Roger encountered none other than Galenbo, the royal navigator of the kingdom.
This fellow had been ordered to survey the maritime borders of the kingdom, but unfortunately encountered the cosmic ascension. At the time, he already felt completing the mission was a distant dream, never imagining that his real troubles had only just begun.
Because he was near the border, a sudden storm left Galenbo’s beloved flagship severely damaged, necessitating major repairs at a shipyard.
Meanwhile, Wu Ming was preoccupied with handling numerous major affairs and naturally paid no attention to this minor figure.
Therefore, after the ship was repaired, Galenbo still lamented that this mission had no hope, yet he had to continue pursuing his unfinished work.
As a navigator, he naturally harbored a strong curiosity for any unknown waters and was eager to explore the new world across the sea.
However, the storm stirred up by Wu Ming was simply too immense. Captain Galenbo could not defy the sailors’ will to survive. Ordering them to charge into the storm would likely see Galenbo himself the first to walk the plank and feed the sharks. Thus, he remained circling in these waters, waiting for the storm to subside before attempting to cross to the other side.
But now, Galenbo had made a new discovery.
“Hmm…”
He raised his monocular telescope. “Indeed, it doesn’t resemble any of the kingdom’s ships. Could it be from across the sea?”
Galenbo’s curiosity was immediately piqued. “Approach it!”
“They’re coming!”
Roger smiled watching the scene unfold. “Our first contact, Adams. Don’t you think this moment is quite historic?”
“Let’s hope everything goes smoothly!”
Old man Adams made a prayer gesture.
“We shall surely prevail, for our Lord watches over us from above!”
Roger declared in a tone reminiscent of a cultist.
“An approaching vessel from the other side?”
While these two could chat leisurely, the captain and sailors had become tense.
After all, in lawless waters, anything could happen. Even a seemingly honest merchant ship could transform into ruthless pirates when faced with immense profit.
In the age of navigation, what sailors and captains had to face and overcome was not only harsh weather, but also human greed!
“Prepare for battle!”
Though he didn’t necessarily believe the other ship came to plunder, the captain still issued the order immediately.
In an instant, all the sailors gripped their weapons, nervously staring at the approaching vessel.
“They don’t understand our flag signals at all?”
As the vessel drew closer, Galenbo could now clearly see the figures aboard the black ship, their identical appearances easing his anxiety slightly.
“I am Galenbo, a royal navigator of the kingdom! Stranger, state your names and origins!”
When they reached a certain distance, he stood on the deck and shouted loudly, but unfortunately, the people on the other side still wore puzzled expressions.
“Completely incomprehensible! It doesn’t seem to be the official language of the Eastern Empire either. Could it be some kind of native dialect?”
The captain rubbed his chin and quickly pulled out a scroll.
This scroll contained a spell, Comprehend Languages, granting him the ability to communicate fluently with natives temporarily.
In the age of great navigation, this was standard equipment for every ship.
After all, the world was vast. Not only were there different races, but even among humans, dialects could vary greatly from one island to another.
To communicate smoothly, avoid misunderstandings, and ultimately conduct business, the ability to understand languages was naturally essential.
If one couldn’t afford a wizard to accompany the voyage, one must prepare numerous scrolls for emergencies.
“Royal navigator of the kingdom—Galenbo?”
After activating the spell, the captain finally understood the other side’s shouting, though his expression became even more puzzled. “Which kingdom?”
Thinking this, he immediately used another spell, Amplify Voice. “Respected Captain Galenbo, I am Captain Kosolong of the Timber Ship! Our vessel encountered a navigational mishap. We would be extremely grateful if you could offer assistance!”
“Lost? Where are you from?”
Galenbo asked immediately.
“We hail from the Pearl Nation in the west, the Iron Wave Port!”
Captain Kosolong replied. “Might I ask which kingdom you are a navigator for?”
At this point, Galenbo was nearly certain that the other vessel carried people from another world, while Captain Kosolong on the other side remained only somewhat suspicious.
However… deception…
Galenbo glanced at his crew of sailors and immediately abandoned the idea.
The encounter had been too sudden; he had neither the time nor the inclination to coordinate false stories with everyone. Even if he did have the time, whether these sailors could convincingly act was another huge question.
“I come from the Kingdom of Seer!”
Thus, Galenbo took a deep breath and told the truth. “Foreigner, you have entered the waters of our kingdom!”
“The Kingdom of Seer?”
