Chapter 355: The Naga Who Loves Learning

On Tuesday morning, the Golden Dream set out from a private harbor along the coast of Fennibote, plunged straight into the Raging Sea, and began sailing toward the Southern Continent.

On the Golden Dream, Ai Dewenna stood at the foredeck; in front of her sat a crew with no particular importance, and five or six meters to her right were four Naga.

Their bodies were entirely covered with dark‑green scales, their bellies a pale yellow, their lower halves a thick serpentine tail; deep‑green fins sprouted on their backs and sides, and four claw‑like arms extended, while their hair resembled deep‑blue seaweed, loosely draped and far coarser than ordinary fur.

Around them swirled ink‑black seawater, oddly gathered close to their bodies as if providing an environment more akin to the ocean.

The black water slowly coalesced, writhing into an aged serpent head; it opened its mouth and spoke with a rather unpracticed Luenburg accent:

"Ai Dewenna, could you please prepare some basic learning materials for the Naga? In return, I will have them search the Raging Sea for sunken ships and treasure for you."

Ai Dewenna gave a slight nod, her expression barely changing, and said, "Sure."

Then she glanced around, scanning the crew who were either wary of or curious about the Naga, and spoke in a calm voice:

"Let us begin today's morning lesson."

"Today we study the Highland language, the original tongue of the Southern Continent, which does not derive from the Ancient Fusk language and has its own structure."

"If we uncover treasure predating the Ancient Bairang Empire in the Raging Sea, we will most likely need this language."

The crew gathered around Ai Dewenna resembled students forced into an 8 a. m. class, bowing their heads in silence.

"Damn, I'm a bit envious of Daniz; after the Golden Dream set sail, that guy won't be back for a while."

Chief Sailor Daniels tilted his head slightly and whispered a complaint to Yodesen beside him.

Yodesen nodded in agreement and whispered, "The daily morning lesson is already deadly enough; now we have a bunch of Naga that appeared out of nowhere, obviously dim‑witted and unsuited for study, yet they pretend to love learning, ruining the ship's atmosphere."

Ai Dewenna stared calmly at Daniels and Yodesen, saw them lower their heads in silence, turned her body, and then explained, "Daniz won't miss these lessons; each morning I record the scene with a secret technique and have someone deliver it to him."

The aged serpent head formed from the black seawater spoke again, "Ai Dewenna, could you give me a copy of the material you recorded? The Naga lacking basic knowledge learn very slowly."

"Sure," Ai Dewenna replied with a gentle nod; it was no big deal.

Seated farther from the Naga, Orfus lowered his head slightly, holding a thick parchment on which words appeared one by one:

"It's hard for me to imagine that it could be a saint, let alone one almost angelic. Though I've never seen its true form, I can picture a frail, elderly Naga wearing glasses and holding a book."

Orfus curled his lip, lightly tracing the parchment with his right index finger: "It may not be a Naga; I sense a heavy shadow, a fallen aura, massive, clinging to the hull of the Golden Dream."

Elsewhere, First Officer Bu Lu ran a hand through his gray curls, glanced down at his thigh where a thick parchment lay, its surface showing a series of awkward words.

He shifted his posture, placed his right hand on the parchment, looked up at Ai Dewenna lecturing ahead, and lightly traced the parchment on his thigh: "No wonder your dark circles are so heavy these past two days; you're scared and can't sleep?"

"Generous City" Bayam.

Leiketon walked along the coastal street with Tu Ba Ge, using a simulated hypnotist ability to cast a spell on himself and Tu Ba Ge, placing them in the blind spot of the surrounding crowd's awareness.

Although it didn't achieve the psychologist's true invisibility, as long as they didn't actively interact, people would subconsciously overlook their features and fail to notice that Tu Ba Ge didn't look like a rabbit.

Tu Ba Ge kept pace at Leiketon's feet, deftly dodging the oblivious footsteps of those around, and managed to speak up:

"Hey boss, didn't you already separate from the prophet's traits? Why can you still simulate other extraordinary abilities?"

"It's not simulation; it's a spell developed after mastering the relevant knowledge—wizards can do that."

As Leiketon answered, he turned toward a nearby shop—a local souvenir store—where a middle‑aged man who seemed to be the owner was carving a whale leaping out of the sea from a block of wood, already taking shape.

Behind him stood a solemn, imposing statue of a vague human figure, feet planted in sea waves, surrounded by lightning and storm.

When Leiketon and Tu Ba Ge approached, the owner, affected by their spell, completely ignored the man and the rabbit.

Leiketon quietly admired the shop's sculptures for a moment; they were not solely wooden carvings but also pieces made from sea‑beast bones, shells, stone assemblages, and even some implements.

This reflects the traditional craft of the Rosted Islands natives, who once fashioned vessels and items this way, but after Luen colonized the region, the primitive techniques were abandoned, leaving only occasional souvenirs for passing travelers.

After scanning the shop's goods, Leiketon's gaze lingered on the imposing, lightning‑and‑storm‑surrounded statue, and he asked aloud:

"What is this carving?"

The darker‑skinned, somewhat somber owner's carving knife trembled; he looked up in surprise at Leiketon, who had appeared, and hurriedly said, "Ah? Sorry, I was too absorbed and didn't notice you; feel free to look around."

"This is the 'Sea God', our faith and the guardian of the Rosted Islands, a benevolent and great being."

After the owner finished praising his faith, Leiketon looked again at the wooden carving in his hands and said apologetically:

"I seem to have disturbed your work."

On the whale's back, a mark left by the trembling knife resembled a twisted lightning bolt.

Following Leiketon's gaze, the owner glanced at the mark on the wood and smiled lightly, saying:

"No, it's fine; perhaps it's the will of the gods—lightning has always been divine authority."

"I now have new inspiration; it will become an even more perfect carving!"

"May I reserve this carving?"

Leiketon smiled lightly, nodded, then pulled a wallet from his pocket and casually took out a one‑pound note.

The owner waved his hand hurriedly and nodded again:

"No, you don't need to do that; that's not why. If you truly like the carving, you can buy it in two days; it still needs time to finish, and you don't need to pay a deposit."

Leiketon gave a gentle nod, respecting the owner's decision, yet still handed over the note; he smiled and explained, "I'd like to reserve two carvings: a gray‑fur lop‑ear rabbit and a soaring raven."

The owner paused briefly, then accepted the note and nodded lightly, saying:

"That's fine, but the carvings take longer; you'll need to wait at least until next week."

"No problem," Leiketon smiled and nodded.

"Sir, how much for this conch?"

A low, familiar voice sounded behind him; Leiketon turned curiously and saw Fei Ni Ke Si pulling a suitcase, holding a brightly colored conch rimmed with shells, admiring it.

Leiketon raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, met the other's gaze, and laughed, "Why are you back in Bayam again? Not planning to return to the Southern Continent soon?"

Fei Ni Ke Si gave a slight nod and replied:

"I was worried about Yi Sang's safety, so I traveled with him for a while. It's no longer necessary now."

So you left him alone on the Golden Dream? (End of chapter)