Chapter 253: 29. Cloud Cat Breed
“Ah, even though we are near the ocean, the feeling on land and at sea is quite different. It’s hard to explain, although the change is subtle haha. Don’t rush, after we have a drink, you’ll understand this change. Let me go buy some supplies first, and then we can talk about it properly, okay?”
“.”
At the harbor of Pat Sulshen Island, Paz’s voice could be heard from afar, but in reality, she was speaking to one person, yes, that old gentleman from Nali.
The crew of the Iceberg Queen had many things to busy themselves with after disembarking. A vacation was certainly necessary for these female citizens who had not landed for a long time, but before that, their main task was to acquire the supplies needed for their voyage after replenishing.
Isabel did not disembark. Unlike the other eager crew members, she had nothing she wanted to buy and preferred staying on the ship to continue training, while also keeping an eye on Old Jack and Kalma. They were simply too boisterous, and bringing them down would undoubtedly lead to a lot of trouble. Luckily, Old Jack promised to bring them candy when they returned, which barely managed to pacify them.
Paz walked ahead of the crew, excitedly introducing everything about the island to the old Nali man. They had visited this place numerous times and knew the situation well.
Just before leaving, Paz turned back to glance at Alagina, who remained in place, and subtly gave a “good luck” look, then glanced at many sparkling signs throughout the island, clearly hinting at something, such as various hotels.
It was only early afternoon, yet the conspicuous solicitation signs already glowed with light, lending the island a unique flavor, although most of them belonged to brothels.
Overseas brothels had learned the art of soliciting customers from the Pink Pavilion in Saint Nali at some point, replacing the ladies who used to stand on the streets with ambiguous lighting. While it covered the place with a layer of shyness, it did not affect its business at all.
“Fisher, if we want to buy materials, let’s head this way. There’s a market that specializes in selling materials. The demand for magic materials here is low because there aren’t many magicians, and I’m not sure if the supply is sufficient.”
Alagina and Fisher watched as the main group of crew members left the harbor. They did not follow and stayed in place.
Alagina initially planned to bring Fisher for a walk around the island alone, but she couldn’t let the shy Aoxi follow the other crew members after disembarking. After all, she hardly spoke, and over the years, Alagina had grown accustomed to having such a silent guard by her side, so their original outing became a trio.
That said, having Aoxi around changed little. She was entirely wrapped in her cloak and silently followed behind Alagina, with the sarcastic parrot Steel Knife perched on her shoulder.
Seeing the parrot positioned there, Emhart, who had originally been on Fisher’s shoulder, felt uncomfortable, as if he’d swallowed a fly. To prove his status was different from that of the foul-mouthed parrot, he dove into Fisher’s pocket, temporarily eliminating the “anti-Fisher scumbag radar” effect.
“Okay, let’s get going. But you really don’t need to carry so much money. I won’t be buying much.”
Fisher’s earlier polite remark of “ask her for more if there isn’t enough” was taken seriously by her, so she indeed brought a lot of cash and checks when disembarking for Fisher’s convenience. This “spend as you like, I’ll pay” demeanor made Fisher suddenly understand how those young ladies in Saint Nali felt while dating middle-aged gentlemen.
Setting aside other considerations, simply having someone to cover your expenses would make anyone feel happy.
“It’s fine, better safe than sorry.”
Aoxi glanced at Alagina’s bulging pockets from behind; for some reason, she silently tightened her cloak.
Fisher did not insist further and walked with Alagina towards the outer area of the harbor.
The port of Pat Sulshen Island was controlled and monitored by the gang pirates managing the archipelago. These people were least concerned about one’s identity. Even before Alagina was about to leave the port, several smiling pirates approached her to greet her.
“Captain Alagina, welcome to Pat Sulshen Island! The boss asked me to send his regards.”
“Mm.”
Alagina nodded in response and led Fisher into the busiest part of the island, which not only housed various pharmacies, brothels, and shops established by pirates but also many wooden taverns and restaurants.
The people wandering among those simple buildings were not pirates dressed in sailor uniforms but local residents with sun-tanned skin, barefoot, wearing traditional clothing.
Yes, there were actually indigenous residents on Pat Sulshen Island. Back in the days of the Central Empire on the Western Continent, it was under their rule.
However, after the Central Empire was defeated by Godlin the First, the previously nearly invisible Pat Sulshen Island was expelled from the Western Continent.
