Chapter 511: Act 259 – The Shimmering Sea, The Maritime Route to Ampere Seale (Part 1)
“How did it go, Grifian?” Princess Margadale, dressed in a light silver gown, asked as she stepped into the coach with the help of her attendant. The nun princess, Margadale, had been waiting in the carriage for a while.
“Not well. Anlek that old fox wants to bring Haruz along to Anlek,” Grifian replied casually. The weather was still a bit chilly, and a maid draped a fur shawl over her shoulders. She adjusted the shawl and continued, “That’s impossible; I will never hand Haruz over to him. Surely Teacher Livwz and Lord Makarolo wouldn’t agree either.”
“What will we do then?” The delicate nun princess showed a worried expression. “I heard your brother’s people have already contacted Anlek.”
“It’s fine,” Grifian said without a hint of tension. “Our duke is just trying to take advantage; he knows we can’t compromise under these conditions, but he won’t easily reveal his cards either, as he wants to know where our bottom line lies.” At this, the half-elf maiden lifted her gaze to the sky above Ampere Seale.
Though it was close to the sword year of the revival month, the sky over the metropolis remained a gloomy lead gray, as if snow could fall at any moment.
Grifian sighed, “There’s still much to discuss, Tine.”
……
In Cruz, adventurers referred to the western side of Erluin and the inner sea south of Cruz as the Shimmering Sea. Setting off west from the Gris Fishing Port, they entered this glittering and pale blue waters, then turned north, entering one of the main shipping lanes leading to Ampere Seale.
Today the weather was clear, and a lovely swift three-masted sailing ship was cutting through the waves. Since they were still close to shore, seagulls circled around the mast. The ship was loaded with papyrus and crystal ornaments, disguised as a merchant ship from the southern Lubis Kingdom—Lubis being the desert country at the southernmost tip of the Shimmering Sea, rich in exotic charm. There was a land trade route connecting Lubis to Jiufeng, but Brendel had only been there a few times, given how far it was. The ship sailing against the wind was named the “Distant Land,” relatively new with a registration in Ampere Seale, and Carglis managed to acquire such a ship, thanks to the good relations between the Cold Fir Territory group, represented by Brendel, and the merchants in Ampere Seale. This was a fast ship, regarded by those living at sea as a “great little fellow.”
The captain of the “Distant Land” was quite young, only in his thirties. Most people his age were still serving as first mates, but on the other hand, this indicated the captain’s capability. The young captain was like a king aboard the ship, and he didn’t strictly adhere to the authority of the nobles. Just so, Brendel did not put on airs as a nobleman, and they got along well.
This captain was named James. Unlike other sailors, he kept himself well-groomed, both in his beard and attire, which was likely a habit of youth. But this wasn’t a bad thing; the captain liked to wear a red wool coat, a ship-shaped hat, and hung a sword at his waist, holding a smoking pipe—those who made a living at sea often had such habits. Brendel had seen captains so drunk they could barely command their fleets; compared to them, this captain was a model of the profession.
In fact, Brendel sensed a hint of military discipline from this captain, who maintained strict self-regulation and rigor. Upon asking, he learned that this captain came from a noble lineage, with ancestors serving in the kingdom’s navy. In his generation, they had turned to commerce, but that ingrained quality from a young age hadn’t changed.
The two stood at the ship’s side, watching as the sea became an increasingly bright blue with a hint of deep purple. They had been at sea for a day, gradually losing sight of the continental shelf. After sailing for another chain or two, they would fully enter the deep ocean. By nightfall, the land’s seagulls would no longer be visible.
These were sights James was accustomed to. Though only thirty, he had been sailing this route for twenty years, having worked his way up from a sailor to first mate, and just recently becoming a captain. In terms of experience, there were not many aboard the ship who could match him. Brendel, however, did not seem surprised; having traveled widely, he had seen even deeper oceans and could tell more sea monster stories than the most seasoned sailor.
Standing beside Brendel was the noble maiden, Antinna, who almost had a pale complexion as she gazed at the boundless ocean. She was born in the mountainous southern region of Erluin and had only heard of the ocean’s existence from her father’s notes. When she first saw the sea at Gris Fishing Port, she managed to maintain her composure. However, as seasoned sailors often said, “the ocean you see from land and the ocean you see from aboard a ship are entirely different experiences.”
Once at sea, one handed over their fate to this goddess, who is at times gentle and at times stern. Even in her gentlest moments, the waves at sea still rose and fell like peaks. The three-masted ship that looked grand and sturdy at the harbor appeared to be a mere leaf boat in the vast ocean. Those with little sailing experience often found their legs turn to jelly upon their first boarding, and Antinna’s current performance could be described as brave.
