This is a very strange looking ship, with a slender hull like a sharp knife. In Galintia, the ratio of length to breadth of a ship is at least five to one. But this boat was different. The hull was thirty meters long, but the widest part of the middle and rear of the boat was only five meters. The bow is inclined, straight into the sea. The tall bow of the ship is carved with the statue of the Goddess of Dawn, who bravely slays the dragon. On both sides of the smooth bow, there is a silver nameplate with five characters written on it: Flying Fish of Dawn.
At this moment, the seven-sided white sails on the three masts of the flying fish named Chenxi are full of wind, and they are slicing across the blue sea like arrows, and the black Blade Mountain Range in the distance is slowly moving back. …
Lorist stood on the bridge, facing the sea breeze, blowing the black hair behind him fluttering uncontrollably. Beside him, stood his attendant and student Schwader, and the leaders of the three guard battalions, El, Pat, and Jim, and stood beside him, the commander of the bow and cavalry battalion, the golden archer Josk. Doles, the deputy commander of the car battalion, and Farea, the golden knight, the commander of the sailor battalion. There are two other people, one is the captain of the ship, the family silver knight Wilson, and the other is the helmsman Old Jack.
Captain Wilson is a tall man in his thirties. He used to be the captain of a cargo merchant ship, but unfortunately he encountered pirates, and all the cargo he carried privately was robbed. After being caught, his whole family of five, who couldn't pay back the goods, was sold to slave traders by angry cargo owners, and then bought by Bodfinger, who went to buy slaves to form a guard going north. He also fought for his family. He made many meritorious deeds during the journey, and was promoted by Lorist as a family knight in the camp of the northbound convoy under the city of Nadgas. Hearing about his past experience, he was entrusted with the important task this time, becoming the captain of Chen Xi's Flying Fish.
Old Jack, the helmsman, was in his fifties and was also born as a slave. But his experience is even more embarrassing. He had been a sailor at sea for thirty years, and when he was in his forties, he met a widow, and the two decided to live a stable life. He quit his job and took the widow back to his hometown. Within two months, the eldest prince raised the flag of rebellion, and the war in the Krissen Empire began. His hometown, a small town, was broken by the army of the great prince. His wife, the widow, died, and he was sold as a slave, becoming a member of the slave labor of the Kenmes family. Then Lorist returned north, and he was also liberated. Now that the Norton family has formed a fleet, old sailors like him have a place to play and are appointed as first mate and helmsman.
It is now August of 1773 in Galint Argyle's calendar. In April of the first year of the year, two whaling ships manufactured by the family were launched. Equipped with the ballista designed by Master Sid, they launched a frantic campaign against the whales near Whale Island. In the massacre, nearly a hundred whales became the new spoils of the Norton family. Niujiaowan Shipyard concentrated its manpower and material resources, and built this three-masted fast schooner designed by Lorist in only three months.
"My lord, this is the fastest sea ship I have ever seen, with a speed of eleven knots at full sail. I believe there is no other faster ship in Galintea." It’s a sea-going ship.” Captain Wilson was very excited, never dreaming that he could become the captain of such a new-style sea-going ship.
"Yeah, I think this is indeed the fastest ship in Galintia. It is estimated that tomorrow afternoon we will be able to see the Platinum Beach in the West Degrad province of the Principality of Madras." The helmsman old Jack was very excited. Agree with Captain Wilson's statement.
"Oh, old Jack, have you been to the ocean here before?" Lorist turned his head and asked.
"Yes, my lord. Thirty years ago, several large chambers of commerce in the empire jointly established a coastal expedition team, hoping to find a suitable port along the coastline of the empire to establish a sea transportation line. At that time, I was only twenty-three years old. I have been a sailor for eight years, so I became one of the members. The expedition started from the port of Ametrine in the Duchy of Rulm and traveled northward along the coastline. It lasted more than three months and reached the farthest It's the Lost Forest further north of the Black Mire Marsh." Old Jack replied.
"Then have you found all the ports you were looking for?" Lorist asked.
"No, the port that the coastal expedition team was looking for at that time ended at Qilin Port in the Kingdom of Antinac. Because when sailing further north, everything encountered is the same as the situation near the coast of the Blade's Edge Mountains. Shallow sea, densely covered with hidden reefs, sea The ship couldn’t dock at all. If the rescue boats were not used to bring supplies, the people on board would have rioted. I remember the president of the Great Chamber of Commerce who presided over the operation cursing that this coast must have been cursed by the gods. So I couldn't find a suitable place to dock." Old Jack recalled.
"Then what happened afterwards?" Schwader listened with gusto.
"Later, we went north along the coast. Everyone was doing it for money, so why bother with money? But those chambers of commerce vowed to find a place where we could dock, and promised us twice the bounty. Finally, we lost our way. I found a place in the forest where I could dock. Then the members of the several chambers of commerce began to discuss. They wanted to occupy that place, move immigrants to expand the territory, and then get recognition from the empire to become the new hereditary lord.
