The Legend of the Fishermen of Sicily

Chapter 115 Ancient Navigation Techniques

Leo did hear the words "jump down".

He had long harbored the thought of jumping off the cliff.

But how could I actually jump?

His skills are not a problem; 20 meters is not a high height, and he is unlikely to drown if he jumps into the sea.

But wouldn't that ruin the outfit?

I could have just washed it and returned it, but now I really have to buy a new one.

He imitated Gatti, adjusted the safety rope, and tugged it twice.

The little figures on the deck started pacing anxiously in circles.

He touched it again, and the people below spun even faster.

If you touch it again... it'll spin like a top.

This rope is great; it can be used as a remote control.

Not daring to go too far, Leo began his descent back downhill.

As the altitude decreased, I was gradually able to hear what the people below were saying.

"Next time you send someone who doesn't know the hand gestures up there, don't come out with them. Making such a basic mistake, are you trying to scare us to death?"

"The fleet rules clearly state: do not leave your post without permission. What have you been doing? And look, who replaced you? It was Gatti! Isn't this ridiculous?"

"He's safe and sound this time. But what if he had fallen? How would we explain that to Malzamemi, how would we explain that to Antonino?"

Leo climbed down the deck with his back to it, and patted his wooden gun as he overheard their discussion.

Peglerini was quite strict when disciplining his son.

Your analogy isn't very good. How could something happen to me?

Leo stepped onto the deck, wanting to turn back and tell Peglerini, "Stop scolding the child, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

Looking back, holy crap...

The person lecturing was not Peglerini, but a boy who looked even younger than himself.

This man was practically a smaller version of Peglerini, with messy hair, skinny as a stick, and wearing cheap plastic sandals. The only difference between him and Peglerini was that he had opened his half-closed eyes because he was so angry.

This is another son of Peglerini... Leo immediately recognized the relationship between the two of them.

At this moment, Peglerini himself looked like a "dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water" type, with one foot off his slipper and gripping his calf tightly.

"Are you done talking?" Pegrelini asked Rinaldi across from him, his eyes half-closed as if he hadn't woken up yet.

Then, pointing his chin at Leo, he said, "You answered the phone, and you promised Antonino you'd give him a chance to prove himself. If anyone's neglecting their duties, it's you who should be held accountable."

Leo was stunned.

What's going on?

Rinaldi approached Leo with a serious expression, extending his right hand: "Rinaldi Cumanso, captain of the Silverfin, Antonino told me about you. Your name is Leo Volpe, and you're skilled at fishing, right?"

As Leo shook hands with Rinaldi, his eyes darted back and forth between the father and son.

My brain's a bit malfunctioning.

Rinaldi must have seen similar expressions too many times, and he said calmly, "At sea, there are no distinctions of seniority or relationship. Our family rule is that the male members of the family will succeed as captain after reaching adulthood to cultivate our sense of responsibility. I have come of age this year, so I have become the captain."

Sicily has so many different rules, what kind of weird rule is this... Leo thought to himself.

He witnessed his son disciplining his father—today was truly an eye-opening experience.

Rinaldi called Rio over: "Let's talk about what work you'll be assigned to tomorrow."

He took a couple of steps, then, hearing that the person behind him seemed to have stopped following, he turned around and saw Leo pointing to the tall mast overhead: "Can we climb it again?"

He hasn't had enough fun yet.

I wouldn't have come down if I hadn't seen the little people pacing anxiously down there.

Leo's application was rejected.

Rinaldi, using the excuse that he was in a hurry, took Leo to the cabin.

The three members of the Cumanso family sat opposite Leo, evaluating his overall performance like three interviewers.

"They know nothing, can't do anything, and have absolutely no foundation."

"Very brave and quite skilled."

"Antonino specifically mentioned that you are an excellent swimmer and also have a knack for throwing."

Leo nodded, acknowledging their comments, and asked expectantly, "So what's my job tomorrow?"

