Even though Lia had witnessed some of Leviathan's wonders just now, she still couldn't keep her emotions in check.
A sailing ship required a very large crew. Aside from senior officers such as the captain, First Mate, First Mate, Third Mate, Gunner, and Sailmaster, there were also large numbers of sailors, marines, gunners, carpenters, cooks, and others. A Sixth-rate Ship had a crew of around 180 people.
Ian grinned and lightly patted the wall of the room. "Leviathan, come out and say hello."
Ian would not hide the fact that Leviathan was an extraordinary creature, and it would be difficult to keep secret anyway. Revealing it could instead deter anyone with ill intentions.
Its spatial abilities, on the other hand, he would do his best to keep secret.
A pair of pea-sized green eyes appeared on the surface of the wall, and a majestic wave of spirituality spread out, gently conveying a friendly message to Lia.
Although the quality of this spiritual power was not much greater than Lia's, its quantity was simply enormous. Even though it was gentle, it still gave her an intense feeling of pressure and suffocation.
This was also a characteristic of extraordinary creatures: the larger their bodies, the greater the magnitude of their spirituality.
"It's called Leviathan. It's an extraordinary creature in the form of a warship, and we're inside its body."
Lia instead calmed down somewhat. She looked at Wawa's eyes. "Hello, Leviathan."
The pea-sized green eyes blinked. After saying hello, Wawa "disappeared" again.
This was Ian's specific instruction: in front of any living being other than him, Wawa was to reduce communication and maintain an aloof, mysterious image.
Ian said softly, "Lia, our destination this time is Storm Cape. We should arrive in five or six days. Since you've just come aboard, unpack your things and get some rest. I'll have Milta notify you when lunch is ready."
Ian felt that Lia needed a quiet environment right now, so after speaking, he set down a key and left the room.
"Milta—" Ian waved to Milta, who was standing near the bow.
Milta quickly jumped down from the forecastle and ran over along the deck. Although the ship was rocking slightly, his steps remained steady. "Captain."
"Milta, from now on, you're the ship's Gunner. All muskets, cannons, gunpowder, and cannonballs will be under your management. Any gunners we recruit later will also report directly to you."
Milta's extraordinary class was Musketeer. He was average in close combat but excelled at ranged attacks, making him perfectly suited to be the Gunner.
Milta was visibly excited. Ever since becoming extraordinary, he had grown much more confident. At that moment, his grin nearly reached the back of his head. "Understood, Captain."
Milta did not swear like the other crew members that he would do an excellent job or anything like that.
But Ian knew that Milta would give it his all. He was like someone who had struggled free from an endless abyss of darkness and returned to the light, finally finding meaning in life. Every day, he radiated vitality and passion.
Ian patted his arm. "If there's anything you don't understand, ask me or Lia. Go get to work."
Ignoring Milta as he dashed all over the ship, Ian looked out into the distance. Paradise Island had already begun to fade away, while the waters to the north held barely any sailing ships.
For one thing, Ian had deliberately steered his chosen route toward the northwest. For another, the major kingdoms were all fighting with everything they had for the New Continent, pulling away large numbers of merchant ships, warships, and supplies in one go. It would take some time for this route to become busy again.
Ian looked up. The sun hung high in the sky, and reflections off the sea cast rippling patterns of light across the ship.
The weather was truly wonderful today. Of course, that was only from Ian's perspective. To other sailing warships, a lack of wind meant that the ship could not move quickly.
Ian began preparing lunch: roast meat, white bread and honey, vegetable sandwiches, vegetable and mushroom soup, fresh fruit, wine, coffee, and tea.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat would not keep for long, so they definitely had to be eaten first. Later, they would have to make do with dried meat and dried fish.
As for why he had not prepared roast fish, after eating all kinds of seafood for an entire month, even his tableware carried a fishy smell. Ian was genuinely sick of it.
While preparing lunch, Ian deliberately called Milta over. He taught him how to roast meat, make sandwiches and vegetable soup, and brew tea.
Milta had never had anything good to eat since childhood, so he naturally knew nothing about cooking. Ian certainly could not rely on him in the short term, but he could at least start learning. At the very least, when Ian became busy, Milta would be able to manage on his own.
Ian set lunch on the large table in the crew's dining hall and had Milta go call Lia.
With this period of time to adjust, Lia had visibly relaxed.
Ian smiled. "Try my cooking. Though this is also the first time I've cooked in this life." That doesn't count what I did in my previous life.
Lia looked at this extraordinary man who kept bringing her surprises, and she could not help thinking, That momentary impulse may have been the greatest change of my entire life.
Lia had originally been willing to help him for a while out of gratitude. But this series of surprises had steadily strengthened her sense of security and her expectations for the future. By now, her mindset had completely changed.
Ian sat at the head of the long table. Lia smiled and sat to his left, while Milta sat to his right.
Ian raised his wineglass. He felt that he needed to say a few words to express his feelings.
"Today is a day worth remembering. Today is Leviathan's first voyage, and also the first time all of Leviathan's members have sat together. This must also be the beginning of a legendary journey. To Leviathan, and to all of us—may our wishes come true, and may our road ahead shine brightly! Cheers—"
"Cheers—" "Cheers—"
The speech was a little awkward, but those listening took it very seriously. Milta and Lia's eyes shone, their hearts surging with emotion.
"Let's eat." Ian was the first to pick up his knife and fork.
"Mmm... It tastes pretty good." Lia was slightly surprised. Could someone really cook this well on their first try?
She had originally wanted to take over the cooking duties for the time being, but now she felt that she had better not embarrass herself with her limited skills.
Milta, meanwhile, kept eating without pause, nodding repeatedly in agreement.
"If it's not enough, tell me and I'll make more later. There's fresh fruit, alcohol, and other things in the kitchen. Feel free to take whatever you want."
The kitchen and dining hall were connected. The kitchen also had a separate storeroom containing various ingredients.
"..."
The group ate and chatted casually, and the atmosphere gradually became natural and relaxed.
"Have you finished dealing with the Whaling Group's affairs?"
Lia's movements paused slightly. "Everything's been taken care of. Breath of the Ocean and the extra ships have been sold. The Navy Department's price was fairly reasonable..."
Though Lia called it reasonable, her tone still carried a hint of anger.
Ian's heart stirred. "What does Captain Abigail think? Is she really leaving just like that?"
Lia sighed, but she did not conceal anything from Ian.
"The captain took a heavy blow this time. Given the circumstances, she can only lie low for now. But leaving also means no longer being threatened by the Navy Department. The sea is vast, and anything could happen, right? No one can remain prosperous forever..."
Ian poured himself a cup of tea. He was not used to coffee.
"I also have some grievances with the Navy Department. There may be a conflict when we go to Storm Cape this time, so prepare yourselves mentally."
There were still many matters ahead that would require their help, so it was impossible to keep it from them. Ian continued, "I'm from Storm Cape. A month ago, the Blackbeard pirates attacked Storm Cape, and I was lucky enough to escape. That attack was also a scheme cooked up through cooperation between the nobles of Poderia and Blackbeard."
Ian drained the tea in one gulp and looked at the two of them, who were listening to him intently.
"The primary objective this time is to bring my family back. And if we get the chance, we'll collect a little interest!"
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