The first rays of morning light shone on the deck.
Ed's room was located on the left side of the stern, and sunlight penetrated the space through the windows. However, the room's owner had no intention of getting out of bed; instead, he pulled the blanket over his head and continued to lie on the uncomfortable mattress beneath him.
To a sick person, even being thrown on the deck would be of little concern. He felt like a lifeless puppet. Last night, not only could he not enjoy the wonderful banquet for fear that eating too much would make him vomit, but he was also haunted by nightmares and couldn't sleep peacefully at all.
As for going to the new ship's doctor for a check-up, that poor bastard didn't seem to know anything about medicine and could hardly bandage people properly. Ed even felt he was just a random pirate pretending to be a doctor to save his own life.
He felt like he might as well jump into the sea and travel to another world, one with no sea at all. He would rather spend his life in a hot desert or on a snowy mountain than travel on the ocean.
However, the sudden sound of tinkling bells jolted the lifeless Ed awake from his bed. With unimaginable speed and excitement visible on his face, he quickly threw on his clothes and made his way to the deck, using his new long knife for support.
"Everything is ready. It will be here soon."
Hearing this, Ed leaned against the side of the boat like a thirsty traveler in the desert who had finally found an oasis. He stuck his head out and looked forward.
Finally, the moment he had been waiting for days had arrived. He could see many ships around, big and small. However, the early morning sea fog obscured the view. A vague outline was visible in the white mist, their destination, an island. Solid ground was finally just a few kilometers away, meaning he could say goodbye to the damn sea for a few days.
Shortly thereafter, the ship began to slow. A massive object emerged from the vast white fog.
A huge warship, which Ed estimated to be at least forty meters long, sailed past. It split the white waves, sending spray to both sides that nearly hit their deck. Their merchant ship seemed like a child next to the sailing battleship. Most importantly, the normal waves of the sea couldn't shake this behemoth, making it completely steady and stable, like solid ground.
Ed watched his dream sailing battleship disappear with deep envy and a longing gaze. Yet, he was equally shocked. The construction of this warship was obviously different from the merchant ship he stood on—the very ship he currently wanted to burn to ashes. It had an extremely beautiful, streamlined shape, having discarded the huge forecastle and sterncastle, unlike the bloated and weird-looking merchant ship.
Three tall masts rose from its deck, with a single gun deck below. Gun ports were evenly distributed on both sides, deliberately displayed to show off its military power. The precious stone-shaking cannons were revealed one after another, each obviously larger than those on their poor ship.
The entire battleship was painted in red and gold. The flag on the mast was blood-red with a golden coin emblazoned upon it.
Ed had seen this icon on the map. It was the symbol of the Blood Gold Alliance.
Sigurd had come to Ed's side at some point without him noticing. He looked at the battleship with shining eyes and said, "This is the Bloody Golden Flower, a Tier 4 battleship of the Alliance Navy. She's forty-three meters long and eleven meters wide. She has a single gun deck equipped with thirty-four guns. She's the nightmare of pirates. Looks pretty cool, right?"
Listening to the data Sigurd revealed, it was clear he had done his research and really admired the ship.
"It's really cool," Ed replied casually. He wasn't a big fan of ships, especially after discovering his seasickness. Now, he even hated them a bit.
The Red Golden Flower glided past, followed by a three-masted sailing warship about the same size as their merchant ship. It only had a few rock-shaking cannons on deck. This new ship stopped beside the merchant vessel. A man dressed in yellow and black boarded, spoke with Hols, handed him a document, and left again.
"Who was that?" Ed asked curiously.
"They're the Alliance's navy," Sigurd replied, turning to look. "They were probably towing a captured pirate ship behind us and came to inquire about the situation."
After a while, their ship set sail again and slowly headed towards the port of the distant island: Turan Island. It was an important member of the Blood Gold Alliance, the base of the Navy's Fourth Fleet, a famous large island in the region, and a prosperous commercial hub.
The merchant ship, with the pirate ship in tow, slowly docked at the berth. The entire port now came into full view. Ships of all sizes were moored nearby, and several mighty warships were anchored in a dedicated area not far away.
Sigurd patted Ed on the shoulder. "I have to follow Uncle Hols to trade the wheat. I wanted to take you to a doctor, but this is really important. If you don't mind, you can just stay on the ship, and I'll take you after I finish. Or, if you want, you can go for a walk on your own? Maybe you'll feel better and not need a doctor at all. Seasickness is common among newbies like you; it's rarely permanent. Usually, the patient recovers automatically once his body gets used to the motion of the sea. This place is relatively safe. Just don't cause any trouble."
Hearing Sigurd's unconcerned words, as if he weren't abandoning him on the ship but doing him a big favor, Ed didn't know what to say. He looked at the port city ahead, with its sprawl of low buildings and people hurrying about their work. Without hesitation, he declared, "I'll go for a walk by myself. I don't want to stay on this damn ship for a second more."
"Okay, we'll be staying at the White Sailboat Inn. Remember to find us later. Just walk around the city, don't go outside the walls. Do you hear me?"
"No problem, don't worry," Ed said casually with a wave of his hand, annoyance clear in his voice. After all, in terms of mental age, he was a decade older than Sigurd. Being told how to behave in a city by a teenage brat was not pleasant.
"Also, don't make any large purchases on the island. You'll probably get ripped off. Let's go together tomorrow after I'm done with my work. If you need to buy anything, I can help you. I'll also show you something wonderful tomorrow, something that will open a door to a new world for you. Hehehe," Sigurd let out an evil laugh and gave Ed a knowing wink. He now looked like a friend who had discovered his best friend had a lot of money and couldn't wait to help him spend it.
"Alright, Mamma Sigurd, I understand. Now help me get off this damn ship; I can't wait to put my feet on solid ground."
Hearing Ed's urging, Sigurd happily nodded and quickly guided him through the workers toward the nearby port city.
It was now morning, and residents and merchants filled the streets. The scent of the sea breeze blew in from the harbor, and the crisp laughter of men and women could be heard from time to time.
"Fresh fish, just caught!"
"Excuse me, how do I get to the Governor's Mansion?"
"Join the army, join the navy, and defend our homeland!"
"Mom, what are we having for lunch today?"
"New, beautiful ladies for entertainment! If anyone wants relief, come to 'The Sea Beauties' Love House!"
"Sharp blades! So sharp they can cut a head like a vegetable! Only a golden leaf! Cheap and affordable! Limited inventory!"
"Fruits! Fresh and healthy fruits!"
"Ship repair service! Cheapest price! Ship repair service!"
A cacophony of shouts and conversations filled the entire port.
Sigurd, attracted by a certain advertisement, stopped on the supported gangplank connecting the ship to the port platform. He stared at a beautiful woman in extremely seductive clothes explaining the secret services of her love house to a group of a dozen muscular men, not seeming to care if they touched her private parts or not.
Ed was also attracted by the same lady, but after seeing some old geezer groping her open breasts and smacking her buttocks, he lost interest. Removing Sigurd's hand, he used his knife for support and finally crossed the wooden bridge, arriving on the port platform.
The moment he stepped onto it, Ed felt reborn. All his previous feelings of extreme weakness from not eating for three entire days and vomiting nonstop vanished. His stomach finally stopped making weird sounds, and the constant nausea left him.
He took a deep breath and stood up straight, tears of joy welling in his eyes. Finally, he no longer had to endure that never-ending feeling of sickness.
However, his happiness lasted only ten seconds before an extreme, gnawing hunger hit him, and he almost fell flat on the platform. Now that his sickness was gone, his body's natural craving for energy had returned. After all, it couldn't run on air forever.