The old man in outdated clothes disappeared from the platform like a shadow under the sun, but the coin in his hand was still warm. The young man blinked and finally recovered from the shock after a few seconds.
He subconsciously rubbed the coin in his hand before stuffing it into his pocket. As the fee for asking for directions, this was a considerable income. In terms of purchasing power, it was even more than the days when he was a local bully selling "intelligence" to adventurers in the streets and alleys of the town. Thinking of this, the young man could not help but smack his lips.
Adventurers, 'information', directions, and a coin as a reward … Come to think of it, it did feel like he had returned to the past.
He twitched the corner of his mouth and moved his legs that were a little sore from wandering on the platform for too long. He followed the sparse crowd and walked towards the exit. Not far from him, a freight train that was much cruder than a regular passenger train was parked beside the cargo platform. The large sliding door on one side of the carriage had already slid to the side, and the stevedores, who were ready to go, immediately stepped forward under the command of the foreman and transferred the goods from the carriage to the trailer.
The bearded foreman stood beside the loading area, directing the work while looking at the standardized crates. On the seals on one side of the wooden crates, the emblem of the Community Union could clearly be seen.
At the North Harbor area, Victoria, Duke of the Northern Territory, was standing on a platform. A light breeze blew towards the platform, but before it could get close, it was changed direction by an invisible force, leaving only the cold wind around the Duchess. She looked up and looked at the vast sea that was slightly undulating outside the harbor. A dim and hazy skylight shrouded the sea, covering the distant scenery in thin sea fog. In the face of the power of nature, even the sharp vision of an Extraordinary was useless. But she still looked there as if she could see something through the hazy fog and skylight.
That was the direction where the Eternal Storm once resided. Only a year ago, there was a miraculous storm that had not dissipated for a million years, blocking the prying eyes. On a clear day, people on the continent could even see the wall of clouds rising from the sea level all the way to the sky, as if supporting the entire sky.
But now, the storm that was once regarded as an inviolable force of nature had completely dissipated, and the mysterious kingdom behind the storm had opened the door to the mortals of the Lolun Continent. Even Victoria Werde, the Ice Duke, could not help but feel a little emotional at the wonders of fate.
"Today's last batch of supplies has been unloaded on the platform," a middle-aged man's voice suddenly came from the side, making Victoria look away from the sea. "This batch of supplies came from the moss forest. Including the batches that arrived yesterday and the day before, we have exceeded the expected target. Now we only need to transport them to Tarlonde."
Victoria turned her head and saw Byron with his messy hair standing beside her. The Grand Admiral of the Imperial Navy had a cheerful smile on his face, and he was looking at the sea outside the port with an admiring gaze. A very dignified officer's cloak was draped behind him, but it made him look like a bandit.
"The weather is not good," the Duchess turned her head and nodded gently at the gloomy sky in the distance. "According to my experience, there may be a storm waiting for you tomorrow."
"But our siren navigators promise that the weather will be fine tomorrow," Byron said with a shrug. "And the nagas say the same."
"Those deep-sea creatures have a different understanding of 'good weather' from us on land." The Duchess could not help but frown. "Especially those sirens."
"Then let's make a bet. I believe in my navigators, and you believe in your experience," Byron said with a laugh. "How about a pound?"
"Not interested," Victoria said casually. "I never bet with anyone."
Byron shrugged rather disinterestedly and turned his eyes to the dock not far away. In the long dock extending along the coast, a total of six of the most advanced cargo arcanotech ships floated steadily on the sea like small mountains. The hidden warehouses under the decks of four of the ships were now open, and a series of mechanical devices were operating. A large amount of grain was being transferred from the giant trucks on the dock to the cabins. Other loading and unloading teams were busy beside the remaining two ships, transferring a large number of sealed wooden boxes to the stacking area on the deck.
