I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 493 Trouble

Outside the window, the midday sun blazed brightly in the gardens of Bagnia Palace, while Chris reviewed documents in his cool and quiet office.

At that moment, a knock sounded on the door, and the expressionless clerk pushed the door open and entered.

"Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief Isaac is here to pay his respects."

"Invite him over."

Soon, Isaac arrived before Chris, bringing with him an urgent and strange matter.

"Send the second batch ahead of schedule?"

Chris put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and asked a question with feigned doubt.

"The first group of a thousand penitents who set off, based on their itinerary, should have only recently arrived on Casarina Island, and may not even have been fully engaged in the battle yet."

"That is so, your majesty."

Isaac nodded, his face, with its prominent brow bone, filled with confusion.

"Ambassador Alvarez's request was unusually urgent, and there was a hint of embarrassment in his tone."

Chris laughed; he couldn't keep up the act any longer.

“Reply to him that Bagnia can mobilize the second batch of mercenaries ahead of schedule, and even get them on board and off within two weeks... no, within a week, but on the condition that the total amount of mercenary fees stipulated in the contract be increased by twenty percent.”

A look of surprise flashed across Isaac's face.

"Your Majesty, isn't this a bit inappropriate? If we're unwilling, we can simply refuse. Why go through all this..."

Why take advantage of someone's misfortune?

Chris continued for him, and he gently shook his head.

“Isaac, don’t rush to ask me. Just tell him this: if he’s unwilling, he’s unwilling. Follow the contract. If he insists on expediting, then ask him why.”

Chris stood up, walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, and turned his back to Isaac so that the latter could not see his expression.

"Alvarez probably won't tell you anything. You can ask again: what's the situation of the first batch of mercenaries, our thousand-plus mercenaries? How many of them are still breathing?"

Chris's words were like a match struck in the darkness. Commander-in-Chief Isaac understood, and anger appeared on his face... Despite not having been in a high position for long, he still maintained his original public-spirited qualities.

"How dare they..."

His voice was low with anger.

"They dared to use the blood and flesh of our soldiers to cover up their mistakes!"

After saying that, Isaac turned and ran out, seemingly to confront Ambassador Alvarez.

Well, it seems things have changed. I don't remember if Isaac remembers saying he asked Ambassador Alvarez to raise the price.

It's okay if he doesn't remember; Chris doesn't need these small sums. He just doesn't want the Maconians to think that Bagnian soldiers are cheap.

……

The sea breeze on Casarina Island carries a salty, damp smell and the dry, distinctive scent of wood.

"Not happy, not playing" was strolling leisurely on a high slope, squinting as he surveyed the bustling scene below.

He has plenty of free time now. On the island, none of the players have any tasks and are in a resting state, so if he's not happy and doesn't want to play, he can just go out and wander around.

In his observation, on one side was the bustling dock area, where large and small boats that had been frightened away by the snake people were crowded together like a school of fish, with masts standing tall and the shouts of loading and unloading cargo faintly audible.

On the other side is the island's main town, with neatly arranged houses and even a bustling market.

However, between the two lies a rather wide, almost barren buffer zone, more than five kilometers long, with only a few compacted dirt roads connecting them like thin threads.

"strangeness……"

He muttered to himself, clearly annoyed, and unconsciously scratched his head.

He was a veteran player who had explored countless port cities in games, from fantasy-themed scrolling headlines to medieval-themed Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but he had never seen a city layout like this before.

Normally, docks and cities are inextricably linked; docks are the city's tentacles reaching out to the sea, and cities are the soil in which docks take root. But here, the two are like strangers deliberately keeping their distance.

Unhappy and unwilling to play, he picked up the monocular telescope he had specially obtained from the Macon logistics department and scanned the buffer zone.

It wasn't completely empty; there were some large, simply structured sheds and courtyards scattered around, and further away, there were neatly piled-up piles of... timber, like small mountains.
It was indeed all kinds of timber. Large logs were neatly stacked, and pre-processed square timbers were piled into high walls. In some areas, warm smoke and dust were emanating from the ground, as if the drying kiln was in operation.

The mindset of someone who loves exploring game lore and won't play if they're unhappy with it quickly kicked in.

Why separate the city and the port?

Unless there is something about the dock area itself, or the industries associated with it, that makes city residents unwilling to go near it?

noise?

pollute?

