The sun shines so bright as it reaches my face, kissing it softly. A few meters away from the ship lies the abundant City of Zraidfeild. Excitement and fear linger in me, this is the very day that I anticipated the most. The day where I can finally return to my own land, my beloved kingdom. We are heading towards the old port in the city that fishermen only uses. In there, we can dock the ship safely.
Just a few hours and we will arrive at the port. I already prepared everything last night as well as their identification cards. Starting today, The Pirate Hellbender will become The Salamander Adventurer. They left all the things that are related to them as a pirate on this ship for their mission and left it all here on this small ship. Drake patted my back and motioned me to follow him inside the cabin. I saw everyone waiting for me inside, though it was not my fault. No one told me that they are holding a sudden meeting today.
"Make sure to protect Lady Vienna, now that we are going inland where she came from there would be a lot of people looking for the lady," Drake commanded. They all nodded. "But to be sure, do you know someone in particular that we should be wary of more? They are looking for you and we can't afford to lose you that early." He added.
He is right. If I was caught early, all of their plans will be in vain and it would be difficult for me to execute my plans. "The Knights," I answered. "We should avoid them, they are the most people who will be looking for me," I explained. He nodded.

The fact that I am no ordinary lady in this country, the imperial family must have deployed the knights to secretly follows me, and let's add those people who are looking for me in the sea. I already knew this would come but not this hard, entering is already hard what comes roaming in the whole country. Well yeah, I change a lot, my appearance, my personality, and the way I talk. I change myself, I can easily adapt to my surroundings easily so it can at least help me hide but just as I always said, Knights are not dumb.
They are trained thrice than the normal training of a soldier and concur a lot of victory than the almighty adventurers. No one dares to defy a knight, that it makes the Hellbender luckiest among the luckiest when they left the port that time unharmed, and even took me with them.
"Knights are not dumb," I added. "If you saw one, run for your life, as fast as you can. Remember it," I exclaimed. They all nodded in unison and readied themselves in entering the city.
I took my cloak and grab my bag. I secured the daggers, the one I saw and the one Mr. Val gave to me before leaving the island and the compas too. I sighed and wandered my eyes in the room for the last time, I'm sure that I won't be able to return back in here. I will surely miss the table I always use every day, I smiled. So this is goodbye huh.
I hurried and stay on the dock. I let the wind blow my short hair again as it calms me every time the wind touches my face. As if like it's saying me good luck. I hope we can enter the city without any problems and wish that no one will see me or identify me. That's the very first thing that I don't want to happen, ever. I want to return home on my own.
Marion and her father greeted me when I arrived and Von as well as Thompson immediately grab me and hug both my arms. I laughed when I saw how serious their face is, they told me yesterday that they will protect me from anyone. Ahh, I will definitely miss these two.
"All of you get ready, we will now deck the ship in the port!!" Jake shouted and returned to the crow's nest. I bit my lips and focused my eyes on the port eyeing all possible people or maybe knights in there. And I'm right all along, there are hired adventurers and soldiers guarding the port even though it's not the main port.
"Don't worry Ms.Vien, we will hide you well!" Von exclaimed as if he read my mind. "Yup, we have plans too so you don't have to worry!" Thompson added. I smiled and caress their hair and smiled at them.
When the ship finally docked in the small wooden port and successfully tied up in the wood with the help of the people in the port and dropped the anchor, all the Salamander Adventurers gathered at the deck and waited for some inspections to happen. I immediately covered myself with my cloak's hood, it was nerve-breaking to cross the wooden bridge the soldier put on our ship knowing that they are all looking for me.
"Good day, welcome to our home beloved Andra Kingdom and the City of Zraidfeild, what is the purpose of your visit to our city fellows!" One of the guards shouted and waved at us. Drake came closer to them and deferentially replied.
"Good day to you mister, we are adventurers from the other kingdom. We oath to visit your beloved kingdom to send one of our client's letters to his relatives." The guard who heard it nodded and climbed up onto our ship. I lowered my hood and hide behind Leo's back.
"Do you have the pass? IDs?" The guard asked. Drake nodded and handed the guard the pass and our IDs. The Guard nodded again and signed our kingdom's pass. Thankfully he didn't notice it was faked, or should I be worried that we can easily fool them?
