The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 253 The Archipelago Nation
The next morning, Eric woke up and looked out of the cabin window, only to find that he could see land.

Upon reaching the deck, the bay in the distance opened its arms to the Queen Vermeer. The sea was calm, and there were quite a few ships anchored in the bay. Beyond the bay lay a vast island that stretched as far as the eye could see on either side.

They have arrived at the main island of the archipelago nation.

"We've arrived?" Natalia also came out of the cabin.

“This is it.” Eric turned to look at her. “How is Your Highness feeling?”

Natalia gazed into the distance for a while. "It's closer to a normal harbor than I originally imagined, but it seems a little smaller than the descriptions I've heard over the past few days."

Eric also looked ahead, "Most rumors are unreliable; many things need to be witnessed firsthand."

It took the Queen Wimer more than an hour to go from entering the bay to docking.

Compared to Xifeng Harbor in Goddess Bay, the port inspection was much more lenient. A middle-aged man dressed as a sailor rowed over in a small boat, boarded, glanced around casually, and then left. He was quite direct in asking the captain for money.

The captain seemed to be used to it, and his action of taking out money was even more decisive as he handed over a money bag.

In front of the captain, the man opened his money bag, poured out the gold coins inside, counted them, then tilted his head, raised his eyebrows, and looked at the captain. It was hard to tell from his expression whether he was satisfied or not.

The captain said something to him, and he then took a sign out of his pocket and tossed it to the captain.

The captain handed the plaque to the first mate, who, along with a sailor, disembarked and rowed a small boat to shore.

A moment later, the two men, carrying another person, returned to the bow of the Queen Vermeer and led the ship into port.

As the Queen Vermeer slowly approached the shore, Natalia glanced around the harbor and whispered to Eric, "Who are those people hanging in the harbor?"

Eric squinted for a moment. “Looks like pirates. This should be some kind of warning. The archipelago is in chaos. Although it’s nominally a ‘nation,’ the actual rulers are the most powerful group of pirates.”

Natalia sighed, recalling the documents she had read on the ship over the past few days. "I never imagined we'd have to deal with pirates again."

"In some ways, this is a good thing."

Eric shook his head. "Pirates are ruthless. If it weren't for this group of pirates who can keep us in check, and we had our own people recruiting merman mercenaries here, we'd probably be overrun every few days. By paying the protection fee to the most powerful group now, at least we don't have to worry about being harassed by other bandits for the time being."

Natalia paused for a moment, watching the shore draw ever closer, then sighed, "I still wonder if I'm deliberately inviting trouble. If we drive away the demons, the merfolk will become a new threat..."

“Your Highness is overthinking it. The reason the demons are the biggest threat is mainly because they possess intelligence similar to that of humans, while the merfolk are naturally less intelligent and easier to control,” Eric reassured him. “They may become a hidden danger, but it’s unlikely they will become a real threat.”

Natalia looked at him and slowly nodded.

Before long, the Queen Vermeer docked at the shore. The merchants who had come with them disembarked cautiously yet impatiently, eager to find buyers for their goods.

Eric and his two companions then followed one of the merchants, Marco, ashore.

"Your Highnesses, please rest at the inn for a while. I'll go and smooth things over; it's been a long time since I've been here."

"it is good."

Marco was the man recommended to them by Governor Danvers, who said he knew many people and had a certain network of connections in the archipelago. They needed him to pave the way and lay the foundation for establishing a stable recruitment station here.

After Marco left, Eric didn't go straight into the hotel, but instead looked in the direction he had gone.

"They said they were going to smooth things over, but they were actually worried about the goods they brought with them."

Natalia looked in the same direction as him. "After all, he brought more than half of the cargo on this voyage."

"So many?" Eric exclaimed in surprise.

Natalia nodded. "I heard it from the captain."

"Well... at least on the other hand, his relationships here are indeed solid."

Eric turned and went into the hotel. "Other merchants are all very cautious; they wouldn't dare bring so much stuff."

Natalia smiled and said that was right.

The inns on this island also accept the common gold coins from the mainland. The three of them asked for three adjacent rooms, with Eric still in the middle. They were now staying on an island controlled by pirates, which was also for safety reasons.

After settling into the room, Eric walked to the window and peered out.

They were near the port, and could see the large ships at the dock from their hotel.

It is said that the situation on this island has only stabilized in the last ten years or so. Although the island is not small, it was originally a pirate stronghold. Although it has developed to a certain scale, it has not yet formed a real city, at most it can be considered to have a little bit of a prototype.

He didn't close the door, and Natalia walked right in. "Are we going to wait here until Marco sells all his goods?"

“That will probably take a few days.” Eric looked away. “I plan to explore the island first and get a feel for it.”

This was exactly what Natalia had anticipated, and that was also her plan.

Kasha naturally went with them.

As they went downstairs and prepared to leave the hotel, the hotel owner stopped them, reminding them not to wander too far on the island, as their safety would not be guaranteed once they left the designated area.

"What does 'specific area' refer to?"

