It was a strange-looking ship. Its body was long and slender like a sharp knife. In Galinthea, the ratio of length to width of a ship was at least five to one. But this ship was different. The hull was thirty meters long, but the widest part of the ship was only five meters. The bow of the ship was slanted and plunged straight into the sea. The tall bow of the ship was engraved with the statue of the Goddess of Dawn who had bravely slain a dragon. On both sides of the smooth bow of the ship was a silver nameplate with five words written on it: Flying Fish of the Dawn.
At this moment, the seven white sails on the three masts of the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn were filled with the wind. It streaked across the blue sea like an arrow, and the black Blade Peak Mountain Range in the distance was slowly moving backwards …
Loriste stood on the bridge as the sea breeze blew against his face, causing his black hair to flutter uncontrollably. Beside him stood his attendant and student Schwald, as well as Ell, Padt, and Jim, the three leaders of the guard camp. Beside them stood the commander of the archer camp, the Golden Sharpshooter Josk, the deputy commander of the chariot camp, Dolus, and the commander of the navy camp, the Golden Knight Freya. There were two other people. One was the captain of the ship, the family's Silver Knight Wilson, and the other was the helmsman, Old Jack.
The captain, Wilson, was a burly man in his thirties. He was originally the captain of a cargo ship, but unfortunately, he encountered pirates, and the goods he was privately transporting were all robbed. After escaping with great difficulty, he was caught by the owner of the cargo. Unable to repay the goods, his entire family of five was sold to a slave trader by the furious owner. Then, they were bought by Boddfinger, who went to purchase slaves to form a northbound guard. For the sake of his family, he gave it his all. During the northbound journey, he performed many meritorious deeds, and was promoted to a family knight by Laurist in the northbound convoy's camp under Nardgaz City. After hearing about his past, he was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of becoming the captain of the Flying Fish of the Dawn.
The helmsman, Old Jack, was in his fifties and was also a slave. However, his past was even more regrettable. He had been a sailor for thirty years. In his forties, he met a widow, and the two decided to settle down. He quit his job and returned home with the widow. In less than two months, the first prince raised the flag of rebellion, and war broke out in the Calisson Empire. His hometown, a small town, was conquered by the first prince's army. His wife, the widow, died, and he was sold as a slave, becoming a member of the Kemus Family's slave workforce. Then, Loriste returned north, and he was freed. Now that the Nortons were forming a fleet, there was a place for an old sailor like him, and he was appointed first mate and helmsman.
It was now the eighth month of the Galinthea General Calendar, 1773. In the fourth month of the year, two whaling ships manufactured by the Norton family had been launched. After being equipped with ballistae designed by Master Sid, they launched a frenzied massacre of the whales near Whale Island. Close to a hundred whales became the Norton family's new spoils of war. Meanwhile, the Oxhorn Bay Shipyard gathered manpower and resources, using only three months to build this three-masted fast schooner designed by Lollister.
"My lord, this is the fastest ship I've ever seen. It can reach 11 knots at full sail. I believe that you won't be able to find a ship faster than this in Galinthea." Captain Wilson was very excited. He never dreamed that he would be the captain of such a new ship.
"That's right. I think this is indeed the fastest ship in Galinthea. It is estimated that by tomorrow afternoon we will be able to see the Platinum Beach in the Madras Principality's West Delhi province. "The helmsman, Old Jack, agreed with Captain Wilson's words.
"Oh, Old Jack, have you been to the ocean here before?" Laurist turned around and asked.
"Yes, my lord. Thirty years ago, a few large merchant guilds of the empire formed a coastal exploration team, hoping to find suitable ports along the empire's coastline to establish a sea transportation line. I was only twenty-three then, and had already been a sailor for eight years. That was how I became one of the members. The expedition team set off from what is now Lulm Duchy's Ametlin Port, and followed the coastline north. It took them more than three months, and the furthest they reached was the Forest of Disorientation, further north of the Black Clay Swamp, "Old Jack replied.
"Then did you find all the ports you were looking for?" Laurist asked.
"No, the coastal exploration team's search ended when they reached Port Qilin in the Andinac Kingdom. As they sailed further north, they encountered the same situation as the coastal waters of the Blade Peak Mountains. Shallow waters, covered with submerged reefs, and ships couldn't reach the shore at all. If not for the lifeboats bringing in supplies, the people on the ships would have caused a ruckus. I remember the leader of the large merchant guild cursing that this coast must have been cursed by the gods, so they couldn't find a suitable place to dock, "Old Jack recalled.
"What happened next?" Schwald listened with great interest.
"In the end, we still headed north along the coast. Everyone was doing it for money, so why would we go against money? However, the merchants swore that they would find a place where they could dock. They promised us double the reward. Finally, we found a place to dock in the Forest of Disorientation. Then, the people from those merchant guilds started to discuss. They wanted to occupy that place, migrate their people, and expand their territory. Then, they would obtain the recognition of the Empire, and become the new hereditary lord.
