- …what a beautiful sky!

- indeed.

People had begun setting camp under an amazingly dark night sky. Even if the light of the moon couldn’t be seen at all, the stars and galaxies formed an breath-taking spectacle.

The players in the Calamity Jack Fools Party had plenty of premium items which could make travelling through land and sea easier. In fact, if they were resolute in reaching Dragon King Island (the 2º), they would probably be able to do so in a few minutes, tops.

However, since none of them could access the player interface, even if they had some serious money on their Squeam account, which most didn’t, they wouldn’t risk using such items.

Premium stuff was already valuable before the game had become as it was, what to say about now that they probably wouldn’t be able to buy any of them in the future. It had become priceless. So, the group decided against using premium teleporting scrolls and the such and was traveling while camping.

That is, at least SOME premium stuff was priceless.

- …. Really? The “cute bunny” set? Why are you using this? - Raphael asked Lilian, the young half-elf, which was now dressed on a whole children-friendly bunny attire. Why would people put children-friendly bunny stuff on an 18+ game? Because there were people who liked cute things, of course!

- Didn’t you know? Wearing the “cute bunny” set will automatically add a chocolates basket on your inventory! I have brought thousands of them back in the day!

Raphael could only sigh while eating dinner. The party had been traveling for three days already, and it would take at least another day to reach the empires’ fleet port at the National Marine Base of the Furuk Empire.

Yrwin could have built a portal directly from the capital to the base, but that wouldn’t be good - after all, what would he do if someone seized the base and then proceeded to invade the capital directly through the portal?

Main strategic bases and so on wouldn’t be connected through portals, so they had traveled on dragonback for two days, transferred at a shrine portal on the outskirts of the Five Mountains Finger Defensive Formation, and then proceeded to ride on dragonback for another full day.

So, the party had plenty of time to get acquainted. And then people started to form groups amongst themselves, given their common interests. One of these groups was composed of Max, Raphael, Lillian and Yrwin. Their common interests? Well, maybe one could say it was “nostalgia”.

- I do understand trying to look younger, but why are you going to such lengths to do so? - That was Max, the half-dwelf-half-human.

- Tsc. Can’t you shut up for a minute? At least I’m not the one who records its own jokes on a sheepskin notepad.

- You…

Raphael was nostalgic about his life as an explorer. Maxs’ true passion had always being comedy, which he had to give up in order to raise a family. Yrwin liked to remember his time in politics. And Lillian… well, everyone is nostalgic about their youth, right?

The only thing is, she was a bit over the top.

- Ah, shouldn’t we drop this subject and appreciate the sky a bit? Look, at that constellation there should be a sun with an alien NPC race on one of its planets, you know…

- SHUT UP! You’re not allowed to speak another world until you have reflected on your errors! Stupid bookworm, no wonder you haven’t won a single position above the County level!

Nothing could make Lillian get out of character as a little girl, until Yrwin started talking about his views in old-time politics and the decisions taken by people at the imperial era. Then, the daughter of an old family of army officials finally surfaced, and she turned from a little girl to a little hag almost instantaneously. It was a three hours lecture about how things “really were” in the past, including reports on the wars in which her family had fought.

As for Yrwin, he could only smile crookedly over the young half-elfs remark. He wasn’t even a chinese politician to begin with! And his career at politics was just as a political advisor! He only talked about it because someone brought up the subject of old time chinese politics!

Seriously. For an old lady well past her 90´s to play as a young child, wasn’t this a bit too much?

Raphael looked at the bunch next to him and felt like laughing a bit. He was camping out in the wild with a mixed group of interesting people, listening to their little fights and jokes, appreciating the campfire and eating good food. A smile appeared on his face and he allowed his body to spread on the grass, taking in a mouthful of air and stretching himself.

He thought he wouldn’t have such pleasure ever again, and, still, there he was. Happiness is a fleeting and fussy thing. He may as well enjoy it’s company while it’s still around.