On the other side, in the cabin where Richard resided, he lay on his bed with his eyelids twitching slightly as his consciousness returned to his body, emerging from meditation.
However, after coming back, he did not open his eyes; instead, he quietly lay in bed, trying to fall asleep again.
A few minutes later, he realized it was futile.
His spiritual strength far surpassed that of an average wizard, making his senses exceptionally sharp. The changes in the free energy elements in the air would take at least a few hours to get used to.
Considering he wouldn’t be able to sleep anytime soon, Richard simply sat up on his bed, thought for a moment, then walked out of his cabin and headed to the deck for some fresh air.
After a moment, Richard reached the deck and could see the deep night around him; the surrounding sea was gloomy, and the moist sea breeze carried a strong salty smell.
Richard walked to the edge of the deck, squinting as he watched the sea water collide with the ship’s hull, taking a deep breath.
At that moment, a voice suddenly rose beside him, warning, "Friend, don’t get so close to the edge of the boat; be careful not to fall off. If you want to enjoy the view, I’d advise you to come to the deck in the early morning or dusk. But if you want to see the most beautiful view, you should wait until just after dusk when there is ample moonlight—that’s when it feels like you’re in a dream. As for now, well, there’s nothing but darkness."
Richard raised an eyebrow, turned his head towards the source of the voice, and spotted a person huddled up, sitting at the gunwale. His face was blue from the cold, motionless, almost blending in with the entire ship; it was indeed difficult to notice him had he not spoken.
Blinking his eyes, Richard walked over for a closer look.
He saw the man dressed in a tattered yellow jacket and wrinkled blue trousers; he looked quite pitiful, hardly better than a beggar.
Yet his demeanor was definitely not that of a beggar; he carried a rare pride, gazing out at the sea, lost in thoughts.
Having heard Richard’s approach, the man didn’t turn his head, continuing to watch the sea, and then began speaking to himself.
"Friend, do you know, my life is a thorough tragedy. Originally, I could have been a small noble, maybe a boring life, but certainly without hardships. Instead, I chose differently, and had a fallout with my family when I became an adult.
I didn’t want to be trapped in one place for life, so I chose to leave home and wander around, determined to experience various interesting things and enrich my experiences. I wanted to understand the entire fascinating world and then write it into stories to let everyone know.
Back then, I naively thought I could make a living from this, become a successful novelist, and make my family see that I was more capable than they imagined. But..."
"Yes, I failed," the down-and-out novelist said with a bitter smile, "I thoroughly failed. I worked hard to write one novel after another, yet no one wanted to read them, and my savings dwindled rapidly, barely sustaining my life. Just then, my family found me and tried to persuade me to return."
"Heh!" Another self-deprecating laugh, "Honestly, back then, if I had abandoned the path I had chosen and returned to my family, I might have lost face, but at least I could have lived out the rest of my life comfortably. But... I always felt that I would rather die than do so. I still want to explore this world!
So I ran away again in the night, far, far away. To ensure my family could never find me, I boarded this ship at Rockden Port, heading to the Main Continent, a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
I must say, the tickets for this ship are too expensive; I couldn’t afford even with all my money used up, and eventually I sold everything sellable to scrape together enough for a lower-class ticket among the lower-class tickets.
This ticket allows me to stay on the ship, but provides no place for me to live, so I have to sleep on the deck. Actually, it’s not a big issue, just a bit cold. Once the sun rises, it’ll warm up, totally bearable until we reach the Main Continent.
But I forgot one thing—as I always did when writing novels, always forgetting a crucial plot point—a person needs to eat. Since all my money went to the ship ticket, I haven’t eaten since leaving Rockden Port. At most, I drank the free soup at the ship’s restaurant to stave off hunger. I kept drinking, kept drinking, until now, I can’t hold on anymore.
How laughable yet curious, an heir to a noble dying of hunger on a ship in a vast ocean because he ignored advice and ruined himself. I think, if I really wrote my own story, it would surely be popular, but now... there’s no chance."
"No chance," the novelist muttered, shifting his body, preparing to jump into the sea.
Suddenly, with a "bang," a gold coin fell and rolled to the novelist.
The novelist’s attempt to jump was halted, and he instinctively picked up the gold coin, looking up at Richard, "What’s this?"
"I generally don’t like doing good deeds, not keen on helping people," Richard slowly said, "However, I quite admire those who are willing to stick to their choices, the explorers of this world. Since I’ve heard your story, and also your advice on the best time to watch the lovely scenery, take this gold coin as a token of my gratitude. It’s not very valuable, but it should ensure you don’t starve before reaching the Main Continent."
"I..." The novelist was taken aback, his face then showing a struggle.
"I..." The novelist hesitated, then gritted his teeth, handing back the gold coin to Richard, "I can’t take your money, I have principles. The story I told, and the advice I gave, are definitely not worth a gold coin, so I cannot accept."
"Then you’ll die," Richard said, without much sympathy, simply stating a fact. He would help a pitiful person out of appreciation, but if someone truly wished to die, he wouldn’t stop them. "Of course, that’s your right; as you wish."
As Richard spoke, he took back the gold coin and turned to leave. At the end of the day, he really wasn’t keen on helping others, and his attitude toward strangers was rather cold.
With Richard’s decisive response, the novelist was taken aback, as he would have expected Richard to persuade him a bit more.
Not everyone is resigned to death; watching Richard walking further and further away, the novelist couldn’t help but have second thoughts, and the next moment, he called out to Richard, "Please... please wait."
"Hmm? What is it?" Richard stopped, turned around, and looked at the novelist.