“Speaking of fishermen, I actually have a recommendation. There’s a scruffy vagrant around here named Adolf. He usually begs for drinks nearby and is drunk all the time, so no captain wants to hire him.”
The coachman raised an eyebrow proudly.
“Those foolish captains can’t tell, but I often interact with him, so I observe the details well. Just by the thick calluses on Adolf’s hands and the words he occasionally mutters when he’s drunk, I’m confident he was at least once a remarkable fisherman.”
Sules’s eyes lit up.
This perfectly matched the information she had; this Adolf was very likely the five-star fisherman she was looking for.
“You noticed that? You have such sharp insight!”
Sules didn’t hold back her praise.
“You’re so experienced; I definitely trust your judgment. But has no one else tried to recruit him before?”
The coachman shook his head.
“How could that be? Plenty of people recognized his worth, but most were turned away by him. Especially those led by guilds, they’d be mercilessly mocked. Gradually, no one sought him out anymore.”
“I see…”
Sules nodded thoughtfully and continued, “I have a target for the fisherman, but I still need some sailors. I have two open spots on my ship. Do you have any other recommendations?”
The coachman, pleased that Sules trusted his judgment without a hint of doubt, happily shared his years of experience.
“The sailors around here are decent, but there are few truly skilled ones, and they’re especially expensive. So I suggest you find two young ones.”
“Young ones?”
Sules asked, somewhat puzzled.
“But didn’t you say earlier that young ones might cause trouble and aren’t experienced?”
The coachman shook his head with a smile.
“If you can get Adolf on board, you won’t have to worry about sailing experience at all. His experience is definitely abundant and can make up for any shortcomings. As for young people being hot-headed, why not just choose the humble and cautious ones?”
He clearly had something more to say, and Sules immediately caught on, handing him another copper shell and pressing, “You must already have suitable candidates in mind, right?”
Clutching the copper shell, the coachman beamed, his teeth hidden by his grin.
“Hahahaha, young lady, I think you have a great future! Indeed, among the young people living around here, Sam is a good prospect. He’s been here for days, and he doesn’t seem impatient that no one has picked him.”
“Then there’s that red-haired girl, what’s her name… Ah, right, Annabella. She has a fiery temper but a kind heart. She’s been the leader of the kids on that street since childhood; she’s incredibly capable.”
He rattled off several more names, showing that the coachman had indeed lived in the area for a long time and knew a lot about everything.
Sules had to thank her earlier impulse; if she hadn’t thought the coachman might know something and asked, she wouldn’t have gotten so much information!
This carriage ride was worth it!
***
Upon arriving at Saike Tavern, Sules stepped out.
It was 6:30 PM; spring evenings didn’t get dark too late, and twilight was falling, with the moon already high in the sky.
Night was always the busiest time for taverns.
Even from outside, Sules could hear the clamor from the brightly lit room.
For convenience, the tavern doors were open, covered only by two cloths to keep out insects.
After a moment’s thought, Sules removed her captain’s hat and put it in her bag, revealing her golden hair, flattened somewhat by the hat.
She casually ruffled it twice, then, carrying the wine, lowered her head slightly, lifted the curtain, and stepped inside.
The tavern was filled with shouting sailors; spit and cheap sea ale mixed, forming the most common sight of a mainland night.
Endless cursing between sailors, drunken boasts of sailing experiences—everything seemed chaotic yet orderly.
Cheap barmaids were everywhere.
They might not be beautiful, but they were definitely alluring and uninhibited.
Their hazy eyes and fiery red lips were the sailors’ best stimulant.
A casual lean on a table would reveal a tempestuous sight.
At the far end of the bar, a bartender stood, calmly mixing drinks with his head bowed.
Many colorful, attractive drinks were arrayed before him.
Even in such times, people hadn’t abandoned the pursuit of beauty.
As Sules entered, everyone’s gaze subtly lingered on her, assessing her.
There was nothing unusual about someone coming to a tavern alone, but a strange woman, especially a young and beautiful one, greatly piqued the sailors’ interest.
The barmaids also watched Sules, but without hostility.
Her exquisite beauty and the blend of youthful innocence and mature allure made these seasoned tavern women immediately realize that she wouldn’t compete for their resources, so there was naturally no animosity.
Sules was completely unfazed by being the center of attention.
She had participated in many large galas and given speeches numerous times.
She had long since developed a strong mindset.
So, to everyone else, this young blonde woman gracefully walked in, set the wine bottles on a random spot at the bar, and with a light push, settled onto a chair.
She arrogantly crossed her legs, surveying her surroundings as if scrutinizing them, appearing mysterious and dangerous.
A tall, thin sailor, annoyed by Sules’s demeanor and also somewhat interested in a woman, approached, intending to teach her a lesson.
If he could spark a romantic encounter, even better.
However, as he drew closer, his gaze was completely captivated by the bottles beside Sules.
Through the gaps in the seaweed bag, he vaguely saw the label on the bottles…
“Grape Bay Winery?!”
