The sun gradually rose, and the dock gradually became lively. The fishing boats were ready to go out to sea. The captain shouted at the sailors who were still asleep. In the distance came the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs. All of these told Solo that it was getting late.
It was indeed getting late.
It was already nine o'clock in the morning, and Solo's patience was wearing thin. He began to send out scouting ships to check out the harbor, but found nothing. It was not until noon that he suddenly knew that Julian and the others would not come. That news was most likely false.
"Damn vultures." Solo did not care about lunch. He ordered all the warships to leave the harbor and hung the flags that had been taken down again. After all this, the people of Red Leaf Harbor found out that a naval fleet had appeared at the dock. The fleet quickly set off. But Santa Trina was so vast, and the whereabouts of the merchant ships that had been lost were not that easy to track.
On the deck of the ship, Solo held the railing and cursed the vultures no less than a hundred times in his heart. Whether that bastard had deliberately sent false news or his identity had been seen through, in Solo's eyes, he was no different from a good-for-nothing.
"This kind of incompetent person, it's best if he dies," the admiral said in the end.
His fleet could no longer continue south. The Boleyn Family had organized a family fleet not long ago and expelled several naval fleets stationed in the south, claiming that before Julian returned to Oliska, the southern waters would be completely blocked and all ships of the Imperial Army would be prohibited from entering. Otherwise, it would be seen as a war.
Solo did not want to challenge the heritage of an ancient family, especially when that family had three Holy Name Masters on the surface. Who knew if they had other forces in the dark.
The admiral's guess was undoubtedly correct. The three merchant ships carrying Julian did not enter Red Leaf Harbor, and Allen and the others did not intend to abandon the ship and go ashore. They set off before sunrise and had already passed Red Leaf Harbor at dawn. At that time, Solo was still waiting for them on the deck of the ship. By the time the naval scouting ships were active in the bay, the merchant ships were already far away from their line of sight.
A man looked out the porthole at the sea and sighed. This middle-aged man was thin and had a hunchback. Those who knew him called him Hunchback. As for his real name, no one could remember it. He was Solin's groom and attendant. He had served Solin for more than ten years and was deeply trusted. At a time like this, Hunchback was supposed to go below the ship and take care of the horses, to make sure they reached the South in good health. But now he was still in the room, without the slightest intention of moving.
Until someone knocked on the door.
The hunchback opened the door. It was two soldiers. The hunchback knew that they were the Count's men. The soldier said, "Mr. Thorin wants to see you."
The hunchback nodded, walked out the door, and closed it. He touched the doorknob and said, "Please lead the way."
Under the guidance of the soldier, the hunchback finally arrived at the end of the ship. He raised his head and glanced around. Not only was Thorin here, but Julian, Allen, and other important figures were also here. Urian looked at the sea with his back to him. Thorin walked over and said in a low voice, "Habulin, do you have anything to say?"
Habulin was the hunchback's name. Only Thoren would call him by his name, unlike the others, who kept calling him hunchback.
Hunchback, no. Hobson laughed. Then he slowly straightened his back and finally stood up straight. Only then did Thorin realize that he, the groom, was not short at all. Habulin looked at Thorin with a calm expression and laughed, "I have nothing to say, my lord. I can only say that my lord's strategy was brilliant. You deliberately leaked the itinerary and let me spread the false news, cleverly leaving the Imperial Navy empty-handed. But I do not know, when did my lord find out about my identity? "
"Thorin did not know about your identity. In fact, none of us did." Allen answered on behalf of Thorin, "I told His Highness before that the environment on land is more advantageous for the vulture. But I did not say that, provided that he could resist not contacting the outside world at sea. Unfortunately, you could not resist, and at sea, the only means of transmission are birds like messenger crows. So as long as you keep an eye on the ship, you can find clues. "
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid my eyes and ears are far more than you can imagine."
What Habulin did not know was that when he released the messenger crow from a hidden corner, it was seen by a Steel Edge Warrior hiding in the dark. Every Steel Edge Warrior was Lucy's eyes, and these Steel Edge Warriors did not leak their auras like humans, so the cautious Habulin gave himself away. Of course, these arrangements did not need to be made clear to the vulture.
