Chapter 335 - 296: Boarding and Setting Sail!
Chapter 335: Chapter 296: Boarding and Setting Sail!
Ward City, seaport.
Although the temperature had begun to warm up, the seaside breeze still carried a chill, and farther out at sea, one could vaguely see snow-white ice blocks that had drifted over from afar.
Many ships had already stopped at the port of Ward City, and in the last two days, two more merchant ships had successfully returned from the Boditch Kingdom, bringing goods that were hard to find in the Dillon Kingdom, or to put it another way, could only be purchased at a high price from the Feis Kingdom.
Ever since the trade route through the Corea Hills could be safely traversed, major powers had been transporting supplies and goods from various parts of the Dillon Kingdom to Ward City, as well as precious commodities from the Boditch Kingdom to places like Ice Peak City.
Nowadays, after several days of adjustment, Ward City had gradually gotten on the right track.
Besides the once dominant Ward Family, more and more nobles families of the Dillon Kingdom had come to truly appreciate the hidden immense benefits of this maritime trade route.
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Rather than struggling across the Luoxue Mountains and suffering exploitation from the avaricious merchants of the Feis Kingdom, it was better to invest more resources in Ward City.
Before they came to truly understand the danger of the swarming pirates, the nobles of the Dillon Kingdom wouldn’t have any hesitation.
On the gray-white stone docks, the hustle and bustle of sailors and merchants made the docks originally built by the Ward Family seem somewhat narrow and inadequate.
However, the new docks being constructed not far away were soon going to make a significant contribution to the explosively growing “business” at the port of Ward City.
The servant Theodore from the Mercenary Tavern was leading the way in front, guiding Lis and Helen toward the designated merchant ship.
After a few days of rest and replenishing nutrients, little Helen’s complexion had improved greatly, her face gaining a bit of color.
Her body was still slender, but she was no longer as unsteady on her feet as when Lis had first met her.
Dressed in a beige thick cotton coat with a cute bunny hat on her head, Helen’s delicate and fair little face looked exceptionally lovable.
Helen timidly followed behind Lis, looking at the brawny sailors passing by and the merchant ships in the distance hoisting their sails, her eyes hiding a trace of fear, but she still closely followed Lis without deviating.
“This is it, Lord Lis.”
Theodore bowed respectfully to Lis and said.
“Captain Loren Deer of the Mermaid merchant ship has already made arrangements; you can board directly.”
“Good.”
Lis nodded and looked at the Mermaid merchant ship docked at the pier in front of him.
It was a sharp-bowed schooner about forty meters in length, made of dark brown teak wood, with a silver mermaid figure on the bow, adding a touch of mysterious elegance.
Lis was quite familiar with schooners, as this type of merchant ship was also common in the Boditch Kingdom.
With its fast speed and strong maneuverability, it was widely used for coastal trade ships, but it still couldn’t endure the instability brought by the huge waves of ocean voyages.
The Boditch Kingdom, for all else, had invested quite a lot in the technology tree for maritime trade, to the point where they could construct giant merchant ships capable of crossing the Endless Ocean to other continents.
But the construction methods and technology for such ships were not something that could be sold to the Dillon Kingdom.
However, for the Dillon Kingdom, which chose coastal navigation, the schooner in front of them was more than sufficient.
Stepping on the plank extended from the ship, Lis, holding Helen, walked firmly onto the Mermaid.
Seeing strangers board the ship, a sailor who was arranging the sails came over immediately, looking at Lis and Helen with some wariness, and asked:
“Who are you?”
“I’m a mercenary, ready to embark, and I’ve already confirmed with Captain Loren.”
Lis put Helen down on the deck, nodding as he spoke.
“Okay, please wait a moment, I’ll go ask the captain.”
The short, stocky sailor, seeing that Lis had mentioned the captain’s name, dropped his guard, instructed them to wait, and went into the cabin.
Lis didn’t mind and looked over the Mermaid merchant ship.
Looking at the many bustling sailors and a number of mercenaries lending a hand, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere seemed quite good.
It appeared that the merchant ship was preparing to sail, with heavy boxes of cargo being moved by sailors into the deepest part of the hold, along with plenty of easy-to-store food, fresh water, and wine.
For a fleet setting out on a long voyage, alcohol made from grains and fruits was an indispensable commodity.
Alcohol could effectively alleviate the crew’s monotonous and tense spirits, and the variety of nutrients in the wine could effectively supplement any nutritional deficits due to the monotonous diet on the merchant ship.
This was basic knowledge in the midst of ocean voyages, on which Ward City had invested much thought, sending people to learn in-depth in the Boditch Kingdom and then bringing it to the Dillon Kingdom.
This was the main reason for the rapid improvement in the maritime technology and capacity of the Dillon Kingdom.
“Hello, Mr. Lis.”
The sailor who just went to inquire with the captain came back, now without any hostility, but instead smilingly said:
“Mr. Lis, I’ve confirmed with Captain Loren, and he has instructed me to show you to your quarters.”
“I’m Third Officer Mans of the Mermaid, if you have any problems you can come to me.”
“I’ve heard you’re quite skilled. We should have a chance to exchange some moves, haha.”
Mans said heartily, showing his goodwill before leading Lis toward the cabin.