But one night three days later, the camp was attacked. Groups of huge gorillas rushed into the camp from the forest, and they tore everyone they saw. I was really lucky then, to stay on watch on the ship. I saw with my own eyes that the bodyguard of the president of the chamber of commerce, a two-star gold swordsman, was torn in half by a huge gorilla and stuffed into its mouth. I've been having nightmares for a month because of this...
Only forty-one of the more than 700 people who went ashore escaped back. We had to abandon two transport ships to gather the manpower needed for the remaining five ships. The reward is dismissed. It is said that three chambers of commerce closed down because of the heavy losses caused by this sudden tragedy. However, for a low-level sailor like me, it is a great fortune to be able to come back alive, so I later refused to join the expedition fleet and lived in peace Meals on a merchant ship... ”
Old Jack finally finished his adventures. Schward turned his head and asked Lorist: "My lord, is the orangutan very powerful?"
Lorist patted him on the head: "Didn't you read the Atlas of Warcraft in my collection? It says that it is almost indistinguishable, but the book says that the Lost Forest is the territory where the orangutans live, which should be based on what Old Jack said. What happened to the expedition fleet is only confirmed. The adult and strong gorillas are three to four meters tall and extremely powerful. They are among the top three beasts. If a golden swordsman can deal with them calmly, There is a great possibility of leaving safely. What Old Jack saw was just another example, and he was unable to perform under the fluster, which killed his life. So keeping calm is the most important thing."
Shi Huade bowed his head respectfully: "Thank you sir, I understand. No matter what kind of critical situation you encounter, you must be calm and keep a clear head, only then can you find a way out of danger..."
"Hehe..." Josk next to him stretched out his hand and patted Schwader's head: "This kid is becoming more and more like an adult. Didn't he become an adult at the end of last year when he got engaged? Having a wife has changed a lot. "
Before the first heavy snowfall at the end of December last year, Baron Felim brought his fifteen-year-old illegitimate daughter to Rock Castle very faithfully. Baron Felim said that his precious daughter's biological mother should actually be his junior sister. He studied at an old knight's house when he was young, and fell in love with the old knight's only daughter. The two boys and girls couldn't help but secretly ate As a result, the sixteen-year-old junior sister became pregnant and gave birth to this daughter at the end of November of the same year.
Two years later, Baron Felim, who was wandering outside, got bad news. When his lover went to the town to buy medicine to treat her sick old father, he was molested by the son of the new lord Baron. He kicked the son of the baron, and the son of the baron, who was seriously injured in the vitals, became furious, stabbed the girl to death with a sword, and sent someone to burn the sick old knight to death on the bed. Fortunately, the little baby girl escaped her life because her grandfather was sick and was fostered in a neighbor's house.
Baron Felim said that he was just a wandering knight at that time, looking for a way to revive the Pegasus family. Even though the hatred was overwhelming at that moment, he had to endure it until the civil war broke out in the empire five years later, and he defected to The second prince, who was highly valued, mastered a troop. So when the borrowed army passed by the town, they raided the castle of the baron who was also in the camp of the second prince, buried nearly a hundred members of his family alive, and avenged his lover and master.
Baron Felim's daughter, Katharina, is a sensible and well-behaved girl, she looks very pretty, and she and Schwader have a good impression of each other after meeting. Bodelfinger was very satisfied with having such a daughter-in-law, so under the auspices of Lorist, he made Katerina and Schwader get engaged, and they could get married after the girl was twenty years old and had her coming-of-age ceremony married.
When Lorist saw that Schwader was blushing, he said, "Okay, Joe, don't tease my student, you know he's tender and you keep teasing him. If you have some free time, find a wife for yourself first."
Josk shrugged: "Master, you know, my heart has died long ago, and I will never be tempted by other women. I will still live freely in this life alone."
Lorist shook his head: "You can't do this, you have to find a good woman, have a few children and pass on your magic arrow skills, then Baron Umado and your lover will also bless you in the God of War heaven happy."
Josk did not speak, fell silent.
Knowing that it was too late to persuade him now, Lorist turned his head and said to Schwader, "Go and see Knight Shredder, is he better?"
Dawn's Flying Fish, the destination of this voyage is the Kingdom of Antinac. Lorist has two things to do on this trip, one is to send the second prince who has been imprisoned by the family for more than a year, so as to save the family from wasting food. Lorist was already very tired of this second prince, and he couldn't stop being a prisoner. Whenever he saw anyone, he would be made an official and made a wish, asking to rescue him from the prison. There are really a few obsessed servants who went through all kinds of hardships and went to the Grand Duke Fesabrun with the second prince's distress letter in order to reach the sky in one step. Then they were sent back to the Norton family's territory with the letter and hanged in the In front of the gate of Rock Castle.
