HLnovel Chapter 275 An Encounter at the Harbor
Chapter 275 An Encounter at the Harbor
Chapter 275 An Encounter at the Harbor
A winter breeze swept across the deck.
Perhaps it's the spring breeze.
It was so cold that it made one feel disoriented about the season.
That's why the sea is said to be a magical thing; it can make the summer heat even hotter and the cold wind even more freezing.
However, François Lemaître was less afraid of the cold than the heat.
François was a fat man, and the thick layer of fat on his body was more insulating than any fur.
That's why he was able to endure the sea breeze and stand on the deck early in the morning.
You should know that everyone else in the troupe is currently holed up in the cabin.
Even now, François is still surprised by the sudden change.
He never expected that Mr. Mosley would suddenly put him on a ship bound for the Far East.
Although he himself has mentioned that if given the opportunity, he would like to go to the Far East to hone his culinary skills.
But François preferred a comfortable life to improving his skills.
François was never an ambitious man; he never disliked the mundane, even the stable and ordinary.
Only then can he feel at ease.
The murder of his adoptive parents plunged his life into great uncertainty.
Fortunately, the murderer planned to use the roadside inn, so he coerced François into doing his bidding.
François's first thought was not anger and hatred, but relief.
He was thankful that his life hadn't completely fallen into chaos.
As a result, the murderer was dealt with by Mr. Mosley, and François was completely left without support.
He instinctively ran to Mr. Mosley, begging him to take him in.
It was only then that François realized he had aspirations.
He was looking for a powerful patron.
Mr. Mosley rejected him, but Casey accepted him.
Although Kathy was just a young man who had just come of age, it didn't matter.
François didn't care who his backer was, as long as they could protect him and be his support.
Moreover, although Cathy is small, she has a strong will and a noble status, seemingly that of a duke.
So François became the Duke's subordinate, which made him feel incredibly lucky.
He addressed Cathy as "Sir," and Cathy accepted the title.
At that moment, François felt a surge of happiness; he had found a reliable support again.
After that, he traveled with Lord Casey and Mr. Mosley.
François simply observed silently and then followed their orders.
Eventually, they arrived at the library, and François became the library's cook.
Look!
A stable and comfortable life is just around the corner!
He found a powerful backer!
Besides cooking, François also had to take on all the odd jobs at the library.
But for François, all of this was easy to discuss.
He seeks peace of mind, and for this, he inevitably makes physical compromises.
In addition, Mr. Mosley had him study a book called "Elementary Alchemy".
François never went to school; all the words he knew were taught to him by his adoptive parents.
He has no interest in learning, but since someone tells him to learn, he will.
However, when asked to put in the effort, François simply couldn't muster the energy.
Looking back now, could it be that my attitude towards this book caused Mr. Mosley to want me to leave?
François was unaware that he was not good at reading other people's minds.
To be honest, he really didn't want to learn alchemy.
According to the book "Elementary Alchemy" and Mr. Mosley's account, alchemy appears to be a dangerous art, which contradicts his desire for comfort.
However, François was very bad at saying no, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and learn.
Well, it's just learning, it's okay.
There will be no danger if you don't use it.
But he didn't expect that this period of comfort would be so short.
Mr. Mosley put him on a ship and told him that he would return from the Far East when he wanted to.
But François never even considered leaving!
François knew that Monsieur Mosley was the owner of the library, and since he told him to leave, François had no choice but to go.
Therefore, François could only place his hopes on Lord Keich.
But Lady Cathy had no intention of pleading for him at all, and simply said to him indifferently:
"Have a safe journey, François."
And so, François had to leave the old library.
François longs to go back.
But when exactly is the right time to return?
François felt a huge headache coming on.
On the morning he left, he thought he would be given a farewell party.
Mr. Mosley and Lord Casey only said a brief goodbye to him.
What is this? After living together for so long, don't you have any feelings for each other at all?
François felt heartbroken, but thankfully, Miss Harriet accompanied him for a while.
Harriet asked François about his cooking techniques as they walked.
When it comes to his areas of expertise, François naturally speaks fluently and confidently.
When Harriet reached the other end of the corner, she made the final note in her notebook:
"I see—then goodbye."
After Harriet finished speaking, she turned around decisively and walked back to the library.
Watching Harriet's retreating figure, François suddenly realized, "So you're only concerned about cooking?!"
In the end, no one saw him off onto the ship.
The actress who had visited the library received the exact opposite treatment from François.
François was fiercely jealous of him for this.
The young lady appeared to be named Sofia Maldini, and her husband saw her off at the port on the day of her departure.
Their relationship is truly wonderful; they are a model couple.
The two stood on the railing and the dock respectively, waving their hands frantically in farewell. François could feel the reluctance between them.
I heard that the two of them have only been married for a short time, which is why they are so affectionate?
However, there is one small problem in this process that François still hasn't figured out.
That is, why the captain kept his right hand on Sofia's buttocks at the time.
In short, François missed out on comfort and entered a period of uncertainty.
Mr. Mosley instructed François to improve his culinary skills and try to integrate into the alchemist circle after arriving in the Far East.
Lord Keshi listened to Mr. Mosley, which made this François's mission.
Hmm...
I feel a lot of pressure.
But at least, Lord Kathy was still his master, and he still had a backer, which was the only good news he could think of.
François couldn't remember how many days he had been aboard, but it was certainly more than ten.
Over this period of time, François also gained some understanding of the ship.
This is a merchant ship, but there are no goods on board at the moment. The theater troupe that Miss Sophia belongs to has hired them to transport the troupe to the Far East.
François was able to sit on the boat only because he had joined the theater troupe.
A thin layer of mist covered the sea in the morning, and dew clung to the handrails.
