From Robinson Crusoe

At Havel's urging, his fellow sailors hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered the courage to untie the belt binding Havel.

After watching for a while and seeing that no one came in to stop or reprimand them, the sailors were freed one by one.

They fastened their belts back around their waists and sat down on the sofa.

Some people were tending to their companion who had been shot in the leg, while others were listening intently to the sounds outside, but no one dared to push open the door and go outside.

Although the situation seems slightly better now, and the enemy is behaving more mildly, they dare not forget their identity—

captive.

……

In addition to the sofa, the cell also contained two long tables. The light streaming in through the long, narrow windows made the room neither dark nor very bright, which created an indescribable sense of oppression for the Spanish sailors.

They remained silent, except for the occasional groans of the wounded.

Time ticked by, and the sailors heard footsteps overhead, followed by the sound of native language reaching their ears.

It was as if a crowd was walking in a line on the deck; the dense footsteps, the crying of children, and the coughing of women brought the whole ship to life.

The footsteps drew closer, brushing past the prison cell, like a river flowing down to the lower levels of the ship.

After a while, the natives' voices almost disappeared, and the Spanish sailors could no longer hear footsteps. They could only catch the sound of the churning sea outside, occasionally mixed with a few bird calls.

"They captured many natives."

Havel whispered to his companion.

"Is this a slave ship?"

someone asked.

"No, this ship has many strange things about it, just like this group of people. I can't guess where they come from or what they want to do."

Havel answered.

……

Not long after they finished speaking, they suddenly heard a tremor coming from beneath them.

Immediately afterwards, a sound they had never heard before, like the roar of a monster, rang out from below. The sound was rough and hoarse, with a unique rhythm that reminded them of the world-destroying monsters in mythology and Leviathan in the Bible.

"Oh my God!"

Where have I come to? Is this a ship of demons?

A devout believer, his face filled with panic, raised his hand and quickly made the sign of the cross over his chest, trying to bring himself some psychological comfort.

However, even if he drew the cross until it was ruined, he couldn't stop the terrible sound from continuing to disturb them.

At this moment, not only them, but even the natives in the lower cabins were in chaos, trembling and moving towards the side where the noise was quieter, fearing that the monster would break through the walls and eat them.

……

The terrifying noise did not lessen in the slightest despite their reaction; on the contrary, it grew even stronger.

The steam engine, once started, converted fuel into power, propelling the Steelbone through the waves towards the Big Island.

When the ship moved, both the Spanish sailors and the natives brought aboard could feel themselves moving.

The rooms where the natives lived had no windows, and only three oil lamps were lit. The warm yellow light shone on people's faces, but in this dim environment, there were no joyful faces, only fear and bewilderment.

As for the Spanish sailors in the cell, as experienced seafarers, they could clearly sense that the ship had already weighed anchor and started moving.

However, steamships and sailing ships are quite different, and even without seeing the Steelbone's engine room with their own eyes, they could sense it—

This ship does not appear to be propelled by sails.

Javier was the first to react. He looked around the room and saw that he could just stand on the armrest of the sofa and lean against the window to observe the outside. So he walked over and nimbly jumped over, pressing his face against the glass to observe the outside of the ship.

Experienced sailors can determine wind direction by observing the ripples on the sea.

Javier glanced at it and first estimated the ship's speed.

At this moment, the steam engine had just started, and the Steelbone was still in the initial stage of speed. At first glance, the ship's speed did not seem very fast.

17世纪的商船，比如哈维尔他们劫掠南美印加帝国架势的西班牙大帆船船速大约在7~10节（13~18.5公里每小时）。

However, they can only reach a speed of 10 knots when the boat is empty and the wind conditions are excellent. If they encounter headwinds, a speed of 7 knots is a luxury.

Based on his experience, Havel judged that this ship, which used a lot of metal and was carrying a large number of natives, was actually traveling at a speed of about 8 knots.

This is already close to the maximum speed of their merchant ships.

What's even more frightening is that the wind is currently blowing in the opposite direction at sea!

