Chapter 388 Salmon Roe

Barracuda Bay was not a natural harbor.

At least in ancient times, it was nowhere near as prosperous as it was now.

Two narrow peninsulas, shaped like the sharp teeth of a barracuda, extended from the coastline. They curved into a perfect arc and nearly met at their tips, leaving an entrance that was relatively narrow compared to the vast ocean beyond.

This created a deep, calm, and open expanse of water within Barracuda Bay, large enough to moor a massive fleet of ships.

However, as if born of the Creator's twisted sense of humor, a natural trap lay buried within this gift.

Right at the convergence of those two barracuda-tooth peninsulas—the dividing line between the calm bay and the turbulent open ocean, and the sole entrance for ships—lay a dense cluster of deadly reefs and hidden currents.

Even the most experienced captains could hardly guarantee safe passage through this area.

Because of this, for a very long time, even with Barracuda Bay's exceptional natural environment, only a few isolated, reclusive sea folk or fishman tribes settled there.

That was until countless years ago.

A Legendary Rank Tier treasure ship from the ancient Elf Kingdom, having survived a brutal war where divine blood rained from the sky, was swept into the bay by the hidden currents. The dark reefs at the entrance became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

It sank into Barracuda Bay in an exceptionally tragic manner.

Most of the crew were claimed by the seemingly endless storms and lightning that had hounded them the entire way, burying them at sea. The few survivors rescued by the local natives all died prematurely, eroded by a curse from the depths of the ocean.

They left behind only a vague legend of a treasure ship carrying riches "enough to buy an entire kingdom."

Perhaps because this Legendary Rank Tier ship was destroyed in such a tragic way, the massive storms and lightning made people think of the great existence that protected these waters;

or perhaps the curse upon the surviving crew was simply so horrifying that the locals subconsciously kept their mouths shut, afraid to discuss anything related to it for fear of being cursed themselves.

At first, this legend did not spread far across the Aifala Continent or even the nearby seas.

That changed a few centuries ago. During an extreme low tide rarely seen in decades, a destitute sea dweller exiled from his tribe discovered a few pieces of wreckage from that Legendary Rank Tier treasure ship wedged among the exposed reefs, along with several pieces of enchanted gear that still radiated magical light despite soaking in the deep sea for years.

With the sudden disappearance of that sea dweller, and the circulation of the ship's wreckage and enchanted equipment on the black market, the secret spread outward like ripples in a pond.

An ancient secret, a long-lost treasure, and recovered items fetching astronomical prices at black market auctions...

Adventurers, pirates, merchants, fallen nobles... Speculators and outlaws swarmed into Barracuda Bay like sharks to blood.

From the initial makeshift camps to small settlements of canvas tents and crude wooden buildings, Barracuda Bay developed at a breakneck pace, driven by greed.

Naturally, it went through a period of extreme chaos. Its unique geographical position on the coast at the southernmost tip of the Servia Kingdom even turned it, for a time, into a springboard for the kingdom's fugitives to flee the continent.

It was a motley mix of fish and dragons. Wanted and vicious Adventurers, pirates, cultists, savage foreign races from overseas... almost every evil faction one could imagine haunted the place.

For a long time, Barracuda Bay even bore the monikers "Pickpocket Island" and "Skeleton Islet."

But chaos could not generate wealth sustainably, and the constantly breeding dangers made it impossible for the Servia Kingdom's officials and the various orthodox Churches to sit by and watch any longer.

And so, following a brief but brutally violent suppression, Barracuda Bay was restored to peace.

However, the valuable assets left behind from its period of barbaric growth, along with the reputation it had spread across the continent due to the ancient treasure, were naturally preserved as part of the kingdom and continued to develop.

As for the dangerous reefs and hidden currents at the bay's entrance...

Suffice it to say, when the King of Servia sat on his throne of brilliant gems and fine velvet inside his immensely luxurious palace, casually giving a slight nod to the Barracuda Bay development proposal submitted by his ministers...

those things that dared hinder Barracuda Bay's development were leveled by the powerful Class Holders dispatched by the kingdom, much like the mutilated corpses of outlaws and fugitives in the deep sea.

From bloody chaos to flourishing prosperity.

Now, Barracuda Bay had transformed from an obscure, isolated bay hundreds of years ago into a massive port that brought immense tax revenues to the kingdom every year.

Before setting out, Xia Nan had formed a rough understanding of its past through the Adventurers' Association's records and the highly subjective accounts of tavern patrons.

But since he hadn't experienced it himself, his knowledge wasn't particularly comprehensive or detailed.

As for exactly how prosperous and bustling Barracuda Bay was today, he could now feel it firsthand.

