At Sea

Roy returned to the Shallow Water Pier, a row of wooden planks that lapped against the pillars beneath, the splashing water carrying the salty smell of the sea...

The morning sun peeked out from behind the clouds; there was no fog at the beach, and the sunlight was a bit dazzling.

The planks creaked as they ran along the boat. Roy jumped onto Boss 'Duke fishing boat and skillfully sat down next to the Flying Wing, beckoning Jasper and Abbott to pick up oars and sit in front of him.

These fishing boats are very similar to canoes. They are made by carving a section of giant wood into a boat shape with pointed ends, hollowing out the middle, and then painting it to make the hull.

Then a rudder mount needs to be made at the stern. The most special thing about this Flying Fish Boat is that it does not have a main mast like a sailboat, but instead has two Flying Wing installed on both sides of the hull.

In fact, these Flying Wing are two small sails, and when there is no wind, wooden poles can be inserted to make them oars for paddling.

These fishing boats are thin and long, and when they sail from the dock into the sea, they need to row for a while.

Captain Duke stood at the stern and steered the boat, while Roy, Jasper, Abbott rowed the fishing boat out of the harbor. Once outside the mooring area, Captain Duke stood at the stern to check the wind direction, at which point Roy would deploy the Flying Wing on both sides of the boat.

With the sea breeze blowing, the Flying Fish Boat, propelled by its Flying Wing, soared out like an arrow.

These fishing boats become quite magical when propelled by the wind; it feels like Wave Treader the crest of a wave...

Jasper and Abbott had almost no experience of going out to sea on a fishing boat. They sat on the boat, shouting excitedly as they watched the coastline recede into the distance...

"You have friends among the Dark Moon Elf?"

Although Boss Duke is also a Half-Elf, he is a Silver Moon Elf with only one-quarter Wood Elf blood. His great-grandmother was a beautiful Wood Elf, so although his eyes are blue, there is still a green slit in his pupils, which is very cool.

Similarly, he didn't particularly like the Dark Moon Elf.

He believed that the Dark Moon Elf living in the Eternal Night Forest were the culprits behind the complete division of the Elven Dynasty.

Roy adjusted the angle of the Flying Wing and then tied the rope to the side of the ship.

"We just met a few days ago."

Roy smiled as he said this.

I remembered that I had bought a bag of oranges for the Dark Moon Elf.

Roy then thought of the saying, "What's done is done, no need to be sad, thankfully there's always a way out..."

Seeing Roy still grinning foolishly, Captain Duke became somewhat dissatisfied with Roy. The boy had an exceptionally strong learning ability and was quite clever and quick-witted, but his attitude towards the Dark Moon Elf was what left him somewhat unsatisfied...

"He looks like a ranger, and being a Dark Moon Elf, he might even be an assassin. So... be careful when you make contact. The Elf Ranger at the docks aren't blind; don't always try to test their patience," Captain Duke warned Roy.

He knew Roy was a smart man, and you don't need to say too much when talking to a smart man.

"Okay, I understand."

Roy stopped smiling faintly and looked towards the distant sea.

The seawater here is extremely clear, like a magnificent sapphire, and you can see the seabed three meters deep at a glance...

However, the deeper the fishing boats sail into the open sea, the darker the color of the ocean becomes.

When the weather is good, the biggest problem on the sea is the sun overhead. Flying Fish Boat rely on the sea breeze for power and have no sunshade on board.

Under the scorching sun, first-time seafarers are very likely to suffer sunburn from the harsh sunlight...

However, for the three Novice Priest of the Goddess of Freedom Temple, such minor injuries became somewhat insignificant, because the Divine Light released by the Glimmer Illumination Spell also had a slight healing effect, which could just relieve the sunburn on their bodies.

Although the Divine Light can heal sunburn, it does not provide sun protection. In just over an hour's flight, the three people's exposed arms and necks were tanned like boiled shrimp by the scorching sun.

Captain Duke was completely covered in a veil, clearly having taken precautions against the sun.

Once the fishing boat reached the fishing spot, Roy furled the Flying Wing sails on both sides of the boat and drifted with the waves.

Jasper then ran to the bow of the ship, stood at the very front, opened his arms, and shouted, "So this is the sea!"

Roy reminded him from behind, "No, this is just the nearshore area. After the elves signed a peace treaty with the Naga Sea Clan, we elves can fish in the nearshore area."

Roy then stood up from the ship, pointed to the deep blue sea in the distance, and said to Jasper, "See that deep blue sea over there? That's where the Naga Sea Clan's territory begins. If we trespass into that sea, we'll be driven back by the Naga patrols if we're lucky, and if we're unlucky, we'll be detained. We might have to pay a fine to get away."

"If you see any resistance during the Naga patrols, you're likely to be surrounded and attacked by Naga Warrior... It's extremely dangerous." Captain Duke also began to educate everyone on the knowledge of going to sea.

