1329 A Night Without Any Abnormalities (1/2)

The liner passed through the storm and approached the lighthouse.

A small-scale harbor entered the sights of the captain, sailors, and passengers through the gloomy rain.

A short while later, a man in his thirties, who was wearing a blue uniform and holding onto a black umbrella and a glass lantern, appeared at the dock. He used rather uncommon actions to guide the liner to moor.

As the man watched the gangway lower, he opened his mouth and shouted, ”Hey matey, where d'ya come from?”

After most of his voice was swallowed by the wind, his voice successfully reached the liner's interior and entered Alfred's ears.

”Do you know what this place is?” Alfred looked carefully at his adjutant and squire.

He wasn't wearing a general's ceremonial attire. Wearing a black trench coat that was commonly seen in Backlund, his dazzling blond hair drooped down casually, and his blue eyes looked like a deep lake in a forest.

The adjutant, who had neatly combed his hair to the back, first shook his head to indicate his uncertainty before he explained, ”The storm from before made me lose my bearings.”

At this moment, the captain held an umbrella and came to the shipboard. He answered the man, ”We left East Balam two days ago and unfortunately encountered a storm.

”What harbor is this?”

The man's eyes darted around for a moment. Without giving a direct answer, he shouted, ”Wait a moment, will ya?”

He then turned around, holding the umbrella and the lantern as he ran towards the buildings near the dock.

This reaction was beyond the expectations of Alfred and the other passengers, but it wasn't strange for the experienced ship captain, first mate, and others—they had encountered many abnormalities at the ports along the Berserk Sea. This made them patiently wait for subsequent developments.

Five to six minutes later, the man led a lady over.

The woman didn't have an umbrella and was wearing a hooded raincoat smeared with Donningsman Tree Sap.

As the two of them approached the liner, under the watch of the armed sailors, they climbed up the gangway to the deck.

At such a distance, most of the passengers finally saw what the two of them looked like.

The man had brown hair and brown eyes. His skin was rough, and it was obvious that he was of a lower socioeconomic status and had suffered the elements. The woman was in her twenties, and her eyes were limpid green. She had long, flaxen hair. A few wet strands clung to her face, making her appear pure and charming.

This was a rather pretty lady with a wild temperament.

”Hi there, this is Utopia Harbor,” the man impatiently introduced, ”I'm Theodore, the interim port cap'n.”

As he spoke, he laughed, as though he was happy that he had invented such an amazing position.

Of course, the ship captain knew what a so-called ”interim port captain” meant. He didn't take it to heart about this sudden happiness of a small fry.

He frowned slightly and said, ”Utopia Harbor? Why haven't I heard of it?”

Theodore looked at him and said, ”What ye said is quite common.

”Heh, if it weren't for that landlubber hurricane, ye might never come here!”

Without waiting for him to say anything else, the lady rushed forward and said, ”Utopia isn't on the safe sea route. Usually, only people who understand these waters and know of this place will come here for supplies.”

So the main clientèle of this harbor are pirates? How could the ship captain not be able to tell what she meant? And in times like this, tacitly acknowledging things without exposing them provided protection to both sides.

He tersely acknowledged and said, ”And you are?”

”My name is Tracey.” The lady smiled. ”I'm the owner of the harbor hotel, and also its receptionist and attendant.”

She surveyed the area and said, ”It's quite a heavy storm, and the ship will be bumpy. It's not a wise choice to stay in there to rest. The hotel will provide you with stable beds, warm water, clean food, warm blankets, and an environment that will remind you of home. It's only ten pence a night. I'm referring to the price of a single room.

”Other than that, you guys can still drink at the nearby bar and enjoy our warm hospitality.”

Clearly, this lady was here to solicit for business.

The captain was rather alert and didn't respond directly. He nodded and said, ”I can't decide on behalf of the passengers. They are free to choose for themselves. Of course, as captain, I will stay here with my crew.”

Tracey maintained her smile and said, ”I'll wait at the hotel for guests who are willing to disembark.”

She seemed to have received a certain amount of education. She wasn't as hot and spirited as the women at other ports who spewed vulgarities with every sentence.

Tracey turned around and was about to return when Theodore approached her and said with a sullen expression, ”You have to thank me for telling you the news immediately.”

As he spoke, his right hand pressed against Tracey's butt before he pinched hard.

Pa!

Tracey swatted away his hand and chided, ”You're a jerk who should be f*cked by a donkey!”

She took a few steps forward and left the liner by the gangway.