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Narrator:

In a small town, past the trees that surround a small house, there sat a boy, hunched to the ground, plowing to sow a yet beautiful plant. He smiled proudly to his work, patted the dust off his pants and sprinkled the land with water. Meanwhile, two set eyes who was watching from inside the window as the boy gathered the tools, belonged to strange creatures. One was a dwarf with long arms and the other was a furry round ball with long bunny ears.

〰️☸️〰️

"Now, that's a work." I huff smugly and walk inside my humble home. Mr. Knickles and Stewart stood buffed in the corner, eyeing me when I pour some water to myself.

"News Mr. Stewart?" I ask.

He squeals, jumping from the table beside the window and scurrying off to my side. "I got it, Ali. There were some troubles from the Lost Town but no worries, because when Ali gives me a task, I will definitely see to it to be done." He gives me a bunch of papers excitedly.

"It's not that hard, I tell ya," grumbles Mr. Knickles. He plops down to the edge of the table and scorns Mr. Stewart, crossing a leg to the other. I laugh.

"Ooh, you crappy old man, always telling me like 'oh, you're proud of something like this?, oh, that's a piece of cake' and doing nothing but lounging inside that crappy cabinet," says Mr. Stewart imitating Mr. Knickles with a sagging face and a low voice. I can't help but smile eagerly at Mr. Knickles and wait of his reaction.

His eyes looks droop and drowsy. "Eh?" His face contorts into a frown and slowly his eyes bulge like a bulb and he slams his back on the table, snoring loudly. I laugh so hard.

"Surprisingly it was 5 seconds this time," I say, wiping my tears. Mr. Stewart giggles.

I scatter the papers on a long wooden table and study the map Mr. Stewart stole. It has been a month since I've been scrounging maps from travelers on Lost Town. It is a lawless town where mostly lawbreakers alike gather. Wanted lawbreakers docks their ships there unlawfully, and it is then I tasked Mr. Stewart to steal their maps.

I heard that the advancement of Cran's group, an old acquaintance from school, who also lived in the Lost Town surpasses to his second exploit. But his path leads to none of my expectations. I was aiming first for North since it has direct access to Bubble Country, but it is a lot of hardwork depending of my group's scarce resource and crew.

I am finding myself a navigator, but the problem's no one is interesting to an adventure solely aiming for the Star Country.

It was, long ago, written in an old book my grandmother used to tell me in bedtime, that by the time the world is created, there is a country which existed already. For thousands of years, many researchers embarked on a quest to find the old country, which they named the Star Country. Although many had hoped to find the country with riches and prosperity resides, no single person is ever able to find that country. With hope turned into despair, the quest to find the Star Country long since abandoned. But I believe the tales my grandmother told me when I was young, thus, embarking on an adventure to see the world.

Many seekers plan on a long voyage outside the comforts of the islands and hoard treasures they could find and loot. But my reason for adventure is to write a book of the world, with surprising history and entailing culture.

I grab a long bread from the table and split it for Mr. Stewart. While munching on it, I pick up my bag and scurry to the door, bade my good-bye and paddle to the capital.

The town is quite the bustle. Bars, diners, and houses lined the streets with many children playing. The smiles of the townspeople cast permanently on their faces gives a light atmosphere as I pass through them. Even the free-riders could never attain to put the smiles away as they rove freely. The fortunate will always share their food with the free-riders. This is Mirth Town, from the Emon Kingdom.

The port docks with different types of ships from travelers and sailors from the other side of the world. The sun bathes through the island and the sea with onlookers staring at the grand ship recently docked. I halt beside the road when a huge group of people pass through. It seems like the grand ship belongs to the royals from the other kingdom. Emon Kingdom has only one harbor in Mirth Town from the east, so it is not a surprise when the town is littered with different kind of people. But it is always an excitement to see a ship from royals who are invited to the Capital.

The beautiful and majestic carriages that will take the royals to the Capital is proudly parked beside the port, waiting for its passengers.

I continue to paddle into the next town, an extension of Mirth Town where resides our agriculture. The long field dances in a joyful tune as I head straight towards the Capital.

The Emon Capital is packed mostly with the privileged. Clothing stores, market, restaurants, houses where it is not uncommon to have a lively and abuzz atmosphere.

I park on old gramps Ki's bookstore. Gramps is a small bald man with goggles. I head inside the bookstore where I see gramps on a long ladder piling books on one of tall shelves.

"Old gramps," I greet. Squinting his eyes behind the goggles, he smiles with his crooked teeth. Some of them are missing, though. I pick the pile of books from the counter and give it to him.

"Thank you, Ali. Needing supplies?" he asks.

"Yes, I'll be needing notebooks and pens, thank you."

"I'll be there to tend you."

Gramps' bookstore is a small store cramped with supplies. There are some new published books bought from sailors about kinds of creatures and different things to consider when traveling. There are some also about different countries but none of them talks about Star Country.

The door chimes and gramps emerges from the storage room in the back, holding my supplies.

"Welcome to my humble bookstore young boy," old gramps Ki greets.

"What interesting display of books," says the boy. I glance at him inconspicuously. He stands proud and roam his eyes to the shelves lined the store. He looks rather spruce in his white long sleeves, black slacks, and an expensive shoes. He even looks dapper with his hair trimmed, and his eyes bathes of an astonishingly light until it manages to land into mine. He smiles a warming smile that makes me smile back. He is as warmth of as the sun that shines through.

"Here, Ali. Is it all that you'll be needing?" Gramps pack my supplies in a paper. I pay the supplies and bade gramps good-bye.

Before I can get past to the door, I hear the boy mumbles, "Ali, huh. Nice to meet you." I look back and see him already staring at me.