Translator: Cinder Translations
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Night had fallen, but the city government hall in Frand Port remained brightly lit. Tonight, Paul Grayman, the lord of Alden, was hosting a grand feast for his guests.
The hall was bustling with people, filled with nobles from various territories in the Northwest Bay, esteemed gentry, and businessmen and factory owners whose social standing had rapidly risen in recent years.
This feast held special significance, as tomorrow, three expedition teams would set sail from Frand Port in different directions: north, west, and south. Thus, it was a farewell banquet.
The fleet heading north would follow the continent's western coastline all the way up to areas beyond the human world. Beyond the Rocky Mountains, which stretched across the northern part of the Aldor Kingdom, lay the vast grasslands, the territory of the orcs. Trade between the Aldor and orc civilizations mostly occurred via the Neron Corridor in the northeastern part of the kingdom, and very few ventured to the coastline north of the Northwest Bay. It was said that the ancient Bela Empire once dispatched fleets to the orc territories by sea, but that was merely a legend; even if it were true, no detailed records remained.
The fleet heading south would replenish supplies at Horns Bay before turning east to explore the distant eastern coastline. Even with Paul's strong advocacy for maritime trade, the trade reach of Northwest Bay merchants barely extended to Horns Bay, where Horns Bay merchants acted as intermediaries to sell goods further east. However, recent instability in Horns Bay made everyone anxious; once war broke out, the role of Horns Bay as a transfer point would significantly diminish, so it was wise to plan ahead.
As for the fleet heading west, they aimed to attempt a crossing of the ocean to see if they could reach the other side of the continent. Yes, they sought to verify whether the land beneath their feet was indeed round.
The idea of a round Earth had emerged in this world based on observations: for instance, ships approaching from a distance first revealed their masts, and the further one traveled north, the higher the North Star appeared on the horizon.
Yet, most people viewed this as merely a novel concept, with doubts about its truthfulness.
Are we living on a sphere? It felt strange to think so.
Those who believed in the round Earth imagined a scenario: this sphere was enormous, making some small section appear flat, but only a tiny portion at the top was inhabited. If a living being crossed the ocean and reached a steep enough area, they would slide down and eventually fall into the void.
"Come, come, everyone! Let me introduce you to the three heroic captains about to set sail!"
Paul introduced the commanders of the northern expedition team, Stanford, the western expedition team, Grant, and the southern-eastern expedition team, Nethil, all seasoned sailors selected by the public who had long been navigating between the Northwest Bay and Horns Bay.
"A toast to you, warriors! You are our eyes, looking into the unknown world for us."
Malon Ganard led the toast to the three captains, with others following suit and gathering around them.
After finishing their drinks, the lord of Portley, Earl Winfried Heller, stroked his graying beard and said mysteriously, "Captain Stanford, in the far northern part of the continent, there exists what is called the 'Gate of Hell,' behind which seals the evil demon tribe. If you happen to encounter it, do be careful not to break the seal."
"Uh… Lord Heller, I will be extremely cautious," Captain Stanford replied, suddenly feeling tense.
Earl of Lanaka said, "You old fool, sharing such tales at a farewell feast? Such legends have been disbelieved since we were young; look at how you frighten the young ones."
Heller shot him a glare. "Really, I was just trying to lighten the mood."
The crowd erupted in laughter, and Captain Stanford's face turned slightly red; it turned out that Earl Heller was just joking with him.
Eugene Helsen, a viscount from Emden, worriedly asked, "My Lord Grayman, are you really comfortable letting the three captains' fleets sail off like this?"
"What's the matter?"
"Um…" Viscount Helsen stuttered, "What if the Earth is round? No matter which direction they go, what if they fall… fall off? Captain Grant wouldn't even reach the other side of the continent!"
Here we go again, Paul thought, feeling exasperated. He had already spent considerable time addressing these concerns from those around him.
"Alright, let me clarify my hypothesis. Everyone, look over here!"
Paul raised his voice to draw everyone's attention.
He picked up an apple from the nearby dining table and tossed it gently into the air; it quickly fell to the ground with a thud.
"Did you see that?"
"Huh? What?" The crowd murmured in confusion.
"The apple fell to the ground."
"Isn't that obvious?"
Except for Malon, who had heard Paul's "hypothesis" before, the others couldn't help but internally scoff; if Paul weren't a lord, they would have openly criticized him.
Paul continued confidently, "Why did the apple fall to the ground instead of 'falling' upwards? Have you never considered that? I suspect there is a force on the Earth that 'pulls' objects down, even if the Earth is a sphere, we won't fall into the void, even if we are on the other side of the sphere."
Duke Fraule looked puzzled. "How could it be as you say? Isn't it simply a matter of 'above' being above and 'below' being below? Objects falling down is a common sense principle? This was established by our Father—the Lord of Light—when He created the world."
"Oh!" Paul slapped his forehead, rolling his eyes, "Alright, let Captain Grant bring us all the answers."
Duke Fraule muttered, "Even if the Earth is round, and there is a force keeping us, that's still the power of our Father."
Captain Grant, filled with enthusiasm, pledged, "Lord Grayman, please rest assured! I will definitely find out whether the Earth is round and verify your hypothesis!"
The members of the western expedition team all carried a sense of tragic resolution—knowing they might accidentally fall off into the abyss upon reaching the ends of the world.
Paul patted his shoulder. "Regardless of whether you can reach the other side, once you've exhausted half your supplies, you must return immediately. I do not wish for any of you to starve or die of thirst at sea. The vast ocean can be explored gradually; there is no need to rush."
"Yes, Lord Grayman," Captain Grant replied, deeply moved by Paul's words.
"Captain Grant! I entrust my apprentice to you." Suddenly, someone tightly grasped Grant's hand.
The person was Benjamin, an old shipwright from the shipyard in Frand Port. As the builder responsible for the expedition team's dedicated vessels, Benjamin was also among the invited guests.
Benjamin and his apprentice, Vito, were part of the first group recruited by Alden from Horns Bay. However, Vito didn't wish to spend his life in the shipyard; he yearned for a life of adventure. Upon hearing that the lord was forming an expedition team, he eagerly signed up and was fortunate enough to become a member of the western expedition team, responsible for the maintenance of the vessel.
With tears in his eyes, the old shipwright held Grant's hand tightly, having always regarded Vito as his own son. Although Vito had always expressed a desire for adventure as a child, which boy doesn't have a ridiculous dream in their youth? It was surprising that he would actually take flight as an adult.
Benjamin held Grant's hand tightly, carefully advising him.
"Master, that's enough."
Vito, standing behind Grant, blushed with embarrassment, feeling like he hadn't grown up yet.
Paul then approached a young man dressed in naval attire. "Alan, are you all ready?"
Once a military officer candidate, now a naval second lieutenant, Alan immediately straightened up and saluted, "Yes, my lord! My comrades and I are all ready."
Each exploration team had three to four military personnel on board, most of whom possessed surveying or reconnaissance skills. In addition to recording the sea conditions and landforms along the route and assessing the military strength of the nations or factions they passed, they had another crucial responsibility: managing the ship's firearms.
To enhance their capabilities in dealing with dangers, such as pirates, Paul had prepared a small number of firearms—grenades and flintlock guns—for each expedition team, but they could only be used in emergencies, with the decision resting with the military representatives accompanying them.
(End of the Chapter)
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