The azure sky stretched above, and seagulls soared freely.
Standing on the deck, Ensem looked at the island appearing in the distance—Hilya Island.
The sailors let out a cheer, and everyone grew excited.
Gradually, they could make out the shore and the docks.
From afar, Hilya Island did not look large, covering around twenty-five square kilometers. Three sides were lined with towering cliffs and reefs, while one side had a beach.
Though the island was small, more than a dozen ships were already moored in its tiny harbor, most of them small or medium-sized vessels.
Once they reached the dock, people came forward. Ensem instructed the sailors to get to work before disembarking himself. Wooden planks covered the pier, creaking beneath his feet as he walked.
A small town had been built opposite the dock. This was the island's port and its center.
Ensem walked up. Naturally, this place could not compare to Far-Sail Port, but what surprised him was that it still had broad avenues, with standardized wooden houses lining both sides.
What surprised Ensem even more was how lively it was.
"Boss, the most common businesses here are inns. In truth, inns are where people with a little money stay—they have attendants to serve them, wine and meat, and clean guest rooms upstairs."
"Every wooden house here can take in lodgers. They're much cheaper than inns and very suitable for ordinary sailors. They just can't break the law. If they do, the Patrol Unit will arrest them," the boatswain explained as he followed along.
Noisy, clamorous sounds drifted from the rows of wooden houses built along the road. Some doors stood open, and sailors could often be seen gathered together drinking, while some drunkards swayed this way and that.
"Why are there so many ships?"
"Boss, Hilya Island