It could be said that no ball could compare to the number of people who had come to see off the expedition.
Everyone knew what it meant.
The significance of the Central Lands had already become legend.
But legends were myths.
With this move, Lynn had completely won the hearts of the people of the Northern Continent.
And those navy men were all elites, meaning they were drawn from the finest people of every region.
One analogy was enough to make it clear.
Suppose the Ming and Song, when facing the fall of their realm, fled overseas and founded a new nation.
It would have been more severe than losing the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.
They went to the Americas and founded a nation. Then someone united the Americas and drove the foreigners out.
Then they launched a Great Expedition and fought their way back toward the Central Lands.
Forget corrupt officials.
That shared sense of history and national feeling alone was enough to drive everyone into a frenzy.
Even traitors would feel proud when they saw it.
"The sea voyage is long. Only those high-level Mages who can fly can reach the continent within a week."
"By sea, it still takes a long time. It used to take at least a year."
"Or several months—half a year. I begged the church for this. Take it."
The sixth-rank Magic Master pilot accepted the cross his family had begged for.
Some sailors carried all manner of life-saving items—high-grade Magic scrolls bought from who knew where.
Some had been personally drawn by the Old Man of their family.
Others carried photographs given to them by their fiancées, bearing life-saving defensive enchantments inscribed by Great Mages.
There were also Magic tool Pocket Watches.
The entire southern Sea City was bustling beyond