At the moment, it was still drizzling, but a thin layer of energy shield rose from the dock area and shrouded the entire loading and unloading area in the shield. The shield generators on the top of the reinforced concrete wall shone with a light blue glow. As long as they were still operating, the dock area could ensure a good dry and windless condition.
At another dock farther away from the cargo ships, the towering mechanical warship, Winter, was watching the scene like a silent giant. Its soaring magical wings and imposing turrets stood proudly. Two smaller frigates with brand-new decks were anchored next to the main ship, and the resupply operation was going on intensely.
In the increasingly busy North Harbor, a large number of ships were loading, unloading, and resupplying operations almost day and night. Especially after summer, the huge economic stimulus brought about by the trans-continental sea route had attracted all the capable merchants to participate in the feast. The North Harbor had become a true city that never sleeps, and the scene of loading and unloading at the docks was something that many people had become accustomed to.
But the six cargo ships that were now being loaded were very special, so special that even the Grand Duke of the Northern Region and the highest-ranking officer of the Imperial Navy came to supervise in person. The reason was simple: these ships were going to break the "barrier" that had blocked the mortals of the Lorient Continent for hundreds of years. They carried a significant mission, a mission that could even be said to have laid the foundation of the Common Alliance — they were going to sail to Tarlonde.
This was a navigation mission that was more challenging than the trans-continental sea route. What they were going to challenge was the distant sea beyond the "coastal calm line." It was a dangerous sea that was traditionally known as "violent, disorderly, and unchallengeable."
"I can't believe that we are really going to challenge the distant sea …" After a long silence, Duchess Victoria finally could not help but say, "And the first challenge is on such a large scale, and the target is the legendary 'home of the Giant Dragon.' If someone had mentioned this to me a few years ago, I would have cast the 'Mentally Retarded Identification' on him immediately."
"Is there such a spell?" Byron's thoughts were obviously on a different level from Duchess Victoria's. "What's the use of such a weird spell?"
"Yes, and it's a very useful spell." Duchess Victoria glanced at the Admiral beside her. "It's necessary for the big families to identify the intelligence potential of their heirs early to avoid wasting a huge amount of training resources. This kind of spell is specially used to select noble heirs under the age of six. In the old era, almost all the big families above the rank of Earl would use this method to examine their heirs."
"Magic is really convenient." Byron pursed his lips. "But this thing sounds really ruthless."
"It's indeed ruthless, and the practice of concentrating all the resources on a small number of elites and abandoning most of the 'ordinary children' is contrary to His Majesty's concept of 'education without discrimination' and 'talent pool,'" Victoria said with a blank expression. "But you have to admit that sometimes this effective screening method still has its place."
Byron shrugged and soon lost interest in this topic. He turned his attention back to the upcoming voyage mission. After a moment of thought, he said, "His Majesty attaches great importance to this voyage. It's not only a demonstration of the strength of the Alliance and the 'new order,' but also a test of the series of efforts we've made so far in North Harbor. To be honest, I'm not worried about this voyage itself, but I'm worried about North Harbor. This is different from the previous mission we carried out in the coastal area of Typhon. After we leave the land, the communication between the fleet and the land will be cut off. "
"You can trust me," the Duchess said in a low voice. "In this land, there's never a snowflake out of the control of the Wilde family."
Byron was silent for a moment and nodded gently. "Then I'm relieved."
Then he looked at the sea again. On the weather-beaten face of the mercenary Knight, a serious and expectant expression gradually emerged.
He knew that what he was about to embark on was probably the most dangerous challenge he had ever undertaken in half of his life. It was far more dangerous than the time when he led his companions to explore the ancient ruins and the lair of the daemons. If it was in the old era, his voyage would have been considered a suicide. However, with the addition of the Naga technicians and the siren navigators, as well as the ocean-going navigation technology that they brought along, such a voyage was now possible. More importantly, they would be escorted by a group of giant dragons. The suicidal voyage of the past could now become a feat that would be recorded in the history books.
If those companions of the past were still here … would they toast to him for this epic adventure?
