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The ship Sophia had arranged was a regular cruise liner departing from the port of Valencia in the Kingdom of Catalonia, passing through Cadiz, Lisbon, and Porto in the Kingdom of Andalusia, then stopping at El Musel in the Kingdom of Asturias before finally arriving at the port of Bordeaux in the Kingdom of Franquia.

During the journey, the ship would pass through the Strait of Ceuta, the gateway from the Sea of Tethys to the distant seas of Atlas.

Sophia and her companions were aboard that very ship.

Hildegard Ritter von Wolfstein, a Nun Knight from the Holy Griffin Empire; Esiocles Emanuele, a Clergy who had been training in the Alps Mountain Range; Sophia de Chazel, a Nun Knight primarily active in the Kingdom of Franquia; and her disciple and squire, Conra mac Setanta, along with Maria Francesca. The five of them had been living on the ship for three days now.

The cruise ship, the Santargo, was now approaching the Strait of Ceuta, carried by the smooth winds and currents of the Sea of Tethys.

“Everyone! The Santargo will now pass through the Strait of Ceuta! The distance between the lands on either side of the strait is only about 12 miles, so on a clear day, you can see both sides! Today happens to be a good day, so if we’re lucky, we might get to see both sides of the strait!”

The ship’s deck officer explained with a smile, and the passengers, without exception, came out to the deck, eagerly looking around in anticipation of the scenery of the Strait of Ceuta they were about to enter.

Sophia and her companions were no exception.

Conra, who had been training with a hollow iron ball using Sphere Exercises; Esiocles, who was correcting his body balance with kettlebells and stone weights; Hildegard, who was swinging club bells and mace bells with half their usual weight; Maria, who was practicing basic, low-risk bodyweight exercises under Sophia’s guidance; and Sophia herself, who was watching over Maria.

The group finished their tasks and stepped out of their cabins to enjoy the sea breeze, waiting for the approaching Strait of Ceuta.

As the ship began to pass through the strait, exclamations of awe erupted from those with relatively good eyesight.

“You can really see land on both sides!”

“Look over there! The Pillars of Hercules!”

The point where the inland Sea of Tethys met the distant seas of Atlas, with two lands close to each other across the strait.

The strange natural scenery quickly captivated the eyes of the Santargo’s passengers.

“Dolphins!”

With a squeak, dolphins leaped near the Santargo. They seemed to recognize the people on the ship, playfully showing off their tricks near the vessel, delighting the passengers.

Maria watched this scene intently, not even blinking. Having lived her entire life in the back alleys of Valencia, she had never had the opportunity to see such sights. To her, this was a first encounter with wonder.

Sophia watched Maria with a smile.

‘Indeed, she started a bit late, but her talent and character are excellent.’

Sophia, who had taken Maria as her disciple, was naturally interested in her progress. After a few days of training, Sophia had concluded that Maria possessed the talent to achieve her goals if she set her mind to them.

‘In the end, what’s more important than raw talent is the wisdom to find the right direction and the perseverance to keep moving forward. Maria has both.’

In this world where Reverse Muscle Technique and Reverse Brain Method exist, innate talent is a secondary issue. Most talent-related problems naturally improve with the right training methods, Sophia believed.

However, even if someone had great innate talent, if they lacked discernment and took the wrong path, or if they were lazy from the start, that talent would be wasted, left on the roadside like a pebble.

Wisdom and perseverance were like the two wheels of a cart; without one, the cart would lose balance and fail to move forward. Finding someone with both was not easy, so it was only natural that Sophia cherished Maria.

‘We’ll have to wait and see, though.’

And there would be plenty of time to observe. Sophia didn’t think Maria would easily become lazy. Her first impression of Maria had been very positive.

After passing through the Strait of Ceuta, the Santargo soon arrived at the port city of Cadiz in the Kingdom of Andalusia.

“Historically, the Hiberia region has always had a distinct history and cultural soil compared to other regions. Among them, the Kingdom of Andalusia is a country where Drow Albs, Halflings, Celtic Hiberians, and Berber Hiberians have mixed, creating a unique cultural identity.”

