A journey to another world starting from a sword

Our usual actions are less about giving orders and more about guiding them, guiding them to make good use of the valuable time in the early stages.

The reason Lisbeth and Lingyin are allowed to open their shops in the afternoon is because players who have been busy all day will return to the main street to rest in the afternoon, and at this time their backpacks will be full of loot that needs to be processed. It is the best time to earn the Cor they have hunted today.

But if they have other things they want to do in the afternoon, Dante will not force them to do anything.

Because he didn't expect them to earn much money, even though players in production professions could really make a lot of money, especially later on, when the cost of having a blacksmith use special materials to forge custom weapons could easily start at hundreds of thousands of Cor.

In Dante's eyes, this was at most a supplement to their household income. After all, they were just a small guild and wouldn't buy a huge castle worth hundreds of millions of kor as their guild headquarters like large guilds.

They must be so bored they don't have any money to spend. If they took out those hundreds of millions of Cor, they could train countless mid-level players, and the strategy team wouldn't just be a mere one or two hundred people. And those two big guilds, the Blood Oath Knights and the Holy Dragon Alliance, are only thinking about buying houses?!

In short, what mattered most to him was that Liz and Lingyin's skill proficiency had increased, and that their team had secured a source of equipment.

“Hmm, Dante.” Lingyin chuckled cutely twice.

It seems she works at a maid café in real life. I suddenly feel curious to see what she looks like in a maid outfit...

"So, is Lingyin troubled by something?" Asuna took a step forward, standing slightly behind Dante, and tugged at her purple cloak as she spoke.

“No, rather than troubled.” Lingyin hesitated for a few seconds before slowly opening her mouth.

“I want to fight on the front lines,” she said, expressing her deepest desire.

"Huh?" Asuna and Dante looked at each other in silence.

"No, no, I didn't mean I hate being a blacksmith." Thinking the two had misunderstood her words, Lingyin hurriedly gestured with her hands to explain.

"I quite enjoy learning these crafting skills in the game. The feeling of forging blocks into unique weapons is also great; it's always a fresh experience, almost like playing a gacha game. But..."

She paused, then glanced at Lisbeth, who was forging armor for Agil, and said, "I don't want to be a blacksmith who can only protect himself. I want to stand on the front lines with Dante and Asuna."

“Hey~” Lingyin’s words made Dante raise one eyebrow, then spread his hands with his well-defined knuckles. “I understand. I will seriously consider your opinion.”

"Wow, that sounds like official rhetoric," Asuna muttered, then took two steps forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Dante, her tone serious. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

Dante reached out to stop Lingyin, who looked terrified and was about to say something, and said to Asuna, "Hey, there's no need for that."

Then he said to Lingyin, "Because the equipment of players in the early stages has a short shelf life, everyone will frequently change equipment during this period. I hope you can take this opportunity to improve your skill proficiency as much as possible. As for your wish to fight with us, I will arrange for Mit to take you with me as much as possible."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and said with a smile, "We'll have a boss battle to fight soon."

"What Boss?" Agil, with his sharp ears, turned to Dante while waiting. "I think someone just mentioned a Boss."

“Yes, there’s a boss blocking our way called ‘Two-Headed Ancient Giant Turtle.’ I plan to take it down before the main force arrives,” Dante said with a smile.

"A trailblazer, need some help?" Agil smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“Of course I need it,” Dante replied without hesitation. “But you need to complete the task of building the ship first.”

"A ship? Ah! That's the one they were watching at the dock, right? Wow, there are still people watching it now." With his arms crossed, Agil turned to look at the players who were still gathered in a semi-circle. He had found out that the ship belonged to the players when he disembarked from that side.

"Right?" Asuna beamed with joy at the compliment. "The two of us are..."

"Aegir, I've finished crafting your breastplate." Suddenly, Lisbeth's voice came from the carpet.

"Oh, okay—" Agil hurriedly returned to Lisbeth's side, feeling a little nervous, after all, this was her first piece of armor to be crafted.

"Since there were some materials left over, I made them into extra attachments, which means a shoulder armor for the right shoulder. By the way, there isn't one for the left shoulder," Lisbeth reminded her.

"Hahaha, this is nothing." Agil retracted his breastplate, seemingly quite satisfied, and then equipped it directly.

However, it seemed he was quite busy on his own. After paying Lisbeth's wages, Agil prepared to leave. Before leaving, he didn't forget to say goodbye to Dante, telling him to contact him anytime, as he was always available.

"Ha." After everyone had gone far away, Dante looked at his two blacksmith girls again. "Wait, when Mitt and Silica come back, let's have a meal together at the Mermaid Restaurant on the west side of Robia."

Automatically filtering out meals as meetings, Lisbeth nodded and said, "There's still some time, isn't there?"

