Chapter 105: Her Own Power
News of Evelina’s voyage exploded across the northern harbor like a wildfire.
By midday, the central pier was completely blocked.
Thousands of local sailors, veteran captains, and dockworkers abandoned their jobs and rushed to the coast.
They shoved each other out of the way, desperate to get closer to the docks.
"Let me through! I’ve sailed these rough waters for twenty years!" a scarred captain shouted, waving his compass.
"Step aside, old man! The Savior of the North needs strong, young arms!" a younger dockworker fired back, pushing forward.
These men weren’t here for a standard wage.
They were yelling, cheering, and practically begging to be chosen by the woman who had saved their families from freezing to death during the great winter blizzard.
Evelina stood on the wooden deck of her newly acquired flagship.
Her cloak fluttered in the ocean wind as she looked down at the large crowd.
"We will sail to the edge of the world for you, my Lady!" a veteran sailor roared from the front line, slamming his fist against his chest.
"We sail for you too!" the crowd erupted.
Hundreds of fists punched into the sky.
The thunderous roar of their voices completely drowned out the sound of the crashing waves.
The sight of it was almost majestic. The people who were not from North felt the invisible power the woman with green eyes held.
She was being heralded by all of them like a true goddess.
Evelina watched them, and fell into deep thoughts.
With a crew like this, her secret Ghost Routes map would be executed perfectly.
She gave a sharp nod to the guild merchants standing below, "Begin the selection."
The harbor instantly turned into a busy recruitment zone.
While the captains screened the men, hundreds of laborers began loading her three massive warships. Heavy wooden crates were quickly hoisted into the holds.
Evelina had ordered the ships to be packed to the brim with prime northern goods; her famous winter linen, northern mountain herbs, and premium iron weapons.
Here, they were cheap.
But once she crossed the sea to the Eastern Frontier, they could be sold for fifty times their value, based on the market needs and their rarity.
By evening, the final crates were secured. The three ships sat heavy and low in the water, ready to sail at first light.
The roaring crowds had finally dispersed. The chosen sailors were resting below deck, and the harbor grew quiet.
Evelina walked to the edge of the ship’s stern, scanning the dark horizon.
Everything was ready.
Her map was locked in, and her clean break from the Alvarez name was finally complete.
People no longer simply recognized her as ’Duchess Alavarez’, they knew her name and what she stood for.
Suddenly, the temperature around Evelina drastically dropped.
As she looked around, she noticed an unnaturally thick fog rolling in from the vast seas.
Within seconds, the dense white mist completely swallowed the pier, cutting off all visibility.
And a tense silence followed it. The sea birds stopped crying and the wind died down to a whisper.
Evelina’s eyes narrowed.
Before she could delve into the weather anomalies, she heard some noise and looked ahead.
Through the swirling mist, a massive silhouette slowly took shape. It moved smoothly, cutting through the water without making a single sound.
The fog parted just enough to reveal its frame. It was a towering warship built entirely from midnight-black wood. It carried no flags, no family crests, and no identifying markers.
Yet, there was an unavoidable pressure radiating from its dark hull.
Splash!
The unmarked warship dropped its heavy iron anchor at the edge of the harbor, and loomed over Evelina’s three ships like a predator in the dark.
Evelina frowned and gazed at it for a moment before she looked away.
...
It was finally time to set out!
The iron anchor broke from the seabed, and the flagship groaned as it surged forward.
"Unfurl the main sails!" The Captain’s voice boomed across the deck, "Catch that northern wind! Move, you lazy sea dogs!"
The three warships sliced through the wild sea waves, officially breaching the outer northern waters.
Evelina stood at the bow, her hands gripping the wooden railing.
The freezing sea spray hit her face, but she didn’t even blink.
Behind her, the outline of the northern coastline was rapidly shrinking into nothing but a dark line on the horizon.
She was finally out... leaving everything of her past behind.
It felt like a relief yet there was a hint of nagging suffocation in her chest, that grew a little with passing time.
"We’ve cleared the harbor patrol zone, my Lady," The Captain reported, stepping up beside her and tipping his hat, "The weather is pleasant today, no sign of fogs from before. The winds are completely in our favor. At this speed, we will hit the deep ocean boundaries by nightfall."
"Good," Evelina replied against the howling wind, "If any imperial vessels approach, do not stop. We are no longer under their jurisdiction."
"Understood!" The Captain grinned, his scarred face tightening with excitement, "My men are ready for anything."
Evelina took one last look at the disappearing kingdom before turning on her heel.
She walked across the bustling deck, smoothly dodging sailors pulling thick ropes, and headed toward the captain’s quarters.
Click.
She pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped into the spacious cabin. The room smelled faintly of aged oak and sea salt.
A clean desk was bolted securely to the center of the floor, surrounded by shelves packed with navigating tools.
Evelina pulled a thick leather cylinder from her cloak.
She unrolled the contents onto the desk, pinning the edges down with heavy brass weights. It was her newly unlocked navigation network.
The System hadn’t lied.
The map was incredibly detailed and totally worth the unreasonable tasks she went through to acquire it.
Unlike standard naval charts that only showed public trading lanes, this map revealed hidden underwater currents, ancient maritime shortcuts, and safe zones hidden between dangerous monster territories.
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