RNP Chapter 174 Multi-party Cooperation
Chapter 174 Multi-party Cooperation
Chapter 174 Multi-party Cooperation
Although a long time has passed, nightmares still occasionally haunt me at night.
During her years living on the frozen continent, Natalie learned that nightmares might actually exist.
Many picture books depict it as a winged, horned demon, but Natalie thinks the illustrator may have confused a nightmare with a gargoyle.
Those depictions of nightmares as ghostly figures in gray mist better fit Natalie's imagination.
If the nightmare demons haven't been completely eradicated, Natalie wonders how he managed to give her nightmares while cleverly avoiding being noticed.
However, Natalie also knew that the reason she had nightmares was more likely due to psychological trauma.
That day, Natalie attempted to use her blood to lure the mermaid and have her escape from Baron George's control.
But an unexpected incident occurred; instead of summoning the mermaid, she attracted a sea monster.
The sea monster was extremely aggressive and, without saying a word, lunged at the ship Natalie was on.
Fortunately, the kingdom's fleet is usually sturdy.
Few of the kingdom's lords possessed the giant crossbow technology of the Far East, so their ships were completely unable to compete with the Eastern ships in terms of firepower.
Therefore, the lords had to find another way, choosing to increase the defensive capabilities of their ships, which was much easier to obtain than the giant crossbow technology.
George said that obtaining the blueprints for the giant crossbow was not difficult; the challenge lay in the entire production process.
If the giant crossbows produced are of substandard quality, they may actually hinder the battle.
This is why, despite the technology having been around for decades, it has yet to become widespread in the kingdom.
In short, the longship was so sturdy that the sea monster couldn't bite it apart in one go, buying Natalie and the entire crew time to escape.
To avoid being swallowed by that sea monster.
Natalie jumped into the sea in time and climbed onto the net of another boat.
The sea monster did not continue its attack; instead, it left the fleet.
Otherwise, everyone present would have perished on the spot.
When George counted the number of men afterward, he found that only five sailors had died, a loss that was negligible compared to the horrific scene.
After this incident, Natalie dared not attempt to summon mermaids casually, as the risks still existed.
Those sea divers had already explained things very clearly in their notes. Although they could summon mermaids through blood, they could also summon other deep-sea creatures, but they could not distinguish between good and evil.
Although the incident is in the past, Natalie still cannot forget the horror.
They say sweetness can mask terror, but unfortunately Henry isn't here.
Maybe sweets would work too, ah, sweets—
On Shoepad Island, there was nothing but cheese, and Natalie was almost sick of it.
Natalie has been on Pad Island for some time, but the lord here has only arranged for George to stay in a hotel.
Therefore, Natalie could only enjoy the same or worse treatment.
The others George brought either slept on the boat or found an open space outside the city to camp; there wasn't even a hotel to stay in.
If even their lodgings were so meager, then food was out of the question.
Want to live like you're in a castle, with fine wines, gourmet food, desserts, and black tea at every meal?
In this situation, it is simply impossible to achieve.
Just by looking at how many ships are currently docked at Achilles tendon port, you can tell how many people are gathered in this city.
Even the most capable lord would likely find it difficult to manage the current situation.
Natalie remembered the last time she saw something like this was at the elbow angle, when she was a teenager, only fifteen years old.
That was a combined fleet, assembled to encircle and annihilate Henry.
What about this time?
Natalie wasn't sure, but she noticed the flags flying on the ships, some of which belonged to ports on the frozen continent, indicating that the forces gathered this time were more diverse than before.
The fact that the islanders have been doing nothing all this time, aside from killing time, suggests that the island's lord is still waiting for someone.
Natalie remembers that the Collins family were the owners of Insole Island, and their flag was a round salted cheese, which shows just how much this family loved cheese.
Perhaps this island should be called Cheese Island, not Insole Island.
Natalie also wanted to escape from the port, but there were almost no merchant ships docked at Achilles' heel, so she had nowhere to run.
