Because Richard's horned beast obviously couldn't carry the weight of four people, not to mention the big orc Otombo.

Richard estimated Otombo's weight, which was at least equivalent to the weight of three or four Stephanas, and possibly even more, because Richard had learned in the Ignis School that the bone density of different organisms was different.

The bone density of an ordinary orc is more than twice that of an ordinary human. According to the measurement standards of the previous life, the bone density of an ordinary orc has reached that of a tiger, and the Mohs hardness has reached 4.

But this is just an ordinary orc. For an elite orc berserker like Otombo, it is not surprising that the bone density is greater than 6.

Correspondingly, muscle density will also increase to the same extent, thereby further increasing body weight.

Therefore, Richard estimated that he would have to arrange a separate flying mount for Otombo later.

"Mr. Wizard, how should I address you? I have been in the Norris family for many years, but I seem to have never seen you before." Captain Balorik asked with a little confusion.

Just now, Richard and Stephana defeated most of the forces of the Poseidon Cult in the secret base in Antwerp with overwhelming force! This made Captain Balorik extremely shocked by the fighting power of Richard and Stephana.

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not remember that there was such a powerful young wizard under the command of Marquis Norris.

Moreover, both of them were wearing black robes, which were quite different in color from the mainstream white or light blue wizard robes of the Business Alliance.

This means that the other party is a wizard with negative energy.

Although it is absolutely difficult for ordinary people to access knowledge related to wizards, Captain Baloric, as an explorer and a great knight, naturally knows about it.

"Richard Clavier, I am a friend of Marquis Norris's daughter, Meiluo." Richard said with a smile.

"I see! I haven't seen Miss Meilo for several years. Could it be that Miss Meilo has also returned from the continent of Bias this time?" Captain Balorik said with sudden realization.

"Yes."

"No wonder! We heard that Miss Meiluo went to study at a wizard academy on the Bias continent. At that time, we were surprised why Marquis Norris wanted Miss to study in such a faraway place."

"Now it seems that Lord Marquis Norris is still foresighted. He not only allowed Miss Meiluo to avoid the turmoil within the family, but also allowed Miss Meiluo to study in such an outstanding wizard academy."

"A wizard academy that can cultivate a young talent like Sir Richard must be the top wizard academy in the continent of Bias!" Captain Balorik said with a smile on his face, his words making people feel like a spring breeze.

"Haha, Captain Baloric, you're too kind." Richard couldn't help but touch his nose. This Captain Baloric was obviously very sociable.

This is normal. A navigator captain who aspires to explore the unknown, in addition to being familiar with the sea conditions in various different sea areas, must also understand the specific work content of each position on a ship. The most important thing is to coordinate new and old crew members and work together.

And the last point is the most important!

The crew is united, and their strength is invincible! This forces an outstanding captain to not only have a solid technical level, but also very good communication and coordination skills.

Obviously, the Captain Baloric in front of him possesses the above-mentioned excellent abilities.

After a few words, Richard and Captain Baloric soon became familiar with each other.

"So, Lord Richard wants to go to Basileus Island in the Summer Sea?" Captain Balorik's face changed when he heard the destination mentioned by Richard.

"Hey! Captain Baloric, is there any difficulty?" Richard saw the other party's face change and knew there must be a reason.

"Well, myself and First Mate Otombo are willing to accompany Lord Richard, but there are two difficulties that need to be resolved." Captain Balorik thought for a moment, considered his wording, and said slowly.

"Captain Baloric, please speak," Richard gestured.

"First of all, there is the issue of the crew. The Basileus Island you want to go to, sir, is not only tens of thousands of miles away from the Loras Peninsula, but also has to pass through countless dangerous seas."

"So, it is very difficult to recruit crew members. I think I can solve this problem, but it may require you to spend a lot of money. And now I am short of money, really..." Captain Balorik said with a guilty look on his face.

After all, Richard was his savior, and in principle he should not be asked to pay any more money. However, all his original belongings had already been looted by the Poseidon Cult.

Stephanie on the side chuckled and took the initiative to say, "Haha, I think Captain Balorik doesn't have to worry about this at all."

"Sir Richard is a rare alchemist among wizards. Money is not a problem for him at all!"

"Haha, that's great." Captain Balorik's face lit up and he nodded.

There is a saying that money can solve 99% of problems! If my savior and customer is a wealthy man, then many problems will not be a problem on this long voyage.

However, he changed the subject and said again: "The second question is about the ship."

"If you want to avoid risks at sea as much as possible and increase your defense capabilities, my advice to Lord Richard is that it would be best to purchase a retired warship from the Principality of Loras instead of renting or purchasing an ocean-going ship."

"I have a suggestion on this point, but it may require Lord Richard to communicate with Marquis Norris. I know that Lord Marquis Norris and Grand Duke Fabrico of the Principality have a close relationship. Can you see if I can help you solve this problem through Lord Marquis Norris?"

"The last time we went to Basileus Island, our ship was almost destroyed and everyone on board died." Captain Balorik seemed to recall some bad scene in his mind and couldn't help but say in fear.

"This shouldn't be a big problem. After arriving in Norris City, I will talk to Marquis Norris about this matter." Richard nodded, agreeing with him.

A warship and a merchant ship, obviously the warship is more suitable for his journey this time.

Because Richard was not going there for business, but for exploration and adventure.

Battleships are the most suitable, but Richard also knows that warships of various countries are obviously the cornerstone of national strength, and it is very, very difficult to purchase them.

So, Captain Balorik's suggestion makes a lot of sense.

The next day, Richard and his four companions returned to Norris City. After settling the orc Ottombo in the inn, the three of them came to the governor's mansion in Norris City and met Meilo and Marquis Norris again.

