Section Six: Tales of Maritime History (Part One)

After a night of rest for the sailors in Victoria Harbor, the Celeste once again raised anchor and set sail, following the sea lanes toward the southern port of Heldasin on the mainland. The journey was much safer this time. In this age of great maritime adventure, nations with access to the sea had begun to prioritize the development of their navies, so even the Feishi rarely dared launch direct assaults on harbors.

Wei Wuji's status aboard the Celeste had changed; he was no longer merely a sailor. After a night of contemplation, Captain Kaplan decided to invite Wei Wuji to the captain’s cabin to express his gratitude for saving the ship.

But the man from Huaguo was nonchalant about it. He explained to the captain that the Celeste had come to his aid when he was in trouble, so it was only right that he repay that kindness in turn. Captain Kaplan then boldly asked him to accompany the ship to Heldasin, intending to hire him as the chief of security for the Celeste. Wei Wuji, however, showed no interest in the position. He had decided that once they reached Heldasin, he would travel with the young man, Amango, to the capital, Valencia, out of curiosity. Instead, what truly intrigued him was the Celeste’s ability to break free from the seaweed fields. At last, Captain Kaplan revealed that it was thanks to an arcane formation set by a Daoist magus at the Langya Shipyard in the Eastern Sea Prefecture. This formation could draw spiritual energy from spirit stones, converting it into power to aid navigation. Treasure ships sailing from Huaguo to the Western Continent all possessed such formations. The only flaw was that these spirit stones were originally reserved for Daoist use and could not be supplied in large quantities, so even the ships of Huaguo relied mostly on their sails.

Amango was thrilled to hear of Wei Wuji’s decision, embracing his friend from Huaguo warmly. He remembered how Wei Wuji had once asked about his heart’s desire. Now, Amango’s heart pounded wildly, for he realized that Wei Wuji had not been making idle conversation at all—he had been contemplating how to repay him. The young man, of noble character, had never expected any reward from Wei Wuji; when he fought the waves in the icy sea, it was out of youthful ardor, pure morals, and lingering fondness for the Eastern Sea Prefecture of Huaguo. Ordinarily, he would have refused any recompense. But this time, he could not bring himself to say no. Wei Wuji had inquired specifically about his wish, and he was formidable—perhaps he really could help fulfill it.

Thus, Amango found himself torn. On one hand, he felt guilty for seeking repayment for a favor; on the other, he reassured himself that it was Wei Wuji who had asked about his wish. For most of the journey, the young man was uncharacteristically awkward, until, after several days, his desire for love overcame his inner shame. He resolved to accept Wei Wuji’s implied goodwill and, when he eventually married Cecily, to host their friend with all due honor.

Wei Wuji, of course, was unaware that his friend was so troubled by such matters. Throughout the voyage, he relaxed completely; by day, he toiled aboard the Celeste like any other sailor, while at night he sometimes conversed with the young man, sometimes visited Captain Kaplan in his cabin, and at other times sat on the deck with a cup of wine, singing songs the sailors could not understand.

The Celeste sailed constantly with a favorable wind—or rather, the wind seemed to blow solely for her. Ships that had departed at roughly the same time, including the one carrying the church bishop and the knight Lind, grew increasingly frustrated. The wind filled the sails of the Celeste, yet barely stirred the air around theirs; only after the Celeste had sailed far ahead would the wind return to their vessels.

Thus, that year, a legend spread: a merchant ship from Landis, the Celeste, had won the favor of the Sea God—the Feroxi cleared her way, and even the sea winds courted her. Because of this tale, superstitious merchants were eager to entrust their goods to the Celeste. So, although Captain Kaplan did not venture to the distant East that year and only ferried cargo between the southern and eastern ports, he still profited handsomely. He paid off old debts, refitted the Celeste, and began to consider purchasing a second carrack.

All of this, of course, was due to Wei Wuji’s art. In the Far East Daoist tradition, there was a spell called the “Wind-Guiding Formula.” This art could not conjure wind from nothing but could redirect the currents of air.

Thanks to the Wind-Guiding Formula, a journey from Victoria Harbor to Heldasin that would normally take a month was completed in seventeen days. When the anchor dropped in Heldasin’s port, the sailors poured from the hold, falling to their knees on the deck. They were now among the few merchant ships to have sailed from the south to the Far East and returned safely.

Trade between the Western Continent and the Far East stretched back centuries. It was the Peacock Dynasty, adjacent to Huaguo, that first visited the Western Continent. The dynasty’s founders were said to be of half-demon, half-human lineage, and they continually resisted Huaguo’s advances. As Huaguo grew ever stronger, the Peacock Dynasty sought more allies. Because of their blood and periodic tributes, some of the demons and monsters of the Divine-Demon Domain granted them passage.

Thus, in a certain year, a delegation of shaven-headed “Awakened” monks and court warriors from the Peacock Dynasty braved many hardships to cross the Divine-Demon Domain and reach the Western Continent. The eastern nations, along with Sekens and Cartier in the north, were the first to meet this delegation and trade with them. Through these exchanges, they learned of a wondrous land in the distant east, a place flowing with milk, gold, and spices.

The delegation soon realized their mistake. Their true purpose was to find allies to resist Huaguo, but the people of the Western Continent could not traverse the Divine-Demon Domain as they had. Regretfully, the delegation departed, leaving behind a single legacy: the new profession of “monk,” which from then on appeared in the West.

Yet the West was deeply shaken by the encounter. Humanity had only recently destroyed the Imperial Dynasty of the Spirits and was still battling elves in the north and warring incessantly with orcs in the west. At that time, the Church held unprecedented power—any emperor or king of a human nation required the Pope’s blessing to legitimize their rule, or their thrones would be insecure.

The Pope launched a crusade, declaring a temporary halt to hostilities against the orcs, maintaining only a defense against the elves, and assembling the finest armies of most nations to strike into the Divine-Demon Domain. Their aim was to follow in the delegation’s footsteps and open a trade route directly to the Far East, carrying the glory of God with them.

As is well known, this crusade ended in failure—a failure for which blame is still traded to this day. Not only did they fail to open the road, but they also earned the enmity of the domain’s monsters, which led to the founding of the Frozen Prison and the Order of the Thunder Knights. The descendants of these once-elite troops still stand guard there, in the great magical fortress built by the combined nations and known as the Frozen Prison.

With the land route blocked, only the sea remained. Though the Plantagenet Dynasty’s shipbuilding had reached considerable sophistication by then, they still could not build vessels capable of crossing the ocean to the Far East.

P.S.: Wishing everyone a happy holiday! I’ll be traveling tomorrow and will return in a few days.