NOVPUBChapter 336: Chapter 296: Boarding and Setting Sail!_2
The Mermaid looked large, but to utilize the interior space as much as possible, the passageways inside the cabins were somewhat narrow and dim.
“You might not think it, but the resting places are actually quite spacious.”
“All the senior crew have private cabins. I’ve seen the living conditions on other merchant ships and they’re really… tsk tsk tsk!”
Mans shook his head somewhat pensively, but soon adopted a proud air for the Mermaid.
Lis nodded, following behind Mans.
“The captain said you’re bringing a child, so the last cabin is arranged for you.”
...
At the end of the passageway to one side, Mans pushed open a wooden door and pointed inside with a smile, saying,
“But with your strength, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
It seemed that Rude had done quite some bragging about his own strength to help secure a spot on the merchant ship!
No wonder there had been no talk of paying extra for the fare.
“Lis, you go ahead and settle in. If there’s anything you need, come find me on deck. It’s the busiest time on the ship right now, but once we’ve set sail, it’ll be much easier.”
Mans said his goodbyes and left, leaving Lis and the other behind.
Entering the cabin, Lis looked around; instead of a cabin, it was more like a small partitioned section.
Apart from a bed, a table, and a chair, there were no other pieces of furniture.
Of course, there was not much space left over—just barely enough to turn around in, perhaps.
The one benefit might be that this cabin was located higher up on the Mermaid, with a round window that could be opened, allowing the cool sea breeze to pour in, making the air notably fresher.
Lis didn’t mind the cramped cabin; for a commercial ship pursuing profit through cargo transport, these conditions were already quite good.
Lis certainly had no desire to squeeze in with those people on the large bunks below on the merchant ship, where the smell of sweat, mold, and an unidentifiable sour stench mixed together was sheer torture.
The furniture in the room, the bed and the table, were all fixed to the cabin. Lis aired out the slightly damp bedding, then put on a clean, white new one.
“You’ll rest on the bed from now on.”
Lis said to Helen, who was following behind. For Lis now, sitting in meditation was enough to recover his energy.
“Mmm.”
Helen nodded obediently and climbed onto the bed to sit there.
After taking out Helen’s belongings and placing them next to her, Lis left.
He estimated that he would have to spend more than a month on this merchant ship. Although it was much easier than crossing the Luoxue Mountains, it wasn’t going to be a very safe journey.
After encountering Helen, Lis had a premonition that the trip would not be smooth.
Helen must have some secrets as well, but she probably wouldn’t share them with him just now.
But Lis wasn’t in a hurry. Things would unfold in time.
When dealing with these important NPC characters, Lis had quite a bit of savvy.
Through the dim passageway, most of the cabin doors were closed tightly, with the majority of mercenaries and crew busy on deck.
Reaching the deck, Lis had no intention to help.
That was something low-level crew would do; they were ordinary people who were there to do the hard work.
Just then, Third Officer Mans was busy commanding the sailors, bustling about.
Although the work was hard, everyone on the ship was in high spirits.
Ever since the successful return from the Boditch Kingdom to Ward City with a ship full of precious cargo and making a huge profit.
The head of the Milne Commerce didn’t skimp; they know Ward City was not like the Boditch Kingdom, and skilled sailors were precious.
So, the rewards for everyone were quite generous.
Naturally, everybody’s enthusiasm was high, looking forward to earning even more profit from the Boditch Kingdom.
At this time, Lis saw a person swaggering up from the dock, adeptly boarding the Mermaid, and greeting the ship’s sailors with familiarity.
It was Charles, who was previously surrounded by mercenaries at the Mercenary Tavern.
Looking at him, could it be that the merchant ship he had been on before was the Mermaid?
Charles was in high spirits; it seemed he had enjoyed himself greatly in Ward City these past two days, his face beaming with success.
Seeing that the sailors and mercenaries aboard also respected Charles, it appeared that his strength was noteworthy.