Therefore, she could only wait quietly on the island for an opportunity, even though she longed to be reunited with Henry and Cathy right now. "Maybe that stupid bull is looking for me," Natalie thought, "but I don't want him to find me now."
Henry was, after all, a pirate, and Achilles Harbor was full of warships; Natalie was worried that Henry would be in danger.
But Natalie also knew that she longed to be saved as well.
Even now, at thirty years old, Natalie still finds the scene of the princess being rescued by the prince romantic.
"I'm already a mother of a fourteen-year-old boy," Natalie thought to herself, shaking her head with a self-deprecating laugh. "What am I thinking? Don't I know how to be ashamed?"
Natalie suddenly realized that in a few months, Cathy would be fifteen years old.
She suddenly felt a strong urge to celebrate Cathy's birthday. She had never done so since Cathy was born, which was a regret of hers.
Natalie has seen the mermaid; her dream has been fulfilled. She is determined to live for Kathy from now on.
Of course, if that clumsy cow asked for it, Natalie would still be willing to make room for him in her heart.
However, when will that day finally arrive?
A sudden knock on the door interrupted Natalie's daydreams about the future.
Natalie went to open the door, and as she expected, the only person who could be looking for her was Baron George.
She said to George, "Your Excellency, I think you should already know very well that I will never reveal any information under any circumstances."
“Yes, that’s really giving me a headache,” George said. “And I’m getting impatient with it. I’m planning to sell you to someone else.”
Is this a threat? But if George really sells Natalie, she has no idea what her fate will be.
However, she also realized that the reason for seeking treatment at this moment was not for that purpose.
"Sir, is there something else you need from me?"
“That’s right,” George nodded, “I need you to come with me and be my sommelier.”
Natalie asked, "Why are you looking for me?"
"The Duke of Collins prepared two rooms for each nobleman, one for me and the other for my personal attendant to take care of my daily life."
"But I am not your follower," I am merely a hostage.
“But you’re staying in this room,” George said. “It would be quite inconvenient for me to find other men to follow me, so I need you to come with me.”
Natalie understood that this was not a negotiation; if she refused, she would lose the right to use the room.
Without George's supervision, Natalie's personal safety would not be guaranteed.
Natalie asked, "What do you need me to do with you?"
"Come with me to a meeting," George said. "You don't need to do anything else, just stand behind me."
In other words, he wanted Natalie to be a decorative figurehead.
"I understand," Natalie nodded. "When?"
"Now!"
George only gave Natalie five minutes to do her makeup, which is far from enough time for a woman.
Fortunately, Natalie had been traveling for many years, so she knew how to dress herself quickly and simply.
She left the room before the deadline and followed George out of the hotel.
George led Natalie straight to the castle in Achilles tendon harbor. Along the way, Natalie saw many other people traveling with them.
They were all in pairs, presumably a combination of master and attendant.
Natalie had seen the Collins family castle from afar, and its design was indeed beautiful.
It has a circular wall, and the height of the building rises step by step from the outside to the inside, just like a mountain.
However, upon closer inspection, Natalie couldn't help but marvel at how tiny the castle was.
It wasn't even half the size of Goringburg, though Goringburg was destroyed long ago.
But there was nothing that could be done about it; the Collins family's territory was ultimately just a continental island.
Resources on the island are inevitably scarce, and transporting stone is an extremely extravagant activity, which means that the cost of building a castle on the island may be more than three times that of a city on the mainland.
Even if the Collins family were extremely wealthy, it would be difficult for them to build a castle that large.
George proved his identity to the guards and then led Natalie into the castle.
It is conceivable that this was a meeting of all the nobles gathered on Insole Island.
This means that either the deadline has passed, or all the invited people have arrived.
In any case, at least things have changed, and Natalie may now have the opportunity to go to the Blois Peninsula to look for her son.
Natalie and George, guided by their servants, entered the audience hall.
