Chapter 57

The beluga whales spend a considerable amount of time frolicking and playing near the harbor.

Sometimes they also show great curiosity and interest in the huge hull of the Dream, and the young whales in the pod often swim towards the Dream when their parents are not paying attention.

The little beluga whales were clearly curious about the people waving from the big boat, constantly peeking out from the river to watch.

Cyrus stepped onto the wooden barrel and withdrew his hand with satisfaction, watching the three adorable little creatures he had summoned waddling around the front of the boat, their Rollie bodies and big tails swaying.

But not a single little cutie cast a glance at the man beside him who also craved attention.

Cyrus could feel the man take half a step closer to her, trying to get closer without leaving a trace.

"Their calls don't seem to be the same," the man suddenly said.

Seeing that he seemed to be waiting for her explanation, Cyrus thought for a moment and said, "The beluga whales are probably imitating other sounds."

Cyrus has specifically filmed whales, including beluga whales.

They are the best vocal mimics among whales, as beluga whales can produce hundreds of different sounds, ranging from human voices and other animal sounds to steamboat sounds and music.

It was incredibly diverse and varied, with all sorts of strange and wonderful things to be found.

Beluga whales are naturally playful; even a piece of seaweed or a rock in the water can keep them entertained for half a day.

Beluga whales maintain a high level of curiosity about everything, and they are willing to put that curiosity into practice.

Just like now.

Cyrus waved towards the beluga whale pod, and several young beluga whales, unaware of the danger, couldn't resist swimming closer to the Dream, their faces beaming with angelic smiles as they sang to Cyrus.

Listening to the sounds of beluga whales is undoubtedly a rare treat.

Not long after, as the whale pod was finally about to set off again, the parents nearby called out to their calf, beluga whales returning to the pod.

They have to undertake long-distance migrations.

The baby beluga whales seemed a little reluctant to part.

Cyrus waved goodbye to them.

After watching the beluga whales swim further away, he turned around and planned to jump off the barrel. However, the barrel had been exposed to moisture from being left on the boat for a long time, causing one of the planks to break.

With a "crack," the wooden bucket tipped over first.

Cyrus was about to fall off when the man next to her reached out and pressed her shoulder, instantly stabilizing her swaying figure.

Cyrus landed on the deck with the man's force, but her hand inadvertently lifted the man's cloak. "Huh?"

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

Because beneath the man's white cloak was a clearly immature owl sleeping.

The owl had spotted, downy brown feathers, and its two long legs, which looked like it was wearing furry pants, gripped an iron chain hanging across the man's chest. Its fluffy little body was pressed against the man's clothes, staring at the person who had lifted his cloak with one eye open and the other closed.

Of course, this is what the owl looked like when it was sleeping.

Startled, it opened both eyes wide, blinked twice, and then turned its head to hide inside the man's outer garment.

The sunlight is blinding. (jpg)

Cyrus immediately and considerately pulled her cloak up, then looked at the man and thanked him, "Thank you, and your bird is very cute."

After saying that, he realized something was off and quickly added, "Owls are cute."

Adults often misunderstand things, which is not good.

The man's light gray eyes gazed quietly at Cyrus for a moment, his voice calm and indifferent. "Hmm, Noah is indeed cute."

A soft "chirp" sound came from inside the cloak, reminding Cyrus of Qing Tuan. Even though it had grown into a large enough Gyrfalcon, its coquettish voice was still the same as when it was a baby.

The friendly atmosphere of standing side-by-side while watching beluga whales came to an end after this conversation.

The man left.

Cyrus approached Judas and asked him about the information she had gathered earlier.

Walker also returned at this time.

Judas said, "Anything on this ship was restored and placed later; if something was broken, it was replaced with the same thing. It wasn't originally on the ship."

"All of Duke Bill's personal belongings were taken into the cabin inside the ship and guarded by special servants."

He just went in and took a look.

The so-called personal belongings were nothing more than lampshades, personal wine bottles, a dagger, and a moldy bed board—nothing particularly noteworthy.

But Mr. Samuel Fern was clearly obsessed with it and stayed in his cabin, unwilling to leave.

Judas inquired in detail about Samuel Fern from the previous waiter— Samuel was not only a notorious madman in the city, but also the city's most famous shipbuilding genius.

Otherwise, how could a commoner like him regularly earn as much as fifty silver coins and then spend that money on meaningless sightseeing trips?

The waiter said with a hint of envy, "He's absolutely extravagant. If he kept all the money he had for boarding the ship..."

Walker shrugged and said, "Perhaps the line between genius and madness is very thin."

Judas nodded in agreement. "You're right."

