Chapter 143

The comic book was an unexpected success.

This has led to a further expansion of the newspaper readership, with considerable results.

After all, most men still yearn for the thrill and excitement of maritime adventures. Although they can't go there, they can now gradually learn about it through newspapers and comics.

The stories here are particularly novel and interesting, and the explanations are humorous and easy to understand.

Samuel Fern is more widely known, but at the same time, the Rollie, black and white Orca from the comics is more popular.

The comics give Orca anthropomorphic characteristics, often featuring Orca speaking and interacting with Samuel Fern.

Samuel Fern intersperses his own narrated remarks throughout the comics.

--I think Orca are really smart. They seem to understand what I mean. Whenever I sail with the Windrider, I can hear their joyful calls. Oh, they're so cute.

When the Windrider rests on the vast ocean, I will launch the small boat to get up close and personal with the Orca.

At this time of year, Rice Ball, the leader of the Orca, would swim around the small boat and often give me a piece of seaweed, a seashell, or a fish.

Okay, most of it is seaweed.

But it's okay, I like it very much.

Rice Ball would even talk to me; its calls seemed to relieve all my fatigue.

Sometimes, when I look tired and weary, Rice Ball will sing to me while circling around the little boat.

But sometimes, Rice Ball can be quite mischievous.

It will suddenly dive into the sea when I want to play with it, and when it resurfaces, it will aim at my face and suddenly spew out a jet of water from its mouth...

Samuel Fern affectionately calls it "a gift of love from the Orca."

Due to the popularity of the comics, Visas has seen a significant influx of new residents.

Most people want to come to the harbor in the Cogit Sea to see the Orca in person.

There are special boats at the harbor that take people out to sea to see Orca. They usually just circle around the nearshore area a few times and then return. Whether or not you see Orca depends entirely on luck.

Sometimes you won't see Orca all day.

But sometimes, the people on the boat would see a Orca swimming towards them from afar—the water spouts from their backs shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight, just like those depicted in comics, or even more beautiful.

The crew would then stop the ship and wait quietly on the sea. Soon after, the Orca pod would swim to the vicinity of the ship...

When luck comes, there's no stopping it.

But some people went out to sea several times in a row without seeing a single Orca... Compared to those who saw Orca on their very first trip, they were really too unlucky.

There are many more such interesting stories, which gradually spread throughout the harbor of Visas.

And Cyrus ultimately achieved her goal.

--This attracted many merchants to abandon the route from the Saint Airo Empire to Yami and instead set off from the port of the Cogit Sea to Yami.

Customs duties in the Cogit Sea are not only cheaper, but preferential prices are also offered based on the amount of cargo and the number of vessels.

Moreover, departing from the harbor in the Cogit Sea might even bring the blessing of Orca along the way, ensuring smooth sailing and reducing the likelihood of encountering danger.

Seeing this, the merchants who were already somewhat interested immediately made up their minds and wrote their names and other information on the list of merchant ships to be registered at the port center.

Another thing happened during this time.

--On the day the merchant ship registration records were opened, a ship that went out to sea in search of Orca had a lucky encounter with a pod of Orca, and there was an activity on board.

--Those who pay more can take a small boat to see Orca up close on the sea, and even interact with them when Orca get close.

A noblewoman on the ship boarded a small boat and, with the help of a crew member rowing, gradually approached the Orca.

However, the woman was wearing a rather inconvenient long skirt with a rather wide hem.

As she stood up, she accidentally stepped on her skirt, causing her to lose her balance and fall into the water. The crew couldn't catch her in time...

More importantly, the fabric becomes extremely heavy when soaked in water, so much so that it pulled the woman down the moment it hit the sea...

The woman was about to disappear after only a few struggles.

The crew member panicked. Just as he was about to dive into the sea to rescue her, he saw the woman suddenly stop screaming, and her figure slowly emerged from the water...

The panicked cries from the large ship abruptly ceased.

--It turned out that a Orca with a slightly curved dorsal fin had somehow swum to the vicinity of the small boat and lifted the woman up to the surface.

The woman's face, still covered in seawater, remained etched with fear and panic. She clung tightly to the Orca's back, panting heavily. Her emotions gradually calmed down after her breathing became easier, and she kept repeating "May the Creator God protect us."

Just then, the people on the large ship who had witnessed the Orca rescue suddenly burst into gasps of surprise—

"The scene described in the comic is actually real! It was Orca that saved her!"

"By the Creator God! This is incredible!"

"Oh, she's so lucky."

While people were talking on the large ship, the Orca had already brought the woman to the vicinity of the small boat, where the waiting crew immediately pulled her aboard.