When he and Colin descended the hillside path and set foot on the stone-paved road of the main street...

The first thing to hit them was a complex and massive invisible torrent.

The figures that had just been blurry black dots now possessed solid, tangible bodies radiating body heat and energy.

The sweat-soaked linen clothes of laborers, the thin and silky robes of wealthy merchants, the armor of Adventurers reflecting metallic glints...

There was simply no chance to stop and observe carefully. Like a small boat in a raging river, the two were pushed forward by the crowd.

To be honest, he wasn't exactly unaccustomed to it.

But for Xia Nan, it was hardly a wonderful experience.

His overly robust physique, coupled with his keen Perception, resulted in him picking up far more information than an ordinary person.

He could clearly pick out the crisp shatter of plates from a nearby tavern, the haggling at street stalls, the flute notes of a distant street performer, and the crying of children from amidst the chaotic noise echoing in his ears...

In his nose, besides the increasingly pungent saltiness in the air, was the fishy stench wafting from piled-up seafood stalls, the intense and indescribable pungency from a spice shop, and the burning reek of coal from a blacksmith's forge somewhere...

On a visual level, it required considerable control to prevent the chaotic scenes before him from completely consuming his attention.

The densely packed houses were like two colorful walls that completely blocked off both sides of the street. Even the sky overhead was draped with laundry hung out to dry on bamboo poles from the second floors.

It was as if not a single inch of space here could be wasted; the outer walls were plastered in overlapping layers with wanted posters, missing person notices, and various advertisements.

If Xia Nan hadn't reined in his Perception right then, and instead expanded it outward to observe the details as he usually did, his brain would have likely smoked from overwork, entering a red-hot overloaded state.

Casually swatting away a tender hand in the crowd that was reaching for the pocket at Colin's waist, Xia Nan pulled the young man closer, telling him to stick tight and be careful not to get lost.

His gaze fell upon the children weaving through the legs of adults like mice in the crowd, occasionally "borrowing" a wallet or two from careless travelers, and he frowned slightly.

Xia Nan keenly observed that their targets were usually ordinary people dressed relatively simply. They rarely touched the luxuriously dressed local merchants, and they wouldn't even dare approach an Adventurer like himself.

There was no doubt about it; just like Rivervale Town and Nym, Barracuda Bay had its own ecosystem.

These young but exceptionally skilled and nimble little pickpockets had clearly undergone professional training and had some sort of organization hiding behind them.

Having just arrived and being unfamiliar with the place and the people, it was best for him to get involved as little as possible for now.

"Your Uncle 'Paddy's' shop should be right on this street, right?" Xia Nan asked.

The corners of his mouth turned down, adding a touch of chilling sharpness to his already stern features. Combined with his black hair, black eyes, and the dark metallic gear he was currently wearing, Xia Nan exuded an icy, unapproachable aura.

Even those shady gazes in the crowd that had originally been circling Colin subconsciously turned away, not daring to look any closer.

"It's just up ahead, Mr. Xia Nan," Colin replied.

"But maybe... we still need to take two turns? I haven't been here either, so let's look for it first."

Feeling the frigid aura coming from beside him, Colin subconsciously shivered.

Knowing that the older man was doing this to help them avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble, the youth spoke with a hint of gratitude, recalling the directions earnestly.

His uncle Paddy had left home many years ago. Although he occasionally had passing merchant caravans deliver letters, coins, and supplies to subsidize the family in the village, it had been years since they last saw each other, to the point that even the man's face had grown faint in Colin's memory.

Even though he knew his exact address, the youth still seemed uncertain right now, terrified of making a mistake.

The bustling prosperity of Barracuda Bay far exceeded Colin's expectations.

This naive youth, who had lived in a remote village since childhood, was incredibly out of his element after suddenly arriving in such a place, even feeling a faint sense of dread deep down.

'Mr. Xia Nan has already brought me safely to Barracuda Bay, completing his commission. If, if... I end up not being able to find Uncle Paddy...'

'Won't I have to stay here all alone...'

Colin didn't have time to worry too much.

The next second, the stern, chilling, yet safe and reliable tall figure in front of him had already pushed through the crowd ahead and continued onward.

He didn't dare get distracted, terrified of getting lost in the dense crowd around him.

Focusing his attention, he quickly hurried after him.

...

...

The address Colin provided was accurate.

However, because the buildings in the Barracuda Bay port area were so densely packed, the shop was extremely difficult to find, causing the two to wind through various narrow alleys and short streets for a long time.

But ultimately, it took over half an hour of navigating a complicated route.

