By the time we reached the East Coast, evening was already leaning on the horizon like a tired bird.

The sun eased down, a coin slipping into the sea.

The boundless water wore a wash of pale gold, soft as brushed silk.

I felt a hush swelling, certain the true afterglow would paint it even lovelier.

The East Coast felt unlike any city, every street tasting of salt and spray.

At the harbor, big freighters squatted like steel whales by the piers.

People swarmed like ants, hauling crates up and down the gangways.

Maybe it’s the sea’s breath, or the East Coast sitting at the eastern tip of the Northern Abyss Continent.

Either way, the air ran mild here, like warm tide compared to the inland’s stiff chill.

So the beach was strewn with bodies in swimwear, bright as shells on wet sand.

Some lounged for the sunset, some sculpted sand, some cut the waves; kids and elders alike.

Young women made up most of the crowd, their swimwear tracing willow-soft curves under the amber light.

Men’s gazes hooked like fishlines, turning them into another spectacle along the shore.

I felt curious, a small spark flickering like a firefly.

It was my first time seeing this in real life, waves of bodies under a public sky.

Part of me wondered if those women were too open, baring that much skin among so many.

"Dear big brother, stop staring over there," Lingxiao chimed, her voice flicking like a playful wave.

I blinked, surprised; Lingxiao was latched to my arm like a little bird.

She suddenly covered my eyes with cool fingers.

"That kind of scene is still too early for dear big brother," she scolded, light as sea foam.

"Exactly; those women have no shame, flaunting that stuff in public," Lingsaki echoed, her tone sharp as salt wind.

"It’s the seaside; swimwear’s normal," I murmured, my voice small as a shell.

You can’t swim in regular clothes with the tide tugging like that, right?

Lixue frowned, her words drifting like hesitant mist.

"Sure, it’s normal, but my heart just won’t accept it.

I couldn’t wear a swimsuit in front of that many eyes."

She stood with the sisters, all three like closed lotus buds against the scene.

Nalu chuckled, her smile glinting like a fish scale.

"To them, we in regular clothes probably look like the odd ones."

Truth is, we drew every gaze the moment we reached the beach, like meteors streaking low.

Riding a dragon down makes blending in impossible, scales flashing like storm-light.

Thankfully, they only glanced, then let their eyes ebb away; no one dared to chat us up.

"Their gazes don’t matter; so long as we’re undisturbed, we’re fine," someone said, calm as still water.

We drifted toward a quieter stretch, footprints stitching soft paths along damp sand.

We strolled by the water, the sea breeze brushing us clean like cool silk.

"Exactly, Mizumi-kun! Why heed the chatter of ants?" Lanxia snorted, her pride coiling like smoke.

Nalu hesitated, her words hovering like a gull on a shifting wind.

"Um… there’s something I’m not sure I should say."

I softened, offering her space like a cleared shoreline.

"Go ahead, Nalu. What do you want to say?"

Nalu spoke gently, her concern like warm rain.

"I’ve been with you for a while now, Mizumi-kun.

I’ve noticed you don’t like talking to strangers, even pushing them away like a rising tide.

Sure, some approach with bad intentions, their smiles slick as oil.

But shutting out every stranger feels a bit wrong to me."

I felt comfortable, like a stone settled in sand.

"Why?" I asked, the question as simple as a ripple.

"Travel has two joys," she said, eyes bright as starlight on water.

"One is seeing all kinds of landscapes; the other is meeting all kinds of people.

Not everyone’s good, like clouds with shadows.

But speaking with many grows your insight like branches spread by wind."

"No need," Lingxiao huffed, clinging like ivy.

"As long as we can stay by dear big brother, we’re fine."

"Same here," Lingsaki added, her gaze steady as a stone.

"As long as we have big brother, that’s enough."

Their faces showed disdain, cool as shaded slate.

But Nalu’s words rang true to me, like a bell under water.

"Don’t be foolish, Nalu," Lanxia snapped, fire licking her tongue like a dragon’s breath.

"How could we let lowly ants close to Mizumi-kun and the others?!"

"No, no. For humans, communication is necessary," Nalu insisted, voice firm as a tidewall.

I blinked in surprise, like a lantern flaring in wind.

It was rare to see Nalu push back against Lanxia.

Lixue sighed, her head moving like a slow reed in water.

"Communication, huh? It’s true, staying in your own bubble isn’t good.

But talking to strangers I don’t know feels duller than gray rain."

I mulled it over, thoughts drifting like foam.

"Back in the Mizumi Clan, it felt too quiet, and I wanted more bustle," I admitted.

"But after leaving the Central Continent and stepping into the wider world, clean calm suits me like a moonlit lake."

I felt grateful, warm as dusk.

Nalu spoke for our sake, her care like a shawl over shoulders.

Truth is, wherever we go, we dislike strangers drawing near like humming flies.

Maybe it’s because we already have a crowd, a little flock moving together like migrating birds.

We lack the time and mood to trade words with strangers.

I paused, a thought surfacing like a fin.

Since leaving the Central Continent, every friend I’ve clicked with has been a girl.

As for male friends, maybe the Emperor of Flames from the Nine Cold Labyrinth, and Jing?

Jing is fine; the Emperor of Flames is shameless, like a stray dog sniffing fire.

Nalu gave a dry laugh, thin as brittle reeds.

"Too many people means too many tongues; it’s natural you dislike it, Mizumi-kun," she said.

"Those were just idle words; don’t take them too deeply to heart."

"It’s fine," I said, setting it down like a pebble on sand.

