Chapter 5: The Ocean Beneath the Earth
Comer did not change his attitude because of the two people’s gazes. He continued to study with interest the craftsmanship of this star compass—it must be the work of a genuine magic artisan. Those temporary magicians could not create such exquisitely made items. The dark star maps and scarlet circuit lines forming the sea chart complemented each other, while the edges of the compass had been worn smooth, likely from long-term use.
A smooth glass cover shaded the compass. When the power of the stars was needed, one only had to lift the skylight at the top of the captain’s cabin to let the energy from the stars shine onto the magically crafted star map arranged along specific routes, allowing the compass to guide the crew on their journey.
“This gentleman seems very interested in the star compass,” the captain said with a kind smile, finally prompting Comer to nod. He hadn’t intended to answer such questions, but with nothing much to do, learning about maritime customs could help ease the loneliness of the journey.
“Yes, this star compass is quite exquisite, though it seems to be quite old. Generally, star compasses do not last more than twelve years. I wonder how old this one is?” Comer’s pale fingers gently traced the glass cover, causing the shipowner beside him to grow nervous. Yet the shipowner seemed to revere this bearded captain. Although he wanted to stop Comer, seeing no sign of displeasure from the captain, he simply turned his head away, pretending not to see.
“It was created by Master Agamemnon from Delphi. According to him, this compass should still be usable for another fifteen years. It’s been ten years now, yet it remains highly accurate. I believe it can last even longer than that,” the captain said, his tone filled with respect when mentioning Agamemnon’s name.
“Delphi? Oh, so your ship was built in the west? That’s incredible! It can now sail on the Nether Sea—clearly, you’re a great navigator. Please forgive my ignorance.” Comer raised his eyebrows in surprise. Delphi was an important port at the northwest edge of the Blue Continent, famous for shipbuilding and navigation. The straight-line distance from it to Matdam must be over three thousand miles, and if sailing around by sea, the journey would be at least ten thousand miles. Comer had always found this ship to resemble less the style of vessels from his region—it turned out to be a sea ship from the western oceans. No wonder he was so astonished that such a medium-sized ship could travel across the vast seas to reach the Nether Sea.
“Hmph, Captain Portalan is a renowned navigator in the Abyssal Sea and the Northern Mid-Sea. This ship was also chosen for me by Captain Portalan at a high cost—eighty thousand gold shields.” Some annoying shipowners also interfered out of timing, their words filled with arrogance. As soon as they spoke, Komer saw a hint of displeasure flash across the captain’s face, but due to the presence of others, he couldn’t say anything else.
“It seems Captain Portalan must be very familiar with this sea area. I wonder if he has ever been to the south?” Komer was very interested in the situation in the Mid-Sea. That old scoundrel, Gott, avoided meeting him, and even threatening him with magic cannons didn’t help in seeing him. It was said that the struggle for maritime dominance in the Northern Mid-Sea was intense—between the Red-Haired Witch and the Skeleton King, it was hard to tell who the true ruler of the Northern Mid-Sea was at the moment.
“The south? Do you mean the Mid-Sea?” A hint of wistful memories crossed the captain’s face; it seemed Komer’s question had stirred up some past memories.
“Yes. It seems Captain Portalan is very familiar with the seas around the continent, even the ships from Delphi. That’s why I ask so boldly.” Komer indeed wanted to learn more about the situation in the Mid-Sea. Ordinary crew members could only focus on their own duties, and although they might know some things about the seas, their knowledge couldn’t be comprehensive. But as a captain, it was different—the shipowner might order the ship to take a different route at any time, so the captain needed to have a thorough understanding of the surrounding seas. Otherwise, if anything unexpected happened, it would be the captain’s responsibility.
With the northern routes to Matdam severely restricted, trade with colonies in the south and on the Unknown Continent had gradually become Matdam Port’s main trading areas. However, food remained Matdam’s primary import. The food from the south was of poor quality and expensive, unsuitable for the Caucasians who were accustomed to northern flavors. But for now, they had no choice but to rely on supplies from the south to make up for the food shortage. The colonies on the Unknown Continent were the main markets for Matdam’s exports of iron ore, coal, pig iron, wrought iron, and iron products. As these colonies expanded, the demand for exports to the Caucasus also increased, gradually overtaking the southern continent as Matdam’s largest export destination. And the Mid-Sea was the essential route connecting Matdam to these two places.
