"Go shopping? Teacher, didn't you say we were going to King's Landing?"
"We'll go to King's Landing sooner or later. But that doesn't conflict with going shopping, does it?"
Kevin shook his head. "Teacher, let's find a ship first. Once we find a ship, we can shop however we want before we set off."
Ethan thought it made sense. In this era, there were no ships specifically for passenger transport.
To travel by ship, you either had to spend a lot of money to rent an entire ship or rent a cabin on a crowded cargo ship.
The kind of easy way to get a ticket to your destination by handing over a couple hundred dollars at a ticket office, like on Earth, didn't exist here.
If they waited until they were done sightseeing to find a ship, their journey south might be delayed for a long time.
Since that was the case, they would do as Kevin suggested and find a ship heading south to King's Landing first.
The master and apprentice put their luggage in the room, closed and locked the door, took their money pouches and short swords for self-defense, and left "White Salmon" for the harbor.
It wasn't far from White Salmon to the outer harbor, only a half-hour journey.
As they walked along, shops of all kinds lined the street—clothing stores, pastry shops, you name it—a
dazzling array that left Ethan breathless. Although not a local and unable to distinguish local styles from out-of-town trends, the sheer variety of goods made it easy for him to tell that this street offered most of Westeros's products.
After passing through the market area, the two soon arrived at the dock where merchant ships were moored.
Seven or eight merchant ships were neatly docked at their berths.
Their massive wooden hulls gleamed a warm golden yellow in the sunlight.
Seagulls circled and soared above the harbor.
Right before Ethan's eyes, a massive three-story-high ship, towed by a guide ship, slowly moved towards the last available berth.
As the ship drew closer, workers on the shore took thick ropes, wrapped them several times around the mooring bollards, and tied a secure knot.
The ships' hulls were painted with writing, which Ethan guessed were their names, but unfortunately, he couldn't recognize a single one—Ethan, who had read countless books on Earth, was now illiterate in this other world.
Fortunately, Kevin could read a little. He went from ship to ship asking around and soon returned to report to Ethan, "Teacher, there are many cargo ships going to King's Landing. The nearest one leaves the day after tomorrow, but the captain isn't on board.
If we want to talk, we have to go to the 'Mermaid' tavern to find him. Give him twenty copper coins, and that sailor will take us there."
A sailor in an open shirt stood not far away, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, and shook his index and middle fingers at Ethan.
Ethan nodded in return and said, "Okay, let's go."
The Mermaid tavern was in the market area they had just passed. The sign featured a female mermaid, whose appearance, apart from the gender, was quite similar to the Manderly family's crest.
Ethan wouldn't believe that the Manderly family didn't own a stake in this tavern.
Inside the tavern, Ethan met the captain of the "Lady Diana," a thin but kind middle-aged man, sitting alone in a dimly lit corner, drinking a glass of wine.
The sailor leading the way whispered a few words in his ear, and the middle-aged man asked, "Are you going to King's Landing?"
Ethan nodded, "Yes, two people and three horses."
The middle-aged man frowned, "My ship is already full of cargo. I can fit two people, but I can't bring horses."
Ah, the "old man" had come here with the caravan from Redstone Village, weathering storms and hardships together, working tirelessly without complaint. Ethan didn't want to abandon him.
So he asked, "Is there any way?"
The middle-aged man tapped the table lightly with his middle finger, pondered for a moment, and said, "If you insist on bringing horses, then I'll have to charge three times the price. You know, a horse takes up a lot of space. I'll have to throw away some cargo to make room."
"That makes sense. Just give me a total price."
The middle-aged man held up three fingers. "One golden dragon for the two of you, and two golden dragons for the three horses."
"That's not right," Kevin interjected. "I crossed the Narrow Sea to the Free City of Essos before, and it only cost one golden dragon per person."
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow. "Don't you also need to transport horses?
How about this, I'll give you a 20% discount, but you have to pay me half the price first.
Otherwise, if I organize and stack all the cargo and make room, but you don't board the ship, it will cause me a lot of trouble."
Ethan stared intently into the middle-aged man's eyes, and the middle-aged man did not look away.
