Chapter 169: Onshore
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
The Southern Star slowly docked at the pier. Although the people in the port area were very busy, it still attracted the curious gaze of many, whether they were merchants, porters, or tourists, they all stopped to observe this strange ship.
"Alright, gentlemen who have come from afar."
The administrative officer of Asta spoke, but this time he switched to speaking in Aldorian.
As the current "international trade" transit hub, most of the upper-middle-class individuals here were proficient in several foreign languages. According to linguistic studies, the languages used by Aldor, Angles Bay, the Gabella Empire, and other countries in the western continents belonged to the same human language family, with many similarities in grammar. It wasn't too difficult for someone from Angles Bay to learn the Aldorian language.
"According to the rules, we need to inspect your goods and levy taxes based on the type and quantity of goods."
Quik was delighted, "So you can speak our language too, that's great."
"Um... Mr. Administrative Officer, we're only here to pave the way for future trade, so we haven't brought actual goods for sale, so this tax..."
But the administrative officer still insisted, "Even so, we still need to inspect."
His gaze first fell on the cannons deployed on both sides of the deck.
"What's this?"
The administrative officer approached the cannons and reached out to touch the barrel. He could feel that it was made of metal, perhaps even bronze?
Grayman's army was equipped with a powerful flame-throwing weapon, but this news only circulated on a small scale in the territories near Aldor. Angles Bay, thousands of miles away in the south, had no idea about cannons at all.
Quik bluffed, "This is a weapon we use to deal with pirates. When pirates try to board our ship, we stuff it with flammables and ignite it through that small hole. It then spews out flames like a dragon attacking the enemy!"
The administrative officer was very skeptical, "Does this thing really work?" It sounded like a product of someone's wild imagination.
Quik pretended to be hesitant and said, "Hehe, we've been lucky not to encounter any pirates on this journey, so they haven't experienced actual combat."
"For maritime warfare, one still needs to use crossbows. That's a powerful weapon that has been continuously improved and tested for thousands of years."
Pride filled the administrative officer's face, "Guests, we have various types of crossbows for sale here. If you're interested, you can take a look. Of course, if you want to know which one is the best, I have to mention those produced in Asta..."
He went on tirelessly to introduce the excellent performance of the weapons produced in their city-state, making everyone break out in a sweat. Had the habit of doing business among the people of Angles Bay become ingrained in their nature? Even an administrative official came to pitch sales.
Because they were newcomers, no one interrupted the administrative officer's speech and patiently listened to him finish.
"Alright, take me to your cargo hold."
Finally, the administrative officer ended his lengthy discourse and requested to see the cargo hold.
Quik promptly led him into the cargo hold.
The administrative officer looked around and found that apart from daily necessities, stored food, and other worthless items, there didn't seem to be any bulk goods available for sale.
Finally, he discovered what could be called merchandise or suspected merchandise - barrels of gunpowder and crates of cannonballs.
"These powders, what are they?"
Quik explained, "It's a kind of medicine used to treat skin diseases, kill insects, and dispel dampness. As you know, the environment in the cabin during sea voyages is very humid, so we brought it ourselves."
Quik wasn't making things up. Gunpowder indeed has these functions.
The administrative officer stroked his chin, "With so much quantity, can you use them all yourselves? It's confirmed that they are taxable goods, and this needs to be taxed according to the type of medicine."
"Um... okay."
The administrative officer then pointed to the cannonballs, "These metal balls?"
Quik explained, "These iron balls are just used to stabilize the cargo hold."
The administrative officer shook his head, "But you can still sell them! Metal is popular everywhere."
Although he didn't understand why they were cast into spherical shapes, wouldn't it be better to cast them into square shapes, which would be easier to store and transport?
"Oh, speaking of which, those bronze pipes on top, you can also sell them. Bronze is not cheap."
The administrative officer felt like he almost fell for it.
Do you think you can fool me by casting bronze into strange shapes and making up a reason to deal with pirates?
Seeing Quik still wanting to argue, Ladia quickly pulled his sleeve and shook her head, indicating not to conflict with the port official.
"Alright! Sir, we'll pay the tax. Could you please tell us how much?"
Quik compromised. After all, in an unfamiliar place, he had to endure for now. He wasn't the carefree pirate leader he used to be.
After paying a sum of customs duty and port entry and exit management fee, the people on the Southern Star were finally allowed ashore.
Leaving the first mate in charge with 20 people to guard the Southern Star, Quik led the other 20 people onto the dock of Asta Port.
Bustling! Bustling!
Apart from bustling, it was still bustling!
This was the first impression the city of Angles Bay gave them.
The bumpkins from the Northwest Bay were immediately stunned.
Firstly, in terms of architecture, the houses here were like works of art in their eyes. They were adorned with exquisite reliefs, tall and beautiful, made of materials that seemed very valuable, either stone or fired bricks.
Moreover, it seemed that the entire port area was paved with stone bricks, so even if it rained, there was no need to worry about the roads being too muddy to walk on.
In comparison, the houses in the Northwest Bay were low and squat, lacking aesthetic appeal. The towns were a bit better, but the villages were not so particular, and they didn't have the money to be particular. Many people lived in houses made of thatch, adobe, and random stones.
Then there were the people. They had never seen so many people gathered in one place. Different skin colors, different clothing, different decorations, and speaking languages with obviously different styles, the sailors on the Southern Star had never imagined that there were so many humans different from them in the world.
A few apprentice sailors were bouncing around, running around, and Quik had to assign one person to hold onto each to prevent them from getting lost.
However, even the adult sailors were wide-eyed and couldn't close their mouths, not to mention those self-proclaimed worldly-wise merchant representatives.
"Hey, hey, did you see? The way those people dress is so strange."
"Don't look like you've never seen the world before, it's embarrassing to be with you."
"Who are you to say that? Weren't your eyes bulging just now?"
The crowd kept exclaiming in amazement.
The only one in this group who remained unfazed was "Mr. Dilac".
(End of the Chapter)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone