Dozens of Dragonborn ships lay quietly at anchor on the sea behind Hill. The Divine Dragons would drive off any unwelcome visitors, including losers who tried to flee toward Guest Island during a fight.
But once the fighting started, no one could hide what they really were.
Real merchant ships would not leave yet. They had to travel together and hire a Dragonborn Navy fleet to escort them across the Great Sea.
They usually waited until the fighting was over before setting sail. This year, they would probably leave even later. The families from Renhe could throw their own lives away, but the navy's many members from branch families all needed to be screened again.
The navy admiral had fought fiercely at court, nearly beating several chancellors to death, and had won the smallest possible penalty. Otherwise, those men had intended to kill everyone connected to the families.
That had nothing to do with the emperor's interests. Anyone who joined the fleet had to swear a Loyalty Oath. The chancellors simply wanted to put members of their own families into the strongest branch of the navy.
So, with the emperor saying nothing, the navy managed to protect most of its people.
But the investigators sent afterward examined every trivial detail. At the slightest problem—even if a man had merely said too much out of affection for his family—he might escape execution, but he could no longer remain in the navy.
Things were better on Guest Island. Everyone felt much more at ease.
As chief supervisor, he represented the emperor here. With a sweep of his hand, he cut the inspectors' questionnaire in half. Otherwise, the managers on Guest Island would all have been in trouble.
Who worked here without giving their family a heads-up or letting a little something slide?