After Baron Trafalgar rented the dragon turtle, he sent the rendezvous coordinates to Carol Cat via private message.
Though I had ten thousand reluctances in my heart, I could only tearfully throw away the chimera meat in my storage space. I had gone to such trouble to hunt it down wanting everyone to try something fresh, but everyone was so mean.
At the riverbank far from Billy Lan Baronial Territory, we met Trafalgar as promised.
It was everyone's first time seeing a dragon turtle. Carol Cat was so excited she kept jumping around, circling the dragon turtle to look left and right, even running up to its face to ask foolishly.
"Hello, dragon turtle! Can I pet your head, meow?"
"Carol Cat, I believe the animal conversation skill of the cat people cannot communicate with dragon turtles. Additionally, your intention to stroke the dragon turtle's head is somewhat inappropriate behavior. I hope you will reconsider."
"Really, meow?"
Carol Cat seemed oblivious to what was wrong.
Trafalgar urged, "This isn't the time for that. Get on, we're departing."
"Meow... how disappointing..."
The dragon turtle's back was equipped with several safety seats for carrying passengers. Domesticated dragon turtles generally wouldn't let the seats on their backs get soaked by the water's surface, so we could ride with confidence.
"I'll handle the driving. You all do whatever you want. Just don't get in the water—my [Swimming] level isn't high."
"Dragon turtles need to be driven, meow?"
"Of course... Although dragon turtles know the way and can be controlled with novice-level [Riding], unmanned operation is still dangerous."
Trafalgar sat in the driver's seat and said irritably.
"Baron Trafalgar, let's switch shifts after lunch. I can take over driving."
"Oh? You have experience?"
"I'm proficient in any riding technique."
Whether riding horses, dragon turtles, or people, I could handle them all with ease.
Trafalgar nodded. From a player's perspective, driving slow-moving transportation was undoubtedly tedious work—everyone preferred the thrill of combat and swift vengeance. Special events might trigger during travel, but overall, special events on waterways were much fewer than on roads.
Like taking a long-distance trip, traveling by dragon turtle was essentially quite boring. I just needed to make sure to hide Lily well when passing towns.
Carol Cat and Sigrdrífa were meeting for the first time. With all the previous emergencies, neither had time for proper introductions. Fortunately, after talking, they got along fairly well and soon began chatting.
"Interesting, an elf and a beastkin getting along so well."
Trafalgar didn't turn around, but hearing Sigrdrífa and Carol Cat's cheerful laughter, he couldn't help but comment.
"What do you mean, meow... Ah, you're talking about the Reclamation War launched by the Elf King...?"
Carol Cat said this while watching Sigrdrífa's expression, but Sigrdrífa indicated it was fine.
"It's alright. I left Midgard precisely because I couldn't adapt to the Elf King's style."
"Sister Rifa, what's the Reclamation War?"
Perhaps tired of playing with the fish, Lily seized upon this topic and wouldn't let it go.
"The war launched by Elf King Oberon VII. A hundred years ago, part of Midgard's border territory was occupied by the beastkin."
Trafalgar, who was driving the dragon turtle, also seemed to open up—after all, without talking about something, sailing on waterways was quite tedious.
"Afterward, the beastkin established villages and fortresses on the occupied territory and lived there for nearly two hundred years. About three years ago, one night, a village on the border between Midgard and Arcadia suddenly caught fire. The next morning, Oberon VII declared that the arsonists were beastkin, stating this act constituted an attack from Arcadia, and that the elves of Midgard had an obligation to retaliate... The Elf King led his army in a surprise attack on Arcadia that very day, and surprisingly, they actually won..."
"Actually... we don't really know who set the fire..."
Sigrdrífa muttered quietly. The beastkin of Arcadia denied Oberon VII's claims, but Oberon VII insisted on his version.
"Oberon VII's peace condition was for Arcadia to return the territory Midgard had lost. The war overall had nothing to do with us humans, so we maintain a neutral stance and call it the Reclamation War."
"But wasn't that just returning property to its rightful owner?"
"It's not that simple. Beastkin don't live much longer than humans. Over nearly two hundred years, that land had long been home to thriving beastkin communities and was considered part of Arcadia's territory. For beastkin born on that land, it was rather the Elf King who took away their homeland..."
"Lily, you're still young. War is complicated."
I quietly explained to Lily, who was full of questions. Baron Trafalgar really didn't consider whether Lily could understand or not.
"I didn't participate in that war, meow."
Carol Cat spread her hands to show her innocence. She was quite laid-back when it came to gaming.
"...After the war ended, Oberon VII constructed powerful defensive fortifications on the land bordering Arcadia. I think it could rival the Maginot Line." (TN: French defensive line built for WW2.)
"Baron Trafalgar's analogy is quite poor."
"You actually know what the Maginot Line is... But I won't change my opinion. Something will happen sooner or later. I wouldn't be surprised if Oberon VII becomes a World Boss after the next version update. Look, Oberon VII is now at war with the Kingdom of Garuda again. Who knows how far it will go..."
Trafalgar's eloquent discourse suddenly stopped. Then he whipped around and stared directly at Lily.
"What are you doing, meow? Are you a lolicon?"
"...Our kingdom's Third Princess is going to marry into the Kingdom of Garuda."
Trafalgar ignored Carol Cat.
"Nobles of count rank and above have the obligation to present gifts as dowry for the Third Princess."
That's right. When I went to Baron Hurst's Territory, I heard the elderly tailor mention this.
"Ah..."
I suddenly understood what Trafalgar had realized.
The dowries provided by the counts.
They would have to be transported out of the [Barrier].