Sunny weather, warm and humid mixed with salty smell of the sea breeze, with the white waves rolling in the sea, evaporating in the sun, so that the entire sea level is shrouded in an ethereal illusion, there seems to be a melodious and light sound of the lute in the distance, white seabirds from the sky, rolling up a trace of mist.

With the warm sun shining on the deck of the Cask and the shirtless sailors singing and singing in a happy mood, busy with bare feet and smiling with joy on their faces, there is nothing more pleasant than a day at sea.

With no icy cold snaps, no erratic winds, and no dreaded reefs, the territorial waters of the Kingdom of Turin are so enviable that they attract many foreign merchant ships to pass through: sugar, wine, salt, spices, silk, ...... Shiploads of goods brought astonishing wealth, as if each ship's gold and silver could fill the treasury.

Trotting out of the cabin, passing through a few sailors who were mooring and wiping the deck, and greeting the lookout on the mast, the bouncing Alan lay on the guardrail at the bow of the ship, trying to look into the distance, and his excited and cheerful smile never seemed to disappear.

The silky breeze left a chill on her cheeks, blowing off the hood on her head, and her pale golden ponytail fluttering in the wind—even though this was no longer the port of The Hague, Alan still didn't forget that he wanted to hide his identity, and deliberately tied a ponytail behind his head, as if it was enough to make others unrecognizable.

The salty air, the endless blue sea, even the slightly crowded, narrow cabins, and the never-ending smell of sweat...... All of them were things that Alan had never seen before, and it was no longer the familiar world of Fort Hague, everything was unfamiliar, unheard of and unseen, like a new world unfolding in front of her.

No, it should be said that it is the real world, the reverie of a girl who has hardly left the castle since birth. The oncoming sea breeze seemed to turn her into a real seabird, soaring freely and unfettered in the sky.

"Have you already left The Hague Castle?" the girl unconsciously looked in the opposite direction to the ship's advance, as if the castle tower was still somewhere on the horizon, beckoning to her: "I wonder how my mother is now, is she still angry with me, will she be angry with others again?"

"What did you just say, Sir Ellen?" Webber, who was holding a copy of the Radiant Proverbs and looked more and more like a priest in every word, walked slowly and asked softly, "Is it homesick?"

"Not really!" the girl shouted almost subconsciously, glaring fiercely at the little priest who appeared beside her at some point. It wasn't until she saw the stunned look on the other party's face that she remembered that she seemed to be a little abrupt: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ......"

"It's okay, you're a nobleman, and you don't have to apologize for such a trivial matter. Webber shook his head very indifferently, but his words were very cautious: "We are just your servants. ”

"Aristocrat, it's just a toy at the mercy of others......" Allen, who was still very happy, was a little depressed, but he still smiled strongly: "Can you talk to me about that squire, Edward Wittwood?" ”

As soon as he heard this, the little priest immediately became alert - when he set off that day, the black-haired boy pinched his neck and told him, and he still remembers it vividly: "What do you want to know?"

"Uh......" The girl tapped her chin with her index finger and thought hard, "Let me think about ......"

"Bell ......" A hurried chime from the mast interrupted her thoughts, and not only Alan and the little priest, but the entire ship's sailors who were still at work were alarmed. Alan subconsciously looked towards the mast, and the sailor standing at the lookout post was gesturing into the distance with a frightened expression!

.................. Probably because he had not yet completely overcome the problem of seasickness, Edward, who had just woken up in the morning, was dizzy when he got up, leaning on the deck on the side side, breathing in the moist air mixed with the salty smell, trying to make himself as awake as possible, and his black pupils were full of vigilance.

It's the fifth day of sailing, and it's still calm and nothing has happened, but the more it goes, the more weird it becomes. Edward twisted his neck, and the crisp sound of the joints in his cervical spine made him feel a lot more relaxed.

Although he still didn't know much about the Kingdom of Turin, Edward finally heard a lot from the sailors - from the port of The Hague to the port of Maple Leaf, a total of about twenty days of sailing, and when he arrived at the port of Maple Leaf, he entered the so-called "direct territory of the king", and before that, the patrol on this route was under the jurisdiction of the kingdom's fleet.

