The Vastness of Magi Chapter 285 - 285 5 Mediterranean

??Chapter 285: Chapter 5: diterranean

Chapter 285: Chapter 5: diterranean

Kor did not change his deanor because of the two n’s gazes; he remained keenly interested in the craftsmanship of this Star Compass. It must be the handiwork of a genuine Magic Toolsmith, as temporary mages simply couldn’t produce such exquisitely made items. The dark star map and the crimson lines representing the sea map complented each other beautifully, and the edges of the compass had been polished to a shine, likely due to long-term use.

A smooth glass cover shrouded the compass. Whenever one needed to harness the power of the stars, all that was required was to open the skylight at the top of the captain’s cabin and let the force from the stars shine upon the magic tal star map arranged in a specific pattern on the compass, which would then guide the crew on their way forward.

“It seems this gentleman is quite interested in the Star Compass,” the captain said with a kind smile, prompting Kor to nod in response. He had not intended to engage in conversation about such topics, but with ti to kill, learning about the ways of the sea might alleviate so of the loneliness of the journey.

“Yes, this Star Compass is quite exquisite, but it appears to have so years on it. Generally speaking, a Star Compass’s lifespan doesn’t exceed twelve years. May I ask how old this one is?” Kor’s fair fingers gently grazed over the glass cover, causing the shipowner beside him to tense nervously. However, the shipowner seed to have a certain respect for the bearded captain and, seeing no signs of displeasure from him, simply turned his head away and pretended not to notice.

“This is Master Agamnon’s creation from Delphi, who claid that this compass should be usable for up to fifteen years. It’s been ten now, but it remains very precise; I too believe it can last longer than fifteen years,” the captain said with evident respect when ntioning Agamnon’s na.

“Delphi? Oh, was this ship built in the west? That’s incredible, it can actually navigate the Nether Sea. It seems you are a remarkable navigator. Please forgive my impertinence,” Kor said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Delphi was an important port at the northwest end of the Blue Continent, famous for shipbuilding and mariti trade. The straight-line distance from Mattdam must be over three thousand miles. If one were to travel by sea, it would be at least ten thousand miles. Kor had always felt that the ship did not quite fit the design and style from his region; it turned out to be an ocean vessel from the West. The fact that this dium-sized vessel could make the long voyage to the Nether Sea was indeed a surprise to Kor.

“Hmph, Captain Portalan is a well-known navigator on the Nether Sea and the North diterranean. He helped

select this ship, and it cost

a great deal of money, 80,000 Gold Shields,” the annoying shipowner interjected inopportunely, his words tinged with a show-off attitude. Upon hearing this, Kor noticed a flash of displeasure in the captain’s eyes, but due to the presence of another party, there was no further comnt.

“It seems that Captain Portalan must be very familiar with this sea region. I wonder if Captain Portalan has ever been to the south?” Kor was very interested in the situation in the diterranean. The old thief Gote was nowhere to be found, and even with the leverage of Magic-ard guns, it was difficult to et with him. He had heard that the struggle for mariti dominance in the North diterranean was fierce, with the Red-haired Witch battling the Skeleton King. It seed difficult to determine who truly held supremacy over the North diterranean for the ti being.

“The south? You an the diterranean?” The captain’s face flickered with a hint of wistful reminiscence, as if Kor’s question had stirred so past mories.

“Yes, it seems that Mr. Portalan is very familiar with the surrounding seas and even with ships from Delphi. So, I ventured to ask,” Kor indeed wanted to understand the situation in the diterranean. Ordinary crew mbers were usually focused on their own jobs and might have so knowledge of mariti situations, but it would be incomplete. As a captain, however, one had to be completely aware of the surrounding waters as the shipowner might redirect the vessel to another route at any ti, and the responsibility for any mishaps fell on the captain’s shoulders.

With the severely restricted northern shipping route from Mattdam at this ti and increasing reliance on trade with the southern part of the Blue Continent and colonial settlents on the vast land, food remained a major import for Mattdam. The south’s grain, of poor quality and high price, was unsuitable for the palate of the Caucasus people accustod to northern tastes. For the ti being, reliance on southern supplies was the only option to address the food shortage. The colonial settlents on the vast land have erged as the main market for Mattdam’s exports of iron ore, coal, pig iron, and wrought iron products. As the colonies continue to expand, the demand for goods from the Caucasus has grown, potentially exceeding the trade with the southern continent to beco the Caucasus’s largest export destination. The diterranean stands as the crucial route connecting Mattdam with these two regions.

