The Flame people like to boast that the free-trade city-states across the Strait can all be immersed in their Warm Breeze Corner. Vanessa had never been to a free trade city-state, but she believed the claim. Rich and ripe to the point of erosion, the Harbour of Queensland stretches like a warm and moist kiss over the mouth of the Sleeping Lion River, stretching along the hills and wetlands on both sides of the river. Everywhere there were ships, sailing down the river or out to sea, clustering at berths and docks, loading or unloading cargo: warships, whaling ships and barges for trade, galleons and dinghies, flat-bottomed boats, giant flat-bottomed boats, longships, swan boats, ships of all kinds from Haaken Island, Duke of Windsor Castle and the Land of Midsummer, ships as large as palaces of spice merchants in Scambrai, from the city-states of Ale and the Rapach Islands. There were so many boats that Vanessa, when she first saw the harbor from the riverbank, told Sù Matt that she would never find Victor again.

"On your own." Vanessa said. Matt shuffled after her unconfidently, always beware of the princess wearing the forbidden stone without permission.

Gold coins always get through everything like engine oil, and they managed to get out of customs with the treasures and money stolen by Victor, but merchant ships such as the Titan, Poseidon, and the Three Princesses of Midsummer all rejected them. One of the first mates on the Albatross laughed at their faces. The owner of the Poseidon reprimands them for wasting his time, and the owner of the Sweet Eros accuses them of being pirates. Without exception, they refused to sail to Wangfeng Harbor outside Crescent City, which was what happened on the first day.

Only the captain of the Furious Waves gave them a reason to refuse. "Indeed, I am going to sail west," he told them, after drinking wine mixed with water. "After all, from Cape Warm Wind, we will always inevitably pass through the Catbite Strait. But every voyage is dangerous, and the farther away it becomes. Why should I take a bigger risk by turning to the sea of return? The Angry Waves is my guy for a living. I'm not going to risk her taking two crazy little couples into a battlefield. ”

"Crescent City has already started?" Vanessa asked with a letter, within half a month of leaving the Flame Palace, there was no sign of dispatching troops and horses in various places, unless Koman couldn't hold back and took the lead in the war.

The captain, who was missing half of his shoulder blade, shook his head, "Not yet, but I heard that the opposition forces in the city have already started the assassination operation, and soon, there will be a bloody storm in Crescent City, I don't want to get involved at this time." ”

Vanessa gave Captain Sorenda the most reassuring smile: "To be honest, I don't count the cowards who rejected us, but I've heard in the inn that you're the kind of brave guy - the kind of man who would risk anything for the sake of enough gold. "He's a smuggler, half pirate, half pimp, but he's probably your best hope. These are the exact words of the owner.

The captain twisted his thumb and forefinger and asked, "How much gold do you think is enough for such a voyage?" ”

"You usually take passengers to Wangfeng Harbor three times as much."

"Each of you?" The captain bared his teeth, probably intending to smile, but that made his narrow face look more fierce, "Maybe I'm bolder than most men." When do you want to go? ”

"The sooner the better."

"Deal. Come back an hour before dawn with your friends and wine. It's best to hit the road while the warm air corner is still asleep, so that no one will come and ask us such troublesome questions as where to go. ”

"It's decided, an hour before dawn."

The captain smiled even more. "I'm glad I can help you. We're going to have a great trip, right? ”

"I'm sure of that," Gris said. The captain called for an ale for them, and the two of them toasted their adventure.

"A sweet fellow," said Matt, as he stepped out of the dock, where their hired caravan was waiting. It was hot and sweltering, and the sun was so strong that they all narrowed their eyes.

"A guy who lies and doesn't blink," Vanessa agreed. Sweet enough to rot your teeth, "I'm afraid our happy journey will be short." That sweet guy wasn't going to take us to Wangfeng Harbor. He said yes too quickly. There is no doubt that he will receive three times the usual fee, and as soon as we get on board and leave land, he will slit our throats and take the rest of our gold. ”

"What?" Matt stood in surprise. "What you said is true?"

"Keep smiling," Vanessa said, stepping her foot onto the caravan, which was pulled by a dwarf and its fur was the color of dirty flower petals, which were everywhere on the streets of Port Queensland. "That guy didn't ask about our pass, and if he knew that we repented, he would probably turn around and go to the lord to report us."

"But why? Why didn't he just reject us? Matt would rather walk, but the hotel they were staying at was a few miles away. In addition, the owner warned him that trekking was discrediting in the eyes of locals and foreign captains. The superior people traveled in sedan chairs or in the back seat of the caravan, and it happened that the shopkeeper had such a cousin who owned several caravans and was happy to serve them in such matters.

"That's what makes him smarter than the other captains," Vanessa lifted the curtain and observed the numerous merchant ships in the harbor, "Two guys who are in a hurry to leave the Burning Flame Country, either fugitives or lovers who eloped, if someone looks for us, he will have oil and water to earn, whether it is a ransom from the lord or a noble family, he laughs at it, not to mention that what we promised is gold coins, first cage us, and when we get to his ship, we and the gold coins will go into his pocket and be at his disposal." ”

Maiden nodded: "So what should we do now?" ”

"Let's get on a boat now, and let's go to Iron Arrow Bay first." Vanessa looked at the various ships in the harbor and fixed her eyes on a deep-sea whaling ship.

"Got a goal?" The prince leaned his face over, "What are you looking at?" ”

Vanessa grabbed Matt by the shoulders and pushed him back into his seat, "I think I know which boat Victor has in store for us. "The deep-sea whaling ship was huge, with its towering gang lined with deep-sea shellfish and barnacles, and from a distance it looked like the sea had added a dark green shell to its hull, and whenever the whaling ship docked, the barnacle shellfish would be cut into a deep trench by the reefs and unknown sharp objects inshore. At this moment, the whaling ship had not had a deep draft, and had apparently just unloaded its cargo and was waiting to sail again, and in the part near sea level, Vanessa clearly saw that the deep trenches of the barnacle shellfish formed a large "V", which was the first letter of her and Victor's names.

(l~1`x*>+``+