Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Angle Bay, a place filled with opportunities and wealth.
It is known as the most developed waterway in the known world. On some busy routes, hundreds of huge cargo ships come and go every day.
These cargo ships are all uniform sailboats, with holds filled with all kinds of goods. Hundreds of oarsmen sit on seats on both sides of the hold, sweating profusely, pulling long oars with chants or drum beats, providing power for the ships' navigation. Only when the wind picks up, the relatively small square sails on the masts provide some power, allowing them to rest for a while.
Most of the oarsmen are slaves bought by the shipowners, shackled to their seats and unable to go anywhere. The reasons for becoming slaves vary: some because of debts they couldn't repay, some born into slavery, some captured in wars.
Once locked to the oar seats, their miserable fate for life is almost decided. Many slave oarsmen continue to be locked here even when they are old and grey, living a dark life under the threat of overseers' whips.
The land near Angle Bay lacks decent plains; it is dotted with hills, the land too fragmented for the birth of a large country. Instead, there are numerous city-states scattered along the coast.
Due to geographical reasons, agriculture is not suitable here, so residents choose commerce to sustain themselves.
Each city-state adopts a mercantilist approach, encouraging trade. Merchants play important roles in national politics, with ruling nobles often doubling as prominent merchants.
Some closely related city-states even form alliances, cancelling tariffs between them and imposing the same taxes on countries outside the alliance. Some alliances even speak with one voice in foreign policy. The Angle Bay Alliance is the most influential among them.
Due to its proximity to the sea, commercial trade via shipping is almost a natural choice. Generations of Angle Bay merchants have gradually expanded their trade to the outside world. They sell furs from the north to the south, grains from the south to the north, spices from the east to the west—selling whatever makes profits.
The flourishing commerce brings immense wealth. The living standards of the residents here are likely the highest in the world, even the poor here cannot be compared to the poor in other countries.
The prosperity of the economy and the luxurious lifestyle lead people to focus more on spiritual pursuits and enjoyment. Many literary figures, artists, and thinkers who left their marks in history emerged in this land. This is also why Paul Grayman commissioned Quiller Foster to bring him more popular works. Who knows which writer might leave a mark in history?
After more than half a month's voyage, the Southern Star finally arrived in the waters of Angle Bay.
The journey south went smoothly without encountering any trouble like pirates. However, when they sailed to the southernmost end of the kingdom's coastline, a sailor fell ill. Captain Quik had to order the Hope to anchor so the sick sailor could recuperate onshore and leave some money for him to return to the Northwest Bay by land after recovering.
If the sick sailor wasn't treated in time, it could lead to a major problem if it was contagious.
"Ah, Captain Quik, I finally understand why ships here are all rowed," Alan sighed. After entering the waters of Angle Bay, the Southern Star was like entering the doldrums, sailing at a speed as slow as a turtle on land.
"I bet people on other ships see us as fools," another apprentice sailor shrugged helplessly.
Captain Quik cheered them up, "Hmph! But this is the place! If it were in other waters, our Hope could beat them by miles in speed and distance. By the way, have you learned to use the compass and sextant?"
The apprentices puffed their chests proudly, "Of course, Captain!"
"Oh? Then let me put you to the test!"
Whether these greenhorn apprentices or him, a seasoned sailor who had spent many years at sea, it was their first long voyage, facing unfamiliar waters and environments.
The officers on board dared not be careless, meticulously recording information such as currents, weather, and temperature along the way. These were valuable hydrographic data; subsequent ships would navigate safely based on their information, determining the best route.
Captain Quik's ship log was already thick, recording every detail he observed.
This voyage was also a good training opportunity for the naval apprentices on the Southern Star, which others on other warships didn't have.
...
Ladia watched the apprentices being inspected by Quik, filled with emotion.
When they were just rescued from the pirate's den by the navy, these kids were still full of confusion and fear about the future.
And now, they could completely be called young men of the sea, climbing the masts like monkeys, mastering the entire process of sail operation, using compasses and sextants, understanding skills like celestial navigation.
"Mr. Dilac!"
Someone suddenly called her "name" from behind.
Ladia turned around to see a merchant representative. Speaking of these few merchant representatives on board, they really suffered a lot. Not long after leaving Frand Port, they started feeling seasick, unable to eat and constantly vomiting. Captain Quik proposed to send them back while the Hope hadn't sailed too far, but they gritted their teeth and insisted on continuing.
Their perseverance was quite admirable, although it was driven by pursuit of commercial interests—money.
As for Ladia herself, having experienced a considerable period of adventurer's life, she didn't feel particularly uncomfortable during this journey.
If she had to find something uncomfortable, it would be the inability to bathe as freely as she wanted. Long-term maritime life was inconvenient for women.
The merchant representative asked, "I heard Mr. Dilac is from Angle Bay?"
Ladia nodded slightly, "Yes."
As they approached Angle Bay, her nostalgia for her homeland grew stronger. In recent days, she often stood on the deck, gazing into the distance, hoping to see land suddenly appear on the horizon.
"May I disturb you for a moment?"
In this era of limited knowledge, ordinary people always respected scholars. Due to her habit of disguising herself as a man, Ladia rarely spoke easily. Speaking like a man made her uncomfortable, fearing she might inadvertently reveal herself and give the impression of being aloof and arrogant.
"What disturbance? Do you have something to discuss?"
Ladia smiled slightly, leaving the merchant representative momentarily stunned.
The merchant representative was pleasantly surprised. He didn't expect this scholar to be so easy to talk to. But the feeling just now was strange; he actually felt strange about a grown man...
"So, do you think our products will sell well in the south? Will people buy them?"
The merchant representative asked somewhat nervously. He and the other representatives were most worried about making a wasted trip.
