"The air is getting colder." Garcia Wimbledon lamented, combing her hair with her fingers that blew in the wind, as she gazed at the ocean beyond the shoreline.
"It's because winter comes soon," the handsome man behind her replied, "and although we live in the south, we are not in Southernmost Land. Only the people of Sand Nation are ignorant of the meaning of winter."
"The ocean current will stop all movements of our fleets in winter. This is our last chance to sail out." The young woman retorted. "Ryan, how long has the Blacksail Fleet been away?"
"Two months and four days," the man replied without hesitation, "If there are no hiccups, they'll arrive at the Port of Clearwater in three days."
Garcia laughed. "I do hope they bring enough surprises."
Ryan Koban looked at the famous woman in front of him, and feelings welled up in his heart. Her long gray hair reflected a faint silver glow in the autumn sun, and her eyes were narrow and light green. When she stared at someone, her eyes would give off a kind of unspeakable sense of oppression. Her long stays at the beach had turned her skin rougher and less fair than that of the other women, but Ryan did not mind. In his eyes, Garcia's temperament made up for any lack of beauty.
Unlike her close relatives at Graycastle, Garcia Wimbledon is the true genius. She had the wisdom and pride of the noble, but she was not dulled by the constant routine. In fact, she showed aspects that were closer to that of the common people, she was full of expectations and adventurous.
Of course, no common people could have such power and vision as hers. Even the duke and the princes seemed short-sighted in front of her. With all the income from the Port of Clearwater trade being poured into the construction of the fleet, there was not even a copper left in the vault. This characteristic was far beyond those misers.
"There is no meaning to put gold royals in the coffer. It's like a stone when it's not in use, and only when you spend it, can it reflect its value. To spend the money doesn't mean you lose it, but rather, you create a return value that's even greater." Ryan's memory of what she had said to him echoed deep in his psyche, and this was a sobering concept that formed in contrast to the usual perceived stereotype.
Compared to that of the noble families who spent their time accumulating and growing wealth, Ryan believed that hers was the demeanor of a ruler.
So he went under the command of Garcia without hesitation, and followed her to the Port of Clearwater.
But after arriving here, Ryan learned that the princess was so much more outstanding than that. She not only had ideas but also was full of actions. She created the plan of Blacksail Fleet and executed it in a well-ordered way. As early as five years ago, Garcia's forces had penetrated the Port of Clearwater, preparing for the formation of the Blacksail Fleet, with no Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince announced by Wimbledon III. In other words, she had long been ahead in the race of all other heirs.
"Let's go inside; the wind grows stronger," said Garcia. Her palace was located on the Salmon Harbor at the southernmost tip of the Port of Clearwater. The tower-like building looked like a watchtower on the coast. It possessed a circular terrace at the top, allowing a bird's eye view of the harbor and all ships that entered and exited it.
Five years had passed since the beginning of the operation, and the Port of Clearwater trade had begun to take shape. A three-masted ship would appear at the harbor every six months, and a foundation of trust had been laid down. Taking advantage of Princess Garcia's good mood, Ryan asked the question that had been plaguing his mind for months.
"Your Highness, there's something I don't understand." Ryan closed the door, cutting them off from the whistling wind.
"Go ahead." She smiled and nodded.
"How is it that you were able to predict all of this, even before the King had announced the Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince?" He had guessed that the King had alerted her in advance, but it was impossible to know for certain. It was known that the king favored the second prince, and that this competition was set up in his favor. After all, he was given a clear win when he was assigned Valencia for his fiefdom.
Was she able to guess this all on her own, so that she could set out the framework as early as five years ago? Heavens, she was only 20 years old!
"I could predict it?" She shot him a strange look. "Do you take me for a witch? I have no such powers."
"But..."
"I had no idea that my father would take the Royal Decree on the Selection of Crown Prince as a way to give everything to his precious second son. In all truth, is there any relationship between what I'm doing and that Royal Decree?"
"No relationship?" A thought occurred to Ryan, and he could not help but gawk.
Seeing Ryan Koban's strange expression, Garcia laughed. "Is it that I must wait for my father's permission, and only then I can compete for what is thrown? Will it not always be the case that he who governs best will become the ruler of the Kingdom of Graycastle?" "I thought you understood the plan behind the Blacksail Fleet."
"So she has not created the fleet purely to increase her property," Ryan murmured. After the trade was completed, the fleet would put up black sails somewhere far away from the port and rob the merchant ships of other cities or countries. Similarly, the princess would encourage her subjects to sail into the sea and participate in the Blacksail Fleet plot. She gave her word that the Port of Clearwater would never tax any profit gained in this manner, and that it would remain the property of the captain of the ship.
This move had brought the princess great wealth, so this time she had simply ordered the Blacksail Fleet to move towards the south. They would plunder any ship throughout the Endless Cape, as well as those people of Sand Nation.
Yet these movements were not solely for the sake of money. Garcia did not use the profits from the fleet to build a city or expand trade by roadway, rather, she poured the money back into her ships, expanding the size of the fleet.
Over the past few years, she had won over a large number of people—experienced sailors, aggressive warriors, and popular figures. If she lost governance of the area, those who committed the crimes of theft and plundering would be sent to the gallows.
'The person who governs the best city will win the throne of Graycastle?!' No, Ryan now knew it was Garcia Wimbledon that would ascend the throne, because she possessed a large number of ships and soldiers and could move along the Sanwan River to pose a threat to Valencia.
"Did you know that you'd be assigned to the Port of Clearwater?"
"Believe it or not, I didn't expect that. It was a move to increase the trade of this city." Garcia shrugged. "It was also payback to the church who'd tried to fool me."
"This had something to do with the church?" When Garcia did not continue, Ryan dared not ask. If there was one thing that he was sure of, it was that even if she did not come to the Port of Clearwater, she would take over the place and continue with her plan.
"Let's move on." She took a sip of her black tea. "My little plan seems to have failed."
"Ah, yes," Ryan quickly recovered and replied, "and the only news we have received from Border Town was that the plan had failed. We have received no more information since then."
"Our spies must have been killed by my brothers. It's unsurprising. These people were just pawns that we placed in order to win some time, and had no weight on the actual situation. Nonetheless..." She changed the topic of the conversation. "It's normal that other plans have failed, but I didn't expect the fourth Prince to remain safe. To tell you the truth, I'm a bit disappointed."
"Kingfisher reported in her letter that the pills were consumed, but..."
"A failure is a failure, and I don't need an explanation." Garcia interrupted. "The Months of Demons are around the corner, our fourth Prince will go to Longsong Stronghold for refuge. When demonic beasts invade Border Town, Stronghold will be in chaos for a while. Write to her and tell her to take this chance. Will the goddess of luck continue to stay on my brother's side?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"You may take your leave." Garcia waved, but as Ryan was about to leave, the princess stopped him. "Oh, yes, if I remember correctly, the pills were bought from the alchemist Enbis?"
Ryan nodded his head.
"What did he say? It was colorless and tasteless, just like water? It caused death, and had no cure? It was his latest invention?" Garcia yawned. "Hang him."