A black line appeared faintly on the distant horizon.
"Lord Leslie, we're almost at Paradise Island."
"Good. Start preparing to land." Leslie lowered the telescope in his hand, nodded to the subordinate beside him, and gave the order.
The sailors aboard the guard frigates immediately sprang into action.
About half an hour later, fifteen guard frigates escorted two large cargo mana-powered ships into Paradise Island's port, which had been completed only six months earlier.
The islanders had spotted the fleet approaching from afar, but they showed no surprise or panic. Instead, they excitedly flocked to the port well in advance, their faces full of anticipation as they gathered to welcome it.
Ever since this fleet, said to hail from the distant Sains Continent, had first visited Paradise Island, it had returned dozens of times over the course of nearly a year. The islanders had long since grown accustomed to it.
Besides, every visit brought plenty of wonderful new things: specialties from the Sains Continent, resources scarce on the island, and all sorts of strange yet remarkably useful magic machinery...
When the fleet sold these precious goods to the islanders, it did not ask for the gold coins accepted everywhere else. Instead, it merely traded them for herbs and ores commonly found on Paradise Island.
Even this exceptionally spacious port, with its ten full docks, had been funded and built by the Xinfei Merchant Guild, to which the fleet belonged.
While building the port, the Xinfei Merchant Guild had also hired large numbers of islanders to help, offering generous wages of five gold coins a month and allowing them to earn a tidy sum.
To the islanders, the Xinfei Merchant Guild and its fleet were practically angels descended from heaven, bringing them all manner of benefits. Naturally, they eagerly anticipated and