Charles was certainly proud; his decision to come to Ward City had been a wise one. Although there were some hiccups on the last sea voyage, there was no significant danger.
Boditch Kingdom Danah Port enchanted him greatly; the warm sunshine and captivating beaches deeply attracted Charles, who had lived in a world of ice and snow since he was a child, particularly the bewitching waists of the Boditch Kingdom’s beauties.
Charles had originally planned to disembark at Dan Port, but after some private inquiries, he found that the reward offered by the “Mermaid” was the most generous, even more than twice that of other tasks of the same level.
For the sake of the lovely Gold Coins!
Thinking this, Charles finally boarded the “Mermaid” bound for Ward City.
After a few more trips, he could save up enough Gold Coins to purchase property in Dan Port.
Charles pondered this joyfully.
However, it was said that the Boditch Kingdom was involved in a war with Feis Kingdom and the situation on the battlefield didn’t look good…
Should he head further south to Aika Kingdom?
While Charles was mulling over this in his mind and preparing to make his way to his cabin, he looked up and saw a stranger standing on the upper deck.
Startled, Charles squinted for a closer look.
Wasn’t this the tough guy from the Mercenary Tavern the other day?
Since leaving Ice Peak City, Lis had stopped disguising his face; his handsome features and unique aura were unlike that of an ordinary mercenary.
But the impression Lis had left on Charles that day was indeed deep, especially now as Lis stood with his back to the light on high, his gaze calmly fixed on Charles.
Charles shivered inexplicably, feeling as if he had been targeted by this formidable man, and hurriedly greeted him stiffly before rushing into the cabin.
Lis had noticed Charles’ reaction and found him quite interesting.
Although Lis did not remember a mercenary named Charles from his memories, and there was no mention of him in the game’s storyline, he was not a simple man.
Lis could sense a special Transcendent aura emanating from him; upon closer inspection, it seemed to be someone who had changed class to a Hunter, but Charles’ Status indicated that his Main Attribute was of the Strength Attribute.
Interesting…
Quite intriguing!
“Are you Lis?”
A deep voice came from behind Lis.
Lis turned around to see a brawny, bare-armed man standing behind him, wiping his brow and speaking with a grin.
“Yes, you must be Captain Loren, right?”
“Haha, you guessed it!”
Captain Loren laughed, then continued:
“After coming back from the Boditch Kingdom, I was preparing to set sail again and wanted to find a few capable hands before doing so, and finally I’ve waited for you, Lis.”
Upon the first sight of Lis, Captain Loren knew that what Rude had said was true.
This mercenary named Lis was either a top-notch Silver High Rank expert or a Gold Level existence.
As a Middle Level silver himself, he could not sense any Extraordinary Power fluctuations from Lis.
To conceal one’s aura to such an extent was not something a simple Silver High Rank could manage.
“Since you’re prepared to head to the Boditch Kingdom with ‘Mermaid,’ let me be straight with you.”
“The news from Dan Port says there’s been an increase in the number of pirates at sea lately, with many merchant ships being attacked.”
“The Boditch Kingdom’s navy has no plans to mobilize, and some people at Dan Port are anxious.”
“Although we didn’t encounter pirates on our way back, we naturally need to make some extra preparations.”
“So…”
Seeing the captain’s suggestive manner, Lis naturally nodded in agreement:
“Captain, rest assured, I will not hold back when the time comes.”
“Good, haha, of course, we still hope for smooth sailing all the way to Dan Port!”
Captain Loren spoke cheerfully, obviously very satisfied with Lis’s attitude.
This was also the reason he was willing to forgo any ship fees to ensure Lis would join them after getting the news from Rude.
The next morning, the sea sparkled under a cloudless sky.
Indeed, the weather was favorable for sailing.
The “Mermaid” had already completed its preparations to set sail, hauling the anchor and hoisting the sails.
After bidding farewell to those on shore seeing them off, Lis and Helen, followed by the “Mermaid,” headed south.
