The morning light has not yet appeared, the sky of the snow country is shining with the flowing aurora, and a ship sails away from the dock that is almost always frozen in winter.
A large part of the reason why Winter Country's science and technology is developed is its battle with the weather. In order to communicate and transport with the outside world, the shipyard has never stopped researching ice-breaking technology.
Now, after years of research and practice, Zhidong Shipyard has reached the pinnacle in the field of icebreaking.
Pantalone stood on the deck, and in the cabin next to him were the staff of the Northland Bank who were responsible for handling logistics, and the winter craftsmen who were preparing to repair the building. There are also several domestic servants behind him, including secretary Irina Shnetsevna and coachman and housekeeper Russell Kirilenko.
Since the "rich man" requested that everything be simple during this trip, the configuration of the ship was no different from that of an ordinary merchant ship.
Old Russell glanced at the shadow in the corner. In order to prevent accidents, he still arranged for several debt processors to protect his safety.
Although the Ladies with Hidden Mirrors headed by Irina did not appear on the ship, with their spatial abilities, hiding anywhere would not be a problem.
Pantalone seemed to have adjusted her mood, looking calmly at the deep blue sea.
The ship left the frozen area, the temperature began to warm up, and the speed became much faster.
The "rich man" still remembers the day he said goodbye to Liyue.
At that time, he was almost penniless, so he had to take a ride on an ocean-going fishing boat. He nestled in the stern of the boat with the smelly fish and rotten shrimps that smelled of the sea, and stared at the statue of the god gradually receding in his field of vision.
Until the Liyue Pier in the distance turned into a shallow white line, Pantalone held her belly and laughed wildly as if she was losing her mind. Tears overflowed around her eyes, flowing freely along with his swaying movements.
The sailors around him did not dare to stop him due to his abnormal state, and allowed him to laugh heart-wrenchingly all the way. The sad laughter lingered over the ship, making people shudder.
Today, Pantalone is no longer as desolate as when she left. There is a look of indifference and loneliness on her face, wrapped in the vicissitudes of time and intrigue.
"ha……"
Russell, who was waiting quietly behind the rich man, yawned unconsciously.
Mr. Pantalone's meetings have been quite frequent in recent days. As the housekeeper, Russell is busy arranging the affairs of the manor after leaving. After receiving the notice of the assignment last night, he packed his luggage and stayed up all night. In addition, due to his age, My body is already a little overwhelmed.
"Russell, you have worked hard these days. If you are sleepy, go to the cabin to rest."
"I think Javert and Zamenhof... also didn't want to see their father so tired."
Pantalone turned around when she heard the commotion, with a soft smile on her face, and thoughtfully persuaded the old butler to go to the cabin to take a rest.
"Okay, sir."
Thinking that he would soon see his two sons who were on mission in Liyue, the gray-haired Russell respectfully agreed, and then returned to the cabin at the bottom.
The sun gradually appeared, and the waves piled up like paint flakes on the edge of the ship. The sailors worked together to hoist the ice breaker and unfold the main sail.
The speed of the ship increased again, but the shaking became more intense.
When Russell returned to the cabin, he habitually put his coat on the coat rack. Just as he was about to go to bed and rest for a while, he discovered that the paper and ink on the round table had moved abnormally, and the position of the footpads and cupboards had also changed strangely. migrate.
This was obviously not caused by the rocking of the ship.
"Irina!"
Russell was born in the military and once served as a rock guerrilla soldier for the Fools. Although he possessed elemental power that ordinary people could not match, this ability also caused him to age very quickly, and he retired in a hurry after a serious injury.
Unlike a small number of elite debt processors and firefly warlocks, the individual strength and equipment of the advance team are relatively weak. In order to complete the task and reduce the loss of personnel and materials, the tactics of the advance team pay more attention to teamwork.
Now facing possible intruders and assassins, Russell's first reaction is to call the lady Irina hidden in the water mirror.
The water elements in the cabin gathered together and turned into sharp-edged mirrors. Irina broke out of the ice like a winter elf, with her hands clasped in front of her belly. Her posture was demure and elegant. The blue-to-black ribbon covered her eyes, but her aura was cold. It's harsh and gives people a strong sense of oppression without saying anything.
The tights under the lady's blue shawl outlines her curvy figure, and the lines draw a thrilling arc in front of her chest, which makes people think about it, but what is more eye-catching is the shining star hanging on her chest. Deep blue gemstone.
It was a blasphemous creation developed by the Doctor, the Evil Eye.
Irina nodded slightly towards the old housekeeper, lightly opened her red lips, and sounded a cold voice.
"Russell, what happened."
The cabin of the merchant ship was not big, but Irina was tall and almost occupied the entire cabin after she appeared.
The only dark space is the small cupboard where spare clothing is stored.
Russell didn't speak, but quietly hid behind the hatch and pointed to the corner of the closet.
"snort……"
The ribbons on her eyes did not affect Irina's sight. When she saw the butler's gesture, she snorted coldly. Her dignity and elegance disappeared instantly, and her cold voice became sharp.
"Let me hear it, where are you?"
The mirror formed by the water element suddenly exploded, like the gorgeous fish scales on the seashore. The deep and shallow blue and white fragments formed a cage. The polarizing prism instantly penetrated the wardrobe and absorbed the hidden strangers inside.
But when the broken light dissipated, Russell frowned in confusion when he saw the true face of the intruder.
The little winter boy wearing a brown hood fell panic-stricken into the water mirror cage. His clean and slightly drooped blue eyes were clearer than the sea and the sky. Even though he was in the cage, he still held a small pencil. The pattern of the ruins guard was drawn, as if it had been sketched by someone.
"Hahahaha... It turns out that Lord Pantalone's housekeeper is frightened by a child."
Although it was sarcastic, the thorn in Irina's words was covered up by the slightly raised ending sound, as if it was just a legitimate quarrel between colleagues.
Having said that, the lady still did not let go of the shackles of the water prison. After all, no one knew whether this seemingly innocent child was carrying weapons of mass destruction.
Russell ignored Irina's sarcasm. Instead, Shi Shiran walked out from behind the hatch, half-kneeling by the water cell with a kind face, and softly comforted the trapped children, as if Irina was not the one who called him.
"Don't be afraid...what's your name, kid."
"This is an ocean-going ship. How did you get on it?"
The hooded child looked timidly at the gray-haired old man in front of him, holding the pencil tightly in his little hand. He looked at the floating water mirror again, and after confirming that there was nowhere to escape, he gritted his teeth and said the words he had prepared in advance.
"I...my name is Tok, I live in Seadust Town..."
"Grandpa Puccinella sent me up here. He said that if we follow this ship, we can go to Liyue Port and find brother Ajax..."
(End of chapter)
