Chapter 513: The First Day at Sea The "Flying Bird" sailed towards the depths of the Misty Sea in the gushing smoke. It would head west, first to the Misty Sea Islands, an overseas colony of Intis, which is the archipelago mentioned in the proverb "Never trust the people of the islands", and then turn south to Santa Port in the northwest of the Kingdom of Feynaport. Although the Misty Sea has always been famous for its frequent foggy weather, similar phenomena are not so exaggerated in the coastal areas. Lumian read books for nearly three hours under the bright sunshine. That was an introductory textbook on the highland language of the Kingdom of Fenapotter. Although Lumian had Lugano as a translator and guide, he did not want to become a "deaf-mute" and rely entirely on Lugano to provide information and convey words. In that case, if Lugano really had any problems and deliberately concealed or distorted the key meaning, he would not be able to detect it, and things would become quite troublesome and dangerous. Lumian wanted to master some of the most commonly used highland language words before arriving in Santa Port. Even if he couldn't rely on them to communicate with the locals, he could use them to verify the completeness of the translation. Normally, it would be almost impossible for a Beyonder who was not on the "Reader" path to learn the Plateau language in a journey of less than ten days. However, Lumian mastered the ancient Feysac language, which was the source of the Plateau language. The two had a lot of similarities in sentence patterns, word meanings, grammar, and word structure, which allowed Lumian to achieve three times, or even four or five times the effect of learning the Plateau language with the same amount of effort. "When will dinner be served?" Ludwig lingered in front of the recliner where Lumian was sitting, annoyed that it was already dark outside but the exclusive waiter had not arrived with the food cart yet. Lumien closed the book in the dim sunset and the lit kerosene lamp, laughed and said: "Who told you to order so much? We have to give the kitchen time to prepare it. Fortunately, although first-class cabins don't provide free meals, they have their own kitchen. Otherwise, we would be too busy to handle it..." Before he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

Amid the echoing sound of jingling bells, Lugano opened the heavy vermilion wooden door and watched the young waiter push the dining cart into the room covered with thick tan carpet. Under Ludwig's anxious and urging eyes, the waiter calmly spread the tablecloth and set the tableware. "This is a local delicacy, herring gati, smoked soft herring fillets and onion and carrot slices are marinated in olive oil, with spices such as thyme and laurel added, and placed in a cool place for 24 to 48 hours. It is best served with a mild potato salad... "These are fried French fries, and there's a saying in the Upper Maritimes that there's no heaven without French fries... “This is raisin butter bread… “It’s fresh oysters and all kinds of shellfish… “This is Foss’ turkey, this is ham and mushroom burritos, this is Umm’s duck mince and brown sugar vanilla waffles… “This is the traditional orange cheese… and there’s also a very strong grey cheese, would you like to try that? "This is the favorite cider of the Haut-Maritimes..." (Note 1) Lumian listened with great interest as the waiter introduced each dish. To his surprise, Ludwig did not pick up his knife and fork directly, but waited patiently until the other party finished speaking before eating the appetizer bread and tasting the pickled smoked herring fillet. Did he awaken something? Lumian glanced at the kid in confusion. "It's OK. The smoky flavor is just right, and it forms a very rich taste with the aroma and seasoning..." Ludwig commented in a very professional tone, but with his chubby face and the appearance of being only seven or eight years old, Lumian not only did not admire him, but found it absurd and funny. Porto Gatti is close to the sea, and the oysters and other shellfish are quite good. Not only are they more delicious than most restaurants in Trier, but they are also cheaper. Lumian enjoyed this dinner with distinctive local characteristics while drinking brewed cider. Thanks to Ludwig's efforts, the dinner for eight people was reduced to nothing but clean plates and bones. Lumian and Lugano actually both had big appetites and each ate a meal for two people, but they were still far behind Ludwig, and that was based on the premise that the latter had already enjoyed afternoon tea and started eating dessert. Why don't you go to the bathroom so often... Where does the food go? Is your stomach a bottomless pit? Lumian looked at Ludwig, stood up, and said to Lugano: "I want to go to the bar on the ship, do you want to come with me?" "I didn't sleep last night and want to go to bed early today." Lugano didn't understand why his employer, who had also stayed up all night and traveled all day, was still so energetic and not tired at all. He could even go to the bar to play for a few more hours. Is it because his sequence is higher?

