9: Set sail

The first rays of dawn had just appeared, and the port of Tianhai City was already waking up. The salty, humid sea breeze, laden with the smell of fish and the clamor of human voices, heralded the busyness of a new day. Linn stood on the pier, looking at the team that had been reorganized overnight, and felt slightly relieved by the bright weather.

The medium-sized cargo ship "sea wave," obtained in exchange for three small boats and fifty gold coins, was docked at the shore. Although it was a bit old and the hull was covered with traces of erosion from wind and rain, the structure still looked solid. Morton, being efficient, had already led people to settle all the purchased supplies, the grain and forage issued by the Kingdom, and those two hundred Slaves onto the ship. Clay was leading the soldiers to maintain order, while the newly purchased brothers Shirei and Evan followed behind Clay, curiously and somewhat fearfully eyeing the massive ship and the vast sea. The Elf girl Elise stood quietly not far behind Linn, still silent, but at least no longer as hostile as she had been yesterday.

Linn's gaze swept over the numb, shackled Slaves on the ship and finally settled on five men who had been specially arranged together. Their skin was dark, their palms rough, and their eyes, unlike the dead silence of the other Slaves, held a resilience born from battling the sea. These were the ones he had specifically selected from the two hundred Slaves. According to the records, they all had experience working on coastal fishing boats or merchant ships; they were veterans who understood water and knew how to handle wind and waves.

Linn walked up to them, his gaze sweeping over the five men calmly. "I know your names—Barton, Carlson, Hebrew..." he began slowly, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "I also know that you are familiar with the sea and know how to handle a ship."

The five sailor Slaves looked up, looking at this young noble master with some astonishment, not understanding why he mentioned this specifically.

"This trip to Iron Sand Island is a long one, and sea conditions are unpredictable," Linn continued, his tone serious. "'sea wave' is our foundation, and you are the key to ensuring this foundation reaches the other side safely. I need you to do your utmost, as if your own lives depended on it, to ensure the safety of the ship."

He paused, his voice raising a few notches, carrying an unquestionable promise: "I, Lynn Ellis, swear by the god of dawn, as long as you can assist my subordinates and let 'sea wave' reach Iron Sand Island safely, I will not only remove your status as Slaves and restore your freedom, but I will also grant you the status of Freemen, becoming official residents of my territory, with the right to reclaim land and build families! You will also receive a certain salary for doing extra work for me."

Once these words were spoken, not only were the five sailor Slaves stunned, but Clay, Morton, and others who heard it nearby also showed astonishment. Removing slave status—this was an extremely rare favor!

After a brief silence, the sturdy man named Barton, who seemed to be the leader among the five, swallowed hard, his voice hoarse and filled with unbelievable excitement: "My Lord... are you, are you serious?"

"Absolutely true," Linn said decisively. "But the premise is that we arrive safely. If anyone slacks off on the way, or even harbors evil intentions..." His eyes suddenly became sharp, "You know the consequences."

"We will never fail your trust, My Lord!" Barton was the first to kneel on one knee, and the other four also knelt down excitedly, their shackles clattering. In their originally numb eyes, a strong desire to survive and hope ignited. Becoming Freemen, having their own land and future—this was something they hadn't dared to even think about after being captured as Slaves!

"Very good." Linn signaled Clay to unlock their shackles. "From now on, you will temporarily listen to the orders of Morton and Clay. Barton, you will be the boatswain for now."

The sound of the unlocked shackles hitting the ground seemed to also shatter some kind of bond. The spirits of the five sailors were renewed, their movements became much more nimble, and they quickly threw themselves into the final inspection work before departure.

"Raise the sails! Set sail!" The starry sea, here I come.

Following Linn's deep command, the heavy anchor was pulled up amidst the creaking of the winch, and the huge sails climbed up along the mast, gradually bulging in the sea breeze. "sea wave" slowly sailed away from Tianhai Port, leaving the noisy land behind, and headed toward that vast, blue, and unknown sea.