Sophia added that among the traditions and secrets passed down by various families and groups, there were many unique ones that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Conra and Maria followed Sophia, quietly listening to her explanations.

“The Spell Tower of Cadiz is an institution that supports the preservation of knowledge deemed valuable and has a long tradition of collecting and preserving such knowledge. The best part is that if you can pay the price, you can buy and sell corresponding secrets.”

While the ship was docked, Sophia took her disciples ashore to visit the famous Spell Tower of Cadiz. The spirits and phantoms accompanying them also showed interest in Sophia’s explanation of the Spell Tower.

{The Spell Tower. So this is how knowledge is preserved in this era.}

{I’m very curious about what kind of spells are traded in this land. Even in my time, the spell systems beyond the Fiorene Mountains were known for their unique aspects.}

{Many secrets must have been lost over time, and just as many new ones must have been created and developed. Experiencing this aspect could be a valuable step forward.}

Listening to the spirits and phantoms chattering, the group hurried toward the Spell Tower. The ship was set to depart the next day, so they had to finish their business within a day.

The Spell Tower of Cadiz was located directly north of the port. Conra and Maria, following Sophia into the tower, were wide-eyed at the unique sights around them.

It was no wonder.

Djinn, spirits unique to Hiberia, were stirring cauldrons floating in the air; a statue of the goddess Magec, with a sun-shaped halo behind her, had a tray in front of her where light pooled like spring water.

And Tibićena, giant black dog-like spirits of death, were running endlessly through a distorted space inside the tower, adorned with the antlers of Cernunnos.

Approaching the reception desk in the tower’s lobby, Sophia took out a certificate and a scroll. The clerk at the desk widened his eyes upon seeing the certificate and greeted her respectfully.

“Welcome, honored guest! Welcome to the Spell Tower of Cadiz. How may I assist you?”

“Thank you for the welcome. I’d like to exchange the secret contained in this scroll for something else.”

The clerk then brought out a crystal-shaped artifact and examined the scroll Sophia had handed over.

Objects containing secret knowledge tended to emit certain wavelengths. By analyzing these patterns, one could classify and grade the knowledge without directly reading it. The crystal artifact allowed the clerk to sense these wavelengths.

After checking the scroll’s wavelength, the clerk compared it to a manual recording various wavelength patterns and soon made an interested expression.

“Oh, this is a scroll recording the Reverse Muscle Technique and Reverse Brain Method of the Cephalapoda lineage? The Cephalapoda lineage is a very rare secret. Where did you obtain this?”

“Is that important?”

“Of course not! I was just surprised by such an interesting item being offered for exchange. The Cephalapoda lineage is so rare that it will surely fetch a good price. Moreover, the wavelength pattern on this scroll corresponds to at least a noble-grade classification, and having both the Reverse Muscle Technique and Reverse Brain Method paired together is extremely rare, so its value will be even higher.”

Sophia nodded at the clerk’s high appraisal and then asked again.

“Can you find a suitable secret to exchange for this?”

“Of course. However, compiling a list will take some time.”

“How long?”

“At least as long as it takes for the sun to move half a thumb’s width.”

After a moment of thought, Sophia replied.

“Hmm, then please compile the list. In the meantime, I’ll take my disciples to tour the tower.”

“Of course. The Spell Tower of Cadiz has many sights to see, even compared to other places. I’ll have the list ready by the time you return.”

Leaving the list compilation to the clerk, Sophia turned to her disciples.

“Well, it seems we have some free time now. There are things I want to show you, so follow me.”

As cheers of joy erupted from Conra and Maria, Sophia smiled slightly.

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Hildegard headed straight to a tavern in Cadiz as soon as she disembarked. She needed to wash away the taste of cheap rum she had been drinking on the ship.

The Hiberia region was famous for its unique fortified wines. Essentially, they were aged red or white wines with added brandy to increase the alcohol content. Among these, white wine with added brandy was specifically called sherry wine.

Even though Hildegard preferred beer over wine, she couldn’t pass up the chance to try the local specialty. As soon as she arrived at the tavern, she ordered:

“One bottle each of Amontillado Cream Sherry and Estrella Andalucía!”