Initially, Kosolong was quite puzzled, as his world was vast, filled with countless islands. It seemed plausible that some native had established a kingdom there.
“If they dare call themselves a kingdom, it must be quite large, right?”
Kosolong mused inwardly, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.
An unknown kingdom—what did that represent? It was practically an endless gold mine!
Thinking of this, he immediately switched to his most sincere smile. “It is a great honor to meet you, my friend, Captain Galenbo, the royal navigator of the kingdom!”
“The feeling is mutual!”
Galenbo hesitated slightly. “If you don’t mind, could we sit down and talk in detail?”
“My pleasure!”
Kosolong smiled in reply.
On the deck, Roger, who had been secretly observing everything, exhaled in relief. “Fortunately, they didn’t come to blows immediately. Otherwise, we’d have a real problem on our hands—we can’t allow our sailors to be captured, nor can we use powers beyond our limits…”
…
A few days later, the two ships sailed side by side into Emerald Harbor.
“This is our country’s largest port!”
Galenbo proudly introduced it to Kosolong.
“Hmm, indeed, there are many ships and people…”
After observing for this period, Kosolong was basically certain that this Kingdom of Seer was not an existing kingdom but a newly arrived foreign power.
Not only he, but even the crew members had noticed, their excitement growing like bulls with bloodshot eyes.
A new continent, inhabited by humans and ruled by a kingdom—truly a great treasure!
Even establishing a stable route and trade channel would likely provide them with benefits for a lifetime.
“Apologies… since our kingdom has never previously received foreign visitors, I must return to seek instructions…”
Galenbo said apologetically.
“Please, by all means!”
Kosolong tried his best to appear gentlemanly. “Additionally, the long voyage has left my sailors exhausted. I hope there’s no problem with them resting and recuperating here in the port?”
With the manpower and resources of just one ship, he could not possibly resist a kingdom. Even if he wanted to act like pirates, such a small crew would be insufficient and highly uneconomical.
Therefore, Kosolong had submitted, planning to use Galenbo’s connections to gain an audience with the king or some high-ranking noble to see what benefits he could reap.
At the very least, he wanted to secure trading rights. If he could obtain an exclusive license, that would be even better.
With this certification, he was confident he could attract sufficient investment back in Iron Wave Port and assemble a fleet.
If successful, perhaps he could spend the rest of his life lounging around counting money.
“Of course!”
Perhaps due to Kosolong’s consistent cooperation, Galenbo hesitated slightly but eventually nodded in agreement.
Thus, the sailors who had previously remained aboard the ship immediately rushed joyfully toward the nearest taverns and the women there like unleashed dogs.
Although there were still language barriers, through a mix of gestures and universally accepted gold and silver coins, they still managed to conduct business successfully.
Roger and Adams also changed into local attire and walked along the exotic street.
Unlike those struggling sailors, they had invested in the Comprehend Languages spell for themselves, enabling fluent conversation with vendors and merchants, secretly gathering intelligence.
As the kingdom’s largest seaport, the market in Emerald Harbor was bustling with activity.
Whether it was the specialties of the Windfly Plains, the highland’s refined iron weapons, the wolf pelts and deer antlers from Storm’s Cape, or the books from the University City, all manner of goods were available in abundance.
“Lord Roger, Captain Kosolong has now completed the initial contact with the Kingdom of Seer. What should we do next?”
After purchasing numerous books and local products, Adams lowered his voice and asked Roger.
“Next… we simply need to wait!”
A slight smile appeared on Roger’s lips. “The sudden appearance of outsiders in a previously isolated kingdom—don’t you think this is a huge matter? The legendary king of this realm, and other high-ranking nobles, will soon receive this news.”
Adams fell silent.
In truth, he was well aware that their group was merely a vanguard.
Surviving the storm and reaching this new world was already a stroke of luck. The following task, though not particularly difficult, was merely one of contact.
They needed to make contact with the kingdom’s most powerful legendary king, the Conqueror, the ageless dragon, William Wallace, and also engage with the influential factions within the country, revealing the goodwill of their backing force.
Of course, the king would likely not show them any kindness, but as long as other nobles saw that there were alternative options, that would be sufficient!
After all these years, the western nations had seen everything. They naturally understood the nature of nobles well.
In any kingdom, there were those who benefited from the status quo and those whose interests were harmed. When they discovered there were other choices, they would waver and even become collaborators.
Although the king’s authority was immense, it was not immune to gradual erosion at its very roots.
Every ruler understood the principle of boiling a frog in warm water.
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