The first few days of the voyage were quite smooth. The Sky was blue, and the sea breeze was steady. With the assistance of experienced sailors like Barton, the ship maintained the correct course. Linn spent most of his time in the cabin studying sea charts and researching potion formulas with Dolia. The magic seeds were also planted in the breath of life, and the tenfold acceleration made these Elementary plants grow significantly every day.

During these few days, relying on his own foundation and Dolia's guidance, Linn made rapid progress in pharmacy and had now been promoted to a level two Apothecary. While learning potions, Linn also learned some self-preservation methods from Dolia.

Occasionally, he would go to the deck to get some air, observe the state of the Slaves, and have brief exchanges with Elise, trying to alleviate her tension. The brothers Shirei and Evan were taken by Clay and began basic physical training, occasionally helping with odd jobs; they were full of curiosity about everything.

However, the temper of the sea is always unpredictable. On the afternoon of the fifth day after departure, the Sky suddenly darkened. The originally gentle sea breeze became violent, whipping up layers of white foam. On the distant horizon, lead-gray dark clouds, like a thick curtain, pressed over at a speed visible to the naked eye. Pale lightning occasionally flashed in the clouds, and the sound of thunder rolled in.

"Not good! It's a storm! Quickly! Lower the main sail! Keep only the secondary sail! Secure all cargo and personnel!" Barton's face changed drastically, and he roared as he commanded. There was no need for much urging; the sailors who had been inspired by hope, as well as the soldiers led by Clay, all struggled to act.

Clay rushed to the bow, silver battle Qi glowing on his body, trying hard to stabilize the direction of the bow. Carl and Angus organized the soldiers to drive the panicked Slaves to the lower deck to prevent them from falling into the sea.

Linn also came to the deck. The strong sea breeze almost made him unable to stand firm, and he grabbed the railing of the ship tightly. Elise followed behind him, her face pale, her pointed ears trembling slightly; she could feel the violent and chaotic magic elements in the air.

"My Lord! The waves are too big! We must change course and avoid the center of the storm!" Barton shouted to Linn, braving the wind and waves.

"You take command! Trust your experience!" Linn unhesitatingly delegated the command. At such a time, his knowledge from his previous life and his cultivation in this life seemed pale; only the experience of an old sailor was the most reliable.

"Full port rudder! Go with the wind! We can't take it head-on!" Barton roared at the top of his lungs.

The helmsman tried his best to turn the wheel, and "sea wave" emitted a teeth-grinding groan. The massive hull struggled to turn amidst mountain-like waves. The whole world seemed to tilt over, and giant waves smashed onto the deck one after another, with cold seawater washing over everything. The ship sometimes rushed to the crest of a wave, as if it were about to fly away the next moment; sometimes it suddenly fell into the trough, surrounded by dark green seawater, as if falling into an abyss forever.

"Hold on! Everyone hold on!" Clay's voice sounded weak in the wind and waves.

Linn felt his stomach churning, but he forcibly suppressed his discomfort, his eyes fixed on the people struggling in the wind and waves. He saw Morton always following behind him; he saw Clay and the soldiers using their bodies to block the passageway to prevent seawater from pouring into the lower cabin; he saw Barton and other sailors desperately pulling the cables on the wet and slippery deck, controlling the angle of the sails.

Just then, an exceptionally large wave slammed in from the side!

"Bang!" The hull trembled violently, emitting an unbearable groan. Several ropes securing the cargo snapped, and several wooden boxes were thrown out, rolling and colliding on the deck. Even worse, the cable of the secondary sail on the main mast was also snapped, and the canvas danced in the gale like a wild horse, causing the ship to begin to spin uncontrollably!

"Steady! Quickly steady the ship!" Morton roared.

"No! The rudder is ineffective! We have been caught by the ocean current!" The helmsman screamed in terror.

Misfortunes never come singly. The storm not only brought gales and giant waves, but also stirred up complex underwater currents. "sea wave," having lost part of its power, was like a leaf, carried away by a powerful, invisible water current, deviating from the scheduled course and drifting toward an unknown sea area.

