The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 299 The Boat from the Empire

The night is getting darker.

Luo Yan had just turned off the magic crystal lamp on the bedside and was about to lie down to rest when he heard two gentle knocks on the door.

"Boom, boom."

I hope it's not Lady Serena.

Luo Yan didn't know why he subconsciously thought this way, but based on his past experience, that lady was probably the only demon he couldn't handle -

She didn't give him any time to think.

Luo Yan has a clear understanding of himself.

The reason why he was able to survive in hell as a human being was not because of his extraordinary powers, but because of his fairly useful brain.

That's why he is extremely bad at dealing with guys whose hands are faster than their brains.

I believe it's not just him. Mr. Festing must have had a headache more than once because of Mrs. Serena's personality...

Luo Yan put on his coat, walked over and opened the door.

To his surprise, it was Mia standing at the door.

She was wearing a dark purple silk nightgown with light black gauze dotted around the edges. Her freshly washed pink hair was still slightly damp, with half-dry ends sticking to her collarbones. She exuded a sweet scent that was a mixture of citrus and night dew.

Luo Yan noticed that there were still two blushes of embarrassment on her face, and it was obvious that she had not completely gotten over the embarrassment before.

To be honest, he admired her courage.

After such a socially fatal incident, he would have understood from the bottom of his heart even if she disappeared for a week.

"Is there anything?" Seeing that Mia hadn't spoken, Luo Yan took the initiative to start the conversation.

Mia's lips moved, and her eyes moved back and forth restlessly under her eyelashes like a frightened squirrel...

"Um, I'm sorry just now."

She lowered her head, holding a stack of familiar magic photos in her hands, the corners of which had been curled up by her, as if she had struggled outside the door for a long time before finally mustering up the courage.

"The photo... is back to you."

Luo Yan stretched out his hand, but did not take the photo. Instead, he lowered his eyes to look at her slightly white knuckles and gently patted her fluffy hair.

"You didn't do anything wrong, why are you apologizing?"

"No...thing wrong?" Mia raised her head blankly, unable to understand the answer, and had never expected Luo Yan to say that.

Luo Yan nodded.

"That's your treasure. It's your freedom to use it however you want. Since you haven't shared it with others, how can I interfere?"

"How can I give it to others? But, but... it's yours after all..." Mia blushed and looked away, whispering, "You must think I'm disgusting, right..."

"how come?"

Seeing Mia almost crying, Luo Yan smiled and comforted her.

"People's XP is... well, I mean, preferences are free. The only thing you didn't do well was probably that I found out, and your mother didn't give me a chance to pretend I didn't see it. How about putting it in the cupboard next time? This will not only avoid accidents, but also prevent the servants from seeing it."

No wonder he had noticed that the maids in the manor always looked at him strangely. It seemed that Miss Mia's habit had long been no secret in the Padridge family's manor.

However, Mia didn't seem to realize this, or maybe she was completely immersed in the all-embracing tenderness at this moment.

She was stunned for a moment and raised her head. She obviously didn't expect that instead of blaming her, he was so considerate as to help her come up with a reasonable idea.

There was a mist like morning dew on the trembling eyelashes, and what was shaking in the eyes was no longer embarrassment and fear, but the hesitation after being filled with warmth.

"Luo Yan..."

"what happened?"

"No, nothing..." Mia was about to say something, but suddenly looked away in panic. For some reason, the courage she had just mustered up was gone.

Maybe it’s because I’m at home.

Or maybe it’s because both parents are there.

All in all, it didn't seem like a good time to her.

Luo Yan took in all her little thoughts and actions, but he just smiled gently. Finally, he patted her soft and fluffy pink hair and spoke in a coaxing tone.

"Nothing, good night... It's getting late, I wish you a good dream."

"OK, good night."

Mia actually bit her tongue when she sang these few short syllables. Feeling ashamed, she uttered a mournful "moan". When she came to her senses, her cheeks had become as red as a burnt iron.

She couldn't remember how she escaped. In a flash, she was standing at the door of her bedroom. She closed the door with a "click", then threw herself on the bed, rolled several times in strange postures, and finally rolled into the quilt.

I want to die——

Ahhhhh!

Several strange screams came out from the cracks in the pillow. Mia wanted to suffocate herself to death in the quilt, but she couldn't bear to do it.

All she could think about now was the hand on her head, the warm smile and the thoughtful words.

An hour passed...

After finally releasing all her vigorous energy, Mia took a breath while hugging the quilt, letting go of the pillow and herself that were about to be crushed.

She lay on the bed, her legs hooked and swaying gently, one of her slippers dangling, and the other had disappeared.

Looking at the photos spread out on the bed, the slightly upturned corners of the mouth are like buds blooming in the depths of the night at the beginning of the month, carrying countless dreams and candies.

"I have to find a cabinet to put you in..." She gently poked the "Luo Yan" in the photo who could no longer move with her index finger, her eyes full of affection.