"Hmm..." Dante thought for a moment and turned to Asuna, "Should we try some other snacks from the food stalls?"

“Okay!” Asuna clasped her hands together and readily agreed.

"......" "......"

"Aren't we going to have dinner later?!" Lisbeth and Lingyin thought to themselves in unison.

An hour later, at six o'clock, the afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the sky above Lop Nur, the golden light intertwining with the azure water to create a dreamlike scene.

The streets of the water city began to quiet down as dusk fell, with only a few players strolling leisurely by. Their footsteps echoed on the stone pavement before quickly dissipating in the gentle breeze.

"Wow~ This is our own boat!" Lingyin exclaimed when she saw the boat docked in front of the almost deserted pier.

On the pier, a pure black gondola rested quietly at the dock. Its prow was adorned with exquisite carvings, and the hull featured gilded lines as decoration, giving it a rustic yet luxurious feel. The seats were covered with soft, lustrous red velvet cushions, shimmering with an air of nobility. The setting sun cast its golden rays upon the gondola.

"Huh? Isn't there a boatman?" Lisbeth asked, puzzled, as she watched Dante untie the rope tied to the stone pillar.

"Boatman? There's no such thing." Dante laughed a few times.

"Nothing...? Then... how do you move the ship?" Faced with a situation where even the strategy guide didn't record anything, Lisbeth couldn't help but become curious.

"Does that need to be said?"

After saying this, Dante jumped onto the boat first, picked up the long pole placed on the boat, and steadily steered the boat with the pole.

"My three beautiful ladies, would you like me to show you around this romantic water city of Robia?"

He placed his right hand on his chest, bowed his head, and greeted the man like a polite gentleman.

Seeing this scene, Lingyin and Lisbeth, who were standing there in astonishment, felt a surge of excitement.

Finally, they boarded the gondola together. Asuna sat alone in the back, while Lisbeth and Lingyin sat in the front, so they could better enjoy the scenery in front and on both sides.

It's a completely different experience from riding on an NPC's boat. The most obvious change is the curtains on the seats, which are much softer than those on the NPCs' boats, making sitting on them feel like a real treat.

They chatted quietly from time to time, but mostly they were silently admiring the scenery. In this atmosphere, their minds and bodies were drawn to the unique charm of the city.

Dante skillfully maneuvered the oars, navigating the gondola through the narrow waterways and avoiding other boats and obstacles.

With each stroke of the oar, ripples spread across the water, as if telling the story of the city of Robia.

The gondola passed by a series of ancient bridges, some tall, some low, some made of stone, some made of wood, but all exuding a strong sense of history.

Many players walking on the bridge stopped immediately upon seeing them, looking with great curiosity at the tourists on the gondola and... the gondolier.

This was the first time they had ever seen a gondola operated by a player.

The gondola continued its journey, passing through small squares and churches, some ornate and some simple, but all with a unified architectural style that was pleasing to the eye.

"We've arrived." Finally, Dante maneuvered the gondola to a quiet little dock.

"We're here already," Lisbeth said regretfully, then reluctantly moved her bottom off the seat.

"Hey, can we ride this back later?" Lingyin asked excitedly. "Since this ship is ours, it means we can go outside the city."

"Oh!" Lisbeth immediately realized what was happening, and at the same time stared expectantly at Dante who had jumped ashore.

“Just tell me whenever you want to go out and play,” Dante said, tilting his head with a serious yet handsome expression. “And after we defeat the Boss ‘Two-Headed Ancient Turtle,’ I’ll prepare a surprise.”

"What surprise?"

I initially thought it would be Liz who couldn't hold back first, but it turned out to be Asuna who spoke up.

"It's a secret." Dante blinked softly and put his finger to his lips.

Chapter 98: The Smuggling of the Fallen Elves

"Hey, Tilnel, what does that name mean?" Lingyin stared at the name "Tilnel" written in elegant script on the side of the ship for a long time before finally asking.

"Where is it? Where is it?" Lisbeth craned her neck and looked around. She found it in a few seconds because the ship's name was written in a very conspicuous place.

"Yes, I originally wanted to name it after the guild." Asuna explained the origin of the name, which came from the name of the sister of Miss Kismer, an important NPC she met on the third floor, who died on the battlefield.

Then he pointed to the man in front of him, "Dante said it would be better to use this name."

“Asuna, you agreed too.” Pulling on the ship's mooring rope, Dante knelt on one knee on the pier. “If it were in my style, it would probably be named the Jackdaw, the Black Pearl, or…”

"The Argo?" Asuna chuckled.

Although she didn't recognize the first two ship names, based on her knowledge of Dante, she knew they must be ship names with a romantic flavor from some of his works.