"Cut the cable of the secondary sail! Quickly!" Barton's eyes were splitting, and he grabbed an axe and wanted to rush over, but the deck was tilting severely, and he was shaken to the ground just after taking two steps.

Just then, a slender figure moved. It was Elise! She had crawled near the mast at some point and used a dagger Linn had given her for self-defense to slash at the wildly waving, snapped cable! Her movements were not skilled, and she was in danger amidst the violent shaking, almost being thrown away several times.

"Elise! Danger! Come back!" Linn's heart tightened, and he shouted loudly.

Elise seemed not to hear, a look of determination flashing in her emerald eyes. She knew that if the ship were destroyed, everyone would die, including this young noble who had promised her a glimmer of hope. She gathered the weak arcane energy in her body, and a faint, almost invisible glimmer appeared on the blade of the dagger, and she slashed down fiercely!

"Swish!" The cable snapped in response! The wildly dancing secondary sail finally drooped, and the ship's rotation slowed down.

Almost at the same time, Clay also moved. His silver-level battle Qi operated to the limit, and he lunged at a mast fragment that had been thrown into the air and was about to smash into a sailor. He forcefully carried the heavy wood with his shoulder, groaned, staggered a few steps, and then threw it aside.

"Port rudder fifteen! Quickly! Follow this current and see if we can rush out!" Barton seized this brief moment of stability and commanded at the top of his lungs.

The helmsman tried his best to turn the wheel. The ship, under the combined effects of wind, waves, and currents, bumped and struggled, stumbling forward on the pitch-black sea like a drunkard.

This struggle with the storm and currents lasted for an entire night. When a hint of white appeared on the eastern horizon, the violent wind and rain finally gradually subsided. The lead-gray clouds dispersed, revealing the exhausted Sky behind them.

"sea wave" was a mess. The deck was covered with debris and broken cables, the hull was damaged in many places, and the canvas was severely damaged. Everyone was exhausted, looking like they had been fished out of the water, collapsing on the wet deck, gasping for air.

Linn, supporting his almost falling-apart body, walked to the side of the ship to look out. All around was a completely strange sea area, having long deviated from the scheduled route. The markings on the chart had lost their meaning; they were completely lost.

"My Lord, we... we have deviated significantly from our course." Barton walked over, his voice hoarse, his face filled with guilt and anxiety. "As for our specific location... I am not too sure either. Moreover, the freshwater tank cracked during the turbulence, and we lost quite a bit of fresh water."

Linn looked silently at the boundless blue ocean, feeling heavy in his heart. The Baron's dream, the Kingdom's protection, the Family's threat... the premise of all this was to arrive at Iron Sand Island alive. And right now, they didn't even know where they were, and they were also facing a water shortage crisis.

This first danger had given him a blow in the most direct way. On this vast and ruthless sea, everyone on this ship was so insignificant. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in his heart, turned around, and his gaze swept over everyone on the deck—the exhausted soldiers, the terrified Slaves, and the five former sailor Slaves who had tried their best because of his promise.

"We survived." Linn's voice was weary but exceptionally clear. "This is the most important thing. Barton, you five did very well, I remember my promise."

He paused and raised his volume: "Everyone listen! The storm has passed, we are still alive, and the ship hasn't fallen apart! Now, I need everyone to take action! Repair the hull, organize the supplies, collect rainwater! As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to find Iron Sand Island!"

His words were like a shot of adrenaline, slightly alleviating the desperate atmosphere. Under the organization of Clay and Morton, the survivors began to drag their exhausted bodies, cleaning up the mess, and striving for the next survival.

Linn walked to Elise's side, seeing her soaked and shivering, took off his coat and handed it over. "Elise, you did well."

Elise looked up, her wet silver hair sticking to her cheeks, and she looked at Linn, "Thank you, Master." She took the coat gently. The contact over the past few days had also caused Elise to lower her guard a lot.

The future is uncertain, and crises are everywhere. Damn it! But this night was finally over.