Chapter 1093 - To the New World (1/2)
Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“Twin Dragon Island hasn’t been so bustling for a while.”
Thunder said as he stood at the top of the bridge of the “Snow Wind”, watching the boisterous dock down below.
Thousands of people were congregated here, busy loading their ships. From above, they looked like ants moving in a line. The dock area was filled with the yellings of vendors, the shoutings of sailors, as well as the sound of tidal waves foaming on the beach. All these sounds preluded their upcoming journey.
The other side of the dock was packed with sailing ships, their masts soaring into the air, forming a sea that stretched away endlessly.
Thousands of banners and flags streamed in the air, including those of Crescent Moon Bay, Sunset Island and Shallow Water Town. All the influential Chambers of Commerce at the Fjords had gathered here, ready to commence their voyages.
The last time Thunder had attended a big event of this scale was when he had reached 22 years old, when all the Chambers of Commerce had assembled to explore Shadow Waters.
Margaret said smilingly, “Not only Twin Dragon Island but also the entire Fjords are exhilarated by your news. A route that used to be the least profitable has now become the most popular one. The newborn generation is really lucky. They don’t have to risk their lives to become real explorers.”
Thunder curled up his lips into a smile.
He knew Margaret was talking about the route leading to the Festive Harbor.
When the news that “as long as you find something interesting at the Endless Cape, you can claim rewards from the King of Graycastle” spread to the Fjords, the explorer community was stirred.
Fjords people had a crazy obsession with the title “explorer”, for the title represented fame and wealth. However, it was not easy to discover a new sailing route, a new island or a big secret without a large amount of money, and more often than not an attempt would end up being fruitless and might even cost their lives.
Yet the recruitment campaign held by the King of Graycastle had altered everything. He had opened a very well-developed and relatively safe route between the Fjords and the Endless Cape. The brand new port city, the City of Festive, brought huge business opportunities. Even if one did not make any new discoveries, he would at least be able to profit something from this trip.
If one, with a stroke of luck, did find something invaluable, it would be even better.
Plus, the King of Graycastle made it very clear that those ancient ruins might bear a significant relationship to a secret with respect to Three Gods. Anyone who contributed to the revelation of the secret would have a chance to be titled “Honorary Lifetime Explorer” by the king. Although Graycastle, as a kingdom on the continent, employed a different system from the Fjord Islands, this condition for a lifetime explorer was fairly reasonable. As a matter of fact, Fjords people took this requirement more seriously than Graycastle citizens.
After all, the exploration had something to do with their faith in Three Gods.
As the new route was so lucrative, it inevitably raised some suspicions among a few explorers. These skeptical voices, however, were soon drowned out by enthusiastic merchants. The name of the King of Graycastle had spread throughout the whole Fjords market when Chaos Drinks and perfumes had been introduced to the islands. With the democratization of Graycastle commodities at the Fjords and a wide use of paddle steamers, more and more Fjords people started to include Roland Wimbledon in their daily conversations. A stereotype gradually formed among Fjords residents that Neverwinter citizens were all ultra-rich people.
Meanwhile, the foundation of the Joint Chamber of Commerce further strengthened people’s faith in Roland Wimbledon.
Since their employer was a powerful king, it made sense that he set up a relatively high threshold for people to receive that honorable title.
Hearing the news, almost everyone at the Fjords started to take action. There were generally two groups of people. The more experienced and adventurous ones joined Thunder, whereas the others who preferred a safe journey while hoping to make a good fortune out of the trip headed to the Endless Cape, attempting to find themselves a good spot at the Festive Harbor.
Thunder would have never believed a country across the channel could exert such a huge impact on the Fjords if he had not witnessed it himself.
This drastic change had only taken place in the past one or two years.
Thunder said to Margaret as he squinted at the distant horizon that looked like a thin thread of silver, “Thanks to your help. I couldn’t have been dedicated to the exploration if you didn’t take care of the Chamber of Commerce for me. If truth be told, I’m good at nothing but taking adventures. I’m not even a good father. You have helped me so much over the past few years…”
“You should know that I’m most willing to do these things for you,” Margaret answered as she put her hand on the back of Thunder’s. “Doesn’t it hurt one’s feelings to appreciate a person who doesn’t want anything in return? We’re going on a long trip soon. It’s better not to talk about things like this.”