And the kingdom's fleet has always been managed by the Minester family, which means that if Lady Angelica is ready to attack, now is her best chance. It's normal for a ship to go missing at sea, it's almost impossible for anyone to know about it, and it's hard for anyone to escape.

Just as Edward breathed a sigh of relief and was about to go back to his room to rest, a wine bottle was suddenly thrown from the back of his head, and the black-haired boy smiled and raised his right arm behind him, and the wine bottle fell steadily into his palm.

"Drink some of the pear bars in Fort Hague, this stuff is good for seasick people. The captain laughed and walked from behind, picked up another bottle, bit off the cork, and poured two mouthfuls into his throat: "You won't get seasick when you're drunk, haha!"

"Thank you, Mr. Captain. Edward bowed slightly, like an introverted big boy, "Allow me to thank you once again—I'm sorry to hear from a few sailors that you pushed down a few barrels of pear wine and a few crates of salt to get us on board." ”

"Don't call me Mr. Robben, just call me Robben!" Captain Robben picked at his big-brimmed hat and patted his chest very indifferently: "It is an honor for all of us to be able to serve the Minest family, you must know that there are not many opportunities like this." ”

"Not to mention a man who has been favored by the Radiant Cross and a servant who serves the Radiant Cross. In fact, I'm the lucky one—with this voyage, I'll be able to put my name on the Mineste house, and maybe I'll be able to sell the barrel and get a bigger ship!"

"However, there are some things that please understand. Captain Robben chuckled and changed his words: "I didn't plan to mention it, but the crew has already started to have some rumors, and I must take into account their feelings." ”

"Oh...... I guess it has something to do with some of my fellow travelers, right?" Edward looked aware, placing the bottle on the deck at his feet, "I remember paying for it extra, didn't I?"

"Of course, that's true, but you still haven't told me who that companion is. The seemingly bold captain deliberately made an exaggerated expression: "Some sailors have reported to me that your 'companion' is probably a woman, don't you think you should explain?"

"You know, it's a bad omen to have a woman on the boat for some reason! Besides, she's a girl, and the boat is full of men who don't spill their blood. With a fake smile, the captain looked at Edward with a twinkle in his eyes: "It's our honor to serve the people of the Minest family, for the Radiant Cross." ”

"Well, but the crew's worries also need to be taken into account, do you want to say that?" Looking at the other party's complicated expression, which was embarrassed and didn't intend to let go of himself like this, Edward took over the topic "empatheticly": "Maybe I can find a way to help you dispel these concerns." ”

"For example, how about ten Turin silver coins?" the black-haired boy's smile was extremely sincere, "Can you make your crew dispel some concerns and stop asking about the identity of my partner?"

Edward, who was hospitalized for many years in his previous life, was still a little sensitive to money. In the Kingdom of Turin, a small silver coin can book a room in a tavern and have a sumptuous dinner—not to mention that Madame Angelica has given her money bags, all of which are brand new, and in that respect, the Mineste family is very generous.

"Twenty, I promise not any more guys will go back to disturb your companions, how about it?" Although it does seem quite bold, Captain Robben is still a businessman after all, and profit-seeking is in his nature, "And you have to make sure that there will be no trouble." ”

"I think it should be fine. Edward didn't have anything to reluctant, anyway, the money was given to him by the generous lady, and he didn't feel sorry to spend it for her daughter. The smiling black-haired boy raised his head, and vaguely seemed to be able to see a distant black dot on the sea level: "What is that?"

"Looks like a ship, wait?!" Captain Robben surged to the stern, looked over with wide eyes, and didn't forget to speak to Edward behind him, "Help me see, young man." Look at what flag is on that ship?"

"Huh?" Edward's black eyes narrowed into a slit, and Edward looked at it, "It seems that there is nothing on the mast of that ship." ”

"Anything...... No, it's a pirate, a pirate is coming!" Captain Robben suddenly shouted hoarsely, pushed away the sailor beside him, and yelled at the watchtower of the mast: "Ring the bell, you idiot, why are you still standing there stupidly, the pirates are coming!"

The deck, which had been in order, was suddenly chaotic, panicked like a herd of frightened reindeer. The black-haired boy had a smile on his face with a bit of ridicule and anticipation, and his right hand gripped the hilt of the sword behind his back.

"I've finally got you here. ”