"Samuel Fern has been known as a genius since childhood. His father is a shipbuilder who serves His Majesty the King of Helgoda and is highly respected throughout the shipbuilding industry."

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"But unfortunately, Mr. Fern's father passed away when he was very young."

Everyone thought the Fern family was doomed, but no one expected that Samuel Fern would single-handedly shoulder the burden of the family and make a name for himself in his youth.

"His shipbuilding skills are unmatched."

"And most importantly, Samuel Fern, because he idolizes Duke Bill so much, built himself a ship a few years ago."

"Of course, this ship isn't very big, and it can't be compared to the Dream."

"But Samuel Fern sailed out to sea on the Aibuting River in a boat he had built himself."

Cyrus was somewhat surprised. "He actually managed to do that... but clearly, he didn't succeed in setting sail."

Otherwise, we wouldn't still be on the Dream.

Judas: "Yes, he didn't succeed."

"Samuel went out to sea alone, and after sailing in the Cogit Sea for about ten days, he was forced to return due to a storm at sea."

"I heard that by the time Samuel entered the Aibuting River basin, all that was left of him were a few pieces of broken hull. If a ship hadn't happened to pass by, he probably would have been eaten by fish long ago."

Walker raised an eyebrow. "You almost died but still didn't give up on setting sail to find a new continent?"

"But the fact that he was able to go to sea alone and come back alive shows he has some skill."

Cyrus nodded to herself, "She certainly has a lot of courage."

Judas: "The waiter said that Samuel is very sensitive to changes in the weather on the river or at sea."

"He can sense impending danger by noticing something amiss in his surroundings, but many people believe this is just Samuel's boasting and shouldn't be taken seriously."

Cyrus neither confirmed nor denied this; he also wanted to go inside the cabin to take a look.

However, Samuel rushed out at that moment.

He seems to do everything in a whirlwind, with a free-spirited personality. Although he's only in his twenties, he has an unkempt beard and his clothes look like they're just thrown on haphazardly, making him appear slovenly.

He muttered something to himself, his eyes shining with an expression of delighted surprise.

The waiters, who had been on the ship for a long time, were already used to this and didn't give Samuel a second glance, just thinking that this madman had completed his daily record of boarding the ship.

As Samuel passed by, Cyrus's brow twitched. She turned and stared at his retreating figure, whispering, "Judas, Walker, let's follow him."

"Yes."

Although they didn't understand why, the two did as instructed.

They disembarked with Cyrus and followed Samuel.

Cyrus followed because he had overheard Samuel mentioning a place, which led to his decision.

Samuel was referring to Mount Kohe.

This was the exact location of the treasure that Cyrus had found on the detailed map provided by the system.

But why would Samuel pronounce that place name?

And judging from his expression and demeanor, it seemed as if he had discovered something...

Cyrus couldn't help but take it seriously; perhaps she could use Samuel Fern to openly identify clues to the location of the treasure.

They followed behind without leaving a trace.

It was clear that many people in the city knew Samuel.

After all, he was quite "famous" in the area. A woman passing by Samuel handed him a piece of black bread to thank him for repairing her utensils last time.

Samuel smiled and accepted it, "Mrs. Mena, you should go home early today; it's going to rain heavily tonight."

Mrs. Mena readily agreed, "Okay, whatever you say."

Upon hearing this, Cyrus looked up at the weather—it was windy, but sunny.

He said to Walker, "It would be too obvious if we followed him any further. You go and see where he lives by yourself."

"If it rains heavily tonight, I'll bring him to me... No, I'll wait and see, and keep an eye on what he's been doing these past few days."

"Yes."

Walker nodded, and one of them left first, following behind Samuel.

Cyrus and Judas returned to their lodgings.

That evening, Walker returned after a heavy rain, completely soaked.

Cyrus told him to go change his clothes first, and then tell him about Samuel's situation when he returned.

Walker stated that Samuel lived alone and had no relatives... Although he had uncles and aunts, they were not close to him.

He learned where Samuel was staying and sent men to keep an eye on him.

A few days later.

The men sent to keep an eye on Samuel reported back— Samuel Fern had begun packing his things, seemingly planning a long trip.

Judas asked, puzzled, "My lord, why are you so concerned about him?"

Cyrus recalled hearing Samuel muttering something on the Dream that day, "He was saying something about Duke... treasure or something like that."

"I suspect he might have found some clues left by Duke Bill. Since we have no leads right now, we might as well follow him and see where he goes."

Judas and Walker nodded, indicating that they understood.

The envoys of the Anas Empire finally finished their meeting with King Helgoda, and Ferdinand entered the palace to begin the "transaction" of exchanging money for people.

At that moment, Cyrus also quietly followed Samuel to Mount Kohe with his men.