Jiaowan is a place full of opportunities and wealth.
This is the most developed shipping water area in the known world. On some busy routes, hundreds of huge cargo ships come and go every day.
The cargo ships are all galleys, and the cabins are filled with all kinds of cargo. Hundreds of oarsmen sit on the seats on both sides of the cabin, sweating like rain, pulling the long oar handles to the beat of trumpets or drums, providing power for the ship to sail. Only when the wind picked up and the small square sail on the mast could provide a little power were they allowed to rest for a while.
Most of the oarsmen were slaves purchased by the ship's owner, who were shackled to their seats and unable to go anywhere. The reasons for becoming slaves were varied, some because debts could not be repaid, some because they were born slaves, and some because they were captured during wars.
Once locked on the oar seat, it almost determines the tragic fate of his life. A large number of slave rowers continue to be locked here even when they are gray-haired, living a life of darkness under the threat of the overseer's whip.
There are no decent large plains on the land near Horn Bay. It is covered with hills. The land is too fragmented and a large country has never been born. Instead, city-states of various sizes are dotted along the coast.
Due to geographical reasons, this area is not suitable for the development of agriculture, so residents chose business to support themselves.
All city-states adopted a mercantile approach and encouraged trade. Merchants played an important role in national politics, and the powerful nobles often also served as big merchants.
Some city-states with closer relations even formed an alliance. They canceled tariffs on each other and levied the same amount of taxes on countries outside the alliance. Some alliances even share the same views on foreign policy, speaking with one voice and breathing through one nostril. Horn Bay Alliance is the most influential one.
Due to its proximity to the sea, conducting commercial trade via shipping was almost a natural choice. Relying on this, generations of Cape Bay merchants slowly expanded their trade scope to the outside world. They sold furs from the north to the south, food from the south to the north, and spices from the east to the west. In short, they resold whatever they could to make money.
Developed commerce has brought a lot of wealth, and the living standards of residents here should be the highest in the world. Even the poor here are not comparable to the poor in other countries.
Economic prosperity and a comfortable life have made people pay more attention to spiritual pursuits and enjoyment. This land has produced a large number of writers, artists, and thinkers whose names have gone down in history. This is also the reason why Paul Greiman entrusted Quiller Foster to bring him more popular works. Maybe some writer will leave his name in history in the future.
After more than half a month of sailing, the Nanfang finally arrived in the waters of Cape Bay.
The journey south went smoothly without any troubles such as pirates. However, when they sailed to the southernmost point of the kingdom's coastline, a sailor on the ship fell ill. Captain Quirk had to order the Hope to dock and let the sick sailor recuperate ashore, leaving a sum of money for him to recover and return to Northwest Bay by land.
If the sick people on the ship are not dealt with in time, it will be a serious problem if they are contagious.
"Ah, Captain Quirk, I finally understand why the boats here are rowed with oars."
Allen lamented that after entering the waters of Jiaowan Bay, the Nanfang simply entered a windless zone, sailing as fast as a turtle crawling on land.
"I guess the people on the other ships looked at us like we were fools."
The other candidate shrugged helplessly.
Captain Quirk cheered them up. "Humph! This is where we are. If it were in other sea areas, our Hope could beat them by several blocks in terms of speed and range. By the way, have you learned to use a compass and sextant?"
The cadets puffed up their little chests one by one and said proudly, "I have learned it a long time ago! Captain."
"Oh? Then let me give you a good test!"
Whether it is these new-born candidates or him, a veteran who has been at sea for many years, it is the first time for him to embark on such a voyage, facing an unfamiliar sea and an unfamiliar environment.
The officers on the ship did not dare to be careless and carefully recorded the ocean currents, weather, temperature and other information along the way. These are valuable hydrological data. The ships behind will use their information to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages and determine the best route.
Quirk's captain's log has been written into a thick book, which records everything he saw and gained in detail.
This voyage was also a good exercise for the midshipmen on the Southern. Midshipmen on other warships did not have such a good opportunity.
Laddie looked at the candidates who were being inspected by Quirk, and his heart was filled with emotion.
