SGB Chapter 16

Chapter 16 The Royal Navy’s Assessment System

Today’s weather was noticeably worse than yesterday’s. The sky was foggy, and an annoying drizzle was falling on the streets, permeating the air with a bone-chilling dampness.

In the past, Arthur would have cursed the heavens before leaving the house.

But now, he doesn’t care, not at all.

Well, at least that’s what he says.

In a nondescript tavern in East London, the all-night revelry has just ended.

The waitstaff haven’t even had a chance to clean the tables of the beer stains and grease when two new customers occupy a wobbly table missing half a leg.

One of the customers is a quirky young man with a pipe in his mouth, wearing a sailor’s cap, lantern pants, and heavy boots.

As for the other one, he’s even stranger.

The other customer is holding an unopened bottle of wine in his left hand and a nearly new pipe in his right. He has a lively, mottled rabbit tied to his shoulder with a piece of twine, and a pack of freshly bought playing cards in his pocket.

He stares intently at the waitress until her face flushes with heat before politely asking, “Miss, can I marry you?”

The quirky young man finally loses his patience and swears.

“Arthur! What the hell are you doing? You look less like a rogue and more like a fool! Damn it, your handsome face is wasted! Have you forgotten how I just taught you? Step aside, let me show you.”

With that, the quirky young man walks up to the waitress to demonstrate.

His mocking gaze flits between her chest and face as he lifts her chin with his fingertip and says in a flirtatious tone, “Hey there, interested in some fun?”

“Go play with your mother, you bastard!”

A loud slap echoes.

A clear handprint appears on Elder’s left cheek.

The waitress, hands on hips, points a finger at Elder’s nose and scolds, “You picked the wrong person to mess with! Haven’t you heard the name of ‘Pepper Penny’ from the local drunks?”

Elder, clutching his cheek, squats down in pain.

“Damn! How can a woman hit so hard?”

Arthur glances at the waitress’s tray laden with full pints of beer and shrugs innocently.

“I think someone who can carry twelve pints of beer in one hand, even if she’s a petite lady, would be pretty strong.”

“Shut up, Arthur!”

“You don’t seem much better than me. At least I didn’t get hit.”

“I was giving you a demonstration!”

“A wrong demonstration?”

Arthur’s retort nearly leaves Elder breathless.

After a long pause, Elder finally speaks. “Arthur.”

“Yes?”

“You should have gone to study history.”

Arthur appreciates this remark, nodding. “I think so too.”

“If you had studied classical literature, you would have become a great writer. Shelley? Byron? They’re not fit to hold your candle. You’re the real master of satirical literature.”

“Elder, you’re too kind,” Arthur says modestly. “I usually think I’m just their equal, not surpassing them by much.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. But only if you were serious about what you said earlier.”

Elder raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I give up. Let’s sit down and eat. You dragged me out in the rain so early, surely not just to banter?”

“No, I wanted to ask about your plans. Before we set sail, is there really nothing I need to do?”

Elder leans back in his chair, propping one leg on the table and nearly knocking over the oil lamp.

“Not exactly. Although the Royal Navy is lax during breaks, since it’s your first time on board, you’ll probably have some basic training.

For example, they’ll teach you how to use a sextant to find your way, what winds blow in which seas during different seasons, and give you a basic understanding of the ship’s structure. Things like that.

(sextant, instrument for determining the angle between the horizon and a celestial body such as the Sun, the Moon, or a star, used in celestial navigation to determine latitude and longitude)

But it doesn’t matter much because most of the work on board is handled by the sailors and officers. You just need to avoid being too bad at it.

Because after you learn, the Admiralty might give you a few simple tests.

If you fail, then you’ll be in trouble.”

Arthur orders a bowl of mashed potatoes and asks while eating, “This sounds quite formal. Why does it differ from what you described before? Didn’t you say the Royal Navy is corrupt, full of nepotism, and rigid in its management?”

Elder rolls his eyes. “Unfortunately, Arthur, even though the Royal Navy is a mess, I have to admit it does have some merits.”

“Such as?”

“For instance, the officer selection system.”

“Didn’t you say most of those selected are through connections? Oh, right, I almost forgot, your uncle is a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy.

So why don’t you get an officer position? Lieutenant Elder, doesn’t that sound cool?”

Elder grabs Arthur’s bottle of wine, forces out the cork with his hand, and takes a swig.

“Cool, my ass! What’s cool about a naval lieutenant? It’s the lowest officer rank in the Navy.”

Arthur jokes, “It’s cooler than Sergeant Arthur, isn’t it?”

“True.” Elder laughs heartily. “But you’re no longer Sergeant Arthur, you’re Naturalist Arthur now.”

“You still haven’t told me why you didn’t become an officer.”

“Because I was too old. If I were serious about joining the Navy, I should have gone to naval school at twelve. After a year of training, I would spend six years on a ship as a cadet. During those six years, I’d have to do all kinds of work. Arthur, does that sound like a life anyone would want?”

Arthur thinks and replies, “It does sound tough. But if becoming an officer is the reward, it’s worth the hardship.”

“Oh, Arthur, what are you thinking? After those six years, you don’t necessarily become a naval officer. Some people don’t even make it to acting sub-lieutenant after six years.

And the key point is, all cadets must return to the Admiralty for an exam after six years of apprenticeship. Only those who pass can become official naval officers. Those who fail have to switch to merchant ships.

The pass rate for that exam is ridiculously low. Without some influence, even a little, don’t even think about passing.”

Arthur asks, “If that’s the case, why do you consider this an advantage of the Royal Navy?”

Elder takes another swig, already having drunk half of Arthur’s wine.

“Although you need connections to pass the exam, you still need some ability. Plus, those who pass have spent six years on a ship, which is far better than those pampered onshore.”

Arthur remains skeptical. “Isn’t there anyone whose connections are strong enough to skip the exam?”

Elder shakes his head earnestly. “That’s one of the few merits of the Royal Navy. Do you know Prince William? He’s the King’s son, but even he had to work on a ship for six years and pass the exam to get his commission. The Admiralty is usually as rigid as a medieval relic, but I respect them for this.”

“Why didn’t you attend naval school then? Wasn’t your uncle a Rear Admiral?”

Elder rolls his eyes. “How was I supposed to know he’d become a Rear Admiral? When I was twelve, he was just a Captain. If I had known he’d rise so fast, I wouldn’t have been so stubborn back then.”

(End of Chapter)

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