Or... is it dangerous?
His gaze returned to the timber processing plants and the mountains of timber, and an idea flashed through his mind like a spark.

Such a large and diverse stockpile of timber is certainly not just for meeting the island's own construction or fuel needs.

Considering Casarina Island's location outside the storm belt, the answer is almost obvious.

"Ship repair..."

"I'm not happy, I won't play," he muttered, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

This island was not a typical trading colonial port; it was a large service station specializing in ship repair and resupply.

Ships passing through storm belts are prone to hull damage, mast breakage, and the need to replace planks is commonplace.

Casarna Island clearly provides this kind of critical repair service, where ships, whether departing or returning to the Greek mainland after completing trade, would anchor and undergo repairs.

The mountains of timber were "spare parts" prepared for various types of ships.

The reason why the city is a bit far from the port is quite simple.

The processing of wood, especially cutting and drying, requires a large space and is accompanied by noise, dust, and even the risk of fire.

The repair of large ships is an even more massive undertaking, with the sounds of hammering and sawing never ceasing day and night.

Needless to say, the maintenance area is bound to be filled with flammable materials. In the event of a fire, the fire could easily spread with the help of the sea breeze. Separating the residential area from the dangerous industrial area and the storage yard is the most basic safety consideration.

"Ah, so it's a large maritime post station and dock."

The phrase "If you're unhappy, don't play" finally resolved the doubts in my mind.

The island’s prosperity was not based on regular trade or production, but on solving “trouble” for passing ships.

"That's a bit troublesome." Unhappy and unwilling to play, he scratched his head, feeling a bit of a headache.

The key to why players were able to defeat the snakemen in the dock battle a few days ago, instead of being completely wiped out, was the appearance of three flamethrowers later on.

Knowing how useful the flamethrower was, players naturally wanted to get more of it. So, many suggested that if you're unhappy and don't want to play, go to the logistics officer of the Macon Alliance and ask him to bring you more flamethrowers.

I was unhappy and didn't want to play, but I still did it, and I kept getting told off.

He found it strange that the logistics officer would give players guns, armor, and cannons when they asked the Macon people, but when they asked for flamethrowers, he would remain silent and refuse to comply no matter what they said.

At first, Bu Shuang Bu Wan thought it was because the Macon Alliance's industrial capacity was insufficient to produce flamethrowers, so he suggested that the logistics officer purchase them from the Kingdom of Bagnia.

The Dragon Breath Flamethrower is quite good; it's powerful, has a long range, and is a good weapon for dealing with snake people.

It now appears that the Maconians were reluctant to equip players with flamethrowers in order to protect the island's trees.

This is going to be tricky.

Last night, during a meeting with other players, someone mentioned that with so many trees on the island and the snake people not creating any swamps, a fire attack would be a quick way to kill the snakes.

This suggestion was, of course, rejected by "Unhappy and Unplayable" and other players.

A fire on the mountain, and the police chief at the foot of the mountain falls in love with me... Just kidding. In this world, there are no police stations. The reason why I'm not happy, don't want to play, and don't want to carry out the tactic of setting the mountain on fire is because such a thing could easily hurt myself.

Fire has no constant form, and water has no constant shape.

Setting a fire in a dense jungle is risky; if not controlled properly, the fire will spread, and not only the snake people, but they themselves will be roasted like sweet potatoes... Especially on islands surrounded by the sea, the wind is stronger, and even a tiny spark can fly far away.

Fine, if the flamethrower can't be used, then we won't use it.

He wasn't too bothered by the matter, even though he didn't want to play anymore. It was obvious that the game developers had banned flamethrowers, but he didn't feel disgusted by the ban; on the contrary, he found it amusing.

Because this is a reasonable limitation set by utilizing the game's environment and logic, it actually increases the realism of the challenge and the depth of strategy.

It's better than some games that impose rules like "this door can't be opened from this side," which restricts player behavior.

Dissatisfied, he put away his binoculars and decided to stop observing from afar and instead go to the dock area to find out for himself.

He walked down the gentle slope toward the bustling dock.

The closer you get to the dock, the stronger the salty smell of the sea breeze becomes, mixed with the smell of seawater soaking wood, fish, asphalt, and... a faint, sweet aroma of beer mixed with sweat.

Ugh, this smell is really unpleasant, but it's also because of this smell that my dislike for the game has increased a little.

