Most of the taverns in Gotland have this structure: one to two-story low wooden houses with thatched roofs. There is a fire in the middle of the tavern, and guests sit around the fire to keep warm and drink. If a bard comes to visit
, you can also hear the sound of Qixuan Qin and epic poems.
Most of the time, even when there are bards, the guests talk about their own affairs. Unless - there is a major event in Gotland.
"I've been coming home late every day these days, and I pass by the port every time. Guess what I saw?" A blacksmith said mysteriously to his friends at the table, "'The Flying Zealander' is in
The port has been docked for seven days in a row!"
"Seven days? The King of Sweden has not gone to sea for so long?"
Everyone at the same table was surprised. Everyone in Gotland knew that the Flying Zealander, like the royal palace, was one of the residences of the King of Sweden. The King of Sweden would take the Flying Zealander at night every few days.
Go to sea, spend the night on the ship, and then return to port during the day. Although the motive for doing this is unknown, the Gotlanders speculated that it was to prevent assassination.
"More than that. Do you know why I have been home late these days? I received an order to make iron weapons and tools. There are many types and large quantities. And this order comes from the King of Sweden." The blacksmith
Said, "Not just me, the entire Gotland colleagues are now busy making iron weapons for the King of Sweden. Guess where these weapons are sent? It is on the 'Flying Zealander'!"
The guests at the surrounding tables were all attracted by the topic of the blacksmith. Someone asked from the side: "So there may be a war in the near future? Who is the King of Sweden planning to teach this time?"
"So, I also received an order from the King of Sweden." The carpenter at the next table interjected, "The wheels and axles were in large quantities, and they were all transported to the Flying Zealander."
A businessman turned his head from the front table. He was forcibly moved to Gotland from the island republic by Ella. He is currently engaged in aquatic products business: "My salted fish business has been like this these past few days, and the King of Sweden has not made any more purchases.
List. Salted fish is easy to preserve and can replenish salt. If we are going to fight, why don't we buy more? I heard that other goods that have nothing to do with the war have been loaded onto the ship. If you ask me, it doesn't look like a war is going to start.
"
"So, the King of Sweden is planning to go overseas for trade?" a foreigner wearing a black hat asked, "Where is she planning to go?"
"A month ago, I heard that England was at war. But it's over now. Now I don't know where the custom-made ironware is going to be sold." A sailor said, "I even heard that the King of Sweden passed the businessman in Lübeck.
I ordered a batch of ironware from Alemanni!"
"If you order ironware from Alemany and transport it to Lübeck, the sales direction will definitely not be to Alemanny in the south. But Sweden is already in the northernmost part of the continent. If you don't do business with Alemanny, the King of Sweden will
Where are you planning to transport this batch of iron tools?" The foreigner in the black hat lowered his voice and asked, "Could it be the legendary 'Vinlan'?"
The hotel owner coughed deliberately at the counter.
"Don't discuss Vinland," he said, "at least not here."
There was a burst of laughter in the hotel.
"Boss, what are you afraid of?" Someone shouted to the boss with a smile, "Vinland is no longer a secret. But so what? If you know where Wenlan is, can you still fly there?"
"This foreign guy, are you interested in Vinland?" Another person smiled and said to the foreigner in black hat, "Why, do you want to go there and have a look?"
"I heard that it is a new continent that has never been discovered. Isn't it normal to want to go there and have a look?" The foreigner touched his head and smiled, "In the new continent, there may be new business opportunities and a lot of money can be made.
"
"Give up, I don't even have a chance to go to Vinland!" said the sailor, "Vinland is too far away from here. To go there, we must replenish fresh water and food in Iceland and Greenland. Those places are now occupied by heroes.
The king's army is tightly guarded and does not accept foreign fleets at all. Without these two transit stations, you will starve to death on the ocean!"
"Is there no other route?"
"No, no, just give up!"
"Okay, don't talk about Wenlan anymore." The boss warned again, "If we talk about it again, I will kick people out."
So the topic came to an end for the time being, and people started drinking happily again.
After a while, a man pushed open the door and walked in. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted loudly: "Quick, I'm so thirsty. Boss, give me a free glass of water right away!"
"Your water." A beautiful female waiter put a glass of water on the table, and then asked with a smile: "Guest, what are you going to eat?"
"No need for anything." The man waved his hand carelessly, "I lost my wallet and I have no money today!"
Under normal circumstances, when seeing such a shameless guest, the boss would probably immediately change his face and drive him away. But for this guest, the pub just gave out a burst of good-natured laughter. The boss wiped the quilt and said with a smile:
"Dust, since you didn't bring any money, why don't you prepare a story?"
"Stories? Yes, as many as you want!"
So the boss waved his hand and motioned for the waiter to put a large glass of mead on Dast's table. Although Dast couldn't talk about the lyre, his adventure stories were very popular and could add a lot of noise to the tavern.
Dast was not polite, picked up the mead and poured it into his stomach.
Someone asked from the side: "Dust, the 'Flying Zealander' has been docked at the port recently to load cargo. Do you know what it is doing?"
"To Vinland of course!" Dast wiped his mouth, "Slay a dragon on the way!"
Everyone in the tavern pricked up their ears: "Dragon slaying?"
Dast deliberately tried to show off and knocked the empty wine glass on the table: "Why did this wine disappear so quickly? You didn't drink it at all!"
"Boss, give him another drink!" The fish merchant waved his hand, "Charge it to my account!"
After two glasses of wine, Dast started talking more.
"If you ask me, the King of Heroes is still too timid and chose the safest channel. If you want to take risks, you still have to look at the King of Sweden!"
"Are there other channels?"
The foreigner in the black hat lowered his head and asked questions among the crowd.
"Of course there is, there is another route, but it is very dangerous! In addition to dragons, there are also spiny rays, sea worms, many-legged monsters, sword-beaked whales, and terrifying maelstroms!"
"It sounds a bit scary. Why would the King of Sweden take such a route?"
"When I tell you in detail, it's much scarier than it sounds to you." Dast said mysteriously, "But the dragon always protects the gold, doesn't it?"
