly male character so he didn't have to be worry about getting treated like a girl. This was one of the reason why he really liked the Dragon Soul Continent. At least in the game, no one would mistake him for a girl...

In the end, he was still back in the square one. It was really tragic...

"Ah, leader, Anne has found our ship!"

Anne carried her fine gold shield and jumped around Rhode. She stretched out her hand and pointed toward a ship not far from them. Rhode looked toward the direction Anne pointed and saw a two-story ship floating in the port, its flag embroidered with a golden wing pattern. After Rhode looked at the pattern, he lowered his head and saw the same pattern on his ticket.

This was it.