Chapter 166: Landing

Chapter 166: Landing

TL: Etude

The Southern slowly docked at the pier. Despite the bustling activity in the harbor area, it still attracted the curious gazes of many, including merchants, porters, and tourists, who paused to observe this peculiar vessel.

Alright, gentlemen who have come from afar.

The Astan official began speaking, but this time in the language of Ordo.nove(l)bi(n.)com

Horn Bay, as a current hub for international trade, is a place where most upper-echelon individuals are proficient in several foreign languages. Linguistic researchers have found that the languages used by countries in the western part of the continent, such as Ordo, Horn Bay, and the Gabella Empire, belong to the same human language family and share many similarities in grammar. Therefore, for a Horn Bay native, learning the Ordonese language isnt much of a challenge.

According to the rules, we need to inspect your cargo and tax it based on the type and quantity.

Quik was delighted, So you can speak our language too, thats great!

Uh Mr. Officer, weve come this time just to explore future trade opportunities, so we havent brought any real merchandise for sale. So, about this tax

However, the officer insisted, Even so, we still need to perform an inspection.

His gaze first fell on the cannons mounted on both sides of the deck.

What are these?

The officer leaned closer to the cannons, reaching out to touch the gun metal. He could tell that they were cast in metal, possibly bronze?

Graymans military was equipped with a powerful flame-throwing weapon, but this news had only circulated in a few territories near Alda and was unknown in Horn Bay, thousands of miles to the south.

Quik bluffed, These are weapons we use against pirates. When pirates try to climb aboard, we fill these with flammable materials and ignite them through that small hole. Its like the legendary dragons, spewing flames to attack the enemy!

The officer was skeptical, Does this thing really work? It sounded like a wildly imaginative invention.

Quik pretended to be bashful, Heh, weve been lucky not to encounter any pirates on our way, so they havent been tested in actual combat.

As for naval warfare, crossbow cannons are the way to go. They are a powerful weapon, continually improved and tested over centuries.

The officer beamed with pride, We have weapon merchants here selling various types of crossbows. If youre interested, you can take a look. Of course, the best ones are undoubtedly those produced in Asta

He went on and on about the superior qualities of the weapons produced by his city-state, leaving everyone sweating. Was it in the nature of Horn Bay people to do business? Even an administrative official was pitching sales.

Quik compromised, realizing that being in unfamiliar territory, it was better to endure for the moment. He was no longer the unrestrained pirate chief of the past.

After paying a sum in customs duties and a port management fee, the crew of the Southern was finally allowed to disembark.

Leaving the first mate to guard the Southern with 20 men, Quik led another 20 ashore at the Astan port.

Bustling! Utterly bustling!

That was the first impression this Horn Bay city gave.

The newcomers from Northwest Bay were utterly overwhelmed.

Firstly, the architecture. The buildings here were like artworks in their eyes, adorned with exquisite reliefs, tall and beautiful, made of what seemed like expensive stone or burnt red bricks.

Moreover, the entire dock area was paved with stone bricks, which meant there was no worry of muddy roads even in the rain.

In contrast, the houses in Northwest Bay were low and squat, lacking aesthetic appeal. While the towns were a bit better, the villages didnt care much for aesthetics due to financial constraints, with many houses made of thatch, mud, and random stones.

Then, there were the people. They had never seen so many people gathered in one place, with different skin colors, clothing, adornments, and speaking distinctly different languages. The crew of the Southern had never imagined a world with so many different kinds of humans.

Several apprentice sailors hopped and scampered about, prompting Quik to assign someone to each of them to prevent them from getting lost.

Even the adult sailors were agape, and the so-called worldly merchant representatives werent much better.

Hey, look at that! Those peoples outfits are so strange.

Dont act like youve never seen the world. Its embarrassing to walk with you.

And youre one to talk. Who was it that had their eyes bulging out just now?

Sounds of amazement continued among the group.

The only one who remained unfazed in this crowd was Mr. Derrick.

Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/jUm4wCfDxd

Consider supporting me on kofi! /etudetranslations