When the residents of Pat Sulshen Island took a few broken fish and paddled their wooden boats to the Western Continent to pay homage to the Central Empire, all that remained there were endless wars and a completely disunited political situation.
Thus, the fishermen of the archipelago, completely forgotten by history, decided to seek other development paths. Some became mercenaries, others turned to piracy, with most opting for the latter, collaborating with locals to establish this special supply point linking the East and South Seas.
“Do you want to eat something first?”
Alagina was very attentive; her gaze remained on Fisher. Upon noticing him inspecting the local residents’ restaurants, she thought he wanted to eat something and immediately inquired.
Fisher shook his head to indicate he wasn’t hungry, but Aoxi behind them swallowed hard, clearly tempted, her gaze fixed on the food in the distance. Only when Fisher and Alagina moved outside did she come back to her senses.
Continuing towards the island, one could smell the familiar scent of drugs often associated with the entertainment street in Saint Nali. Or rather, the dens of vice here were no different from those elsewhere.
Of course, there were also brothels. Most brothels were quite similar, but one or two establishments flying blue flags catered to female customers and muscular Shivali men, all filled with delicate young men.
Well, that was the case. Fisher guessed, although he didn’t want to approach or see what was going on there for fear of physiological discomfort.
Alagina was taking her somewhere that wasn’t in this lively den of vice but rather to a more secluded underground market.
“There are many things inside. I heard many pirates and fishing boats often dredge up various interesting items from the sea. They don’t know what they are and have no idea where to sell them, so they bring them here. If one has a good eye, it’s possible to find treasures.”
“Really? Then I have to take a good look. I might save you some money.”
Fisher commented jokingly as he surveyed the path ahead, but unexpectedly, that sentence seemed to hit a particular point in Alagina’s heart. Her pupils widened slightly as she looked at Fisher, bit her lip, and then smiled and nodded.
Although she had been somewhat formulaic about saving money earlier because she didn’t want much, just knowing that the more money, the better, she had hoarded all her previous rewards. Now she suddenly felt that saving some money would be great, just in time for spending it on Fisher today.
Aoxi stood behind them silently, not speaking, but her pupils also widened slightly. It was unknown whether this was the same emotional point that Northland women felt, but it seemed she also appreciated this sentiment.
It was somewhat strange how Aoxi silently followed behind Alagina and Fisher, observing their conversation from a third-person perspective, ultimately putting herself in the captain’s shoes, unsure whether to call it “long-distance romance.”
“Hmm-hmm-hmm~”
While Fisher and Alagina were on their way to the market, he suddenly noticed something that attracted his attention. When he instinctively turned his gaze, what first caught his eye was a pair of slightly short, fluffy cat ears.
The fur on those cat ears was a milky white, as soft as the clouds in the sky. Yet beneath the smooth fur, one could vaguely glimpse a hint of pink ear muscle, and one glance made him want to reach out and touch them.
Subhuman?
Fisher’s gaze uncontrollably shifted towards those cat ears, and soon he spotted a girl with long white curls at the street corner. She was wearing the non-traditional maid outfit unique to Nali, with curled white fur on her hands, hugging a bag of bread wrapped in paper, and humming a strange little tune.
Cat people?
No, it wasn’t the cat people unique to the Southern Continent. Little Jack had studied cat people, and this subhuman had no white variant. Furthermore, the fur wasn’t this abundant, and the tail of this maid-clad subhuman was shorter than her skirt, so she definitely could not be a cat person.
As Fisher examined her, he suddenly remembered something. The “Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans” mentioned a subhuman species called “Cloud Cat Breed.” Could it be this type of subhuman? Moreover, her fur looked fluffy and soft, resembling cotton candy, aptly complementing this subhuman’s name.
The northern subhuman species was an entirely unexplored field for the already barren subhuman academia of the Western Continent. The Northern people did not delve into systematic research like Fisher.
“What’s wrong?”
Alagina noticed Fisher suddenly stopping and looked towards where he was gazing, but the maid-clad subhuman had already vanished around the corner, leaving her staring into emptiness. Thus, she asked curiously.
Fisher reluctantly withdrew his gaze, shaking his head, and replied,
“Nothing. By the way, after we finish shopping, do you and Aoxi want to grab a cup of coffee?”
“Coffee?”
Fisher continued walking towards the market with Alagina, then added,
“Oh, my treat.”
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(This chapter ends)
