Evading the Hero’s Party with Full Effort

Chapter 75

Ch.75 You’re Not Standing Still, Are You?!

“Why… why are you being so nice to me?”

Selena’s voice, tinged with sadness.

Lately, something had been weighing on her—she’d remained in a low-pressure mood nonstop.

Gently lifting her chin, I gazed into her gloomy eyes and said,

“Because you’re pretty?”

Normally, she’d have blushed at least a little—but this time…

She offered a sorrowful smile at the corner of her lips.

“Thank you. But I’m tired now. If we’re moving to another inn, let’s hurry.”

She genuinely looked exhausted, so I chose to ignore the faint sense of unease blooming in my chest for now.

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

We simply moved to a slightly nicer inn room and rested soundly until departure.

Staying comfortably on solid, unmoving ground reaffirmed my belief: humans truly belong on land.

Sleeping and living on a gently rocking ship was far more stressful than I’d expected.

In contrast, firm earth offered strong psychological stability.

And of course, the food here was vastly more varied than the limited ship menu.

Anyway, Selena gradually brightened as she wandered around the area during our stay.

Not bad at all, I’d say.

Admittedly, the Hero Party girls had been nagging at my mind a bit—but upon calm reflection, it didn’t seem worth worrying about.

How could they possibly find me in this vast New Continent?

It was impossible.

Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, we headed to the dock to board our ship.

An overwhelmingly massive vessel was moored at the pier.

Even in the game, I’d thought it grand and lavish—but seeing it in person, it was even larger and more magnificent.

Its brilliant white hull and imposing size resembled a modern luxury cruise liner, leaving me awestruck without even realizing it.

“Whoa… this is no joke, huh?”

“Really? I’ve ridden one before, so…”

“Oh? Right.”

I recalled Selena’s past—she was from the Old Continent.

She’d mentioned taking a luxury passenger liner here after the Demon King’s defeat.

We joined the queue to board the ship.

“But there aren’t many people relative to its size, are there?”

Though plenty of people were lined up, it still felt sparse compared to the ship’s insane scale.

“Well, it’s insanely expensive, isn’t it?”

Selena’s curt reply made me break into a cold sweat internally.

What have I done wrong lately?

Ever since arriving here, she’d stayed in this low-pressure state.

“Oh! Did you know there’s even a swimming pool on this passenger liner?”

Perhaps sensing she’d been too harsh, she awkwardly tried lightening the mood with an overly cheerful tone.

Was this an overreaction?

“Really? Are you a good swimmer?”

At my question, she grinned.

“I’m amazing! Boys couldn’t even beat me back then.”

“Oh? Then how about a bet later?”

Selena scoffed playfully.

“Sure. But what are we betting on?”

“Dinner tonight?”

Luxury liners housed numerous high-end restaurants.

“Hehe, deal. I’m going to eat something super expensive tonight.”

Already convinced of her victory, she was already dreaming of the meal.

Hehe. I’d even use Holy Magic—how could she think she’d win? Adorable.

The thought of eating fancy food on someone else’s tab put me in a great mood.

Selena was strong, sure—but I was brimming with confidence I’d win.

***

Meanwhile, around lunchtime, the Hero Party neared Portland.

“Huh?”

Leah fell into deep thought, her expression troubled.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s… it feels like Master is moving.”

At Leah’s words, Mia pressed urgently,

“Where to? How far?”

“Not very fast… but he’s moving bit by bit.”

“I see. Then we’d better hurry and catch him.”

Scarlet glanced around at the group and stepped forward.

“I’ll go ahead first.”

With that, her form instantly blurred and vanished.

“Let’s go together! Fly!”

Leah cast the Fly spell and shot through the sky toward her master.

And then…

“What should we do?”

Mia watched Cecilia’s pitiful expression and paused briefly.

‘Cecilia can’t move quickly.’

Leaving the saintess behind risked trouble, so Mia sighed.

“Sigh. Stay still.”

Mia slipped her arms under Cecilia’s knees and lifted her up. Cecilia shrieked in surprise.

“Kyaa?! Wha—what are you doing?! I have zero interest in Lily!”

Cecilia’s bizarre outburst confused Mia, who only knew ‘lily’ as a flower.

“You don’t even know lilies? I thought your flower-filled mind meant you liked flowers.”

With that, Mia dashed off at high speed, pounding the earth beneath her feet.

Spotting Leah ahead, she reached out and waved at the air.

“Sylph! Interfere with Leah!”

No sooner had she spoken than a strong gust blew Leah backward, making her scream.

“Kyaa! What are you doing, Mia!”

“If you want to go faster, cast Fly on me and Cecilia too!”

The three felt the urgency of Scarlet’s swift action.

If anyone could subdue Hans and hide from them, it was her.

Though it was just anxiety, if something really happened, they might lose Hans forever.

‘I won’t let that happen, Scarlet!’

Realizing they might lose Hans at this rate, Leah snapped at Mia, extending her hand irritably.

“Damn it! Fly!”

Mia and Cecilia slowly rose into the air.

Soon, Cecilia urged anxiously,

“Mia! Use the Wind Spirit to support Leah’s spell!”