When they were just rescued from the pirate den by the navy, the eyes of these little guys were still full of confusion and fear for the future.
But now, they can be called little men at sea. They can climb every mast with ease, know the whole process of sail operation, can also use compass and sextant, and know how to observe the stars and identify the position of other navigators.
"Mr. Dirac!"
Suddenly someone called her "name" from behind.
Laddie turned around and saw that it was a business representative. Speaking of the business representatives on the ship, they really suffered a lot. Not long after leaving Franklin Harbor, they started to get seasick, suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, and couldn't eat. Captain Quirk suggested sending them back before the Hope sailed too far, but these guys gritted their teeth and persisted.
This kind of persistence is quite admirable, although their persistence is due to the pursuit of commercial interests-money.
As for Laddie himself, after all, he has experienced a long career as an adventurer and has been in all kinds of environments. There was nothing particularly uncomfortable during this trip.
If you have to find something that makes her uncomfortable, it's that she can't take a bath as she pleases. Long-term life at sea is really inconvenient for women.
The business representative asked, "I heard that Mr. Dirac was born in Jiaowan?"
Laddie nodded slightly. "Yes."
As she got closer and closer to Cape Bay, her feelings for the country became stronger. One thing she often did in the past few days was to stand on the deck and look into the distance, hoping that the land would suddenly appear in sight.
"Can I interrupt you for a moment?"
In this era of lack of knowledge, ordinary people have always respected scholars, but Laddie has always been reluctant to speak because of the fact that she is disguised as a man. She is not used to learning how to speak as a man, for fear that she will accidentally reveal her fault, which will give everyone on the ship a cold and aloof impression.
"No need to bother me, what do you want?"
Laddie smiled slightly, which actually made the business representative feel dazed for a while.
The business representative was overjoyed. He didn't expect this scholar to be so easy to talk to, but the feeling just now was really strange. He was actually talking to a grown man...
"So, do you think it is... appropriate for our products to be sold in the South? Will anyone buy them?"
The business representative asked slightly uneasily. What he and several other representatives were most worried about was that the trip would be in vain.
For those who were born in Northwest Bay, Jiaowan is undoubtedly rich and prosperous. After arriving at Jiaowan, will they be regarded as country bumpkins from the north by the locals? Will the goods they want to sell be regarded as worthless gadgets, and will they be ridiculed for traveling thousands of miles to sell junk?
Laddie saw his worry, she smiled and comforted, "Mr. Representative, please rest assured, the things Earl Greiman authorized you to produce should be very popular in Jiaowan."
"As far as I know, the earl has established a cooperative relationship with the Foster Family of the Horn Bay Alliance. They arrange caravans to pick up goods from Lakeheart Town every month. Even the war in the south of the kingdom has not hindered them in the slightest. If it hadn't brought huge benefits, Foster Family would not be so persistent."
The business representative was a little surprised. "Foster Family?"
He had done enough homework before setting off and knew that it was one of the top families in the south.
"It turns out that the lord has quietly connected with the Foster Family, and he didn't even take us to play..."
The business representative's words were a bit tasteful, with a hint of resentment in his tone.
"Uh..."
A look of embarrassment appeared on Laddie's face. She suddenly thought that Paul and the merchants in her territory were all suppliers. They constituted a competitive relationship to a certain extent. However, the supply was now in short supply and the competitive relationship was not obvious yet.
She seemed to have accidentally revealed his trade secrets, hoping that the count would not blame her if he found out.
The business representative realized that what he said was a bit abrupt, and the scholar in front of him seemed to have a close relationship with Earl Greiman, so he immediately changed the topic.
"Speaking of which, Master Quirk really keeps his word on this ship."
Laddie agreed very much, "Yes, before boarding the ship, Austin Commander warned me that the captain is the lord of the ship, and no one can challenge his authority."
"We have also received the same warning, and now it seems that it is indeed the case. Those officers and soldiers are all obedient to him."
