Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

After two hours of agonizing waiting.

A corner of the port's waiting area has been transformed into a mini-exhibition, if the theme of the expo were "a traveler's entire possessions."

The travelers' luggage almost covered the ground and several benches that had been temporarily requisitioned, and every item underwent the most rigorous "inspection".

Various kinds of vegetables and fruits, dried meat wrapped in oil paper, various bottles and jars of seasonings and spices, as well as neatly folded changes of clothes, sleeping bags, simple cooking utensils, spare ropes, tool sets... a dazzling array of items, arranged in categories, each carefully inspected by security personnel wearing gloves.

The most eye-catching thing was the pile of "Mora Mountain" in the corner, almost half a person tall, gleaming golden under the lights – that was the travelers' working capital, now exposed to everyone's view without any cover, attracting frequent glances from passengers waiting for the ferry or those who had just disembarked, and some even secretly raised their cameras to take pictures.

On the other side, her several commonly used weapons were also neatly arranged to the side, their blades gleaming coldly under the bright lights of the waiting area.

“Miss Lu.” Security inspector Antoine straightened up from a pile of potatoes and sunflower seeds, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and asked with a look of exhaustion on his face, “Are you... really sure that your profession is ‘funeral service worker’ and not... a transnational ‘grocer’?” He looked at the various items that covered almost half of the waiting area.

It seems that this security officer hasn't conducted such an intensive, large-scale inspection of a single passenger's baggage in a long time.

The traveler, expressionless, surveyed all his belongings, which he and Zhongli had spent half a day packing up, but which had now been turned upside down.

The thought of how much time and effort it would take to sort and neatly repack all these things back into that endless backpack gave her a headache.

The weariness of the late night had long been worn away by the long and utterly private examination process, leaving only endless frustration and a hidden anger.

This guy named Antoine actually used this incident to "slander" me!

Yes, I not only sell groceries, but I also run a funeral business on the side.

Who knows, my first "business" in Fontainebleau might be "collecting the corpse" of you, you talk-no-so-speaking bastard!

On the surface, she merely tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile that could barely be considered polite: "Hehe, I'm sorry to have made you laugh. When traveling, I always want to bring more ingredients from my hometown, in case I'm not used to the food outside."

Antoine picked up the record board, checked the inspection results again, and finally nodded, announcing formally, "All items have been inspected and scanned. Ms. Lü, based on the current inspection results, you are not carrying any items listed in the Fontaine Port Dangerous Goods Control List. You may retrieve your luggage."

"Uh..." The traveler's gaze involuntarily drifted to his few gleaming weapons... So, in Fontaine's legal system, these things are not considered 'dangerous items'?

So what exactly counts?

Just then, a rustling sound came from the side, the sound of plastic packaging being roughly torn open, mixed with the sound of chewing.

The traveler and Antoine both turned their heads at the same time to look at the source of the sound—

There, the poodle named Begette was squatting beside the traveler's pile of open luggage. It had successfully torn open a package carefully wrapped in oil paper and plastic wrap. It was a Sumeru-style roasted meat roll that the traveler had bought the night before in Sumeru City, intending to have as a midnight snack on the road.

At this moment, half of the fragrant, juicy roasted meat roll, coated with a secret sauce, had already entered the puppy's belly. It was holding the remaining half in its mouth, eating with great relish, its little tail wagging happily like a propeller, and making satisfied humming sounds.

The air froze instantly.

"Uh..." The traveler glanced at the dog devouring its food, then at Antoine, whose face had instantly turned incredibly awkward, and broke the silence with a subtle tone: "Is it... hungry?"

"Uh... this... I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Miss Lu!" Antoine's face turned red instantly, and he rushed over to try to snatch the remaining half of the kebab from Bergette's mouth, but the little dog guarded its food, turned its head away, and hid under the bench with the food in its mouth.

“Beggette! Spit it out! Spit it out now! You bad girl!” he called out in vain. Clearly, his “good girl” hadn’t smelled any suspicious or dangerous substance this time, but had been completely captivated by the aroma of roasted meat wafting from the traveler’s luggage.

