The sun kept sinking behind them, on the verge of slipping below the distant horizon.
The last rays of sunset washed over the sea, turning it orange-yellow and draping the Wingspan, the Sunrise, and the Goddess of Victory Iris in a pale golden coat. It was a beautiful sight.
Nevall narrowed his eyes and gazed at the boundless sea behind him, then turned to look at the equally endless waters ahead, which had already begun to darken. He nodded slightly and instructed his deputy, "Pass the order along. Reduce speed and begin night sailing."
His deputy left to carry out the order. Moments later, the Wingspan slowed noticeably. The Sunrise and the Goddess of Victory Iris, trailing slightly behind on either side, also reduced their speed. Maintaining their triangular formation with the Wingspan, they continued east across the vast sea.
Nevall walked over to the railing and leaned forward to look down at the water.
Although the Wingspan's reduced speed had made its spray much smaller than before, it was still countless times greater than that of any seagoing vessel Nevall had sailed on in the past.
When it struck a wave head-on, the spray could even shoot several meters into the air.
Having spent so many years at sea, Nevall had always enjoyed watching the spray thrown up by ships.
Yet before this, he had never seen a vessel that could throw up spray as high as the Sunrise did while still sailing forward swiftly and steadily.
Steadiness and safety were the two things that had impressed Nevall most in the nearly three months since he had boarded the Wingspan.
Compared with the wooden vessels Nevall had sailed on before, the Wingspan was dozens of times larger. And because it was built entirely from refined steel, it was exceptionally