“For example, here,” the innkeeper said. “You can find almost anything near the port. Whether you want to eat, drink, or play with sirens, you can get it all. As long as you don’t cause trouble, you’re absolutely safe here.”

“Okay, I’ll be careful,” Eric said.

As they left the inn, Natalia said in a low voice, "It seems that even the most powerful pirates haven't been able to completely control this place."

“It might just be easier to manage people who land on the island by confining them to one area,” Eric said, turning to look at Kasha on the other side. “If you want to explore the island on your own, you’d better pay attention to the timing of your transformation and make sure you’re safe.”

Kasha nodded, indicating that she understood.

Having received the warning, the three of them didn't go too far this time. They lingered around the hotel, wandering through an area that was more like a settlement than a town.

Although it looked rather simple, it was indeed as the hotel owner had said: taverns and brothels had everything, and the island's service industry, while not exactly sophisticated, was at least quite comprehensive.

The islands are barren, and apart from some seafood, they can produce almost nothing. They rely on the mainland for most of their food, clothing, and daily necessities—in the past, they relied on plunder, and now they rely on trade.

What he saw was basically the same as the main island of the archipelago nation in Eric's memory. There was a safe functional area near the landing point with merchants, blacksmiths, and warehouse NPCs. Players also set up stalls here to buy and sell. Outside this area, it was all monster spawning zone.

The only monsters you can farm are pirates and murlocs, and you can't just attack them indiscriminately on the island right now.

Pirates are not easy to distinguish, but fishmen are easy to spot. They roam all over the island, especially near the port, where they obediently work as laborers.

After wandering around for a while, the three of them returned to the dock at the port.

"Five copper coins per trip, from that ship to that warehouse over there, is that possible?"

A merchant who had traveled with them on the Queen Vermeer was haggling with a group of fishmen squatting on the dock.

The price seemed unfair, and the fishmen fell silent. The merchant could only raise the price to ten copper coins, at which point some fishmen immediately stood up.

"Give me half first," said the first merman to stand up.

"I don't have any copper coins on me. I'll give you a silver coin when I've saved up enough. My goods are all here. Do you think I'd run away?" the merchant said.

The fish-man's eyes darted around, and his dorsal fin twitched, as if he was thinking, before he agreed.

The other merfolk crowded around, splattering their slime onto the merchant. He looked disgusted, raised his hand, and shouted, "Two are enough! Two are enough!"

Besides the first merman, he picked another one, and the two mermen boarded the ship with him.

“For every man who’s willing to do hard labor here, there’s someone who’s willing to go to the mainland as a mercenary,” Eric said, as they watched the whole thing from a short distance away.

Natalia nodded slightly. "I just don't know what price would be enough to persuade them."

"Let's see," Eric said, indicating that he would continue to observe.

A short while later, the two merfolk who had followed the merchant aboard the Queen Vermer disembarked from the ship, each carrying a wooden crate.

"The fishmen are so strong?" Natalia exclaimed in surprise. "I remember those wooden crates were quite heavy."

“That’s their innate talent,” Eric said. “Orcs are naturally strong, but the price of hiring the cheapest orc is enough to hire five murlocs.”

The merchant followed the two fishmen off the ship. The fishmen carried the goods steadily, but their faces showed more dissatisfaction than anything else.

"Only one box at a time? You guys aren't that weak. Carry one on your left shoulder and one on your right shoulder, that's how the mermen carried them when I last came to see them."

The two fishmen simply carried on in silence.

“This won’t do; we’ll have to renegotiate the price.” The merchant kept rambling on, but Eric didn’t see the two mermen respond to him even after they had walked away. Natalia frowned, watching. “Are there really mermen who can carry two wooden crates that heavy at the same time?”

“Of course we have, didn’t we see it in Sunset Harbor?” Eric replied.

Natalia's eyes widened slightly. "Really... I didn't notice."

“But the difference between these two types of merfolk is like the difference between a novice human adventurer and a third-tier warrior. A merfolk who can carry two wooden crates at once, who would come here to wait to be a laborer? They’d either be sailors on a ship or go kill sailors on a ship… I mean, they’d be pirates.” Seeing her looking at him with a slightly puzzled expression, Eric added.

Natalia thought for a moment, "What we need is..."

“This level is enough.” Eric pointed to the merman laborers waiting for work not far away. “They are strong enough, more numerous, and cheaper.”

She nodded.

Eric looked around for a while, then turned his gaze back and found that Natalia was still staring at the group of fishmen.

"Has the investigation already begun?"

She gave a brief laugh and looked away.

“You’re back,” Kasha suddenly said.

The two followed her gaze and saw two fishmen heading towards the port.

"Are these the two merfolk who were just hired by that merchant?" Natalia asked.

Kasha nodded.

"You actually recognized them?" Eric exclaimed in surprise. To him, male fish-men, these humanoid creatures without human faces, all looked exactly the same. Who could distinguish two fish of the same species just by looking at their faces?
Kasha tilted her head, clearly not quite understanding what he was saying either.

