At this moment, Far-Sail Port was bathed in pleasant weather, with gentle breezes and bright sunshine.
The boundless sea in the distance looked so azure, so tranquil.
The sky was as blue as the sea itself. A red sun hung high overhead, its golden radiance pouring down without cease and painting the coastline in a layer of barefoot gold.
Seabirds faced the wind and the rising sun, flapping their wings as they soared through the air.
Now and then, one or two plump fish surfaced to take a breath, only to swiftly become the birds' meal.
On such a morning, the breath of nature seemed especially rich and clear.
Weather like this could not help but lift one's spirits. Every morning, quite a few residents of the outer city would stroll along the docks.
Yet attentive people soon noticed that the atmosphere around the port had seemed somewhat grave lately.
Not only was the mood in the military camps set up along the edge of the harbor visibly more tense than usual.
Even the number of soldiers stationed at the checkpoints had clearly increased.
As ordinary residents, they had always followed the principle that less trouble was better than more. Besides, the port had always been territory managed by nobles. Even if ordinary residents sensed something, most would not concern themselves with it.
"Has anything unusual appeared at sea?" Almost every hour, the person in charge at each checkpoint would walk up to the soldiers on duty and ask that very question.
They were so nervous because their superiors had issued a death order: if they missed any abnormality while on duty, what awaited them would be extremely harsh punishment.
"My lord, no abnormalities have been discovered." Only after receiving such an answer would the overseers relax slightly, then, after