Before being imprisoned yesterday, Ocott explained how to remove the venom of the sea snake. Therefore, the current Marquis Norris looks much better than what Richard saw before.

"Captain Baloric, it's nice to see you again." Marquis Norris nodded.

“.”

As soon as Richard mentioned the warship, Marquis Norris immediately agreed and was willing to help Richard communicate with Grand Duke Fabrico.

Since material preparation, personnel recruitment, and warship contact all took time, Richard accompanied Meiluo for a stroll and spent two days of rare leisure time.

Stephanna, on the other hand, was very considerate and went to the wizard market to replenish the spell materials, leaving her master Richard with enough time to accompany Meiluo.

On the third day, news came from Grand Duke Fabrico that he agreed to sell a retired five-masted sailing battleship "Princess" to Marquis Norris.

Marquis Norris could not directly ask Grand Duke Fabrico to sell it to Richard, after all, this involved military secrets.

So this compromise approach was adopted.

Obviously, Marquis Norris also saw the unusual relationship between Meiluo and Mr. Richard! Several times, he actually wanted to ask about the details, but he couldn't find the right opportunity, so he had to give up for the time being.

Thus, Richard obtained the right to use the battleship "Princess" without spending a penny on the purchase of the battleship.

Today, accompanied by Marquis Norris and others, Richard came to the port of Norris City to witness the handover of the warship.

Hundreds of ships of various sizes were anchored at the port of Norris City, a scene of prosperous maritime trade. However, according to Captain Baloric, this was already a small scene.

When the Norris family was at its most prosperous, there were nearly a thousand ships docked here, far from the current depression! This immediately gave Richard a clearer understanding of the financial resources of the Meilo family. It was true that a lean camel is bigger than a horse.

It is surprising that despite the huge consumption caused by the family's internal strife for several years, there is still such a large merchant fleet.

Soon, the group came to a five-masted sailing ship that was obviously narrower and more streamlined.

The ship was about sixty to seventy meters long and more than twenty meters wide at its widest point. Its streamlined shape was like a giant tuna. It was obvious at a glance that its speed was much faster than those ordinary merchant ships Richard had seen before.

It has three decks, and on each deck there are black gun muzzles.

The overall shape is quite similar to the appearance of the British Empire's sailing battleships during the Age of Discovery in Richard's previous life.

This surprised Richard quite a bit, as he remembered very clearly that the heavy weapon used for defense on the ocean-going ship he sailed from the Crab Claw Peninsula to the Loras Peninsula was a giant crossbow.

He originally thought that naval battles in this world were long-range attacks using cold weapons such as crossbows and arrows.

Now it seems that this is not the case. In some countries in the world where the ocean is their main interest, artillery has begun to be organically combined with warships.

At least, the attack power of the warship in front of him has basically reached the level of the sailing warships of the 18th century in his previous life.

I just don't know how powerful the cannon is? And whether the formula used is black powder? If it is black powder, Richard smiled.

Maybe he could make some minor improvements to increase the lethality of his naval guns.

There is a figurehead at the bow, which is a bust of a woman holding a scepter. The entire figurehead is made of rust-proof metal. It can be seen that it is well maintained. Even though it has been in service for many years and has reached the age of retirement, it can still shine in the sun, and is lifelike.

An officer dressed in a navy blue shirt, led five or six junior officers, walked up to Marquis Norris with a smile on his face and said, "Respected Marquis Norris, I have been ordered to hand over the five-masted sailing battleship 'Princess'."

"You're welcome, Captain Argenis! Long time no see. When do you consider retiring? If you do, please consider our Norris Chamber of Commerce first!" Marquis Norris laughed and said to the naval officer half-jokingly.

"Marquis Norris, you are so polite. If I retire, my first choice will definitely be the Norris Chamber of Commerce. Every year, a considerable number of retired non-commissioned officers from our Loras Principality Navy come to you."

"The treatment provided by Norris Chamber of Commerce is highly praised!"

"By the way, this time, I heard that you need skilled gunners. I have several very outstanding naval gunners who are about to retire. I recommend them to you. These are them."

The middle-aged officer named Captain Argenis pointed to the five or six energetic young officers behind him.

Richard saw this scene and secretly praised in his heart: "The Norris family is indeed worthy of being a giant in the shipping industry of the Loras Peninsula. They have absorbed so many retired navy soldiers."

"In this way, the most troublesome problem of warship artillery control will be solved!"

After all, no matter how sophisticated the weapons are, they are useless without the corresponding skilled workers.

At this time, Captain Baloric, who was standing aside, looked at Richard with extremely fiery eyes.

If he can't see anything anymore, then his eyes will be wasted.

Because a large part of the commercial alliance's transportation and trade is carried out through the most cost-effective sea transportation. Therefore, the warships of the kingdoms and principalities of the commercial alliance are its lifeblood, and even retired warships will never be released at will.

The principalities and kingdoms of the Commercial Alliance invest a huge amount of money every year to upgrade, transform and update warships. This is why Richard did not see such advanced warships in the Kingdom of Heron.

It is no exaggeration to say that warships plus high-level wizards are the cornerstones of the military power of each country in the Commercial Alliance.

Therefore, Captain Balorik was extremely upset at the moment. "I'm afraid Richard is more than just Miss Meiluo's lover! Even her own son may not be treated this way."

When he was rescued by Richard, Captain Baloric thought that Richard was a master hired by Marquis Norris.

After all this time, it turned out to be the son-in-law! ! Half an hour later, Richard boarded the bow of the "Princess" sailing battleship, looking at the boundless sea, feeling a lot of emotion in his heart! He had the urge to set off immediately!

The sea of ​​stars can always evoke a person's poetry and distant places! (End of this chapter)