“No need for an apology.” The traveler crossed his arms, watching the flustered security guard, and finally seized the opportunity to retaliate: “But my luggage has been turned upside down like this. Now, please be responsible for restoring it all to its original state, packing it back in the same way and order as I originally packed it, without missing a single item.”

"Otherwise, I will very 'seriously' consider complaining to your superiors and the Port of Fontainebleau administration about your dereliction of duty tonight, the great inconvenience caused to passengers, and... condoning the work dogs to steal passengers' personal belongings."

Antoine froze, the color draining from his face, leaving only the pallor of exhaustion and frustration. He looked at the mess of his luggage, then at Begette, who was enjoying her "spoils" under the bench, and finally, his shoulders slumped.

"Yes, Miss Lu. I will take care of it. I'm very... sorry."

……

"call……"

The traveler was finally able to sit down, leaning back on the cold, hard bench in the waiting area, and yawned widely.

The edge of the sky outside the window has been tinged with a faint orange-pink.

It will be dawn soon.

If I had known, I would have set off during the day.

I originally planned to travel through the night to reach Fontainebleau as soon as possible to get things done, but instead I ended up exhausted, almost got detained, had my luggage ransacked, and even had my late-night snack eaten by a dog...

“Miss Lu, your luggage has been packed as neatly as possible.” Antoine’s voice sounded from the side, filled with deep apology.

He also looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes even more pronounced than those of the traveler, clearly indicating that this night had been a torment for him as well.

“Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies for my mistake tonight and for Begette’s behavior. I… I was too busy last night and forgot to feed it on time.” He looked at the bench, where the poodle named Begette was curled up, fast asleep.

"Never mind." The traveler waved his hand, his tone softening. "Everyone has their struggles. We're all just doing this for work."

We're all working hard together now, why make things difficult for each other?

*

After a long and smooth ascent via a large elevator driven by Fontaine's unique and ingenious mechanism, the elevator doors opened again, revealing a bright morning breeze and a breathtaking view.

The traveler arrived at the upper level of the port, a spacious platform built on the cliff face.

The orange-red sunrise leaped just above the distant sea, bathing the entire Harbor in warm light. A sleek, blue-and-white patrol boat was steadily docked beside the platform.

On the platform, passengers waiting to board the first rail-guided boat rose one by one, carrying their luggage, and boarded the ship in an orderly fashion. Travelers also stepped onto this mode of transportation with distinctive Fontaineble features among the crowd.

The traveler's gaze was drawn to a small blue figure at the bow of the ship.

That was a Melissa.

She wore a small jacket similar to a crew uniform and a small hat of the same color. She stood there quietly, her pure eyes gently watching the passengers boarding the ship, waiting for everyone to be seated.

Seeing Melusin again brought back long-forgotten memories.

A complex emotion welled up in the traveler's heart; through this young Merusin sailor, he saw a long-lost friend.

I feel like I'll be able to see him again soon.

"Excuse me, is there anything I can help you with?" The Merusin sailor noticed the traveler's gaze, blinked her clear eyes, and asked in a crisp voice.

The traveler, regaining his composure, asked the most practical question: "Excuse me, when does this ship depart?"

"Oh dear!" As if suddenly reminded, the crew member from Melusin gently patted her cheek with her small hand: "It's time to depart! Passengers, please be seated and hold on tight, we're about to set sail!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a clear and melodious bronze bell rang out, echoing throughout the cabin.

Immediately afterwards, the traveler felt a jolt beneath their feet, and the rail-guided boat began to move slowly, leaving the platform and gliding smoothly along the predetermined route erected on the high-altitude track.

The Merusin sailor cleared her throat and began her explanation in her innocent and enthusiastic voice:

"Hello everyone! I'm Abel, the guide for the Clementine Line cruise ship!"

"Welcome aboard the Clementine Line cruise ship! This cruise is about to depart for the magnificent Fontaine, the most important city in our Kingdom of Fontaine..."

As she explained, the traveler leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes in comfort, and took the opportunity to recover a little strength.

In Fontaine today, it's okay to relax a bit, because it's no longer the turbulent and unsettling place it was 500 years ago.