The second thing is for the sealed territory Hilovas Island. Five years ago, Lorist accepted the title of Earl of the Kingdom of Antinac conferred by His Highness the Second Highness. In order to make up for his mistakes, the Second Highness granted Lorist his princedom, Hilovas Island. But because this Hilovas Island was isolated overseas, Lorist was anxious to lead the northbound convoy back to the family territory, so he didn't have time to take care of it. Now that the family has Niujiao Bay and an outlet to the sea, it is natural to visit this new territory.
Upon receiving the news that Lorist was going on a long journey to sea, the knights of the family enthusiastically signed up. After spending so long in the development and construction of the family territory, everyone wants to go out with Lorist to see and see. It's just that although Chenxi's Flying Fish is more than 30 meters long, it is very narrow. Apart from the necessary 28 sailors, captain, first mate, and helmsman, it can only carry a maximum of 27 people.
Josk wanted to go with Lorist at all costs, counting him as one of the places. Farea said that he was the commander of the sailor battalion, and he couldn't miss the maiden voyage of Dawn's Flying Fish, so he took the second place. Doles said that the ship was newly equipped with five steel gages, and he was responsible for teaching the sailors The long-range weapon of the master family can exert its due power, so he brought five steel crossbow shooters from the chariot battalion on board.
If Lorist is going, Schwader will also take it with him, and El and Pat from the guard camp will also follow when they say they want to protect Lorist. There is also the second prince to take. Fatty Shi was not interested in going there at first, but Lorist said that the family lacked independent civil officials, so Fatty Shi handed over all the affairs at hand to Sedkamp to manage. The imperial capital of the Sen Empire went to recruit some high-level bureaucrats back to the family territory.
In this way, there were already fourteen people, so Lorist asked Jim from the guard battalion to take nine guards to set off together, and then he could form an escort team to escort the second prince to the royal city of the Antinac Kingdom. Second Highness.
Unexpectedly, after getting on the boat, Fatty Shi started to get seasick and vomited heavily. In just one day, he was lying on the bed like a sick cat. Lorist prepared him a medicine for seasickness, and let him take it before he fell into a drowsy sleep.
On an August night, the sea breeze was still a little cold, Lorist put on a coat and sat on the floor by the bridge, looking at the starry night sky and meditating silently.
In the morning light, everyone on the Flying Fish fell asleep except the lookout on the mast and the sailors on duty. The white sails on the three masts have been furled, only the slanted vertical sails at the bow and stern are still carrying the wind, and the Flying Fish, which pushes the morning light, floats gently on the calm sea...
A figure stepped onto the bridge, walked heavily to Lorist and sat down beside Lorist, and handed over a small bucket of fruit wine and a silver cup.
"Feeling better?" Lorist asked.
The person who came was Fatty Shi: "It's much better. After taking the medicine and sleeping, I no longer feel nauseous and don't want to vomit anymore, except that my head is a little dizzy. It's really strange. I didn't get seasick when I was young, but why do I get dizzy when I grow up? Sleeping during the day There are too many, and now I can’t fall asleep even if I want to sleep, so I came up to find you.”
Poured some fruit wine into the glass and had a drink with Fatty Shi. Lorist looked at the starry sky and said, "Fatty, I don't think I would take this opportunity to go back to Morente City." Old Jack said, with this With the speed of the boat, Booty Bay can be reached within a month. Don’t you want to go back to Dawn Academy? Write a letter to your father and tell him that you are now promising.”
"Don't talk about it, when you give me a territory and make me a territorial noble, I will tell him, and then I will give him a surprise." Fatty Shi said after taking a sip of his wine.
"Then you have to wait for four years. If you haven't served the family for ten years, you can't seal the territory. But I am only an earl now, and I can only seal two viscounts and four barons at most, and I can't seal it in the original family territory. Wait until you arrive at Hilovas Island to see if you can divide several territories there. If I become the Grand Duke of the Northland, then I can confer a richer territory for you."
"Lock, I have an idea. If you really become the Grand Duke of the Northland, it is best not to seal the Northland out. The Northland can have the manor castle of the Golden Knight, but no other lords exist. I think the entire Northland Belonging to the Norton family as a whole is the key to the family's continued inheritance for thousands of years. As long as the three cable bridges and ferries leading to the outside world are blocked, the Northland will be able to become a self-contained entity, regardless of changes in the outside world. No matter what it looks like, our Norton family can dominate the Northland and watch the wind and clouds rise. But now that there is Niujiao Bay, we need to build a powerful fleet to ensure the peace of the family territory... "
"You're right, that's my idea too. But we have to wait for the right time to realize it. Now our family needs to continue to accumulate strength..."
The silver moonlight shines on the calm sea, and a piece of silver wave sparkles. The Flying Fish in the morning light is slowly drifting into the distance in the silver waves...