Chapter 134 - Sea Merchant at Kiroot Village

I wake up still thinking about Hope wanting to become a magic knight, I then ask myself.

"as her father, should I support her?"

I rub my face with both of my hands and I sigh out loud.

"what should I do?"

Ellena replies.

"we should support her obviously."

I respond surprised.

"you're okay, with her wanting to become a magic knight?"

she nods.

"not at first, but then when she said, she wanted to become a strong hero who saves the day, just like her dad."

my heart gets filled with a sense of pride I've never felt before, she smiles and says.

"after that, I couldn't say no to her."

I stop myself from crying with tears of joy and I reply.

"well then, I guess we are going to support her."

as I get up from bed, Ellena asks.

"are you going to guild today?"

I reply.

"yeah, I'm pretty close to obtaining an A Rank."

she smiles and asks.

"so does that mean, you'll finally start teaching at the magical academy?"

I nod.

"yeah, that's the plan."

as I leave through the front door, I hear Hope say.

"daddy."

I turn around and ask.

"you need something pumpkin?"

she responds.

"can you train me?"

I look at her determined expression, and reply.

"yes, I'll train you, but."

she asks.

"but what?"

I answer.

"my training is very difficult, and it may seem at times that I'm just being harsh, but that is not the case."

she replies.

"I understand, but if that is what it tales to become as strong as you, I'm ready for it."

I pat her on the head and say.

"I'm glad to hear that."

she asks eagerly.

"can we start now?"

I answer.

"they are some things I need to do first, but we will start training together when I come back. Okay?"

she nods.

"okay daddy."

as I leave the house, Hope waves goodbye.

"have a good day daddy."

after arriving at the adventurers guild, Jill calls out to me.

"Collin, come over here!"

I make my way to Jill, where she is accompanied by Grace and Bell, I then ask her.

"what's up? you needed something?"

she grins at me and asks.

"you up for, a sea merchant escort quest?"

I groan.

"not really, I'm not a big fan of escort quests."

but she continues grinning.

"but you're going to miss a big opportunity."

I ask curiously.

"what opportunity?"

she answers.

"the sea merchant, is taking his merchandise by sea, into the elf continent, and he will be sailing through leviathan territory."

I think to myself with excitement.

"if we sail through leviathan territory, then there is a slight chance I get to see one in the flesh."

I smile at Jill and reply.

"count me in."

Jill replies.

"I somehow knew you would want to come with us, after I mentioned leviathans."

I then ask.

"so where are we meeting this sea merchant?"

she answers.

"at the port village of Kiroot."

I reply.

"alright let's get going then."

we climb aboard a wagon heading towards Kiroot village, where Jill says to me.

"that training we did, left my body feeling really sore."

I reply.

"that's a good sign, it means that you're muscles are getting stronger."

Bell who is usually quiet around me, asks.

"so your fiancee, is an elf?"

I respond.

"how'd you know that?"

she replies.

"Jill told me and Grace after you left with your family."

I look at Jill, who interjects.

"I wasn't speaking ill of you having a relationship with an elf."

Grace giggles.

"if anything we admired, that you two were in a forbidden romance."

Jill then asks.

"so tell me Collin, were you the reason for the abolishment of the interspecies relationship laws?"

I shrug and answer with a smirk.

"I don't hold that kind of power Ms. Jill."

Jill replies.

"I don't believe you when you say that, but I understand if you can't fo into further details about it."

after a long journey of them teasing me, about having a relationship with an elf, we finally arrive at the port village of Kiroot, I look around the drop off zone and see many people walking around in swimsuits, I then ask Jill.

"any idea what's going on?"

she answers.

"Kiroot village, holds a beach festival yearly around this time of the season."

I respond.

"maybe I should have brought my swimming trunks or something."

Grace replies.

"no can do, we have a job to do."

we walk together until we arrive at a pier, with many docked boats, where I ask.

"are we supposed to meet the sea merchant at this pier?"

Jill nods.

"yeah, so let's go find him shall we?"

we pass by many empty docked boats, until we run into a man that is frantically moving stuff around in his boat, Jill shouts at the man.

"are you Trevor, the one who is moving merchandise to the elf continent?"

he replies.

"yes, and you must be the adventurers who have accepted my quest."

he signals us to get on his boat.

"alright let's not waste any more time standing around here, let's get going."

as we step inside his boat, he asks.

"all of you are, high enough ranks to take down a leviathan right?"

Jill answers.

"I'm an S Rank."

then she points at us.

"Grace is an A Rank, and both Bell and Collin are B Ranks."

she then asks Trevor.

"is that good enough for you?"

he sighs and replies with an apologetic tone.

"sorry, I'm just a little nervous about sailing across leviathan territory."

Trevor pulls up the anchor and says to us.

"may the sea goddess, Estella bless us with her protection with this voyage."

I then think to myself as the boat begins to set sail.

"even though I want to see a leviathan, I hope that they don't decide to attack us."

as I gaze out at the ocean on the starboard side of the boat, Jill asks.

"you feeling okay?"

I respond.

"yeah, I'm just hoping that a leviathan doesn't decide to attack us."

she replies.

"leviathan attacks are pretty rare, they are usually docile, unless they are provoked."

I ask.

"have you seen many leviathans?"

she replies.

"yeah, and I lived through many encounters with them."

Jill then tries to steer the conversation by asking.

"so is Hope your biological daughter?"

I nod.

"yeah."

she follows up with another question.

"does that mean she's half elf and half human?"

I respond

"you have a problem with that?"

she shakes her head.

"no, she is going to have a tough life ahead of her."

I reply.

"maybe, but many things have been slowly changing in a positive way."

after a whole day of nothing happening, Trevor says to us.

"we should turn in for the night, I'd like all of you to be well rested."

he points at the many cushioned seats.

"you could used those seats to get some shut eye."

I sit down, and slowly drift to sleep.