He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 199

< 199. The Sea of Fate >

May 1797. A merchant ship of the Kingdom of Naples was en route to England.

Two days after departing from Naples, several issues arose on the merchant ship.

The seams of the foremast had cracked, and there was trouble with the rudder.

However, the captain remained calm.

Given that it wasn’t a ship reliant on precise mechanical devices like those of modern times, the issues seemed manageable with experience.

However, he did seem concerned about the report that the water pump had broken down.

If the ship were to fill with water due to heavy rain on the way to England, it could lead to a major disaster.

Fortunately, the weather was fair, so there were no immediate problems.

In the meantime, the repairs of the two broken water pumps were completed.

* * *

Day 11 of the voyage.

The merchant ship was passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The captain approached Tae-oh, who had come up on deck for some fresh air, and spoke to him.

“Count, are you feeling cooped up?”

“Yes, a little.”

The captain took out snuff [powdered tobacco that is sniffed] from his pocket and said,

“Count, there’s a slight problem.”

“A problem?”

“The sailor in the crow’s nest reported spotting three suspicious sailing ships. Two ahead in the direction of travel, and one behind.”

From the crow’s nest (an observation point high on the mast) the sailor could observe the surrounding sea, and he seemed to have spotted something.

“Three suspicious sailing ships? Don’t they have flags?”

“No. It’s too far to tell exactly, but all the flags are hidden, and the ships’ movements are suspicious in several ways. The sailor in the crow’s nest says they seem to be keeping a constant distance, matching our speed.”

Tae-oh asked worriedly, in contrast to the captain’s composure.

“That doesn’t sound like a small problem. We need to check carefully if they are pirate ships. Our merchant ship doesn’t even have cannons, so we can’t defend against pirate attacks at all.”

Because pirate ship sightings were frequent, some merchant ships were armed like naval warships.

However, this merchant ship from the Kingdom of Naples didn’t have cannons, let alone rifles.

“Yes. We’ve been cautious because we heard information that pirates are attacking in groups of three or four ships these days.

But there’s no need to worry too much. Our ship is much faster than those heavy sailing ships, and since there’s still enough distance, we can easily shake them off by speeding up and changing course.

So, I was wondering if we should avoid the suspicious ships and head to England after stopping at another island, even if it takes a little longer. Safety is the top priority, after all.”

Tae-oh shuddered at the thought of pirates.

The memory of the captain and sailors being brutally murdered before his eyes while trading sugar was still vivid.

Moreover, the ship was now full of various treasures. Perhaps they had heard about the treasure and were chasing after them.

“Yes, Captain. I think that would be better, even if it takes longer. Which island are we going to then?”

“The waves seem to be getting rough, and we’ll also repair the faulty mast and rudder, so we’ll head to the island of São Miguel in the Azores [an autonomous region of Portugal].

We can anchor there, repair the ship, and rest for a few days before continuing. Coincidentally, a British warship is coming up behind us, so if we time it to sail together, there won’t be any problems with the threat of other pirate ships.”

The departure of the Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom] trade mission and students was at the end of June.

If they went via São Miguel Island, they would have to travel several weeks longer than the planned route, which passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and sailed directly to the North Atlantic.

Then, the time to look after the students departing for Joseon would inevitably be insufficient.

However, since it was a ship full of treasure, it was best to ensure their safety first.

If they were reckless and caught by pirates, they might never set foot on English soil.

As soon as Tae-oh gave his approval, the captain gave a loud order.

“Spread the sails to the fullest! Increase the speed to the maximum! We’re changing our destination to São Miguel!”

At the captain’s command, the boatswain and sailors shouted and moved busily.

“Spread the sails! Go up quickly! Quickly!”

“Start with the mainsail!”

As all the sails were fully unfurled, the merchant ship, which had turned sideways, glided forward as if riding the wind.

Then, the sailing ships far away in front and behind also hurriedly unfurled their sails, showing clear signs of trying to catch up.

It was the moment when the suspicion that they were pirate ships turned into certainty.

“Haha—look at those guys! They’re trying to catch up in a hurry! They must be pirates!”

The pirates, who were chasing hard, gradually lost ground as the merchant ship of the Kingdom of Naples sped away.

And at some point, they disappeared from sight.

The merchant ship, having escaped the pirates, powerfully headed towards São Miguel Island in the Azores, cutting through the vast sea.

* * *

Nine days after passing through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The captain handed the telescope to Tae-oh and said,

“The wind is so favorable that we seem to have arrived earlier than expected. If you look through the telescope, you’ll see something that looks whitish. That island is São Miguel.”

