"An order was received just in the morning to our Guards to set out in three days' time, to Marienburg, the westernmost point of East Prussia, where they would join the rest of the troops"

Colonel Pushkov said with a serious face.

"Marienburg? Could it be that it is going to... Attack Brandenburg failed? ”

Although Gregory didn't like to study military maps, he did know some general geographical boundaries, so the more he pondered it, the more he felt that something was wrong.

"But sir, it's going to be winter, isn't it? It's almost snowing, can you still attack? ”

"Hehe, the order is from St. Petersburg, so it's not a question of whether you can do it, but when you understand the status quo? Captain! ”

"Understood! A soldier's duty is to obey orders! ”

Gregory gave a standard military salute.

"Originally, a group of Prussian aristocratic officers and prisoners of war were to be escorted to St. Petersburg, and I initially considered sending some of the disabled Guards officers back with me."

"Oh..."

Gregory said, could it be that Lao Tzu was able to escape the Winter War this time?

"But it's a pity, after hearing about your reckless behavior this time, the above thinks that Captain you are still more effective on the battlefield, and the injury is obviously much better, so hey, hehehe"

“... Sir, you're really joking, aren't you? Isn't it, sir? ”

Grigory almost collapsed.

"Oh, I've assigned Lieutenant Holguin to escort the Prussian prisoners, so you can go and get ready for Marienburg now, disband!"

"Oh my God—isn't it—"

Ding Ding Dong -

It was a cloudy day in early October, and a cold wind was blowing, but Peter made his way to the docks despite the strong winds.

The wharves were full of ships and briskly walking merchants, and the roads were lined with goods from all over the world, as well as Russian specialties such as timber and bales of fur ready to be transported.

It seems that the war did not seem to have had a great impact on the sea transport of St. Petersburg.

"See His Royal Highness the Regent"

A long-haired man in his thirties took off his tricorne hat and made a coherent and elegant aristocratic salute.

"Haha, Mr. Oliveira doesn't have to be polite, I happened to go to a nearby shipyard to have something, and I thought I'd stop by to have a look"

Peter nodded and smiled faintly.

"Thanks to His Royal Highness the Regent's concern, I just came back from the sea trial with the new crew, and I happened to meet Your Highness."

After spending a few months in St. Petersburg, and often being able to go in and out of the court, and seeing many big people on weekdays, Oliveira finally made up for many of the 'rules' of the north, and was able to respond to Peter's polite words.

"Oh, this is really providential, I just happened to talk to you about going to sea with Mr., hahaha"

"His Royal Highness the Regent, please feel free to ask, I know everything below"

"Well, okay, let's talk over there."

The two came to a trestle with no boats moored and talked as they walked.

"The situation of the sea trials is not bad, after the previous training, the sailors' nautical literacy and on-the-spot reaction have been greatly improved, and there are no major problems. As for the minutiae, after having an experience of ocean voyage, it is natural to pay attention to it."

Oliveira used his own ship this time to take the Russian crew sent to him by Peter for a ride around the Baltic Sea, whether it was to test the waters, or to say that it was a run-in with each other's cooperation, but finally there was no big basket, and it was relatively smooth.

"Well, so does the gentleman think that if you go to sea now, you are fully prepared?"

"Uh... It depends on the actual situation."

Oliveira hesitated for a moment, embarrassed.

"You know, these crews have never been to a region south of 45 degrees north latitude (south of Normandy in France), they don't have long sea voyages, and the place I'm going to is almost in the tropics near the equator, with a maximum temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit above St. Petersburg, and the sea conditions along the way are much more complicated than the Baltic Sea, and there is a possibility that Barbary pirates or other armed ships will intercept them... Honestly, I can't give you the crew a safe time before you get there."

"Well, I understand my husband's concern, but it's not a big deal."

Peter saw that Oliveira was a little nervous, and quickly relieved.

"Although these crew members are the elite of the navy, they are willing to take risks for the sake of honor and high bounties, and they themselves know the risks and difficulties, so there is no need for the gentleman to worry about them. Moreover, in order to ensure the safety of the trip, there are also carefully selected Marine Protection Gentlemen from the Guards, these Guards are very loyal and reliable, and you absolutely trust you."

"Thank you for your great support, Your Royal Highness the Regent, I will definitely do my best to complete this expedition!"

Oliveira said gratefully.

"Haha, the equipment and materials needed for the expedition have been almost deployed, and all but a few have already arrived in St. Petersburg, so you can take your crew to familiarize yourself with them first. In order for my husband's expedition to go smoothly, I have specially prepared a few things that have almost never been used by my predecessors, and I hope that my husband can use them with confidence."

"Thank you so much! Your Royal Highness the Regent, you are my savior, my angel—"

Oliveira plopped and fell to his knees.

"If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to mention it, I will do my best to meet the needs of the gentleman."

Peter quickly reached out to help Oliveira, and returned with great enthusiasm and high hope.

"Your Royal Highness, Lord Regent, you have helped me beyond I can imagine, and now, I only hope that God will bless you and bless you for your extraordinary service to the cause of human exploration!"

Olivier burst into tears and trembled with excitement.