Chapter 518: Act 266 – The Noble Conference
As the massive shadow of the Leviathan Whale disappeared below the horizon, the guards of the Ampere Seale Port were almost ready to fire the cannons in celebration. When the Far Voyager docked, Brendel and the others were not subjected to much scrutiny, as Lord Junoan was too busy considering how to report his valiant deeds of defeating the legendary sea monster, and there were several ships coming and going, so no one would expect a Leviathan Whale to escort the newly arrived three-masted sailing ship.
Sometimes the truth is even closer to a lie, but if someone dared to tell Junoan this, the head of the port authority would surely throw them into the sea to feed the sharks; he certainly didn’t want his subordinates thinking he was a fool.
The Far Voyager docked at Pier 14, and as Brendel disembarked, he immediately saw Sue waiting to greet them. Sue had arrived in Ampere Seale ahead of time at his command and her father’s request; this girl, with her almond-colored skin and a head full of braided hair, was now managing trade between Toniger and the outside world, enjoying quite a bit of independence. She had faithfully completed her tasks while in Bruglas, and Brendel trusted her greatly, assigning her important responsibilities. Now Sue held nearly all the outflowing funds from Toniger, but when she came to greet them, she was still dressed in a long checkered skirt that was reminiscent of when she first started.
Sue was slightly surprised to see Brendel, even though she had already learned about the changes of the past year and his identity through correspondence with her father. The funds she managed confirmed the truth of it all, but seeing Brendel in person still made her take a second glance.
Brendel smiled faintly at her, happy to see an old acquaintance from Ridenburg.
The girl, however, maintained a serious face and ignored him; she certainly hadn’t forgotten their relationship. Hearing that several girls had appeared around the lord, she was definitely not at ease with handing Freya over to such a flirtatious person. She was serving Brendel purely because of her father.
“Sue!” Romain hopped down the gangplank and grabbed the girl’s hand with sparkling eyes, “Thank you so much for everything these past few months! How have you been? Uncle Retao told me you often work late and he’s quite worried about you!”
Little Romain was now overseeing Toniger’s commerce and economy, so in a sense, Sue could be considered her subordinate—though Sue certainly didn’t see it that way.
Sue shot a glance at Brendel and slightly bowed her head, “Miss Romain.”
“Don’t be like that! Don’t you have anything to say to Romain? I could help you relay a message!”
Sue tried to hold back a smile, unable to maintain her seriousness, and asked, “How is my father?”
“He’s doing well,” Brendel finally found a moment to interject, “As you learned in your letters, everything is back on track in the territory, and the war has come to a close. Although I don’t quite agree with it, your father has officially taken up farming now. He’s been losing quite a bit of hair worrying over the reclamation in the Mintai region, and he’s tossed my training plans for the troops aside like a true old farmer.”
“He’s farmed before,” Sue replied.
“Well then, it’s just a return to his old profession,” Brendel answered with a hint of playfulness.
Thinking of her father’s appearance, Sue’s lips formed a slight smile. However, she was dissatisfied with Brendel’s tone and shot him a glare, asking stiffly, “What does the lord plan to do next?”
“Of course, we’ll rest for a bit first,” Brendel replied, this was the truth. Although he was seasoned, after a week at sea, the ground still felt unsteady beneath his feet. If he felt this way, others would feel even worse. Some of the young men from the White Lion army who had been on the ship hadn’t experienced much, but once their feet hit solid ground, they rushed aside to vomit. Little Romain swayed back and forth nearby, completely oblivious to herself.
“I’ve arranged for accommodation at the Azalea Inn in the city. However, since you brought more people, staying in one place would draw too much attention, so I rented an apartment across the street. It’s safer and less conspicuous. Additionally, I purchased a farmhouse that can also serve as shelter if necessary,” Sue answered, glancing at him.
Brendel felt a hint of surprise; he hadn’t expected this girl to be so capable. During the past few months, she had done her job systematically, and he valued her honesty and reliability, but he hadn’t anticipated her quick wit to foresee potential troubles and arrange several safe havens for them beforehand.
“Then let’s head out,” Brendel suddenly felt how refreshing it was to have a capable subordinate. “Is there a coach?”
Sue nodded.
Not only was there a coach, but Sue had prepared ten of them. However, these ten coaches were not stationed together; they were set to depart in batches. Brendel let his young subordinates board the coaches first. It wasn’t his first time in Ampere Seale, but he knew the youth from the countryside of Toniger must be eager to see this largest and most prosperous city in Erluin.
