The first day at sea

The "Flying Bird" sailed into the Depths the Sea of Fog amidst billowing smoke. It would head west, first to the Sea of Fog Archipelago, Intis's overseas colony, the very Archipelago mentioned in the proverb "Never trust the Islanders," before turning south to reach Santa Port, located northwest of the Kingdom of Feynapotter.

Although the Sea of Fog is known for its frequent foggy weather, the phenomenon is not actually that exaggerated in the nearshore areas. Lumian read for nearly three hours under the bright Sunlight.

That was an introductory textbook for the Highland Language of the Kingdom of Feynapotter. Although Lumian had Lugano as his translator and guide, he did not want to become "deaf and mute" and rely entirely on Lugano to provide information and relay words. In that situation, if Lugano had any questions and deliberately concealed or Distortion the key meaning, he would not be able to detect it, and things would become quite troublesome and dangerous.

Lumian wanted to learn some of the most commonly used Highland Language Vocabulary arriving at Santa Port, so that even if he couldn't communicate with the locals, he could still use them to verify the completeness of the translation.

Normally, it would be almost impossible for Beyonder on the "Reader" Pathway to learn the Highland Language in a journey of less than ten days. However, Lumian has mastered Old Feysac, which is the Source of the Highland Language. The two have many similarities in sentence structure, word meaning, grammar, and Vocabulary formation, which allows Lumian to achieve three, or even four or five times the effect of spending the same amount of effort in learning the Highland Language.

"When will dinner arrive?" Ludwig lingered in front of the chaise lounge Lumian, quite annoyed that it was already dark outside and his personal Waiter hadn't arrived with the food cart yet.

Lumian closed his books in the dim light of the setting sun and the flickering Kerosene Lamp, chuckled, and said, "Who told you to order so much? The kitchen needs time to prepare it. Luckily, First Class doesn't offer complimentary meals, but it has its own kitchen, otherwise we really wouldn't be able to keep up..."

Before he could finish speaking, the doorbell rang.

As the ringing of the bell echoed, Lugano opened the heavy, vermilion Wooden Door and watched as a young Waiter pushed a food cart into the room, which was covered with a thick, yellowish-brown carpet.

Under Ludwig's impatient gaze, the Waiter calmly laid out the tablecloth and set out the cutlery.

"This is a local delicacy, Gati Herring. Smoked, tender herring fillets are marinated in olive oil with onions, carrot slices, and spices such as thyme and bay leaf. It's then left in a cool, dark place for 24 to 48 hours and is best enjoyed with a mild potato salad..."

"These are French fries. There's a saying in Upper Coastal Province: 'No French fries, no Heaven...'"

This is a raisin Cream Bun...

"These are fresh oysters and various shellfish..."

"This is Foss Turkey, this is a ham Mushrooms burrito, this is duck mince from Uhm and coarse brown sugar vanilla waffles..."

"This is traditional orange cheese... and there's also a very strong-smelling grey cheese, would you like to try it?"

"This is the most beloved cider in the Upper Coastal Province..." (Note 1)

Lumian listened with great interest as the Waiter introduced each dish, while Ludwig, to his surprise, did not immediately pick up his knife and fork. Instead, he patiently waited until the waiter finished speaking before eating the Bread and savoring the pickled smoked herring fillet.

Has something been awakened? Lumian glanced at the child with a puzzled look.

"It's alright, the smoky flavor is just right, and it creates a very rich taste with the aroma and seasoning..." Ludwig commented in a very professional tone, but with his chubby face and the appearance of only seven or eight years old, Lumian not only did not admire him, but also found it absurd and Jester.

Gati Port is a coastal city, and its oysters and other shellfish are quite good, not only better than most Restaurant in Trier, but also much cheaper. Lumian enjoyed this distinctive local dinner while sipping his homemade cider.

Thanks to Ludwig's efforts, the dinner, which was meant for eight people, was reduced to clean plates and scraps of bones.

Lumian and Lugano both had fairly large appetites, each eating a meal for two, but compared to Ludwig, they were still quite a bit smaller, even after the latter had enjoyed afternoon tea and started eating dessert after the meal.

Why haven't I seen you going to the Washroom so often...? Where did all the food you ate go? Is your stomach a bottomless pit? Lumian glanced at Ludwig, stood up, and said to Lugano, "I want to go to the ship's Bar, do you want to come with me?"

"I didn't sleep a wink last night, so I want to go to bed early today." Lugano couldn't understand why his employer, who had also stayed up all night and traveled all day, was so energetic, not tired at all, and even able to go to the Bar for a few more hours.

Could it be because his Sequence is higher?

The little boy with the unusually large appetite seemed quite energetic...

Lumian didn't invite a translator again. After leaving Ludwig a late-night snack, he changed into a simple Brown Jacket, left the room, and headed to the Bar for First Class.

