With the departure of the Yorkshire Mariner, flags and sails began to grow in the vicinity. As it approached the city of Walkerson, the number of boats became more frequent. After about 2 hours, a building that looks like an oriental pavilion appears in the player's field of vision.

Propelled by the sea breeze, the Yorkshire Mariner continued on its way, and more and more components of the 'pavilion' emerged from below sea level. Barrett soon discovers that it turned out to be the top of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is located on an island less than 1 nautical mile from the harbor and is made of granite with a sturdy and straight body. The small sampan tied to the edge of the reef rises and falls in the waves, like a kite soaring through the air, firmly controlled by the thin line.

According to the layout that is now popular in the Western Continent. In the 'gazebo' on the tower is a large brazier and two copper plates connected at a 90-degree angle. Wheels under copper plates are placed on rails around the brazier. And the two guards with spears next to the brazier looked back and forth into the distance. Of course, as a warning point on the sea outside the city of Walkerson, it is impossible for these two people to be among the lighthouses in front of them. There were at least two ten-man squads in the tower, to ensure that in most cases, the alarm would be transmitted to the harbor behind them in time.

Once the Yorkshire Mariner has crossed the lighthouse and the reef beneath it, the player is not far from the port of Walkerson. Here one could see a huge three-masted warship hovering outside the harbor, as if intended to deter unscrupulous visitors—the large ballistas on these three-dimensional sailing ships were not only striking in range, but also not to be underestimated. At a certain distance, it is even possible to inflict direct damage on the hull of an enemy ship.

As an alien vessel, the Yorkshire Mariner soon received the flag of 'stop ship inspection' from the other side. At the sound of Captain Rollins' command, the sailors, who had just recovered their health, hurriedly put away their sails. However, a large capital ship like that would not be personally in charge of boarding and inspection. After half an hour's wait, a two-masted patrol ship slowly came to the Yorkshire Mariner in a circle.

After the patrol boat lowered the pedals. The oncoming Navy non-commissioned officer greeted Captain Rollins with a smile on his face. It can be seen that he is obviously a regular visitor to Walkerson City, and the two sides should be quite familiar with each other.

But by the time the naval sergeant set his sights on the deck, the smile on his face vanished - the two rounds of naval battle had left many indelible marks on the Yorkshire Mariner. In particular, the bullet marks from the ballista are even more remarkable evidence.

Then his expression began to become serious: "Mr. Rollins." What kind of accident did you encounter at sea this time? It can't be the fish-man that the sailors shouted about in the previous paragraph, right? If that's the case, you're going to be famous this time. This is because the Yorkshire Mariner was the first ship to be attacked by a fish-man in this time. There must be big news in the tavern on horse's head tonight. ”

"I'm sorry Mr. Michael! I'm sure you're going to be disappointed, but we're coming across the privateer of the Mammoth Kingdom. Captain Rollins spread his hands. As for the fish-man or something, I can't even see a shadow along the way. I now have some suspicions that the original statement was just a rumor. ”

"Isn't it a fish-man? In this regard, only the sailors were heard, and no victims appeared. Sergeant Michael touched his chin, "Anyway, there are so many rumors among the sailors, and they are not bad for those few." But did those guys from the Mammoth Kingdom actually go out again? If they keep wandering on this route, it's a big problem. I need to pass the news on and hopefully the big guys will find a suitable solution. ”

The presence of a strong pirate on a busy trade route was a catastrophe for trade-based city-states and regimes. Generally speaking, if there is strength. The local government will definitely organize a fleet to strangle the other side. No matter how bad they are, they will be driven far away, and they will not be able to pose a threat to normal commerce and trade in a short time.

"You're saying Walkerson City is going to send a ship to clean up those guys?" Captain Rollins asked, slightly excited. However, this expression also fell into Barrett's eyes not far away. From his point of view, though, Captain Rollins seemed to be overexerting himself.

Sergeant Michael's expression suddenly stiffened a lot: "This kind of thing is not something I can ask about. But all I can say is that you'd better not get your hopes up too much, Mr. Rollins. I think you should know about last year's conflict. Walkerson had already shed too much blood, and the lords of the town hall would not be willing to engage in any conflict with the mammoth barbarians for at least a few years. ”

"Are you just going to let those pirates go? We were lucky enough to be able to fight our way through this time, but not necessarily if it were other merchant ships. As long as this situation lasts for 1-2 months, the loss of ships and rumors will be enough to ruin the situation that Walkerson has built up with great difficulty. Captain Rollins' words became more and more agitated. It seems that he is really worried about the safety of his next shipping.

Sergeant Michael shook his head: "What's the use of you telling me!" When going to sea to suppress bandits, you have to listen to the big guys above. But you'd better not get your hopes up too much. The current situation is clear to all. ”

"Hey! In that case, we will have to be careful when we run this route in the future. While saying this. Captain Rollins stepped forward and handed Sergeant Michael a parchment roll and a citrus-sized linen bag. Immediately afterward, something was whispered in his ear.

Sergeant Michael, who took the money bag, frowned suddenly, and then showed a look of understanding. Then he beckoned. Immediately, a naval soldier stopped beside him. Then he whispered a few words, and the soldier nodded immediately. Then the routine inspection begins.

Of course, in addition to the inventory and inspection of the goods, Barrett's temporary bodyguards also experienced a brief inquiry. The mission documents of the Church of the Goddess of Wealth and Commerce are useful at times like these. Because in the middle of the trading city, the influence of this church has always been great.

It wasn't long before there was a sudden quarrel below deck. As the voices grew louder, Sergeant Michael and Captain Rollins hurried back to the entrance of the cargo hold on deck. And Captain Rollins as he passed Barrett. He also gave him a gentle tudge on the shoulder. It seemed to be motioning for Barrett to hurry up.