After a few breaths, he conceded, "Alright, pay 30% first, otherwise I really can't do anything."
Ethan then smiled and extended his right hand, "Then it's settled."
The middle-aged man also smiled and shook Ethan's hand, "Of course, our 'Lady Diana' ship has always had a very good reputation."
Seeing that the deal was done, Kevin was about to reach into his pocket for his money bag when he suddenly felt his foot being lightly kicked. He instantly understood and changed his pocket-reaching motion to scratching an itch.
Sure enough, he immediately heard his teacher say, "But this is indeed a bit more than our budget. We don't have that much money on us. Will you still be here? I'll go back to my lodgings and get it for you."
"Hmm?" The middle-aged man thought for a moment and asked, "How much money do you have? Give me whatever you have first. Time is of the essence. Give it to me now, and I can start preparing immediately."
Ethan looked around and saw nothing unusual. There was no one guarding the tavern's door, so he smiled and said, "It's alright. Since it's agreed, I won't shortchange you a single copper coin. Just wait here and don't leave. We'll go back and get the money and come right away."
After saying that, Ethan stood up and left the tavern, ignoring what the middle-aged man might say next.
Back on the street, Kevin asked, "Teacher, was that person suspicious?"
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Ethan patted Kevin's head. "Of course there's a problem.
He didn't introduce himself, only saying he was the captain of the 'Lady Diana.'
Then he readily agreed to our request to transport horses, and on that condition, he made us pay a large sum in advance, without specifying a time or place for our next meeting.
Although he certainly looked like a seasoned seaman, businessmen value trust above all else.
He was even willing to abandon some cargo for the transport fee of a few horses, so how can I believe he won't run away with the money?
I won't let this kind of swindler earn even a single silver coin."
Was he really a swindler?
Kevin turned back to look at the tavern door with a puzzled expression, just in time to see the sailors who had long since left sneaking back in. A surge of anger rose within him. "I'll go get my twenty copper coins back."
"Forget it," Ethan said, not wanting trouble. This wasn't the middle of nowhere; killing someone wouldn't be easy to dispose of. He pulled Kevin back. "Consider it a lesson learned."
Back at the dock, Kevin was much more cautious, specifically seeking out cargo ships whose owners were on board.
However, after asking around for a while, whenever they heard they planned to bring horses, the captains either refused outright or suggested they sell the horses on the spot. Some even offered to introduce them to buyers, charging only a tenth of the sale price as a commission.
Ethan, of course, refused. So the two lingered in the harbor for the entire afternoon, until the sea was bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, finally deciding to have dinner first and deal with the rest tomorrow.
"Kevin, let's go eat seafood tonight."
"Isn't dinner included at the hotel?"
"Just one more time, you can't possibly not eat it all! You know, we haven't had fresh seafood in ages."
Back when they were surviving in the wilderness, they ate seafood every day, and all they could think about was grilled pork tenderloin, braised pork belly, or pan-fried steak.
After eating red meat inland for two months, he started craving boiled shrimp.
"I know there's a fish market in the outer harbor with lots of seafood," Kevin, a son of the sea, couldn't help but swallow hard. "But I've never been there, it might take some time to find it."
"No problem, let's just stroll around!"
The White Harbor fish market is located between Seal Gate and the outer harbor, and Seal Gate gets its name from Seal Rock, which guards the outer harbor's navigable waterway.
It's the closest open space to the fishing boats' moorings, and fishermen and vendors selling their catches here readily sell their goods, gradually developing into a renowned seafood market.
The fish favored by the city's elite were specially delivered to the kitchens of castles or mansions, while the rest, of inferior quality or variety, were taken by fishermen to the market, displayed on wooden tables or straw mats for passersby to choose from.
Besides the vendors supplying fresh ingredients, there were also many hawkers pushing carts selling inexpensive cooked seafood.
"Kevin, this grilled squid is delicious!"
"Teacher, I suggest trying this grilled fish; it's the way it's from my hometown."
"Hey, this shrimp skewer, this shrimp skewer… oh…"
Ethan and his apprentice Kevin were already captivated by the dazzling array of snacks on the carts outside the fish market before even entering.
This was a battle no less intense than the Battle of Single Bridge Village.
