20demayo 21: The Island of Flowers and Swords and Candy
21: The Island of Flowers and Swords and Candy
The Golden Dawn rests quietly in a secluded rocky bay in the port of Acacia.
The ship's hull and sun-patterned sails, which originally shone with a golden luster, were now covered with a layer of dark brown wood, making it look like a huge but ordinary old merchant ship.
This is a camouflage layer that Oro created by using his abilities to obtain rocks and soil from the shore and then mixing them with wood.
"The warning netting is in place."
Oro clapped his hands, withdrawing the last, almost invisible wisp of golden light from the ship's side.
"Unless it's a general-level figure sneaking in, they should be able to detect it beforehand."
Gails carefully examined several small devices fixed to the inside of the ship's hull, which contained her developed potent hypnotic pollen and paralyzing spores. These "little gifts" would be released automatically once the alarm was triggered.
"Orogo, the traps on the shore are also set up, with a chain trigger as you said. If we're just stalling for time, it should be fine."
Lingling sat listlessly in the small boat, her eyes fixed on the wisps of smoke and faint sweet aromas drifting from the distant town.
"Hey, Oro, Gails, are you done yet?"
"I think I smell strawberry tart and... a smell I've never smelled before, it smells so good!"
Oro leaped into the small boat: "Alright, let's go."
......
The small boat docked, and the three of them officially set foot on the land of Dressrosa.
The air is filled with the vibrant rhythms of the Basque music, street performers play the lute, and women in brightly colored dresses twirl to the music as flower petals are tossed into the air and then slowly fall back down.
The entire port town seemed to be immersed in an endless celebration.
Wow! So beautiful!
Lingling's eyes instantly turned into stars as she looked at the swirling dance skirts and the colorful candy store.
Gails took a deep breath of the floral-scented air, but her keen medical sense quickly alerted her to the details: "The music is beautiful, and the flowers are vibrant..."
"But Orogo, look at those commoners in the alleys, their clothes are old, and their smiles seem forced. And over there..."
She pointed to a corner where several children were staring longingly at the candy store, but dared not approach.
Oro nodded, his gaze sweeping across the street.
Glamour and decay, enthusiasm and exhaustion, coexist in a strange way on this island.
"Flowers and dances are just a sugar coating on the surface..."
"Go your own way, be careful, and if anything happens, pull the golden thread that connects me to you."
"Don't push yourself. Just ask around for any information you can find. Remember to come back here before sunset."
Gails tightened the shopping basket on her back.
"Okay, I'll go to the market and hopefully find some useful medicinal herbs."
"I'll go take a look over there!"
Lingling's attention was already drawn to a huge, exaggeratedly shaped candy house in the distance, and she ran over there before she could finish speaking.
Oro shook his head, and with a flash, disappeared into a relatively dark alley.
......
The central market was bustling with noise, a mingled aroma of spices, fruits, and cured meats.
With her gentle smile and solid purchasing experience, Gail quickly bought the spices and vegetable seeds that were scarce in Elbaf from several stalls.
"Grandma, could you tell me where I can buy 'moonlight fern' or 'silverleaf grass' in town?"
Gails asked an old woman selling flowers what these were, and they were two commonly used antidotes.
The old woman shook her head blankly: "I've never heard of these names, little girl."
"If you get sick, you have to go to the nuns on Church Street to see them, or... well, if all else fails, you can only go to the private doctors of those important people, which are very expensive."
Gails thanked her, but her heart sank.
She wandered around the market a few more times and found that there were very few herbal medicine vendors, and the few herbs that were available were of low quality and expensive.
From the casual conversations and complaints of several stall owners, Gails learned that medical resources in Dressrosa were almost monopolized by nobles and wealthy merchants.
High-quality doctors and medicines were reserved for nobles and wealthy merchants, while ordinary people often had to rely on folk remedies or pray for self-healing when they fell ill.
"King Riku is benevolent, reducing taxes, but in this respect, he seems powerless to change anything..."
"Peace...?"
The noise from the distant street interrupted Gails's thoughts.
It sounds like...it sounds like Lingling's voice?!
Gails' heart tightened, and she quickly ran over.
Lingling was immersed in a dessert paradise.
Following the aroma, she found a beautifully decorated dessert shop. The window displayed adorable fruit tarts, cakes covered with cream and berries, and a brightly colored candy called "Passion Candy."
Lingling practically burst into the shop, and amidst the somewhat horrified gazes of the shop owner and customers, she bought almost all the ready-made desserts in the shop and then devoured them with gusto.
"Mmm! This is delicious! This is delicious too!"
She mumbled praises as she stuffed cake into her mouth.
Especially the "passion candy," the moment it enters your mouth, an extremely strong and slightly stimulating sweetness explodes on your taste buds, giving you an almost dizzying sense of pleasure.
One, two... she couldn't stop eating.
"Have you heard? There will be special sessions at the arena during this auction!"
"Winning the championship not only brings a huge amount of Pelé, but also an audience with King Riku and special privileges!"
"Tsk, that's something you risk your life for, it's not that easy..."
Lingling's ears twitched. Privilege?
She tilted her head and thought for a moment. Oro had said he wanted to buy that fruit called "Magnetic Fruit"?
If we had special privileges, wouldn't it be easier to buy them? Would that help Oro?
Lingling licked the frosting from the corner of her mouth and made a mental note of it.
However, at this moment, the brief excitement caused by the excessive intake of "passion sugar" began to fade, and a strange emptiness and a stronger desire surged up.
Lingling finished all the desserts in her hand, but her craving for "more and stronger sweetness" was still not satisfied.
She hadn't felt this way in a very, very long time... Hmm? When was the last time?
Lingling vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but the emotion called "desire" surged up like waves, one after another, as if to engulf her...
"Candy...I want that kind of candy..."
Lingling's eyes began to glaze over, and her breathing became heavy.
She stood up, her tall, muscular body swaying slightly, her eyes darting aimlessly around, searching for that special candy scent.
"Give me... passion candy!"
Lingling couldn't help but let out a low growl, the unintentional aura emanating from her causing a chill to run down the spines of passersby.
She casually pushed aside a cart piled high with goods that was blocking her way; the wooden cart instantly fell apart, scattering the goods all over the ground.
The stall owner screamed in terror, "My goods!"
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Panoramic view of Redos Rosa: