The guide called everyone together. "Hello everyone, thank you for choosing 'Viking House.' Please board our 'Vasa'!"
"This is the largest and most luxurious magic ship in Europe. I guarantee there is no other like it! We will dive into the sea and head straight to the port of Stockholm."
"Choose 'Viking House,' choose 'Vasa,' and even if we encounter a sea monster at the bottom of the ocean, it will only result in a sumptuous dinner!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Vasa's hatch opened wide, and several rows of wooden ladders appeared simultaneously, magically propelled down to the dock.
After the wooden ladders reached the ground, the cabin door immediately rolled out a red carpet that extended all the way behind the guide.
The guide stepped aside and adopted impeccable invitational etiquette. "Now, please board the ship!"
As everyone walked the red carpet aboard the Vasa, they discovered that the interior was equally magnificent, filled with countless exquisite statues.
These statues, also adorned with large areas of gold paint and vibrant colors, shimmered under the torchlight.
Once Vizette knew that the large ship was the Vasa, and saw the magnificent golden cabins, he felt that everything was as expected.
After deciding to travel by magic ship, he also browsed many books about ships and marine life in a Muggle bookstore.
The Vasa was a very prestigious ship. In 17th-century Europe, it was one of the most advanced warships of its time, comparable to the Titanic in the 20th century.
The experiences of the two large ships were surprisingly similar, with the Vasa performing even worse.
The warship, on which the Swedish Vasa dynasty placed high hopes, sank after only ten minutes on its maiden voyage due to its high center of gravity.
The Vasa remained submerged for over three hundred years until it was salvaged in the mid-20th century.
The guide was the last to board the ship, waving his wand and casting various spells to seal the cabin door tightly before returning to the back of the group.
He overheard Vizette's whisper to Luna and chuckled. "I really didn't expect to run into someone knowledgeable! But you're wrong about one thing."
"After the war ended, the commotion was so great that many people in the Muggle government at the time discovered that wizards were real."
"So they partnered with us to salvage the ship. And all they wanted was a model for exhibition; the real Vasa was left to us."
Vizette was somewhat surprised. "So... this was salvaged by a wizard?"
The guide nodded. "After all, it will cost them a lot of money to bring this ship back to life."
"Those Muggles think it's better for us to make a fake one to appease them than to actually do a repair. They'd rather use the money for something more 'useful,' which would be a win-win situation!"
"I've learned something new with such a bizarre past!" Vizette exclaimed. "But is this really alright? Aren't there Statute of Secrecy...?"
"That was in England, where the Statute of Secrecy is more binding," the guide replied. "After all, the whole world was at war back then, but the English magical world was the only one unaffected."
Knowing that history, Vizette nodded and said, "That's because of Headmaster Dumbledore's protection."
"Protection isn't always a good thing," the guide chuckled. "Look at the number of your pure-blood families; you probably have the most and the most intact ones in all of Europe, tsk tsk tsk..."
"Of course! Dumbledore's greatness needs no further explanation. Without disrupting the existing order, England has developed quite well! And the magical heritage remains intact!"
"It would be better if there were fewer pure-blood families. They always demand so much when they seek benefits from us, even though their coffers are almost overflowing. They're so greedy!"
"Oh, you two kids probably wouldn't understand... I really didn't expect this! I actually talked to the kids about this... Maybe it's because I like you more?"
After saying that, he shook his head and quickly ran to the front to lead the way. "Ladies and gentlemen, the next part is free time!"
"Our restaurant is on the middle floor, and its size rivals that of the Great Hall at Hogwarts! We serve food all day long, so please come and enjoy it!"
"Please remember 'Viking House'! It will bring you the most comfortable, enjoyable, and unforgettable trip ever!"
...
The interior of the Vasa underwent a complete renovation, almost to the standards of a hotel.
After descending the spiral staircase and parting ways with Anthony and his group, Vizette and his party searched the magnificent corridors before finally finding their respective guest rooms.
The house not only had a spacious living room, but also three separate bedrooms and an open-plan study, with walls that were also gleaming gold and adorned with torches.
At the far end of the living room was a converted louvered window, from which you could see the blue sky and sea outside.
The Vasa's massive hull moved slowly, like a hot knife cutting through butter, breaking the tranquility of the sea.
The surrounding seawater churned and danced around the ship's hull as the Vasa cut through the waves, creating layers of white foam that grew increasingly dense, spreading out into a wide carpet of spray at the stern.
As the large ship sailed away from the harbor, it continued to submerge, and you could see the splashing water droplets tumbling in the air, refracting the sunlight into a dazzling array of colors.
As the Vasa submerged completely, the cabins were plunged into a brief period of darkness.
The moment the torches burst into flame, the ship also emitted a faint blue hue, like a ghost ship sailing on the seabed.
This layer of blue light contained at least a spell that made it impervious to water and fire, as if coating the ship's hull with a thin film to prevent it from being corroded by seawater.
The bluish light spread far and wide, illuminating the rugged, undulating underwater mountains, where black, chimney-like rocks were hidden, constantly spewing out scorching liquid.
Around the scorching liquid lived swarms of tube worms, which reflected a similar eerie glow under the blue light.
Luna's bright eyes reflected the magnificent ocean world outside the window.
She stretched out her slender fingers and tapped on the window repeatedly, looking as if she was overwhelmed by the sights.
Vizette stood to the side, recalling knowledge from Muggle books, and introduced the unfamiliar sea creatures to her.
"Vizette, look! That's a sea serpent!" Luna grabbed Vizette's clothes and shook them gently twice, her head already raised high, trying hard to see the enormous creature at the top.
The sea serpent Luna mentioned is a magical creature that can easily grow to thirty meters long, with the head of a horse and the body of a snake.
Although it looks intimidating, it is a gentle and magical animal that not only swims in the deep sea but also leaps out of the water to bask in the sun.
Muggles once witnessed a sea serpent basking in the sun, and based on its ferocious appearance, they characterized it as a brutal sea monster, creating many related folk tales.
The sea serpent seemed to have spotted Luna, and actually brought its head closer, tilting its head and snorting, creating a series of bubbles.
Luna showed no fear whatsoever, displaying a warm, sunny smile as she waved and greeted the sea serpent repeatedly...