Amontillado Cream Sherry was a Palomino sherry with a low level of fortification to prevent the yeast from dying, allowing oxidative aging to occur. At the point of yeast death and oxidative aging, it was blended with brandy and Pedro Ximénez sherry to further increase the alcohol content.

This wine, neither too bitter nor too sweet, neither too light nor too heavy, was sometimes disparaged by some wine enthusiasts as a “characterless wine.”

However, the Amontillado Cream Sherry from Cadis was an exception, praised for striking a perfect balance between sweet and bitter, light and heavy, with its unique smoky, spicy aroma and tangy acidity, making it a renowned fine wine.

Estrella Andalucía was a specialty beer from the Andalusia region. Unlike the beers from the northern continent, which were typically made from barley or wheat, Andalusian beer was brewed from rice.

Estrella Andalucía was a blend of bottom-fermented lager and top-fermented ale, with added carbonation and whiskey to increase the alcohol content, making it a fortified beer.

Soon, bottles of Amontillado Cream Sherry and Estrella Andalucía, along with their respective glasses, were placed in front of Hildegard. The plate was accompanied by fresh ceviche, shrimp fried with garlic (Gambas al Ajillo), and tapas featuring salty, strong-flavored ham, nutty Iberico cheese, dried fish, and shrimp on baguette slices.

Hildegard first poured the Amontillado Cream Sherry into a decanter and, while it breathed, filled her beer mug with Estrella Andalucía and drank it down in large gulps. The rich foam and familiar, deep flavor soothed her throat, which had been worn out by cheap molasses liquor.

“Ah! That’s it, that’s the stuff!”

Impressed by the rice-based beer, Hildegard took a bite of the tapas with ham.

After replenishing her alcohol levels, Hildegard leaned back and leisurely enjoyed the scenery around the tavern.

“Wherever you go, people’s lives are pretty much the same.”

Despite differences in skin color, body shape, clothing, buildings, and speech, the way people worked through the day, enjoyed food and drink, laughed, and chatted seemed pretty much the same, Hildegard thought.

‘And that includes those in the clergy.’

Clergy members also cried, laughed, got angry, and rejoiced. Sometimes they were driven by greed and desire, sought honor and power, and even fell prey to envy and jealousy.

When drinking, Hildegard often felt the stark reality that she was no different from anyone else—just another human being. The flavor and aroma of good wine, along with the effects of alcohol, gave her a sense of being alive.

As a clergy member, she had to stay sober during her duties, but in her private time, she always enjoyed a drink.

‘Come to think of it, many high-ranking clergy members have strange quirks.’

The reasons were endless. The long struggle against evil demons, the frustrating and incomprehensible people of the secular world, the days of training and devotion spent chipping away at one’s own edges and roots. Living such a life, it was no wonder quirks developed.

‘Perhaps those quirks are habits formed to preserve one’s humanity in the midst of it all?’

Suddenly, Esiocles came to mind. He was one of those clergy members with quirks. This man, who had a bad habit of wearing minimal clothing, at least had a well-built body worthy of respect. Hildegard thought that was certainly admirable.

‘He must have been a promising genius priest in his youth. How did he end up like that?’

The clergy of the Alps Mountain Range were known as extreme eccentrics among the high-ranking clergy with quirks. Hildegard didn’t want to imagine it, but she inwardly acknowledged that somewhere in the Alps, there might be a female version of Esiocles.

‘Like that spirit.’

The spirit Saraswati, who had been clinging to Esiocles since her summoning, came to Hildegard’s mind. A spirit with a healthy, muscular build and a very sensual chest and pelvis, wearing minimal clothing.

‘How obscene…!’

Though Hildegard was a self-proclaimed heavy drinker, she was relatively conservative when it came to sexual matters. She couldn’t understand how such a spirit could exist. Her own spirit, Ariel, seemed to feel the same.

[……!]

As if sensing what Hildegard was thinking, Ariel clenched her fist in agreement. However, both Hildegard and Ariel knew their objections were meaningless. Ariel had scolded Esiocles and Saraswati before, but her nagging had no effect on them.

 

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