74: 4.
Iceberg Queen 74: 4.
Iceberg Queen The corridor outside was lined with many windows.
As soon as he pushed open the door to his room and entered, he could see from here what was happening on the deck outside.
At this mont, the sun shone brilliantly, but the sea breeze seed quite strong, leaving the deck mostly empty.
In contrast, the corridor was bustling with travelers in conversation.
There was, for instance, a couple holding a child and an elderly person chatting with a service attendant, as well as a ‘ship girl’ soliciting passengers.
Fisher glanced over the guests in the corridor but continued walking without stopping.
He was unsure if there were any rchants selling goods here, so he decided to check out the restaurant below.
“Sir!
Sir!
Please wait a mont.”
At first, when the voice ca from behind him, Fisher thought it wasn’t calling for him.
It wasn’t until the hurried voice drew near and a hand patted his shoulder that Fisher turned around to see a middle-aged man with a small mustache, panting and wearing a hat.
“Can I help you?”
“Ah…
finally caught up with you.
If I’m not mistaken, you are looking for a place to buy cigarettes, right?
Allow to introduce myself—I am Leba, a rchant.
I happen to have so for sale.
Would you like to take a look?”
As he spoke, he opened his overcoat to reveal several packages of the popular Saint Nali brand cigarettes from the inner pocket,
“Holy Maiden Brand, for the exclusive use of the Royal Family, and Banaba Brand too…
This brand is new, quite strong flavored with so special products from the South Continent.
It’s also new stock that I’ve just received.”
“How did you know I was looking for cigarettes?”
While Leba was busy peddling his goods, he looked up and saw Fisher’s wary gaze.
Realizing that his approach might have been sowhat abrupt, he explained sowhat awkwardly,
“Ah, well, it’s business after all.
How many gentlen from Nali enjoy a smoke?
Eighty percent?
Or perhaps ninety send more?
They seem more anxious to find cigarettes than you are, but there are also many like you who remain calm.
Not glancing at anyone around and just marching forward usually ans they’re either looking for a lavatory or cigarettes, heh heh.”
The rchant nad Leba was right.
It was indeed a habit of Saint Nali gentlen to enjoy cigarettes—it was common among all classes, and even the King used to partake daily while his health was good, but he had been strictly forbidden to do so by the royal doctor since his health declined.
Fisher was among those who used them the least, only occasionally indulging while engaged in his article writing.
He pointed to the Holy Maiden Brand cigarettes in his chest pocket and took out his wallet,
“How much?”
“75 euros, which is 10 euros more expensive than the retail price in Saint Nali, considering the additional transportation costs.”
Leba rubbed his hands together, took the money, and placed a box of the Holy Maiden Brand cigarettes in Fisher’s palm, giving him a box of matches as well.
“These are on the house.”
“Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you for your business…
Ah, the wind has died down a bit outside.
Would you like to join to enjoy it?
It’s stuffy in the rooms, and I’ve got a bit of a feeling coming on.”
Leba glanced at the bright sunny sky outside and smiled as he invited Fisher to get so fresh air.
The corridor was filled with the miasma of smoke and the noisy clamor of the ‘ship girl’ arguing with custors over prices.
Fisher nodded his head, mainly because he didn’t want to return to his room and see that Renie again; he might as well go out to clear his mind.
His article was nearly complete.
After finishing it tonight, he planned to polish his phrasing one last ti, aiming to avoid any errors.
The scholars of Saint Nali might not excel at much, but they were unusually adept at nitpicking words and phrasings.
A single ambiguous or unclear sentence could end up heavily criticized in their papers, cornering you into giving explanations, only to have them shift their attack elsewhere, becoming quite the headache.
“Do you conduct business in the South Continent?”
Once outside, the two of them started to chat leisurely, and Fisher glanced at the thickly wrapped overcoat of his companion and asked.
“Yes, I deal in cigarettes and fine liquor.
The people of the South Continent lack nothing except for the taste of Saint Nali.
Sotis you can scour the entire wilderness without finding a single cigarette or a drop of liquor and nearly die of desperation.
I’m responsible for bringing these fine goods from Saint Nali and doing a bit of wholesaling…” Then, with a smile, Leba turned to Fisher, “And occasionally a little retail.”
“The South Continent has so many City Lords, how do you sell your goods?
Surely you don’t go from shop to shop to sell them?”
“Of course not, that would be too laborious.
