Rowing the boat, his body gently rising and falling with the waves, Lex's gaze left the gradually receding naval patrol boat and landed on Boatswain Roger.
Roger wasn't very tall; he looked close to forty. His skin was very dry, probably due to his many years of activity on the Sea. His light yellow hair was cut very short, seemingly self-managed, with no style whatsoever.
He wore a golden earring in his left ear, making him look flashy and ostentatious, no wonder blue-haired Quincy thought he looked more like a pirate.
Lex also noticed a 'centipede'-like scar extending from his neck under the Boatswain's loose collar, disappearing into the neckline, suggesting that this gentleman had participated in harsh battles.
However,
Why are we rowing?
"Where exactly are we going?" Deep blue-haired Quincy, who didn't seem like the type to keep his composure, couldn't help but ask after they had rowed a certain distance from the dock.
Shielding the sun with his hand, the Boatswain, sitting at the stern, said leisurely, "Just row your boat, Soldiers. Let me give you your first lesson."
"Never question an officer's orders."
A moment later, as the small boat rounded a bend, they saw a three-masted sailing ship, similar in size to the patrol boat they had just seen, anchored on the Sea on the other side of Vera Harbor. The sunlight shone on it, allowing Lex to see the iron-cast cannons mounted on its three gun decks. Also, on a flag fluttering in the wind, there was a pattern of a trident embraced by two separate waves.
"That's our ship, the 'Wavebreaker'."
Roger introduced it like a treasured possession: "The 'Wavebreaker' is 30.9 meters long, 6.8 meters wide, and has a displacement of 776 tons. It has three main masts, with the main mast reaching a height of 48.9 meters, and a total of 36 square sails."
"As for weaponry, we have 50 cannons, 20 24-pound shell cannons, and 10 8-pound shell cannons."
Lex frowned slightly and asked, "Is this a wind-powered ship?"
Roger retorted, "Do you see any steam exhaust pipes?"
Quincy said with a surprised expression, "Which department do we even belong to, to still be using such an outdated ship?"
"Outdated?"
Roger immediately jumped up and said excitedly, "Soldiers, don't you see what a beautiful Miss this is! Look at her lines, look at how she rises and falls in the Sea."
"Her elegance, her beauty, cannot be compared to those steel monsters that resemble crude brutes!"
The Boatswain seems like a nostalgic person. Lex wisely kept his mouth shut, offering no opinion.
A moment later, they finally boarded the deck of the 'Wavebreaker'. Lex noticed that there were already several people on the deck, but they didn't look like Sailors.
They all had luggage next to them, and there was even a girl.
Roger cleared his throat and waved, "Come over, everyone. Now, everyone is here. From now on, you will be partners working together on this ship. You will become close friends, brothers who can rely on each other. And all of this begins with self-introductions."
"So, who wants to go first?"
As soon as he finished speaking, deep blue-haired Quincy raised his hand, turned around, and looked at the others coldly, saying, "Quincy Buck. I am a Sequence 8 Beyonder of the Sailor Pathway."
"There's one thing I want to make clear here: I never intended to be your partner, nor did I intend to rely on each other. I only believe in myself. And I believe that one day, you people will call me Captain Sir!"
Confident, ambitious, unsociable, a very difficult fellow to get along with.
After a brief assessment, Lex smiled and turned, "Lex Disraeli, a Sequence 8 Beyonder of the Hunter Pathway. I hope to change my life by joining the Navy."
"Mr. Lex comes from a noble family. If anyone needs guidance on etiquette, feel free to talk to him more," the Boatswain beside him added.
Hearing Lex's background, Quincy frowned and immediately moved a few steps away, as if unwilling to be too close to Lex.
Roger smiled again and asked, "So, Mr. Lex, do you have any goals?"
"As for goals..."
Lex's lips curved slightly, "I think a Kingdom Admiral should be a quite suitable goal."
Roger's smile stiffened for a moment, then he whispered, "The recruits this year are quite ambitious. One wants to be a Captain, and the other is aiming directly for Kingdom Admiral."
"Interesting..."
The Boatswain cleared his throat and called out, "Continue."
"Hello, everyone." A girl wearing an elaborate and gorgeous dress and a veiled hat adorned with ribbons stepped forward gracefully. Around her neck, she wore a ruby pendant necklace. On her wrists and fingers, she had bracelets, rings, and other jewelry.
"I am Natalie. Anne. I am a Apothecary, and also a surgeon. My interest is making money and then turning it into various pieces of jewelry to wear."
Apothecary?
Lex couldn't help but glance at the girl a few more times, noticing that this brown-haired, dark-eyed Miss, though introducing herself, kept staring at the ring on her hand.
After the Miss Apothecary finished her introduction, a tall, sunny young man stepped forward. He had brilliant golden hair, and his lake-blue eyes glowed with warmth. He elegantly bowed to everyone before smiling.
"Edward. Shawn, I am a 'Midnight Poet' and also a painter. I once held a solo art exhibition in Backlund, though the Spectator was sparse. I hope to paint more magnificent artworks and also wish to have epic experiences, which is why I joined our Kingdom Navy."
"I believe that there will definitely be a Beyonder experience on the Sea. Thank you, everyone."
Finally, only a shorter man remained, wearing an ill-fitting overcoat and a bowler hat. He seemed somewhat nervous, his eyes constantly darting around, as if wanting to escape the ship.
He introduced himself very simply: "I am Frank."
That's it? Lex spread his hands, a little surprised.
The Boatswain gave a dry laugh: "Mr. Frank. Kate is a 'Thief' and also a habitual criminal. He signed an agreement with us, which is why he's here."
"If I were you, I'd keep a close eye on your wallets and all your valuables."
"Alright, now you can freely mingle and await the Captain's arrival."
"I have a question."
The tall, thin, blue-haired Quincy looked at everyone with suspicion: "What exactly are we doing here?"
He spread his hands at Roger: "A Boatswain who looks more like a pirate than a naval officer, an outdated, wind-powered ship that doesn't look like a warship at all."
"And these people."
"A noble Young Master, a Miss, a painter, and a Thief. How are we supposed to fight pirates? Are we going to defeat them with the noble Young Master's etiquette, or have the painter recite poems for them, or perhaps have Mr. Thief steal their clothes, leaving them naked and dying of shame?"
"What a joke! I'm here to join the Kingdom Navy, not a Sea circus!"