When I woke up, somethi different, but it took me a mio figure out what; I didn’t feel the engine’s vibration. When I went to the saloon, I gnced out the window and saw that we were in a marina, whipletely fused me. I saw Mahya sitting on the boat’s front deck, approached her, and asked, “Where are we?”

  “Yakushima.”

  “How? I ’t possibly have slept for five days!” I excimed.

  “No, you slept four or five hours.”

  “So, how did we get here? Acc to our calcutions, it should have taken us five or six days.”

  “When we did the calcutions, we based it only on sails, knowing we wouldn’t always have the right wind, and use the engine only to enter and leave a marina. With the new engine, we sail with it non-stop, and I don’t know what you did to the boat at night, but it is even faster,” she expined, looking proud.

  “What is our speed?” I asked, leaning against the railing.

  “I ’t gauge it because of mana interference, but I estimate we were traveling at around twenty-five knots yesterday, increasing to twenty-seven knots. We reach thirty knots if we go all out on the engiually, the wind will cooperate, and we might go even faster,” she said, gesturing towards the horizon.

  I looked at her with wide eyes. This was the speed of a rge cruise ship, not a small sailboat.

  “Why are you so surprised? Did I not say that my baby erfect? I’m sidering renaming her ‘Wave Dancer.’ She needs a hat captures how amazing she is,” Mahya decred, patting the deck of the boat affeately.

  “I’m totally on board with ging the name. ‘Dixie Doodle’ sounds ridiculous,” I said with a ugh. “If we’re going that fast, we do some sightseeing in Yakushima and even sail through Guam to check the Gate there. On sed thought, we could hop and visit a few isnds along the way.”

  “Do we have time for that? There’s a Traveler on his way to Las Vegas,” she reminded me.

  “Once we make ndfall, I shall sult the mystical Google Maps to chart our course,” I said, mimig a dramatic pose. She ughed and gave me a thumbs-up.

  Whe off the boat, I found a lovely cafe close to the marina, opened my puter, and started doing calcutions.

  “Let’s see, the Traveler will set sail in een days, and the voyage will st ten days. Twenty-nine days in total. Because he won’t fly, reag Vegas will take ten more days. That gives us thirty-nine days. Add one day for unforeseen deys—our time frame is forty days,” I muttered, typing furiously.

  I searched for exg isnds with a stop in Guam to visit the Gate and started calg distances and sailing speed.

  Okay, one knot is 1.852 km/h, so 27 knots are 50 km/h. Chichi-Jima is 1,186 kilometers away, so it takes about 24 hours—one day off the total. The distance from Chichi-Jima to Guam is 1,523 kilometers, so that will take us a day and a half. Let’s say two days to be on the safe side. We’re down to thirty-seven days. From Guam to Miesia, it’s 1,500 kilometers, so it takes about thirty hours—two days—to be safe. We have thirty-five days left. From Miesia to the Marshall Isnds, it’s 1,000 kilometers, so twenty hours—a full day. We have thirty-four days left. From the Marshall Isnds to Honolulu in Hawaii, it’s 3,900 kilometers, so 78–80 hours, or three days and a bit. Let’s say four days. We have thirty-one days left. From Hawaii to California, it’s 4,100 kilometers, so about eighty-five hours, or three and a half days—say, four days. One more day to get to Vegas leaves us 26 days to explore the isnds. And if we dey a little, it’s not a big deal.

  Looking at the numbers, I was in awe. She shortened a four-to-six-week voyage to two weeks, with isnds iween, not direct sailing. Mahya wasn’t just an artist but a Magitech wizard. To say that I was deeply impressed would be an uatement; it didn’t even e close to describing what I felt. My admiration for her grew to new heights.

  We still had to practice with the hot-air balloon, and the sea was the perfect pce for it, so I subtracted two days. That left us twenty-four days to explore the isnds.

