Setting Sail

Evan wasn't a pure idealist. While he respected his ancestors' spirit of exploring the unknown, investing everything he had into ideals when he had nothing would be too hollow and unrealistic.

However, once he truly gained the power to control his own destiny, Evan would probably follow in the footsteps of his ancestor Garratt and choose to see the vastness of this world!

"Well then, Ensign Evan, you'd better work hard. I'm very strict!"

"Thank you, Captain. I will do my best!"

After this back-and-forth exchange, the uncle and nephew burst into laughter. The estrangement that had built up over five years of not seeing each other gradually dissipated, and they began to truly connect.

They clinked glasses and focused on enjoying the rare delicacies on the table, chatting until late into the night.

However, another incident occurred the day after Evan and Gell were reunited.

Early in the morning, Gell brought Evan back ashore and found Evan's instructor for this term, Major Eugene.

"Good morning, Officer Gell!"

Upon seeing Gell push the door open, Major Eugene, who was handling some documents, immediately stood up to salute. Whether it was Gell's rank as a Colonel, his Knightly status, or his position as captain of a main battleship, Eugene had to treat him with the utmost respect.

It was then that he noticed Evan, who had followed Gell into the room and was looking down, seemingly afraid to meet his gaze. Eugene assumed the young man had caused trouble on the Colonel's ship due to his youthful impetuosity.

"Did this kid Evan cause trouble as soon as he boarded? Hand him over to me, and I'll deal with him."

Although Major Eugene said he would deal with Evan, he subtly gave Evan a wink, his protective feelings evident.

"Hahaha, Major Eugene, Evan didn't cause any trouble. On the contrary, I should thank you for sending him to my ship!

Come, come, let's go to the tavern and talk. Evan and I both want to toast you!"

Disregarding the fact that it was still breakfast time, Gell insisted on going for drinks with Major Eugene. Gell now saw Eugene as the benefactor who had facilitated his reunion with Evan, giving him the opportunity to make up for years of neglect. He felt he had to thank him before setting sail, no matter what.

Soon, the three were seated in a tavern. Gell had already explained Evan's situation to Eugene on the way.

"The child was young and foolish, running away without telling his family. Fortunately, you sent him to my ship; you've been a great help," Gell said, sincerely offering his wine glass to Eugene.

"You're too kind, Officer Gell. I was just doing my duty. I didn't think much of it at the time; I just couldn't bear to see Evan wasting his youth on a Dispatch Vessel.

A young man as excellent as him can only receive the best training on an officer's ship," Major Eugene replied humbly. He didn't take credit but instead subtly complimented the uncle and nephew, bringing a hint of a smile to Gell's usually stern face.

As the two officers chatted enthusiastically, Evan, sitting beside them, could only play the part of a "runaway problem child," forcing a smile as he toasted Eugene a few times and endured several glares.

In Eugene's mind, Evan's image had quietly shifted from that of a lonely, down-on-his-luck collateral relative to a prodigal young master who had run away from home. Eugene, who had initially felt sympathetic towards Evan, would have kicked him in the rear if Gell hadn't been there.

So, I, in my great mercy, pulled some strings and managed to secure a bright future for you, only for you to end up on your relative's ship? Are you kidding me?

However, Eugene wasn't truly angry. After all, he was young, and it was understandable to have that kind of fearless drive, wanting to prove oneself independently without relying on family.

But most of these "calves" would come to their senses after a few years of harsh reality. While they gained experience, they also wasted a significant amount of time, which was hardly worth it.

Looking at it this way, his unintentional actions had, in the end, done some good. He had always admired Evan, and now, with his uncle Colonel Gell present, Evan's naval career would surely be smoother, with fewer detours.

He was actually quite happy for him!

The Silver Wing stayed in port for two days this time, undergoing brief maintenance, personnel rest, and resupply before continuing its patrol mission within the Third Fleet's jurisdiction.

Moreover, considering Colonel Gell's exceptional abilities, their mission route would have a relatively high risk factor.

However, the sailors were accustomed to this life. High risk also meant high reward. As Gell had once said, those who strictly followed the rules and only desired a stable life couldn't be part of the Navy or be sailors.

Most of these individuals were daring adventurers. If the benefits were sufficient, they wouldn't even mind venturing into the infamous pirate harbor, "Shipwreck Bay."

Amidst this atmosphere, Evan officially set sail for the first time as a member of the Navy.

Whoosh--

Whoosh--

Patrolling back and forth on the deck, waves bloomed around him, Evan's mood was different now than when he left Leopold.

Today truly marked a new starting point in his life.

During the two days the Silver Wing was docked for resupply, Gell had given Evan a general overview of the ship's situation, allowing him to quickly integrate into the new collective.