Besides, I wouldn’t dare to run around in the wilderness of the South Continent.
I hear it’s full of man-eating goblins…
all kinds of demi-humans that look like monsters.
I just take care of bringing the goods over from Nali, and how they’re sold is the concern of the local middlen here.
It may earn less, but it’s incredibly safe, and I don’t have to deal with the taxes of various cities.”
“Let tell you, sir, the South Continent is very dangerous.
Just a few days ago, when I was in Krit Port, because I stepped out of the fenced area of the port to unload cargo, I saw—um—this tall, a bit taller than , a red Dragon-man who ca up and spoke to in Nali Language, saying there was an injured gentleman on a hillside far away…
My God, Nali Language!
That Dragon-man could speak Nali Language!”
He vividly gestured with his hand a distance taller than his head and then, excitedly said,
“Mother Goddess bless, but when I went to the hill with the port soldiers, there was nothing there!
I was scared into a cold sweat on the spot!
This must have been a trap set by that Dragon-man.
I heard the City Lords of Schwali are at war with the demi-humans, they must surely be seeking revenge on Humans!
Stupid demi-humans, I am a gentleman of Nali, why didn’t they go after those homosexuals from Schwali instead?!”
“…”
Fisher’s expression froze slightly, seemingly understanding sothing as he nodded.
Rafael must have inford the Humans of Krit Port to co take care of himself when he was injured, but it must have been interrupted midway, probably by Renie.
Renie wanted to hide herself; it was impossible for others to discover her.
The sea breeze whistled, and the outside Air was indeed much fresher than indoors.
Standing here stretching, looking at the calm sea, it felt like all the fatigue of the body was washed away.
Leba, as a rchant who often traveled between two continents by sea, had broad knowledge.
He always told Fisher so mystical legends or legendary stories, including huge sea monsters at the Sea Floor and cursed treasures of Gold on the islands of the sea, but most were legends, more likely stories made up to captivate the audience.
“Hey, so you’re a scholar?
I knew it long ago; only those smartest folks from Saint Nali would have such an aura…
what do you study?”
“Demi-human species.”
“Ah, oh!
Demi-human species…
My God, there’s actually a study on that?”
Actually, Magic and social sciences as well, but there was no need for Fisher to lay it all out.
“So, are there demi-humans in the sea too?”
Leba puffed on his cigarette, looking down at the vast, blue Ocean with a surge of curiosity.
“Not sure, I haven’t found any sea-originating demi-human species.
Either they don’t exist, or they are hiding so well that they haven’t been discovered by Humans…”
But Fisher actually speculated they did exist, because the Completion Manual clearly stated there was a demi-human species called the “Mysterious Sea Child” that would bring about the Destruction of human civilization.
“Yeah, that’s possible.
But the scariest things on the sea now aren’t those elusive demi-humans or Sea Beasts, but the pirates that drive several governnts to desperation.
Imagine, a band of desperate n sailing a ship that appears and vanishes without a trace, with a skull banner, ard with several cannons stolen from Schwali, robbing here and there at sea, it’s truly terrifying.”
“….
If there were a ship, very large, with a hull deep green in color, a flag of solid blue with an inverted hamr painted on it, and sothing resembling a giant spear hanging on the front of the ship, with many cannons on the sides, would that be a pirate ship?”
Hearing Fisher’s question, Leba was startled, then responded in surprise,
“Did you also hear about the legends of the ‘Four Great Pirates’ of the seas?
What you’re describing must be the ‘Iceberg Queen’ from the Northern Realm, the giant spear at the front is used for breaking Ice in the cold northern seas, and they’re all manly won from the Northern Realm!
But I heard they only rob Schwali, how could…”
Leba was animatedly talking when he suddenly caught sight of sothing at sea, his gaze rging with Fisher’s, both looking towards the distant ocean.
A ship, huge as a Sea Beast, seed to suddenly appear from the sea surface, steadily making its way towards them.
The deep blue flag fluttering in the wind atop its mast matched exactly with what Fisher described.
The ship’s giant cannons on either side glinted with a deadly cold light, and at this mont, the ship was full-speed ahead towards Fisher and the others on the cruise ship.
“Ice…
Iceberg Queen?!”
Leba’s mouth trembled.
It seed he didn’t even have the strength to keep the cigarette pinched between his lips—half-smoked, it dropped over the railing into the sea, sinking into the icy waters, a chilling reminder that they had been targeted by a colossal pirate ship.
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