Chapter 236

Accompanying the Earl and Arial, they head down the pier to take a good look at Queen Rose, making sure nothing looks damaged or out of place. It all appears to be immaculate from the outside, so Cain heads below to inventory what they have and make a list of what they'll need for a long sea voyage.

Sure, they can get some things from the Guild Bank, but he's not counting on that entirely, and there are no provisions on board. Or at least there weren't. There's currently a bunch of bananas and a large bag of potato chips on the counter in the galley and a book on the table. 

"It's a good spot to hide from paperwork, so I like to come in here and snack." Arial explains without shame. 

"I don't blame you; I can't stand paperwork either. It looks like we've got everything as far as equipment, Nila did all that before we left Behar, and we gained even more when those Pirates attacked. There's a bunch of Rum and preserved food in the hold. Things we didn't move into our storage. We just need to add to that for the journey."

"There's a provisioner on the shore specializing in exactly that. For a fee, he double-checks what a crew has and what they're looking to add against what the old salt knows they'll need. It's not expensive, mostly a service he provides to customers since his shop sells half of what they will be buying anyhow."

Life is always best when they hire a professional to take care of things, so Cain readily agrees, and they turn back to the shore, Arial grabbing her snacks on the way out.

The provisioner, a Gnome well into his senior years with a bald head and substantial bushy eyebrows, even has premade lists based on how many people are going, the destination, and the type of journey. Merchant ships and fishing vessels stock very different necessities than personal yachts or military vessels. 

"Make it provisions for fifteen, in case we add a few extra hands to the journey, for an adventure that's more of a pleasure cruise. We're planning to stop at any attractions we find down the coast. Also, if you know more good places to restock with fresh supplies, I'd appreciate it." Cain explains. 

"Not a problem, I know just what you need. You'll want to stock up heavily here since fresh fruits and such are hard to find everywhere in the desert, but as soon as you cross into Landis, there's a resort town you should visit. They've got massive orchards outside the city for exotic fruit they trade up the coast; most of what I have came from them. 

If you stop at these three spots in the desert, you'll find great beaches and friendly people. Then there are eight more spots, including the Capital, that you should stop in Landis for at least a day. There's a year-round carnival in the Capital with nightly fireworks that is widely considered one of the modern wonders, a bucket list item for the world's travelers." The gnome speaks at such a fast pace that Cain can barely keep up, but the diminutive provisioner has marked every one of them on a large nautical chart that has water depths and obstacles marked on it as well. 

It's a ploy to get him to buy the expensive and detailed chart, but one more map aboard the ship is never a bad thing. 

"That sounds great to me. Grab us everything on your inventory list there plus the chart, and I'll come to double-check it tomorrow before we set sail. Arial here has been keeping an eye on the ship for me, so let her know if you have any troubles getting everything put away."

That covers what they came here to do, though he didn't get much actual Inscription practice. Learning a trade skill is a slow process, but he at least has a chance to create the good stuff. If they find more books later, he will copy them using the desk and have the group members use the copy so the original can go to the Guild Library.

It's the best compromise he can come up with at the moment since the books the desk creates can't be put in inventory. 

"Why don't we go check on Neffie? If she's growing as fast as we heard, she must miss us by now." Cain suggests to the others, and Evangeline immediately folds her wings. 

"Cid and Misha were up all night making Lickity a surprise, so the family is probably busy today." The Seraphim points out. 

[What's everyone up to today?] Cain sends in Guild chat, looking for something fun to do. 

[Most everyone's busy, Char has been on a discipline rampage lately, getting everyone in line after that group got their tank killed. She's pulled most of us in to help her give the lower level members an examination.] Misaki sends back. 

[Can you bring us Gumbo from Behar? Or even from Assah is fine. I'm craving seafood.] Kone suggests. That's not a bad idea. Cain wonders how the Gumbo is here in Assah, as he hasn't tried it yet. 

"Hey Arial, is there a good spot for Gumbo? I've got Guild members craving it, and Behar is a long flight away." Well, it's only a few hours, but still, a long way to get lunch. 

"Do we have it? Better than that slop in Behar." A nearby merchant announces proudly. 

"It's a local specialty, but more popular with the families of sailors from the East, so you've got to look a little to get through the variety of tourist restaurants. The Crab Shack in Behar is seen as a challenge by the local seafood places." The Dragon laughs, leading them off the docks and into a working-class residential area near the shore.

The restaurant she leads him to is hidden in an alley between apartment buildings, not somewhere Cain would have found and not intended to be easily found by outsiders, but they know Arial and they're happy to see new customers once they learn that Cain has a house in town.

Cain explains his issue, the need for a large amount of Gumbo to go, and the cook is happy to oblige. They keep a large pot on the go and dish Cain up twenty servings into a large metal bowl with a locking lid and add a bag full of biscuits. 

With his goodbyes said and a promise to be back soon to visit before leaving on the trip, Cain is off to Montauk to bring everyone their dinner. 

"Best Guild Master Ever!" Kone cheers as Cain brings the Gumbo to a dining room full of people. All the Sculptors are here, plus Kone and a pair of young Gnomish Warlocks. Those two are still in the low 80s for level, but going by the slippers and robes, they've either chosen to live here, or they're originally from Montauk. Cain had been busy with so many things lately that he hadn't kept track of who all had been recruited, trusting the others to take care of everything. 

"What is that amazing smell? You said soup, but that doesn't smell like soup." The male gnome says curiously, standing on his chair to get a better look. 

"It is a form of soup. One from the coast, made with seafood and all the good stuff. Trust me; nobody doesn't like Gumbo." Cain insists, placing the pot on the table. 

[We've got our final results for today's examination. As we hoped, everyone passed.]

Char's announcement makes everyone grin.

It's like a school event, announcing the honor roll students. The thought makes Cain wonder if this is what it's like in the academies that many youngsters go through in this world? Do they do dungeons and grade the students this way? Is it all classroom work or against dummies? He should find out. A private academy might be a good description of how the training regimen is going. 

"Did you two go through Char's training as well?" Cain asks the Warlocks, who look at each other with a long-suffering grimace. 

"From level 10. We were in the first batch she started teaching, and we did so well that she let us do harder dungeons and use the Guild Skill Summons earlier than usual to get a lot of levels in only a few months. After we reach level 80, it's all self-directed. I'd say we graduated, but she still checks in on how we're doing even more often than our moms. That's why we moved here to Montauk, less supervision."

That's a feeling Cain can relate to. Teachers breathing over your shoulder every day was never for him. Going solo was a much better choice, in his opinion. 

"We've been running dungeons together lately to help them get to the first advancement. With my summons, plus Su and her healing, they'll be up there in no time at all. We're doing the Elven dungeon in the castle tomorrow. It's a lot longer than when we went with you, but it's forty levels higher than them, so they'll level up in a hurry. A week or two at the most, and we'll have another pair of graduates from the valley." Kone informs them proudly, her mouth full of biscuits. 

They joke and chat until dark before Cain heads back home to the Castle, wondering and worrying what to say to Misha about their relationship now that he has run out of distractions.