He leaned on the wooden railing, his mind swaying with the movement of the boat.
Suddenly, François saw land appearing ahead.
As the land continued to expand, François suddenly realized: the ships wanted to land!
François hurriedly approached the foremastman: "Have we arrived at the Far East?"
The sailor scoffed, "The Far East? That's a long way off! We haven't even completed a tenth of the voyage!"
"Then what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? Come ashore!"
"But if this isn't our destination, why dock?"
The sailor rolled his eyes at François: "You haven't been on a boat much, have you?"
"Hmm—" François nodded in agreement.
"Sailing is inherently a dangerous undertaking, and the longer the voyage, the greater the danger. Therefore, if there is an opportunity, it is best to find a shore to rest and recuperate, to buy and sell goods, replenish supplies, repair the ship, and allow the people on board to get some rest."
"I see," François nodded. "But the ship has only just set sail."
"Indeed, but that's the troupe's requirement."
"troupe?"
"Yes, they chartered the ship, but it wasn't cheap; the price was in gold coins. This was also a considerable expense for the troupe, so they requested that the ship dock regularly so they could set up stages along the way to perform and make up for the cost."
"I see—are you staying for a few days?"
"Three to seven days, to see if the people here are willing to pay for their performances."
Upon hearing this, François thought of a question:
"But this will greatly increase the time required for this process."
"It won't last long," the sailor shrugged.
François asked, puzzled, "Why?"
"The port ahead is called Trough Port. The ships that follow will change course south and arrive at Bone Bay at Elbow Point, where they will definitely stop once."
"After that, the ship will cross the Flameheart Sea. It seems that the only port along the way is the Scorching Heart Islands, but that is the pirates' home base, so we definitely have to avoid it."
"If all goes well, we will arrive at the Principality of the Holy Envoy, then cross the Principality's Holy Son Canal to reach the Windless Sea. Crossing the Holy Son Canal will likely require two stops."
"Then came the most arduous voyage, crossing the windless sea. The reason why the windless sea is difficult to navigate is that there is not a breath of wind on the sea surface, and the sailboat can hardly move an inch, so it must be rowed."
"Rowing across a sea area over a thousand miles wide is by no means a strenuous task. I reckon all of you who are on the boat will have to help with the oars. I bet you'll lose a lot of weight by then."
Upon hearing this, François couldn't help but swallow hard.
The sailor continued, "And after that, even if the ship reaches the Far East continent, our contract with that theater troupe will end. So, do you understand? There will be at most three more stops, so it won't waste too much time."
After listening, François nodded sharply.
Now, he has a better understanding of the future.
Soon, the ship entered the port.
The crew and actors began to get on and off the boat, and someone reminded François that they would be staying in the harbor for a while, and that he could try to find some enjoyment there.
François's happiness stemmed from comfort, and he didn't feel that this port could bring him joy.
However, he could also try to pass the time.
Although Mr. Mosley practically "rushed" him onto the ship.
However, he still provided François with ample funds for his expenses in the Far East.
Therefore, François was not without money.
François chose to disembark and set foot on the land of the trough harbor.
But how should he kill time? François had no idea.
Previously in Tongue Harbour, Mr. Mosley took him out for a delicious meal.
To be honest, even though he's a chef, he's never eaten such delicious food.
He also felt that he would never be able to cook such delicious food in his entire life.
But Mr. Mosley told him that the dish was so delicious not because of the cook's skill, but because of an ingredient called "spices".
Mr. Mosley told him that if he could master the use of "spices," he would become the most famous chef in the world.
Me? François harbored doubts, the most renowned?
François felt that Mr. Mosley must have misjudged the situation this time.
Since that's the case, why doesn't François try finding some good food in this port?
François inquired about the most famous restaurant in the area and ordered its signature dish.
The meat of the caper goose is tender and has a unique flavor, but it is still not comparable to the dish that François ate in Porto de la Tongue.
François returned empty-handed, but little time had passed.
So he decided to wander around here some more.
He discovered that the troupe had already set up the stage and begun their performance.
Without much thought, François immediately joined the crowd to watch the play.
He really enjoys being a spectator; there's no risk involved, yet he gets to experience all sorts of joys and sorrows, ups and downs. For François, this is probably the perfect pastime.
François loved all styles of theater.
He can laugh heartily when he should laugh, and he can also shed tears when he should be sad.
Time flies by unnoticed.
Just then, he felt someone poke him in the back.
He turned around and saw a girl, who looked very familiar to him.
It wasn't until he saw the warrior behind the man that he immediately remembered.
Isn't this the girl who fought with Lady Cathy not long ago?
The girl said, "I know you, you're from that library!"
François nodded: "To be precise, I am Lord Keshi's man."
"Cassie? 'Sir'? You really think he's a duke?"
François nodded.
"You've been fooled! He couldn't possibly be a duke, otherwise, why would he be hiding in a remote, dilapidated library?"
The soldier next to her immediately reminded her, "Miss, please watch your words and actions."
After hearing this, the girl simply lowered her head and didn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
The soldier asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I came with this theater troupe," François said truthfully.
Why?
"Mr. Mosley wanted them to go with him to the Far East, where they would study and further their education."
"I see. Good luck," the soldier said with a slight bow.
Suddenly, a group of people dressed in high-quality clothing walked over:
"Thank goodness, miss, we've finally found you!"
"What do you want with me?" The girl's expression turned very displeased. "I'm in my own port, I'm not in any danger, and Dick Buchanan is with me."
"Guests have arrived at the castle; they are nobles from the Twin Rivers. The Earl has sent me to invite you back."
"It's my brother's job to entertain guests. Why would he call me back?"
"Because we're discussing your marriage—"