Chapter 2: Annabeth and Hans
„Miss you must wear your new Dress the Earl is coming this afternoon! Miss!"
„No, this thing kills me! I can't breathe! I'm going outside!"
Annabeth's voice echoed through the building as she put on her boots and hopped out of the mansion. Even as a child, she could not be tamed. She always wanted to get out and explore the world. This was mainly due to the fact that she lives on the coast.
The city of Kaokou has been a safe haven for transport ships for decades. As the westernmost port city of the kingdom, it is an important stop for all ships between the kingdom and the continent in the southwest. 70 years ago, the two powers came into contact. At first, everything was peaceful. But this did not last long.
The human nature of a single individual is sometimes unpredictable, but that of the masses is easy to understand. This is why it comes as no surprise when a war was soon declared. Goal? Each other's resources. People from the southwestern continent were jealous of the fertile and flat soils. The people of the kingdom in return were greedy for raw materials. Especially for the gold, silver, and iron.
And that's why a 3-year war raged. A short war if you look at the past wars. The reason is the weather conditions between the ocean of the two powers. Storms were not uncommon and the current in the water was strong and treacherous. A large transport of soldiers, horses, and weapons of war would be too costly and risky. This opinion has become clear to both powers after three years of war. Since then, both parties have concluded a non-aggression pact.
The Grandfather of Annabeth's father, Earl Birdclaw recognized the potential of the port city early on. Previously it was a small fishing village, but now it belongs to one of the largest port cities of the kingdom. He transformed and made the village into one of the busiest cities in the kingdom as well as a center of trade.
Back to Annabeth. Through the stories of the sailors, she wanted to set sail early on to fight sea monsters and pirates and explore islands. In contrast to the southwest, the water in the west of the kingdom is very still. The water was not particularly deep and the currents were weak and predictable. This was mainly due to the many islands in the west. They were numerous but small. Which is why a branch office was unnecessary. Only the rich nobles would consider claiming an island to build a holiday resort there. But since many pirates make the waters unsafe, this has also become rarer.
"Hans where are the swords you promised?!" Annabeth spoke as she leaned forward to take a deep breath. Through the door to the old blacksmith Goldman's, she saw an old man sitting in a deep sleep in the chair.
"Back to sleep Mister Hendrick?" she rolls her eyes. Once inside, she searched for Hans and the swords the boy had promised her. When she reveals a dirty sheet from a table, she sees a map.
"A map? But it's not very good." She said with a grin. As the daughter of an earl, she has seen many maps, which is why she would call herself an expert if someone asked her.
"A cross? A treasure map?" Before she could rejoice, the thought that this was nonsensical occurred to her. Why should Mr. Hendrick have a treasure map, and if so, why doesn't he hide it? She thought as she rolled up the map and pocketed it.
"What are you doing, Mrs. Birdclaw? Leave it! It's a useless doodle."
Hans, who like many other children his age had to accept the harsh reality early on, comes in through the back entrance and notices how Annabeth rolls up the map. When he saw that she wanted to pocket the map, he tried to talk her out of it.
"Don't call me that. And why? It's worth nothing anyway. Humph. You're hiding something from me. Speak!"
She walks up to him and looks him straight in the eyes. As if she were waiting for a blink or a twitch, which is proof of his guilt.
Hans knew this method and knew that he could not hide anything from it. He has been broken so many times under this gaze. If she hadn't found the card, everything would have been fine, but as soon as she found out about it, she would harass him until he gives in.
"What am I doing..."
Hans starts to sweat and is rigid with nervousness. The card is from his deceased mother. She gave him the card before her death and said that when I reached adult and rank 4, I should go to the place and the chest. Finally, she said that he should not tell anyone about it.
"Uncle Bernd already knows, then it doesn't matter if another person about it."
Hans thinks as he tells her about the map, his mother, and the planned trip.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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