“São Miguel… I remember hearing about it from Queen Charlotte. I heard it’s a very beautiful place.”

“Yes, it’s a truly beautiful island.”

Looking through the telescope he received, the shape of the island was faintly visible above the horizon.

“How long will it take to get to that island?”

“If we catch the wind well, we should arrive in about 6 hours.”

“I want to get off quickly and eat some fresh fruit.”

“Haha—I want to eat non-salted meat soaked in wine.”

Tae-oh went down to the cabin, picked up the book he was reading, and lay comfortably on the bed.

He wondered how bored he would have been if he hadn’t brought Logan’s book.

This work was a mystery novel based on the Gavin Murray case, and it was quite interesting because it was something he had experienced firsthand.

Tae-oh’s eyes slowly closed as he concentrated on the book for a long time.

Tae-oh, who had put the book down on his chest, enjoyed a comfortable nap, using the rocking ship as a lullaby.

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Roar—Rumble—

Kwa—Kwang—

The peaceful time was short-lived.

Tae-oh’s eyes, which had been dozing off, flashed open at the sound of thunder that seemed to tear his eardrums.

The bed was shaking violently, and all the objects that had been set up fell over and rolled around.

The shaking of the cabin was unusual.

Tae-oh, who had jumped up, hurriedly opened the cabin door and ran outside.

Anxious, he hurried up to the deck, only to find that the clear sky was heavily clouded, and thick raindrops mixed with the rough wind mercilessly hit his head and face.

‘······?’

But the sailors on deck were all looking up at the same place.

Following their gaze, several sailors who had climbed up the mast were hanging on precariously.

They probably started working on folding the sails in the strong wind.

The length of one sail fluttering fiercely in the strong wind was a whopping 20 meters [approximately 65 feet].

A total of 6 people, 3 on each side, were doing their best to fold the sail, which seemed to be 10 meters [approximately 33 feet] wide.

It was then.

“Aaaagh—”

In a sudden gust of wind, the sail seemed to sway greatly, and one of the sailors hanging at the end fell into the sea with a scream.

The captain, who had run down from the bridge (control room), shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Damn it! Quickly, get one more person up there! Go up quickly and help! We have to fold the sails quickly! A storm is coming soon!”

One of the sailors who was folding the sails fell into the sea, but no one paid attention.

One of the sailors, who had received instructions from the boatswain, quickly climbed up the mast and began to help.

The sight of the sailors tying the sails on the 30-meter [approximately 98 feet] mast swaying in the rough waves was breathtaking to see.

Tae-oh quickly approached the captain and shouted.

“Captain? Shouldn’t we save the sailor who fell into the sea?”

But the captain didn’t answer.

“Why are you doing that? What’s wrong?”

The captain’s emotions were as turbulent as the swaying ship.

An indescribable sense of fear flickered in his eyes, which had always been relaxed.

“Is the situation very dangerous?”

The captain answered in a calm voice.

“Count… don’t stay in the cabin, come outside.”

“······?”

The captain stared at the huge black clouds in the distance and opened his mouth.

“The storm is approaching with unusual speed. Besides, the waves are quite rough, considering it’s a coastal voyage. These storm-driven waves could easily batter the ship, and if we’re unlucky, we could capsize or be torn apart.

If we have to abandon ship, you must use the lifeboats. We’re about 2-3 hours from San Miguel, so if we’re lucky… we might survive.”

That was absurd. If a storm that massive hit, it would surely blow away both the ship and the lifeboats.

“Captain? How severe is this storm?”

“I’ve been on ships for nearly 40 years, but… I’ve never seen a sea storm this bizarrely large. It appeared so suddenly; there was no time to avoid it.”

If the captain, who had weathered all sorts of hardships at sea, was this serious, the situation was truly dire.

The first mate and the boatswain ran to the captain, shouting.

“Captain! Shouldn’t we drop anchor?”

“Nonsense! The sea is too deep here! The anchor won’t reach the bottom! Even if it did, the sand and mud stirred up by the storm would prevent it from holding properly, and we wouldn’t be able to control the ship!”

“But we’re near the island; there might be rocks underwater! It’s better to risk tearing off the anchor than to have the ship swept away by this strong wind, tossed around, and capsized!”

“That’s right! It’s better to secure the ship if we can!”

The captain shook his head vehemently.

“No! If we do that, the strong wind and waves will break the ship apart! It could make things even more dangerous! We have no choice but to continue sailing as is and try to get as close to the harbor as possible!

