Hotel on the mountain

In mid-August, the psychic battleship returned immediately after transporting the prisoners to the New World. After all, they were an army. It was enough to earn some money by doing private work, but they did not dare to stay in the New World to enjoy the blessings. The ocean-going sailing ship "Ceuta", which returned at the end of July, only returned to the port of Le Havre in the western region of the Hebrew Empire in the Old World near October.

Le Havre is one of the large port cities in the Western Region. It is also the closest port city to the Dream City, the ducal-administered city in the Western Region. So Cat Raya, the chief steward of the Raya family, came to Le Havre a few days in advance to wait.

The warehouse area of ​​the dock is stacked with countless brown wooden boxes in an orderly manner. They are lined up in rows and covered with high-quality tarpaulins. Occasionally, there are a few unrealistic and ugly ropes hanging on them, disturbing this group of docks. They fell to the ground angrily, causing the workers carrying the goods next to them to wail. There were also a few long and short coastal colored dogs that leisurely walked past the workers' feet. One after another, they raised their hind legs and let out a nice pee. Then he wandered towards his own property at the dock warehouse like a dog that had nothing to do.

The old butler Kat Raya stood upright in front of the warehouse door. The neat butler's uniform could not hide his huge belly. Even though he was tall, his equally huge nose and head were still stretched. It lowered his majestic temperament.

Thick black eyebrows crossed his two sharp eyes. Carter took out his pocket watch and took a look. He was satisfied with the arrival of the coachmen who could transport the goods into the warehouse on time.

"Mr. Carter! Mr. Carter!" Captain Steven personally supervised the transportation of the goods. He stood on the carriage and waved excitedly to Kata.

"It's such a pleasure to see you again, Captain Steven, the first captain to sail to the New World in the new era!" Carter's expression was kind and kind. He hugged Steven who jumped out of the carriage and greeted: "Did the trip go well?"

"Coming back alive is the greatest success!" Steven pulled Butler Carter aside and pointed at the goods transported into the warehouse one by one and said, "Mr. Carter, it's lucky that you are here, otherwise I really wouldn't know this How should I declare the goods?”

"Well, the master knows that Master Yetro has brought him a batch of local specialties, and he specially asked me to come and see Master Yetro's 'first pot of gold' in the New World." Carter's voice was mellow and powerful, like a tenor. You can lower your voice and talk to people, "Now, please allow me to unbox and take a look."

"Wait! Wait!" Steven grabbed Carter and whispered, "Mr. Carter, the goods here... I think we should ask these workers to leave first."

Carter saw that Steven was so careful and didn't know what the goods were, so he decided not to waste time on such trivial matters, so he asked the movers to evacuate the warehouse and took a crowbar to open a box. goods. He saw some spherical milky-white objects in the box, which were about as wide as the palm of his hand. When he squeezed them with his hands, they felt like skin.

"This is this?" Carter said he had never seen such an object before, and turned around to ask a question.

"Oh, this is Master Yetro hunting a unique monster in the New World - the walking lantern fish. These are the lantern sacs on the fish's head. As long as they are soaked in a solution made of life dust, they will glow. This It's a new type of lighting object that Master Yetro found." Steven pried open another box next to him, took out an iron lamp that looked like a shark egg sheath, and handed it to Carter. , "Now, just put the light bag in this groove and then nail the light fixture to the wall. It won't create any odor - well, just replace it before it rots."

There was no life dust at the scene, but Carter's hand holding the light sac was filled with a faint layer of purple light. Steven stood aside and felt a life-like breath, so he saw the light sac in Carter's hand gradually light up.

Looking at the slightly dazzling light, Carter nodded and said, "It's a very good lamp. It would be nice if there were more quantities." Carter looked at the dozens of boxes of goods that had just been shipped in today in the warehouse and said to Shi Tivin said, "According to the number of about a hundred light sacs in this box, the capacity of these dozens of boxes cannot impact the current lighting market - the poor cannot afford it, and the nobles do not need it. Alas, Steven, it doesn't have to be like this. Nervous, let the porters come back and transport some of these goods to Raya Manor. Master Yetro is still very considerate. "

Carter smiled and put the lamp bag back into the box. He remembered that he would go to several affiliated companies in Le Havre this afternoon to check the accounts, so he was ready to leave here with a few words.

