To Eiran, the ship they boarded looked as big as a cruise liner. He had never thought that in a world where magic existed, they could build a vessel this massive, and it was filled with passengers.
"Isn't this ship huge?" Runi looked in awe as they stepped aboard.
"This is one of the largest ships that docks in Lysvarin," Theo replied proudly.
The two boys immediately began chatting excitedly, while Eiran simply watched them from behind, letting them have their fun. He glanced at Alexa, who was walking beside him, and noticed she still looked cold toward him.
"Should we check the room for them?" Eiran tried to make conversation with Alexa. After all, they'd been traveling together for almost five days, so like it or not, they'd have to get along.
"Later. Can't you see they still want to enjoy the view out here?" Alexa shot him a sharp look before stepping forward to join the boys and leading them to the front deck.
Eiran could only sigh quietly at her cold treatment, then followed them in silence.
Once all passengers were aboard, the anchor was pulled up, and a loud whistle echoed through the air. Large pillars at the back, looking like chimneys, began billowing smoke, and slowly but surely, the ship started moving away from the harbor.
Runi and Theo cheered excitedly when they felt the ship move, and Eiran was glad to see Runi react like a boy his age.
Before, Runi had always been gloomy and quiet. Now that he had found a friend who matched him, he spoke more, and his face looked much brighter.
Eiran stayed close to the three of them, keeping watch. He knew their journey could be dangerous, especially since they were now on a ship, something he wasn't used to.
The wind blew strongly, and as Eiran thought about this, he noticed Theo and Runi climbing onto the ship's railing to look at the sea below. Eiran kept his focus on them in case something happened.
"Don't climb too high, the wind is pretty strong," Eiran warned them to be careful.
"Just let them enjoy their time," Alexa said, nudging Eiran's shoulder lightly.
Eiran only gave a slight nod, but then noticed more people coming to the front deck. That was when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Theo's foot slip, nearly sending him overboard.
"Theo!" Alexa's eyes widened in shock as she heard Theo yell, and she tried to grab her younger brother.
Luckily, Eiran reacted in time and caught Theo by the collar, pulling him back down onto the deck floor.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Eiran immediately asked when he saw Theo's pale face.
"No, thank you, Brother Eiran," Theo replied, bowing his head in gratitude.
Runi quickly ran over to check on Theo and calm him down, while Alexa made sure her brother was wonderful.
"We'd better head inside to find our rooms. I think Theo needs to rest after what just happened," Eiran suggested when he noticed the surrounding passengers' attention turning toward them.
He didn't want to attract unnecessary attention, that would only make their journey harder.
"You're right, let's go in." Alexa finally agreed and led Theo toward the inner deck to find their rooms.
"Come on, Runi. Hold my hand, it's too crowded here," Eiran whispered softly, leaning down toward Runi.
"Alright, Brother." Runi nodded and immediately gripped Eiran's hand tightly.
With Alexa and Theo leading the way, Eiran walked behind them. Since he was taller than Alexa, he could still see what was happening ahead of them.
After squeezing through the crowded inner deck, they finally found their assigned rooms according to their tickets. Fortunately, their rooms were in separate compartments, but at least they were next to each other.
"Don't hesitate to call me if something happens," Eiran said before disappearing into his compartment.
"Yes, thank you for your help," Alexa replied this time, her expression had softened.
Eiran brought Runi into their room, and Runi's face lit up when he saw it.
"Brother, isn't this amazing?! I've never stayed anywhere this nice before." Runi's eyes sparkled brightly.
"You should thank Theo later, thanks to them, we're here," Eiran said, ruffling Runi's hair.
"Don't worry, I will. But I'm also really hungry." Runi rubbed his stomach and looked up at Eiran.
Eiran chuckled softly at his brother's hunger and opened his Inventory Interface to take out the food they'd bought yesterday.
They had bought quite a lot, so Eiran took out a Wyvernhorn Roast and Frostberry Glaze, placing them on the table in their room for Runi to choose from.
They spent the rest of the morning in their room, not really knowing what else to do on the ship.
. . .
That afternoon, Eiran decided to step out of the room while Runi was napping. He thought it was a good time to learn more about the ship's situation.
Just as Eiran opened his door, the door to the next room opened too. He frowned in surprise when he saw Alexa stepping out.
"Are you following me on purpose?" Alexa looked at Eiran with suspicion.
"Are you crazy? Why would I follow you?" Eiran shrugged indifferently and started walking away.
But to his surprise, Alexa began walking alongside him, matching his pace.
"Now isn't it you who's following me?" Eiran asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
"Coincidence. I wanted to look around, too," Alexa replied nonchalantly.
Eiran stayed quiet, not minding her company, it was better to have her nearby so he could protect her if anything happened.
"Have there ever been problems on a ship like this?" Eiran tried to gather information, since he didn't know much about these vessels.
"Actually, yes. Quite a few. That's why my father wanted someone to travel with us. Lately, there's been a lot of news about criminal groups, kidnapping kids, murder, and robbery," Alexa explained, looking uneasy.
"Really? I've never heard about this," Eiran replied, genuinely surprised that the situation in the Solhen Kingdom was this concerning.
No wonder Rowan had seemed so worried about their departure this time. At least that thought eased some of Eiran's guilt over taking advantage of him.