People crowded around the temporary shipyard by the Redwater River.

Everyone knew that a strange vessel was being built inside the wooden shed, its hull resembling a giant bathtub made of gray cement—a substance that, once hardened, was no different from stone. Throwing it into the water would only produce a splash, leaving no trace.

The craftsmen working there had given it a fitting name: Bathtub Boat.

Today was the day the first two prototypes would be launched.

The onlookers could be roughly divided into two categories. One group consisted of new residents of Border Town, who were curious or incredulous about the news. They came to see the novelty with skepticism, including fishermen and sailors from the Eastern and Southern Territories. The other group was made up of local residents, who were already accustomed to the miracles created by His Highness. Having heard about the previous "Town," they braved the light snow to gather and witness their revered Prince Roland.

Kakuximu belonged to the former.

When His Highness posted the announcement and new recruitment order on the notice board in the square, he declared he had to see it for himself. Weide had no choice but to ask Carter for leave and accompany him. He was unfamiliar with the place, and the heavy snow made him worry about the old man venturing alone into the crowded area, where a fall could cause irreparable harm.

"You underestimate me, boy," the old man waved, indicating that he didn't need Weide by his side. "I've weathered many storms. Although I'm old, my body is not much worse than yours."

"Yes, yes," Weide said dismissively. "Anyway, I've already taken leave. It's too late to say anything. I just don't understand why you insist on seeing this thing launched. Isn't it just a boat?"

"But you said it's made of gray stone," Kakuximu shook his head. "Do stones the size of bathtubs float on water these days?"

It was his own fault for being so talkative, Weide thought, recalling how he had mentioned the announcement in the square during a casual conversation. "Perhaps His Highness was exaggerating. Maybe a wooden boat has some parts made of that cement stuff?"

"That's even more impossible," the old man insisted. "Think about it, when was this wooden shed built?"

"It seems like... a little over a month ago."

"Exactly, earlier than when you were recruited as a policeman. When we moved into the inner city of the town, this was still an empty space!" His beard trembled. "It took a month to build the shed. Doesn't that mean His Highness only took half a month to build the first boat?"

"Uh, what's wrong with that?" Weide asked, puzzled.

"Of course there's something wrong!" Kakuximu exclaimed. "In the name of the Sea God! I've never seen a boat that can be built in just half a month. It has nothing to do with size—even for a sailboat, processing the ribs alone takes more than a month. It needs to wait for the wood to dry completely before being steam-bent. The process is extremely troublesome and cannot be completed in a short time."

Weide asked in surprise, "How are you so... familiar with shipbuilding?"

"I used to be a captain, boy," the old man exhaled white air. "In my youth, I often carried large quantities of goods, traveling between Seawind Territory and Azurewater Port, and even visited the Kingdom of Dawn and the Fjord Islands. Later, due to some events... I ended up in this state."

"You've never told me any of this before." He widened his eyes.

"You've never asked, boy." Kakuximu shrugged.

"Alright," Weide shifted his gaze to the shipyard. "So, what you're really curious about is His Highness's technology to build a sailboat in half a month."

"No captain wouldn't be curious," he stroked his beard. "If His Highness isn't lying, do you know what this means? In just a year or two, he could fill all the rivers in Graycastle with his fleet."

Weide's heart stirred. "Are you planning to..."

The old man smiled. "I can't keep eating your porridge for free."

"Prince Roland certainly wouldn't lie," someone suddenly said beside them. "And it's not a sailboat either."

Weide turned around. The speaker was a young man with a Western Territory accent. "Not a sailboat?"

"That's right. It doesn't need sails to navigate, and it's faster than any sailboat." The young man said smugly, "Have you seen the steam engines in the mines that emit white mist? The ones that easily drag a basket of ore out of the mine. These cement boats use that as power. According to His Highness, they're all steamboats!"

"Sailing without sails?" Kakuximu questioned. "Young man, what are you talking about? If a boat doesn't have sails, it can only be rowed by oarsmen. That speed can't possibly match other sailboats. Besides, they haven't been launched yet. You haven't even seen them, so how do you know they can move?"

"Of course I've seen them," the young man grinned. "You guys are newcomers from out of town, so it's normal not to know. Back in the summer, I modified a steamboat for a merchant caravan across the strait. But that boat was still made of wood, not as durable as these stone boats."

Before Weide could say anything, the young man's eyes suddenly lit up, pointing towards the shipyard. "Look over there, Prince Roland is coming out!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd as everyone raised their hands to greet their lord.

Prince Roland stepped onto the temporary wooden platform by the shipyard. After a few brief words of congratulations, he announced the launch of the new ships.

Amidst the rhythmic shouts, the workers dismantled the side of the wooden shed facing the Redwater River. A forty-meter-long gray hull slid down the snowy embankment and plunged into the icy river.

Weide's heart skipped a beat. He almost thought the thing would sink straight to the bottom, but to his surprise, as the rest of it entered the water, the bow popped up, splashing a large spray of water.

The crowd erupted in another round of enthusiastic applause.

"Heavens, it really floats," Kakuximu muttered after a moment of stunned silence. "But is it really made of stone?"

Weide had the same question. The surface of the Bathtub Boat looked too smooth, like finely polished granite slabs. Yet, there were no signs of assembly anywhere. The entire hull was seamless. The un-decked hold was shallow, making it impossible for people to sleep, and the bottom was completely flat, making it impossible to secure a mast. Just as everyone said, it was indeed a bathtub.

But regardless, His Highness had indeed built the boat in half a month.

He looked at Kakuximu and noticed a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"I want to apply for the position of captain," the old man said.