However, one night, three days later, the campsite was attacked. Large Demon Gorillas rushed into the campsite from the forest, and they tore apart everyone they saw. I was really lucky to be on duty on the ship. I saw with my own eyes the bodyguard of the merchant guild's leader, a 2-star Gold Swordsman, being torn into two by a large Demon Gorilla, and stuffed into its mouth. Because of this, I had nightmares for a month …
Only forty-one of the seven hundred people that went ashore managed to escape. We had no choice but to give up two transport ships to gather enough manpower for the remaining five ships. We returned miserably to the Qilin Port. After receiving our payment, we were dismissed. It's said that three chambers of commerce suffered heavy losses and closed down because of this sudden tragedy. However, for a low-level sailor like me, it was a great fortune to be able to come back alive. Hence, I refused to join the expedition fleet and settled down to earn a living on the merchant ships … "
Old Jack finally finished talking about his adventure. Schwald turned to Laurist and asked, "My lord, are the Demon Gorillas very powerful?"
Laurist patted his head, "Didn't you read the Magical Beast Encyclopedia that I collected? It's pretty close to the truth, but the book said that the Forest of Disorientation was the territory of the Demon Gorillas. It should be based on what Old Jack said about the expedition fleet. An adult Demon Gorilla was three to four meters tall, and extremely strong. It was one of the top three Ferocious Beasts. If a Gold-tier Swordsman could stay calm and deal with it, there was a high chance that he could escape unscathed. What Old Jack saw was an exception. He panicked and could not do his best, and that was why he lost his life. So, staying calm is the most important thing. "
Schwald bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, my lord. I understand. No matter what kind of dangerous situation you encounter, you must stay calm and keep a clear head. Only then can you find a way out of danger … "
"Hehe …" Josk reached out and patted Schwald's head, "This kid is becoming more and more like an adult. Did he become an adult after getting engaged last year? You've changed a lot after getting a wife. "
Before the first snowfall of December last year, Baron Phelim kept his promise and brought his precious 15-year-old illegitimate daughter to Monolith Castle. Baron Philim said that the mother of his precious daughter was actually his junior sister. When he was young, he studied at the home of an old knight and fell in love with the only daughter of the old knight. The two teenagers could not control themselves and secretly ate the forbidden fruit. As a result, at the age of sixteen, his junior sister became pregnant and gave birth to his daughter at the end of November of the same year.
Two years later, Baron Phelim, who was out adventuring, received bad news. His wife went to town to buy potions to treat her sick father, but she was molested by the new baron's son. The girl resisted and gave the baron's son a vicious kick, which caused the baron's son to fly into a rage and stab the girl to death. He even ordered his men to burn the sick old knight alive on his bed. Fortunately, the baby girl was sent to a neighbor's house because her grandfather was sick and escaped.
Baron Philim said that he was just a wandering knight at the time, looking for a way to revive the Pegasus family. Even though he had a deep hatred for them, he had no choice but to endure it. Five years later, when the civil war broke out, he joined the second prince and was put in an important position. Thus, he borrowed the army to attack the castle of the baron who was also in the second prince's camp, burying the baron and his family alive to avenge his wife and master.
Baron Philim's daughter, Katerina, was a sensible and well-behaved girl. She and Schwald had a good impression of each other when they met. Bodfinger was very satisfied with his daughter-in-law, so he arranged for Katerina and Schwald to be married under Laurist's auspices. When the girl turned twenty and went through her coming of age ceremony, they could get married and start a family.
Seeing Schwald blush, Laurist said, "That's enough, Josk. Stop teasing my student. You know he's shy and yet you keep teasing him. If you have the time, you should find yourself a wife first. "
Josk shrugged, "My lord, you know that my heart died long ago. I won't be moved by another woman. I'm still alone in this life. "
Laurist shook his head, "That won't do. You have to find a good woman, have a few children, and pass down your archery skills. That way, in the God of War's Heaven, Baron Umador and your wife will bless you with happiness."
Josk didn't say anything and fell silent.
Laurist knew that it was not the right time to persuade him, so he turned to Schwald and said, "Go check on Knight Shredder, see if he's feeling better."
The destination of the Kingdom of Dawn's Flying Fish was the Andinac Kingdom. There were two things he had to do on this trip. The first was to send the second prince, who had been imprisoned in the family for more than a year, to save the family's food. Laurist was already sick and tired of the second prince. Even though he was a prisoner, he still didn't stop. Whenever he saw someone, he would make a wish and ask to be rescued. There were indeed a few servants who didn't know what was good for them. In order to ascend to the heavens in a single step, they brought the second prince's letter for help and went through untold hardships to run to Duke Fisablun. Then, they were sent back to the Norton Family's territory together with the letter and hung in front of the main gate of Monolith Castle.