  Hawaii deserved at least a week, so that left us seventeen days. Two days in Yakushima, two days in Chichi-Jima, and at least three days in Guam. Seven days, which leaves us ten days to visit other isnds. I did a Google search for “Top Things to See in the Northern Mariana Isnds” and added Rota Isnd to the list, along with a visit to Pinatang Park. The other things sounded lovely, but we didn’t have enough time to explore all the isnds.

  Subtrag two days from the total for Rota Isnd, I did a Google search for “Top Things to See in Miesia.” The isnd of Pohnpei souerrifid fun, so I gave it three days. It sounded like the most fun of all the options I found.

  After searg for “Top Things to See in the Marshall Isnds,” I added Arno Atoll and Jaluit to the list, allog five days for it.

  I presehe list to Mahya and Alfonsen. Her rea was, “Great, that sounds fun.” He remarked, “You are well aware of what is desirable.” I must admit that it was o be trusted. It was also a pleasant ge from iating with Lis, although he was right about the need for speed because of the rising mana levels.

  We spent the afternoohe marina and slept iel instead of on the boat. We all o stretch s and experience a space rger than thirty meters. The following day, we visited the isnd and saw the main points of i. We had fun expl Yakusugi Land, hiking among the a cedar trees, and taking in the beauty of Okonotaki Waterfall. In the evening, we enjoyed a fancy di Shiosai with delicious fish dishes. We slept on the boat that night, anticipating an early m departure.

  Mahya took the helm and reminded me I o study the book Lis reended on mana trol to prepare for resg the Traveler. I sat on the back ded started reading. Alfonsen sat o me, and I felt he was stantly fidgeting. I looked at him; he tilted his head this way and that, shook his head, frowned, drummed his fingers on his knee, looked thoughtful, sighed, and once again shook his head. It looked like he was having a deep discussion with himself.

  “Is something b you?” I asked him.

  “I am currently deliberating oher my father should father another child,” Alfonsen replied.

  This guy was making no se wasn’t the first time I didn’t uand him. I raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer. “Isn’t it your dad’s call, not yours?”

  “Uhose ditions, the ultimate decision lies in my hands.”

  “I don’t uand,” I admitted, shaking my head slightly.

  “The details of our family history are rather intricate, and I’d prefer not to bore you with them.”

  “We still have a whole day until we reach Chichi-Jima. I handle some b stuff,” I said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Our family’s aral roots do not lie in Leylos. Rather, we inate from a very high mana world, hence our dual-mana system. Roughly two thousand years ago, one of my forefathers, an aplished Traveler, embarked on a search for a suitable pce to establish roots. Upon his arrival in Leylos, he developed a liking for that world. After aended exploration period, he discovered an uncimed wilderness region with numerous dungeons. In lieu of clearing the dungeons and obtaining the cores, he established defensive measures adjat to the dungeons and enced charging an admissiohis id the foundation for the kingdom of Mirbit,” Alfonsen expined, sounding bitter and frustrated.

  “As a result, my family established a in which the chosen heir sets off to travel for a maximum of ten years, sidering the time leaps, aurns to Leylos with newfouh and knowledge before taking on the royal position. A male heir is required to ehe tinuation of the Gate Traveler’s abilities.

  “There have been multiple occurrehroughout history where the heir to the thro and decided against returning. If this happens, the king must ehe birth of another male child who will serve as the rightful heir to the throne.

  “Two of my brothers remain unfamiliar to me, with one being approximately y years my senior and the other approximately thirty-five years my senior. Despite being the designated heirs to the throhey opted against returning. Ohis situation arose, the guidance promptly notified my father that he no longer had an heir, pelling him to resume his efforts to ceive a male child. At this moment, I find myself deliberating whether to go back or renounce my heir title, opting io embark on further journeys,” Alfonsen finished, his expression flicted.

  “Have you tried making a list?”

  “A list?” he echoed, looking puzzled.

  “Write all the advantages and disadvantages. Not just for you but also for your father and your kingdom. See what is best for all parties.”

  “ you help me?”

  “Yeah, sure,” I replied with a reassuring smile. I grabbed a pen and paper, divided it in half, and prompted him, “Let’s begin with the pros.”

