Black Sail
Chapter 511: CXL. Drifting City

Chapter 511: CXL. Drifting City

Holy Spirit Calendar year 2690, July 5.

Mulong Duchy, midsection, Drifting City.

Unlike the highland tundra climate of Kelor City, the Transversal Mountain Range blocks the cold currents from the north. In summer, it is hot and dry, influenced by the tropical high pressure and trade winds of the Narrow Sea, causing the air currents to sink. Because it is adjacent to a natural canal running through the Narrow Sea and relatively close to the coastal areas, it is a typical Narrow Sea climate.

Once the world’s second largest slave trade center was here, slaves from east of the Narrow Sea were sold from here to the west.

Although it is called a natural canal, you cannot see the other side at a glance; according to the professional surveys of the Aran people, the narrowest part of the canal is also seven miles wide.

The banks are lush with vegetation, dense clusters of palm trees, and the scenery is extremely beautiful.

And Drifting City is also the most unique city Liszt has ever seen.

It has a natural large red-brown rock forest with a maze of intricate pathways. The rock structure is unique and extremely stable, even without support columns.

Every household, shops above the square brick streets, and even the lord’s mansion are carved out of the mountains, with Petra Ancient City often being called a small Drifting City.

On many prominent hills, there are man-made spiral walkways. Following the paths, you can pass by mountain caves sealed with iron bars, densely packed like bird cages. These were once shopping malls used to detain slave goods. However, with the change of times and the rise of nationalism, slave trade has become history, turning into slums for the destitute to survive.

Due to its unique maze-like geographical nature, easy to defend and hard to attack, it is a fortress of iron. Without a long siege to cut off supplies, one would suffer huge military losses.

It is also the next strategic target of Aran Army General Ox and a necessary path for the railway.

Liszt had completed his meeting with Uborio, the leader of the Mulong Resistance Army, and also vacated a mountain fortress in Drifting City for the Black Sail to station troops.

Before the Emperor’s grand army entered Mulong’s small territory, Drifting City, Black Rock City, and the Mulong Capital were the most prosperous cities in the country, apart from Golden Palm Port.

So Drifting City used to be directly governed by a council composed of multiple nobles, similar to the environment of Beima Linden City.

The city also had many castles, and the Black Sail was now stationed in a fortress carved from a massive rock body.

Even during wartime, the residents of Drifting City lived as they once did. Those who wanted to leave needed the Resistance Army’s permission and had to have a pass to leave.

But things were very difficult. If you were a commoner, you basically had no way to get out. If you were a wealthy merchant, they had to ransack your house before letting you go.

It was clear that Uborio wanted to fight to the end. He was not a fool; he knew that he could not win a direct confrontation against Aran and not even a war of attrition. He only needed time, and he was determined to drag things out, waiting for some unlikely miracle.

Inside the Black Sail stronghold.

In a hall located in the higher levels of the rocky mountain, which used to be the living quarters of the local nobles.

Through the unobstructed panoramic windows, one can overlook the spectacular and magnificent scenes of Drifting City. The city stretches as far as the eye can see. Mulong’s ancestors were once wealthy, and during the slave trade era, this place was a dazzling sleepless city. Now it has become a sacrifice of the Continent Transportation Law.

As for the interior furniture, it wasn’t made of stone; it was all high-quality items used by the nobles of old, extremely refined, with chairs and tables having gold-plated horse-hoof legs, and edges inlaid with precious minerals.

Framed with impressionist oil paintings by famous artists, the indoor pool reflected shimmering waves on the stone walls under the direct sunlight. Those carvings on the stone were also created by great craftsmen, exquisite beyond compare.

It was currently requisitioned by the Black Sail as a command room. Finn had also brought a magic energy-enhanced wireless transceiver from Heaven Port and placed it there.

Liszt sat grandly on a cool sea beast leather chair, his legs crossed on the table, his face full of worry as he talked with Mo Yutong through a brick-like audio input device.

The news itself was bad, plus the round-trip delay of more than two minutes, which was killing him, not to mention the time the other side took to answer and think, adding up to five or six minutes.

Half an hour passed, and they still hadn’t made things clear.

"I know that the financial report shows a deficit now, but the salaries of the workers and those thugs, the various operating costs, shouldn’t be so high. With so many Gold Dragons in public funds, they can’t be spent in such a few months. You tell me a new season has started? Is it Taylor and Plank who can no longer wield a knife, or has the East Sea gang gotten too arrogant?"

Liszt put down the speaking device, feeling a headache.

Shadi Reen Morison and his group were heartlessly playing in Drifting City, and Archer had disappeared somewhere to drink heavily. This place was different from the Kelor Highlands; the business district was still operating normally, and one could also experience the local customs.

Finn stood thoughtfully beside him. If it were a small problem, his factions built over there could handle it.

In short, something had happened at Heaven Port. Pirates were making trouble at the construction site of the new district every now and then. It wasn’t small skirmishes; there was bloodshed, and lives were lost. There were many cases, not just drunken brawls, but someone was purposely targeting the Black Sail.

As the saying goes.

Tattoos of dragons and tigers, intimidating governments.

If you want work, there’s no need to think; if you’re down and out, you must break into Heaven Port.