The coaches turned into the inner city from the dock’s city gate. Since cargo trucks transporting seafood traveled through this area all year round, the roads here were always wet and carried a briny smell. Most of the buildings along the roads were trading posts, dealing in furs, raw wood, gemstones, metal ores, and artwork, gathering goods from all corners of the world. In any place south of Ampere Seale, you wouldn’t find such a concentration of people. These individuals came from the north, the south, and even foreign lands; Antinna even spotted some Jiufeng merchants, a varied assemblage of merchants, mercenaries, adventurers, and travelers, all dressed in a kaleidoscope of colors, leaving everyone in the coach momentarily awestruck.
As the coaches passed by some towering buildings, most of the merchants constructed their trading posts to be grand and splendid, showcasing the strength of their trading groups. The noble young ladies and business lady had never seen such magnificent architecture and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Truly impressive, even Bruglas’s town hall is no match for this!”
Brendel remained noncommittal to Antinna’s remarks. The fourteenth Bishop of Ampere Seale, Andra, once said, “This place is filled with gold and opportunities.” This statement encapsulated the world’s longing for this great port, but countless people also lost their fortunes here, often missing the fact that opportunities usually come hand in hand with risks. The coach was now passing the second city gate, a grand fortress. When Brendel first came here in the game, he couldn’t afford the expensive carriages inside the city; he still vividly remembered his awe while walking through that fortress.
This was the gateway to Ampere Seale, which was not only a trade harbor but also a former naval stronghold of the late King Eke. Surrounded by mountains on two sides, attacking from land was nearly impossible; the only access was by sea. Therefore, the fortress guarding this gateway was built exceptionally robust, and the “Seagull Fortress” appeared as a towering mountain from the outside. Due to special architectural requirements, its watchtower could observe any ship within a range of dozens of nautical miles, thus making the fortress seem particularly grand—especially after its second reconstruction when the temple added a giant statue of the Flame King on it, making it look like a temple in the clouds.
Passing through this fortress led to Ampere Seale’s famous Square Avenue, lined with inns that were as luxurious as palaces, and filled with lavish apartments where many visiting travelers and merchants often resided. The locals called this the Golden Square, although it was merely a small part of the massive city, it was the most intoxicating place in this port.
Brendel watched the exquisite sculptures and ornamental plants on Square Avenue recede slowly from the side of the coach, unable to shake off the feeling of revisiting a familiar place, which indeed it was, albeit with slight differences. There were scenes he hadn’t seen during his first visit, coinciding with the Bloom Festival of Ampere Seale, when the area had been much livelier, not to mention the presence of players.
“Such beauty,” Romain was leaning against the coach window, her chin resting on the frame, murmuring, making one worry she might topple over.
“Future Valhalla will be even more beautiful,” Brendel replied.
“Really?” Romain turned her head—she really did turn her head, seemingly too lazy to move a muscle and instead leaned her head on her chin in an awkward tilt—accomplishing this tricky maneuver. Since she couldn’t turn her head all the way, she looked at Brendel from the side, appearing incredibly cute.
“Of course.”
Brendel responded with certainty. Having seen the World Tree within the Loop of Trade Winds, he had no doubts about the future of his territory. After all, it was his city; how could it be anything less? Just as they were conversing, the coach suddenly came to a halt, and soldiers appeared outside.
Brendel was slightly taken aback, thinking the port authority guard had finally come to apprehend the perpetrator, but he saw Sue, sitting opposite him, shaking her head, indicating they shouldn’t be nervous.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing much, just heard that the Toquinin Lions in the north are restless, and the temple has tightened security. Ampere Seale is a mix of people, so they’re doing this to root out spies disguised as merchants trying to sneak into Erluin,” Sue said casually.
Brendel then recalled that this was indeed a concern; historically, the Toquinin Lions had begun to stir after the Black Rose War. However, the tribes on the Great Plains also had their share of troubles to deal with, so they wouldn’t invade Erluin until the year after the Sword Year. At the start of that war, Erluin hadn’t yet recovered from its internal strife, but soon after, the reigning regent princess had stabilized the situation, and players joined the war, which also established the princess’s esteem.
However, it was still early; there was one more year. Brendel felt relieved after hearing this but thought of something else and couldn’t help asking, “How did the nobles’ discussions go?”
“Ordinary people may not be aware, but it’s said that the first meeting fell through; the next one won’t be until a week later.” Sue glanced at Brendel, “The princess and Duke Anlek’s negotiations have been making progress; her ministers have met with the duke’s envoys three times this week, but I haven’t heard anything about an alliance yet. Right now, the northern and southern nobles have gathered in Ampere Seale, and I estimate their next meeting will be after the noble conference.”
Brendel nodded; this was roughly what he had expected. Everything was aligning with the historical timeline, and he still had some time. However, he looked at Sue and couldn’t help but sigh. The little barmaid from Ridenburg had rapidly grown and become a capable individual. Anyone who saw Sue now would not connect her with the girl she had once been.
With that thought, he fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, “Then I want to attend the noble conference; is there any way?”
“Not really,” the girl gently shook her head.
……(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
