Chapter 753.3: Port Gallon, In A Mess
Chapter 753.3: Port Gallon, In A Mess
Although Port Gallon's distilled spirits couldn't compare with those produced in Dawn City in terms of craftsmanship, flavor, or prestige, most of the distilleries here used equipment retired from Dawn City and Daybreak City, so the difference wasn't actually all that great.
Since their electronic travel permits had been available for some time, visiting the Army’s territory was no longer particularly dangerous, as long as one didn't deliberately wander into trouble.
Tail wanted to visit the Army-controlled West Sail Harbor, Sesame Paste and Roshan was curious to see what it looked like, and Sisi didn't particularly care where they went.
Thus, the three girls and a bear quickly agreed on the destination for their next voyage.
Resting her arm against the mast, Roshan yawned and muttered in a bored voice, "When are we finally leaving?"
Standing on deck, Sisi glanced at the passenger manifest in her hand, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "We're still waiting for one more passenger... Hm, oh yeah. I just realized this guy actually seems to be an old acquaintance."
Nihark.
Surely there couldn't be two people in this port with that name.
Realizing what they were about to do, Sisi's expression gradually became rather peculiar.
"Oh! Is it that guy who sold furs?" Tail leaned over curiously and asked.
"The fur merchant? No... not him. Seriously, how do you even still remember that guy? I can barely remember his name anymore," Sisi said helplessly.
With a mischievous grin, Tail poked Sisi lightly in the waist with a finger. "As expected of Sisi, the cold-hearted goddess! You don’t remember the name of men who care about you!"
Roshan looked over in surprise, while Sesame Paste perked up her cat ears curiously.
"WOWOWOW! What's going on?"
"Did something happen while we weren't around?"
Faced with all those gossip-hungry eyes, Sisi couldn't help laughing. "What are you all talking about? We only crossed paths a few times."
Come to think of it, they really had met quite a few interesting people during this journey. From Red River Town to the desert oases and castles... From the bay at the edge of the desert to the tropical Baiyue Strait, and finally to the distant Port Gallon.
If Sesame Paste hadn't casually suggested going traveling and Tail hadn't immediately packed her bags and convinced everyone to move, they probably never would have ventured so far. Instead, they would have played through the game like most ordinary players, following the progression designed by the developers.
Then again, perhaps precisely because they'd met so many fascinating people, she increasingly felt that these weren't NPCs at all.
They felt like real, living people.
Just what kind of world is this?
Sisi had asked herself that question countless times. She had even tried sending private messages to the doggy developers, but never received an answer.
Perhaps the answer lay at the end of the journey. Only those who cleared the game would ever know.
Just as the group of friends laughed and joked together, Governor Nihark arrived at the docks carrying his suitcase, escorted respectfully by Aksh. Looking up toward the deck, he immediately spotted the white bear that could speak in their language.
His entire body froze and the unpleasant memories from several months ago came flooding back in an instant, and fear gradually spread across his face. Not wanting the servants behind him to notice his apprehension, he forced himself to cough calmly before lowering his voice. "Why... Why is there a bear on board? Can't you arrange another ship for me?"
Aksh paused awkwardly. "My lord, that isn't impossible... but this is the only ship heading from here to West Sail Harbor in the near future. The ferry crossings along the Everflowing River are still under blockade, and West Sail Harbor hasn't fully reopened to Port Gallon. Only New Alliance and Army merchant vessels can pass freely. If you wish to return as soon as possible, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with it."
There actually were other ships, but they'd have to wait another two days.
Aksh simply couldn't afford to wait. If General Babita's battle report reached the Heavenly City before they did, his master's 500,000 Dinars might have been spent for nothing.
After all, emperors throughout history never admitted mistakes. Once a verdict had been made, no amount of maneuvering afterward would change it.
Hearing it was the only available ship, Nihark cursed inwardly and reluctantly steeled himself before walking up the gangway.
Returning home on a New Alliance ship... His luck truly couldn't have been worse.
Standing beside the gangway, a crewman approached him with the passenger manifest to verify his identity. "Mr. Nihark? Please come with me... Wait, you're Nihark?"
The sailor's eyes widened in surprise as he looked him up and down.
Nihark's face darkened as he glared back fiercely. "Is there a problem?"
"No... it's just that you've put on quite a bit of weight compared to a few months ago." The crewman gave him an odd look before quickly averting his gaze, unwilling to provoke his anger further. "Your cabin is at the far end of the corridor on Deck B. Please follow me."
As the final passenger boarded, the Roro Boat sounded its whistle and slowly departed the harbor.
At that very moment, the overwhelming majority of Port Gallon's residents had no idea that their former governor had already been released from prison and had quietly slunk out of the city.
Even if they had known, they probably wouldn't have cared. At most, they would have laughed at him. In just a few short months, they had accomplished a miracle this land had failed to produce in 200 years.
All they felt was gratitude toward the New Alliance. And for the first time in their lives, they felt a sense of pride.
Though a handful of impoverished nobles and stubborn traditionalists still longed for the old social hierarchy, even they had to admit that life was indeed somewhat better now than before.
If only the two systems could somehow be combined. They wanted to use the New Alliance's technology, but leave out all that nonsense about equality.
Those machines weren't actually all that difficult to operate. The techniques involved were no more complicated than farming. In their eyes, slaves could probably do the work just as well, perhaps even better.
Of course... That was nothing more than wishful thinking. At least in Port Gallon, they no longer had any say in how society worked. Those inferiors beings who had finally stood up for themselves now practically worshipped the Iron Men as gods walking upon the earth.
At the very moment Nihark lugged his suitcase out of Port Gallon in disgrace, a telegram from the Governor's Office of French Fry Harbor arrived in Chu Guang's hands.
To the administrator, whose attention was focused on the overall situation across the wasteland, the governor named Nihark was nothing more than an insignificant pawn.
Nevertheless, the Xilande Empire itself remained a member of the Mutant Slime Mold Research Committee.
Aboard the Heart of Steel, floating above the Guardian Manor Plains, after reading the report from French Fry Harbor, Chu Guang placed a call to the New Alliance's Foreign Minister and gave a brief instruction.
"Have the Survivor’s Daily publish the news. No need for a big headline. Just mention somewhere in the middle or near the back that 'Governor Nihark Has Returned Home'. Also, contact Duke Garawa again. Give him a way out so that he won’t embarrass himself."
The Army had dispatched another ten divisions to the front. The Academy and the Enterprise had likewise increased their reinforcements.
Chu Guang had a feeling that once the old bomb had been defused, a new powder keg would soon emerge.
The Mutant Slime Mold Research Committee needed unity. Victory on the battlefield didn't mean everyone could simply go home afterward. He had to eliminate every possible spark that might ignite the next explosion.
After all, the Xilande Empire never played by the rules and the Army's ranks were filled with competing factions and opportunists.
That was also the real reason he had specifically instructed the Baiyue Strait Development Company to exercise restraint when dealing with the Xilande Empire.
Taking careful note of the administrator's instructions, Cheng Yan nodded seriously. "Understood, sir."
As the holographic screen went dark, Chu Guang leaned back in his chair and gazed through the floor-to-ceiling window at the lifeless expanse of gray mist outside.
The coalition's advance forces were entering Ocean Edge Province and according to the reports they had sent back, the place could only be described as hell on earth.