Chapter 397: Letter Paper Soaked by Salt Wind

Letter Paper Soaked by Salt Wind

To my best partner at sea and most trusted friend on land:

When you receive this letter, I am likely still on my return voyage, unable to hear the midnight bells of the Feast of the Holy, so I can only send my blessings in advance: May the land beneath your feet be calmer than the sea where I stand.

This year's main dividends have been arranged for reliable sailors to deliver to Wood Town; the rest will be brought by the Guild along with this letter. Please be sure to count them again in person in the presence of a third-party witness, just in case.

I guess you have probably already forgotten this meager income. Even in Wendeng Port, this kingdom's most remote northern outpost, one would have heard whispers of the generous gestures of some noble figures.

There are no shortage of rumors claiming there are unspeakable, hidden reasons behind it.

However, anyone who knows a little about the inside story should not be surprised. Those with ability are like dragon keels made of giant timber, born to be prepared for the most challenging routes; they deserve the widest decks and the sturdiest sails, and no amount of cost is too much to invest.

Non-liquid assets merely satisfy a hoarding obsession, while good materials worthy of investment are rare; I believe anyone who has secured a high position by their own ability will not lack basic judgment.

Of course, this also means greater storms and longer tests. But since you were able to bring us back from the hell beneath the southern hills, what could be more difficult than that experience?

Speaking of ships, I must introduce you to my new home. "Snow Rime"—that is how they call her, a young lady who has endured a full five years of stormy trials.

When I first saw her, it was at Consolation Port. I was staying on a ship, waiting for that group of scoundrels who went off to carouse to return. As if destined by the Heavenly Father, she was docked at the very outermost edge of the harbor.

So huge, so quiet, towering a head above all the ships nearby. I even paused for a few seconds to confirm it was not the shadow of Mount Kristen cast upon the sea surface.

I personally lowered a small boat and rowed to her side, just to carefully admire those three masts towering like a lighthouse. The supporting yards were thick and powerful, holding rolled-up old but sturdy double-layered canvas, as thick as beast skins dried on the ice plains, enough to withstand the most violent wind walls.

With just one glance, I immediately and without hesitation overturned all my previous plans to order a new ship.

She is the type every captain dreams of; a sailing career without her is destined to be incomplete. The ocean cannot lose her, just as the Church cannot lose its Holy City.

At dawn the next day, I found her captain and was able to board her oak body.

That astonishing height came from the gunwales rising vertically on both sides; the deck was a full level higher than similar ships. Standing there and looking down at the sea surface, one almost felt an uneasy dizziness.

The ship's belly was lined with pine wood for reinforcement, and the gaps between the planks were filled with pine resin, showing not the slightest sign of leakage. The cargo hold was wide and deep, stacked in layers, capable of separating various goods requiring different storage methods.

The stern's stepped quarterdeck was also divided into two levels: the upper level housed the helm wheel and the lookout platform, while the lower level was a spacious captain's cabin. Besides a large bed and a long table for sea charts, there was still space for cabinets, yet it did not feel crowded, almost making one forget they were still at sea.

I cannot describe the feeling of that moment. The original sin named jealousy swallowed my reason, causing my tongue to uncontrollably ask that question:

Is there any way to obtain her?

At that time, I regretted it. Such a ship would usually be funded by a large merchant guild or a well-capitalized family, custom-built for bulk cargo transport or other special purposes. Unless absolutely necessary, they are rarely resold; such a question was undoubtedly an offense.

However, now I must admit that even if the Devil himself spoke those words for me, he was a Devil who understood human feelings to some extent.

That captain hesitated, and I saw an opportunity.

As expected, she indeed came from an ambitious merchant guild. From design to construction, it took several years, all to secure a share of the trade between the kingdom and the various continental nations.

But business at sea changes in an instant, and building a ship like this takes too long; no one can predict what will happen on the other side of the horizon tomorrow.

In short, after a series of unexpected but not entirely new changes, excessive and overly "ambitious" investments plunged the guild into difficulties. They urgently needed a large sum of immediately liquid funds for turnover, otherwise bankruptcy was inevitable.

Other guilds had no intention of helping out for the time being, and ordinary captains could not provide the required funds.

Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to cure a disease with any available medicine, or perhaps a joke made amidst bitterness, the captain proposed a price to me: a price that was low, yet still far beyond the entire fortune of an ordinary merchant.

She should not have belonged to me.

It was fate that made her choose me, not me choosing her.

You know, I have always been the Heavenly Father's most devout believer, and a devout believer will never refuse the fate arranged by the Lord.

Combined with your and Father Adrian's investment, the money in my hands was just enough to buy her, with a little surplus left over. I didn't even need to sell my Bingshan, nor was there time to sell it.

So, I am now not just a captain, but the helmsman of a fleet, albeit a fleet of only two ships.

Correspondingly, I must also bear the responsibility of feeding her and dozens of crew members.

The expenses of a large ship are no small matter; the route must be adjusted to ensure sufficient profit. As an investor, you also have the right to know the details.

As mentioned before, long-distance trade with the various continental nations is currently unreliable, and there are no contacts available over there.

Therefore, I have decided to turn my gaze back to the ice plains. The old friends there are not as fickle as my peers; no matter when, they are willing to fill my cargo hold with furs and ores.

"Snow Rime" and "Bingshan" emptied their entire year's stock in one round trip and returned fully loaded.

However, there is no need to worry about returning empty-handed next time; the old friends have already helped contact other tribes to supply the fleet together.

They were even smart enough to send some ore samples for selection. The blacksmiths and the Guild confirmed that a small portion of them were of great value, and some were quite peculiar, ones even old craftsmen had never seen.

Presumably, rarity makes things precious. I heard you have connections with the Xiguo Family in Dunling. I have sent some fragments along with this letter, hoping to borrow your channels for identification.

The end of the year is approaching. The brown bears have already burrowed into their winter nests, and even the most diligent craftsmen are preparing to rest. Yet a qualified captain will never let go of his helm wheel, no matter when.

I plan to run the last trip of this year before the winter blizzards arrive. A timely shipment of grain will greatly improve our relationship with the new clients and will add another sum to next year's dividends.

Bless me. May your blessings fall upon me and upon her wooden bones. When the Feast of the Holy arrives, my belly will be filled with dry bread and beer, and she will swallow a hold full of gold and silver for us.

Your friend, who is still at sea and will forever be at sea:

William