In the office, Hughes rested both hands on the desk, propping up his chin.
Kenn and Jeremiah had already recounted all their experiences, and Hughes now had a general understanding of what had transpired out at sea.
The sea’s drying up was limited only to the Storm Ocean. The Lightless Sea, on the other side of the Corridor of Despair, had not been affected.
Which made sense—after all, the two seas weren’t connected, so the waters from the other side wouldn’t flow over.
The lower-class populace had reacted strongly to the sea’s desiccation, with many seeing it as an omen of the apocalypse. Cultists took the opportunity to spread despair, while official organizations did little in response, creating a stark contrast.
It had been nearly a half-year-long journey, and their narration lasted for several hours. Monica had already fallen asleep, lying on Gaia’s lap. Gaia quietly helped comb through her green hair while listening to her brother’s tale of adventure.
Hughes let out a sigh.
“What a fascinating journey. I have one last question—what do you two think of that prince?”
The prince’s role in their story was minimal; they had only met him once. Still, both men had been deeply impressed by the lord of the Principality of Tis.
Without hesitation, Kenn immediately replied, “The prince is a kind person. He was willing to help us search for Castel and even agreed to send troops to aid Nora. People have misunderstood him all along. He even succeeded in assassinating the Empress later!”Hughes blinked. “But I remember he allied with the Three Grand Dukes of the North, didn’t he? Helping Nora should be far easier than assassinating the Empress.”
Kenn’s expression froze.
“But he really did send ships to help us search for Castel. I spoke with his steward Johan. I still believe he’s a kind man—there’s just been some misunderstanding, that’s all.”
“Ahem.”
Jeremiah gave a soft cough. He glanced at Kenn and then spoke in a deep voice. “I think that prince is a bit too naive. He’s a fool, sure, but his offer to help came from a place of genuine goodwill. He’s like, like...”
Jeremiah opened his mouth, trying to find the right words, but got stuck. He couldn’t think of an appropriate term to describe the prince. That man was utterly different from himself—this was the first time he had tried to describe such a person.
“Idealist?” Hughes ventured.
“Idealist? What the hell is that? That prince is just like Kenn—he looks like the kind of idiot who’d die for some delusional bullshit.”
Kenn glared at him furiously. Jeremiah shot him a fierce look, and Kenn quickly averted his gaze.
Hughes frowned. Even Jeremiah didn’t deny the prince’s kindness. In fact, he went a step further—implying that such kindness might end up harming the prince.
But could mere kindness really allow someone to stand against the Empire?
Maybe the two had only seen one side of him. For someone to endure for so many years and successfully restore his nation, he must have had means. Anything less would be strange.
Whether this prince would become Castel’s friend or foe remained to be seen.
“Alright, both of you. I’ve heard your story. You must be exhausted from your long journey. You can go rest now. I’ve had rooms prepared for you. The Holy Guard will escort you shortly—Kenn, you can just follow Gaia.”
But Jeremiah’s attitude had been very firm, so Hughes was now inclined to accept him as a true member of Castel.
The two had already collaborated many times before. This pirate captain had genuine skill, wasn’t averse to learning, and had a good impression of Castel.
More importantly, Gem Bay had already been destroyed—Hughes no longer needed to worry about him being a traitor.
So Hughes simply went with the flow and extended the olive branch.
Castel was a big enough ship—even Banshees, an alien race, could be accommodated. Why not a pirate?
The era of the Pirate King was over. It was time for the Storm Ocean to find a new master.
Let this pirate of the old era see the ships of the new world.
He would like them.
“The airship we previously sent to Blood Harbor hasn’t reported back. This time, the island sent a steamer—that’s the kind of ship you saw at the dock. Judging by the timeline, it should be arriving around now.”
Many Banshees had followed the ship to Blood Harbor. They wouldn’t show themselves there, only serve as regular couriers of intelligence. Banshees could swim through the ocean far faster than a sailing ship—much faster than a steamer, even.
After all, Banshees were true marine creatures.
The newspaper office Hughes had set up in recent days was finally proving useful. The main function of the paper at present was to report daily on Zoe and her party’s progress. Among their group was an extraordinary of the *Moths Chasing Fire*, and since Blood Harbor wasn’t large, a Chrysalis could directly communicate with the Banshees in the sea.
If all went well, nothing more needed to be said. But if trouble arose, the *Black Pearl* might need to be dispatched as support.
In the end, the steamer was still a rushed product. Neither its speed nor passenger capacity could compare to the *Black Pearl*.
Yes, the steamer might be powered by steam, but it wasn’t any faster than a sailing warship like the *Black Pearl*.
Steam engines weren’t particularly efficient to begin with, and paddle steamers were the slowest of the bunch. In contrast, the *Black Pearl*, one of the last pirate ships ever made, was a highly refined design—its greatest advantage being its lightness and speed.
Hence, the awkward situation where a steamship might actually be slower than a sailboat.
“Mr. Jeremiah, if trouble does arise, we may need you to head out to sea again.”
“No problem.”