Story

In the blink of an eye, it was already the next morning.

Life at sea was so boring, and the living space was so cramped.

The weather was hot and humid.

This made Lothar prefer to stay next to Banya.

The constant cool air she emitted was like a small air conditioner.

Fringilla didn't have that ability.

Although her body temperature was also icy cold, one had to get close to feel the chill.

Their intimacy hadn't reached that stage yet.

However, no matter how much he didn't want to go out, Lothar had to fulfill the social obligations expected of a knight.

For instance, instructing his two squires to train the male villagers; ordering the female villagers to sew tunics with his coat of arms for their male compatriots in the same village.

Supervising the crew to ensure they were diligently caring for their horses and checking if any horses were seasick or ill.

Hans could handle the vast majority of matters independently.

But Lothar couldn't just wash his hands of it; he had to maintain his prestige.

Tools and reputation cannot be delegated.

As he stepped onto the deck, a thin layer of mist covered the sea.

The crew members were diligently adjusting the sails and steering the ship.

The priest, clutching a wooden cross, was still preaching to the passengers.

Lothar stood to the side, listening silently, making the sign of the cross before him with "piety," and praying earnestly.

After the priest finished his sermon, Lothar approached him to chat, "Where have we arrived, Father Beckett?"

"We have passed the Ionian Gulf and have completely sailed out of the Adriatic Sea."

Father Beckett paused slightly, pointing to the indistinct coastline, "When the weather is clear, we should be able to see the lighthouse of Moria from here. That is territory of the Eastern Empire, with customs and traditions vastly different from your homeland."

"The Eastern Empire, huh."

Lothar couldn't help but feel a sense of longing.

"One day, after the war in the Holy Land concludes, I must visit Constantinople and witness the splendor of this 'Queen of all Cities' (Vasileousa Polis) built on seven hills."

Beckett teased, "Then you must be careful. A knight as brave and skilled as you will surely be wildly adored by those noble ladies of the empire."

Lothar joked, "If it were Empress Lagaya, I might truly be tempted."

"Who wouldn't be?"

Beckett sighed, "After all, she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and the most powerful. If marrying Princess Sibylla makes one the Crown Prince of Jerusalem, then marrying Empress Lagaya would make one the emperor of the Eastern Empire."

The value of the two was not on the same level at all.

Lothar smiled and didn't reply.

He wasn't one for fanciful dreams; becoming the emperor of the Eastern Empire was an unreachable fantasy he only spoke of in jest.

"Knight Lothar, do you know, just now while I was preaching, the crew members were reminding me to be wary of Sirens today."

"Usually, we need to be vigilant against Norman, Moorish, and Berber pirates, but now we have to guard against Sirens, whom very few people have even seen."

The priest's tone was somewhat sarcastic.

He had traveled between the Italian Peninsula and the Holy Land at least eight or ten times and had never truly encountered any Sirens.

In his opinion, Sirens were just legends concocted by bored sailors.

Suddenly, someone spoke up, "Father, the reason few people have seen them is because those who did are dead."

The speaker was the captain of this ship.

A middle-aged man with a weathered face.

"Just as you certainly don't know what kind of miserable lives Christians sold into African chieftaincies lead."

"You also cannot know the fate that befell the sailors who once witnessed Sirens."

"But not knowing doesn't mean they don't exist."

The captain warned with a grave tone, "It is said that Sirens habitually appear in weather without sun, using their songs to stir up people's desires, and then tear apart and devour the bewitched bit by bit."

"If you hear strange sounds, you must cover your ears!"

His tone was very serious, and after speaking, he left somewhat nervously.

Leaving the two of them looking at each other in bewilderment.

Lothar agreed wholeheartedly, "I actually think what he said makes sense. Not having seen them doesn't mean they don't exist. I once personally slew a werewolf at a jousting tournament in Lienz."

"This at least proves that the creatures in folklore are not necessarily non-existent."

"But Sirens are legends from pagan mythology."

Lothar said nothing, merely giving him a deep look.

Father Beckett hesitated, then finally said, "I understand what you mean. I will relay the captain's instructions to the passengers on this ship."

A priest who had spent time in the Holy Land was more flexible in many ways.

After all, even in Jerusalem, caravans of Zoroastrians were welcomed.

In the evening, the fog grew thicker.

The entire world seemed to darken as a result.

Fringilla stood on the deck, stretching her graceful curves wantonly. Most people were asleep now, so she didn't have to worry about attracting too much attention.

She leaned lazily against the ship's railing, "Lord, this kind of life is truly too boring."

"I spent the entire day facing the wall with that woman Banya today. I feel like my vampire existence has dimmed considerably."

Lothar glanced at her, sighing helplessly, "It might be a bit boring, but it certainly isn't more boring than when you were lying dormant in your coffin."

"Can sleeping be the same as now?"

"When you're asleep, you don't know anything, so you definitely won't feel bored."

Fringilla took Lothar's arm, her watery eyes full of anticipation, "Please, just let me find some man to feed on. I'll throw his corpse into the sea, and the fish will clean up all traces. No one will ever know it was me."

"No."

Lothar frowned, "Fringilla, you need to understand something. I am human, and the one you want to feed on is also human. So don't say such things so lightly—and I warned you, you are not allowed to harm anyone without my permission."

Fringilla huffed, "Aren't I asking for your permission right now?"

Lothar said sternly, "My answer is already very clear."

"Also, it's said that sirens attack passing ships in these waters. Sirens are monsters that live in the deep sea. They hate light, so tonight's weather is perfect for them to be active. You'd best be careful."

"Tch, just some sirens. Those promiscuous creatures who like to mate with humans, do they really have any impressive skills worth mentioning?"

Fringilla was somewhat disdainful.

If sirens were monsters on the level of school urban legends, then vampires were at least two tiers higher, belonging to the realm of urban myths.

"Still, don't let your guard down. Fringilla, your strength hasn't recovered yet, and you're heavily suppressed. Compared to the supernatural beings in this world, you might not be much stronger."

Lothar advised earnestly, "Pride is the chief of the seven deadly sins. I've told you many times, this world is not much simpler than yours. I don't want you to lose your life one day because of your arrogance."

"Oh, I know, Lord. Why are you so annoying, like a nagging, rigid old fossil?"

Fringilla showed an impatient expression.

And then, a prompt for increased intimacy.

This stubborn child.

A smile appeared on Lothar's face, "Don't be so impatient. When we get back to the cabin later, I'll tell you and Banya stories, alright?"

"Fine."

Fringilla put on a reluctant expression.

In reality, she was extremely excited.

Lothar, having been deeply influenced by web novels, had too many interesting stories stored in his head.

"Are you going to tell the story about that monkey again?"

"Don't you want to hear it?"

"Hmm, I guess I can listen."

Fringilla's voice was a little mumbled as she skipped ahead, picking up her pace.

There was an undisguised joy about her.

No one had ever told her a bedtime story before.