Chapter 742

Chapter 6 Murder

After a few complaints, my companion and I stood at the bow of the ship for a while longer. Below us, more knights gathered, their demeanor growing increasingly aggressive. They began to drive everyone back onto the ship. The sailmaster shouted loudly among the crowd, but it was ineffective. My companion, worried about potential conflict, decided to return to the cabin to await news rather than cause trouble.

Soon, several guards who seemed to be in charge also descended to the dock. Most of the travelers had already returned to the deck, and the noise of complaints and sighs filled the air.

“Alas, we can’t leave…”

“This ship really… doesn’t even pay its taxes? And it dares to argue with the knight lords? It’s lucky they haven’t been arrested… It feels like boarding a pirate ship, how unlucky…”

“What should we do now?”

“They’re still negotiating with the knight lords. We can only wait…”

“What if our journey is delayed…”

“You don’t have any urgent matters…”

“But I do…”

“I hope it doesn’t escalate…”

When fewer people were left on the dock, the real negotiation seemed to begin. The captain, the first mate, the navigator, and a few leading guards, including the sailmaster, all suppressed their anger and spoke quickly with the knights. Despite the fast pace, it didn’t seem like things would get out of hand.

However, both sides were firm in their positions. This kind of bickering wouldn’t resolve quickly. After watching for a while, I noticed some knights preparing to board the ship. I lowered my head and hurriedly left the bow.

Back in the cabin, avoiding any encounters with church officials, I locked myself in the small, cramped room. I took out some dry bread and water from my package, eating slowly while listening to the commotion outside.

It seemed many people had gathered outside, including travelers, merchants, and mostly sailors. Everyone was in a bad mood. Amidst the chaos, various voices could be heard. The crew members felt that it was unreasonable for the West Continent’s affairs to be handled by ships from the East Continent, which was considered an unjust tax. No one knew where the money would end up.

The travelers and merchants, however, were indifferent to this issue. They were merely frustrated that it was delaying their business. If there were losses due to this delay, they would be difficult to compensate. They urged the merchant ship to pay the taxes as soon as possible, regardless of the amount, so the knight lords would let them go and they could resume their own business.

This conflict escalated over time. Soon, I heard fighting outside, the sound of a table being overturned. But the brief chaos was quickly calmed by others. Someone shouted, “Ship doctor! Ship doctor!” Perhaps someone had been injured.

After the commotion settled, people’s emotions seemed to have been released, and the atmosphere cooled down. Many went up to the deck to check the situation.

A while later, some people came back down the stairs, their footsteps loud and heavy. I finished my second piece of dry bread, drank some water, and took out the last piece, biting into it slowly. Outside, I heard voices.

“They followed the knights to the council…”

“Who? The captain?”

“Yes…”

“How can there be a council? So how long do we have to wait here…”

“What are you doing, merchant ship! Do you know how much gold I’ll lose by missing tonight? Can you compensate me!?”

“Stop arguing! Isn’t your loss the biggest? Don’t we have losses too? It’s not our fault you can’t leave. If you have the ability, go argue with those church knights! Shouting at us sailors won’t help!”

“The knights at the dock have blocked everything… I just tried asking, and no one can leave… I suggest everyone stay calm…”

“Calm… Our cargo is piling up, and if anything goes wrong, we don’t know how long it will take. How can I stay calm…”

“…The council started before we arrived. The results should come soon. Even if we make a fuss here, it won’t change anything. We might as well wait quietly…”

The crew tried to soothe the merchants, trying to calm the situation. Amidst the chaotic voices, I heard footsteps approaching. Likely, they were people from this ship, thinking no one was around. They whispered nearby.

“…They want to incite a riot to put pressure on the captain… Those knights are cunning…”

“I heard… Someone found out that the sixth knight commander is in the port city. Before we arrived, many merchant ships and traders organized protests… All because of the new taxes…”

“No one is allowed in the city… They are in the watchtower outside… Those who paid and those who refused are there… Our ship arrived at a good time, right when the merchant council was happening…”

“…After arguing for so long, there’s no result. A knight commander came and called the captain and others to attend the council as observers… There should be many representatives from different trading companies there…”

“It’s called a council, but it’s probably just a formal announcement. The matter is decided by the Holy Department, no room for discussion…”

“Who knows if it’s really decided by the Holy Department… Anyway, we can’t even enter the Holy City… Whatever they say goes…”

“Suddenly demanding so much money means we might as well have made this trip for nothing, and we have to compensate for previous trips too… That’s ridiculous…”

“They are pushing us to the brink…”

“One day, that greedy commander Rodelis will get what he deserves… Damn it…”

Not long after, the voices faded away.

…

Night fell.

The “Calivere” merchant ship remained quietly docked. The dim deck was filled with noise, while outside the dock, the lights of the port city shone brightly. In the watchtower outside the city, the merchant council seemed to be ongoing.

Since the sailmaster followed the captain and others to the meeting, at least an hour had passed. Those left on the ship, anxiously waiting, had not received any news yet.

I, having eaten the second piece of dry bread long ago and having woken up from a short nap feeling hungry again, decided not to wait any longer.

If I wanted to leave, it would be easy—those church knights guarding the dock were nothing to me.

Just the sailmaster…

Forget it.

It’s just a few words.

Leaving a note here should be fine…

After making my decision, I put on my hood, straightened my clothes, left the cabin, and went up to the deck. I met a crew member who was usually friendly. I wanted to ask him to borrow paper and pen, but he hesitated, saying he couldn’t read or write and had no paper or pen. He was curious how I could read. Just as I was pondering whom to ask, a commotion suddenly erupted at the bow.

“What’s going on…”

My companion and I turned to look. Many people were rushing towards the ship’s rail, peering down. At the same time, below the dock, a chaotic commotion could be heard. I heard the sound of swords being drawn and knights shouting to stop.

Amidst the noise, someone’s hoarse voice screamed, “Murder! The church is killing! They… the captain and others! Help—”

The scene turned tense.