"After all, no matter how big or sturdy a ship is, it is as insignificant as a leaf of duckweed in the ocean. The crew needs a brave and decisive backbone and psychological support. In critical moments when encountering strong winds and waves, even a wrong decision is much better than an unresolved argument."
"What you said makes sense."
Then suddenly a shout came from the mast, "Land is in sight!"
The people on the deck immediately looked at the lookout hand on the mast, and saw him pointing straight to the east with his arm, shouting excitedly.
They crowded to one side of the deck and looked in the direction pointed by the lookout finger. After a while, some people with Telescope on their bodies also shouted excitedly.
"Land, indeed land!"
"Oh! That's a building! That's a port! We were so lucky, we met the port directly!"
The news of the discovery of land soon spread throughout the ship. Everyone crowded onto the deck and looked into the distance, and cheers continued to sound on the ship.
Quirk After everyone was excited for a while, he yelled, "Go back and take your places! Do you think we don't have to work when we are about to dock? I've turned against you!"
The sailors then dispersed and continued their work, but everyone's faces were filled with excitement, and they discussed animatedly among themselves, what kind of exotic customs would there be in this country thousands of miles away from home? Are things expensive there? Is the food delicious there?
Most importantly, what do the girls there look like? Quirk then ordered the helmsman to adjust the direction and sail straight towards the discovered port.
The coastal city of Horn Bay - Asta, her port welcomed a strange ship today.
The ship didn't have an oar, but there was a thick and tall mast standing on the deck, which held up a particularly large canvas.
It seems that this canvas provided power for the ship, allowing it to sail slowly into the harbor.
But in an environment like Cape Bay, driving a ship that relies entirely on wind power, what on earth did the people who built the ship think?
The officials in charge of the port immediately led Soldiers to row close to the strange ship and sent out a common signal at sea - they wanted to board the ship for inspection.
The Nanfang sent a reply, indicating that it agreed to the other party's boarding.
Official Asta and Soldiers climbed up the Southern Ship through the rope ladder. He showed a metal plate and introduced himself, "I am Affairs Officer from Port Office. Where did you come from? This ship seems to have never appeared in the entry and exit records?"
However, he spoke the local language of Jiaowan, and most of the people on the boat looked confused.
Fortunately, there was Laddie who was born in Jiaowan. Seeing that everyone was at a loss, she immediately saluted the port officials.
"Hello, this should be Asta's port."
"Yes, sir." The young man Green-haired in front of him was so handsome that the port officials were very fond of him.
"The name of this ship is the South, Northwest Bay from the Auldo Kingdom. Its purpose is to open up a trade route from the northwest of the kingdom to the Horn Bay. The people on the ship are all Aldo People. They... can't understand your language."
"I see, are you their translator? The accent sounds like someone from the Kakuwan area, right?"
"Yes, my lord."
A smile appeared on the face of the port officials. They especially welcomed people who came here to do business. However, they only brought an interpreter with them when they came to do business. These people are really big-headed. I hope they will not be deceived too badly.
"Dear guest, thank you for coming all the way. Please come to the pier to register."
Laddie immediately called Aldo Language and said to Quirk, "This is Affairs Officer who is responsible for managing the port. He said you need to register at the dock."
Then he asked with great confusion, "Captain Quirk, representatives, isn't there anyone among you who can say Horn Bay language?"
Quirk seemed not to understand. "Horn Bay language? What is Horn Bay language? Do people in the world still speak words that each other cannot understand?"
Several business representatives also looked confused.
No one from Northwest Bay has ever produced Auldo Kingdom, and most people have never even left Northwest Bay. In their cognition, there is no concept of foreign languages at all. They think that people all over the world speak the same language, with different accents at most.
"This..."
Laddie covered his face with his hands, looking defeated. Earl Greiman just let them run out. If he hadn't been on this ship, it would have taken him half a day to get into the port.
In fact, this is not to blame Paul. He subconsciously believed that this world was just like in ordinary fantasy settings, where the whole world spoke the same language, and the foreigners he had come into contact with - Lichman Adventurer Group and Foster Family, they all spoke fluent Aldo Language, which deepened his view, so... he had never considered the problem of language barrier.