After waiting for the cargo hold below deck. Sergeant Michael let go of his voice: "What are you arguing about?" What are you arguing about? They're all impatient, aren't they? ”

"Your Excellency, please look here, we are not vexatious." The soldier, who had been specifically instructed by Sergeant Michael, pointed ahead as he spoke.

Soon in front of everyone was a sack cut in two. In the center of the sack that was supposed to contain the flour was a noticeably smaller bag. Black particles leaking from the broken bag. It is so distinct in the slightly brown flour (non-refined flour).

Seeing all this in front of Barrett, the interaction between Sergeant Michael and Captain Rollins on the deck immediately flashed in his mind. The previous righteous indignation or something else was nothing more than a show. their ultimate purpose. Just to figure out what exactly the cargo is this time around.

Because the Yorkshire Mariner had escorts from the Chamber of Commerce, even if Captain Rollins wanted to find out, he couldn't do it himself due to the rules of the industry. Otherwise, this is the rhythm of turning the face directly with the Chamber of Commerce. Even if the investigation reveals that there is a problem with the goods, it is still difficult to gain the upper hand in public opinion. If he hadn't caught the other party's handle, his career would have suffered a big blow.

However, if this kind of thing is left to the Maritime Patrol led by Sergeant Michael, it has nothing to do with Captain Rollins. Even those who understand it are clear that Captain Rollins is behind this, but the soldiers under Sergeant Michael are indeed 'serious' in their duties - at least there is nothing to point at them on the table.

"What are these?" Sergeant Michael pretended to be angry and shouted, "I remember that there is no record of this kind of cargo in your customs declarations!" ”

"I don't know what it is. However, the escort on the client's side was on the boat, and I immediately sent someone to inform him to come. Captain Rawlings at this point immediately commanded the sailor beside him.

At this time, Barrett stepped forward past several soldiers and sailors in the way, only to see him pinch the black particles on the ground and touch them. Then he sniffed it under his nose again: "Granular gunpowder? And it is a granular gunpowder with good color. The small bag that was cut open alone was worth at least 50 gold coins in Boreham. ”

Although it looks similar to the real black powder, the main ingredient of this strategic material in the game includes rubies. Moreover, the process of making them must involve spells, which means that even if you know the formula, the black powder made by ordinary people will not explode. For these two reasons, the price of black fire medicine in the game remains high. At the moment, these are worth 50 gold coins for up to 10 shots - this is a consumable, you know.

After a while, the escort from the Chamber of Commerce was invited by the sailors, and when he first arrived at the cabin, this guy was still impatient. It was as if any of you present had offended him. But when he saw what he saw, he immediately went limp-if he hadn't held on to the plank beside him. Maybe I'll sit on the deck.

Captain Rollins, who had spotted the visitor, immediately stepped forward and roared, "You bastard, tell me why there is gunpowder hidden in the flour?" This kind of cargo is not on the original shipping list! If half of these bags contain the same goods, this is a big deal of at least 25,000 gold coins. I think you definitely know better than I know how risky a business like this is. But you only paid us that before. I will definitely complain to the Maritime Transport Union about this matter. ”

"And we, when we took on the task before, there was obviously no news about this in the details you gave." Behind Barrett is Clematis. Bot also spoke at this time, "Wait for the shore!" We will appeal to the local temple on the grounds that you are withholding the details of your mission in an attempt to evade the payment due. Wait for our lord's punishment, you greedy creatures! ”

The roars of these two people alone made the representative of the Chamber of Commerce in front of him tremble. And Sergeant Michael's voice became the last straw that broke the camel's back: "I didn't expect it to be a granule of fire!" It's a rarity in our Northland city-states! Especially the mammoth barbarians in the north, who lack mages and alchemists, crave these things even more. And we in Walkerson City have very strict restrictions on the circulation of such goods. What is the purpose of your chamber of commerce transporting these contraband this time, this is something to be investigated. ”

Although the arms trade on the Western Continent is thriving, it is not accessible to everyone. Even if it's the same kind of arms, in the eyes of different regimes. It will also have a different meaning - and it will be different in terms of limitations.

For example, the city of Walkerson in front of you has a very good city defense system in this era. The city itself sits between the valleys of two rivers, and the city is surrounded by five slightly arched hilly plots, and the walls of the city, which are generally irregular pentagrams, completely envelop the area where the population is concentrated, and within the walls there are four bastions that complement each other to station the forces that fight back in the event of a siege.

Outside these walls were moats more than three meters deep and three meters wide, and the water inside the walls was drawn from the two great rivers outside the city. Beneath the tall and majestic walls, I don't know how many besiegers have returned - to put it bluntly, the city defense here is also in the form of a fortress. It has been claimed that such specialized ramparts could allow the bodies of attackers to be piled up as high as the city walls.

But just like in reality, the castle eventually fell under the cannons and explosives. The large-scale use of gunpowder in the game can also pose a serious threat to the security of Walkerson - with gunpowder, valuable spellcasters can hide in the rear without having to face the blows of the defenders.

Fortunately, among the northern city-states, the mammoth kingdom, which is the least likely to deal with the Seven Cities Alliance, lacks academic spellcasters. This made it impossible for them to produce their own gunpowder on a large scale. That's why a city like Walkerson is impregnable. Therefore, the Seven Cities Alliance will inevitably strictly control the gunpowder that enters the Northland - not to eliminate it all, but at least to control the threat within the range that it can bear. (To be continued.) )

PS: Because of the sensitive word problem, some sentences may be a little awkward, please forgive me. Thanks to "Book Friend 151026172200139", "Handsome and Handsome", "Starry Sky on a Clear Night", "Prophet. Chariot", "YF533", "Book Friend 151026172200139" and "Saldin" and other 7 people voted for the monthly pass.