Chapter 495: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, - 7: Recruitment
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Two high-footed wine glasses were placed in front of the captain’s cabin’s forward-looking arched table, their crystal-clear bodies shimmering under the light mist rising from the sea and the clouds, reflecting vibrantly. The base made of oak barrel was quite tall, and the front end had a movable support, which evidently was designed specially for pouring wine. The dark brown barrel must have been of considerable age, and the metal crest on the side with a spread-winged double-headed eagle was barely discernible.
The golden liquid swiftly filled the glasses along their walls, with the fragrant smell of juniper, lemon peel, and cinnamon diffusing through the released vapors, enveloping the entire captain’s cabin in an intoxicating atmosphere.
"Care for a drink? I don’t have honey wine from home here. Drinking honey wine at sea is looked down upon, except by ladies. Although I also love the honey wine from home, I can’t break with convention," the bearded captain said, lifting his glass and handing it over.
Taking the glass, Komer nodded and brought his nose close to it, gently sniffing. This gin from the North isn’t very popular in the South, but for sailors who spend years at sea, it’s a rare fine drink.
The strong spirit and aromatic fragrance could very well alleviate the sailors’ dreary and dull moods. In addition, gin, ranging from expensive to cheap and available in various kinds, fits all levels of consumption, which is also the main reason for the sailors’ fondness for it.
Komer wasn’t very partial to drinking, but the memories of the lavish Cyprian lifestyle almost entirely involved lingering in bars and taverns, places of right and wrong. Wine, an indispensable part of the noble life, had been deeply ingrained in the joyous days of Komer’s memory.
As his tongue barely touched the liquid, memories of bygone days seemed to flood back into his mind. Komer’s face revealed a complex expression, "Old Tom of Jinlus?"