By the way, why haven’t you furled [rolled up and secured] the left sail yet! Are you trying to watch the ship capsize?”

As soon as the captain gave the order, the boatswain shouted.

“Go up quickly! Finish furling the left sail!”

When a storm approaches, adjusting the sails is crucial to prevent the ship from being swept away by the strong wind.

Some ships had specially designed storm sails, but the Kingdom of Naples’ merchant ships did not.

Therefore, the best option now was to furl all the sails and let the wind pass by.

However, the wind was too strong. The sailors struggled to climb the mast to furl the sails, but it wasn’t as easy as they thought.

“Quickly! Everyone hold on! Furl the sails quickly!”

“The ship is being swept away by the storm! We have to furl the sails quickly!”

The sailors kept slipping due to the heavy rain and wind, which made it difficult to stand. In this emergency, Tae-oh also clung on and helped.

However, the already violent storm raged even more fiercely, as if determined to tear the sails apart.

Thwack- Crack-

Ugh-

With the sound of a giant whip cracking, two sailors clinging to the sails were thrown into the cold sea once again.

Aaaagh-

Ack-

Desperate screams echoed, but even those were swallowed by the raging storm.

The ship began to shake uncontrollably.

Rumble- Crash-

Swoosh- Bang-

With a thunderous roar that felt like the world was turning upside down, a wave at least 20 meters high [approximately 65 feet] suddenly surged before their eyes.

Then, the ship seemed to tilt to one side and was sucked down endlessly.

Before the immense power of nature, the merchant ship was merely a small, insignificant leaf.

Screech-

The crest of the towering wave crashed down at a terrifying speed, as if to swallow the ship whole.

Thud- Crack-

“Ugh!”

“Kuaaagh-”

The sailors were swept away and scattered by the fierce seawater that crashed down like a waterfall from a cliff.

Crack- Crack-

Crash- Crash-

The sound of something on the ship breaking echoed as the wave hit the merchant ship.

“A-Another one… coming! A wave… another wave is coming!”

They were holding on tightly to various parts of the ship and struggling, but it was all in vain.

“Ugh… God- save me!”

“Ah- I don’t want to die! Waaah!”

“Aaaagh! Holy Mary! Please protect us!”

The sailors, sensing their impending death, gave up and cried out to God.

But one person was not giving up.

It was Tae-oh.

Tae-oh, who had been thrown below deck, barely managed to crawl back up and struggled to furl the sails.

The only way to survive was to reduce the sails’ area as much as possible.

That way, the ship could avoid facing the waves directly and prevent capsizing.

“Count! It’s dangerous! Come down! You have to hold onto the railing! A bigger wave is about to hit the ship! Give up and come down!”

Despite the captain’s urgent cries, Tae-oh continued to climb, ignoring him. He had to furl the sails to protect the ship from the strong wind.

“Huff- Huff- Huff-”

Crash- Crack-

Swoooooosh-

The fierce wind and rain brought by the typhoon relentlessly lashed at Tae-oh’s body.

“Huff- Huff- Huff-”

Was it because he was facing death?

The years he had lived since entering his 18th-century past life flashed by like a panorama.

‘No! I can’t die here in vain like this! I still have a lot to do! I have to live! I must survive!

The children at the school I have to take care of, the company employees, Joseon Trading [a trading company], Princess Maria… I must survive and protect them! Not yet… I have to live!’

Tae-oh struggled to catch his breath and desperately tried to furl the sails.

But it was an impossible weight for one person to handle.

His fingernails broke, and the back of his hands cracked, causing blood to flow, but the sails didn’t budge.

“Aaaaaah-”

He pulled up the sails with his last ounce of strength while being drenched in the pouring rain.

But then.

Crash- Crack-

Thud- Crack- Snap-

With a terrible sound like a large pillar breaking, the captain’s sharp shout struck Tae-oh’s ears.

“Count! It’s dangerous! No!”

The moment Tae-oh turned around, dazed.

One axis of the mast, which was over ten meters long, broke and hit Tae-oh’s head directly.

Thwack-

Crash- Bang- Crash-

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“Oh my!”

A nurse checking patients’ vitals in the intensive care unit screamed.

The head nurse, who was writing the situation log at the desk, ran over at the nurse’s scream.

“Ms. Park, what’s wrong?”

“This patient… this patient opened his eyes! He just opened his eyes!”

“Wh-what?”

The head nurse, after examining Tae-oh, urgently instructed.

“Call the doctor in charge quickly! Hurry!”

“Yes! Yes!”