Although Princess Jade Hayes's fleet had left the sewage zone, the outer hull of the ships was still contaminated. Even in a different area, the stench lingered.
As soon as dawn broke, Simon Yu immediately began organizing people to scrub the ship's exterior and wash away the foul-smelling filth.
"Hold on, there's no rush," Princess Jade Hayes walked onto the deck and stopped everyone.
Simon Yu pinched her nose. "Your Majesty, the smell is unbearable. Let's clean it up quickly!"
"It's not urgent right now." Princess Jade Hayes waved her hand. "Send a small boat to the dock and bring His Majesty aboard."
"Huh? The dock!? That place is still full of sewage—it hasn't cleared up yet!" Simon Yu stuck out her tongue and made a disgusted face.
Martin Wu rolled her eyes nearby. "If Her Majesty tells you to go, just do it. Stop whining!"
Simon Yu glared at Martin Wu, grumbled twice, but still followed Princess Jade Hayes's instructions.
Simon Yu had the small boat lowered and sent two people to row to the dock—one stayed on the boat, and the other waited at the city gate to intercept Prince Alexander Hayes.
At this moment, Prince Alexander Hayes had already set out from the military camp, bringing Sean Hayes and a squad of trusted guards, heading to Anchester to meet Princess Jade Hayes.
The group rode on horseback, moving swiftly. Not long after sunrise, they reached the gates of Anchester, only to be stopped by Princess Jade Hayes's attendants before they could enter.
"Your Majesty, by order of Her Majesty, I'm here to await your arrival and escort you to join her and the others," said the attendant sent by Princess Jade Hayes.
Prince Alexander Hayes exchanged glances with Sean Hayes, then asked, "Shouldn't Her Majesty already be inside Anchester by now?"
The attendant shook his head. "No, Her Majesty entered the city yesterday but came out again. Now everyone is aboard the ships. Please follow me, Your Majesty."
Prince Alexander Hayes was puzzled, unable to understand why Princess Jade Hayes had deviated from the original plan, but he still followed the guide to the dock.
"Oh my, what a horrible stench!" As soon as they arrived at the dock, Sean Hayes smelled the foul odor and quickly pinched her nose.
The guide said, "General Sean Hayes, this is nothing. Last night, the stench was so bad that no one could stand it. Look, Your Majesty, there's our little boat to pick you up."
Prince Alexander Hayes braved the stench and, along with Sean Hayes and several attendants, boarded the small boat.
Only after boarding did they realize how overpowering the smell was—some couldn't help but throw up.
The small boat sailed toward the center of the river for a while before finally leaving the sewage zone, and everyone let out a sigh of relief.
Soon, Prince Alexander Hayes spotted Princess Jade Hayes's fleet anchored at the center of the river. His sharp eyes immediately noticed the stains of sewage on the hulls, and the foul smell still lingered.
"Why are there sewage stains on the hull?" Prince Alexander Hayes asked.
The guide answered truthfully, "Originally, Her Majesty's fleet was docked at the pier, but last night someone dumped hundreds of barrels of sewage at the dock, turning it into what you saw earlier. The fleet couldn't stand the stench and moved to the center of the river, but there was so much sewage that the hulls were contaminated and haven't been cleaned yet."
Prince Alexander Hayes was already overwhelmed by the stench. Hearing this, he recalled that Princess Jade Hayes and Charles Hayes had been driven off by the foul odor yesterday. His anger surged. "Who did this? Such audacity—to dump sewage on the Queen and Prince's fleet!"