Chapter 63: I'm Not Exactly a Narrow-Minded Person |
Fortunately, at that moment, Allen had already emptied out all the coins from his money pouch.
"Miss Jaina!" Paval Reiss's voice was heart-wrenching. "Are you alright?! Miss!!"
They raised their weapons, and then they saw this—
Their princess, tightly embraced in the arms of a dark wizard.
Paval Reiss's face instantly turned as black as a pot bottom.
Before he could even speak, Allen had already let go of Jaina.
He turned around, facing the group of personal guards and sailors charging at him, launching his attack first:
"You worthless bunch of idiots!"
His voice was furious, pointing at the pile of Naga corpses on the ground.
---------------
The torrential rain had finally dissipated.
Though it was already the dead of night, the entire ship was bustling with activity.
Sailors climbed the masts to repair the canvas torn by lightning, craftsmen hammered and banged away at the damaged gunwales, and buckets of seawater were hauled up to wash away the lingering bloodstains and scorch marks on the deck.
These people, who frequently sailed the seas, seemed almost accustomed to being attacked by Naga.
Support ships and escort vessels had also sent people over to help.
Word had it that the entire fleet had been sailing smoothly when, after a strange torrential rain, the main ship had simply vanished from everyone's sight.
The entire crew of the fleet had been woken up, scared out of their wits.
Thankfully, they had eventually found the main ship.
Thankfully, the young lady was safe and sound.
At this moment, Jaina was settled in another intact cabin.
The room wasn't as spacious as the captain's quarters, but it was still comfortable.
At the door, Paval Reiss stood guard with a team of personal guards, all of them tense-faced, as if facing a great enemy.
Inside the room, Jaina was sitting by the bed, both hands gripping a pouch tightly.
It was an ordinary leather money pouch, stained with rain and a bit of mud, the opening loosely tied shut.
Her mind was a chaotic mess.
Allen Prestor... he hadn't said a single word at the time. After the lightning had subsided, he had just looked down at her, leaving behind an unreadable gaze. Then he had let go, tossed this pouch into her arms, and turned to leave.
Just like that, he left.
What on earth did he mean?
There seemed to be a hint of tenderness in the look he gave her.
Was he feeling sorry for her?
Jaina buried her face into the pouch. That unfamiliar scent lingered at the tip of her nose, a mix of rain, gunpowder, and some indescribable... hint of that person's presence.
Her heart began to race again.
She recalled that figure descending from the sky, the flowing white robe, those eyes shining with blue light.
She remembered the moment she crashed into his arms—that chest was so warm, so solid. The thunder outside was so loud, but she wasn't afraid at all.
And then there was his face.
That face, so close to hers.
"Ahhh—" Jaina let out a soft cry, burying her burning face into the pillow, her legs kicking wildly in the air.
Why did he save me?
Why did he leave me a pouch?
What is he... trying to say?
At this very moment, Allen was in his own cabin, playing with a new toy in his hands.
[Tidal Charm]
[Trinket «Fine Quality»]
[Use: Stuns the target for 3 seconds.]
He had looted this from that Naga who called himself Prince Nazgak—it was a real good find.
He politely asked around, but Morgan and Stella couldn't see anything special about the charm, so they both declined it.
Thus, Allen felt justified in "acquiring" another piece of equipment.
No, actually, it wasn't really "acquiring."
He had killed the monster, so personal loot was only fair.
He pulled out another money pouch from his bosom and carefully placed the Tidal Charm inside.
This pouch was far more exquisite in craftsmanship. Made of deep green velvet, the opening was embroidered with intricate patterns in silver thread, and in the center was a silver leaf emblem.
This was the money pouch Wen Laisa had tossed to him.
The one that had been brought to life and flown all over the ship earlier was his own pouch. He had simply transferred all the gold coins into his own pouch, but then the thing came to life and dragged him halfway across the ship.
What a shame—he had spent 2 silver and 50 copper on that one.
At least he had this one from Wen Laisa; otherwise, he would have had nowhere to put his money.
Allen tossed the pouch up and down, the heavy feeling bringing him immense reassurance.
Then, he suddenly spaced out.
He wondered...
Where Wen Laisa was by now.
-----------------
The next day, the weather was clear.
Sunlight spilled across the water, and a few seagulls circled between the masts, letting out crisp calls.
However, the main ship's deck was covered in scorch marks, and several masts were broken.
The fleet had no choice but to change course and head for the nearest port—Menethil Harbor.
It was a bustling port city, with white houses built into the mountainside, layer upon layer extending up to the summit. The port's lighthouse stood tall, and ships of all kinds moved back and forth across the sea.
But getting a Kul Tiras fleet into port wasn't that simple.
Three main battleships, plus over a dozen escort vessels—an armed fleet of this size suddenly appearing in territorial waters would make any port nervous.
Captain Daelin stood at the bow, holding up a massive flag bearing Kul Tiras's emblem. He waved the flag, sending out standard semaphore signals:
"Kul Tiras Kingdom Fleet, escorting the Proudmoore family's young lady to Dalaran. Requesting permission to enter port for rest and resupply."
At the port's watchtower, a lookout raised his telescope and peered for a long time before hurriedly running down to report.
A moment later, the port's bell rang.
It was the signal for permission to enter port.
Captain Daelin let out a sigh of relief and turned to order the helmsman, "Enter the port."
The ship slowly sailed into the harbor.
Allen leaned against the deck railing, gazing at the distant horizon, where a tiny black dot seemed to be bobbing around.
He wondered if it was just another ship coming to Menethil Harbor for repairs.
During this time, an unexpected person approached Allen: Paval Reiss, Jaina's personal guard.
The stern-faced man stood there, his head lowered, as if he had something to say but didn't know where to start.
"Paval?" Allen was a bit surprised. "Something on your mind?"
Paval lifted his head and took a deep breath.
Then, he bent over, bowing deeply.
"Mr. Prestor. I've come to apologize to you."
Allen was stunned.
"Before... on the ship, I misjudged you." Paval straightened up, his face full of regret. "I thought you were... No, I assumed without cause that you weren't a good person. Without any real understanding, I harbored hostility toward you just because of what you said."
He paused, his voice even more sincere:
"Last night, if it weren't for you, the young lady would have... You saved her life, yet I never even said a word of thanks. I..."
He bowed again.
"I'm truly sorry."
Allen looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
Then, he smiled.
"It's fine." He reached out and patted Paval on the shoulder. "I'm not exactly a narrow-minded person."