It was almost the same as when Angel came to Backlund three months ago. The busy platform was filled with thick fog. It was composed of the steam discharged from the train head and Backlund's own haze. However, compared with the past, there was less pungent smell.
"Due to the lack of workers, half of East Borough's factories have shut down, and Docklands is almost the same. Compared with Environmental Protection Act, which has not yet passed, this is the fastest 'method' to eliminate smog."
Klein hugged Angel and whispered while walking towards the steam train parked on the platform. At this time, his short black hair was neatly combed sideways, and he still wore the gold-rimmed glasses, but he used Faceless's ability to adjust the details of his face. His face was thin and angular, and the beard he had grown for several months had all disappeared, making him look like he was in his 20s and full of energy.
"But they have increased wages, even double the minimum wage required by the bill they just signed. You see, many workers from nearby cities have already come to Backlund. In less than a week, all factories will be open again."
Angel originally didn't know much about these things, but he just received Mr. Hanged Man's "education" on Tarot Club a few days ago. There is a companion who is very interested in current affairs beside him, and he also knows a lot of the latest news.
The steam train they were going to take entered Backlund from the north, and then continued south until it stopped at Pritz Harbor, which was the first stop for the two of them to "escape from Backlund".
The train stopped and the door opened, and a huge crowd squeezed out of the carriage. These were all people who had learned about the Backlund labor shortage in the newspaper and came to this big city to try their luck.
Don't be in a hurry, get off first and then get up... Angel thought silently in his heart, his eyes briefly lingering on the faces full of expectation and hope, and suddenly locked on the two passengers traveling together, a man and a woman.
Across Black Veil, she was not worried about being spied on by the other side, but she quickly looked away as if she was a thief, and then turned to look at Klein beside her. The latter was also looking in that direction blankly, and she did not look back until the wave of passengers passed by and the flight attendant loudly shouted to the passengers who were getting on the bus to check in.
The sound of the two talking to each other still lingered in their ears.
"... Let's take a look at that apartment and go back in the afternoon. It won't delay your exam. I've calculated that renting it now while the price is low will be 20% cheaper than renting it after the New Year..."
"...North Borough? Why is there North Borough in every city? Would it be better to continue living in West Borough?"
"Contrary to Tingen, West Borough here is the rich area. North Borough has the cathedral of Goddess Church, and it is closer to your new school..."
The sound of a man and a woman communicating gradually faded away. Angel looked at Klein with some worry, but the latter looked as usual, pressed the top hat on his head, looked back, smiled slightly, and said:
"Let's go."
"Aren't you going to see them?"
Seeing Klein shake his head resolutely, Angel also sighed, took out his ticket, queued up for inspection and boarded the train to Pritz Harbor.
Pritz Harbor is the largest and most important port in the Loen Kingdom. Together with Enmat Harbor in the northeast, it undertakes more than two-thirds of the shipping tasks. Every day is the busiest day.
Angel and Klein took the steam train for an hour and arrived at this port city at noon. They used their new identities to find a remote hotel to stay temporarily.
Klein originally wanted to choose a double room, but after thinking for a moment and thinking of staying here for two or three days, he hesitantly changed it to two rooms Single Room. This hesitant move made Angel look sideways frequently, wondering what he was thinking.
Fortunately, this hotel provided a lunch that was not rich at the time, but was very local. Angel quickly put this matter behind him and enjoyed the nostalgic delicious taste of fish and chips.
After lunch, they took advantage of the time when there were fewer people on the street at noon, and took a carriage to Pritz Harbor Ticketing Company located at White Rose District. This is an old three-story building that sells all Passenger Ship boat tickets to sea from Pritz Harbor.
They thought that there would be fewer people at this time, but as soon as they entered the hall, the two of them were dumbfounded. The spacious ticket hall had seven windows open for ticket sales, but there was a long queue in front of each window, and the longest queue even reached the door.
"I'm going to check the ship information. You line up here." Klein said softly, and after Angel nodded, he walked towards the notice board on the side.
The latter found a smaller team and lined up at the end. He looked around and quickly stopped at a notice posted on the wall.