They finally found the grocery shop named "Salmon Roe," supposedly run by the youth's Uncle Paddy, at the corner of a remote alley deep within the port.

Although it felt a bit impolite, Xia Nan still had to admit it: he didn't think a shop opened in such an obscure, forgotten corner would get any business.

The alley on their way here was incredibly narrow. If two slightly burly sailors tried to walk side by side, their shoulders would likely scrape the grime off the walls on both sides.

Mixed with an increasingly pungent fishy stench, the air was musty and damp. Water from an unknown source seeped out from the stone crevices at the base of the walls, making the already uneven stone-paved road even more slippery and muddy.

Unless it was someone like Xia Nan, who knew in advance that there was a grocery shop here and had specifically set it as his destination...

...otherwise, he didn't think any traveler or merchant would endure such a convoluted path and such a harsh, filthy environment just to spend money there.

Unless they were lost...

Looking as if it hadn't been maintained in a long time, even the grocery shop's signboard—which bore the faint charcoal drawing of a salmon and its roe—had been blurred by the damp air. It was nailed to the wall with a single, heavily rusted iron nail, swaying slightly in the wind and letting out a creaking sound.

The two wooden doors did look somewhat decent. Assembled from recycled ship planks, they appeared designed to mimic a certain nautical style. This self-deceptively made the mottled marks on their surfaces, caused by a lack of maintenance, look as though they were a deliberate part of the aesthetic.

Reaching out to pat the shoulder of the somewhat nervous-looking Colin beside him, Xia Nan took the initiative to step forward and push open the grocery shop's door.

"Ding-a-ling..."

Accompanied by the stiff scraping of the door hinges, a crisp bell rang out in the room.

Unexpectedly, the environment inside the grocery shop was quite nice.

Perhaps some special incense was used, but the fishy stench and musty dampness of the alleyway outside were masked by a crisp, clean fragrance. To a certain extent, it also reduced the damp, sticky feeling in the air, making it much more comfortable overall.

Bundles of dried seaweed hung from the roof beams, beneath which was a hanging bronze lamp radiating a gentle light. The walls were lined with various sundries: heavy rusted metal boat hooks, frayed rope knots, fragments of sea charts...

The wooden shelves on the other side were crammed with clay pots and glass bottles, containing coral fragments, colored sand, and unknown, suspicious powders.

Right in front, directly facing the door, was a wooden counter fashioned from the remains of a scrapped small boat.

Its surface was polished to a high shine, and right in the center sat a large glass jar filled with condensation and a transparent liquid. A layer of white sand covered the bottom of the jar, with a few crystal-clear, pale pink fish roe—seemingly treated with some special process—resting inside it.

The grocery shop wasn't large, and these items almost completely filled every corner.

Curled up on a recliner behind the counter was a tall, slender figure. With more than half of their body hidden in the shadows, they looked even more obscure and indistinct beneath the bright light overhead.

He could only see that the person was draped in a large, flaxen-colored cloak, and a pair of hands wrapped in leather gloves was holding a heavily worn old book, seemingly engrossed in it.

'Wait... what is that?'

Xia Nan's gaze pierced through the dimness and landed on the edge of the figure's hood.

There, a lock of silver hair slipped down the edge of the hood, and amidst the strands, two sharp, slender ears—distinct from those of an ordinary human—faintly revealed themselves.

'An Elf?'

'Aren't they an ancient race living on the other side of the continent? Why would one be at the southernmost tip of the Servia Kingdom?'

Thoughts spun in his mind, but Xia Nan's expression remained perfectly composed.

Behind him, Colin, who had just walked in, didn't notice the anomaly hidden beneath the hood. Looking at the empty storefront and the figure reclining on the chair, he looked a bit flustered.

Taking a deep breath, the youth forcefully pushed down his nervousness. He stepped forward, approached the counter, and asked softly with a probing tone, "Excuse me, is Uncle Paddy... is Mr. Paddy Brown here?"

"My name is Colin Brown. I'm his nephew from Rivervale Town. My mother..."

The youth's voice echoed in the quiet grocery shop, carrying obvious apprehension and hope.

However, the figure on the recliner acted as if they hadn't heard him. They maintained their posture, and not even the hands holding the book trembled in the slightest, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.

Colin's words faltered. He looked back at Xia Nan behind him, seemingly at a loss for what to do.

Just as Xia Nan was about to step forward and observe the situation up close...

"Snap."

The sound of the old book closing was exceptionally clear in the silence.

The figure on the recliner slowly sat up straight, lowered the book in their hands, and raised a face largely obscured by the hood.

Under the dim light, the eyes hidden in the shadows quietly studied the two people at the counter.