  “The respite from the weight of responsibility on my shoulders, which occasionally feels like a crushing force,” Alfonsen began, his shoulders rexing slightly.

  I wrote, “No more burden of responsibility,” and asked, “What else?”

  “I won’t have to tolerate the enviro within the pace,” he said, a look of distaste crossing his face.

  “What’s wrong with the atmosphere in the pace?”

  “My father has five wives–”

  Shocked, I interrupted and asked, “Five! How does he mahat?!”

  “He is not. Moreover, I am part of a family with seven sisters who have taken sides, leading to a silent guerril warlike ambiahin the pace. It is depressing,” Alfonsen expined, his voice heavy with resignation.

  “How’s your dad handling it?”

  “His facade of obliviousness masks a calcuted retreat. He deftly jures urgent kingdom matters when embroiled in their disputes, disappearing for weeks at a time,” Alfonsen said, shaking his head in frustration.

  “Sounds awful,” I muttered, feeling a pang of sympathy.

  “The depths of its horror elude imagination. Additionally, opposing their perspectives incurs severe disapproval, deepening the existing divide within the family,” he tinued, his expression grim.

  I shuddered just thinking about it. That sounded horrible!

  I wrote, “Ao the guerril war.”

  “What else?”

  “I will have the opportunity to indulge in my physieeds without the tinuous obligation to secure an heir and stant reminders about propriety,” he said, his tone softening slightly.

  I wrote, “Freedom to explore sexuality,” and looked up at him.

  “You do not care?” he asked, his eyes searg mine.

  “No, I couldn’t care less,” I replied with a shrug.

  “You are a good man, John.”

  “Thanks, you’re not bad yourself—when you get that stick out of your ass,” I said with a grin.

  He started ughing loudly, and it took him a few mio calm down.

  “What else?” I asked, enjoying the lighter mood.

  He wiped away tears and said, “I truly pursue my is rather than tradition and straints.”

  I wrote, “Freedom to pursue is.” “What else?” I prompted.

  “See the universe, not just what I manage in a few years.”

  I wrote, “See the worlds.” “What else?” I asked, noting the growihusiasm in his voice.

  “Progress at my pace, without stant pressure to collect as many Trait points as possible, because it will be much more difficult after that.”

  I wrote, “Take your time.” “What else?”

  “I think that is all.”

  “Okay, how will this decision be your father or your kingdom?”

  “Maybe my father will finally take care of the situation at home and stop ign it. And the kingdom will be from someone who wants to be king and does not see it as a burden or a punishment.”

  I wrote, “Daddy faces the mess at home. A kingdom gets a beneficial king.” “Anything else?” I asked.

  “No, that is all,” he said, nodding.

  “So, now we’ll move on to the s. What siderations do you have against this decision?”

  He started ting on his fingers. “It is my duty. I promised to return. If I decide not to return, I will lose my [Monarch (in training)] css.”

  “Let’s put the duty and the promise aside for a moment. What happens if you lose the [Monarch (in training)] css?”

  “I’ll lose all the progress points I’ve earned.”

  “Hooints are we talking about?”

  “Each level of the css grants seven points, and I am currently at level three. Instead of allog the points, I verted them into ability points. I reserved three, allog one for the Mana Shield spell purchase. Renoung the css will result in losing those points, but it is not a problem with workshops. heless, there is a possibility of forfeiting the Mana Shield spell, which could potentially be interpreted by the Guidance as spell version and subsequently prevent its reacquisition,” Alfonsen expined, his expression serious.

  “You’re a Heavy Warriht?” I asked, remembering our previous versation on the subject.

  “Yes.”

  “I remember Lis and Mahya talking about a stone shield, stone armor, or something like that. Mahya didn’t want to buy it because she depends on her Agility, but for you, it could be an excellent substitute.”

  His eyes became unfocused, and after a few minutes, he excimed, “Here it is. I believe it will be effective. Although it reduces Agility by five points, I pensate by verting an ability point into five Trait points and adding them to Agility to maintain equilibrium.”

