The Southern Star

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Alan stood at the end of the queue, his expression very nervous. He alternated between looking towards the shipyard gate and checking if his collar was properly arranged.

Captain Quik patted his head, "Hey, kid, what are you doing? Stop fidgeting and stand properly."

"Uh... Yes!" The young boy's face turned slightly red, and he fixed his gaze forward, no longer moving.

Last night, they received a notification from Naval Headquarters that a VIP was coming to inspect the shipyard. This prompted the crew stationed at the shipyard for equipment acceptance on the original Hope and another ship to prepare for the reception.

It wasn't until this morning after breakfast that the shipyard learned: the person coming to inspect was Lord Paul Grayman of Alden.

As the scheduled time arrived, the officials and soldiers in the factory were assembled to welcome them. Factory manager Rubin led them.

Alan had only joined the navy a few days ago and was unfamiliar with many things and people. Hearing that Lord Alden was coming to inspect them inevitably made him nervous.

In his life, the highest-ranking official he had seen was the mayor of the nearby town, and the closest to a lord was the tax officer who came to collect taxes in the village. He had never seen a real nobleman, let alone the actual ruler of a territory.

According to the adults, these were the people whose every word and action could determine the fate of commoners like them.

What did the Lord of Alden look like? Did he look like an ordinary person with a nose and two eyes?

Just as he was lost in thought, a announcement came from the gate: "Earl Grayman has arrived!"

"Attention! Salute!"

With Quik's command, all the soldiers immediately went from standing at ease to attention.

Then a group of people walked in from outside the gate.

"Salute!"

With the second command, the soldiers all saluted in unison.

Among the group that entered, Alan recognized one of them as Navy Commander Austin. At this moment, he and another person were returning the salute to the soldiers.

As for the other person, judging by the respectful demeanor of those around him, it was not hard to guess that he was Earl Paul Grayman of Alden.

Alan was a bit surprised. The count seemed to be only about sixteen years old, with dark brown hair and eyes, a plain appearance. Because he grew up in a noble family, he looked a bit more robust than his peers in the village. Was this young person really the highest ruler of Alden Earldom?

Behind the Earl was a woman with green hair. At twelve, Alan had already begun to notice the looks of the opposite sex. He had never seen such a charming older sister before. The girl he met at the pirate base was also very beautiful, but compared to the one in front of him, she could only be called a green apple.

"Are these our navy reserves?" Earl Grayman saw a row of neatly standing young boys.

"Navy reserves?" Austin was somewhat surprised to hear this.

"Aren't you using children to train reserve officers? I now decide to rename them 'Officer Cadets'."

"That's a good name, sir. From now on, they will be 'Officer Cadets' of our navy."

The young Earl approached the equally young officer cadets and said, "I learned about your experiences from Austin's report. I hope you can consider the navy as your second home."

He looked at Alan, who was obviously the youngest, and reached out to pat his shoulder. "What's your name?"

"Alan... My name is Alan, sir."

The young boy blushed, answering with great trepidation.

Paul chuckled. These were the seeds for the future growth of his navy.

He patted the young boy's shoulder. "Don't be nervous. Can you adapt to life on a warship?"

Alan replied, "I can adapt. I feel good on board."

Paul nodded approvingly, but Alan remembered his previous home, where his mother was always busy.

Life on a warship, no matter how good, how could it compare to one's own home?

There were all sorts of rules and regulations to follow. If one made a mistake—even forgetting to salute an officer—one had to take off their pants, bare their bottom, and endure the purser's paddle. It wasn't like being punished by his mother with a slap or two; this was a real beating with a thick paddle that left one's bottom swollen for half a day.

According to the senior sailors on the ship, this was already considered lenient because the cadets were still minors.

For dealing with adult sailors, there was another terrifying tool—the cat-o'-nine-tails, the use of which was solely under the captain's command. The reasons for punishment and the number of lashes were also decided by the captain. During the actual implementation, the entire crew was required to gather on deck to witness the punishment process, serving as a deterrent. The process was ritualized with drumming, the display of the whip, water drinking, and other steps.

In short, life on a warship was a tense and orderly existence, far from the ease and comfort of home.

But Alan never regretted joining the Alden Navy. When he and his companion, who had been captured by pirates, returned to the village, they found that the villagers had already buried his mother, who had been killed by pirates. Standing before his mother's grave, he swore to eliminate all pirates in the world, and the only ones who could help him achieve this goal were the Alden Navy.

At that moment, Paul said, "Take us to see the new ship."

Austin led the way ahead. "This way, Lord Grayman."

The group walked towards the dock, and a few cadets followed them as temporary attendants.

Two single-masted schooners were quietly moored at the dock. From the outside, these two ships were larger than the "Hope," with six gunports on each side.

"Do they have names?"

"The one about to sail south is named 'Southern Star,' and the other one hasn't been named yet."

The group boarded the Southern Star, and Paul carefully touched every part of the hull as they passed.

"Are the crew for the southern expedition confirmed?"

"Considering this is an unfamiliar voyage, we have chosen the crew from the original Hope, as they have the most experience in handling this type of ship."

Paul looked at Quik. "You and your crew bear a heavy responsibility."

Quik saluted him. "Yes, sir, we will not disappoint!"

Suddenly, Paul thought of something and asked, "What supplies are you carrying on board? Food and such?"

Austin replied, "We are planning to conduct an endurance test on this ship, trying to keep her from resupplying ashore as much as possible. So we have prepared a large amount of preserved meat, biscuits, canned goods—easy-to-store foods. Of course, fresh water is essential, and since fresh water can easily spoil, alcohol is also indispensable."

"We also plan to keep two hens on board to provide fresh eggs for possible patients, and a cat to catch any rats that might sneak onto the ship."

"To deal with possible dangers at sea, the Southern Star will be equipped with twelve cannons and four spare gun barrels stored in the hold."

With Jaden's gang eliminated, the pressure on the navy was almost gone. The remaining scattered pirates either surrendered voluntarily or fled far away. Therefore, Austin boldly transferred most of the artillery equipment to the Southern Star.

But Paul pulled the sleeve of the naval commander, drawing him to a corner and checking that no one was around before asking quietly, "Do you know about scurvy?"

Austin didn't understand why the lord was being so mysterious. "I haven't had it, but it's said to be a terrible disease that can break out after long voyages at sea."

Paul shook his head. "An infectious disease? No, it's not contagious."

"According to my research, if you don't eat vegetables for a long time, you'll get this disease. So you must bring more vegetables. If you want to keep them for a long time, dry them. It's better than having none at all. Once they're eaten or rotten, don't bother with endurance tests, just go ashore and replenish. I don't want any casualties."

Austin was amazed. The count had researched this?

But seeing the lord's serious expression, not at all like he was joking, he nodded vigorously. "Understood, sir, I will remember your instructions."

Paul added, "Also, citrus fruits like oranges on the Southern Star can also prevent scurvy. Make sure to bring plenty when they return."

Then he changed the subject, "Note, this is to be listed as one of the navy's classified matters. Only senior officers are to know about it. Absolutely no leaks. I don't want our future adversaries to know about this measure that can greatly prevent casualties. Keep it secret for as long as possible."

"Rest assured, I will be careful."

It looks like they need to adjust the preparations on the Southern Star.

(End of the Chapter)