Just as victory seemed within reach, Kevin faltered, groaning with his bulging belly, "I can't take it anymore, teacher, I can't eat anymore."
Ethan sternly reprimanded him, "Try harder! The most important thing for a strong warrior is his appetite, don't let yourself go!"
However, he himself hadn't finished the squid skewer on his own hand; the remaining half of its tentacles twitched, but he just couldn't get it into his mouth.
He had thought his appetite was limited, but when Ethan smelled a familiar garlic aroma, he couldn't help but follow the scent.
"This is... garlic oysters, right?"
Ethan walked to a small stall and saw a small wooden cart with a shallow oven made of yellow clay around it. The oven was filled with charcoal, with stones placed between the glowing embers.
The oysters, garnished with fine white garlic paste, leaned against the stones, exuding an enticing garlic aroma.
A shopkeeper stood beside his cart, fanning the charcoal fire with a thin wooden board.
Ethan asked him, "Young man, how much is an oyster?"
The boy looked even younger than Kevin, no more than ten years old, but his eyes held a shrewdness beyond his years.
He glanced at the customer, who wore a white short-sleeved shirt and gray joggers, and gave him a sincere smile. "Five copper coins each, sir."
"Five copper coins? I can buy a dime of ale."
"Sir, you must not have bought your liquor in White Harbor. Even the little tavern called Lazy Eel next to Fish King Square charges thirteen copper coins for a dime. The prostitutes there are the oldest in White Harbor, and the liquor is the worst."
"Oh, kid, you're still a kid, but you know a lot."
"I'm just kindly reminding you, so you don't regret it later."
"Thanks in advance. Okay, ten, please. Kevin, pay up."
Kevin took a silver stag coin from his purse and handed it to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper pinched the silver stag between two fingers, looked at it with delight for a moment, and said, "Dear sir, I don't have any change for you. Would you like two more?"
"Sure, one more or one less doesn't matter."
As he spoke, the shopkeeper pulled two large leaves from under his cart, placed the steaming oysters on them one by one, folded the leaves to cover them, and handed them to Ethan.
"Thank you, kind sir. I wish you good health."
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Ethan took the packaged oysters and ate them as he walked away from the oyster stall.
"Teacher, these oysters aren't worth the price."
"I know."
"?"
"That child is even younger than you, running this stall all by himself, not stealing, not robbing, not begging—that's rare."
Kevin was just worried about the money Ethan was spending; since Ethan didn't mind, he had no objection.
After strolling around the fish market for a while and having a good meal, the master and apprentice headed home.
Passing the oyster stall again, Ethan saw two disheveled, tattooed adults talking to the stall owner.
He initially thought they were acquaintances, but after a few words, the two adults suddenly kicked over the cart, scattering embers everywhere.
The stall owner clenched his fist and charged at the closest person, only to be pushed to the ground and beaten.
If it had been a stranger, Ethan probably would have just sighed and walked away, but this child had spoken to him before.
So Ethan stepped forward, pushing aside the two adults. "What's going on? Why are you hitting people?"
Ethan was tall and imposing, with a sharp aura and a long sword at his waist, making him quite intimidating at first glance.
Seeing this, the two thugs dared not attack again. One of them, a burly man, said menacingly, "Outsider, this is White Harbor. People in White Harbor who want to live long all know one thing. Do you know what it is?"
Ethan, understandingly, replied, "What is it?"
"Mind your own business! Get out of my way!"
With that, he shoved Ethan in the chest.
Ethan grabbed his wrist and turned to ask the young shopkeeper, "Kid, why did they hit you?"
The young shopkeeper sat on the ground, biting his lip hard, but remained silent.
At this moment, another, thinner but more ferocious thug spoke up, "Out-of-towners, setting up stalls here, have to pay a share to the Longfish Gang. This kid refuses to pay, shouldn't he be punished?"
The small shopkeeper argued, "The share is thirty copper coins a day, that's been the price since my grandfather set up his stall here, but today you want to charge me a silver stag!"
"Your grandfather, Old Barry? He's dead. Even if he were alive, it would still be a silver stag today!"
A "share" of a silver stag a day?
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