The night is quiet, with only the ticking sound of the wall clock slowly extending, like thin threads, entangling the beat of the heartbeat bit by bit.

When Mia yawned and turned over to fall asleep, a faint ray of light leaked through the gap in the curtains.

That is the light of the amethyst dome of the magic city——

Its daybreak.

……

Its daybreak.

On the beach of the Janna continent, white waves lapped gently against the beach, as leisurely as the seagulls strolling along the shore - as if the storm two weeks ago happened in another world.

This land still seems to be forgotten by the world.

Captain Kedesen rubbed his eyes, lifted a corner of the awning, got out of bed in the cool morning breeze, and walked outside the house.

He was still wearing the old coat that had been sunburned and had dried sweat stains that could even be wrung out to reveal salt residue...but right now he didn't have the time to worry about being sloppy or not.

Stretching, he walked along the edge of the camp, stepping on the sand towards the cook's shed.

The big pot of porridge was bubbling with steam. A few grains of gelatinized wheat could be seen in the turbid soup. Oysters were floating on top, and a few unknown seaweeds were floating next to them.

The cook handed him a bowl made from a coconut shell.

"We added fish bones today, so it should taste better than yesterday."

"You didn't wash the pot yesterday." Kaidesen took the bowl and complained weakly.

The cook smiled awkwardly and did not answer, which was considered as his tacit agreement to many things.

Although he complained, Kaidesen knew that this was not the time to be picky about food, so he drank it all up quickly and even burped.

After eating, it's time to work.

He walked into the camp and shouted, waking up all the lazy guys, and then led them to start a new day's work.

A whole week has passed since the Traveler ran aground on this strange continent.

With the hammer, nails, cloth, and wooden boards sent by Baron Teach, as well as a bunch of "weird but unexpectedly useful" magical devices, they finally managed to build a dozen shelters on this storm-torn beach.

No longer sleeping in a tent is a huge improvement.

Although life is still difficult, with endless physical work to do during the day, constant mosquitoes at night, and bathing in the sea water becoming more and more uncomfortable - but there is finally some hope.

Humans are extremely adaptable animals.

Especially those who have lost everything are easily satisfied. Following Baron Teach's instructions, they drove a few wooden stakes into the seashore and finally built a simple pier - although it could only tie up a few broken fishing boats at best.

The name of Deadwood Harbor finally fits the situation.

Whenever Kadsen saw the fortress on the hill, he felt it was incredible.

At first he thought the city wall was very simple, but now he thinks it is simply a miracle in the vast ocean - it is amazing that a castle can be built in such a remote place!

It would be even better if that old man could help them build the Deadwood Harbor as well...

Of course, Kaidesen was just thinking about it.

He also knew that the fortress might be the result of hundreds of years of operation and accumulation of the Colin family on this land, and now they could only rely on themselves.

It is worth mentioning that the night before, Kaedsen discovered that he and his party were not alone on this continent——

They encountered a group of lizardmen who called themselves the Tide Clan.

There were men and women, or males and females, with fins and scales, some using fishbone crutches—migrating from the mountains toward the coastline.

At first, both sides were startled by each other, but fortunately, it did not turn into a fight. The other side was very restrained and did not enter their camp, and because of the baron's warning, they also suppressed the urge to fight in order to avoid greater trouble.

Finally, perhaps their leader proposed to exchange their catch and pearls for the resources they had - mainly the barrels of rum.

Kaidesen agreed immediately. Since the wine had already leaked out, he might as well make a gift and improve everyone's meals at the same time.

And those pearls are all good things.

If they can bring it back to the empire, they can probably exchange it for a lot of silver coins... Of course, the premise is that they can go back.

There is another strange thing.

I don’t know if it’s because he hasn’t touched a girl’s hand for too long, but Kaedson suddenly found that those lizardmen were quite handsome?

He was not the only one who felt this way, other sailors also had the same idea...but the other party obviously did not think highly of them and just left after the transaction.

The matter of the Lizardmen came to an end, and there was no further news after they left.

Kedesen reported this to Teach, but Teach said that such trivial matters did not bother him, as he was a baron, a nobleman, a landlord... not their father.

This guy always has an arrogant look on his face, but sometimes Kaidsen feels that he may not be a bad person?

Although this man always behaved like an aristocrat, liked to put on airs, give orders, and force them to work, he was still much easier to get along with than the barons in the Old World.

At least he didn't treat them like refugees, at least the food after work was good, at least they were building houses for themselves and solving their own living problems - and they didn't go bankrupt or get hanged because of those damn trees.

This is considered kind in the Old World.

Mr. Teach’s kindness does not end there.

Just yesterday, when Kadsen reported to him on the "progress of slum reconstruction", Master Titch patted him on the shoulder and said seriously -

"Work hard, young man. I can see that you are a poor fellow. You have been sailing all your life but you still don't have a ship of your own. But I am different. When you build the port, those houses will not only belong to you, but I will also appoint you as the governor of Deadwood Port!"

