Sunset City Local

On the other side, Steward Boon calmly packed his things and prepared to leave the meeting room. His attendant asked curiously, "Lord Boon, I've actually calculated that even if all five battalions of militia were trained and equipped according to Regimental Commander Ron's standards, our territory would still have enough supplies. The labor problem can also be solved by negotiating the ransom with those two territories later."

There's absolutely no need for you and Regimental Commander Ron to argue like this, especially since Regimental Commander Ron is the lord's uncle. If he were to say something bad about the lord behind his back, it might offend Lord Victor.

Furthermore, if other military leaders were to find out about what happened today, it could also affect your relationship with the military.

Steward Boon calmly shook his head and said slowly, "You've misunderstood some things. First of all, as the head of government affairs in the territory, I must know my place and cannot have too much interaction with the military."

Secondly, although Lord Ron is rather emotional, he is not a backstabber. Even if he did, Lord Victor would not lower his opinion of me because of it.

As for my declining reputation in the military, it actually improves my image in the Lord's eyes. Moderate friction with other departments within the same territory is also a form of prudent wisdom.

After listening to Boon's explanation, the attendant nodded as if he understood but not quite.

Boon didn't care whether he could understand it properly, after all, these things did require experience and wisdom. He simply packed up the documents and left the conference room. He still had a lot of work to do, whether it was the winter off-season infrastructure construction or the personnel appointments before the Viscount left, neither of which were easy tasks.

The following afternoon, around 2 p. m., with the help of a favorable wind, Victor's fleet sailed eastward and arrived near Sunset City.

Victor stood at the bow of the ship, looking at Sunset City not far away and the bustling Sunset City docks where ships were constantly coming and going.

The ship's captain approached and asked in a low voice, "Sir, would you like to go ashore for a stroll? We can dock here."

The captain noticed that Victor kept looking at Sunset City in the distance and thought that his master might want to go ashore for some fresh air, so he took it upon himself to ask Victor for permission.

Victor glanced at the respectful captain. He understood that the captain was probably trying to curry favor with him, but he still didn't like subordinates who tried to guess his thoughts.

However, considering that his territory still lacks ocean-going captains like him, Victor does not intend to deal with him, and besides, he has not caused him any losses.

"There's no need. I don't want to get off the ship. I just want to take a closer look at the situation at Sunset City Wharf."

The captain knew his attempts to curry favor had backfired as soon as he heard that Victor didn't want to disembark, but after hearing what Victor said, he immediately thought of a way to remedy the situation.

"My lord, before I joined the Two Rivers Territory, I spent many years helping caravans navigate in Sunset City. If you want to ask me anything, I can tell you, whether it's hydrological conditions or local customs."

After listening to the captain's introduction, Victor remembered the captain's identity. He must be Captain Jack's old friend who joined the Two Rivers Territory fleet through Captain Jack's introduction. Victor quickly recalled the captain's name.

"Captain Brox, how long have you been in Sunset City?"

Seeing that the Viscount had taken an interest, Blox quickly replied, "My lord, I came here with my parents when I was very young, and I have lived in Sunset City for more than twenty years!"

Victor was a little curious. After all, in this world, most people, even Freemen, find it difficult to move. The fact that Blox's parents were able to move with him meant that their family's financial situation couldn't be too bad.

What do your parents do? How are they doing now?

Blox hadn't expected Victor to suddenly ask about his personal situation. He stammered a few words, and seeing Victor's expressionless face, he had no choice but to explain, "Sir, to my shame, my father was a timber merchant from Freemen in Sextus County. Because the shipbuilding industry in Sunset City was very developed and there was a great demand for timber, he moved there with my mother and me. However, he and my mother have long since passed away, and I have no relatives left in Sunset City."

Victor was curious and was about to ask about what happened next when Blox began to recount his early experiences.

"Sir, when I was young I was ignorant. My father had arranged for me to work in our family shop, but I longed for the sea and traveled south with the fleet. I went to many places, including the Scorching Sun Islands and the Southern Kingdoms, and even saw the wild forests. I experienced a lot and thought that I could make a fortune by using the skills I had learned."

When I got home, I found that my parents had passed away and the shop had been bought up, leaving me only a house and some property. I couldn't give up my dream, so I sold all the property my parents left me and bought a ship, planning to make money by sailing south.

Unexpectedly, on his second voyage, he encountered pirates in the Silver Moon Strait. He survived by sheer luck, but lost both his ship and cargo. After returning to Sunset City, he was forced by his creditors to become a sailor to pay off their debts. He then joined the Iron Birch Family's fleet and sailed with Jack. You know what happened next.

Boss Jack found me, thought I was a good fit, helped me pay off my debts, and since I had no lingering attachment to Sunset City, I simply joined the Two Rivers Territory.

Blox told Victor everything about his situation. Victor was not surprised. Blox clearly had the air of an adventurer, as evidenced by his willingness to try to guess the lord's thoughts. This made Victor's opinion of him change somewhat.

Victor continued, "Since you know Sunset City, tell me, if I want to land covertly on the coastline without being detected by the Great Oak Territory fleet, are there any suitable places or safe methods?"

Blox was stumped by Victor's question. If he remembered correctly, his master seemed to have a relationship with Count Black. The fact that the fleet was able to freely enter the Blackwater River from the estuary near Sunset City was thanks to the help of Great Oak Territory. Why was he asking such a question now?