Sailing in a zigzag pattern refers to a situation where a sailboat is struggling to navigate against the wind. The bow of the boat is tilted off course, and the sailboat moves in a zigzag pattern, turning the headwind into a slightly sloping headwind. Although the speed of the sailboat will be greatly reduced due to the headwind, it can still sail normally toward its destination.

Of all the ships Havel had ever seen, warships were the fastest.

Improved galleons can reach speeds of up to 18 knots for short periods, and there is a type of very small galleon that is said to be able to reach 19 knots, but they all have one thing in common: they are all dependent on the weather.

This ship, however, defied this concept; it was sailing entirely against the wind.

The strange thing is that even when it's traveling against the wind, it can still reach this speed—

"Could this ship really be driven by the devil?"

Havel, who had never been religious, began to have doubts. With these doubts in mind, he continued to observe the state of the sea.

A moment later, he made an even more terrifying discovery—

The ship's speed did not decrease due to the headwind; on the contrary, it continued to increase!

From its initial 8 segments to its current nearly 10 segments, it seems to defy the will of nature, swimming in the ocean with some kind of fish-like limbs.

"My God! What have I just seen?"

Seeing this scene that shattered his understanding, Javier jumped off the sofa, clutched his head, and muttered to himself.

The other Spanish sailors, curious about his discovery, gathered around Javier and asked him in hushed tones.

When Javier stated his judgment, these people initially expressed disbelief, thinking that Javier was terrified.

But the sofa armrests weren't locked, and when they stepped on them to look around, they all had the same "seen a ghost" expression as Havel.

One old sailor was so shocked that he kept muttering to himself—

"How could this be? How could this be..."

The sailors aboard the Steelbone had no idea of ​​the awe-inspiring power of the ship their leader had built.

Before starting their new lives, they were all like "frogs in a well," only able to see a small patch of sky. The whole world was developing, but they were stuck in stagnation.

They did not know what technologies outsiders used to build ships, nor how firearms and cannons were invented and utilized.

There is no harm without comparison.

These blank sheets of paper were inscribed with instructions on how to use the Chen rifle from the very beginning, and outlined the driving guidelines for steamships.

The era of sailing ships, along with Chen Zhou's teachings, faded from the world of seafarers.

For sailors, the history of navigation was a leap from canoes to steamships.

As for the several hundred years that passed in between, they do not yet have a clear understanding of them.

Chen Zhou planned to have his contemporary seafarers teach them this knowledge.

Even later researchers of ancient sailing ships could not possibly know as much about them as 17th-century sailors.

Chen Zhou didn't have much knowledge in this area, and being self-aware, he wouldn't dare mislead his students, no matter how much he wanted to teach.

In the event of a future naval battle, his conjectured knowledge and data could very well influence the course of the war and determine the lives of dozens or even hundreds of people.

Chen Zhou was willing to teach the islanders the verified knowledge he had learned in modern times without reservation, but he dared not make up anything he did not know.

This is quite different from many stubborn and self-willed rulers.

……

With ample fuel supply, the steam engine gradually reached full capacity, and the Steelbone reached its theoretical peak speed, leaving a wide ripple in the sea as it headed straight for the island.

The sailors stood on the deck, holding long guns, their faces beaming with joy as they looked towards the islanders who would greet them at the port.

The operation went exceptionally smoothly. They captured the tribal chief after firing only a few shots and also took a group of Spaniards prisoner. According to the sailors' manual, this should be considered a "meritorious service".

Thinking about the rewards they might receive after landing on the island, and even the celebratory banquet that might be held, everyone's face was filled with pride and joy.

Even Sunday, the commander and captain who was usually cold and strict, was unusually gentle.

……

At the bow of the Steelbone, Sunday, dressed in camouflage, stood ramrod straight, with a native girl in loose sailor clothes standing beside him.

He had heard from the tribal chief that the girl came from the Spanish settlement.

