[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence":3,"chapter-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-348":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Warlord: Starting with Daily Intelligence",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2338811,4572,"Chapter 348: Pick Any Ship—Warship or Merchantman!","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-348",348,"\u003Cp>“What, don’t I look like a lord?” Gervas asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, no, Lord Gervas, that’s not what I meant—I just feel… with your status, this territory of Stormhold seems too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too remote, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Columbus didn’t nod, but his expression confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas smiled faintly; his demeanor certainly invited misunderstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remote is better—no one comes to disturb me, so I can develop freely!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Columbus realized this lord’s thinking was utterly inscrutable; he could only force a nervous laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas didn’t delay. “Come on, you must be eager to see the ships—I’ll take you to the shore right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Lord Gervas!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Gervas’s promise of support was not empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Columbus eagerly followed Gervas toward the coast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, once they left the village, the surroundings turned barren again, causing Columbus to sneak another glance at Gervas ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man’s bearing and splendor were utterly out of place here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a territory harbor such an extraordinary lord?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—would the ship Gervas funded him with not be some ancient, decrepit hulk?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he wasn’t picky, this voyage would take them thousands of miles across the ocean, through regions ravaged by storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the ship was old, their danger would skyrocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, Captain, you… you look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time slipped by; Columbus’s thoughts had drifted, when suddenly his subordinate shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Columbus startled—it was Johnny again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d rambled nonsense before him, and Columbus had merely tapped his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he dared speak foolishly before a noble, he risked immediate beheading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the moment this thought arose, as Columbus prepared to rebuke Johnny, his body froze—his pupils shrank sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forgot Johnny, forgot everything—his eyes held only the colossal shape ahead on the shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“T…three-masted warship?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After what felt like an eternity, Columbus finally snapped back—he stared at Gervas in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kingdom’s three-masted warships were few enough to count; such a behemoth was exceedingly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, as a seasoned adventurer, he’d seen three-masted warships before—even up close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that had been at Duke Hernand’s Emerald Harbor, or the King’s direct Lionhawk Harbor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now—where was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kingdom’s farthest frontier, Stormhold, where no one lived beyond the village…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Columbus, we’ve arrived—welcome to Stormwharf!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, that… that’s a three-masted warship…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct—it’s a three-masted sailer, but I can’t give you that one—it’s mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is that what I meant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in dreams, I never dared hope for a three-masted warship!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Columbus took two deep breaths and calmed his nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, his gaze at Gervas had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was unquestionably a duke’s son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, seeing Stormhold’s desolation and hearing he was its lord,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he’d doubted Gervas’s noble lineage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he realized—he’d been foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would a minor border noble really fund an unknown adventure like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d handed out a hundred gold coins as easily as tossing silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those cavalrymen—even a minor noble wouldn’t spend so much to maintain so many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this three-masted warship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man’s status was undeniably exalted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know why a duke’s heir would come to the frontier as a lord—but he wouldn’t dare ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here, Columbus—though I can’t give you the three-masted warship, you may choose any single-masted warship or merchant vessel!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, they reached a line of ships.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the three-masted behemoth, these single-masted vessels seemed insignificant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet among them were three warships—of excellent condition—causing the adventurers’ eyes to gleam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, we can actually choose one of these warships?” Columbus snapped back to awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jokingly, the three-masted warship was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was beyond his reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These single-masted ships—especially the three warships—could be chosen by him? That was far more important!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly—choose any single-masted ship, warship or merchant vessel, as long as you believe it’ll increase your chance of success!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain, pick the warship! That one’s newest—we’ve never sailed a warship before!” Johnny blurted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up!” Columbus quickly cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Lord Gervas seemed unconcerned; so Columbus cautiously pointed to the warship Johnny had indicated. “Lord Gervas, if possible, I’d like to choose that one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course,” Gervas smiled and nodded to Old Jack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Jack immediately ordered sailors to lay planks; then, under Gervas’s lead, Columbus and his party boarded the warship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Warships are truly different—look at the timber! Absolutely the finest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, look at the hull’s streamlining—it’s prettier than the dancers’ waists at Hero’s Tavern!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once aboard, every adventurer marveled at every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They touched everything, murmuring in awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like a sailor who’d only ever crewed passenger liners suddenly commanding a destroyer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This ship is named Black Dragon. Under Lord Gervas’s command, it defeated two pirate bands, each over two hundred strong,” Old Jack explained to Columbus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is it? Columbus—are you satisfied? If not, Old Jack can take you to inspect other ships.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Lord Gervas—I’m more than satisfied! No need to look further!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jokingly, this warship—what was there to hesitate over? It was at least ninety percent new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With it, even if they faced storms head-on, they’d survive—provided luck held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His treasure hunt’s success rate had just skyrocketed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the ship chosen, the rest was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ordered serfs to help load Columbus’s party’s supplies onto the warship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Gervas had planned a lavish farewell lunch near the wharf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Columbus said he’d only dare eat Gervas’s victory feast after succeeding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gervas found this reasonable and didn’t press.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Columbus, take this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, this… this is a single-tube telescope?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? You know of it?” This time, Gervas was surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, word’s spread through Hero’s Tavern—there’s a miraculous device in the kingdom, no magic involved, just a small tube that lets you see things miles away!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And objects hundreds of meters off appear as clear as if right before your eyes—any adventurer would call it a divine tool!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct—it’s the single-tube telescope. With it, I hope you find your treasure more easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Columbus’s eyes brimmed with emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d received patronage from other nobles before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they’d always looked down on him and his crew—merely using them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this Gervas treated them with the warmest respect and gave them the best possible support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lord Gervas, I won’t let you down!” Columbus declared solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>",1019,"2026-06-20T22:44:02.338Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6e5e3d60817ee97f6306c01bb4c56ed33a2dda293f2e05081101b7f0564015e7","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-349","warlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-chapter-347",521,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwarlord-starting-with-daily-intelligence-cover.jpg"]