Lord: Starting with Contract Half-Elf Twins

"Damn it, where did this strong north wind come from at this time of year? The wind direction has completely changed! It's unbelievable!"

After hearing the navigator's report, the captain cursed and then kicked the young sailor next to him.

"You little brat! Hurry up and adjust the sails! We need to catch the wind!"

"Yes, Uncle!"

"Your uncle isn't on this ship! What should you call me?!" The captain glared at the young man.

"Yes, Captain!" the young man hurriedly corrected himself, then quickly ran toward the mast.

Looking at his good-for-nothing nephew, the captain, whose beard was already gray, shook his head.

The Hundred Flowers is a large ship second only to the Kingdom's warships, with four main masts. It takes at least 10 skilled sailors to work together to catch the wind.

That kid had better just pass on the order and not interfere.

Taking advantage of the wind is an extremely dangerous operation. If the operation is not timely enough and the sails are not adjusted in accordance with the wind direction, the boat may not only fail to move forward, but may also damage the mast or even capsize.

I'll keep an eye on it later...

It wasn't that the old captain was being overly worried; it was simply that his nephew possessed superhuman strength, and had grown rapidly in the years since joining the royal guard.

He was genuinely worried that his muscle-bound nephew would overdo it and fail to snatch the wind.

At any other time, failing to seize the wind would be one thing, but things are different now.

This was his first opportunity to pilot such a fine ship as the Baihua, and he was determined to make a good impression on that person.

Especially since a near-shipwreck occurred just a few days ago...

Fortunately, the man was magnanimous and didn't hold it against him; otherwise, he felt he would be imprisoned when he returned to his hometown.

The old captain headed straight for the top deck.

That was the best cabin on the ship, which should have been the captain's cabin, but now it barely serves as his living quarters.

As he gradually approached the upper deck, the number of sailors nearby slowly disappeared.

Only a few burly men dressed as sailors stood with swords in hand, and even when no one was around, they stood straight with their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Under these intensely oppressive gazes, the old captain unconsciously straightened his collar.

Two female swordsmen stood at the cabin door, opening it for the captain; clearly, the person inside had already given instructions.

The old captain cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and then went inside.

Upon entering the ship's cabin, the captain's quarters, which were originally decorated with weapons, specimens, and fur carpets, had lost all their original appearance.

Everything has been changed to a simpler, more refined style.

Although there are no fancy decorations, a closer look at the details of the table and chair fabrics reveals that they are made of extremely expensive materials.

A young girl was sitting at the table. She was very young and looked harmless, but she inexplicably had an air of authority about her.

"Your Highness..."

"Uncle Captain, this is a ship, there's no princess here. You can just call me by my name."

Seeing that the old captain still couldn't bring himself to call her that, the girl had no choice but to say, "Then you can call me Amber."

"Yes, Prince Amber... Miss Amber."

The old captain reluctantly changed his tune, saying in a deep voice:

"A sudden, strong northerly wind has blown across the sea. If I may be so bold, our trip to the western islands may have to be delayed for many days."

"North wind?" Amber frowned her beautiful eyebrows.

"I remember you said that it would be about three months before the first northerly wind blew, right?"

The old captain sighed inwardly, noting that Princess Amber had taken the initiative to learn about navigation from him ever since she boarded the ship.

She learns extremely quickly, never needing to be taught a second time. She even remembers experiences that she casually mentions. She is truly intelligent.

"Yes, that's why it's unusual. Although you can sail even with strong winds, being late is inevitable."

Amber nodded slightly.

She wasn't one to force people to do things, and she knew the old captain didn't know what had happened either.

Since we've encountered something unusual at sea, we should trust the judgment of professionals.

"If we are late, we will have to regretfully end this voyage. After all, I ran away from home, and the day I was supposed to get back was already very late. My uncle will be angry."

The old captain thought to himself, "So you know we snuck out."

The old captain was initially reluctant to disobey the Regent's orders.

However, the royal guards had already given him the answer with their eyes.

The princess's orders had to be obeyed, whether he wanted to or not.

The old captain was furious at the thought of this, and his own foolish nephew naturally assumed that they should listen to the princess.

He even suspected that if he refused, that kid would be the first to put a sword to his neck.

Regardless of what the old captain was thinking, Princess Amber sighed softly.

Although she secured the support of a city in the south, she did not achieve her goal of verifying the route to the western islands, which was a slight disappointment.

However, given the unexpected gains from the terrifying sea, it can be considered quite lucky.

You can't force things.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please arrange for our return flight."

Upon hearing the princess's order, the old captain breathed a sigh of relief.

Returning home as soon as possible would be best. Although he didn't want to offend the princess, he didn't want to offend the regent even more.

After the old captain left, Princess Amber summoned a maid.

"Since things are unusual, perhaps something strange is about to happen."

Princess Amber stroked a ring on her pinky finger.

The ring was carved entirely from obsidian, so black that it seemed to reflect no light at all, which clashed with Princess Amber's attire and style.

"I'd like someone to pilot a small boat and scout out the direction the north wind is blowing. Could you go and ask who's willing to take on this mission?"

The maid immediately knelt on one knee: "Your Highness, we members of the Hidden Light Society are all people who have received your kindness and protection. None of us would refuse the opportunity to serve you!"

"Alright, alright, don't be so formal, and don't think about sacrificing your life every time you encounter a mission. If you can't do it, just retreat! I hope that in the future, none of you will be missing from my side."

Although Princess Amber said this, judging from the maid's expression, it was clear she hadn't listened at all, so she had no choice but to give more detailed orders.

"Then let's ask within the Hidden Light Society who knows the Northern Seas and the Northern Region best. That way, the success rate of the mission will be higher. I don't want to hear about anyone's death."

"yes!"

The maidservant withdrew, and the girl was finally left alone in the room.

"What strange things will happen this time?" Princess Amber finally revealed a touch of innocence befitting a 14-year-old girl.

"Perhaps it was just a magical creature causing a ruckus in the north, which temporarily changed the weather."

A faint sound came from inside the obsidian ring.

"But if I hadn't remained curious, how would I have met you on the terrifying sea?" Amber smiled.

"Mortals who encounter me will only fall into endless fear and misfortune. That's not a good thing, is it?"

"Of course it's a good thing, because you can give me enough power."

Amber maintained her smile, as if she were discussing what to eat today.

"Didn't you say that the greater my ambition, the greater the power you could provide?"

"Yes, you are one of the most lustful beings I have ever met."

The entity within the obsidian ring didn't seem happy.

"It's a strange experience that you've taken control of the contract."

"Alright, my 'luck,' you'll be standing beside my throne, I promise you!"

……

The old captain left the cabin, letting out a long breath, feeling much more relaxed.

As long as the princess was willing to return, he neither offended her nor disobeyed the regent's orders.

All are happy.

As long as there are no further unexpected events, we should be able to return on time...

"Captain... Captain!" The first mate rushed over.

"What's all this fuss about!" the old captain snapped, not wanting the princess in the cabin to hear the noise.

"It's terrible, Captain! Your nephew pulled down the largest sail while adjusting the sails!"

The old captain suddenly felt dizzy and his vision went black...