Aiven is not purely an idealist. The spirit of exploring the unknown world, as shown by the ancestors of the Galliot family, is commendable. However, in a situation of utter poverty, investing in ideals is overly hollow and illusory.
However, once he gains the power to control his own destiny, Aiven will likely follow in the footsteps of his Galliot ancestors and choose to explore the vast skies and open seas of this world!
"Well... Sub-Lieutenant Aiven, you better work hard, because I am very strict!"
"Thank you, Captain Sir, I will do my best!"
After the exchange, the uncle and nephew both burst into hearty laughter. The estrangement from five years apart gradually dissipated, and they began to genuinely warm up to each other.
They toasted and feasted, thoroughly enjoying the rare delicacies on the table, and chatted late into the night.
However, on the day after Aiven and Gel's reunion, another incident occurred.
Early in the morning, Gel dragged Aiven back to shore to find Aiven's instructor for this term, Major Eugene.
"Good morning, Officer Gel!"
Seeing Gel come in through the door, Major Eugene immediately stood up to salute, regardless of Gel's rank of Colonel, Knight status, or the identity of a battleship captain, all demanding his utmost respect.
It was then he noticed Aiven, following behind Gel, with his head down, seemingly not daring to look at him, perhaps thinking he had caused trouble on the Colonel's ship.
"Has this kid Aiven caused trouble as soon as he boarded the ship? Hand him over to me, and I'll take care of him."
Despite saying he'd take care of Aiven, Major Eugene was secretly giving him a reassuring look, his protective feelings clearly evident.
"Hahaha, Major Eugene, Aiven hasn't caused any trouble. On the contrary, I want to thank you for sending him to my ship!
Come, let's go to the tavern and talk it over—I and Aiven both owe you a toast!"
Ignoring the fact that it was still breakfast time, Gel insisted on dragging Major Eugene to have a drink. Gel now sees him as the benefactor who facilitated his reunion with Aiven, granting him the opportunity to make up for years of absence, and he must thank him before setting sail.
Soon, the three of them were seated in the tavern, and on the way, Gel had already explained Aiven's situation to Eugene.
"The child didn't notify the family and ran off on his own. Luckily, you sent him to my ship, which was a tremendous help." Gel raised his glass sincerely to Eugene.
"Officer Gel, you're too kind. I was just fulfilling my duty and didn't think much at the time. I just couldn't bear seeing Aiven waste away on the communications ship.
Such an outstanding young man could only get the best training on your ship."
Major Eugene's attitude was very humble; rather than taking credit, he discreetly praised the uncle and nephew, bringing a slight smile to Gel's otherwise stern face.
The two officers were animated in their conversation.
This left Aiven, sitting beside them, forced to play the 'wayward child' role, offering Eugene several drinks with an apologetic grin while receiving a few playful glares in return.
In Eugene's mind, Aiven's image quietly shifted from a solitary, desolate relative to a runaway young master. Initially full of sympathy for Aiven, Eugene might have kicked him behind if not for Gel's presence.
Oh, so it turns out my compassionate efforts and hard-won influence to secure you a bright future simply delivered you onto your relative's ship? Seriously?
However, Eugene wasn't truly upset. After all, young people often show a daring spirit fearing no challenge, desiring to prove their capability independently without relying on their family, which is understandable.
Yet, most of these 'young bulls' realize reality after several years of social struggles, growing yet wasting significant time—a gain at a loss.
Through this twist of fate, he felt he inadvertently did a good deed. Admiring Aiven's talents, now with Uncle Colonel Gel's support, his military career would be smoother, allowing him to avoid many detours.
He genuinely felt happy for him!
...
Silver Wings spent a total of two days in port, undertaking minor repairs, crew rest, and resupplying, before continuing its patrol duty within the Third Fleet's territory.
Considering Colonel Gel's exceptional abilities, their mission route's danger level was relatively high.
However, the sailors were accustomed to this life—high risks bring high rewards. As Gel once said, those sticking to the rules and longing for stability can never become navy or sailors.
Most of them are immensely audacious—provided with good enough benefits; they don't mind venturing into the infamous pirate port, Sunken Ship Bay.
In this atmosphere, Aiven also, for the first time, officially set out to sea as a member of the navy.
Whirr——
Splash—
Walking back and forth on the deck, waves blossoming around him, Aiven's mood now was different compared to when he left Leopold.
Today marks the true beginning of a new chapter in his life.
During the two days the Silver Wings docked for supplies, Gel had already introduced the general situation of the ship to Aiven, allowing him to quickly integrate into this new group.
The veteran crew members on this ship were all transferred here with Gel from a former Level 3 Battleship as a whole.
