In the southern harbor area of Castle Kings, ships from the Mara Sea and further west seas are frequent, and even merchant ships and tourists from the southern sandy lands. Ships come from different city-states and countries, and as long as it is a country near the sea, you can find their own flags flying high here. Most ships from the Sea of Darkness stay in the northern harbor area, but if they want to continue southward or westward, they will choose to stay in the southern harbor area. It was the busiest place for the most people and the busiest for loading and unloading goods, noisier than the liveliest square in the city, but there were no street performances of bards, no bells of prayer, only the shouting and scolding of the workers, the sound of the horns of the ships entering the harbor could resound throughout the port, and when the ships entered the port, the bow of the ship touched the dock, and the cast iron anchor fell into the water, bringing with it the splash and the dull sound of the water. The cries of domestic animals and exotic beasts were heard from time to time, but they were drowned out by human voices. Wooden crates and barrels containing food, ironware, or porcelain were wheeled onto carts and into the harbor's warehouses.

Merchants and merchant ships from the south, south, and west all gathered here to sell or buy goods, bring them back to their cities and countries, and sell them for profit. Although the King's Fort has become a country within a country, it no longer has its former glory, but as long as it continues to exist, it will not be left unattended because of it - the hub of the two continents, the transportation center in all directions, as long as it does not fall into ruins, it can continue to prosper, even if it is not as prosperous as before.

In this lively port area, there is a place that belongs only to Jinbei - only to Jinbei Chamber of Commerce. The dwarf Barrick Golden Cup, in this port, has a presence and authority that no one can question. He is a powerful dwarf, he has lived for hundreds of years, and even among his kind, he is a respected old man. Although he is a dwarf with rather strange behavior, he has a large caravan of his own, dozens of well-armed merchant ships with a large cargo load. His business can reach the east of the Yilan continent, and he can also sail to the ice sea in the north, spices, food, weapons, handicrafts, ...... Whether it is luxury goods, daily necessities, or even goods that are not profitable, he is willing to get involved.

He was a dwarf, but he didn't have much interest in blacksmithing, and he was a dwarf, but he didn't have much fanaticism for gems, just like the glittering things like most people. There is no temper, he is sophisticated, sleek and even seems to be a little low-posed...... To others, he was undoubtedly a somewhat strange dwarf, even he thought so.

Now, Barrick, a somewhat strange dwarf, sits in his office in the harbor district, with an ink-dipped quill in one hand and a pipe in the other. The pipe he had gotten in Lulunaka's shop, a delicate gadget that didn't cost him a penny, was a gift from Lulunaka, and one of his few options—he didn't want to pick out something that felt weird and dangerous, whether it was a spinning top or a mask, or a sleeping doll grass, it wasn't a good thing.

He sat at his desk, his quill swiping across a heavy ledger, and the pipe he held in his other hand had not been put in his mouth for a long time, as if he had forgotten that such a thing existed in his hand.

His office room was bright and spacious, without much decoration, with a large number of documents and ledgers on several shelves. The windows were opened, the sea breeze and the sunlight blew in, and there was a lively sound outside. He sat there, unresponsive to the noise outside, which didn't seem to interfere with his work. Outside the window, there was an area and dock that belonged only to him, and no other ship could enter his small kingdom without his consent. The door was slammed shut, and dwarven guards stood outside and inside the door. The guards wore sturdy leather armor and carried short axes around their waists or two-handed axes on their backs. They wear hoods that make it impossible to see their expressions, and they don't need to be seen. Each guard's clothes have the mark of the Golden Cup Chamber of Commerce, and the pattern of the Golden Cup is known to everyone in this port. And the owner of this pattern, he himself does not have this pattern - because this golden cup is his surname.

The guards stood not far away, not making any noise to disturb their boss. Barrick didn't seem to be a person who could be easily harassed, and the voices outside couldn't distract him from his work. Perhaps for him, the sound could not hinder him, but it was part of his job.

Barrick's writing hand stopped suddenly, he put the quill back in the inkwell, and shouted to the guard guarding the doorway, "Call him here if Maurice is here." ”

One of the guards nodded, opened the door and left. It wasn't long before hurried footsteps came from outside, the door was opened, and a tall, thin elf walked in. This is a male elf with tattoos on his face that he has been tattooing since childhood. The three cyan tattoos from his forehead to his chin split his face in half. His face was thin, but he was healthy, without any sickness, which made him look good-looking, and his handsome and slender face easily made him look like a woman—perhaps so in the eyes of others of his own race. The wide robe obscured his figure, and the neutral outfit made it harder to tell his gender. He came in with a heavy notepad under his arm, and the gaps in the pages were covered with various notes.

"Good morning, Morris. Barrick said to the elves who came in.

"It's not too early, Mr. Barrick. The elf, known as Mauris, opened the book tucked under his armpit, "It's almost noon now." If you're done, the afternoon itinerary can be a little more relaxed - there are seven caravans of big merchants who want to see you, four from the east, one from the north, two from the west, and one from the land of sand in the south...... There's also a banquet at the nobles' side in the evening, and maybe you'll need a decent outfit instead of the one you have now. ”

Barrick tugged at his neckline, he wasn't wearing any fancy clothes, but in a place like the harbor, only a fool would show off - the smell of the sea breeze could keep the clothes from being washed for days. "What a banquet, it's all greedy and incompetent guys, delusional that I'm going to pay for their ridiculous ideas. ”

"Mr. Barrick, that's all there is to say, but don't say it in public. Morris kindly reminded, "Nobles don't want anything, but they won't lose face even if they die." ”

"Don't say that outside, or I'm afraid you'll be trafficked one night. Barrick laughed, "I think you know that you're quite popular with ladies and gentlemen......

Morris sighed, "That's your light, Mr. Barrick. If I weren't your secretary, no one would care about me, and in some places, there are elves and women who are better looking than me. ”

Barrick stroked his beard and continued, only changing the subject, "I heard a very ugly voice just now, and I couldn't stand it. It was the sound of the hull being torn slightly. It's not that the keel is finished, but it's like a piece of skin on my body that has been ripped off by a hook, and although it won't be fatal, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, and I can't ignore it. ”

"I don't think you need to be so uncomfortable, Mr. Barrick. Morris said, flipping through the notepad in his hand, "It's not our ship, it's just a borrowed port." ”

"Oh, then I don't feel bad. With a smile on his face, Barrick put his pipe in his mouth, took a hard puff, and then exhaled a puff of smoke. The bowl at the front of the pipe did not burn tobacco, but instead spewed a small stream of water, and Barrick presciently pointed the pipe in the direction of the window, and the small jets of water from the pipe flew out of the window, perhaps landing on the head of some hapless man.

"You seem to like this mischievous pipe. Morris said.

"It's fun and it tastes good. Barrick turned to look at Morris, "One more thing...... In fact, the sound outside is just a trivial matter, since it is not our ship, then there is no need to worry about it. I would like to find out what is happening with our ships now. ”

"Now?" said Morris, a little surprised, "that will take a little time." ”

"Now is the time. Barrick said, "After noon, you and I won't have that time to spare." ”

"But why now?"

Barrick didn't answer immediately, just looked out the window, "It's not good to be a businessman, you don't have a sense of smell......

There are some things that Barrick won't say to disturb others without getting accurate information, which is not a good thing for the operation of the Chamber of Commerce. Some vague information and details, as well as his intuition, mixed into something more terrifying. Maybe it won't come, maybe it's already brewing, maybe it's happening in the next moment, maybe it's a long time later.

It was an ominous smell from the east side of the Channel.

Winter is coming.