"If you may, can we inspect your ship?" The Guard once asked again. "Sure no problem," Drake replied and guided the guard and the other soldier inside the ship to check. After a few minutes, they returned to the deck. "All good. And for the last check-up, can we also inspect your bodies?" The Guard asked.
"Of course, but I would like to request to let female soldiers inspect our ladies in here." Drake pleaded. The guard looked at us and nodded.
"Bring one female soldier or adventurers to climb up here," The guard ordered one of the soldiers. The soldier saluted and jumped down the ship after the Inspector homologated Drake's request.
"You came from the other kingdom? Which kingdom?" The inspector guard asked.
"We are from the Asura Kingdom Sir," Jake replied. "Oh, that's far from here, you're client must have paid you big time!" The Guard happily exclaimed and laughed. Drake, Jake, and the other laughed with the Guard, though I don't find what he said laughable.
"Quite a big Sir," Gerald quoted and laugh.
"Oh, you do have lots of young ladies on board too." The Inspector pointed out.
"Ah yes, this young lady here is my daughter, Marion say hello to the inspector!" Gerald bellowed. Marion smiled sweetly and bowed at the Guard. "Hola Inspector, it is nice to meet you!" She boasted, the Guard laughed as he likes the way Marion greeted him.
"And this beautiful lady here is Lilian, my niece," Gerald added. Lilian gracefully bowed. The Guard bowed back. The Guard noticed me and smiled weirdly at me and eyed me intently.
"And who's this shy lady over there?" The guard asked about me. "O-oh, that's--"
"My wife, inspector!" Jake interjected and grabbed me closer to him. I can feel my face turn red at his remark.
"C'mon honey, don't be shy, it's okay I am here!" He calmly stated and softly patted my back. I grabbed his hand and wring it but not too hard out of embarrassment. I sighed and removed my hood. I bowed and make sure the inspector won't see my eyes.
"G-good day inspector," I greeted and wear my hood back and hide behind Jake's back. Now that I remembered the guard's face, I saw him before in the palace and yes, he saw me too. I hope he didn't recognize me.
"What a very beautiful wife you have!" The Guard stated and laughed. "Yes, she is the inspector! I am really lucky to have her as my wife!" Jake answered and laughed together with the inspector. Ahh thank god, he did not recognize me.
After a few minutes, the lady who will be inspecting us arrived and started looking at us. She didn't say anything to us and reported it to the Guard. After the guard wrote in his paper, he handed it to Drake and Drake passed it to me. It was a port pass, I totally forgot that this is a must for some patrols who will ask for a port pass.
We all headed down the wooden port, living our ship into the soldier's hand. While on the other hand, Jake never left his hand away from mine and is grinning all ears. I rolled my eyes and just let him be.
"Then good luck on your adventures, proud Salamanders! We will guard your ship with all our best! Enjoy your stay!" The Guard bid us goodbye and waved at us.
We all continued walking into the center of the town.
"Where should we go now?" Samson asked me, and all of their attention stayed on me. "Off to rent a carriage!" I replied.
"Ohh a carriage!!" Von and Thompson happily exclaimed.
"And where can we rent a carriage?" Lilian asked. I sighed, I don't know where to but nothing go wrong in the adventurer's guild. We can start our day there.
"The Adventurer's Guild," I replied. They all agreed and started walking normally without waiting for me. It's kind of alarming that they put too much trust in me when I didn't trust them completely. I stared at them one by one and saw how carefree they are.
"C'mon wife, they are leaving us already!" Jake stated that surprised me. I totally forgot that Jake was beside me all along. He noticed it and chuckled. "Silly wife, did you forget I am holding my wife's hand all the time?" He exclaimed and showed me our hands. My face turned red again.
"S-stop calling me w-wife already!!" I hollered at tried to separate our hands but he tightened it more.
"Why not, wife?" He hummed and swung our hands together. I rolled my eyes as he kept laughing.
"Jake!!" I hollered once again. "Fine, fine!" He replied. "Wife," he added and giggled. I sighed deeply and give up. He interlocked our fingers and walk behind the group, smiling. Instead of getting angry at him, I can't help but smiled and hope that we can stay like this forever. This young lad here really stole my heart.