  “Excellent. So, I’m not adding it to the list, am I?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  “What other reasons do you have against it?” I asked, returning to the list.

  “My father will have to deal with the situation at home alone,” he said, sounding guilty.

  “Here, I don’t think you’re right. It’s not your responsibility to deal with it; it’s his. He created this situation, and you were the victim of it. I don’t think you should feel obligated to deal with it.”

  He sighed and said, “I know. He said he trusted me to be ed to free him up for his wives.”

  “That’s unfair. There’s always a way to make time. He seems to avoid fag the situation and es up with excuses. Do you foresee aive impa your kingdom if you choose not to return?”

  “Maybe my new brother will be against the idea even more than I am,” he admitted, looking down.

  “That’s his problem, not yours. A kingdom often be from a king who doesn’t want to rule. Acc to history, kings who wao rule usually desired more and more power. Someone who doesn’t want to rule is usually more rexed. Anything else?”

  He took a deep breath and released it in a whoosh. “It feels profoundly unfair. My aor traveled for over 300 years before settling in Leylos. He epitomized the spirit of a Traveler as he ventured into the vast expanse of the universe. As his desdants, we are now strained with the duty of tending to a kingdom that holds no appeal for us, impeding our ability to explore freely.”

  He grabbed his hair in two fists and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “He had the freedom to roam, to discover new worlds, to live a life unburdened by the straints of duty. By choosing his own path, he carved out his destiny. A, because of his final decision to settle aablish this kingdom, we are now ed to a legacy that limits us.”

  He got up and ched his fists, his knuckles turning white. “Every day, I feel the weight of expectations pressing down ohe endless responsibilities, the stant surveilnce. I o at for every a, for every word. Should I dispy even a hint of a smile towards a man, he promptly disappears from the paever to be seen again. The frustration gnaws at me, knowing I could be out there, expl, learning, growing—just as he did.”

  He sat down again and sighed. “Instead, I am fio a role I never wanted, perf duties that drain my spirit," he said, sounding sad aed. "Add to that the tinuous gueril warfare between my father’s wives and my sisters. I am metaphorically fined within a vishly adorned cage, where the boundless expanse of the sky remaiually out of my reach, surrounded by angry beasts. The legacy of exploration and discovery he embodied feels like a distant dream. We are bound by duties that stifle our potential, and it breaks my heart to think that tradition and obligation snuffed out the adventurous spirit that defined our lineage.”

  He looked at me, his eyes pleading for uanding. “Do you see, John? The very thing that made our family great—the freedom to explore, to choose our path—is now deo us. It is a stark and unfortunate irony, a harsh twist of fate. It evokes a deep sense of frustration and longing for a life that may forever elude me.”

  I wrote, “Unfair legacy restri.” “Anything else?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then go over the list. You have to choose: freedom or duty? You’re the one who gets to make the call. Looking at the list, it’s clear that it boils down to this. So you o decide what’s more important to you,” I said, handing him the paper.

  Alfoook the list, his eyes sing the words. “It is a dilemma that challehe very core of my being,” he murmured, his firag the edges of the paper. He sighed again. “I have always felt a deep sense of duty, instilled in me since birth. Yet, the call of freedom and exploration is strong. The thought of being tied down, uo see the universe as my aor once did, fills me with dread,” he fessed, his voice trembling slightly.

  “It’s a tough choio doubt about it,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “But sometimes you’ve got to think about what’s best for you in the long run. I mean, your aor had the freedom to choose, right? So why ’t you?”

  “Thank you, John. Your perspective has given me much to sider. I shall take this time to reflect deeply on ath I should choose.”

  “Take all the time you need, Alfonsen. Just remember, whatever decision you make, it should be one you won’t regret,” I said, giving him a supportive smile.

  He nodded once more, then stood up, clutg the list tightly. “I shall retire to my to pte further. Your sel has been invaluable, my friend,” he said formally before heading towards his .

  I watched him go, feeling relieved that he was finally sidering his happiness, ao repce Mahya at the helm.