This was probably one of the abilities of the Nature Druids, Eric thought.

The merchant didn't appear with them; he was probably waiting at the warehouse. The two fishmen boarded the ship and each carried a wooden crate down.

"It seems a deal has been reached," Eric said.

"But I don't know which side compromised." Natalia watched the two fishmen walk away. Whether they were carrying boxes or not, their pace was the same.

"Hmm?" She suddenly narrowed her eyes.

Eric looked over, his eyes narrowing.

A moment later, a familiar figure came from the other side of town.

"Marco."

"Your Highnesses!" Marco walked towards the three of them. "What's wrong? Does that inn not meet your requirements?"

“No, but you can’t expect us to stay in the hotel forever,” Eric said.

“Ah.” Marco bowed slightly, a smile plastered on his face. “You’re right, it was my oversight. I should have found some entertainment for the two princes…”

“No need, we can just look around here.” Eric pointed to the Queen Vermeer in the harbor. “You’re busy.”

"..."

Marco was somewhat embarrassed, "Your Highness..."

“Don’t worry about it.” Eric looked at him. “I know you brought a lot of goods with you. I’m not at ease if you don’t get rid of them.”

Natalia continued, "Things should be done one step at a time. Once Mr. Marco finishes his own business, he should be able to focus on contacting acquaintances for us."

The merchant was deeply moved. "Your Highnesses... I truly don't know how to express my gratitude for your trust in me."

“Repay them with actions,” Eric waved again toward the docks, “but that’s for later. You go ahead and get busy.”

"no problem!"

Marco readily agreed and then went to the group of merman laborers. "Eight copper coins a trip, five people come, and we'll settle the payment when we're done."

The merchant boarded the ship with five fishmen.

A moment later, he disembarked with five fishmen carrying goods, bowed and greeted Eric and his companions again as they passed by, and then headed toward the town.

Once he was out of sight, Eric said, "Let's go. We've seen enough. We can go back to the hotel now."

As for why he didn't travel with Marco, it was because he didn't want to hear the flattery he was already tired of hearing again.

Natalia shared the same thought.

The three walked back to the other side of town, returned to their hotel, and went back to their respective rooms.

After staying in the room for a while, Eric heard a thud from the next room, as if something had fallen to the ground.

He looked over there.

Natalia's room.

It seems the soundproofing here isn't very good...

He looked at the other room and sighed silently.

Natalia picked up the book that had fallen to the ground, looked at the spine, and breathed a slight sigh of relief when she found that it wasn't broken.

She was distracted for a moment, and her hand loosened its grip, causing the heavy book to slip from her grasp and fall to the ground.

She put the book down, got up and walked to the window, gazing at the harbor not far away.

There seemed to be one less of the large ships moored there, but it also seemed like she was mistaken.

The number of fishmen traveling between the port and this town was not small, making trip after trip, carrying heavy loads or walking empty-handed, at roughly the same speed. She could hardly help but imagine what these fish-headed mercenaries looked like on the battlefield.

Is it cheap and easy to use...?

Natalia leaned out the window, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

The daytime passed by in the footsteps of the fishmen walking past downstairs.

By evening, when Kasha, who had flown away at some unknown time, returned to the hotel, Eric also knocked on the door of Natalia's room next door. The three of them went downstairs together and found a place to fill their stomachs.

"These things are really expensive..."

Even though she rarely spends money herself, Natalia still has a certain understanding of normal prices after coming all the way from Lutia. Here in the tavern, a piece of ordinary lamb leg costs almost four or five times the price on the mainland.

“They’re all imported, after all.” Eric tore into the steak in his hand. “They were imported from where we came from.”

Natalia stared at the lamb leg in her hand. "How many merman mercenaries could this leg be traded for?"

"...Your Highness, it's best not to think about this too much, otherwise you won't be able to eat, and you'll be thinking about how many fishmen you could hire for the money you spend on a night at the inn." Eric told her to relax and eat heartily.

"How many can we hire?" Natalia asked, prompted by the reminder.

"I don't know, I was just saying it offhand."

"……All right."

After the three of them finished eating and drinking, they came out of the tavern. The sky outside was almost completely dark, and there were very few lights on nearby. It was dim everywhere. Judging from the tavern owner's words, this was probably a common occurrence on the island.

"It's dark already? Not a single star can be seen? That means a storm is coming."

Because of the three's generosity, the tavern owner added a word of advice: "That's how it is at sea; the weather can change at any time. You should go back to the inn as soon as possible."

When I got back to the hotel, the windows in my room were rattling loudly in the wind.

Eric couldn't help but grumble; it would be terrible if the window were blown out in the middle of the night.

I went downstairs to find the hotel owner, who said that the doors and windows had been reinforced and that the noise would only last one night at most, but would definitely not be blown away.

"It'll be booming all night... Will the storm last all night?"

"Hard to say."

Eric went upstairs, thought for a moment, and then pushed open the door to Kasha's room.

(End of this chapter)