With a deep sigh, the bearded man’s face showed a look of helplessness mixed with loathing. It was obvious that so unpleasant experience in the diterranean had left him with an unforgettable mory.

“I see that you, sir, have so status, and if you can avoid going south, it’s best not to. The North diterranean is now ablaze with conflict, and two pirate fleets, the Gray Skull and the Red-haired Witch, are competing for domination in the Northern sea. The Gray Skull uses Rhode Island in the Poletis Islands as its base, while the Red-haired Witch relies on Dacorsica Island, 300 nautical miles south of Pythia Port at the tip of the Coiled Snake Peninsula. Most ships are forced to sail close to the coastline to avoid the fleets, but hugging the coastline too closely poses its own dangers: dense rocky reefs and underwater currents due to the coastal terrain, which can easily cause accidents. Moreover, you might encounter the Wicked Dragon’s attack. Now, the freight rates from the southern ports of the diterranean to the Nether Sea in the north have skyrocketed by thirty percent, but it’s still risky business. This also affects the rates to the Blue Continent, leaving traders in distress and shipowners frightened,” Portalan soon regained his composure and began to explain the situation in the diterranean in a bland, expository tone. At this point, the shipowner had lost interest in the conversation and left, leaving Kor and the man alone in the captain’s cabin.

Portalan didn’t know why he was sharing his views on the diterranean situation so openly with a young man. Even he found it strange, as he wasn’t a talkative person nor one who enjoyed chatting with strangers. However, the young man in front of him, though appearing sowhat frail, exuded a sense of steadiness like a mountain. Portalan rembered feeling this way about soone before. He was almost tempted to shake his head in self-mockery—the disparity in their statuses was too great. One was a renowned powerhouse of the Continent, while the young man before him was just a small aristocrat, here for an adventure in the Caucasus or perhaps to seek relatives or business opportunities, yet why did he evoke such a similar resonance in Portalan’s heart?

“Oh, it seems that the North diterranean is indeed not very peaceful. No wonder Mattdam seems to have beco a lot quieter,” Kor made no judgnts as he wanted to learn more about the situation. After all, opportunities to have a face-to-face conversation with a captain who regularly traveled in these waters were rare.

“The quietening of Mattdam is not due to the instability of the North diterranean, but rather it is more affected by the relationship between the landowners in the north, the Caucasus, and their lord, Grand Duke Philip. Apparently, the Grand Duke Philip is not very satisfied with Baron Kor from the Caucasus. I heard there has been so animosity since their ti in Cyprus, um, it seems to involve a romantic entanglent between their offspring.” Seeing Kor staring intently at him and seemingly very interested in the gossip, the bearded man felt a flicker of displeasure. He was not inclined to talk about such private matters, but had not expected that the person before him would be the main character of the topic.

“Heh, please continue, Mr. Portalan. I’m visiting the Caucasus for the first ti and find these topics quite interesting,” Kor said, slightly embarrassed as he touched his nose and grinned sheepishly.

To such a near shaless display, Portalan found that he did not feel any disgust. Instead, he thought it sowhat amusing that a young man who had always behaved with polite noble deanor could suddenly show an expression that, uh, seed fitting only for wanderers.

“The Hor Navy has blockaded the northern route to Mattdam. Even with a permit issued by the Kingdom’s Ministry of the Interior, it can take many days to get through. Mattdam has, in fact, found it very difficult to import from the north or export their ore and coal. Fortunately, for passenger transport, there are no such restrictions. Nowadays, most ships traveling to and from Mattdam, Odessa, and Cyprus are passenger ships,” he explained.

“What about the situation in the Southern diterranean?” Kor lifted his eyebrows, feigning casual interest.

“The Southern diterranean?” The bearded man was taken aback, clearly not expecting Kor to inquire about this region. His expression turned uncertain; the situation in that dark sea was very different from the north, especially with the vast differences in religious beliefs and races causing the Southern diterranean to differ starkly from the Northern Continent, “I haven’t been to the Southern diterranean for a while, but I’ve heard that after the temple in Giganthia on Gozo Island was destroyed by a storm, a once-in-a-hundred-years disaster, tensions quickly escalated between the Corinth City-State Union and the Severo Kingdom over control of the shipping lanes in the Aegean Bay. However, I’m not very familiar with the details. Probably only sailors who regularly travel the Southern diterranean would know for sure.”

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