Chapter 741

Chapter 5 Arrival at Port

After the wind ceased, there was no significant tossing and turning of the ship as it sliced through the waves.

I often stood by the ship’s rail, gazing out at the sea, listening to the cries of seagulls flying past the mast. In the evenings of spring, the sunset on the distant horizon cast its warm glow over the waters, its fiery hues bathing large swaths of floating clouds in light, making one feel as if they were in a dream wrapped in gossamer, heartened and delighted.

Since that day of drunken speech, whenever the rope master had some free time, he would come over and chat with me, asking about my recent well-being, whether I was adapting to life on the ship, and if anyone had bothered me again. He would repeat these questions every time, sometimes also inquiring about my background or seeking news of my relatives in the West Continent, but seeing that I did not wish to speak much, he usually stopped after a while.

There was another time, also after drinking too much, when he shared his own story with me.

“…My ancestors were once quite well-known dye merchants in Norway, with considerable wealth. But our fortune declined in my generation, which was unfortunate, as I did not inherit any blessings and had to take on my deceased father’s debts. Otherwise, who would want to spend their days at sea, living from day to day…”

“…I was married, but since I had to go out to sea frequently, I rarely came home. Eventually, my wife ran away with a bootlegger in the third year… Haha, I was young and hot-headed then, and if not for a few people restraining me, I might have beaten that man right there in public… Now I’ve calmed down considerably…”

“…I do have a daughter; after my wife left, she was taken care of by the elders at home. On one return voyage, I found that the elder had passed away, and my daughter had disappeared long ago… She was just a toddler then, probably starving and went out looking for food, never to return… It has been many years, and I haven’t found her, so she must be dead somewhere…”

The rope master talked more than usual when he was slightly drunk, regardless of whether others wanted to listen or not. His heart seemed like a sieve, spilling out all his thoughts, only to regret it the next day and tell me, “Last night I said too much, don’t take it to heart. Today, let’s work hard…”

Later, I became acquainted with a sailor during our chores, and he told me something about the rope master: “You weren’t the first girl he saved… That man may appear crude, but he actually has a tender heart. I think his motivation stems from a sense of guilt towards his daughter… This has been the case for many years… Haha. You’re lucky to have met him…”

…

Time passed quickly while we were on the ship.

At the beginning of spring, the merchant ship “Caliver” made its maiden long-distance voyage, sailing smoothly through favorable winds.

I never saw those pirates.

Though occasionally, there were still troublemakers who sought me out and tried to bully me, they were always promptly stopped by the guards and the rope master’s warnings, preventing any serious incidents. Eventually, these matters faded away.

In late March, the ship finally reached the port.

After nightfall, the wind howled mournfully over the sea. Along the coast, torches flickered along the paths, and the distant city walls were lit up. Below the tall watchtowers, ships entering the port slowly docked. The port was bustling with activity, and many people disembarked, conversing with the knights guarding the shore.

This side is the coastal area of Silgaya, known as the port city “Wenstan,” one of the most closely traded ports with the East Continent. About thirty percent of the spices in the West Continent come from here.

From this exit, one can depart for the Eastern Continent, and in addition, the import and export trade of important goods such as weapons, timber, fruits and vegetables, rice, wine, cotton, raw silk, and more is mostly conducted here.

It is said that Ostein Harbor is the closest port city to Mosley Coast.

As the merchant ship “Calivere” slowly entered the harbor and docked at the pier, preparations for unloading were already underway. The gangway was lowered, and the captain, who had been seen only once before, and his few companions were the first to disembark. Meanwhile, the travelers who had stayed aboard the ship began to pack their belongings. A young girl wrapped in a cloak organized the packages in the cabin, slung them over her back, and went up to the deck, preparing to disembark with the others.

However, before doing so, she wanted to find the boatswain to express her gratitude and bid farewell.

But after looking around on the deck for a while, she could only hear the clamor of voices and see people bustling about; she couldn’t find the burly boatswain anywhere. The distant commotion grew louder, and the girl ran over, still not having left the ship. She held onto the railing at the bow, looking down at the dock for a moment, and realized that it was the captain arguing with the knights.

…What’s going on?

Due to the surrounding noise being too loud, I couldn’t hear what they were shouting, but I saw the boatswain among those standing with the captain. The strong man seemed quite agitated, his face flushed as he argued with the knight opposite him, but the knight ignored him, shaking his head continuously.

With all the commotion, more people began to rush over, including sailors and travelers coming down from the ship. The number of ships docked at this pier wasn’t significant, and at this moment, only “Calivere” was landing. Seeing the situation, some of the knights guarding outside the dock started to move toward this area.

Amidst the crowd, the knights blocked the captain and the group of people, their attitude firm, seemingly unwilling to let them pass smoothly. As a result, those who came down afterward were also stuck on the dock. The captain raised a wooden sign in his hand, loudly questioning the knights, while the boatswain squeezed over, his expression extremely angry.

The argument site was not far from the ship’s rail, and their shouts were drowned out by other chaotic noises. I could only hear words like “ship tax,” “pirates,” “construction of Yaretheon City,” and “Holy Council,” which made no sense to me. Standing there watching for a while, when someone below couldn’t bear the crowd and returned to the deck, I went over and grabbed him, asking, “What’s happening?”

“Ah…”

He was a tall and thin lone traveler, originally ready to leave the ship with his luggage, but now blocked by the crowd on the dock. Perhaps thinking he couldn’t leave immediately, he decided to return and wait. Upon seeing me, he paused slightly, looking somewhat troubled as he said, “It’s you. Ah… Are you also eager to get off? But we might not be able to leave for now…”

He sighed and, together with me, returned to the railing at the bow of the ship, holding on and looking down: “It seems that Ostein Harbor this year plans to increase the ship tax based on last year’s standards, under the pretext that the Holy Council issued an edict at the end of last year to assist the southern regions of Silgaya Kingdom, restore farmland cultivation, and rebuild several cities including Yaretheon that were destroyed by heretics. I heard something like this…”

“They require all merchant ships and traders arriving at the ports to pay the full amount of the ship tax before landing, otherwise they won’t be allowed to stay at the dock… The tax seems to be quite substantial. The captain refused to pay and got into an argument with them… But why can’t we leave? Why won’t they let us go…”