People who understand both the indigenous language and Spanish are rare, so Sunday was risky in order to interrogate the Spaniard and obtain more accurate intelligence.

While taking away the native servants with "two tongues" from the Spanish settlement, he also wiped out the entire settlement, capturing the remaining Spanish sailors as well.

On Sunday, Japan planned to search through the Spanish settlements in search of the treasure Chen Zhou had mentioned.

However, his team was short-handed, consisting of only 11 people including himself. They were already struggling to guard the natives and Spanish prisoners, and if they tried to do anything else, they might cause other trouble.

This operation has wiped out all threatening armed forces on the island.

At the speed of the Steelbone, it could make several round trips between the two islands in a single day, sending the prisoners back to the larger island for resettlement. After a short rest, they would soon be able to return to the smaller island.

……

Inside the cell, the Spanish sailors nervously awaited their "final trial."

Although we know that these people are civilized, the cruelty of the civilized world is only more dignified than that of primitive people; the suffering and torment within may be even greater than that of primitive society.

Knowledge makes people more compassionate, but it also teaches them more ways to cause suffering.

How would a foreign land, a strange world, view outsiders? For the sailors, this was a terrifying question.

After all, as outsiders, their attitude towards the local natives was not so friendly.

To put it more accurately, they treated the natives as slaves or even livestock. Judging others by their own standards, they were naturally filled with fear.

Havel had no idea where the ship was headed. Listening to the incessant roar of the steam engine, his heart pounded like the sea being pushed aside by the ship.

I frequently stepped onto the sofa armrest to look out at the sea. The corner of the island that I could see when we were docked at the shore not long ago has long since disappeared, leaving only the boundless blue sea and sky.

Even the most experienced sailor cannot determine direction or deduce destination through such a narrow line of sight.

And this group of people, who seemed to have emerged from some rift in the world, were so mysterious. They spoke a language that Havel had never heard of, and sailed steel ships that Havel had never heard of before, cutting through the waves and traversing the vast ocean under the impetus of some kind of demon or evil energy.

Even if Javier racked his brains, he couldn't fathom what the future held for himself and his companions.

Unable to alleviate his anxiety, Javier was on the verge of collapse several times. He sat on the sofa with his head in his hands, his mind replaying all the experiences he had had since he could remember.

In the years since he became a sailor after being a hunter, he has been a liar, an alcoholic and a smoker, a hot-tempered man, a thief and a swindler, a prostitute, and he has gotten women pregnant and then disappeared. He has done far too many bad things.

Havel heard the pastor say that there are seven deadly sins in the world: pride, envy, sloth, wrath, greed, gluttony, and lust.

Looking back now, he feels that he has truly committed the seven deadly sins, and he inevitably feels some remorse.

However, what Havel regretted was not his past actions, but rather why he had boarded this merchant ship and why he had followed the Killian, whom he had always disliked—

As usual, he blamed his misfortune on others, as if they could control his legs and lead him to the ship and the island.

……

The rumbling sounds deep inside the ship's cabin accompanied Havel's fluctuating thoughts, eventually fading away.

Not long after, Havel was surprised that the destination was so close to the island. He thought the ship had encountered some accident at sea, so he stood up, skillfully stepped onto the sofa, and looked out.

However, before he could see the view outside the window clearly, footsteps came from outside the door.

Knowing he was still a prisoner, and that untying his restraints would be against the rules, Havel dared not spy any further. He quickly jumped off the sofa armrest, squatted on the ground, and cautiously cast his gaze toward the doorway.

Less than two seconds after he crouched down, the door was pushed open by a sailor in a blue uniform.

Seeing that all the prisoners inside had loosened their belts on their own, the sailor did not reprimand them, but simply waved them over.

The security guards following behind him immediately swarmed forward and re-tied the group of unruly individuals with thin but strong steel cables.

This time, however, the Spanish sailors experienced more than just "tightness".

The thin steel cables dug deep into the flesh of the prisoners' wrists. Forget helping their comrades free themselves; even keeping their hands still caused them excruciating pain. (End of Chapter)