Return Voyage and Daily Life

Afterward, under First Mate Perry's command, the sailors went about their duties and began cleaning up the battlefield.

The Silver Wing had not suffered serious damage from the sea monster's attack. After some simple repairs, they used a net to drag the Ramming Conch's corpse behind the ship and resumed normal sailing.

Sea monsters were naturally extraordinary materials, and whenever conditions allowed, no one could easily bear to abandon them. Fortunately, they were in the Nearshore. Had they caught it in the Outer Sea, they could only have harvested some core materials, whose value was nowhere near that of an intact corpse.

Although the Silver Wing had suffered considerable losses, the sea monster's corpse alone was enough to make up for them. It was more than sufficient to pay compensation to the fallen and rewards to the survivors.

With such a huge thing in tow, it was difficult to continue the remaining patrol. Moreover, the sea monster could not conveniently be exposed to ordinary people, so Gell simply ordered an immediate return voyage.

As the sea monster died, the mist on the sea gradually dispersed as well. The Silver Wing cut a graceful arc across the waves, turned onto another fast route with fewer merchant vessels, and headed back at full speed.

On deck.

"Come on, Ensign Evan. Go get some rest first. At lunch, I'll let you try one of our ship's specialties. It's a rare delicacy." First Mate Perry patted Evan on the shoulder and spoke mysteriously.

The bond forged in side by side combat, coupled with Captain Gell's clearly unusual attitude toward Evan, made the first mate—normally known for being stern and impersonal—uncharacteristically pleasant toward him.

"Really? I'm looking forward to it!" Evan naturally would not miss an opportunity to integrate better into the group.

Sure enough.

At the victory banquet prepared after the battle, aside from the fine ingredients already stored aboard and freshly caught fish, the cook delivered a mysterious covered dish to every table.

This was the local specialty the first mate had said was rarely seen elsewhere.

Evan curiously lifted the metal cover before him.

A sizable piece of snow-white, tender meat soaked in ginger-yellow sauce, accompanied by several green vegetables. An unusual fragrance spread through the air, making mouths water and appetites rise.

It was actually a "sea monster feast" made from sea monster tentacles. Not only was it delicious, crisp, and smooth, it also possessed the miraculous effect of slightly improving one's constitution.

The veteran sailors were not particularly impressed. Back when they had served on a Fourth-Rate Ship, they could enjoy it once or twice a year at least. Even after transferring to a Fifth-Rate Ship, their rations were still far better than others'. But Evan and Gary, seeing it for the first time, dug in with great gusto.

Feeling the faint heat surge through his body.

Evan even imagined that if he could eat this kind of meat every day, he should quickly reach the Mortal Limit, right?

But on second thought, he knew that was impossible. Sea monsters were rulers of the ocean and top predators. Fighting for their lives when encountering one by chance was understandable, but deliberately hunting them would truly be courting death.

Still, eating it once or twice was no more effective than the corresponding Assistance Potion. It was better than nothing, really, and could only satisfy one's taste buds.

Even so, Evan finished his portion as quickly as possible, leaving behind not even a scrap.

Sitting at the officers' exclusive drinking table, he waited until they had all become slightly drunk and were in high spirits, chatting freely about everything under the sun.

Then Evan curiously asked the veteran officers about their past experiences in the deep sea.

Everyone had witnessed Evan's performance today. He had severed three of the sea monster's tentacles by himself and saved at least a dozen sailors. Whether or not he had some special connection to the captain, he had already earned the approval of most of them.

"You've come to the right person. I was one of the first to roam the seas alongside Captain Gell." Navigator Telius had drunk quite a bit, and his eyes were already glassy with intoxication.

"Young man, remember this: there are many giant beasts in the sea, but not every kind bears hatred toward humans.

"Sea monsters under the Sea Monster Mother are characterized by possessing both shells and tentacles. Their hatred for humans is instinctive and cannot be changed, but there are many other types of wild sea monsters.

"To those wild sea monsters, humans are no different from any other creature. With the right methods, they can even be tamed like hunting dogs."

At this point, Telius cut off a large chunk of pale sea monster meat, dipped it thoroughly in sauce, stuffed it into his mouth, gulped down a mouthful of rum, and let out a hearty belch.

