abcnovels
Chapter 183
Chapter 183: Rescue
TL: Etude
Earlier, during the day…
The former owner of the Flying Dragon Pavilion, Cierra, and the waitress, Lisa, temporarily settled in a hotel at the docks.
According to the plan discussed with her daughter, their family would embark on a journey to the Northwest Bay aboard the Southern after its departure.
However, the Southern needed to stay in Fort Ness for a few days, so Cierra considered these days a vacation, intending to rest well.
After her daughter left, Cierra settled their luggage in the hotel and then, accompanied by Lisa, went to the location where the Southern was docked.
Captain Quik, who had originally planned to visit a nearby tavern with the first mate, was surprised to see Cierra returning to the docks.
“Hello, Mrs. Sertia,” he greeted.
“Hello, Captain Quik,” replied Cierra, gracefully.
Cierra then made a request that put Quik in a difficult position. “May I take a tour of the Southern?”
“This…” Quik was genuinely troubled. In his view, he had not known Cierra long enough to consider her one of his own, despite her being Mr. Derrick’s mother.
After some thought, however, he agreed, reasoning that it would be beneficial for her to familiarize herself with the environment since she would be boarding the ship in a few days.josei
“Please follow me, madam.”
Upon boarding the Southern, Cierra showed great interest, looking around and touching things here and there.
Quik was curious why a woman of her status would be interested in maritime matters.
Seeming to notice his puzzled look, Cierra smiled and said, “To tell the truth, I also worked as a sailor when I was young and spent a lot of time at sea!”
Quik’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Does the Horn Bay Alliance actually allow women to work on ships?”
Realizing his comment might be impolite, he added, “Ah, sorry. I mean, in many people’s minds, women are not suitable for ship life… at least in our Northwest Bay.”
Including myself, Quik thought to himself.
Cierra laughed and explained, “Actually, it’s the same here in Horn Bay. Ah, it’s not easy for women anywhere. I was able to work on a ship because of my husband.”
Hearing this, Quik wondered why he hadn’t seen Derrick’s father, suspecting he might have passed away. But Cierra still looked young; surely her husband wouldn’t have been much older.
He kept his curiosity to himself, not wanting to pry into personal matters.
Cierra suddenly took an interest in the large cannon by the ship’s rail.
“What’s this? Made of so much bronze, it must be something special, right?”
“Uh… uh… This is a flamethrower, used against pirates!” Quik tried to fob her off with the same explanation he used for port officials.
Mrs. Sertia lightly covered her mouth, squinting her eyes:
“Hmm! There must be some secret that outsiders shouldn’t know! Well, if you won’t tell, then so be it.”
After inspecting her “son’s” sleeping area in the cabin, Cierra bid farewell to Quik and, with Lisa, returned to shore to explore Fort Ness.
As the capital of the Horn Bay Alliance, the city was naturally vast. The two of them walked from morning until afternoon, only managing to explore two districts.
Compared to Messiah, where they previously lived, Fort Ness had a more majestic and grandiose atmosphere, befitting the administrative center of the largest country in the Horn Bay Alliance.
The frequent patrols of city guards on the streets, however, somewhat marred the scenery. These soldiers not only swept their gazes across the streets but also randomly stopped pedestrians for detailed questioning.
Cierra understood the reason: the sister of the Grand Duchess of Eton had been kidnapped.
By evening, the two had only returned to their hotel, initially intending to wait for Ladi to join them for dinner. However, when she didn’t show up, they decided to eat without her.
As night fell, Cierra began to worry about her daughter. It was unusual for Ladi to be out so late, even if she had special methods to handle things. No matter her abilities, she was still a young girl and could only do so much.
Around ten o’clock at night, unable to wait any longer, Cierra decided to personally head out to the embassy to find her daughter.
Just as she was putting on her coat to leave, the parrot Ladi had left at home suddenly began to speak like a human.
“Danger! Danger!”
The parrot, now agitated and restless, shouted repeatedly.
Cierra was alarmed. “Polly, what are you saying?”
“Ladi, the master, is in danger!”
Cierra’s heart clenched. She knew the parrot had a special psychic connection with her daughter, akin to telepathy.
Originally, Ladi left it at home to be aware of the situation there, although the sensations it picked up from the Northwest Bay were likely vague and imprecise.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
This time, the parrot couldn’t answer. It suddenly spread its wings, flew around the room, and then landed on the windowsill, pecking vigorously at the glass.
“North! North! Forest! Forest!”
“Are you saying Ladi is in danger in the forest to the north?”
“North suburbs! Forest! Ladi, the master! Danger!”
Cierra forced herself to calm down and quickly changed into an outfit that didn’t match her usual housewife demeanor. Just then, Lisa, who was fetching water, entered and was startled by her appearance, which was unlike anything she had seen before.
It was… akin to that of an adventurer.
“Lisa, stay in the room and don’t go anywhere. I have an urgent matter to attend to.”
“Okay! You… be careful on your way.”
“Polly, let’s go!”
Cierra hurried out the door, followed swiftly by the parrot from the windowsill.
“What situation could even Ladi not handle? And considering she’s probably accompanied by her senior, who is no ordinary person either.”
“I must find some help!”
Deciding quickly, Cierra turned and ran towards the docks.
She soon arrived beside the Southern, calling out loudly to the ship.
Although it was late at night, there were still sailors on duty on the deck of the Southern, who heard the call from the shore and recognized the voice.
“It’s Mrs. Sertia, something must have happened. Lower the gangplank, I’ll go wake Captain Quik.”
A few minutes later, a disheveled and sleepy-eyed Quik appeared on deck to meet Cierra.
“Mrs. Sertia, what happened?”
Cierra, breathless from running, managed to say:
“My daughter… my daughter is in danger!”
“Please… please help me save her.”
Quik was confused, her daughter? Wasn’t she Derrick’s mother?
“Uh… sorry, maybe I heard wrong. Your daughter?”
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