Chapter 419: Historic Breakthrough!

Early morning, Shoal Bay.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the gorgeous morning glow was shrouded under the illumination of the rising sun; the light refracted in the morning mist and scattered, reflecting shimmering golden light on the sea surface.

Compared to those noble lords in the White Cliff District who were still immersed in the depths of their dreams, the civilians in the Saltwater District had already begun their day's work.

And as the true core of Shoal Bay, the Broken Wave Pier at this moment was almost at its busiest and liveliest time of the day.

The salty, fishy smell peculiar to the port area permeated the air; the rough language of sailors, the work chants of porters, the hawking of vendors, and the cries of seagulls circling overhead, as if they would never stop, gave this place a unique and vigorous vitality.

An indigo wool skirt swayed gently in the breeze; its deep color was sufficient to mask the stains inevitably picked up from taverns and docks.

The long skirt was not a floor-length style, ending neatly about six inches below the knee, revealing the delicate and fair ankles underneath and a pair of dark brown flat-heeled cowhide short boots.

Her steps could not be called very light, but she seemed very familiar with the port environment; as her skirt hem rippled, that pair of small cowhide short boots had already bypassed two puddles of sewage of unknown significance, skillfully and freely passing through the crowded crowd, and finally stopped in front of a sail shed supported by a faded oilcloth.

"Look at these, they are all fresh goods dragged up this morning!"

With scales still clinging to the back of his hand, Tuomu the fishmonger casually picked up a sea bass from the wooden barrel in front of him, letting its struggling, thrashing tail splash saltwater onto his own face as he called out:

"It is a gift sent by the tide to a kind person as hardworking and generous as you; take a look, respected Lady Hela."

Her dark green long curly hair was still tied back simply and efficiently with a leather cord as before; Hela squatted down slightly, stretched out her index finger to press the side of the sea bass, leaving a shallow indentation that quickly rebounded.

At the same time, her emerald eyes swept over the other seafood at the fish stall.

Having cooperated with the fishmonger in front of her many times, she knew that the other party was a relatively honest businessman, although he would occasionally reveal the shrewdness and calculation peculiar to the small citizens of the Saltwater District, but at least he had never made mistakes with the goods.

And the experience accumulated from mixing in the port for many years was also telling Hela that the batch of seafood on the stall in front of her were all good things, without any problems.

"As long as... five silver coins, these will all belong to you, beautiful and kind Lady Hela!"

As if sensing the heart-throb of the boss of "Sanzu Haigou" in front of him, Tuomu decisively offered a quote slightly higher than the market average, which, to some extent, could also be considered as specifically leaving a space for the other party to bargain.

In the past, hearing the fishmonger quote like this, Hela would definitely frown and engage in a "friendly" tug-of-war with the other party regarding price, quality, and long-term cooperation discounts, until Tuomu, while packing up the stall, pretended to mutter with resentment, "You are scraping my bones," and then the two sides could reach a price that satisfied each other.

But today, this equally shrewd lady seemed to have rarely lost the interest in bargaining.

"I'll take them all." Hela's voice sounded exceptionally crisp. "The old rules, pick the best, clean them up, and send them to the back kitchen of 'Sanzu Haigou' before noon; put it on the tab, and we'll settle it all at the end of the month."

Tuomu raised his head to look at the woman in front of him, his eyes blinking; the bellyful of praise and bargaining he had prepared suddenly had no place to be used, making him feel unaccustomed.

Stunned for a moment, he reacted again, piling a flattering smile on his face:

"Of course! Of course! I will send them to you immediately!"

"I guarantee to get these seafood items all sorted out for you properly, cleaner than the tributes sent to His Majesty the King!"

Hela nodded slightly in response.

Her gaze, however, had already drifted past the small stall of the fishmonger in front of her and the crowded crowd ahead, floating toward the sea surface in the distance of the pier, which was cut into pieces by masts and ropes.

Carrying the salty taste peculiar to the seaside, the moist sea breeze brushed her cheeks, lifting a few strands of curly dark green hair by her ears.

Ships of all sizes were entering and leaving the harbor, some towering, some clumsy, some light... but there was no sign of the familiar "Black Gull."

According to the scheduled plan, it should have squeezed into the position of the third pier in front by sunset yesterday at the latest.

The "Black Gull" was not big, just an ordinary cargo ship, but it was sturdy and reliable, and the captain, Gregory, had cooperated with her for many years; he was a steady and experienced helmsman who had never made a mistake.

This time, it was just delivering goods to a small island named "Crag Island," which was not far from Shoal Bay and took ten days for a round trip, so there was no danger.

However...

Hela couldn't help but recall the intelligence she had gathered through her channels in the Association more than ten days ago, not long after the Black Gull had just left the port.

An adventurer fleet named "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" had accepted a hunting mission on Crag Island in the Association.

They had the same destination as the Black Gull, and even their departure time was not far apart.

Hela knew very well what this meant.

This meant that the two sea ships would have a high probability of encountering each other during the voyage.

Even if the Black Gull rested on Crag Island for two more days, it was very likely to meet the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" head-on when they went to the island for the mission.

And the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" adventure team...

For Hela, this name was not unfamiliar.

Perhaps they were not well-known figures roaming the archipelago, but their fleet captain, "Oil Hand" Bern, had quite a reputation in the Southern Archipelago, and even in the circles of many professional-level adventurers, one could often hear his name.

Of course, there was more "notoriety" regarding the other party.

As the controller of one of the main intelligence gathering places in Shoal Bay, Hela clearly knew the dirty dealings behind these well-known adventurers.

After all, even she herself often patronized the stolen goods sold cheaply on the black market.

Such a pirate-like adventurer fleet encountering a "fat sheep" like the Black Gull on the vast, empty ocean, Hela did not believe they would not be tempted.

And facing a professional adventurer squad like "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" that was well-staffed, powerful, and even had a rare spellcaster sitting in command...

The few adventurers in the "Silver Claw Osprey" team on the Black Gull were afraid they had no ability to resist at all.

The only variable, the two adventurers who had temporarily joined the team at her request, even if she valued them in her heart, and one of them was even suspected to have some connection with that legendary figure from many years ago, she still felt she had no bottom in her heart.

She only hoped that there would not be too many variables and that they could all return safely.

Her thoughts were tangled, and the fishmonger Tuomu by her ear was still rambling about the rumors of Mermen appearing nearby affecting the catch, but Hela could no longer listen.

Turning her head, she took one last look at the distance of the port, staring at the morning mist and morning light at the junction of the sky and the sea.

Pursing her lips, she didn't know what she was thinking.

She lifted her skirt slightly, just about to turn and leave.

It was also at this moment that, suddenly, in the depths of the sea mist, a familiar ship shadow rose and fell with the waves, and vaguely reflected in her eyes.

Her whole person couldn't help but pause.

Her pupils contracted, her toes tiptoed slightly, and she looked out, subconsciously wanting to see the specific shape of that familiar ship clearly.

But after all, she didn't have such strong eyesight, so she just hurriedly greeted the fishmonger next to her, letting the other party hurry to send the seafood to the tavern, and then she darted into the crowd, squeezing toward the pier.

When Hela passed through the crowd and came to a place near the sea where the view was slightly wider, the sea ship in the distance also approached closer, allowing her to clearly see the characteristics on the ship's shape used to identify its identity. ===== CHAPTER 420 =====