But Captain Steven grabbed him again and said mysteriously: "Mr. Carter, what I'm worried about is not this lamp, but the other goods besides this box of goods..."

After Steven finished speaking, he picked up the crowbar and pried open another box next to the lamp box - there was no difference between these boxes in appearance, but when Steven revealed the contents of the box, Carter was directly revealed by the box. The light dazzled the eyes. He closed his eyes, opened them again, and finally saw clearly the items stacked in the box—pearls, a box of pearls, white, tender, and round!

"Mr. Carter, look, this is what I'm worried about..." Steven pointed to the box he hugged while sleeping, with an excited expression, "A box full of white pearls! This size, this quality, I sail I haven’t caught a few in so many years!”

"These?" Carter walked quickly to the box, his stomach trembling. He calmed down and said in a deep voice, "Are these from the New World?" He picked up a piece that was as big as his thumb. A wide white pearl, I checked it carefully to make sure it was pure natural.

"Yes, I heard that Master Yetro found it from the river. Do you think he found a nest of the 'Pearl Monster'? Hahaha, but there is no such thing as a 'Pearl Monster'. We can only talk about the rivers in the New World. There are a lot of treasures stored in it." Steven laughed a few times, feeling that no matter how many times he looked at it, he would never get tired of this box of white wealth.

The densely packed pearls were piled up in the box like stones picked up anywhere, and there was no luxury at all. Carter straightened his butler's uniform, took out his pocket watch and checked the time, then cautiously looked around to see if there was anyone suspicious. Finally, he said: "Steven, I'm afraid you have to go with me to see the Duke. Before this box of pearls flows into the market and is worn on the necks of those nobles, you and I must tighten the chain around our mouths. Understand ?"

After seeing Steven nodding wildly, Carter felt that he had calmed down a lot, so he pointed to other boxes and said, "Where are the other goods? Souvenirs?"

Steven had a strange look on his face, picked up the crowbar, and pried open the entire row of cargo boxes. Every time he pried open one, Kata's legs became weaker. When all the boxes were pried open, After driving, Carter could no longer stand with his hands on the cargo box. He felt unprecedented pressure and his breathing became much faster. He probably calculated that if there was news about dozens of boxes of perfect pearls being shipped back from the New World, If word spreads, what kind of impact will it have on the pearl market? Furthermore, will there be a "pearl rush" to the New World?

Carter has always felt that it is a bit difficult to be a competent Duke's butler, but he is still capable. But at this moment, for the first time, he felt that how to deal with these dozens of boxes of pearls has become a huge problem, just like having sex for the first time. Worry that I am not powerful enough.

"Steven..." Carter softly called the captain who had not slept well all the way.

"Hey." Steven ran back to Carter, lowered his head and prepared to listen to his instructions.

"Steven." Carter shouted again and continued, "In the Hebrew Empire, and even the Boyero and Chik Empires, many families make a living from the jewelry trade. So do you understand, starting from you? Once the pearls are brought back, you will be dead if you let out the slightest hint! So, now! I want you to order all your crew members to stay on the ship and give me the guest list this time."

Steven was left in a cold sweat. He tremblingly took out the guest list from his pocket and handed it to Carter.

Carter walked out quickly, and after a few steps he came back and said: "No, you will live in this warehouse, and then lock the warehouse until the Duke sends someone to transport the goods. If the person who comes is not the Duke, I will I hope your body can be placed here to remind us that this warehouse has been damned!"

"I understand, I understand." Steven's back was already wet with sweat. He watched Carter go away, and only heard a "bang" as the warehouse door was pulled shut. So he looked back at the box he had opened, and quickly nailed all the lids back. He didn't know how long it would take for the duke's people to arrive. He only knew that for the next period of time, he would have to sleep with a pile of goods that could overwhelm the pearl market. Fortunately, there were some boxes containing food. Also stay with him.