We chatted as we walked and found a lookout tower, old bones etched with salt scars.

Its weathered marks spoke of harsh years, like rings in driftwood.

It looked sturdy still, a rock against the wind.

We didn’t even discuss it; we climbed the tower, feet tapping like rain.

The height was just right, the view opening like a fan.

Inside sat a table and a few chairs, set like stages for sunrise and sunset.

Despite its old shell, the inside felt clean, like air rinsed by rain.

Night was near; from here, half a sun floated on the sea like a burning boat.

The whole sea blazed orange-red, like silk dyed in a vat.

Waves rose now and then, flashing gold like fish bellies, glittering beyond words.

Above, fire-clouds twisted into shapes, while a couple of early stars pricked the dusk.

Below, the sea shed gold in slow gradients, a painting breathing right before us.

We stared for a moment, minds emptied like tide pools.

"So beautiful!" I breathed, the words fluttering like a gull.

"Mm, mm. Just seeing this makes coming to the East Coast worth it," someone said, eyes shining like wet stones.

Lingsaki and Lingxiao spoke, their opinions like twin currents crossing.

"It is beautiful, but sunsets on the Central Continent feel even prettier," one said.

"Back home, we hardly went to the shore, which feels like a pity," the other added.

"Watching landscapes beats shopping by miles," Lixue sighed, her breath like a cool breeze.

"Uh, you can get tired of scenery if you binge it," Nalu quipped, words crisp as pebbles.

"It’s good in doses, like sweet fruit now and then."

"To us the seaside sunset is stunning, but to locals it’s everyday, like bread and sky."

"If you’re bored, just fly to the next view," Lanxia declared, tail-swish in her voice like surf.

"After all, you’ve got this dragon."

"…Fair enough," Nalu said, her resignation like a slack tide.

She still couldn’t quite let it go, the feeling clinging like seaweed.

With nothing left to gripe about, she let it rest and kept drinking in the view.

We stayed until the sun slipped fully under, night pouring in like ink.

Only then did we leave the lookout, feet quiet as shadows.

We found the best inn on the East Coast, lanterns glowing like warm moons.

After a simple dinner and a wash, we returned to our rooms to rest and plan.

We discussed tomorrow’s destination, ideas unfolding like maps.

Nalu proposed visiting cities near the East Coast, streets layered like old stone.

The coast offers sea views, but the surrounding cities hold famous sights and ruins.

After all, the eastern region is the Basiloth Empire’s finest stretch, rich as a harvest.

My mood darkened slightly, like a cloud crossing the sun.

More important than sightseeing, we had something heavier to do.

"Tomorrow, we go to Cerol City in the Basiloth Empire," I said, voice hard as iron.

"We’ll demand an answer from their royal family; daring to post bounties on us is vile."

"Yeah, it feels like a stain on our lives," the sisters said, faces clouded like dusk.

They still brooded about today’s bounty, thoughts knotting like rope.

I wasn’t happy either, a grit of sand in the heart.

My father’s words rose, steady as a lighthouse.

Before I left the Central Continent, he said I carried the Mizumi Clan’s face outside.

Now Lingsaki and Lingxiao are wanted; if we do nothing, our clan’s honor frays like a torn banner.

Awkwardness pricked the room like needles.

"Uh, but Prince Diak was also, by Miss Lingxiao and Miss Lingsaki…" Nalu trailed off.

The unsaid hung there like smoke.

"That idiot prince had it coming," the sisters snapped, words sparking like flint.

"It’s one thing to hit on us; it’s another to spew filth in our faces."

"We’ve never met someone that disgusting before," they said, disgust curling like a sour wave.

They loathed Prince Diak to the bone, their hatred cold as deep water.

To them, ending him wasn’t a problem, just a rotten branch cut clean.

"Ants daring to hunt Mizumi-kun’s sisters!" Lanxia flared, scales gleaming like frost.

"Even with my good temper, I’m angry. Tomorrow we’ll wipe out that Basiloth royal family!"

"The Basiloth royal family that enabled Prince Diak can’t be clean," Lixue said, eyes hard as ice.

"They even posted bounties on Lingxiao and Lingsaki today; letting that slide feels wrong."

It seemed everyone agreed, except Nalu, whose hesitation fluttered like a torn flag.

"…All right then," Nalu sighed, helplessness spilling like sand.

She gave a wry smile, thin as winter sunlight.

"I just worry that if Mizumi-kun goes, it may turn into full conflict with the Basiloth royal family."

"Then bigger clashes might erupt, like storms breaking over warm seas."

"What’s there to fear? It’s just the Basiloth Empire…" Lanxia scoffed, voice crackling like embers.

Nalu cut in, her words flowing like a cold current.

"The Basiloth Empire is the strongest on the Northern Abyss Continent, with deep roots."

"On the surface, they have three magi-warriors at God Level peak."

"Rumor says an Overdeity Level peerless powerhouse serves as their guardian god."

Lanxia snapped back, though her confidence wavered like a flickering flame.

"That’s still nothing! With the Mizumi Clan’s resources, we can crush them."

"Magi-warriors…" I murmured, the term humming like a taut string.

Curiosity tugged at me like a tide.

I haven’t met many here on the Northern Abyss Continent.

I wonder if they’re like Qianji Sister’s dual path of magic and martial, two rivers braided together.

I steadied myself, calm settling like night dew.

"If the Basiloth royal family insists on seeking death by opposing us, we’ll teach them a lesson."

I let Nalu’s worry drift away, a leaf carried by water.