Chapter 188 Stars, Moon, Sea
Time flies when you're on the road.
There were no further twists or turns, nor any further surprises.
We waited for the Pegasus herd until the evening of the second day, and then on the afternoon of the third day, we approached the boundless blue sea.
The setting sun cast a brief glance from the west, which was obscured by the mountains, before plummeting down without a backward glance, turning the near sea, which reflected the sky, half orange-red and half dark blue.
The morning star rose, flanking the half-moon. The twinkling stars did not overshadow the moon's brilliance, but rather resembled teardrops falling from the crescent moon, or moles at the corners of the eyes of a person with downcast gazes, making the moonlight even more mysterious, radiant, and captivating.
"What might be on that moon?"
Hikari removed her hand from her forehead, gazing up at the patterns on the moon above her head, speechless.
Just like in autumn, the girl, having removed her shoes and socks, stepped into the sea, her delicate skin intimately touching the rising and falling tides. Tiny waterfalls of water cascaded from the hem of her tightly clutched apron, netting a few lazy fish—the perfect main course for our dinner tonight.
A little further away, Shenxue sat cross-legged on a near-shore reef with her eyes closed, her frost-covered sword resting on either side of the stream, completely oblivious to the commotion caused by Annie and Ai'an's elaborate schemes to catch fish.
"Gentlemen, the fire is burning and the water is boiling. Where are the ingredients I requested?"
I stood on flat ground, far from the rocks, and called out loudly.
The herd of Pegasus, who had been playing in the water, flew back from the sea and nuzzled each other with their fellow herds who had returned from foraging. They then flew down together onto the hill covered with abundant vegetation and huddled together.
Hearing the call, Hikari turned around first and took small steps toward them. Although the ground was mostly covered with small pebbles, there was no guarantee that a few stones with sharp edges wouldn't get mixed in, and if one wasn't careful, one could easily hurt the skin on the soles of their feet.
I originally intended to use magic to forcibly create a path for Hikari, but unexpectedly, Miyuki, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, suddenly stood up, and with a few light leaps, landed beside the girl, wrapped her slender waist around her, lifted her off the ground, and quickly came to my side.
"Didn't we say we needed to think quietly for a while?"
Somewhat surprised, I reached out and took the girl's hand, placing her on a perfectly sized rock beside me. I watched as she poured all the fresh produce from her apron into the boiling water, then casually picked up her feet, which seemed to have been brushed with a thin layer of honey color, and slipped them into her slippers.
The climate near the southern open sea is not harsh.
It seems that the towering mountains blocked the cold air from the north, or perhaps it was because we were approaching the land of scorching heat, but even in the coldest and most difficult season for the north, the climate here was still as warm as spring. Only the occasional cool breeze that swept past us could bring a touch of winter chill.
Naturally, once we leave the area covered by the main peaks of the mountain range and officially enter the region affected by the open sea, we only need to wear a long coat or robe that can cover most of our skin to effectively resist the frost that is too unbearable for the north.
Anne was the most excited of them all. She was the first to change into her favorite short dress. When the cool breeze passed by, she sneezed several times because of the cold. Only then did she reluctantly put on the long flannel cloak she was using to shield herself from the wind, wrapping herself up tightly like a bat. She shivered for a while before gradually getting used to it.
Hikari was a few steps late in realizing what was happening. Her inner clothes were soaked with sweat, and even after the water was drained, they still had a salty and sour smell mixed with a faint floral fragrance. She could only put them away for now and wash them properly when she found a clean stream. The water in the open sea contained a lot of salt, and washing clothes carelessly would easily damage the delicate fabrics or cause them to absorb even more salt, which would be counterproductive.
Ai'an had already obediently changed back into her spring long-sleeved clothes, but to prevent discomfort after growing up, the style was a little too big, so all the fabric was piled up at the cuffs, leaving only a section of her little hands showing, which didn't look very convenient.
As for Miyuki, this icy female swordswoman, who often does things beyond our imagination, lived up to expectations this time as well. According to her, in order to avoid sweat wetting her clothes, she closed all the pores on her body to achieve the result that "even when wearing heavy clothes, she can still move around in a warm environment without the inconvenience caused by her clothes getting wet."
To this, we could only respond with an expression of "I don't understand, but I'm deeply shocked."
Then, as she decisively removed the clothes covering her body, a large amount of liquid gushed out from her entire body, forming a shallow pool on the ground with a diameter of about one meter.
I won't go into the series of chaotic events that followed.
He casually wiped the thin layer of sweat from his neck, flicking it to the ground where it turned into tiny ice flowers. Shen Xue sheathed his sword, grabbed a cup of warm water, gulped it down, and let out a long breath: "I'm hungry. I need to replenish my energy before continuing."
I tilted my head and thought for a moment, but didn't say anything. I looked into the distance again, indicating that I wanted to keep trying. Then I played with the shrimp and crabs on the shallow beach, completely ignoring the fact that my long hair and clothes were wet, just like a stray cat that had been caught in a downpour.
Stirring the fish soup in the pot, Hikari still occasionally turned her head to look at the distant sea.
The semi-circular bay, partially surrounded by mountains, meets the deep sky at the distant horizon, leaving only a faint, barely perceptible white line. The stars, gradually illuminating in the night, stand side by side, merging together to form a long, winding river.
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