Even the smell simulation is so realistic, which proves that the game is really sincere.

When Bushuangbuwan walked into the dock, he could easily see that compared with the neat town in the distance, the dock area appeared rough and messy. The road surface was compacted mud, and various cables, barrels and boat equipment waiting for repair were piled up on both sides.

The presence of those who refused to play due to dissatisfaction stood in stark contrast to the rough-skinned, slovenly-dressed sailors and workers on the docks who shouted loudly.

He was dressed in a relatively clean and neat Bagnya military uniform, with a handsome and fair face, and his eyes showed observation and thought rather than numbness or fatigue. All of this made Bu Shuang Bu Wan stand out like a sheep that had strayed into a pack of wolves.

Before long, my attention, which was not in a good mood, was drawn to the unusually dense array of signs on both sides of the road.

It wasn't a repair shop or a fishing tackle shop, but rather a series of taverns.

"Song of the Siren", "House of the Wavebreakers", "Anchor and Glass", "Old Sailors' Rest"... The signs are all different, but their functions seem to be similar.

Even on the hottest afternoons, the doors of these taverns are mostly open, and loud laughter, rough singing, and the clinking of glasses and plates can be heard from inside.

What caught BuShuangBuWan off guard was that some brightly dressed, voluptuous women were standing at the entrance of some taverns. They seemed to have long been accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the docks and had developed a keen eye for people.

When the unhappy man passed by, several pairs of eyes immediately locked onto him, this "new face" and "pretty boy".

A red-haired woman wearing a low-cut, fitted long dress that revealed a large expanse of snow-white skin leaned against the door frame of "The Siren's Song," looking him up and down without any hesitation, a professional yet slightly provocative smile playing on her lips.

She even deliberately pulled down her already loose sleeves to make her cleavage more noticeable, and then gently waved the handkerchief that smelled of cheap perfume in her hand in the direction she was unhappy about.

"Hey~ Handsome young man from Bagnia~"

The red-haired woman's voice had a sweet, husky quality.

"You look so travel-worn, you must be very hot. Why don't you come in and have a drink?"
We have the strongest ale in all of Casarna here; it'll not only relieve fatigue but also help you cool down!

A slightly older but still charming brown-haired woman standing at the entrance of the "Wavebreakers' Home" next door also chimed in with a smile.

"Come over here, Bagnia, we have some freshly roasted salted fish, you'll want more after you try it!"

She deliberately puffed out her chest, her movements bold and assertive.

"I'm not happy, I won't play: "..."

His face flushed slightly, he smiled awkwardly, and then subconsciously looked away.

Although he was a veteran gamer who had seen it all in various games, he still found the overly "realistic" and direct NPC interactions a bit overwhelming.

If you're unhappy and don't want to play, quicken your pace, pretend you didn't hear, look away, and start thinking fast.

"This dock... there are way too many taverns here."

He muttered to himself, putting the slight embarrassment behind him, and his habitual analytical mode kicked in again.

"The devil... Repairing the ship takes time, ranging from a few days to several weeks or even months. The sailors and passengers are stranded on the island with nothing to do, so they naturally need a place to pass the time and vent their frustrations."

Gambling, drinking, and seeking women—these are the oldest and most direct needs.

The dense concentration of taverns and women soliciting customers perfectly illustrates Casarina's role as a "sea repair station".

This area has a large number of temporarily stranded migrant workers, forming a unique consumer market.

"It seems that, besides ship repair and timber sales, these supporting 'service industries' probably contribute a significant portion to the island's economy..."

He seemed lost in thought, not wanting to play.

"The Macon Union probably takes a lot of taxes from these taverns too."

At the same time, he also realized that this kind of place, where all sorts of people mingle and information flows very quickly, might also be a good place to gather information.

Those sailors who drank too much would always let slip some true or false rumors, about the sea route, about storms, about the snake people on the island.

However, the price of going in to gather information might be dealing with those overly "enthusiastic" maids.

Feeling annoyed, I touched my face. For the first time, I realized that the character model was too detailed, which could sometimes be a hassle.

He decided to wander around some more and observe the size and customer flow of these taverns, which might allow him to more accurately estimate the number and value of the island's transient population.

As for going in for a drink?
Let's wait until we need information, then find a small, seemingly chaotic corner restaurant where the information is most readily available, but the maids aren't so "proactive."

(End of this chapter)