The East Sea’s location advantage was too strong, different from the military-disciplined privateer certificate pirate groups of the Narrow Sea. Fleeing to the Narrow Sea to evade the heat usually meant getting caught, while the East Sea didn’t have that risk.

The lucrative red-sea industry, being far from the Emperor’s reach, also provided refuge. Brothers from all over the world liked to flock here. One season after another started too fast, and no matter if one was top-tier or those with nothing to lose, everyone enjoyed coming.

In the past, becoming the strongest king would get you taken by Doringger as a lowly fixer.

Now things had slightly changed. Becoming the strongest king, you might have to confront Liszt.

"My friends can handle it, as long as it’s not a large-scale disturbance. Do you have any ideas?"

Finn estimated that those people didn’t have the guts to escalate things; they were still testing the waters.

"My idea? For showing off, I’ll make him fly!"

Liszt made a black hand gesture.

"Kids and the elderly fly first."

Wolman was also in the command room, unlike Shadi and the others; he carried the heavy responsibility of reclaiming the nation.

Five minutes later, Mo Yutong’s reply came back.

"Taylor sent people to investigate. It’s a coalition of casinos and brothels in the Narrow Sea that’s leading this, working with local workers’ unions. You know Doringger has always been open to foreign capital, anyone could come to Heaven Port to do business without any regulation. Previously, large merchants who shared dividends with Doringger invested large sums to requisition land when they saw the new district’s planning progress smoothly. They plan to open casinos, brothels, and business districts. Some inland merchants also targeted the Angel Round and invested money to rent land. The construction progress is excellent, most of the projects are expected to launch early next year. Narrow Sea merchants are stirring up trouble, even Gold Seekers going to Iron Soul Island have been killed, causing widespread panic."

Mo Yutong finished his speech.

The three people’s faces were solemn.

This is what happens when the pie gets big. The Matthew effect is great; sitting still, there’s plenty of people kneeling to invest.

But the price is, people with no grudges, who have nothing to do with them, come for you because you took their market, you ate the meat meant for others.

Because of the militarization and discipline of Narrow Sea pirates, they don’t harm civilians, making it the favorite place for people from the Western Continent to indulge in decadence. The nobles here are numerous, and the safety measures are well established.

Now the East Sea opened up, even stronger than the Narrow Sea. The Narrow Sea is a playground for just the Western Continent countries.

While the East Sea involves the Western Continent, Southern Continent, and Far East Islands, these places’ old timers would all go there to play. The biggest issue is inconvenient transportation, but now Heaven Port’s situation is stable, the dedicated transport flower boat runs smoothly. For wealthy vacationers with time and money, wouldn’t it become a must-visit place?

If I don’t mess you up? If I don’t ruin you, consider me a loser.

Celeste sighed and said solemnly to Liszt, "I’ve told you before, the East Sea can’t have order, that’s the main reason Doringger doesn’t dare to establish national taxes. As a junction of multiple continents, it can only be chaotic, that’s a consensus from all parties. Now it’s just a bit of an issue. In the future, it’s not just merchants who’ll target you. I’ve heard Ox plans to run Mirror Sea’s trade through Heaven Port. You will become the world’s fattest piece of meat, everyone will come to gnaw at you."

Liszt was silent for a while.

"Can we make money from this?"

Liszt threw the white fur cloak onto the table, an East Sea Brother One exclusive skin, but Drifting City was too damn hot to wear it.

"Of course you can, but you need to have boundaries. Don’t play the savior. Give the construction workers 1.5 times their salary, including housing and meals, let it go. Your new district planning, those merchants’ requisitioned land for the century casinos, century brothels, need to be scaled back. You run them directly, don’t let the joint capital become too strong, continue to draw from the Narrow Sea, no one will let you off."

Celeste sincerely suggested.

"That’s kneeling," Wolman remarked.

Liszt slapped the table with a newspaper, headlining "Eighteenth Formation of Eternal Sect Time Sword". "And add this, make money standing. I’ll go chop off the head of the Deputy Director Zote from the Old Aran Witch Hunting Secret Department, who would dare to defy?"

What he didn’t say was, Mulong had turned into his puppet government.

Celeste clapped her hands, her expression exciting, "Said to have you drag until the end of the year, but your Oath of Loyalty is so excellent, our Chief will invite you for New Year dinner."

Liszt spoke to the wireless machine: "I haven’t gone to mess with the Narrow Sea, and these damn people have come to me. For those causing trouble, kill first, ask questions later. I will take the Narrow Sea, the Emperor can’t protect it, I said so. Trace those behind the scenes, directly bring their families to the island to enjoy, these damned people haven’t seen the mafia yet."

He hung up the wireless.

Mulong still has a slew of issues to handle. The railway to here still has over two thousand, almost three thousand miles to be covered. Ox may start visiting surrounding towns for surveys in a few days, with soldiers bringing in surveyors.

Black Sail’s men and Uborio’s men had already taken the lead to scout and guard against enemies.

He inevitably had to block them himself, showing these Military Masters a good lesson.

"Following Liszt, if you’re not always worried, it’s unusual," Wolman raised his thumb.

"Human nature," Celeste had long seen through it; Liszt had self-destructive tendencies.

Finn wanted to add quite the opposite; he strongly agreed but did not speak out.