For them, coming from the Northwest Bay, Angle Bay was undoubtedly wealthy and prosperous. After arriving, would they be regarded as rural bumpkins from the north by the locals? Would the goods they wanted to sell be seen as worthless items, and would they be mocked for traveling all this way to sell junk?
Ladia understood his concerns. She smiled reassuringly, "Mr. Representative, please rest assured. The goods authorized by Earl Grayman for production should be very popular in Angle Bay."
"As far as I know, Lord Earl has already established a cooperation with the Foster family of Angle Bay Alliance. They arrange for a caravan to pick up goods in Alden every month, unaffected even by the conflicts in the southern kingdom. If it weren't for bringing substantial benefits, I believe the Foster family wouldn't be so persistent."
"The Foster family?" The merchant representative was slightly surprised. He had done his homework before departure and knew that they were a prominent family in the south.
"So, Lord Earl has secretly connected with the Foster family, without informing us..."
The merchant representative's words carried a hint of bitterness.
"Um..."
Ladia's face showed a hint of embarrassment. She suddenly realized that Paul and the merchants in her territory were all suppliers, which in a way constituted a competitive relationship. However, competition wasn't evident yet due to the high demand. She unintentionally revealed his commercial secret, hoping the Earl wouldn't blame her when he found out.
The merchant representative sensed that his words were a bit abrupt, and seeing that this scholar seemed to have a close relationship with Earl Grayman, he immediately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, Captain Quik really holds sway on this ship."
Ladia agreed wholeheartedly, "Yes, before boarding, Commander Austin warned me that the captain is like the lord of a ship, and no one can challenge his authority."
"We received the same warning. It seems to be true. Those officers all obediently follow his orders."
"After all, no matter how big and sturdy a ship is in the ocean, it's as small as a floating leaf. The crew needs a brave and decisive backbone and psychological support. In times of crisis with strong winds and waves, even a wrong decision is better than indecisive debate."
"You make a good point."
"That makes sense."
At that moment, a loud shout came from the mast: "Land ho!"
Everyone on deck immediately looked towards the lookout on the mast, where they saw him pointing excitedly towards the east, shouting and gesturing.
They crowded to one side of the deck and followed the direction pointed by the lookout. Soon, some people with telescopes also shouted excitedly.
"Land! It's really land!"
"Oh! Those are buildings! That's a port! We're so lucky to encounter a port directly!"
The news of land sighting quickly spread throughout the ship, and everyone rushed to the deck to look into the distance, cheering continuously.
After Quik and everyone were excited for a while, he shouted, "Get back to your positions! Just because we're about to reach shore doesn't mean you can slack off! Get back to work!"
The sailors dispersed and resumed their previous tasks, but excitement was evident on everyone's faces as they discussed fervently what exotic customs and commodities they might encounter in this distant land thousands of miles away from home.
Are things expensive there? Is the food delicious?
Most importantly, what about the local beauties?
Quik then ordered the helmsman to adjust the direction and head straight towards the discovered port.
...
At the coastal city of Angle Bay - Asta, its port welcomed a strange ship today.
This ship had no oars, only a tall mast erected on the deck, supporting a particularly large canvas sail.
It seemed that this canvas sail provided propulsion for the ship, allowing it to slowly sail into the port.
However, in the environment of Angle Bay, where sailing ships reliant on wind power were prevalent, what were the people who built this ship thinking?
The officials managing the port immediately led soldiers to row a boat closer to this strange ship and sent out the maritime signal - they intended to board and inspect it.
The Southern Star replied, indicating agreement for the other party to board.
Officials and soldiers from Asta climbed aboard the Southern Star using a rope ladder. One of them presented a metal badge and introduced himself:
"I am the administrative officer of the port office. Where are you from? It seems that this ship has never appeared in our port records before?"
However, he spoke in the local language of Angle Bay, leaving most of the people on the ship puzzled.
Fortunately, there was Ladia, who was from Angle Bay. Seeing everyone at a loss, she immediately bowed to the port official.
"Hello, I believe this is the port of Asta."
"Yes, sir." The green-haired young man in front of him was elegant, leaving a favorable impression on the port official.
"This ship is called the Southern Star, from the Northwest Bay of the Kingdom of Aldor. Its purpose is to open up a trade route from the northwest of the kingdom to Angle Bay. The people on board are all from Aldo, and they... can't understand your language."
"I see. Are you their interpreter? You seem to be from around Angle Bay as well?"
"Yes, sir."
The port official smiled. They particularly welcomed people who came here to do business. However, it was surprising that they only brought one interpreter for business. These people seemed a bit naive, and he hoped they wouldn't be ripped off too badly.
"Esteemed guests, you've traveled a long way. Please come to the pier to register."
Ladia immediately spoke to Quik in Aldorian, "This is the administrative officer in charge of the port. He says you need to register at the pier."
Then she asked with great puzzlement, "Captain Quik, representatives, don't any of you speak the language of Angle Bay?"
Quik seemed puzzled, "Angle Bay language? What's that? Do people around the world speak languages that others can't understand?"
Several merchant representatives also looked puzzled.
None of them from the Northwest Bay had been outside the Kingdom of Aldor, and most of them hadn't even left the Northwest Bay. In their understanding, there was no concept of foreign languages at all; they thought everyone in the world spoke the same language, at most with different accents.
"Well..."
Ladia covered her face with her hand, looking defeated. Earl Grayman had sent them out like this. If it weren't for herself being on this ship, it would probably take half a day just to enter a port.
Actually, it wasn't Paul's fault either. Subconsciously, he thought that the world was like the common fantasy setting, where everyone spoke the same language. The foreigners he had encountered—the Lichman Adventure Team and the Foster family—all spoke fluent Aldorian, which deepened his view.
So... he never even considered the problem of language barriers.
(End of the Chapter)