In the Sedimentation Bay of the Kingdom of Wolfheart.
As one of the only two port cities in the Kingdom of Wolfheart, the docks here were always busy. Every day, there would be many peddlers from the inland who would send goods to the Shanghai ships to sell to other countries, or directly exchange for what they needed from the sea merchants. Therefore, the dock area was quite like a large market, with everything from furs to slaves.
White sat in his carriage, bored, and listened to the chatter of the laborers beside him as he gazed in the direction of the sea.
Ever since the war between Hermes and Graycastle, the task of sending orphans to the Holy City had been suspended. White, who had lost his biggest source of income, had become much more miserable. However, the worst was yet to come. The order of the kingdom, which had been overthrown by the church, had not been restored after the war. Small conflicts between the lords continued. A coachman like White, who relied on his carriage business for a living, had basically lost his stable source of income and had to come to the Sedimentation Bay to find a new job.
Although the prosperity of the city was affected to a certain extent, fortunately, the lords did not give up on their pursuit of enjoyment. Moreover, the main road across the Cage Mountain was controlled by the Duncan Family, and the luxuries that the other lords wanted were more dependent on sea transportation. Therefore, the city was still as prosperous as before the war.
Of course, this also had to do with the fact that the Baron of the Sedimentation Bay had always been neutral.
White had also chosen this place for the sake of stability.
He was getting old and did not want to travel around anymore.
After a few more shipments, he would be able to buy a house in the outer city. At that time, he would be able to make a living by doing some small business.
"Uncle, haven't you got any work today?" Suddenly, a young laborer climbed into his carriage with a smile.
"Go away. It's none of your business whether I got any work or not." White waved his hand as if he was shooing away a fly. "Don't get into my carriage. You can't afford to damage the axle."
"Don't say that. I'm heavier than the goods. You can see it from here." The latter first patted his open belly, then lay down in the carriage. He picked up a straw at the bottom of the carriage and put it in his mouth. He looked around and asked, "What did you transport last time? Why is there a sour smell in it? "
"If you don't get off, I'm going to beat you up," White said impatiently. This guy did not have a name. The other laborers all called him Smarty, but he did not know why. The two of them had nothing to do with each other. They were just busy working at the same dock and had met each other a few times.
"With that fake leg of yours that hurts so much that you can't even stand properly on rainy days?" "It looks like it's going to rain again. Your bones are aching now, aren't they?"
White couldn't help but choke. This annoying brat, when did he …
"Hehe, don't stare at me like you're going to eat me alive. I'm here to help you find work." Smarty shrugged. "There's only so much cargo to transport on a ship. You're old, and you can't squeeze past others, so naturally, you earn less."
"What are you trying to say?"
"It's very simple. My brothers can help you get a good spot. It's much more useful than you doing it alone. Are you interested?"
"Hmph, you won't be working for nothing," White sneered.
"Ten percent of the freight. That's fair, right?" Smarty smiled.
He was silent for a moment. At this moment, the sky above them was a little gloomy. The sea breeze made the corners of their clothes flutter. It was obvious that a heavy rain was coming. If a ship arrived at the port at this time, it would indeed be difficult for him to steal business from others in the same line. The fake leg was both a hindrance to him and a reason for the employers to screen him out.
Seeing that White didn't answer, Smarty snapped his fingers. "Since you're not refusing, I'll take that as a yes."
After a while, White stared at him and said, "I'm not the only one you're helping, am I right?"
"Ahem, if everyone can line up, we can save a lot of trouble, can't we?" Smarty deliberately ignored the question. "Uncle, can't you change the straw into cloth cushions for this carriage? Apart from the Chaos Drinks from the Fjords, the most valuable thing in the Sedimentation Bay is perfume. Although the buyers are all nobles and usually bring their own carriages, accidents happen to every family, and there's always a need for additional carriages. But your car stinks. Even if we help you get a good seat, the employer might not agree to it … "
Glancing at the guy who spoke with confidence and composure, White suddenly understood why he was called a smart guy. However, he was not someone to be trifled with. "By the way, didn't you ask me what I did last time?"
"What?"
"Cow dung, the kind that's used as firewood," he said slowly. He said slowly, "Although they've all been dried, it's normal for them to leave some residue after they've been exposed to moisture."
Smarty's face suddenly stiffened. He turned his head and spat out the straw in his mouth. He then lay on the carriage frame and coughed.
"Pfft, he's just a kid after all." White snorted and looked at the sea again. Then he froze.
Several three-masted ships appeared at the end of his sight, slowly sailing towards the Sedimentation Bay. Each of them was a flagship of the Fjords' Chamber of Commerce. The main mast was about 30 meters long, and there was a golden flag with a black border on the top of the mast. That was not the emblem of any of the chambers of commerce that White was familiar with.
Anyway, as long as there were ships, there would be business. It did not matter which ship he was working for. Besides, there were three ships coming at once. Even if he did not ask for help from these laborers, he should be able to get one or two carts of goods.
White jumped off the carriage frame and untied the horse's rope. When he was about to lead the horse to the unloading area, Smarty suddenly reached out and grabbed his clothes.
"Hey, hey … something's wrong."
What could be wrong? White turned his head impatiently — and what he saw left him dumbfounded.
Behind the three ships, many masts were revealed bit by bit. The raised sails vaguely connected together, forming a "white wall" on the surface of the sea.
"Oh my God …"
When the grayish-black hulls entered his field of vision, they almost covered the original appearance of the sea. At first, White tried to count how many ships there were, but after counting to fifty, he found that his eyes could not keep up with the speed of the ships' appearance. One hundred? Two hundred … No, I'm afraid it's a lot more!
Among them, there was no lack of huge three-masted ships, but there were more paddle steamers emitting white smoke. He had occasionally seen these new ships without sails, but now there were so many of them. It was completely beyond his imagination. He swore that even the sailors who lived in the harbor had never seen such a huge fleet!
Other people in the harbor also noticed this incredible scene. Whether it was the peddlers, sailors or laborers, they could not help but put down the work in their hands and held their breath as they watched the mighty fleet approaching.
The originally noisy dock suddenly quieted down.
As the ships approached, the fluttering flags became clearer. On the golden background, White could vaguely see the emblem of a tower and a spear. All the ships were flying the same flag. When hundreds of emblems fluttered in the wind and formed a new sea-line antenna, anyone could feel the majesty contained in it.
Smarty sucked in a cold breath.
"Is this … the flag of Graycastle?"
White murmured in disbelief. "You mean … the King of Graycastle is here?"
As the Sedimentation Bay could not accommodate so many large ships, most of the ships lowered their sails outside the harbor, while the ten steam-powered ships sailed straight into the harbor.
As soon as they reached the shore, a group of people in uniforms of the same color rushed out from the gangplank, quickly assembled into several rows on the trestles, and marched neatly into the harbor. These people were expressionless, but their eyes were chilling. They looked like seasoned warriors, but they did not have the arrogance and arrogance that they showed on the outside.
White swallowed his saliva. Although he had never seen such a team before, he felt a heartfelt fear in his heart. He knew that he was not the only one who felt this way. These outsiders quickly occupied every pier, but no one dared to raise any objections.
White realized that this fleet was not here for business.
The atmosphere on the harbor seemed to freeze.
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