When Roland walked into the port surrounded by his guards, two three-masted ships with black and white dragon flags were unloading cargo. The officials in the City hall stood in a circle around the stacked wooden boxes and exclaimed from time to time.
"Long time no see, Your Majesty," Margaery quickly came forward and bowed to him with a smile. "Please forgive me for only being able to meet you like this... It's not suitable for me to wear a long dress on the sea. I hope you don't mind."
A man beside her also put his hand on his chest and saluted. "Your Majesty, Sande Asuka from Twin Dragon Island pays his respects to you. I wonder if you're satisfied with my attire?" After that, he blinked and said, "It should be very compatible with the phrase 'soaring seabird', right?"
In fact, Roland had already noticed his conspicuous appearance before he even opened his mouth. Speaking of which, it was hard not to notice a humanoid figure with feathers all over his body. His attire was that of an ordinary Fjords merchant, but from the headscarf wrapped around his head to the soft leather shoes on his feet, he could see the tassels made of bird feathers everywhere. However, after a long voyage, many of the feathers had become bare poles, and even the decorations still hanging on his clothes had lost their original luster, which made him think of the phrase 'drenched chicken'.
"No... you misunderstood," Roland said while holding his forehead. In his mind, "Sande Asuka" was just a very ordinary blue icon. Any man of the same age as him, as well as a few men of the opposite sex, had the experience of eagerly clicking on it. "Although you don't want Lightning to recognize you, I bet that if you enter the castle with this appearance, you'll definitely be stared at by her inseparable companion, Maggie, Mr. Thunder. In that case, even if you stick a fake beard on your face, I'm afraid it'll be difficult to cover up. "
"Hahaha... really?" Thunder laughed heartily. "What a pity, I'm quite satisfied with this attire. You may not know, but since I asked a tailor to make this set, it has become popular on several islands. "
Was this the power of an example? Roland silently rolled his eyes. Besides, the man was indeed the most outstanding explorer in the Fjords. He was almost forty years old, yet he could still maintain such a youthful attitude. If it was someone else, they probably wouldn't go through so much trouble for a name that was made up at the last minute.
Everything started from the letter before the expedition.
After the installation of the steel ship was completed, the next step was the trial sailing phase. Roland, on the other hand, had always kept a respectful distance from the unpredictable sea. At the same time, he was well aware of the level of the first iron ship he had designed. There was no doubt that even though a lot of equipment and functional areas had been reduced, it was still a long way from being a complete product in the true sense.
Not a pile of iron that could float and move back and forth could be considered a qualified seagoing ship. Due to the turbulence of the waves, the working environment of the machinery of the ship was completely different from that of a riverboat. In addition, it was the first time that the steam turbine was used, so the reliability of the entire power system was still a question mark. It was not surprising that the ship would break down after leaving the port.
What was more troublesome was that he had no idea about the maneuverability of the ship or the interaction between humans and machines. If he encountered any difficulties in mechanical principles, he could go to the Dream World to find a solution. But as for how to operate a ship, before the popularization of electronic auxiliary systems, he was afraid that only one type of ship would be able to provide the answer. There was no other way but to explore it himself.
Therefore, inviting Thunder to test the ship was the best choice he could think of.
Roland was not only an experienced navigator but also the leader of an expedition team. There were as many as 100 excellent sailors under his command, so his feedback would definitely be more valuable.
Roland planned to take this opportunity to test and adjust the ship while recording all the data during the long voyage. In this way, when the next ship starts construction, there will undoubtedly be a huge leap forward. And this data would also be a valuable asset to the manufacturing industry in Neverwinter.
Because this part might take two to three months, it was necessary for Thunder to stay in Neverwinter for a while. In order not to expose his identity, Roland casually made up a fake identity for him in the letter, which was Sande Asuka. Unexpectedly, not only did Roland gladly accept it, but he also added a bunch of settings to this identity. His acting spirit really made the King of Graycastle gasp in amazement.
"By the way, Your Majesty, did you really finish the construction of the steam ship so quickly?" Thunder changed the topic. "In the Fjords, even the best craftsmen and the most suitable materials would need several years."
"This is already considered slow. After all, steel is much easier to process than wood. You don't need to spend time soaking it for preservation, nor do you need to wait for it to dry in the shade. You just need to get the right temperature." Roland shrugged. "It's now in the dock of the harbor. If you're interested, we can go and have a look now."
"That's exactly what I want!" Thunder's eyes immediately lit up. "I've been thinking about it since we were on the sea!"
"But what about those Golden Dragons?" Roland pointed at the wooden boxes that were being carried off the ship one after another. City Hall seemed to be counting the number of coins in the boxes. "As I said before, this ship is priced at cost."
"Of course, we dare not refuse your kindness," Margaery replied. "Those are the proceeds from the sale of the perfume and Chaos Drinks."
"So much?" He was a little surprised. "It's not the delivery date stipulated in the contract, is it?"
"Because it's on the way, and it can also reduce the burden of the next delivery." Margaery covered her mouth and laughed. "Besides, you guessed right, Your Majesty. These two products are very popular in the Fjords, especially the Chaos Drinks. They're selling like crazy. The best-tasting variety can be sold at ten times the original price after a few exchanges, and some people are willing to collect the slightly inferior variety. In short, the Chaos Drinks have become a symbol of strength in the banquets of the major Chambers of Commerce. "
Roland could not help but raise his eyebrows. It seemed that it was really a good choice to let a professional reseller do this business.
"Your Majesty, there's a magic reaction in the crowd." Suddenly, he heard Nightingale's whisper. "Is there a witch in their team?"
Only then did he notice that not far behind Margaery, a woman seemed to be looking in their direction. Most of her body was hidden behind a maid, and only half of her head was exposed. When their eyes met, she quickly shrank her head back and panicked like a frightened rabbit.
Roland vaguely remembered that the female merchant had mentioned this in her previous letter. "Is that person your former witch friend?"
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