The three men, father and sons, said in unison, "Oarsmen."

Leo tried to sell himself: "But I did a pretty good job on the tall mast, can't I be the lookout?"

"You don't know hand signals or semaphore," Peglerini said.

"You wouldn't be able to observe schools of fish either," Gatti added.

"Courage and skill alone won't find the swordfish. You should have seen it up there; there's only room for one person to stand there," Rinaldi concluded.

The atmosphere in Messina ignited Leo's fighting spirit and passion.

Having climbed high on a gun before, he wanted to apply for something more exciting: "How about a thrower? Can I try?"

The three men shook their heads in unison: "No way."

Leo shrugged.

Okay, I've completely given up.

Leo's position on the Silverfin has been finalized.

But the ship showed no intention of returning to port and continued sailing forward.

Leo couldn't help but ask the three men, "Where are we going?"

When the boat set sail, Leo thought that leaving port was to give him some tests, but it seemed that he, as a temporary rower, didn't have that much influence.

Peglelini glanced down at his watch, then looked outside, stood up, and muttered, "We need to hurry to get somewhere."

Throughout the journey, the three members of the Cumanso family repeatedly mentioned phrases like "hurry up," prompting Leo to ask, "Where? Is it far?"

Rinaldi led Leo out of the cabin and explained to him, "We're going to write to the statue of Our Lady. Today is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, and the fishing boats of Messina all rush there before dusk to pray and keep vigil by the sea."

Leo really wanted to ask, "Should I go too?"

But he was already on the ship... and it seemed he had no other choice.

Before dusk, the Silverfin arrived at its destination.

Standing on the deck, Leo could see a slender, shallow pillar at the top of the cape from a great distance, which stood out against the backdrop of the blue sea at dusk.

.

Atop the shallow pillar stands a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, and several fishing boats are anchored on the surrounding sea, including the Silverfin, which has also anchored very close to the statue.

The boy, Gogatti, explained to Leo that the statue of Our Lady of the Letters is the most famous religious building in Messina. The statue faces the sea and is directly opposite the strait, symbolizing the protection of fishing boats entering and leaving the port.

The statue itself is 7 meters tall and made of gilded bronze, while the base is 60 meters tall.

The procession, carrying candles, stretched along the coastline at the foot of the monument.

This was the first time Leo had ever witnessed such a large-scale religious event, and he felt that both the statues opposite him and the atmosphere at the moment were incredibly sacred.

At first glance, the statues that didn't seem particularly special become ancient and mysterious, exuding a profound sense of protection.

Around 7 p.m., the entire monument was illuminated, and the gilded Virgin Mary glowed brightly in the night, appearing even more sacred.

The Peglerini father and son scattered rose petals into the sea and sang religious songs that Leo was unfamiliar with, after which they led their crew in a devout prayer to the statue.

Leo couldn't understand the hymns, but he could hear the prayers clearly.

They weren't praying for a bountiful return, favorable weather, or any vulgar wish for wealth; they were praying for the safety of every crew member on the Silverfin, including interns like Leo.

Leo wasn't a believer, but when he heard that his own story was mentioned in their prayers, he joined in and prayed along with them.

A short while later, someone touched my arm, and when I opened my eyes, it was Gatti.

"Dad's calling you over, he wants you to hurry up."

Still need to hurry?

We've arrived, haven't we?

"What's wrong?" Leo followed Gatti to the cabin.

Gatti gave Leo a disgusted look, as if to say, "You're such a clueless idiot."

"Of course, it's to take care of the important business that brought you to Messina."

"Are we starting to row now?" Leo pointed to the statue behind him. "Aren't you on night watch tonight?"

The Silverfin will stop overnight at the statue of the Virgin Mary, and will depart from here tomorrow to hunt swordfish.

Peglelini poked his head out of the cabin: "Hey you, keep your voice down, don't disturb everyone."

He rubbed his face, as if to encourage himself: "Come in quickly, I'll teach you our family's ancient navigation techniques."

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