The veteran crew members on this ship had transferred over as a unit from Gell's previous Fourth-Rate Battleship.

It was unclear what they had experienced, but the crew vacancies had never been fully filled. Formal officers had been appointed through internal promotions designated by Gell. The key positions such as Navigator, Helmsman, Sail Master, First Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Boatswain, Master Gunner, and Artillery Master were all filled.

However, he was currently the only Cadet Officer on board, just like himself.

After boarding, under the arrangements of Captain Gell, his temporary position was Herald. He would be responsible for relaying some of the Captain's orders and could also observe and learn at any post on the ship, making it the most beneficial position for a Cadet Officer's growth.

One had to admit, this was the advantage of having connections!

Otherwise, if a superior officer casually threw you onto a ship with poor conditions and nothing to learn, it would be truly miserable.

Although the officers on the warship found it strange that the Captain showed some special attention to this newcomer, it wasn't excessive. After all, he was the only Cadet Officer on board, and they assumed he was just taking care of a young man and willing to train him, so they didn't think much of it.

This was Evan's request. While he wasn't so pretentious as to expect Gell to treat him identically. However, temporarily concealing their relationship would help Evan integrate into the group. Once he was thoroughly familiar with everyone, even if the relationship was revealed, there wouldn't be too much of a distance. Nepotism might seem glorious, but the gap between those who benefited and ordinary people was always present.

Only the Boatswain, Chris, knew part of the hidden story. But he was Gell's true confidant and the manager of the ship's sailors. Sooner or later, Gell would find an opportunity to tell him, at least to look out for Evan in any potential combat situations after setting sail.

Hoo--

The Silver Wing gradually sailed out of the naval port. The water surface became wider, and the wind gradually increased. The sailors needed to readjust the rigging to control the sails to maintain stable navigation and achieve optimal speed.

"Heave ho-- heave ho--"

Neat chants echoed across the deck. Below each mast, about ten sailors were operating the rigging.

"Master Jabb, may I help control the sails?" Evan, who had been watching for a while, walked up to Sail Master Jabb, who was directing the sailors in adjusting the sails, and asked.

During the three months of recruit training, Evan had absorbed a vast amount of knowledge, both from the instructors and from his self-study in the library.

Although he had tried a few times on the small training ships, this was his first time on a real warship. Evan wasn't sure if the Sail Master would allow him, a novice, to try his hand.

The Sail Master, with his large beard, glanced at Evan. After a brief thought, he agreed. After all, they had just set sail, and there was no immediate danger. It was the perfect time for a novice to practice and improve.

"Alright, I agree. But young man, you don't need to go hoist and lower the rigging with the sailors. Just stand beside me and watch. I'll explain how to operate it and why we operate it that way." The Sail Master's attitude was good, and he agreed readily, but he also stated his conditions.

Evan knew that the Sail Master wasn't afraid he would damage the sails. Rather, hoisting and lowering the rigging was essentially manual labor. The real skill in sail control lay in knowing when and where to operate.

"Thank you, Master Jabb!"

Standing beside Jabb and listening to his explanations, Evan gradually connected the knowledge he had learned in the training camp with the actual operation.

Sails were the most technologically advanced component on a sailing ship and often the sole source of power, making them as important as an engine in the modern world. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the heart of the sailing ship, except this heart was a bit eccentric, located on the outside.

On warships, the running rigging was white, and the standing rigging was black. When operating the sails, the primary adjustments were made to the white running rigging. To an outsider, the dense network of rigging on a sailing ship would certainly be dizzying.

However, to precisely control the sails against the wind and waves, the help of the large and small, high and low rigging systems was absolutely indispensable.

Let's look at how much rigging a three-masted sailing ship has.

Controlling the yardarms required lifts, braces, and sheets; controlling the sails required: clewlines, fore-clewlines, and tacklines; furling the sails required: clewlines, buntlines, and leechlines, three sets of furling ropes.

A three-masted sailing warship had four square sails on the fore and main masts, and three on the mizzen mast, for a total of eleven square sails. These ropes would be repeated eleven times, requiring at least ninety-nine ropes, not including spare ropes and some double ropes that needed additional load-bearing capacity.

On a sailing ship, these ropes, though seemingly complex, were organized without chaos. Regardless of the wind direction or weather, experienced sailors could find the corresponding ropes at the first moment and adjust them to the optimal position.

Even when the sails were balanced, on calm waters, without using the ship's wheel, the sailors could make the warship sail in a straight line simply by adjusting the sails.

Therefore, the sailors working on the three masts bore the most crucial responsibilities and were among the most important technical personnel on a sailing ship.

Evan still had a long way to go to become a skilled rigger.