With a soft sigh, the bearded man showed an expression of helplessness and resentment, clearly having endured some unpleasant experience in the Central Seas that he found hard to forget.
“I see you must be a person of status as well. It would be best if you avoided heading south. Right now, the Northern Central Seas are in turmoil—two pirate fleets, the Gray Skulls and the Red-Haired Witch, are fighting for dominance over the region. The Gray Skulls base themselves on Rhodes Island in the Politesis Archipelago, while the Red-Haired Witch relies on Grande Corsica, located about 300 nautical miles south of Port Pitya at the tip of the Serpent Peninsula. Most ships are forced to navigate closely along the coastlines to avoid being chased by these fleets. However, while staying close to the coast helps avoid pirate ships, it also means navigating through numerous reefs and hidden rocks. The underwater currents caused by the coastal terrain make accidents likely, and there’s also a risk of attacks from dragon beasts. Currently, the freight rates from the major ports in the southern part of the Central Seas to the Northern Abyssal Sea have risen by 30%, and even so, shipments remain precarious. The freight rates to the Continent of Mist are also increasing, causing great distress among merchants, and shipowners are equally worried.” Portalan quickly regained his composure and began describing the situation in the Central Seas in a calm, informative tone. By now, the shipowner had lost interest in their conversation and left, leaving only Komer and the other man in the captain’s cabin.
Portalan didn’t understand why he felt compelled to share his views on the situation in the Central Seas so openly with such a young man. He himself was surprised. He wasn’t a talkative person, nor one who enjoyed chatting with strangers. Yet this young man, though seemingly frail, exuded a sense of stability, like a mountain. Portalan remembered someone who had given him a similar impression. Subconsciously, he wanted to shake his head in self-mockery—there was such a huge difference in their statuses: one was a renowned powerful figure on a continent, while this elegant and witty young man was merely a minor noble who had come to the Caucasus for exploration or business. So why did he feel such a strong emotional resonance with him?
“Oh, it seems the Northern Central Seas are indeed not peaceful. No wonder Matdam seems much quieter now.” Komer didn’t express any opinions. He wanted to learn more, as this was a rare opportunity to speak face-to-face with a captain who had long sailed these waters.
“Matdan’s decline is not so much due to instability in the northern Mediterranean regions, but rather due to the relationship between the ruler of the Caucasus region and Duke Philip, its lord. It seems Duke Philip is not very satisfied with that Caucasus ruler, Baron Komer. I heard there were conflicts between them even in Cyprus, uh, something related to family matters.” Seeing Komer staring at him intently, clearly very interested in these secrets, the bearded man felt a hint of displeasure. He had no intention of discussing such private matters, merely mentioning them casually, but he didn’t expect Komer to be the focus of the conversation.
“Hehe, please continue, Mr. Potaran. This is my first time traveling to the Caucasus, and I’m very interested in these topics,” Komer said, rubbing his nose awkwardly and smiling obsequiously.
Faced with such almost rascal-like behavior, Potaran found himself without any sense of disgust; he just thought it was amusing. How could a young man who had always maintained a polite and noble demeanor suddenly show such an expression, uh, one usually seen in vagrants?
“Homer’s navy has blocked the routes from the north to Matdan. Even with a permit issued by the internal affairs department of the Kingdom of Nicosia, it would take a long time. In fact, Matdan can no longer obtain imported goods from the north, nor can it export its ores and coal there. Fortunately, there are no restrictions on passenger travel. Nowadays, most ships traveling between Cyprus, Odessa, and Matdan are passenger ships.”
“What about the southern Mediterranean?” Komer asked, raising his eyebrows in a casual manner.
“The southern Mediterranean?” The bearded man was taken aback; he clearly hadn’t expected Komer to ask about that region. His expression became hesitant. Many things in that dark, shadowed sea were very different from those in the north, especially the stark differences in religious beliefs and races, which made that region completely distinct from the northern continent. “I haven’t been to the southern Mediterranean for some time. But I heard that after the Gigantia Temple on Gozo was destroyed by a once-in-a-century storm, tensions between the League of Corinthian City-States and the Kingdom of Sevilo over control of shipping in the Aegean Sea intensified rapidly. However, I’m not very familiar with the specifics. Perhaps only sailors who frequently travel to the southern Mediterranean know exactly what’s going on.”