Abbott then asked somewhat stubbornly, "So, why are those slave ships still able to sail so freely on the Endless Sea?"

"You can wait until you're captured by the Naga patrols and ask them directly to get the answer..."

Roy responded with a smile...

"Forget it..."

Abbott immediately became a coward.

Everyone took out their prepared fishing hooks, lines, and bait, and sat on the boat to fish for sea fish.

Actually, sea fishing doesn't require any skills. As long as there is an experienced angler on the boat, it is easy to find schools of fish. Just put bait on the hook and cast it into the sea, and fish will bite immediately.

Of course, some experience is needed to pull the fish that have taken the bait up.

Most carnivorous sea fish have very sharp teeth, and using brute force can easily cut the line...

Roy was lucky and soon caught a mackerel-like sea fish weighing over ten pounds.

Although Jasper wasn't particularly interested in fishing, he picked up a fishing rod and tried his hand at it quite well on his first trip out to sea.

Abbott sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, with a nautical chart spread out on his legs, the location of which was unknown. He stared intently at the area of Castleton Harbour on the chart, trying to find the exact location of the fishing boat at sea.

Occasionally, he would run up to Roy with a map in hand, point to a certain area on the nautical chart, and ask Roy, "Roy, are we here?"

It must be said that Abbott has an extremely poor sense of direction. Even with faint landmasses in the distance as reference points, Abbott still can't figure out his location or direction...

After all that fuss, all I could do was sit quietly at the bow of the boat and stare blankly.

Clearly, the real ocean is very different from what we imagine...

"I knew the Endless Sea was vast, but I never imagined it would be this big." Abbott sat at the bow of the ship, the map in his hand crumpled from gripping it so tightly.

Jasper put down his fishing rod and ran over to comfort him:

"So, take Roy and my advice... you can't go wrong. We need to patiently wait for the right time to set sail. This plan may take many years, but that's okay, we have plenty of time..."

Abbott sighed and did not respond.

Clearly, he still couldn't forget about Captain Relf's treasure.

The group ate a simple lunch on the fishing boat. Jasper and Abbott only ate two pieces of fruit, while Roy and Captain Duke ate some sashimi.

In the afternoon, instead of continuing fishing, Captain Duke took three Novice Priest for a spin around the area.

Captain Duke didn't return to port until the sun was almost setting below the horizon...

In the evening, Roy pushed open the gate of the yard carrying a mackerel and took a few steps into the yard, but he did not see Moira.

Then he looked up at the terrace and, sure enough, found Ms. Belinda, wearing a nightgown, asleep on the wicker chair there...

Roy carried the fish to the kitchen before climbing upstairs to the second floor. He then took a thin blanket from the bedroom and quietly covered her with it.

Ms. Belinda, dressed in a silk nightgown, lay curled up in a chair, her hair disheveled, and even the tip of her prominent nose was covered in beads of sweat.

During this time, Ms. Belinda devoted almost all her time and energy to getting her Stone Sculpture sculpture displayed in the art exhibition hall, but Roy heard that Master Claire Latin was so ill that she was bedridden...

For an 837-year-old Silver Moon Elf, he has lived longer than most elves.

This art exhibition was also repeatedly postponed due to the illness of Master Claire Latin.

Roy tiptoed downstairs and began preparing the mackerel. He was going to make pan-fried fish fillets for dinner, as he was going to report to the Elf Academy with his luggage the next morning. Apparently, this outdoor practical activity would last for about four weeks.

In a sizzling hot oil pan, the marinated fish fillets are placed inside.

With a sizzle, the unique aroma of sea fish wafted out...

As Roy placed the fried fish fillets on a plate, preparing to bring them to the table and then return to brew a pot of black tea, he turned around and discovered that Ms. Belinda was leaning against the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, quietly watching his back.

"What's wrong?"

Roy carried the plate into the restaurant and placed the fried fish in the middle.

"The art exhibition may be postponed indefinitely, and my work may never have a chance to be exhibited..."

Ms. Belinda said somewhat sadly.

"Don't be too sad, there will always be other opportunities in the future. You can also take this time to rest well," Roy said to Belinda.

After saying that, he pulled out a chair for her and invited Ms. Belinda to sit down. Roy took out a plate and placed it on the table, then brewed a pot of black tea before sitting down opposite Ms. Belinda.

Ms. Belinda smiled, but the disappointment on her face was indescribable...

Roy stood up and walked behind Ms. Belinda, gently massaging her shoulders.

"Starting next week, we'll begin our outdoor practical classes, and I might be outside for a while..." Roy said.

Ms. Belinda asked curiously, "Where has the college assigned you?"

"Malaga Jungle"

Roy replied.

Ms. Belinda thought for a moment, then instructed Roy, "Remember to buy a bottle of Green Grass Ointment from the magic Potion Shop at the street corner later. Although the magical beasts in the Malaga Jungle have long since disappeared, there are still many poisonous insects and mosquitoes there, so be sure to take precautions..."