Habulin nodded, then looked at Thorin and said, "I am an orphan. The war caused me to lose my parents and home, and I wandered from one territory to another. When I was seven, I almost died at the hands of some local ruffians. At that time, a man saved me. He gave me food and clothes, and taught me other things. When I grew older, I realized that he wanted to raise me into a vulture. "
"After that, I followed by your side, my lord. You treated me well, my lord. Although I was a good-for-nothing who pretended to be a hunchback, you still called me by my name. You are a man worthy of respect. Fortunately, my superior didn't assign me any tasks. I thought I would continue to be your groom until one day, when I would quietly leave. But not long ago, when I was almost about to forget my true identity, that mission came down. "
Habulin knelt down and lowered his head to Thorin. "My lord, I'm sure you can guess what happened next. I'm not telling you this to beg for mercy. I just want to tell my lord that Habulin would rather be your groom than that vulture, but fate did not give me a choice. At this point, I have nothing to say. I can only hope that my lord's journey will go smoothly. I … I … "
The man on the ground suddenly coughed violently. Thorin hurriedly helped him up, only to see that Habulin was already foaming at the mouth. He smiled at Thorin and stopped breathing.
Looking at his corpse, Thorin had mixed feelings and could only let out a soft sigh.
"Let's bury him when we get to Ark Harbor." Julian said softly.
Thorin lowered his head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
Originally, it was not surprising that a vulture like Habulin would be thrown into the sea to feed the fish after its death. Now that Julian had said this, it was already very kind, but Thorin thanked him on behalf of Habulin. After Thorin left the deck with the corpse, Julian exhaled, wanting to break the strange atmosphere on the deck. He deliberately smiled and said, "Earl Allen, you actually schemed against me. I really thought I was going to get off the ship at Red Leaf Harbor today. I even had someone pack my things last night. "
Allen shook his head and smiled. "If we don't trick Your Highness into it, how can we fool the vultures on the ship? It's only at this moment that we're finally safe. "
Julian nodded and looked at the sea in front of the ship. "What kind of place is Ark Harbor?"
"Your Highness will know soon," Allen said.
But in fact, it wasn't fast at all. From Tiger Shark Harbor, it would take at least twenty days to travel by water to Ark Harbor, even if the wind and water were smooth. Therefore, by the time the merchant ship arrived at Ark Harbor, it was already a month later.
At the beginning of the morning, Jorah was sitting in front of the mirror, and the maid was combing her long hair. She looked at herself in the mirror. A few months ago, she was still Miss Jorah, but now she was Lady Orlando. After the grand wedding in Spear City, Jorah and Orlando returned to Ark Harbor and took care of the territory together. Orlando was humorous, gentle and considerate, and anyone would be very happy to get along with him.
Jorah was no exception. At first, she would think of that person from time to time. But now, she felt that she had forgotten about the past. But after receiving a message, that person appeared in her mind again.
Today, three merchant ships carrying Julian will arrive at Ark Harbor. Following the prince was Allen. Jorah looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly shook her head. Orlando came in and whistled at his wife in front of the mirror, "Our Lady Jorah is always so beautiful."
Jorah rolled her eyes, and the maid behind her chuckled. Orlando waved his hand and took over the maid's work. The latter was already used to it and took the opportunity to leave the room, leaving space for the couple. Orlando changed Jorah's long hair and fixed it with a gemstone hairnet. He looked at his wife in the mirror and said, "You don't look very happy."
Jorah stretched out her hand and gently held Orlando's hand. "How about I don't go to the harbor to meet you? You can be the representative."
"How can that be? In name, you're the agent of Ark Harbor. I'm your follower." Orlando put his hands on her shoulders and said, "I know what you're thinking. You're afraid to see Allen, aren't you? Jorah, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't mind if you still think of him. If you could forget someone you loved so easily, I would be the one who would be scared. "
"Just like how I still haven't forgotten the girl I loved when I was an ignorant teenager. That's a beautiful memory for me. And it's precisely because of these beautiful memories that life is more fulfilling. " Orlando shrugged and said, "Or do you think I'm a stingy man who will be jealous of a relationship that's already over at the beginning? Please, Allen isn't as charming as me. Do I need to be jealous of him? "
He laughed it off.
Jorah laughed. Orlando's words untied the last knot in her heart. She stood up and kissed Orlando on the cheek. "Thank you."
"If you really want to thank me, shouldn't we do something more practical?" Orlando looked at the big bed with a wicked smile.
Jorah snorted, "Don't even think about it. I don't want to waste another hour tidying up my hair. Didn't you say you were my follower? Then come with me, Mr. Orlando. Don't let our distinguished guest wait at the harbor. As the host, that would be too rude. "
Looking at his wife, who had returned to her usual self, Orlando bowed exaggeratedly and said, "Everything is at your command, madam."
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