Chapter 8

No matter how severe the punishment for gambling is, at least the person remains on the ship

On that evening, as the sun set below the horizon, the largest commercial fleet of Babylon set sail with a cargo of precious tobacco, accompanied by an equal quantity of artillery.

The murmuring voice of the young man with black hair seemed to drift into the ears of the blond youth, causing the curve of his lips, which had been slightly raised, to suddenly stiffen and transform into a straight line filled with a sense of danger. He instinctively turned his head, only to find that the young man with black hair was sitting in the corner, maintaining the standard posture of biting a quill pen and frowning in thought.

Little Jero's lips curled up, revealing deep dimples on his beautiful and adorable face. "If I were a pirate, I would take you along with me, and together we would enjoy the finest food and drink!"

Randall fell silent for a moment, pondering how to vividly portray Raymond as a short, degenerate gambler. Then, somewhat absentmindedly, he continued, "Little Jero, why did you choose to become a bona fide merchant sailor? With the rogue aura about you, you might shine brightly as a pirate in the Babylonian Sea."

Another route departs from Barcelona heading southeast, circling around the southern part of Sardinia, passing through Skikda and Annaba, and then proceeding north to ultimately reach Palermo. This route is classified as a newly established long-distance route. Its advantages lie in its alignment with seasonal ocean currents and monsoon directions, allowing for a faster sailing speed. However, the drawback is that the waters in this area are shallow, and merchant fleets with deeper drafts when fully loaded must exercise extreme caution in this maritime region.

Xiao Jieluo let out a dismissive snicker.

Alcohol, a useful tool for warming and combating the cold, whether at home or while sailing

The route is Barcelona - Skikda - Annaba - Palermo

Due to the lengthy duration of maritime voyages, coupled with the exposure to wind, rain, and scorching sun, it is quite challenging to preserve fresh water, which tends to spoil over time. In most cases, the sailors on board resort to using light beer as a substitute for fresh water to meet their drinking needs. Of course, nothing could be better than a glass of fiery whiskey or sweet rum. A small sip of liquor not only satisfies one's cravings but also brings a warm sensation that radiates from the stomach, making it utterly delightful

He was left alone, squatting blankly in place, gazing up at the figure of the person departing.

Sailor C: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Sailor A: "Hu, what nonsense are you talking about! I have a good capacity for alcohol!"

Xiao Jieluo raised an eyebrow and said, "Is there no lookout tower on other ships?"

Randall rolled his eyes as he stood up, tidied up his notebook, and was about to head to the upper deck. However, before he could take more than two steps, he was abruptly pulled back by the blonde youth. He paused for a moment, lowered his head, and met the gaze of those green eyes: "What is it?"

I went to the deck to watch, that group of drunkards just can't stop drinking, I hope they don't really get drunk and delay things

There are not many merchant fleets that prefer to take new routes, as maritime activities are primarily driven by profit. Therefore, in most cases, they are more inclined to choose familiar routes. Moreover, the Vatican serves as the cultural activity center of the Church, and the late summer period is when Church activities are most frequent. During this time, the Royal Navy of Rome is stationed in the Vatican, providing an additional layer of security for maritime safety. Thus, in the absence of external influences, the vast majority of merchant fleets tend to opt for the old routes.

Therefore, when Xiao Jie proposed that the duty officer on that night bring a bottle of rum to the observation deck, everyone's first reaction was: although there was a slight temptation, it was necessary to refuse

As a result, this person, once relaxed, tends to easily get into trouble

Sailor A: "But, this is still not good, right?"

Unfortunately

What is the result

However, this year, news from the Maritime Guild indicates that the greatest pirate of Babylon, Dier, has become audacious and is lying in wait at a certain point along the route from the Vatican waters to Palermo, anticipating a fat mouse to come to him, ready to make a big score

Being expelled from the ship signifies that the situation has escalated significantly

Upon hearing the phrase "eating well and drinking well," Lando seemed quite intrigued as he suddenly lifted his head and fantasized for a moment. A few seconds later, however, he let his face fall again, shook his head, and with a pained expression said, "Tsk tsk, enough of that, Raymond would definitely break my legs."

Many fleets have made changes to their routes, unhesitatingly heading towards new shipping lanes

Sailor B: "Indeed, indeed, since there is such a rule, it must have its reason for existence. If we get carried away drinking and pirates come while we are not paying attention, wouldn't that put the entire fleet in jeopardy?"

Above his head, the swaying kerosene lamp gently rocked along with the ship's navigation, casting a dim yellow light on the face of the golden-haired youth, illuminating his features in a flickering manner

Xiao Jieluo let out a scoff, and on that adorable face was written a look of disdain. Touching the tip of his nose and rolling his eyes, he said: "Why are you all so timid? It's just a sip of wine. At night, First Officer Raymond is fast asleep; who would be interested in peering through the window to see what you are up to?"

until a sound of a door being opened and then closed again came from the end of the staircase

Randall : `` ... ... ''

Sailor B: "Isn't it just a matter of having a drink to warm up? I don't believe it!"

When the chaotic footsteps disappeared from the staircase, the cabin was suddenly enveloped in a strange atmosphere of silence

As for the Sizz, at first Raymond was somewhat hesitant. However, several influential officers left by the old captain on the Sizz unanimously decided to change the course to Skikda and Annaba. Raymond attempted to persuade them but to no avail. In the end, he could not withstand the barrage of arguments from the others. Before setting sail, he took special care to inventory the weapons and artillery on the Sizz. Afterward, he stayed in Barcelona for a few more days, personally wrote a letter of application, and spent a considerable sum to purchase a batch of new armaments from the Royal Navy.

