Autumn had already turned fairly cool, but today was clearly an exception. The docks felt rather hot.
Although the sacks of spices were not particularly heavy compared with other cargo, everyone carried more than one to speed up the loading. Many were already drenched in sweat, and Mulan was no exception, despite doing his best to regulate his bodily functions.
Mulan's sweat-soaked clothes clung tightly to his body. A few bullet scars marked the muscles exposed at his shoulders, making it easy for those around him to guess that the new sailor was a retired veteran of the Imperial Army.
It took a little over an hour to carry all the remaining spices aboard, after which the sailors boarded the ship.
The Star of Heaven was an iron-hulled merchant ship powered by steam turbines. It had no sails, only a large black funnel in the middle. The entire vessel was considerably larger than the wooden merchant ships around it and could carry a great deal of cargo.
Even by Mulan's standards, its large hull, deep draft, stability, steam propulsion, and generous cargo capacity undoubtedly placed the Star of Heaven among the Alva Family's more significant shipping assets.
I wonder whether Count Alva knows about this plan.
Mulan mused to himself. If Count Alva knew nothing about it either, the loss would truly be a disaster. After all, according to Walton's script, the Star of Heaven probably would not be returning to port.
The sailors' quarters were in the lower part of the ship, not far from the cargo hold. More than a dozen men had to share a room that was not particularly spacious, leaving little room for any of them to move.
As Mulan went below, he observed the people around him. The sailors were chuckling as they chatted