The main hall was less than half the size of the one in Goringburg, but it was much brighter.
At this moment, many chairs were placed in the hall.
More than two-thirds of the seats were already occupied.
Behind each seat stood a person, presumably one of the masters' attendants, sommeliers, or heraldsmen.
It seems that most of the people attending the meeting have arrived.
After George found a seat, it didn't take long before the hall was packed.
Several chairs were also placed on the platform.
The largest chair among them undoubtedly belonged to the local lord, Duke Collins.
Suddenly, several people walked out from the depths of the hall, one of whom, a man with long gray hair, sat down directly in the chair.
He was probably the Duke of Collins, wearing a navy blue stand-up collar suit, with yellow jewel cufflinks that stood out brilliantly against the blue background.
There were also three others, one of whom was wearing a heraldic robe and was probably a herald.
The main coat of arms above is the Platinum Code of the Sinclair family.
This suggests that the man with the neatly trimmed mustache is most likely a royal herald, but Natalie couldn't determine his exact position.
Another person was wearing a white fitted coat, which accentuated his slender waist. The coat hem did not reach his knees, making his already tall figure appear even taller.
The last person was dressed in an old gray robe, the hood of which completely covered his face, and he was leaning on a hazelnut-colored cane.
Natalie recognized the wood as part of the miasma tree, and therefore guessed that the person might be from the frozen continent.
Duke Collins suddenly shouted, "Quiet!"
This person possessed an extraordinary aura, and the noisy hall instantly fell silent.
He then turned to the herald and said, "Lord Jonas, please speak."
The herald, named Jonas, bowed slightly to Duke Collins and then addressed the crowd:
"Some of you may recognize me, but let me introduce myself first. I am Jonas Farr, the Chief Herald of the Royal Heraldry of the Kingdom of Great Classics, and my presence here today is to represent the Kingdom's position."
"And the two people beside me, one is the secretary of the Northern Community, and the other is a council member of the city-state. They are the representatives of the Frozen Continent and the Far East Continent."
"Unfortunately, due to the cardinal initiation ceremony, the Principality of the Holy Mission did not send any clergy to participate in this discussion."
"However, the Justinian family of Sun City has already been invited to arrive. They are descendants of the Crimson Prince and can provide us with great assistance in naval warfare."
Upon hearing such a statement, Natalie couldn't help but be surprised. What kind of event could have moved the entire world?
Jonas quickly provided the answer: "Everyone should already know the topic: to cleanse the Sea of Despair!"
Once the topic was brought up, everyone started discussing it animatedly.
Natalie had just learned that all the various regimes planned to accelerate their own development of the New World, so ensuring that the sea routes were clear and clean was essential.
That's why so many people have gathered, with only one goal: to wipe out the pirates gathered on Goddess Island.
Those who participated in the punitive expedition will have their future development of the New World for personal purposes recognized and affirmed by various regimes, meaning their legitimacy will be guaranteed.
As a result, everyone present seemed to agree to launch an immediate attack.
Just then, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly will inevitably lead to defeat."
The scene fell silent immediately, and everyone turned their attention to the person, including Natalie.
The man was wearing a simple set of armor, and his face looked clean and young. Natalie judged that he was around twenty years old.
Since he was standing and watching, he was probably part of the entourage.
Clearly, others noticed this too: "Who are you? When did it become your place to speak!"
The man, however, did not react to the questioning. He stood still, motionless, as if he had not heard anything.
But soon, someone came forward to explain for him:
"Isn't this the champion of this martial arts tournament?"
These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion about the young man.
"A champion? This fighter?"
"Yes! It was him! I went to see it that day! He won easily with overwhelming strength and took the championship title!"
Natalie had heard about the martial arts tournament, but unfortunately, it had already ended before she arrived.
But there is no doubt that the man's championship title has attracted the attention of many people.
Duke Collins leaned forward slightly and asked:
"Young man, who are you? What do you want to say?"