Chapter 979: Chapter 34: Setting Sail
Ingwig, Reindona Harbor.
After more than a dozen days of adjustments and preparations, Lorenzo finally welcomed the day of departure. He stood before the towering cargo ship, its immense shadow swallowing him whole. Looking back, there were not just one, but a total of four such cargo ships, lined up in sequence at the port.
"So, out of these four ships, three belong to your Stuart family?"
Lorenzo gazed at these cargo ships, his face full of disbelief.
"To be precise, they are Nordroâs ships, carrying goods for the Stuart group," Selyu corrected, standing beside him.
"The Viking countries are impoverished and cold, coupled with the internal wars of recent years. Their development requires many resources. This is practically an untapped market waiting for us to explore."
The lessons taught by Yawei had clearly taken effect. Although Selyu had not been in the position of Duke for long, she was beginning to show some of the necessary qualities.
"Thanks to the alliance between Ingwig and the Viking countries, our Stuart familyâs voyage this time will bring a large amount of supplies to the Viking countries. Simultaneously, we will negotiate future trade. With Nordroâs assistance, this will become a golden trade route."
Selyu said with anticipation, this being the first project she actively planned since becoming Duke Stuart. She was eager for success, not wanting to disappoint those who had expectations of her.
"Sounds really profitable, doesnât it?"
Lorenzo marveled repeatedly, even though he didnât understand much about trade routes. Listening to Selyuâs descriptions, he could almost see heaps of gold coins laid out before him, exuding their tempting glow.
"This is also one of the joint treaties between Ingwig and the Viking countries. We need to help the Viking countries develop to some extent. Most of these supplies are basically being given away, with no immediate profits. The fastest returns will only come when the Viking countries have developed, but there is a precondition before thatâwe must not lose the upcoming war."
Selyu shook her head, dismissing Lorenzoâs words, a slight worry still evident on her youthful face.
"No one knows what we might encounter at sea; pirates, or perhaps the ironclad ships of Gaulunaro. After all, with war approaching, all it takes is a spark to set things off."
"Donât worry about these things. Weâre with you, arenât we, to guard against this?" Lorenzo comforted Selyu.
"Indeed, thereâs no need to worry about these things. These ships carry weapons of the Purification Mechanism. Unless weâre extremely unlucky, it should suffice to help us navigate the high seas."
The creaking sound of wheels approached as medical staff pushed a wheelchair over, and Merlin was sitting in it, injured.
"You look pretty good."
Lorenzo was somewhat surprised, not expecting to see Merlin here. In his memory, this guy should have been lying quietly in the hospital room.
"Just not dead is all."
Merlinâs voice was weak, and he couldnât help but cough a few times after speaking.
"Can we have some private space, Duke Stuart?"
Merlin glanced at Selyu, speaking sincerely. Selyu didnât say much more, cooperatively stepping aside to verify the cargo with the staff.
"Whatâs the matter?"
Lorenzo felt something amiss. Not only had Selyu left, but the medical staff attending Merlin also tactfully stepped to the side.
"This ship is the Morning Glow Advance. On the surface, itâs a cargo ship, but during this period, it has already been secretly modified by the Perpetual Motion Pump, with enhanced armor and overall strength. It is equipped with many weapons. Although it hasnât undergone actual sea combat, you might want to hold your expectations."
Merlin raised his head to glance at the large ship in front of him.
"Just for these things?"
Lorenzo didnât quite understand; there was definitely something Merlin hadnât told him, or else he wouldnât have asked Selyu to step away.
"Not just that. These should be explained by Bola to you, but Iâm still a bit uneasy... If I could, I really wish to go with you. I once went to the Worldâs End, but on that snow-covered ice plain, I gained nothing and almost died there."
Merlin sighed as he spoke.
"Alright, letâs not talk about these things first. The power furnace of this ship uses a large power furnace still in the experimental stage, based on the Power Core of the Third Generation Armor. You can think of it as a large Armor Core stripped of Demonâs flesh and blood. The required fuel is Lacquered Antimony, and weâve equipped it with hundreds of tons of Lacquered Antimony, so you donât have to worry about the endurance."
As a new energy source, Lacquered Antimony brought tremendous help to this voyage. Otherwise, Merlin couldnât imagine how much coal it would need to carry. Comparing Lorenzoâs current journey to his own past voyage, it seemed utterly wretched.
"Donât be hasty; listen to me. Iâve been to the Silent Sea, reached the Worldâs End. Itâs a land frozen in ice. You need a powerful force to break through the ice. In essence, this is a ship specially designed for this operation, an icebreaker."
Merlin looked at the bow of the Morning Glow Advance. The armor there was clearly much thicker, the inclined plane with a slope, the entire front end with a protruding angle like a massive narwhal.
"Thank the changes in technology, Lorenzo. Back then, we didnât have such an icebreaker. Over fifty people carried supplies across the vast glaciers, and in the end, only I returned."
Lorenzo fell silent, unsure of what to say for a moment.