"They want to inspect our cabins?" Hobbs asked with a frown.
"Yes, they say that they are in extraordinary times, so all ships from the empire will require strict inspections… including merchant ships like ours," the first mate—who had disembarked from the barge and sent to communicate with the other party's person-in-charge—nodded and replied.
Hobbs looked at the elven longships with elegant crescent-shaped hulls not far—about 500 yards away from the Whalebone.
A distance of 500 yards was a safe distance when unfamiliar ships met at sea while the other party's intentions remained unknown. To prevent a misfire, one had to take the initiative to maintain a safe distance—to magic chanters below the Divine Realm, crossing this distance with their casting was almost impossible.