Like Roman, who had initially appeared energetic and curious about everything aboard the ship, now felt dizzy and weak and had retreated to his room to lie down—leading the business lady to loudly lament that Brendel had put her on this “pirate ship.” However, Brendel told the dear girl that to become a great merchant, one must be accustomed to the winds and waves at sea, and in the end, the young lady could only bury herself in her pillow to whimper a few sounds.
“I think I’m starting to understand my father a bit, Lord…” Antinna stood at the railing, looking down at the white wake the sailboat left on the azure sea, struggling to say. In truth, she was not feeling well either, but she thought to herself that since the lord was still on deck, how could she, as an aide, withdraw alone? She gritted her teeth to maintain her composure.
“Hmm?” Brendel turned to look at his quiet aide. Antinna was well-educated like every noble daughter from Erluin, full of graceful intelligence, but unlike all of them, she possessed her own strength.
“Before I came out with you, my lord, I had no idea how vast, beautiful, and captivating the world outside is. Though I have seen the scenery described in my father’s notes, it’s today that I truly comprehend what it feels like to want to explore this captivating world.”
“…Just like now, as I stand here gazing at the horizon where the sky meets the sea, I can’t help but think about what lies beyond.” Antinna couldn’t help but press down her hair, which was blowing wildly in the sea breeze, and this action added to her youthful, delicate charm. “I suppose my father thought the same.”
Noticing a hint of melancholy in Antinna’s tone, Brendel understood she was recalling her deceased parents and her hometown far away in Golan-Elsen, and for a moment, he too fell into thought. Yes, he was also adrift. Brendel had family in this world, yet that was not Sophie’s half; he still wasn’t prepared to face whether or not he should return there, unsure of how to confront it.
Antinna’s self-pity stemmed from being homeless, whereas his was from being unable to go home.
Upon this realization, Brendel could not help but ask, “Do you blame him?”
Antinna shook her head, “I don’t know. Mother occasionally complains. But I feel I should understand him because I believe that as a noble, I ought to be more sensible than children from ordinary families. However, how I think is one thing; I later realized that deep down, I still feel resentment.”
She sighed softly, “No matter how beautiful the scenery of this world is, can it compare to one’s wife and daughter? I long for the neighbor’s child, though her family is still far below mine.”
Brendel looked at the profile of the young maiden and asked, “Does your father know about your talent for creating magic transmission cores?”
“I think he knows. Though he rarely comes home, he often brings back some incomplete writings for me. I believe he cares for his daughter, but perhaps his direction is just a bit off.”
Brendel touched the grayish-brown stone in his bag; ever since seeing the magical quartz sand in the underground hall, he felt that this might be relevant somehow.
“I suppose you’re right. He does care; it’s just that everyone expresses their feelings differently,” Brendel said softly.
Antinna slightly lifted her head, her dark eyes looking at Brendel in puzzlement.
At that moment, Carglis came up with a young officer from the White Lion Guard from below deck. Though this young man had never been on a sea ship, he seemed to have a natural talent for absorbing the new and novel in the shortest time. Just after a while, he could walk on deck as well as the most seasoned sailors could, even Captain James was surprised to praise him as a born sailor.
Of course, James was equally astonished at Brendel’s knowledge. Brendel felt embarrassed to mention that he had spent a few years at sea—he was still so young, it seemed excessive—so he could only lie and say that he had some insights from a wizard’s literature. What he gleaned from books was entirely different from actual experience; none of that could escape the young captain’s eyes. However, since the wizard’s teachings were often a framework for ordinary people—anything could be packed into them—combined with the fact that Brendel’s wizard attendant was clearly a genuine Highland Wizard, his suspicion was merely been pushed aside.
As for the young officer next to Carglis, however, his expression did not look so good. It was a gloomy countenance Brendel had not seen on these young men even after a fierce battle on the banks of the Gris River. These brave youths could triumph over the most terrifying foes, but before nature, they would shy away.
“Your subordinates are quite impressive. I’ve seen many soldiers in Ampere Seale and Karasu, but none are as outstanding as these young men,” James suddenly turned around, gesturing with his hands around the pipe to indicate Carglis and the young officer, expressing his approval.
Indeed, while the young men looked anxious, they were already exceptional compared to ordinary people on their first sea voyage.
“They have a long way to go,” Brendel shook his head. He had brought a significant number of young recruits with him to Ampere Seale, mainly comprising the officer corps of the future White Lion infantry, making up nearly two-thirds of the entourage. Brendel had high expectations for these young men; he hoped they would endure the challenges ahead together with him and that each of those who remained could become the backbone and talents of future Erluin.