The little boy with an unusual appetite seems to be in good spirits... Lumian did not invite the translator again. After leaving a midnight snack for Ludwig, he changed into a plain dark brown jacket, left the room and walked towards the bar belonging to the first-class cabin. The bar was elegantly decorated, with the sound of soft melodies played by a small band echoing in the air. There were not many customers, each sitting in a different seat, and it was very quiet. Lumian looked at the door for a few seconds, shook his head, and left. He went down the stairs to the deck level and entered the bar that belonged to the third class cabins and ordinary crew members. The noise, shouting, clapping and screaming of songs overflowed the house in the pervasive aroma of wine and echoed around Lumian. Lumian suddenly felt a familiar sense of returning home. He seemed to relax a lot, and every cell in his body became more active. This is the right atmosphere... As a regular customer of the old tavern since he was very young, Lumian swayed slightly and squeezed to the front of the bar. "A glass of 'Green Fairy.'" He tapped the wooden tabletop. The bartender was a young man with the features of a Feneporter, with a thin face, black hair and dark eyes, dark features, a yellowish complexion, and decent facial features. "Okay, 10 Ricks." The bartender replied in Intis with a clear foreign accent. The things on the ship are more expensive than in Trier... Just as Lumian counted out the coins, he saw the bartender cast his eyes to the side and behind him, and said in a very sincere and enthusiastic tone: "Ma'am, what would you like to drink?" "A glass of cherry wine." The person who answered was a lady in a thick yellow skirt. She had a pretty face and light green eyes. "Okay!" The bartender prepared to pour wine for the lady without even collecting the money first. “I was here first,” Lumian reminded the bartender with a smile. The bartender answered without any hesitation: "What a beautiful and dazzling lady this is, my heart tells me to serve her first." Wow, they are really Feynapote... Lumian was not angry, but felt like he was watching a circus performance. Fenapotter is a romantic man who is constantly pursuing love. The mainstream belief is the "Mother Earth Goddess", which attaches importance to the status of women. Therefore, when men in this kingdom meet any woman, they will open their mouths to praise her. If they really like a woman, they will pursue her without any concealment or reservation. Aurore once said that Feynapote's men are the epitome of country love words, but even though they are corny and disgusting, their unusually sincere, straightforward and frank attitude does not make them seem greasy, but rather gives them a different kind of charm. In this regard, the Intis people, who are also romantic by nature, are not as good as the Fenapote people. However, most Feynaporters, influenced by tradition and belief, attached great importance to family, reproduction, and children, and liked to live together as a family. As long as they chose to get married without any coercion, they would become like the most conservative Loen people and find it difficult to accept the existence of extramarital affairs. It's not that there are no outliers here. Even in the most conservative Kingdom of Loen there are many cheaters, but it's definitely not as exaggerated or common as in Intis. Many people even believe that there must be no love in marriage. After the lady paid and took the cherry wine away, the bartender poured Lumien a glass of "Green Fairy" and garnished it with mint leaves. He said without any regret: “My grandmother taught me to treat every lady well, especially the pretty ones.” “I understand.” Lumian took on the attitude of a regular at the old tavern, drinking absinthe and making up stories. “I once had many beautiful female companions, more beautiful than the lady just now. Unfortunately, I am only one person, and I cannot be their husband at the same time…” The bartender suddenly found a similar feeling: "I often have similar regrets. There are so many beautiful women in this world, but I only have one.

"What do you call it?" "Louis, just call me Louis." Lumian gave a fake name. His current identity is Louis Berry. "My name is Francesco." The bartender started chatting with Lumian. The familiar environment, the usual boasting, and the lively atmosphere made Lumian feel a little tipsy even though he didn't drink much. If there hadn't been those occult disasters, if Aurore was still alive, if he had been admitted to university, if he had no other worries, and was just drinking in the bar, how nice it would be... Those who travel the seas always talk about pirates. Francesco, the bartender, told Lumian: "Ever since ironclad technology was widely used in merchant ships, the pirates' lives have become difficult. Their sailing ships can't catch up with these iron monsters that can run at speeds of 16 or 17 knots. They can't even rob them!" At this point, Francesco lowered his voice: "The pirates' favorite trick now is to send some people disguised as passengers to board the ship from different ports. After arriving at the designated sea area, they will riot internally and initially control the ship, giving the pirate ships waiting nearby a chance to approach." "Really?" Lumian asked with interest, "Who on the ship do you think looks like an undercover pirate?" Francesco was stunned for a moment and said: "It's only the first day, how can you tell?" Lumian asked with a smile: "Have you ever encountered something similar before?" Note 1: Taken from "A French Food Tour" (End of this chapter)