The second matter was for the additional territory of Cirvas Island. Five years ago, Laurist was conferred the title of Earl of the Andinac Kingdom by the second prince. In order to make up for his mistake, the second prince gave Laurist his own territory, the Island of Sirovas. However, because Cirvas Island was isolated and Laurist was in a hurry to return to the family's territory, he didn't have the time to take care of it. Now that the family had Oxhorn Bay and an outlet to the sea, they could naturally go and see this new territory.
When they heard that Laurist was going out to sea, the family's knights eagerly signed up. After being cooped up in the family's territory for so long, everyone wanted to go out and see the world with Laurist. However, although the newly built Flying Fish was more than thirty meters long, it was very narrow. Apart from the necessary twenty-eight sailors, the captain, the first mate, and the helmsman, it could only carry twenty-seven people at most.
Josk insisted on going with Laurist and counted him in. Freya said that he was the commander of the navy and couldn't miss the maiden voyage of the Flying Fish, so he took up the second spot. Dolus said that the ship was equipped with five steel ballistae, and he was responsible for teaching the sailors how to use the family's long-range weapons to their fullest potential. So, he brought five steel ballistae from the chariot battalion on board.
Lollister was going, and Howard was going too. Ell and Pat from the guard camp said that they would protect Lollister, so they had to follow as well. There was also the second prince to bring. Fatty Shi wasn't interested in going at first, but Laurist said that the family lacked independent civil officials, so he handed all the matters at hand to Sederkamp to manage. He planned to go to the capital of the Andinac Kingdom, the former imperial capital of the Crimson Empire, to recruit some high-level officials to return to the family's territory.
There were now fourteen people on board, so Laurist let Jim from the guard battalion take nine guards with him. When the time came, they could form an escort team to escort the second prince to the Andinac Kingdom's capital and hand him over to the second prince.
Unexpectedly, Fatty Shi started to get seasick after boarding the ship and vomited profusely. In just a day, he was bedridden like a sick cat. Laurist made him a seasickness potion, and only after he drank it did he fall into a deep sleep.
It was an August night, and the sea breeze was still a little cold. Laurist put on a jacket and leaned against the bridge, pondering silently as he looked at the starry night sky.
Other than the lookout on the mast and the sailors on duty, everyone on the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn had fallen asleep. The white sails on the three masts had been retracted, and only the sails at the bow and stern of the ship were still carrying the wind, pushing the Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn to float gently on the calm sea …
A figure walked up the bridge and sat down beside Laurist with heavy steps. He handed over a small barrel of fruit wine and a silver cup.
"Do you feel better?" Laurist asked.
It was Fatty Shi. "Much better. After taking the potion and sleeping, I don't feel nauseous or want to vomit anymore. My head is still a little dizzy. Strange, you didn't get seasick when you were young, why do you get seasick now that you're older? I slept too much during the day, and now I can't sleep even if I wanted to, so I came to find you. "
He poured some fruit wine into the cup and toasted Fatty Shi. Laurist looked at the starry sky and said, "Fatty, I'm thinking if I can take this opportunity to go back to Morent City to take a look. Old Jack said that with the speed of this ship, we can reach Hidden Treasure Bay in a month. Don't you want to go back to Dawn Academy to take a look? Write a letter to your father and tell him that you've made a name for yourself now. "
"Forget it. I'll only tell him when you give me a piece of land and let me become a noble. I'll give him a surprise then," Fatty Shi said after taking a sip of wine.
"Then you'll have to wait for another four years. You can't be granted a land without serving the family for ten years. However, I'm only a count now, so I can only be granted two viscounts and four barons at most. Also, I can't be granted a land in my original family's territory. Now, I'll wait until I get to Cirvas Island and see if I can divide a few territories there. If I become the Grand Duke of the Northern Lands, then I can grant you a more fertile territory. "
"Locke, I have an idea. If you really become the Grand Duke of the North, it's best not to grant the North to anyone else. The North can have manors and castles of Golden Knights, but not other lords. I believe that the entire North should belong to the Norton Family. That's the key to the family's continued inheritance for thousands of years. As long as the three rope bridges and ferries that lead to the outside world are sealed, the North can be unified. No matter what the outside world becomes, the Norton Family will be able to dominate the North and watch as the winds and clouds gather. However, now that we have Oxhorn Bay, we still need to build a strong fleet to ensure the peace of the family's territory … "
"You're right, that's my idea too. However, we still need to wait for the right time to realize it. Right now, our family still needs to continue accumulating strength … "
The silver moonlight shone on the calm sea, and the silver ripples sparkled. The Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn slowly drifted into the distance in the silver ripples …
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