Of course, these youngsters may not fully understand this yet, but no one would doubt that being chosen by their lord was a bad thing. Youth is just a time filled with passion and vigor, daring to challenge even the most formidable enemies and difficulties—this is the story of how a young calf knows no fear of tigers.
“Thanks to the captain, I have brought quite a number of people this time, along with disguised cargo, and essential provisions and fresh water, which has certainly reduced the cargo space available for the captain,” Brendel continued to add.
This time, he had indeed brought a lot of people. Since Ampere Seale involved aspects of commerce, Roman had to accompany him. Brendel was uneasy about leaving her alone and had also taken Antinna along. Besides, the aide was the one most familiar with Erluin’s nobility by his side. Her intelligence would be quite helpful for his purpose this journey.
Next were the Lubis mercenaries. This was prescient; Brendel had joked about taking Tine and Flour to Ampere Seale for a sight of the place. Now he had that opportunity, and as the lord and exemplar, he certainly wouldn’t go back on his word. Moreover, the Lubis mercenaries were experienced, and there was no risk of casualties. They could guide the young officers of the White Lion infantry in their endeavors.
Then came Charles, his wizard attendant. He served as a cover for his Highland Knight identity and was indispensable to bring along. The remaining main combatants included Repal, Medephis, Andrigraphis, and Medisa. This operation in Ampere Seale, aimed at disrupting the marriage alliance, appeared perilous in Brendel’s eyes—even though he was aware that the hidden enemies were in the light, Brendel knew instinctively that, besides him, others were certainly unwilling to see Grifian successfully unite with Anlek. Those loyal to the crown and the duke would definitely put up defenses, so in terms of combat power, Brendel felt it was always better to have more than less.
Finally, Xi was present, almost as if she were Brendel’s shadow. She rarely spoke but never left his side. Although the consequences of the god’s blood were nearly resolved after absorbing the Golden Apple and dragon blood, it seemed she was still temporarily reliant on Brendel. He had previously said that once her injuries were healed, she could leave as she wished; but seeing Xi like this now, he could only keep this to himself.
At the same time, an unexpected guest joined the trip. Gray Saint Mephistopheles had learned of Brendel’s plan and, without notifying anyone, took the initiative to come aboard. According to him, this was to ensure that his contractor and half-student would not perish in Ampere Seale. Even if the Gray Saint claimed he was just traveling for leisure, Brendel knew no one would dare oppose him.
After all, his strength spoke for itself.
In contrast, the old swordsman Kuran had, due to Count Rendener, temporarily refrained from actively participating in his affairs. Otherwise, they could have added yet another strong contender to their golden ranks. With all these people, the three-masted sailing ship was already packed, and this was after Brendel had set aside noticeable cards like the Fire Claw Spearhand, Wind Elemental Spider, Fire Giant, and the Holy Angel. It was known that typical merchant ships carried only the essential sailors and couldn’t be loaded like warships. However, the current “Distant Land,” while outwardly still a merchant vessel, had effectively become a warship—except for lacking cannons.
The young captain chuckled at Brendel’s words, saying, “You’re being too modest, my lord; it’s just business.” He had more to say, which was that Lord Toniger had no special products at the moment. Although this lord had promised to open a new trade route for them, James, at least at this moment, did not seem to believe it.
Their merchant fleet came here primarily for business; merchants did not care if the other party were bandits or rebels. As long as the other party conducted business with rules, with no dragging out of financial transactions, they were the best kind of customers. Moreover, James had a good impression of Brendel. While others called these people bandits and insurgents, he saw that Brendel was a polite nobleman. Although Brendel’s methods were somewhat eccentric, they unexpectedly gave rise to goodwill.
James was also filled with admiration for Brendel’s subordinates. He had seen many nobles’ subordinates and private armies, but had to say that the demeanor and spirit of these soldiers he saw in Toniger were not inferior to that of the kingdom’s regular army.
Indeed, they were even better; the young captain thought to himself that only the knights he had seen from royalty had such spirit and presence.
He had come as a mere captain, an ordinary merchant, but now upon returning to Ampere Seale, this young captain had begun to feel a curiosity about Brendel and his people. In his view, the young man might not be as simple as he appeared; he couldn’t help but think that perhaps they might have further interactions in the future.
With this thought, the captain set down the pipe and tapped it against the ship’s railing.
At this moment, Carglis and his officer happened to arrive beside Brendel.
(Yesterday my computer had a bit of an issue; it’s unfortunate. Who knows what it means when the computer blue screens just by opening the browser?) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