The name Argo is actually derived from a ship in ancient Greek legend that carried fifty Greek heroes to the Sacred Grove of Ares in Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

“Well…actually, I don’t have much of a liking for Jason, the Greek hero.” Dante also let out a hearty laugh.

"Is it really okay to just leave it here like this?" Lisbeth asked, watching Dante tie the rope to the pier and glancing around at the deserted dock.

“According to the instructions, only the holder can take the ship.” Dante bowed his head, tied a knot in the rope, stood up, and clapped his hands.

"What about the durability?" Lingyin asked worriedly from the other side. "What if someone damages it..."

"The Tirnier isn't indestructible in principle, but outside the safe zone, it seems its durability can be reduced by attacks from large monsters, collisions with obstacles, or battles with other ships. However, if you have woodworking skills or ask a shipwright for help, you can restore the reduced durability," Asuna explained, having read the instructions several times.

"Eh..." Lingyin exclaimed in admiration, beginning to look forward to what it would feel like to ride it into battle. However, the battle would take place on the water, and if the boat capsized... just thinking about it was a little terrifying.

“Let’s go in first.” Asuna pointed to the elegantly decorated building in front of her and walked towards it first.

There's a big sign above the shop that says "Mermaid".

However, there are no such fairytale creatures on this floor. Perhaps it is only because the fourth floor is the first water-themed floor that the game design team gave the restaurant a fairytale-like name.

“According to Argo, this restaurant wasn’t even in the closed beta; it seemed to be a bakery back then,” Dante said, walking slowly at the back, still somewhat immersed in the afterglow of what had just happened.

Pushing open the heavy oak door reveals a soft and warm space.

A beautiful oil painting hangs on the wall, depicting travelers sailing a boat, seemingly telling a story of the past.

The slender dining table was made of fine walnut wood, with a snow-white linen cloth covering the tabletop. The silver cutlery was neatly arranged in its place, reflecting tiny specks of light.

Each chair is covered with soft velvet cushions, providing diners with extra comfort, and even the decorative vase in the corner holds a bouquet of fresh roses.

"Wow...is this so luxurious? Shouldn't we wear formal attire?" Lisbeth clicked her tongue.

Adventurers, to be honest, are just mercenaries who explore, and it seems that someone with that identity shouldn't be staying here.

“There’s no need for that,” Dante said helplessly from the back.

"Hehehe..." Asuna chuckled, "We're just having a meal. If it's going to be more formal, let's think about it some more."

"Let me think about it," Dante shrugged, "that is to say, not necessarily." He followed them into the store.

They chose a long table for six people. Dante and Asuna sat on the inside, Lingyin sat to Dante's right, and Lisbeth sat to Asuna's left.

They decided to wait a little while for Mitsu and Silica, and in the meantime, Asuna reached for the folded menu on the table.

The menu only lists two appetizers, two main courses, and four drinks, which reduces the hassle of choosing.

Dante then revealed information from someone else: "According to Argo, the menu at this restaurant changes daily, and what you get depends on your luck that day."

“Robia should be an Italian-style town, so the food should be Italian too,” Asuna said, sliding her finger across the menu.

“It must have been inspired by a real town,” Dante said, tapping the table with his finger.

At least this town called "Robia" has a strong sense of reality.

The doorbell rang.

Silica, who was the first to walk in, waved to him when she saw him.

"Dante!"

"Oh," Dante replied casually from his seat. "Thank you for your hard work."

Half of this statement was directed at Mitt, who was standing behind him.

"It's alright." Mite replied calmly, with his usual cool expression, then surveyed his surroundings. "Was there a restaurant like this before?"

“No, Argo just happened to find it. It’s supposedly the most expensive restaurant in Robias.” Dante said, leaning back in his chair and spreading his hands.

"How many times have you said it already?" Asuna said, tapping his arm with the back of her hand.

"Well, I've never been here before, but if Argo recommended it, this place must have some merit." Dante chuckled and shook his head.

"Would you like to switch seats?" Lingyin, who was sitting down, noticed that Silica was staring at her. She thought for a moment and then asked.

"N-nothing." Silica blushed instantly and hurriedly shook her head and hands.

"Hahaha......"

The appetizers were a salad made with special fruits and vegetables on the fourth tier and a seafood platter. According to the menu, they should be stir-fried octopus with potatoes, shrimp with Kalana sauce, and mussels cooked with tomatoes, served with a pale yellow mead.

Appetizers are usually served in small portions, but this restaurant served them very generously, which made Dante understand why Argo recommended it.

The main dishes included pan-fried seafood: two open pan-fried fish with crispy skin, two large, chewy shrimp, and corn cakes with a strong corn flavor.

Another option is pasta dishes, which seem to offer a variety of different flavors to choose from.