"Moreover, this brave navigator's experience tells you that powerful sea monsters have another thing in common: they're all delicious!" Seeing Telius immersed in drink and food, Boatswain Chris teased him.

The entire table instantly burst into laughter.

"The days when we sailed Fourth-Rate Warships in the Outer Sea were better. A Small Species sea monster like this could be sent to the bottom with a single broadside. When would Captain Gell ever need to act personally?"

The gunnery officer took a sip of amber rum and sighed somewhat sentimentally.

"I say, if we could tame and enslave a Large Species wild sea monster someday, then our lives would really be... tsk, tsk, tsk..." The helmsman joined in as well. It seemed he had had enough of small ships and wanted a taste of being a Sea Monster Knight.

"Keep dreaming! Forget anything else—just having a Large Species sea monster like that would qualify you to compete for a Quasi-Legendary Battleship!"

The group jeered and mocked the helmsman's unrealistic fantasy.

Unlike a Small Species like the Ramming Conch, which could be killed alone with a specially made javelin, every Large Species sea monster possessed the ability to destroy a battleship by itself, assuming there were no powerful extraordinary people aboard.

Several decades ago, when the dominant Sirius Kingdom among the naval powers first sent battleships—these terrifying weapons—onto the sea, it had boldly declared, "The only things in this world capable of resisting a battleship are another battleship and... a Large Species sea monster!"

Large Species sea monsters were terrifying monsters whose body length exceeded even that of a first-rate battleship. With the power of such a monster combined with human command, the combat power it could unleash could no longer be described simply as one plus one being greater than two.

Although it could not reach the level of a Legendary Battleship, the great weapon naval powers used to safeguard their nations, it could surpass a First-Rate Warship and reach the Quasi-Legendary level without issue.

This meant that a combination of humans and a Large Species sea monster was already enough to crush more than ninety percent of human vessels on the ocean. Terrifying indeed...

Evan did not interrupt. While stuffing himself with all kinds of food and doing his best to satisfy the increasingly absurd appetite brought by knight training, he carefully listened to the officers' conversation.

Besides learning some common knowledge related to sea monsters, he gradually gained a certain understanding of the officers' strength as well.

On the ocean, an individual's power was insignificant, but this did not include peak-level extraordinary people. Under the Faletis Kingdom's appointment regulations, every Warship Captain had to be at least an Extraordinary Knight!

This was also the final guarantee of force that allowed warships to overcome harsh natural environments and deep-sea monsters.

An extraordinary captain, assisted by varying numbers of Apprentice Knights—equivalent to Captain Officers—and large numbers of ordinary sailors, used ship cannons and various weapons to form the overall combat power of a warship.

Naturally, the officers present were no exception. They were all qualified to train in the true extraordinary swordsmanship, Faletis Sabre Art. Yet due to age, talent, or lack of ambition, there were only a few who had truly surpassed ordinary people and reached a certain level.

After all, at their age, those still holding captain officer positions had mostly reached the peak of their careers. They had long given up on their own Extraordinary Path and often placed their hopes on the next generation.

Among them, Uncle Gell, as captain, was unquestionably the strongest fighter, a formidable existence at the peak of the Formal Knight rank. Moreover, Naval Headquarters had regulations: combat-oriented officers had to possess the rank of Formal Knight to be promoted to field-grade officers, with civilian officers excluded.

First Mate Perry counted as one. Though he had not reached the Formal Knight rank, his level should not be low. The other was Boatswain Chris, who led the Assault Team and served as the main force in Boarding Battles. Evan felt that Chris's physical fitness was stronger than Gary's, but likely inferior to his own.

However, in terms of development potential, both of them were far behind.

First Mate Perry was already over thirty, and most of his physical fitness had been built up slowly over the years. He had almost no possibility of advancing to Formal Knight.

Boatswain Chris was in slightly better condition, but if he could not attempt a breakthrough within two years, he might never have another chance.

Such talent was far inferior not only to Evan's, but even to Gary's.

Theoretically, as former members of a Fourth-Rate Battleship, the captain officers should not have been so lacking in ability.

From their conversation, Evan unexpectedly learned that there had originally been another knight-level figure aboard the Fourth-Rate Ship. That person had been the true source of confidence for its crew. Yet everyone was extremely guarded when speaking of this former colleague. Evan did not know whether that person had died or been transferred.

