On the plate were clams in garlic olive oil and a seared steak. The side dish was still boiled kelp and the like, seasoned with just a sprinkle of salt.
The Adventurers around them were still chatting about their experiences from all over the world, including many stories about other planes.
After all this time, Colin could now calmly listen to their fantastic adventures as if they were just short stories.
Listening to these Adventurers chat also helped broaden his horizons.
With these adventure stories to accompany his meal, Colin picked up the small spoon on his plate, scooped up a few clams, and popped them into his mouth.
With a soft SLURP, he sucked the meat and the flavor from the shells before spitting them aside.
The clams had been boiled first, then tossed with seasonings and olive oil. They had a faint olive aroma and were quite tasty.
As for the steak, it was an ordinary steak seasoned with black pepper.
The meat was about medium-rare, not tough to chew, and had a faint, milky aroma.
After eating, Colin went back out on deck to gaze at the distant White Tower.
Kase, who had nothing better to do, and Ale, who didn’t want to talk to the Brass Dragon, came over to watch as well.
Colin suddenly felt a gentle tug on his pinky finger.
He turned to see Ale standing behind him.
From Colin’s perspective, he could only see the top of her head, but he could tell she had her head bowed slightly.
"Sirikxia said there have been signs of Dragon Worship Cult activity in the south recently. It seems they became active right after I left the Silver Star Court," Ale said.
There was a hint of self-blame in the Half-Elf’s voice.
"What’s the big deal? Even if you had stayed at the Silver Star Court, you couldn’t have changed anything. Even with us, we can’t change the big picture. We’re just a bunch of small fries. We don’t have the power to alter the situation, at least not yet."
Colin glanced at the small, blond head.
The sea breeze gently rustled her golden hair, each strand shimmering in the sunlight.
Ale didn’t reply, just kept her head lowered in silence.
Colin spoke again. "We still owe you a quest."
Ale looked up at him. Seeing he wasn’t joking, her expression relaxed considerably.
She lightly clasped and unclasped her hands behind her back, her toes rising and falling slightly. Then she turned her head, her gaze shifting to the pristine white tower that was slowly drawing nearer.
To the sound of waves lapping against the hull, the White Tower on the coastline seemed to slowly approach the ship.
Colin, too, was gradually getting a clearer view of this tall tower, a symbol of knowledge.
The White Tower was built on a massive reef by the coast.
The white marble walls blended seamlessly with the white reef below, making it look as though the entire structure had been built up from the seabed.
The main white spire, hundreds of meters tall, was far more magnificent than the Black Tower in Thousand Masts City.
It was encircled by two layers of walls. At its sharp peak flickered a huge white Light Ball. Inside the Light Ball was a dark shadow, making it resemble an eyeball.
In addition, eight smaller spires stood guard around it.
They were connected by the city walls, looking no different from the fortifications of a sturdy fortress, except for the many smaller turrets that floated in mid-air around them, rotating in a regular pattern as a faint Magic Radiance constantly flickered.
A tower like this, if it were to suddenly appear in a plain full of fields, would be even more visually striking than a skyscraper in a city.
Moving his gaze downward, Colin saw a collection of disorderly houses and a sturdy stone brick dock built on the coast around the White Tower.
Compared to the magnificent ivory-white tower, these houses were something of an eyesore, like barnacles growing on a marble pier.
As he was about to enter this massive structure, hailed as a bastion of knowledge, Colin felt inexplicably nervous.
It was also worth mentioning that the White Tower was the southernmost major settlement in the Northern Lands. Any farther south was the true South.
That region was mostly composed of traditional kingdoms rather than independent city-states, making it a more traditional and conservative area.
To the east of the White Tower was the Holy City, and to the northeast was Rommon, a key hub connecting the east-west trade routes.
Thus, it was situated in a critical borderland, perfectly positioned to connect trade routes from all four directions. In theory, it should be an excellent trade hub.
However, the White Tower couldn’t care less.
The Priests of the Deity of Knowledge living inside wouldn’t stop the surrounding commerce, but they certainly wouldn’t manage it either. Even the settlement at the foot of the White Tower wasn’t governed by it. They were indifferent to everything.
As a result, the profits from the passing trade routes were almost entirely devoured by another city-state a short distance to the north.
En route, Colin had seen that city-state, called "Umberlee’s Trace," from a distance—Umberlee being the name of the Sea Goddess.
It was said that this city, like Mokewick, was a settlement founded by Pirates.
During foggy weather at sea, they would deliberately use lights to guide ships into the coastal reefs, then plunder the cargo and crew from the wrecks. In normal times, they disguised themselves as a regular city-state.
In the beginning, many Adventurers also came to the area around that city-state to hunt monsters.
After making their initial fortune this way, the city-state as a whole began to slowly go legitimate.
The more clever Pirates eliminated their die-hard companions and transformed themselves into famous, investment-savvy merchants. In recent decades, they even successfully joined the Lord Alliance, having cleaned up their act quite thoroughly.
In comparison, Mokewick in the north was a complete failure.
They applied to join the Lord Alliance every year, but they were rejected every year.
"CAW! CAW! CAW!"
A strange cry startled Colin from his thoughts. He turned his head to see a few seagulls circling the edge of the ship.
Seeing that the vessel wasn’t a fishing boat, the birds turned and flew away.
A short while later, the ship had nearly reached the dock.
The sound of workers’ chants from the dock reached his ears, and large flocks of seagulls flew chaotically in the sky.
While the sailors were busy mooring the ship, Durandel, still dressed in his purple robe, stood on the quarterdeck and cleared his throat.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, once the ship is steady, follow this Old Guy inside. The White Tower will arrange accommodations for you. All you need to do then is report the unusual incidents you’ve encountered one by one—and please, be completely truthful."
The old man’s voice was remarkably clear, as if he were speaking right next to their ears.
A few sailors laid a plank between the ship and the dock, and Durandel was the first to stride down it.
Colin and the others hurried to follow.
After the Brass Dragon, who was at the very back of the group, walked off, the Frost Giant tentatively started to make his way off the ship.
The moment he stepped off, the entire ship bobbed up noticeably.
It was a good thing the dock itself was made of stone bricks. If it had been made of wooden planks, the Frost Giant probably would have crushed it with a single step.
Seeing this crowd of oddballs disembark one after another, the workers on the dock all stopped what they were doing and just stood there, staring.
Two fishing boats even collided because they failed to turn in time. The fishermen who fell to their decks didn’t even bother to get up, simply propping themselves up on one hand to keep watching.
For a moment, the dock was in chaos.
Then, several figures in white robes emerged from the crowd.