Chapter 182 Kingdom Navy
The night outside the cabin was as thick as ink, and the deck was empty and silent, with no signs of any living beings. The patched sailcloth, though stretched taut on the mast, hung limply in the windless stillness.
This eerie atmosphere did not affect Li Wen. She walked onto the deck, went to the ship’s railing, and looked out at the deep, ink-like ocean.
The sea surface was as calm as a mirror with no light, and merely gazing at it felt as if her soul would be swallowed.
The girl thought for a moment, took an acorn from her fairy pocket, and then tossed it into the sea. In some stories, oak fruits and leaves had the power to bring luck, break through fog, and guide direction. Therefore, when in a difficult situation, throwing an acorn might bring unexpected help.
However, it fell into the sea with a solid thud, as if into a false screen. It made no sound, stirred no spray, and sank into the sea without a ripple, disappearing.
“Jump in…”
A distorted voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
Li Wen forcibly averted her gaze, no longer staring at the deep and silent ocean. She rubbed her temples, her face somewhat pale.
“We might be trapped in a different dimension by some power,” she concluded.
This statement did not pique the interest of the blonde princess. She seemed indifferent to what she was experiencing and only stayed by Li Wen’s side to seek a sense of security, or rather, to exhibit behavior that suggested she was seeking security.
“Then, how should we leave here?”
Victoria asked softly. She walked to Li Wen’s previous position, leaned over the side of the ship, and peered out curiously. Her bold behavior made one worry that she might suddenly fall into the sea.
But Li Wen absolutely did not include herself in the worry. She held a candle and searched the deck, finally finding a place near the mast that was darker than other parts of the deck. It was as if some liquid had flowed there but had quickly dried up.
The girl’s nose twitched as she detected a pungent, alcohol-like smell, but it was definitely not alcohol – though the ship had plenty of cheap alcoholic beverages. Li Wen found glittering objects in the rough splinters and cracks of the wooden deck. When she picked them out with her short sword, she discovered that they were transparent but sharp-edged scales, as if shed from fish or reptiles.
After searching around, she found the scales in many places on the deck.
Thus, a picture gradually formed in Li Wen’s mind:
A certain large, long, agile, and physically powerful sea creature silently climbed onto the ship. It was covered in a viscous, cold, and irritating liquid, which was the reason it could climb out of the sea and move in the air. It slithered across the deserted deck, seemingly looking for something. Finally, it stopped before the mast and stayed there for a very long time… No, it didn’t stay.
Li Wen looked up at the mast and indeed found some dark liquid residue on it. It filled the entire mast and flowed down along it to the deck, leaving obvious traces.
This meant that the unknown monster had climbed onto the mast… But what was its intention? And where was it now?
“Ah!”
Princess Victoria, who was not far away, suddenly cried out. Li Wen looked in the direction of the sound and saw the princess pointing at the sea in the distance with surprise, her face showing astonishment, whether from fear or excitement. “Look, there’s a ship.”
Indeed, a large ship was approaching from a distance. It sailed on this deep, calm ocean like a dagger cutting through ink. The ship was lit with countless lights, and numerous figures could be vaguely seen darting about on the prow or deck. The sounds they made even drowned out the sound of the ship sailing.
The ship seemed to be heading for the Adventurer, and was steadily approaching. The two ships had reached an extremely sensitive and dangerous distance – the maximum range of conventional artillery. If either ship were equipped with cannons, this distance would be enough to sink the other.
Li Wen tugged at her cloak, activating her Witch Form, ready for battle.
But in the next second, the lights on that ship shone towards her. The overly bright light pierced directly into her pupils, forcing Li Wen to close her eyes involuntarily.
When she emerged from the dazzling light and dizziness, the ship was close enough to recognize its flag. What was even more unimaginable was that Li Wen was suddenly surrounded by figures.
They were all passengers and sailors on the ship, holding oil lamps or torches. The waves were constantly surging, and the pattering raindrops on her face brought a stinging cold.
It seemed she had escaped from the illusion.
Li Wen searched for Victoria in the crowd, but found no trace of her.
“It’s the Navy! The Kingdom Navy!”
A sailor shouted from the crowd. He had seen the cross emblem with a rose embroidered on the flag, which was the sole identifier of the Kingdom of Arthur’s Navy.
To protect its maritime trade routes and overseas interests, the Kingdom of Arthur had established a powerful maritime fleet with hundreds of warships and tens of thousands of soldiers. In its prime, the number of warships could exceed one thousand. The most powerful and unrivaled among them was undoubtedly the Royal Fleet.
At this moment, Captain Remington of the Adventurer also emerged from the cabin. He gazed into the distance at the massive warship, his deep gaze holding nothing else.
“Send a signal quickly!”
Remington yelled at the sailor on the lookout platform. The sailor then raised the flag and waved it rhythmically.
Shortly thereafter, Li Wen saw a small boat slowly drifting from the direction of the naval ship.
“Everyone, please go back first! The Kingdom Navy has dispatched personnel, and today’s matter can be handed over to them. Please return to your rooms and rest. Captain Remington will give everyone a satisfactory answer tomorrow.”
It seemed that something had also happened on the ship during Li Wen’s absence.
The girl turned her head and happened to see Moria. He wore the robes of a priest, his gaze calm and devoid of anything else.
“When did Miss Mephistopheles come out?”
Li Wen did not answer directly and instead asked, “When did you come out?”
The Glor priest wore a helpless expression, which, of course, he quickly regained his composure. “Miss Mephistopheles was not in the room earlier, and she was not found in the cabin. Just as I thought you had disembarked alone, you appeared here.”
Why would she disembark alone? Li Wen was about to ask, but then she remembered that she did seem to have said something like that today.
“Instead of discussing this…” she changed the subject, “why don’t we see where our little princess is now?”