"Thank you, you truly are the lucky darling of the sea." The woman gratefully bent down and kissed the Orca's round, large head.

"Eek."

The Orca then swam away, flicking its tail.

The large ship quickly returned to the harbor with the excited people on board, and soon the news spread widely.

Because of the large number of witnesses, and the fact that the woman who experienced the event was a noblewoman, few people doubted the authenticity of the story, and the public's enthusiasm for Orca only increased.

Cyrus originally intended to attract numerous caravans to the port of the Cogit Sea through the publication of the comic, but she did not expect that while caravans did come, even more people came because of the Orca —now, attracting caravans to the port had become a side effect.

Not long after Cyrus took His Holiness the Pope and others out to sea to see the Orca, Archibald and Orville left. Instead of returning to their territory, they sailed to Yami.

Archibald's purpose is self-evident: he wants to take his men to investigate the situation in Yami first, and then notify the Nagabi Merchant Guild to set up shop in Yami and begin cooperation with Cyrus.

And Grand Duke Orville... just as he said, went to Yami to find the panda.

Cyrus repeatedly seemed to want to say something but then stopped herself.

But in the end, he said nothing... He couldn't say that there were no pandas in Yami, so he could only wish Orville a safe journey.

Although... he can't have everything he wants.

Next, Cyrus will begin discussing the sale of Vodka with King Gena Kozmo of the Bovell Kingdom.

But what surprised Cyrus at first was that after arriving at the castle in Par Lake, Gena Kozmo led a Snow Wolf with some gray fur on its back out of a carriage.

Under Cyrus's questioning gaze, Gena Kozmo said he hoped to pair the Snow Wolf with the White Wolf Ice Cream, and if they had pups, could he sell him a pure white Snow Wolf?

Gena Kozmo brought a female wolf.

If this mother wolf gives birth to a pure white Snow Wolf, he will have to pay for it out of his own pocket... It can be said that he has lowered his stance very much.

Cyrus said to let nature take its course.

If Ice Cream really fell for this handsome Snow Wolf, he certainly wouldn't act as the wicked father who breaks up couples.

Unfortunately, Gena Kozmo is going to be disappointed.

Ice Cream completely avoids this Snow Wolf, showing absolutely no interest in romance...

Meanwhile, Coliford, the werewolf trainer brought by Gena Kozmo, always had a long face and was always mournful when faced with Ice Cream.

In the end, the Ice Cream simply hid in the mountains and forests.

Cyrus was powerless to help.

He invited Gena to his study to discuss the large-scale purchase of Vodka.

In the early stages of the Black Death, in order to combat the epidemic, Cyrus generously shared the methods for making hand sanitizer, essential oils, and Vodka.

The process of making Vodka is no longer a secret.

But it was precisely because of this that many chambers of commerce were moved by Cyrus's sincerity. During the pandemic, these chambers of commerce were able to quickly form an alliance to cooperate in producing various supplies needed for the pandemic and, when conditions allowed, distributing disinfectants and reducing the prices of necessities.

The fact that the Black Death was able to be controlled to some extent was absolutely inseparable from the help of these chambers of commerce.

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This is why many places are so grateful to Cyrus.

Without this Lord of Desinia, they would likely have all died during the pandemic, adding to the death toll...

Although the secret recipe for Vodka has long been published, many things are difficult to produce due to the perennially cold climate of the Bovell Kingdom.

This includes Vodka.

The sale of the Vodka was not difficult to finalize, but there was another matter that Cyrus mainly wanted to discuss with Gena Kozmo.

"Samuel brought back many seeds from the New Continent, including one called Cocoa. This plant thrives in warm and humid climates, which presumably isn't suitable for the climate of the Bovell Kingdom..."

Cyrus took out one or two cocoa beans and handed them to Gena, saying, "Cocoa can be made into food and drinks. Although cocoa drinks are not alcohol, they are just like alcohol. After drinking them, they will make you feel warm inside, which is very comfortable."

"I think this is very suitable for the people of the Bovell Kingdom. Shall we make a reservation?"

Gena frowned slightly. "Reservation?"

Cyrus: "The yield of cocoa after planting will not be very high. I only mentioned this to Your Majesty because I knew that the Bovell Kingdom would definitely need food like cocoa."

Samuel brought back quite a few cocoa seeds. Cyrus had some cocoa drinks and chocolates prepared beforehand. After being questioned by Gena, he took out the chocolates he had saved earlier and offered them to people to taste.

The novel taste made Gena raise an eyebrow, and then he said he would consider it.

Cyrus readily agreed.