Not knowing what they had experienced, the vacancies were never fully filled. Formal officers were internally promoted through Gel's appointments. The main positions such as Chief Navigator, Helmsman, Sailor, First Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Boatswain, Gunpowder Chief, Cannon Commander, and others were already filled.
However, there was only one Candidate Officer like himself.
After boarding, under the arrangement of Captain Gel, his provisional position was as Order Officer. He was responsible for relaying some of the captain's commands and could observe and learn at any post on the ship, making it the most favorable position for a Candidate Officer to grow.
One must admit, having someone influential above has its perks!
Otherwise, if a superior casually threw you into the ship's hold, with poor conditions and nothing to learn, it would truly be tragic.
Although the officers on the battleship found it strange that the captain somewhat favored this newcomer, it wasn't overly outrageous. After all, he was the only Candidate Officer on the ship, and they presumed the captain wished to train him by favoring the young man, not thinking much of it.
This was Aiven's request, although he wasn't being pretentious to the point of making Gel treat him equally. Temporarily concealing their relationship was conducive to Aiven's integration into the group, so that even if it was revealed later once everyone was familiar, there wouldn't be a significant sense of distance. Enjoying the perks of connections might seem glamorous, but gaps between ordinary people are pervasive.
The only person aware of part of the hidden truth was Boatswain Chris. However, he was truly Gel's staunch confidant and also the manager of the sailors on board. Sooner or later, Gel would find an opportunity to inform him to take care of Aiven in potential battles after going to sea.
Whoosh—
The Silver Wings gradually sailed out of the navy port, the waters widened and the winds gradually increased, sailors needed to readjust the riggings to control the sails, thus stabilizing the voyage to achieve the best sailing speed.
"Heave-ho—heave-ho—"
A neat chanting voice echoed on the deck, with around ten sailors maneuvering the sail riggings below each mast.
"Sir Jabu, may I help with the sails?" Having observed for quite a while, Aiven walked up to the Sailor Jabu, who was directing sailors to adjust the sails, and asked.
During the three months of recruit training, whether taught by instructors or learned by Aiven himself at the library, a lot of knowledge had been stored in his mind.
Although he had tried it a few times on the small training boat, this was the first time on a real battleship. Aiven was unsure if Sailor would let him, a newcomer, have a go at the sails.
The bearded Sailor glanced at Aiven, thought for a moment, and agreed, after all, having just set sail, there wouldn't be much danger. Now was the best time for a newcomer to practice if they wanted to make progress.
"Alright, I agree, but young man, you don't need to hoist or lower the rigging with the sailors, just stand by me and watch. I will explain to you how to operate, and why to operate in such a way." The Sailor was quite nice, agreeing without hesitation, but also laid out his own requirements.
Aiven knew that the Sailor was not afraid of him damaging the sails, but because the actual hoisting and lowering were mere labor tasks, understanding when and where to operate was where the true skill of controlling sails lay.
"Thank you, Sir Jabu!"
Standing next to Jabu, listening to his explanation, Aiven gradually matched the knowledge learned in the training camp with actual experiences.
The sail is the most technically sophisticated device on a sailing ship, and also the sole power source for most of them, its importance no less than that of an engine in the modern world. It's not an exaggeration to call it the heart of a sailing ship, albeit an external one.
The maneuvering ropes on a battleship are white, while static support ropes are black, when controlling the riggings the focus is primarily on adjusting the white maneuvering ropes. To an outsider, seeing the dense array of riggings on a sailing ship would surely be overwhelming.
However, to precisely control the sails to battle against the wind and waves, one absolutely cannot do without help from the complex system of riggings.
Let's take a look at how many riggings there are on a three-masted sailing ship.
Controlling the sail boom needs hoisting ropes, hanging ropes, turning boom ropes; controlling the sails needs: sail foot ropes, sail foot front ropes, sail tightening ropes; furling the sails requires three sets of furling ropes: sail foot ropes, bottom edge ropes, and side edge ropes.
A three-masted sailing battleship has eleven square sails in front, middle, and back, these riggings need to be repeated eleven times, just this easily requires at least ninety-nine ropes, not counting the spare riggings and double riggings needed to carry extra weight.
On a sailing ship, these riggings may seem complex but are cluttered without being chaotic, in any wind direction or weather, an experienced sailor can immediately find the corresponding riggings and adjust them to the optimal position.
In fact, when the sails are balanced, on calm waters, without using the rudder, the sail riggers can steer the battleship in a straight line just by adjusting the sails.
Therefore, the sailors working on the three masts bear the most important responsibilities and are among the most crucial technicians on a sailing ship.
Aiven has a long way to go before becoming a proficient sailor.