For the past half month, Clearwater Port had been celebrating a continuous festival. Even standing on the terrace at the top of the Lord's Tower, Farien could feel the city's soaring atmosphere.
The supplies and population moved from Eagle City had greatly expanded the strength of this port city. The plunderers were reaping great rewards, and the slave market was also bustling. After this series of battles, the Black Sail Fleet had not only suffered minimal losses but had also replenished its ranks with a large number of slaves as sailors, who were now undergoing intense training by the harbor. In a few days, they would head to the fjord route to begin their first raid of the year.
Her Majesty the Queen had also opportunely promulgated the Slave Reclamation Decree, which stated that as long as these slaves captured from Eagle City could seize new people as replacements during the raids, they could rise from slaves to Clearwater Port citizens in one fell swoop. With such an inspiring decree, those residents of Eagle City who had been enslaved would surely fight with all their might.
Now that Tiffeco had suffered a crushing defeat and returned, there was no one left in the Kingdom of Graycastle who could stop the Clearwater Queen. Given time, Garcia Wimbledon would inevitably become the master of Graycastle. Farien thought, but why didn't the Queen look happy? Instead, a trace of lingering gloom hung between her brows?
"Your Majesty, the chieftains of the Sandstone Clan and the Black Bone Clan request an audience," a guard's voice came from outside the door.
Farien glanced at Her Majesty. Seeing that she didn't show any response, he called out, "Bring them in."
Her Majesty liked to rest, hold meetings, or receive visitors at the top of this tower. As long as the weather was suitable, the terrace was where Garcia spent most of her time. Most people were unaccustomed to standing in mid-air, discussing matters while facing the slightly fishy sea breeze. The Sand People were no exception.
The chieftain of the Sandstone Clan was a petite woman who was also the clan's goddess. When Farien first heard this introduction, he scoffed inwardly. What goddess? Just a fallen witch. The chieftain of the Black Bone Clan, on the other hand, was tall and burly, with scars all over his face, and his arms were as thick as an average human's thighs. During each meeting, three or four guards would surround him to prevent him from plotting against Her Majesty the Queen.
The moment they stepped onto the terrace, both chieftains frowned simultaneously, but they quickly composed themselves and knelt respectfully before the Clearwater Queen, saying, "May your path be filled with oases, and may the stars in the sky illuminate your way."
"Rise," Garcia sat with her back to the railing. "How are you settling into your new home?"
"Everything is fine," Goddess Kabala interjected, "The territory has forests and water sources, making it much more comfortable than Iron Sand City, which is filled with sand and wind."
"That's good. What brings you here?"
"Your Majesty, the last time you gave—"
The Black Bone Chieftain was interrupted by Kabala as soon as he opened his mouth. "It's like this, Your Majesty. After the last battle, many warriors have shown signs of weakness and fatigue. Only by taking new pills regularly can they recover, but we don't have many pills left. I'm here to ask you to give us more pills."
"That's what I meant too," the Black Bone Chieftain glared at the goddess and said in a muffled voice.
"The ingredients for this are very complicated, and I don't have many reserves right now. Don't worry, I'll send them to you as soon as a new batch of pills is made. But don't forget to prepare gold royals. If you don't have enough, you can use Styx water as payment."
"Your Majesty, with all due respect," Kabala hesitated for a moment, "I wonder when the next batch will be made?"
"I can't tell you that," Garcia brushed her hair, which had been ruffled by the sea breeze. "All information about the pills is secret. Go back and wait patiently. Those warriors are just fatigued. More rest will do them no harm."
The guards, prompted by Farien's signal, stepped forward to surround the Sand People and "escorted" Kabala and Black Bone, who still wanted to ask more questions, away.
After the terrace door closed, Garcia sighed softly.
Farien rarely heard Her Majesty the Queen make such a sound. He took the initiative to ask, "Your Majesty, do you feel it's inappropriate to give the Sand People land along the southern border? What if they become strong one day..."
"No, Farien," Garcia shook
her head. "I have never worried about the Sand People. They pose no threat to Clearwater Port. The lake in that land is right in the center of the two clans' territories, and the upstream passes through Clearwater Port. As long as I block half of the river channel, the reduced lake water will make them fight among themselves first. The reason I chose Sandstone and Black Bone is that their relationship has never been good."
"Then you are worried about the pill issue?"
Garcia didn't answer. At this moment, the guard knocked on the door again. "Your Majesty, Priest Dicar of the church requests an audience."
"Bring him in," the Queen stood up immediately, her face becoming even more somber.
"Your Majesty Garcia Wimbledon, I greet you on behalf of the Holy City," the priest bowed as he stepped onto the terrace.
"Where are the pills? Why were the previous batches delivered normally, but these few batches are delayed?" Garcia asked coldly.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. I came here for this matter," Dicar wiped the sweat from his forehead. "The quantity you requested for five thousand pills is too much. Even if Hermes were to produce them with all their might, they would not be able to meet your needs in a short period of time. This time, I brought back a new batch—"
"How many?" Garcia interrupted.
"One thousand," Dicar said, clutching his chest. "The rest will be delivered one after another."
"And what did you promise before?" Her face softened a little. "You said you could provide as many as I wanted. Where are the pills? I will send someone to get them."
"They are in the church. I wonder about the gold royals..."
"I won't short you a single gold royal," Garcia walked up to Dicar and said in his ear, "But if the remaining pills are delayed, your head will be hung on the ram of the Black Sail flagship. I don't think the Archbishop will shed a tear for you."
After the priest retreated with a pale face, she returned to the railing and looked out at the distant sea horizon. The sea breeze lifted her gray hair, like a flag fluttering in the wind on the mast of a fleet.
"You're right. I'm worried about the pill issue." Garcia's voice seemed very distant. "If Tiffeco had come two months later, my preparations would have been more complete, and I could have defeated his royal knights without relying on the pills. Unfortunately, he came too quickly."
"You have already done very well." Farien thought, who else could have done better? From the moment she occupied Eagle City, she formulated a response plan, ordering people to take away supplies and residents, while digging ditches in the city and flooding them with black water. In the absence of sufficient manpower, she exchanged the desolate lands of the southern border for the support of the Sand People, and had the clan warriors who had taken the pills attack the knights from both sides. Her loyal supporters also swallowed the secret medicine without hesitation in order to withstand the final overwhelming charge.
"The secret medicine provided by the church is not as harmless as I said. If they do not receive replenishment in time, those who take the medicine will become manic and restless, and then die in weakness, pain, and limb atrophy. I don't care about the lives of the Sand People, but the citizens who serve me deserve the best reward." She paused. "Farien, take people to retrieve the pills and distribute them to those brave warriors. Let them split them in half and eat them, so they can last longer."
"As you wish, Your Majesty."
Just as Farien was about to take his leave, the guard's shout sounded for the third time outside the door, "Your Highness, there is a secret letter from the royal capital."
"Finish reading before you go," she said.
"Yes," Farien took back the secret letter, skillfully cut the seal, and took out the letter paper. Most of these secret letters were intelligence sent back by informants lurking in various places. There was no signature or recipient, and the content was usually as concise as possible. But when he saw the first sentence, he froze on the spot.
——On the twenty-second day of spring, the church, on the grounds that Jielinna, the Queen of Everwinter, was a witch hidden for many years, occupied the royal capital and declared that it would take over the entire territory of Everwinter. (。)