The enthusiasm of Lawrence Camp was beyond Gauss’s expectations, especially the laborers who kept thanking them repeatedly.
This made Gauss and the others somewhat embarrassed.
After all, from their perspective, they had merely fulfilled the duties of their commission.
Return the bed crossbow to Miller.
Gauss stayed in the camp for a while longer, politely declining Miller and the others’ invitation for hospitality, citing the urgency of reporting information, and then left in a hurry.
What he didn’t know was that shortly after he left, an ordinary bard joyfully completed his own creation.
The team was marching across the boundless wilderness.
"Where do we go to collect the commission reward?" Aaliyah turned her head to look at Gauss.
Gauss was holding a map scroll, carefully examining the contents on it.
"We need to go to a big city."
In small towns, even if you can submit commissions at the Adventurer’s Guild, can you really acquire the resources you need quickly?
"The closest big city is... Sen City in Coral Bay."
Looking at the location on the map, they’ve traveled a long way west.
And the forest city Barry is to the east; considering straight-line distance, Sen City, which Gauss has never visited before, is closer.
Sen City is located at the estuary of Coral Bay.
Coral Bay is a naturally deep-water harbor with a beautiful arc shape, calm inland seas, and deep waters capable of accommodating ocean-going vessels. These unrivaled geographic advantages give it incredible strategic value and economic potential.
Sen City is the easternmost gateway of Coral Bay’s three cities.
The other two cities are "White Cliff City" Oakwood, situated on the cape at the west side of the bay, and "Gold City" Hesperia, located in the fertile farming plains between Oakwood and Sen City, in the central hinterlands of the bay.
These three cities are like three glittering jewels inset on the edges of Coral Bay, jointly controlling this prosperous water area.
For Gauss and the others, Sen City, a nearby bay city, is naturally developed in trade, diplomacy, and cultural exchanges. Its wide harbor, dense merchant ships, and bustling markets make it a gathering place for people of different races and beliefs.
It’s a good spot for them to exchange their commission rewards as well.
The others didn’t have any objections to Gauss’s proposal.
Once they determined their target, Gauss put away the map and looked westward.
"Serdur, did you come from this direction?" On the road, Gauss turned to Serdur and asked.
If he remembered correctly, Serdur’s hometown was on the western coast islands.
Now, although they are still quite distant, at least the general direction is correct.
"I haven’t been to Coral Bay; I came from the West Coast and traveled inland," Serdur shook his head. "Captain, I suppose you haven’t seen the sea."
Gauss hesitated for a moment and shook his head.
"I haven’t."
Of course, this premise is based on not having seen the sea since coming to this world.
In his previous life, he did visit the seaside a few times.
Serdur wasn’t surprised by Gauss’s response.
In this world, many ordinary people haven’t seen the sea, unless they were born in coastal regions.
Even if the straight-line journey is not far, the dangers of the wild would deter people from the idea of traveling.
"Ah, the sea is more perilous than inland, yet more intriguing," Serdur’s serpent-like eyes revealed a trace of nostalgia, as if recalling his hometown, he said in a low voice.
"Underfoot, the firm land is replaced, a sudden storm can shred the sturdiest ships like toys, and in the open sea, there is a perpetual impenetrable sea fog, disaster-like hurricanes, beneath the deep sea, gigantesque sea beasts and sea monsters, numerous sea races..."
His words sparked interest among the other three members of the team.
"But the intrigue lies exactly in this," Serdur’s hoarse voice shifted focus. "The freedom and vastness along the coast cannot be granted by land. During navigation, you’ll see glowing schools of fish pass under the ship like a galaxy, dolphins able to speak human words under the moonlight. In specific sea areas, you can see an ethereal blue glowing sea surface, sail on it, as if navigating through the starry sky."
Aaliyah listened somewhat longingly.
She too was a child of the inland.
"The most peculiar are the many islands."
"Many islands have formed their own unique magic environments, with ecosystems evolving into styles distinct from the land, full of exotic plants and rare beasts, demons. You can even find ancient ruins hidden within them, marine products, and special deep-sea magical materials."
Gauss listened quietly, his mind inadvertently painting a picture of an unknown azure canvas.
An area with a completely different ecosystem is worth exploring for him.
Because it means there is an untouched blue ocean area with more new species of demons and resources.
Thinking of this, besides the matter of exchanging rewards, he couldn’t help but harbor more anticipation in his heart.
The group rode their mounts, traveling through the wilderness for several more days.
Along the way, they stayed in a few small villages overnight and casually cleared a few scattered goblin skirmishers setting ambushes by the roadside.
Having just experienced big events, these scattered goblins didn’t even count as a warm-up.
As they continued westward, the air gradually became humid.
When the wind carried a faint, unique salty and fishy scent belonging to the waves, Gauss knew they were close to Sen City!