Chapter 41
"Wow, this is amazing. And this still isn't the sea, right?"
Moved by the sight of a horizon despite being inland, I plunged my hand into the lake and washed my face.
As expected, the water wasn't salty, which made me realize once again that this wasn't the sea, but a freshwater lake.
The Tsiar Republic's main industry is water transport, using Lake Tsiar, after which it is named, and the rivers that flow into or out of it.
It isn't as though that applies everywhere in the Small Nations, of course, but the Tsiar Republic plays a major role in the flow of goods within them.
The wheat of the Duchy of Travoyia and the fruit of the Kingdom of Aldeno are carried by boat from nearby rivers to the Tsiar Republic, then distributed throughout the Small Nations.
In other words, the Tsiar Republic's defining feature is that commerce flourishes there as a way station.
If you walk along the river from Parnol, you'll reach a large lake, Lake Tsiar, and from there, walk along the lakeside road for about two hours to reach Fokka.
As usual, the identification documents I used to enter the town were my upper-level blacksmith's license and a document from the blacksmiths' guild of the Duchy of Travoyia recording my delivery history and evaluations.
With only an upper-level blacksmith's license, I would be treated as an outsider who happened to be skilled at smithing, but with the document recording my delivery history, I was treated as an outsider who might be useful to the Small Nations.
In short, it increased my credibility.
Of course, they didn't issue such documents for just any job, so, in a manner of speaking, it was like a letter of thanks from the blacksmiths' guild of the Duchy of Travoyia.
Though only within the Small Nations, it would carry considerable weight as proof of my identity.
The fee required to enter Fokka was a mere ten copper coins.
Moreover, apparently if I took a boat from here to Lulonte, I wouldn't need to pay a town-entry tax on the other side.
But a traveler I shared a table with at a tavern in Fokka grumbled that they had probably just added that amount to the lake-ferry fare.
I didn't know whether that was true, but it certainly wasn't impossible.
Still, I also thought they had deliberately kept the tax on entering and leaving the town—in other words, the customs duty—low to invigorate commerce.
By lowering customs duties, they could increase the flow of people and goods, bring more money into the town, and ultimately increase tax revenue.
That seemed like the sort of policy a country whose main industry was water transport would adopt.
In any case, I had no intention of staying in Fokka long.
I had avoided boats on rivers too, fearing seasickness, but Lake Tsiar was simply too wide to go around.
If a boat left Fokka in the morning, it would reach Lulonte by evening.
However, once the sun set, there was no way to fend off the monsters living in the lake, so boats from Fokka to Lulonte departed only in the morning.
The lake-ferry fare was three silver coins, which was indeed expensive.
It was a price that made me understand why the traveler at the tavern had complained.
However, the boat also carried rowers to ensure its speed and armed guards, so I supposed it was unavoidable.
Even if the fare were cheaper, a slow boat without guards could be attacked by monsters, and passengers might fall into the lake. Then the whole thing would be pointless.
Rather, if I absolutely wanted to save money, I could go around Lake Tsiar; it was extremely troublesome, but that option did exist.
Once I'd decided to take the boat, all that remained was to show some courage.
After paying the fare and boarding, I was shown to one of the seats set out in the center.
The edges of the boat were dangerous because of the risk of attacks by lake monsters, so the passengers were gathered in the center for protection.
The boat was already bobbing and rocking slightly before departure, but I didn't feel sick at all.
Then, when it was time to depart, the drum at the stern began to boom in a steady rhythm.
The rowers all pulled their oars in time with the drumbeat.
Because the burly men rowed with all their strength, the boat's speed steadily increased until I could feel the wind coming from ahead.
It had far more of a sense of speed than I'd imagined, and it was great fun.
I heard the wind spirits frolicking in my ears.
The wind over the lake was cold, and it felt wonderfully pleasant.
The scenery was incredible too; the way sunlight reflected off the lake was so beautiful that I could have watched it forever without getting bored.
Perhaps it was thanks to that sense of openness.
I felt almost none of the queasiness I experienced in a carriage.
The drum continued booming without pause.
Apparently, the drumbeat not only kept the rowers in rhythm, but also drove wary monsters away and drew aggressive monsters' attention to the drummer at the stern.
Thus, the drummer was the bravest and most capable member of the crew. By drawing the monsters' attention, the drummer prevented attacks on unexpected parts of the boat.
Without the drumbeat, the monsters would target the rowers or attack the bottom of the boat.
In the worst case, the boat might even sink.
The drummer risked their life to draw the monsters' attention, earning the respect of the other crew members as well.
Moreover, narrowing down where the monsters would attack made it easier for the guards to do their jobs.
Protecting the entire boat would be difficult, but once it was known that attacks would target the drummer, there were fewer places to watch.
Even so, it was best to avoid monster attacks altogether, so the drummer and the rowers never let up for an instant as they kept the boat moving toward its destination.
And so, as the sky turned red, the boat arrived at Lulonte, on the shore opposite Fokka.
Lulonte was Fokka's twin city, and the town's layout was nearly identical.
The two cities had been designed as mirror images of each other across the lake.
Not only the public facilities, such as the harbor and government offices, but even the merchants' warehouses and shipyards were in the same places and had the same shapes, giving the whole thing an almost obsessive quality.
Indeed, their thoroughness went so far that there was even an inn in Lulonte where the inn in Fokka had stood.
For that reason, there was nothing in particular I wanted to see in Lulonte, so after spending one night, I left the town early and headed for Odine.
If I hadn't spent so much time taking it easy in Janpemon, I might have been able to see a few more things, but I had no regrets.
Looking back, it seemed like a truly wonderful journey.
In the distance, I could see a walled city with numerous tall spires standing in a row.
Apparently, the powerful magic users of the Small Nations, people known as magi, lived in spires to flaunt their presence.
In other words, that was Odine, the magical nation.
The destination of my journey was almost within reach.