The white sails were particularly striking against the vast, endless sea.
On this boundless blue ocean, the only companions for those crossing the sea, aside from the circling seabirds, were the Silver-winged Flying Fish that occasionally leaped from the water.
Wearing her hood, Sasha leaned on the ship's railing and smiled faintly as she stared back at a white seabird that was eyeing her.
"Are you going on a trip too?"
Unlike the somber veteran sailors, the newcomers who joined every year for various reasons were full of curiosity, exploration, greed, and bravery; the atmosphere among them was relatively harmonious.
Just as Sasha was chatting with the white seabird, it suddenly flapped its wings and took flight.
The gentleness vanished from Sasha's face as she looked behind her expressionlessly.
There, a black-haired knight was slowly approaching with confident strides.
Seeing Sasha look over, the black-haired knight also caught sight of the silver eyes hidden beneath her hood, causing him to freeze in his tracks.
What beautiful eyes they were—they were like meticulously carved gemstones!
Sasha's gaze gradually darkened; she disliked being stared at, especially by strangers she didn't know.
Noticing her cold gaze, the black-haired knight realized his rudeness.
Tidying his appearance, he walked up to Sasha and, meeting her slightly puzzled gaze, performed a standard knightly salute.
"Hello, my name is Spulo. May I ask how I should address you, beautiful lady?"
...After sailing for some time, the merchant caravan finally arrived at the Yesupu Continent.
Due to frequent travel, a main road leading to White Crystal City already existed on the shore.
A black-haired knight walked ahead and bowed respectfully to Sasha as she prepared to disembark.
"Beautiful lady, please."
Sasha didn't even give him a pleasant look as she disembarked on her own.
Throughout the journey, Spulo had been enthusiastically chattering at Sasha, but her responses were always icy cold.
However, Spulo didn't mind. People often had their quirks, and for such a beautiful noble lady, a strange personality was even more expected.
Indeed, he had already cast Sasha as a noble lady who had secretly run away, and himself as the personal knight protecting her.
Besides, Sasha's every move radiated the elegance and nobility found only among aristocrats; this wasn't something learned overnight but required long-term immersion.
Although Sasha was indifferent to his actions and thoughts, Spulo took this indifference as tacit consent.
After the caravan members disembarked, they began to rest and reorganize. Some seasick newcomers felt as if they had been reborn, finally free from that slow and unbearable torture.
However, the thought of having to endure it again on the return trip made them regret their impulsive recklessness.
Many more newcomers were extremely curious about their surroundings and began to explore in all directions, hoping to find unexpected treasures.
Sasha found a small stone stool and sat on it, closing her eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, Sasha's "little tail," Spulo, stood right beside her, keeping a diligent watch.
Before long, however, wearing heavy knight's armor and carrying a one-handed sword in the hot weather left him drenched in sweat, his breathing unintentionally growing heavy.
The internal heat became unbearable, and he wanted nothing more than to find a shaded spot to sit down and rest.
Yet every time such a thought crossed his mind, he would look at the stunning girl sitting quietly on the stone stool and her calm, unruffled appearance, and he would immediately dismiss the idea.
What a joke! She hadn't said a word about the heat; as her personal knight, how could he possibly complain!
Thus, a comical scene unfolded: a sweat-soaked Spulo stood at attention beside Sasha, his look of extreme endurance making anyone who saw him struggle to suppress a laugh.
But all they got in return was a fierce glare from Spulo.
After an unknown amount of time, Spulo began to feel lightheaded, his vision blurring and clearing alternately, yet he still maintained his posture at attention.
Just then, a sigh was heard.
"Sigh—"
Hearing that pleasant voice, Spulo stood even straighter and looked at Sasha.
"Miss, do you have any instructions?"
A hint of complexity flashed in Sasha's eyes.
"I am not the noble lady you think I am, nor do I have any grand status or powerful backing, so you don't need to do all this."
She thought Spulo would back down, but instead, after a strange glint flashed in his eyes, he became even more determined.
'Could this be a test from the young lady? I must perform well!'
On the surface, he suppressed his dizziness and performed another knightly salute.
"In response to the young lady! I am not protecting you because you are a lady; I truly wish to guard you! I swear it on my honor as a knight!"
Hearing this, Sasha showed a hint of surprise. She could see absolute determination in his pale green pupils, with no sign of a lie.
'This human... is quite interesting.'
At that thought, without even realizing it herself, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her gaze softened.
She raised her fair right hand, removed her hood, and then gave a gentle wave toward Spulo.
In the next second, an aqua-blue magic circle covered Spulo's entire body. The [Water Healing] magic instantly cured Spulo's heatstroke.
That wasn't all; an ice-blue magic circle rose from beneath Spulo's feet and passed through his body. A refreshing coolness spread through his limbs and bones, instantly dispelling the heat throughout his body.
Seeing this, Spulo's jaw dropped completely; it looked like his wide-open mouth could fit a ripe apple.
"You... you're actually a Master Mage! And you're... you're actually a Chantless Mage!"
Once Spulo regained his senses, he knelt directly on the ground.
"Greetings... Master Mage. It was I... I was blind and have offended you greatly. Please forgive me!!"
One must know that Mages held an extremely high status throughout the entire Human Kingdom. If you accidentally offended one, you'd better pray you had a powerful backer; otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you died.
Sasha used her magic power to gently lift Spulo up and spoke softly under his terrified gaze.
"It's fine. There's no need to fear me so much; after all, I don't belong to any human faction."
Meeting Sasha's gaze, for some reason, Spulo's fearful heart gradually calmed down, like a lake whose ripples were smoothed over by a mysterious power.
"Yes... I understand."
After resting for a few hours, the merchant caravan set off on the journey toward White Crystal City.
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