This exclamation drew everyone’s attention.
What was Grape Bay Winery, after all?
It was a wine paradise!
Products from Grape Bay were always exceptional.
For these old drunkards who frequented taverns, wine from Grape Bay Winery was the ultimate luxury.
After shouting that out, the tall, thin sailor knew he’d messed up.
If he hadn’t yelled, he might have had a chance to claim all the wine for himself.
But now, he probably wouldn’t even get one bottle.
The man’s heart panicked, and he quickly seized the initiative, striding in front of Sules.
“Little lady, where did you get this wine? Are you selling it?”
This was exactly the effect Sules wanted.
She curled her lips and shook her head.
“Not for sale, only for giving away.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
The tall, thin man thought he’d misheard and asked again, “You said you’re giving it away? Giving away these wines?”
Sules nodded confidently.
“Yes, giving it away, only to those who are destined.”
The tall, thin man’s eyes immediately lit up.
He had been worrying whether he had enough money to buy a bottle to take home, but if it was free, then he wouldn’t have to worry at all.
He knelt playfully in front of Sules.
“Do I look like your destined person?”
Sules raised an eyebrow.
She had clearly seen the malice in his eyes earlier; she definitely couldn’t recruit him as a crew member.
But despite that, she had to play the part.
She pulled out a piece of paper from her bag, then took out a charcoal pencil and handed it to him.
“Write your name on this paper. If you can write it, you are my destined person.”
“That’s easy!”
The tall, thin man was overjoyed, snatching the pencil from Sules’s hand, ready to write his name on the paper.
But to his surprise, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t leave any mark on the paper.
“Huh? What’s going on? Why can’t I write?”
Seeing his astonished expression, Sules slowly said, “Then it seems you are not my destined person. Please return.”
The tall, thin man looked at the bottles of wine with some reluctance, then suddenly said fiercely, “You little girl, are you deliberately playing games with me? This paper probably won’t let anyone write on it.”
Sules remained calm, slowly saying, “What reason do I have to lie to you? If you don’t believe me, just wait and see. I will always find my destined person, and then you’ll know if I was lying to you.”
The tall, thin man frowned, still wanting to say something.
But he was urged to leave by the people lining up behind him, waiting for their turn to get wine.
However, he didn’t leave; instead, he stood aside, preparing to see if Sules could find her so-called destined person.
***
For the next few individuals, Sules observed their expressions and secretly speculated.
Those with dull eyes were out; those eager for quick gains were out; those weak-limbed and unsteady were out.
After several people, the crowd around her grew.
Everyone wanted to see who Sules’s destined person would be.
At this moment, a girl with light red hair approached.
When people saw her, they chuckled kindly, “Annabella, you barely drink, why are you here snatching opportunities from us?”
The girl called Annabella brazenly replied, “I’m here to see if I’m the destined one! How could I miss something so interesting? But you guys, none of you called me; that’s not fair!”
Sules looked up.
Annabella’s face had some cute light brown freckles, and her hair was cut even shorter than Sules’s, looking exactly like a boy’s cut.
She wore a brown sailor uniform, and with a stomp of her boot, she stepped onto the chair next to Sules.
Sules’s eyes flickered slightly, not minding the other party’s slightly rude behavior.
She simply wiped the tip of the charcoal pencil with her hand and handed it to the girl.
“Then please give it a try.”
The girl took the charcoal pencil and firmly wrote her name on the parchment – “Annabella Edis.”
Sules smiled and said to a somewhat surprised Annabella, “Miss Edis, it seems you are one of my destined people. Please wait aside for a moment; I’ll give you the wine after I’ve finished all the tests.”
Annabella had originally just been pulled along by her friends to join the fun, so she was a bit flustered to actually be chosen.
Fortunately, the surrounding sailors immediately started cheering, making her feel back in a familiar environment.
“Ooh-la-la! Annabella, you’ve got it! You actually snagged such a great deal?”
Annabella didn’t seem particularly overjoyed, merely smiling and chatting with them about interesting recent street gossip.
The surrounding onlookers, seeing that Sules had indeed found someone who could write on the paper, suddenly felt bored and a large portion of them left.
Some remained, ready to see if she would indeed give the wine to these “destined ones” as promised.
The line continued, and Sules carefully observed, keeping a few more people based on her discernment.
After a few more, finally, Sules saw the person she was truly waiting for.
This was a man dressed in what looked like a black sack, swaying as he walked over, apparently still drunk.
His beard was scraggly, and he was completely filthy.
He reeked of alcohol, clearly an old drunkard. Seeing him approach, the people around him recoiled in disgust.
A man complained, “Adolf! What are you doing here? You can’t possibly expect to get this wine, can you? Why don’t you just buy something cheap and get lost?”
Adolf gave a drunken smile.
“How do you know it’s not me? I think she’s clearly waiting for me, right, little girl?”
His head turned to Sules, revealing the sharp, eagle-like eyes hidden beneath his messy bangs.