CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 183: PARACELSUS_2

By that time, he would have bigger problems than promotion. He would be lucky if he wasn’t dragged out and executed as an example.

The only solution was to catch the thief and recover the stolen items.

At this thought, he immediately got up. Now, everyone looked like a criminal to him, and he yelled at his subordinates, "Get searching!"

No matter who it was, he was determined to make them pay!

「 」

Upon the riverbank, a makeshift floating bridge had been constructed with ropes and planks. It connected the encampment to a large ship. People continuously boarded, but there was no sign of chaos. Everyone behaved, helping each other out even when facing difficulties.

They had been informed in advance to brace themselves for living cramped together for seven days, yet they showed little resistance or dissent.

The reason was simple: the Lord would be aboard the same ship.

Setting aside the events of yesterday, that morning the camp was abuzz with the news that the Lord had brought in a doctor late at night to treat the injured. Everyone was shocked at first, skeptical until the Guards confirmed it.

That development had only deepened their trust in the Lord.

On the other side, the encampment was already more than half dismantled. Items like tents needed to be taken back, as Hamlet did not have enough housing to accommodate over two thousand people.

Once the houses were set up, they could be repurposed as marching tents. I must use these supplies to their absolute limit, he thought.

I’ll spend when necessary, but I won’t waste a single copper coin, Lance resolved.

According to the situation, everything should be ready by noon. Then, they would sail downstream to meet another ship docked at the riverbank and set out to sea together.

"Has that person not arrived yet?"

A voice drifted over, but Lance showed no surprise, replying casually.

"What’s the rush? We haven’t even set off yet."

Turning around, he saw Tiffany appear behind him, with the still-injured Boudica at her side, a bruise visible on her face.

"Is everything ready on your end?"

"The farm tools and weapons were loaded yesterday. Master Eugene, the craftsmen, and the kids are all on board. We’re just waiting for your side now."

"Is there any room left?"

"Not anymore, with these tents," Tiffany answered earnestly, without any intention of teasing Lance.

Lance looked over at the crowd. I’ve overestimated the ship’s carrying capacity, he realized. Unlike goods, people couldn’t be stacked up.

It’s a good thing I sent some away, Lance considered. Otherwise, this would have been even more troublesome.

Times are hard, Lance acknowledged to himself. They’ll just have to endure a bit more.

"Dismas, you’ll go with Tiffany. Boudica, you’re with me."

"Yes, sir!" Dismas didn’t question the Lord’s arrangement but couldn’t help looking back at the distant city with a sense of reluctance.

Clearly, the service in Totnes had been a little too good for Dismas to forget.

"Are you really going to take this ship?" Tiffany couldn’t help frowning. With so many people squeezing onto it, she knew the conditions wouldn’t be good.

"I won’t abandon them, just like I won’t abandon you," Lance said with a deceptively casual smile.

It’s precisely because the conditions will be harsh that I need to be with them, Lance thought. Otherwise, no one else could keep them in line. Plus, I need to keep observing them; true talents often only emerge under extreme pressure.

"Can I not take the ship?" Boudica’s unusual accent was back. Lance glanced at her, seeing her uncomfortable expression, obviously scared by the previous experience.

"Are you scared?"

"Scared?! As if!" Boudica became agitated like a startled cat. "Fine, I’ll do it. I’ve never been scared."

"Ride a few more times, and you’ll get used to it. You might even be able to fight on a ship then," Lance smiled slightly. She’s too easy to handle.

With everyone’s cooperation, the encampment was quickly emptied. Whatever needed to be dismantled and could be carried away was taken. The refugees hoping to scavenge were left exclaiming, "It’s cleaner than if dogs had licked it over! You guys are ruthless."

"Prepare to set off!"

"Aren’t we waiting anymore?"

"No," Lance said calmly, looking into the distance. "They’ve already arrived."

Tiffany followed his gaze and saw a person dressed in a dark, simple long dress approaching, carrying several packages of different sizes.

Upon closer inspection, the woman, with medium-short hair and round glasses, seemed rather ordinary and inconspicuous.

If one had not seen her face before, it would be difficult to imagine that she was the beak-masked doctor from the previous night.

Dismas was also curious about this woman, sizing her up, having heard about last night’s events.

"Welcome aboard. And your name is?" Lance went forward to take her luggage, his enthusiastic gesture making the woman somewhat flustered.

"Paracelsus."

"Hmm, nice name. I’m Lance." Lance had no desire for idle chatter and immediately began organizing the departure. I need to get back to Hamlet as soon as possible; I won’t feel at ease until then, he thought.

"All right, this ship is too crowded. Tiffany, you take her with you. We can talk in more detail once we get back to the domain."

"I’ll go with you. We have some things we need to talk about," Paracelsus said, adjusting her glasses and speaking directly.

"Sure, but it’s a bit cramped, and you’ll need to stay with her," Lance said, gesturing towards Boudica, whose face was bruised and swollen. Paracelsus glanced at Boudica and then nodded in agreement.

"No problem."

"Then let’s set off. We don’t have much time to waste."

Tiffany and Dismas escorted the last of the materials back, while Lance was the last to board the sailboat.

"How’s everything?"

Lance approached the captain, a man in his late fifties. His exposed skin was sun-darkened. Years of toiling had aged him beyond his years but also made him sturdier than the average person.

He was a former member of the Hamlet Navy, with a background similar to Walter’s. After Hamlet’s collapse, he became a displaced person and fell on hard times for a while before Walter helped him. This loyalty was why he hadn’t betrayed Walter during the attempted coup.

Years of travel and experience had equipped him to better complete this final journey.

"My lord, everything is normal," the captain reported to Lance.

"Work hard these next few days. We’ll return to Hamlet with utmost speed, and you will be rewarded upon arrival."

"Yes!" The captain had no intention of questioning his orders, having already witnessed the Lord’s capabilities.

The captain stood at the helm, directing the sailors to operate the ship.

He yelled out to the sailors standing on the deck.

"Heave ho, lads! Set sail!"

"Set sail!"

The sailors answered in unison, then began to hoist the sails and embark.

Lance stood on the deck as the ship moved, the city passing by before his eyes.

The journey was smooth, without any hindrances or inspections. It seems the matter has been suppressed, Lance thought.

But that’s to be expected, Lance mused. Totnes was too large; the amount of goods it processed daily was counted in the tens of thousands. The robbery of a few minor merchants, with no casualties, wasn’t worth a major fuss.

Once fully loaded, the ship moved much slower. Due to the heavy traffic on the river, any collision could result in a serious accident.

Fortunately, there were no issues, and they joined another larger ship at the dock.

One after the other, the two ships left the river channel and entered the open sea, with Lance standing at the bow, looking out.

Out on the open sea, it was still a veritable race of sails. His view was dotted with various ships: some designed for speed, others immense cargo vessels with up to five decks.

Of course, there was also Totnes’s truly formidable weapon—the cannon-armed sailing warship.

The advent of sails had revolutionized sea travel, an era once dominated by oar power. Wind became the ship’s primary motive force. A ship’s speed was now determined by wind direction and strength. Furthermore, the combined use of square and fore-and-aft sails allowed ships to sail against the wind in a zigzag course, greatly enhancing efficiency.

The emergence of cannons directly shattered millennia of naval combat reliant on boarding actions. The might of these cannons made Pirates think twice before approaching.