They were not close enough to speak deeply. After pondering for a moment, Evan did not ask further.

"Come on, keep drinking!"

"Ensign Evan, welcome to the Silver Wing."

"With Ensign Evan's skills, he'll be the Silver Wing's new powerhouse from now on."

One victory banquet completely integrated Evan into this new group.

The return voyage was much faster than the patrol, but the Silver Wing's destination was not Gabreid's naval port. Instead, it was a hidden island outside the port, away from normal sea routes.

After handing over the Ramming Conch's corpse to the navy stationed on the island, the Silver Wing's officers and sailors each received generous merit and bonus payments. These would serve as credentials for future promotions, exchanges for training methods, and various cultivation resources.

Given Evan's outstanding performance, naturally he received his share as well.

Evan estimated that if this happened just one more time, he would not need to slowly wait out his years of service. He could meet the standards for full appointment and become a captain officer like combat-oriented officers such as the boatswain and first mate.

After returning to the naval port and reporting the sea monster incident, the Silver Wing received additional commendation. The crew, having only returned from a week of leave last time, received another three days off.

After a perilous battle against a sea monster, the sailors could not wait to head to bustling Gabreid to drink, indulge, and relax.

Evan, however, frowned slightly in private, because Uncle Gell had been summoned alone by Third Fleet headquarters. He felt that the sea monster's intrusion into the Nearshore to attack merchant vessels was not so simple, and there might be hidden circumstances behind it.

But these matters were not yet his concern. Another minor issue was more urgent.

Only those who had drifted across the sea for a long time could understand the beauty of standing on solid ground. There was no need to worry about being overturned by the bed while sleeping, no need to worry about an ink bottle toppling at any moment, no need to worry about...

Perhaps he would grow accustomed to this life at sea in the future, but for now, solid land was clearly more appealing. And if there were also a large salad filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables to satisfy his vegetable-craving stomach, that would be even better.

Since he would be spending a long time in Gabreid, Evan felt it was necessary to resolve his lodging situation ashore. He could not sleep in inns every time the ship docked, could he?

Renting a house to serve as his residence on land for what might be a long time became Evan's top priority.

Calling Gary along, the two left the Silver Wing and wandered through Gabreid. Only then did Evan realize that despite having arrived in Gabreid months ago, he had never had an opportunity to properly look around the city.

"Come take a look! Specialty fruits brought back from the Southern Continent!"

"Look at this exquisite floral cloth! How perfect it would be for you, beautiful lady!"

"Glass mirrors for sale! A glass mirror that costs one Silver Bull in the royal capital is only ninety Copper Ful here! Only ninety!"

As expected of a famous commercial hub, any goods one could imagine, whether from the civilized world or distant colonies, could be bought here.

Beyond wholesale trade, markets of all sizes flourished because of the abundant crowds. Fruits, vegetables, accessories, clothes, and more were somewhat disorderly, sharing this era's common flaws, but they were full of life.

It made someone accustomed to the monotonous sight of the sea feel refreshed and at ease.

"Gary, what kind of house do you think we should look for?"

"Um... a cheap one?"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Evan was speechless. He knew this guy would not have any reliable suggestions.

"Rent isn't a problem. Leave it to me." Evan understood Gary's family situation too. Gary had many siblings and probably wanted to save his wages to send home and help support the household.

Evan himself was not short of money now. He still had the two thousand Gold Notes from capturing the Blood Anchor and selling the ship in his pocket.

Two thousand Gold Notes was already a huge fortune anywhere.

With commerce so developed, naturally there was no shortage of housing agencies. They found an agency that looked reasonably decent, then followed a young clerk on a half-day tour of Gabreid.

The black-hearted merchants of this other world had not yet extended their claws into real estate. There was no housing speculation craze, and even in a prosperous port city like Gabreid, housing prices were not particularly expensive. Renting was naturally even cheaper.

Location did not matter much, since they spent most of their time aboard the ship and did not need to consider commuting every morning.

From upscale apartments in bustling districts, to luxurious villas in the suburbs, to ordinary homes in working-class neighborhoods... after traversing more than half the city and practically touring all of Gabreid, they finally found a satisfactory place near the sea.

"Not bad. This is the one!"