The Bar was elegantly decorated, with soft melodies played by a small band playing throughout. There weren't many customers, and everyone was sitting in their own seats, making it very quiet.

Lumian gazed at the doorway for a few seconds, then shook his head and left.

He went down the stairs to the deck and entered the Bar for Third Class and ordinary crew members.

The noise, shouts, banging, and incoherent singing filled the room with the aroma of wine, echoing around Lumian.

Lumian suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had returned to his hometown. He felt much more relaxed, and every cell in his body seemed to become more active.

This is the atmosphere I want... As a regular at the Old Tavern since he was very young, Lumian swayed slightly as he squeezed to the front of the bar.

"A glass of ' Green Fairy '." He tapped the wooden tabletop.

The Bartender was a young man with Feynapotter features: a thin face, black hair and eyes, deep-set features, yellowish skin, and fairly good-looking features.

"Okay, 10 Rick," the Bartender replied in Intis language with a distinct foreign accent.

Everything on the ship is more expensive than in Trier ... Lumian had just counted out the Coins when she saw the Bartender turn his gaze to her side and ask in a very sincere and enthusiastic tone, "Lady, what would you like to drink?"

"A glass of cherry liqueur." The reply came from Lady wearing a thick yellow dress; she had a pretty face and light green Eyes.

"Okay!" The Bartender didn't even take the money first, and prepared to pour the drink for That One Lady.

"I was here first," Lumian reminded the Bartender with a smile.

The Bartender replied without hesitation, "What a beautiful and radiant Lady she is! My heart tells me to serve her first."

Oh, so it really is someone from Feynapotter... Lumian wasn't angry; instead, he felt like he was watching a circus performance.

Feynapotter is a romantic by nature, constantly pursuing Love. The mainstream belief is that of the "Earth Mother," which values the status of Women. Therefore, the Men in this kingdom will readily shower any Women they meet with praise, and if they are truly interested, they will pursue her without any pretense or restraint.

As Aurora once said, the men of Feynapotter are the epitome of rustic love talk, but as cheesy and disgusting as they may be, their exceptionally sincere, straightforward, and candid attitude prevents them from appearing greasy; instead, it gives them a unique charm.

In this respect, the Intis, who are also naturally romantic, are not as good as the Feynapotter.

However, most Feynapotter people are influenced by both tradition and faith, and they place great importance on family, procreation, and children. They prefer to live in family groups. Once they choose to enter into marriage without any coercion, they become like the most conservative Loenian, finding it difficult to accept the existence of extramarital affairs.

There are exceptions here; even in the most conservative Kingdom of Loen, there are quite a few adulterers, but it's certainly not as exaggerated or widespread as in Intis. Many people even believe that Love cannot exist in marriage.

After That One Lady paid and took away her cherry liqueur, the Bartender poured Lumian's "Green Fairy" and garnished it with a mint leaf.

He said without any remorse, "My grandmother told me to treat every Lady well, especially beautiful Lady."

"I understand." Lumian adopted the demeanor of a regular at the Old Tavern, sipping his Absinthe and starting a story. "I've had many beautiful companions, even more beautiful than That One Lady just now. Unfortunately, I only have one, and I can't be their husband at the same time..."

The Bartender suddenly felt like he had found kindred spirits:

"I often have similar regrets. There are too many wonderful Women in this world, but I am only one."

What is your name?

"Louis, you can just call me Louis," Lumian said, giving a pseudonym.

His current identity is Louis Berri.

"My name is Francesco," the Bartender said, chatting casually with Lumian.

The familiar surroundings, the usual boasting, and the lively atmosphere made Lumian feel slightly tipsy, even though he hadn't drunk much.

If it weren't for those Mysticism Calamity, if Aurora were still alive, if he had already gotten into university and had no other worries, how wonderful it would be to just be drinking in Bar like this...

People who travel at sea inevitably discuss pirates, Bartender Francesco told Lumian:

"Since ironclad warship technology was widely adopted by merchant ships, life has become much harder for pirates. Their Sailing Ship can't keep up with these Tinplate Monster that can reach speeds of 16 or 17 knots, and they can't even rob anything they want!"

At this point, Francesco lowered his voice:

"The pirates' favorite trick now is to send some people disguised as passengers to board the ship at different ports, and after arriving at the designated Sea Area, they will riot inside, gain initial control of the ship, and give the waiting pirate ships a chance to get close."

"Really?" Lumian asked with interest, "Who on the ship do you think is a pirate spy?"

Francesco paused for a moment, then said, "It's only the first day, how can you tell?"

Lumian smiled and pressed further, "Have you encountered something similar before?"

Note 1: Adapted from "A Culinary Journey Through France"