"You can't defecate in the open... Will anyone really do this in public? You can't enjoy canned wolf fish indoors... Are you worried that the smell will be too fragrant and that hungry people will not be able to bear it?"
She guessed, but felt that she might be thinking in the wrong direction.
As the queue continued to shorten, Klein finally returned to her, looking a little tangled.
"Have you chosen?"
she asked.
"There are three Passenger Ship bound for the Rhoside Islands on the 15th, White Agate, Saint Tedesius and Wave Breaker. I am hesitant about which ship to choose," Klein's eyes were still on the notice board not far away, and he introduced, "Wave Breaker is a modified warship that was not completed before the war. It has a large tonnage, strong ship and powerful guns, but the living conditions are not very good. I think I should choose between the first two ships."
"What's the price comparison between them?" Angel is most concerned about this issue.
"The prices are about the same, first class is 35 pounds, second class is 10 pounds, and third class is 4 pounds. Except that the first class is a suite, they are all Single Room."
"It costs 20 pounds for two people, so it's better to just buy a first-class ticket... And Saint Tedesius sounds like it's named after a certain Saint. Could it be the ship of Church of Storms?"
"Madam, your vision is very accurate. Saint Tedesius is indeed as you said. From the captain to Sailor, they are all believers of Lord of Storms. Of course, this is normal in Above the Five Seas, but it is also a cargo ship. If you two want to go on a long journey, it would be better to choose White Agate."
A slightly exaggerated voice came from behind Angel. The two looked back and saw a middle-aged man wearing a black and white plaid uniform and a black soft hat holding a newly printed flyer with "White Agate, your sea home" and other cursive characters printed on it.
Did you meet a salesman? His uniform looked like that of a guard at a ticketing company, and he seemed to be working part-time to earn some extra money... Angel nodded calmly and asked:
"What about White Agate? Does it have any advantages over other ships?"
"It looks like a sailboat, but it is equipped with a steam engine. Its maximum speed is 16 knots. Many pirate ships cannot catch up with it. Moreover, the captain was Sailor Chief who was Royal Navy. He brought out many experienced Sailor from the navy. It has never been robbed by pirates.!" Seeing Angel's interest, the guard began the introduction very quickly, "If you choose first class, you can stay in a suite with a servant's room, enjoy an exclusive first class restaurant with a view of the sea, have waiters who have received etiquette lessons, and chefs with excellent cooking skills. As it says, a home on the sea..."
As he spoke, he shook the flyer in his hand.
"Do you know the captain?"
Klein, who was carefully studying the contents of the flyer, suddenly asked, making the guard's face stiffen. After a moment, he replied with a smile:
"Before I retired, Captain Erlan was my boss, but don't worry, what I said is true. Just now, a passenger from Backlund back to Bayam listened to my introduction and bought a ticket for White Agate."
"Thanks, we'll consider it."
Angel "dissuaded" the salesman with a polite smile, and then looked at Klein, waiting for his decision.
A first-class ticket can buy you a better environment, service, and better-sounding food, but it is 15 pounds more expensive than two second-class tickets.
However, if you book first class, is it equivalent to living together?
The thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
"We have to spend a week at sea when we go to the Rhoside Islands. Should we... choose first class?"
Klein, who has always been careful with calculations, hesitated for a moment and actually accepted the guard's promotion.
After giving him a suspicious look, Angel went to the ticket window and booked a first-class suite for White Agate. The departure time was the morning after tomorrow.
"Canned wolf fish? Ha, I heard the guard at the ticket office mention it just now," Klein heard Angel's question on the way back and explained with a chuckle, "It's a Feysac canned pickled fish. The smell is very distinctive. It is said that as long as you open a can in the ticket office, everyone will run away within ten seconds."
It sounds like canned herring. I actually thought this would be a delicacy just now... Angel felt his stomach churn and quickly shook his head to drive this biochemical weapon out of his mind.
In the afternoon, they came to the Pritz Harbor seaside, found a wood dealer near the shipyard, and customized some flammable wood without waterproofing treatment, as well as a simple wooden frame.
Angel specially set aside two days in Pritz Harbor in order to complete Promotion Ritual and take Potion to be promoted to Sequence 5 before boarding the ship and going to sea.
It's a nice day today, a good day to go to the stakes.