Xiao Jieluo squatted in place, motionless, with a playful grin on his face as he watched the group of cursing sailors depart—until the last sailor's figure disappeared from his line of sight, at which point he finally reined in his smile. Simultaneously, the carefree and irreverent teasing that seemed to ripple eternally in those emerald green eyes also slightly diminished. His beautiful green eyes suddenly darkened, as if transforming from emerald to a blue-green reminiscent of lake water. At the same time, the carefree and irreverent teasing that seemed to ripple eternally in those emerald green eyes also slightly diminished. His beautiful green eyes suddenly darkened, as if transforming from emerald to a blue-green reminiscent of lake water

There are two routes from Barcelona to Palermo

Xiao Jieluo blinked, his face filled with confusion: "I'm getting ready to sleep, where are you going?"

Sailor C: "Bring it here, bring it here, bring it here!"

Sailor C: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Sailor C: "Yes, yes, yes!"

Sailor B: "Can a single sip of rum knock me down? Can it? What a joke!"

Sailor A: "There is, but we are the navigators"

Xiao Jieluo stood frozen in place for a long time, and then he suddenly furrowed his brows and cursed under his breath

Thus, a crew member A, who had a long scar on his face, took the lead and snatched the large bottle of wine from the golden-haired boy squatting on the ground, quickly tucking it into his clothes and covering it up. A group of sailors on duty that night looked as excited as if they were preparing to become flower thieves under the cover of darkness, and a large crowd of them rushed onto the deck, ready to switch shifts with their counterparts from the day crew.

Lando spoke as he pulled the hem of his garment from the hands of the golden-haired youth and turned to leave

... ... Enough already, that guy is formidable, he is simply an invincible god of war from hell!

As autumn gradually approaches, the night watch by the sea feels quite chilling, almost to the bone, when the wind blows. The next day, when coming down from the lookout to change shifts, ... there were those with pale faces and icy hands and feet, as if they had already died on the lookout the night before ... A few days prior had been manageable; the fear of pirates outweighed their physiological needs. However, now that they were close to their destination, a group of restless sailors seemed to have forgotten the painful lesson of being caught gambling secretly by Raymond a few days ago, which had left them crying for mercy. They began to secretly yearn for the rum stored in the warehouse.

Before the voyage, Lando leaned against the ship's railing, watching the sailors energetically transporting cannonballs onto the ship, and inexplicably asked the man beside him: "So, are we finally preparing to set sail and change our profession to become pirates?"

This is far more serious than the trivial matters of salary deductions or not being promoted for several years

It seems to be just a casual remark

Sailor A: "Take it if you want!"

Xiao Jieluo scoffed: "If you don't take it, then so be it. I can't be bothered to advise you. After all, it's you who will freeze to death, not me. Just a sip of rum could leave you completely unconscious, that truly is—"

The first officer of the ship, standing beside him, glanced at him and said expressionlessly: "Shut up"

Completely did not look up at him

Randall huddled in the corner, oblivious to the scene unfolding in the cabin at that moment. He was intently continuing to write his nautical diary, which Raymond had mocked as "the monkey's fantasy novel," without lifting his head, and said, "If you encourage them to act recklessly like this, Raymond might just crush you and toss you into the sea to feed the sharks."

As the ship Sizz set sail, the atmosphere on board was tense for several consecutive days. The sailors on night watch had eyes wide open, as if they were larger than copper bells, standing motionless in the lookout tower, fearing that a pirate flag might suddenly appear from the thick darkness. It was not until the Sizz successfully passed through Annaba and entered the relatively open shallow waters that it had been adrift at sea for four days and three nights. During this time, the weather had been calm enough, and not a single trace of pirates had been seen.

The sailors on the S.S. Seize almost simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that the information obtained at a high price from the maritime guild was indeed genuine intelligence

Just like the rule "Gambling is prohibited on board the ship," the S.S. Seitz explicitly states: Anyone who touches alcohol during their duty period will be dismissed from their position, exiled to the dock, and never reinstated

He cannot defeat me, I will protect you

Who does not know that the ship "Siz" led by First Officer Raymond is the largest commercial fleet in the Babylon Sea today? The benefits on that ship, compared to others in the industry, are naturally exceptional. Whenever there is a need to recruit for any position, the recruitment poster goes up, and everyone is eager to compete fiercely for a spot on this ship. Being thrown off the ship for a single drink, with no chance of returning, is simply not worth it. Therefore, over the years, although the sailors on the "Siz" have made various mistakes, no one has ever dared to violate the rule of "no drinking during duty hours" to test the waters.

Exile dock, never to be reclaimed

In a moment, the hearts of the people were filled with anxiety

One route detours from the northern part of Sardinia, passing through Vatican City and Mount Vesuvius, then turns at a large right angle heading south, ultimately reaching Palermo. The drawback of this route is that during the transitional seasons of summer and autumn, its course does not align with the monsoon currents. However, the advantage is that it passes by a considerable number of large docks available for resupply, allowing for stops and rest at any time

Xiao Jieluo let out a long "oh" while shaking the bottle of wine in his hand—more than half a bottle of amber-colored liquid made an enticing sound in the transparent glass bottle: "So, are you going to take it or not?"

Sailor B: "We are at the forefront!"