### Chapter 14: The Conclusion
The night was hazy.
As the moonlight slowly faded, the torches at the Onstan Harbor were still crackling with activity, the bustling noise echoing far beyond the high walls of the port city.
On the deck of the docked merchant ship “Kalivel,” the navigator, along with the sailmaster, was hauling the injured and unconscious captain back from the high tower. Upon returning, a wave of commotion ensued as they waded through the shouting crowd, bickering with the accompanying captain of knights as they headed into the captain’s cabin.
Before long, the first mate, second mate, and ship doctor, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, also hurried inside, while outside, the unrest continued. People from the merchant association and the Sixth Knights Order boarded the ship and quickly dashed back off after a brief stay in the captain’s cabin.
This chaotic scene persisted deep into the night. When everyone finally exited the captain’s cabin, the guard knights quickly received the order to allow passage. After that, people’s worries and anger gradually subsided.
The night breeze gently swept across the deck as the guard knights departed the ship one by one. Finally, the “Kalivel” could begin unloading its cargo, and the merchant servants hurriedly hauled boxes of goods to the harbor warehouse. Travelers hastily followed the fleeing crowd, making their way to the port city, uncertain if they’d find a proper place to stay at this hour.
“d*mn it, what a bad luck…”
A few crew members emerged from the cabin, climbing onto the deck, their faces sulky as they cursed. One of them spat a thick glob onto the floor: “At least it wasn’t anything too serious. The captain broke a rib, but he’s not dead… The ones who got hurt by the knights weren’t even seriously injured… Those b*stard knights still showed some mercy, I suppose…”
Such irreverent comments caught the ears of those nearby. Someone quickly glanced around before urging, “Shh, keep it down… You don’t want to stir up more trouble for the merchant ship…”
Then another chimed in, “Did you see the captain of the Sixth Knights? His expression when he left… tsk tsk, I’m pretty sure he’s looking for an opportunity to trip us up again…”
“Everyone needs to stay cautious these days, especially keep your mouths shut,” warned the dark, sturdy man walking at the front, his expression serious. “You have no clue about what’s happening at the high tower. Don’t blab once we get into the city…”
“Don’t worry, sailmaster, we get it…”
“Not to rain on your parade, but you’re the one worrying too much…”
They walked from the stern to the railing, exchanged a few more words, then scattered to attend to their tasks. Only the sailmaster strolled to the bow, standing at the railing, gazing into the distant night and the twinkling lights of the city for a long while.
He let out a long sigh: “Ah, the world… so unpredictable…”
It sounded like he was either lamenting or perhaps grateful.
That night, for him, for the entire “Kalivel,” and for everyone on board, truly felt like a brush with d*ath, a miraculous escape.
From the moment he left the high tower, the sailmaster had been mulling over these thoughts.
In a daze, he returned to the ship. After ensuring the captain was settled for rest, he didn’t join the first mate or second mate to discuss matters with the Sixth Knights but instead lingered in his cabin for quite a while.
His mind kept replaying the events from the high tower.
That little girl, whom he thought he had saved, but who still refused to show her face, was frighteningly decisive when it came to killing, her unbelievable strength, and astonishing agility. In mere seconds, she took out all the knights present, lifted Commander Rodris, and soared through the roof into the sky with a breathtaking presence. For a moment, the sailmaster thought he was witnessing a scene out of a legendary tale.
—But that girl, truly, as many stories tell, was saved by an ordinary man like him.
The sailmaster was just an everyday kind of guy.
The powerful heretics, the righteous Pope Knights…
The existence of those legendary figures felt like ethereal tales, dazzling yet utterly out of reach for him. He had never imagined he would actually see someone standing at the pinnacle of what humanity could reach—because in the sailmaster’s world, the strongest person he knew was the captain of the guards—fearless warriors of the sea with the flame order’s talent.
Though the guard captain’s abilities paled in comparison to those even more powerful or famous, that “mediocre” level was already enough to make him envious—otherwise, how could he be the captain, earning more than double what the sailmaster did every month?
But tonight, he saw someone beyond that, something completely unimaginable.
Just like in the stories, to the level of legendary heroes.
The girl he had “saved” displayed prowess beyond comprehension.
It was astounding.
Now reflecting on it, the entire process was still vividly imprinted in his memory—it felt almost weightless. The Commander Rodris, whom the sailmaster somewhat knew, was certainly not an easy person to handle. After all, the legion commander of the Sixth Knights was certainly not someone you could poke fun at; a stomp from him could shake the entire South Sea coast.
Yet, this mighty figure couldn’t even make a single move against the girl.
The infamous technique “Tempest Blade,” known to slice through waves and frighten enemies, was effortlessly snapped in half by two of her fingers.
More terrifying was…
She could actually fly…
At that moment, the sailmaster was completely bewildered, lost between reality and illusion, his mind a jumbled mess. By the time he snapped back to reality, the knights outside had burst in, but facing the situation inside, everyone appeared a bit dazed, not knowing what had happened. In the chaos, voices shouted over one another, and just as it seemed conflict would erupt again, the girl burst through the rooftop with Rodris in tow, suddenly reappearing in view.
She casually tossed Commander Rodris onto the ground, and when the sailmaster saw that mountain of a man again, his right hand was already severed, his nose broken, a gaping wound on his mouth, bleeding profusely as he struggled to get up but could barely stand.
He looked like a toothless mutt.
After that, things started progressing smoothly.
That supposed “merchant council” already coerced the present merchants and merchant ships under violence and intimidation, forcing them to sign a series of unfavorable agreements with the New Currency Exchange. But before those agreements could be enacted, they had already undergone their first revision—concerning the results of the revision, the treaties were still the same, and the girl didn’t seem inclined to meddle deeply in the minutiae, but the additional conditions within the agreements became much less harsh.
Of course, paying the shipping tax was still unavoidable.
However, after some bargaining under the girl’s watchful gaze, the merchant association and the Sixth Knights finally managed to reach a rough consensus. The currency exchange agreed to extend the deadline for paying the shipping tax, waiving interest for three years, thereby granting leniency for ships traveling to and from the Eastern Continent.
The sailmaster certainly knew this was all thanks to that girl he had “saved” on board.
As for what the girl and Commander Rodris discussed in the night sky, aside from her and the commander, probably no one would ever know—Rodris, the old devil, seemed intent on keeping things under wraps, perhaps due to saving face, or maybe there were more complicated reasons behind it…
After a hasty explanation, he hurriedly left the venue while withdrawing all the knights near the high tower, heading straight for the port city church.
Later, that girl bid him farewell.