“Right! Sylph! Push us with the wind!”

At Mia’s request, the wind propelled them swiftly toward their destination.

While the trio bickered midair, Scarlet arrived in Portland.

Stunned by the city’s unexpected size, she felt flustered.

‘How am I supposed to find Patron here?’

The bustling crowds, carriages, and countless buildings overwhelmed her.

She hesitated, even considering kidnapping Leah right then—

“SCARLETT!”

“You traitor!”

Leah and Cecilia’s voices rang from the sky.

—Thud.

Leah’s group landed carefully on the ground.

Leah jabbed an angry finger at Scarlet.

“What exactly were you planning to do to Master by going ahead?! Explain yourself!”

“Yes! Explain!”

Faced with their furious glares, Scarlet waved her hands helplessly.

“I wasn’t planning anything, really! All I heard was that he’s here somewhere. How am I supposed to find Mr. Hans alone in a city this huge?”

She’d originally intended to confront Hans first, but searching such a vast area alone would take too long—she needed Leah’s help after all.

“Hmph! I don’t trust you. Be honest—”

Just as Leah angrily began to speak, the level-headed Mia cut in sharply.

“Enough. Let’s find the Sage first. Where is he?”

“Oh! Wait—over there! That way!”

Pointing toward a small fence…

Scarlet’s form blurred and vanished again.

“Argh! That woman again?! Fly!”

Soaring toward Hans’s location, Leah’s group abruptly halted in shock.

Before them lay a stunned Scarlet—and an endless expanse of ocean.

***

The vast passenger liner.

Stepping aboard, its sheer size made me feel instantly lost.

Despite the chilly weather outside, the interior was astonishingly warm and comfortable.

The perfect temperature and humidity left me amazed.

Was this all thanks to magic?

And it had seven floors?! Wasn’t that ridiculously huge?

Counting from the lowest deck to the highest, the sheer scale made me tired just thinking about it.

No elevators, yet built pointlessly tall?

Seriously, if they could build a ship this massive, they should’ve installed elevators too.

The interior was absurdly lavish—pristine white wallpaper and flooring, with ornate gold leaf accents on the walls that glittered blindingly under the bright ceiling lights.

Long rows of shops lined the corridors, displaying dazzling clothes and accessories that made my eyes spin, while the overpowering scent of perfumes gave me a headache.

I hadn’t noticed this in-game graphics, but now I felt strangely drained—like that overwhelming feeling you get in a department store.

Already weary, I glanced around until Selena linked arms with me and pulled me along.

“Hans? There are a few good spots for breakfast this way.”

Maybe because she’d ridden this before, she navigated the corridors with practiced ease.

Following her, we passed several restaurants.

“The Eggs Benedict here is really delicious.”

Eggs Benedict—a dish of bread topped with ham or bacon and a poached egg.

It might sound ordinary, but its variations were endless: salmon instead of ham, exotic spices, or diverse sauces.

At good restaurants, it was heavenly; at bad ones, utterly disappointing.

“Shall we try it?”

We entered a restaurant, had Eggs Benedict for brunch, then headed to the indoor pool on the lower deck.

“Wow… an indoor swimming pool?”

In-game, nothing surprised me—but seeing it in real life was astonishing.

A wooden ship… could really have this?

Noticing my doubt, Selena smiled.

“You’ll be surprised when you swim in it.”

“Why?”

“It’s a secret. Anyway, go change.”

After changing, I waited at the changing room entrance for Selena.

Wow… so many people!

Couples, families—numerous men waited outside the women’s changing room for their partners or relatives.

This scene… felt oddly familiar.

After a long wait,

Selena emerged in a one-piece swimsuit.

Not overly revealing—it fully covered her torso, though arms and legs were bare.

It didn’t feel particularly provocative.

“Did you wait long?”

“No, not really.”

Glancing around subtly, I noticed everyone wore similarly modest swimwear.

Compared to in-game standards, this was extremely conservative—but then again, revealing swimwear probably wasn’t practical here.

“Shall we go?”

The pool stretched dozens of meters.

As we neared, the distinct salty tang of the sea grew stronger.

“Now that I think about it… it smells like the ocean. Was your ‘secret’ seawater?”

“Bingo!”

Curious, I scooped some pool water to sniff.

“It really is seawat—GYAAH!”

—Splash!

Selena suddenly shoved me into the pool.

“Pwah! Geez!”

“Pfft! Haha! Look at your face!”

She laughed heartily at my soaked expression, which annoyed me.

Grabbing her delicate, fair wrist as she giggled…

“Kyaa!”

—Splash!

I pulled her in.

“Pwah! What are you—Kyaa!”

As she glared at me with fiery eyes, I splashed water wildly at her.

—Splash! Splash!

“Had enough?!”

“Nope! Nope! I’m not stopping!”

“What?! Aqua Cannon!”

Before she finished speaking—

—Whoosh!

“Aaah!”

A massive wave of water slammed into me.

“What?! Magic’s cheating!”

“If you’re mad, use yours too! Aqua Cannon!”

Selena suddenly went all out.

I fled the pool, dodging her attacks.

“You’re not standing still, are you?!”

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