"This is a letter of appointment signed by an imperial noble himself. Since you are a citizen of the empire, you should know its value."

Isn’t it funny?

There is only a broken flagpole standing on the beach. How can there be a port there?
Although this barony seemed very large, he had not seen a single villager so far.

But even so, Kaidesen's breathing became rapid.

The Port Governor...

The opportunity to change my destiny seems to have really come!

That is why——

From that day on, he became more motivated than before. Even without Teach's urging, he would take the initiative to get up early and lead his brothers to work.

Time passed little by little, and soon it was noon.

Just when Kadsen was about to invite his brothers to eat, a sailor suddenly trotted over and said to him in surprise.

"Boss! There's a ship on the sea!"

Have a boat?

Kaidesen was stunned for a moment, then a look of ecstasy appeared on his face. He grabbed his shoulders and spoke.

"Where?! Quick! Take me there - No! Go! Light a fire first! Let them see us here!"

"They have seen us!" The sailor was so excited that he was incoherent and spoke very quickly. "I saw that they had lowered a small boat and were rowing towards us!"

As they were talking, a sampan appeared on the horizon. Five people could be vaguely seen sitting on the boat, with two oars rowing hard.

Kaidsen hurried to the shore to greet them, just in time to see the five men jump off the sampan and put their boots on the shore.

The leading man quickly noticed him, straightened his collar slightly, and then walked forward with a straight figure and a calm expression.

"My name is Derek," he said in a low voice, but his pronunciation was clear, with a standard native imperial accent. "Captain of the Grace. We deviated from our course in the storm, the stern rudder was damaged, and there was something wrong with the steam boiler. We can no longer sail."

He paused, glanced at the flags fluttering in the wind on the coast, then looked at Kaedsen's dusty coat, and spoke cautiously.

"I saw the flag of the Empire on the ship...Excuse me, is this a colony of the Empire?"

As he said this, the four people behind him looked around vigilantly, and their hands were placed closest to the gun at the same time.

Kadsen stood up straight, and subconsciously straightened his back. While he was looking at Derek, he was also calculating rapidly in his mind.

The man spoke with a military accent, but he was not wearing a standard military uniform. The material was fine, the buttons were copper-polished, the boots were polished, and the hat had a "showy" feel.

He didn't seem like an ordinary captain - more like someone with a high rank in the military, or a distant relative of a noble.

Most importantly, the name "Grace".

Experienced sailors who have been sailing for many years know that real merchant ships are generally called down-to-earth names such as "Sardine", "Whale", and "Brigantine".

A name like "Grace" sounds like a priest gave it after blessing the ship. It is either a warship or a toy of some big shot.

Kadsen glanced toward the sea and could only vaguely see the outline of a three-masted steamship in the distance. He couldn't see the deck clearly, and he didn't know whether it was equipped with guns.

Reading the vigilance in the other person's eyes, Kaedson knew what he was worried about. He was simply worried that he was a wanted fugitive or a pirate engaged in smuggling.

but--

This worry is obviously unnecessary.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a pretentious tone, imitating Baron Teach's accent.

"...Yes, this is the territory of Baron Titch Kosiah, a colonial territory of Prince Roxel Colin. This is of course the territory of the Empire... Do you see the fortress nearby? That is Baron Titch's castle."

As he spoke, Kadsen pointed to a hill not far away, where stood a simple but decent fortress. On it, one could vaguely see a few Imperial-style smoothbore cannons - models produced in the arsenal in the eastern part of the Whirlpool Sea.

Derek subconsciously looked at the fortress not far away, was slightly stunned, then frowned and repeated it.

"…Prince Colin?"

He had never heard of this name.

"Yes, the Colin family has been operating here for many years... I don't know the details, but this is what happened."

Seeing Kadsen speaking so confidently, Derek relaxed his frown and quickly adjusted his facial expression.

The nobles of the empire are as numerous as stars, and the "title that is not a title" like prince, although not so common, is not rare either.

After all, the emperor is immortal, and his children have multiplied for countless generations, and there are too many families that are related to him.

If a noble has a specific dukedom, he will call himself a certain duke or grand duke. If his territory is not worth mentioning, or if he does not want to attract attention, he will use the ambiguous title of prince as a suffix to his identity.

It was not unusual for a remote new colony to have an unknown "Prince Colin".

Considering that he needed help, he stopped asking further questions and his tone became much more polite.

"Please tell Baron Teach that our people need fresh water and food. It would be best if someone could help us repair the ship..."

After a pause, he added another sentence.

"Of course, we won't let you help us for free. We are willing to buy it at a reasonable price... and we also ask him to be lenient for the sake of Saint Sith."

Seeing that the approaching ship had also dropped anchor, although Kaidesen felt disappointed, he had no other choice but to nod and say.

"I will tell you, please wait a moment."

(End of this chapter)