Life at sea is not as exciting and thrilling as most Minstrels describe in their stories; on the designated safe route, most of the life on the ship is tedious.
Nora, along with her grandmother and fellow villagers, had been assigned to the same large ship, with other captives from scattered villages across the Wasteland.
Perhaps because of her young age, obedient demeanor, and pleasant appearance, Nora often proactively helped other Robbers mend their torn clothes, so unlike others who were abducted, she was allowed out of the cabin for half a day every ten days.
It is important to note that the voyage lasted for several months; if these people were kept long-term in crowded small cabins without sanitary conditions, they would fall ill not only due to psychological issues but also were extremely susceptible to epidemics.
To minimize losses and improve the survival rate of abducted slaves, these Robber Mercenary Corps would regularly bring batches of slaves onto the deck, clean the cabins, and isolate the sick ones, sometimes even casting them into The Sea if they were severely ill.
Nora was allowed to go out every afternoon for a breath of fresh air, at which time she wandered around the deck with village chief Uncle Faen.
Village chief Uncle Faen, due to his special status, also received some privileges from the Robber Mercenaries.
Though he couldn’t escape the fate of being sold as a slave, at least he could communicate with the Mercenary pirates who respected power, making him the most esteemed among the slaves.
"Hey, pass me two cups of rum, one a little less, one filled up," village chief Faen called to a Robber Mercenary carrying a barrel of rum.
During long voyages, fresh water is difficult to store, often spoiling due to various reasons, such as insects, rats, or the corrosive sea weather; thus cheap rum was almost every sailing ship’s backup water resource.
So, even if Nora found the taste of rum unpalatable, she still subconsciously licked her lips upon hearing village chief Faen’s words, her dry lips already showing dead skin, and she had developed a habit and affection for drinking rum during these months on the ship.
The pirate holding the barrel glanced at them, cheerfully opened the barrel, took down two large cups hanging from his back, filled them full, then handed them to village chief Faen and the eagerly looking little girl Nora,
The bearded Mercenary laughed saying, "Drink as much as you like, refill yourself if you want, we are near the Golden Coast, and the captain has ordered free rum supplies."
The little girl Nora cautiously held the oversized cup with her small hands, sipped a bit and then smiled gratefully at the bearded Mercenary, "Thank you, Uncle Beard!"
"Ha ha ha," the bearded Mercenary hugged the hefty barrel, waved his other hand, and walked away.
"Village chief Uncle, Uncle Beard said we’re near the Golden Coast, is it really as beautiful as they say? Won’t the Evil Dragon just swallow us whole? Also, can Grandmother and I have our own new house, where beasts and monsters dare not disturb us?"
The little girl Nora looked at village chief uncle, who was the strongest and most knowledgeable in her eyes, eagerly asking. Initially, Nora felt an attraction towards the vast and boundless The Sea.
The sea horizon blanketed with a clear blue, bird flights, whale calls made Nora, who grew up inland in the Wasteland, amazed, but The Sea was always the same, unchanging for eons, so Nora felt increasingly bored during the prolonged voyage.
Only occasionally watching the rum-drunk Mercenaries go crazy would her monotonous spirit stir.
"Gulp," village chief Faen took a large sip of the strangely flavored rum, wiped his ruggedly neglected, particularly scruffy face, then spoke, "Little Nora, never hold overly high expectations for something unknown, as the disappointment may surpass your imagination."
Village chief Faen looked toward the distant sea where weird heads occasionally emerged, sighed, and used his rough hands to affectionately rub Nora’s head, "Nora, never believe everything others say; always keep a doubt in their words. You must learn to observe with your own eyes and listen with your own ears,"
"Sometimes even your own eyes and ears will deceive you, and then you must trust your intuition and thoughts!"
The little girl Nora hummed through her delicate nose and nodded, though she didn’t understand village chief uncle’s words, she remembered them and might forget someday, forgetting who told her.
But when faced with certain lessons someday, similar insights might arise in her heart, becoming her knowledge and experience, passed onto the next generation.
However, before Nora’s little mind processed, other Mercenary Robbers on the deck let out excited shouts.