While thinking, Byron could not help but look forward to the distant Tarlonde.
…
Near the center of North Harbor City, in the lobby of the Northernmost Exploration Group's Registration Office, which was jokingly called the Adventurers' Guild by the traveling merchants, the once bustling windows gradually quieted down as the evening approached.
The bell suddenly rang, and the girl who was sitting behind the registration window woke up with a start. She looked in the direction of the door with a surprised expression.
An old man wearing a short black robe, a black bonnet on his head, and a white beard and hair stood there. After looking around the hall for a while, he walked over with big strides.
The short black robe was no longer popular in this era. After all, even the distinguished mages in the past pursued the concept of fashion. Now, various kinds of "modern attire" lined with runic interlayers and magic conductive threads were rapidly replacing the gloomy and inconvenient mage robes of old. They had the same spellcasting support effect and modern beautiful design. But for the registrars who had recently dealt with adventurers, this seemingly old attire was not uncommon. Their practicality and durability had been tested. For the adventurers, they were more used to using the equipment they were used to, rather than recklessly entrusting their lives to "fashionable gadgets."
But adventurers of such an age were not so common.
With a trace of doubt in her mind, the girl behind the registration window immediately perked up and showed a formulaic smile when the old mage came closer. "Hello, how can I help you?"
"I want to register as an adventurer heading to Tarlonde," the old mage said. His attitude was very easy-going, unlike the old traditional mages who had a sense of pride accumulated throughout their life. "It's called the Northernmost Exploration Group, right?"
"You want to register as …" The girl was stunned. Her eyes under her short red hair could not help but glance at the old mage twice. "Are you sure you want to register as an adventurer? If you want to join the sightseeing group as a scholar, you can go next door … "
"Yes, an adventurer. I'm not that old yet." The old mage waved his hand and then looked suspiciously at the "Notes for Adventurers" hanging next to the registration window. "What? Is there a problem? Could it be that you have set an upper age limit for registration? When I came here, I read the promotional materials carefully. There shouldn't be any restrictions on it … "
"This … We do not have an upper age limit." The girl was a little stunned and said subconsciously. At the same time, she suddenly felt that the rule of not having an upper age limit for registration was a loophole. But then again, under normal circumstances, would there really be an adventurer in their seventies or eighties who would still come out to accept a mission?
"That's good." The old mage did not know what the young girl was muttering in her heart. He looked happy and put his hand in front of the window. "Give me a registration form, little girl."
"This … Okay." The girl nodded dizzily and reached for a blank form beside her. As if she had a professional habit, she began to explain. "Please fill in your age, place of birth, occupation, adventure time and whether you are a party member. Sign your surname and first name here. Finally, trace this rune here to leave your mark."
"Okay, okay, I know. This is actually not much different from the old Adventurer's Guild."
The old mage did not wait for the girl to finish and waved his hand impatiently. He took a quick glance at the form and took the pen in front of the window to fill it in. But soon he frowned and the tip of the pen scratched on the paper as he muttered, "Age here … I can't remember it clearly. Place of birth is also not a problem. Occupation is not a problem. Adventure time? Can you fill in a few centuries … "
The girl behind the window could not help but twitch her mouth as she listened to the old mage's muttering. She could not help but suspect that the old man in front of her was not an adventurer who came to register, but ran out of his home because of Alzheimer's. She had treated him seriously just now. Perhaps it was better to call the security now?
"If you can't remember, then leave it blank." The girl thought about calling the security while she went along with the old man's words. This was to take care of the old man's emotions and prevent the poor old man from getting agitated. "You should know how to fill in the last name, right?"
The girl's idea was quite simple: if there was an accurate name, perhaps it could help the old man find his family.
Hearing the registrar's words, the old mage frowned slightly and thought about it seriously. He muttered as he wrote, "I really can't remember the surname. Although I am sure that I should have a surname, the first name … hmm, Modir. I've signed it. Is this okay?"
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