xymnovel Chapter 115 The Stranger at the Dockside Hotel
Chapter 115 The Stranger at the Dockside Hotel
Port of Piraeus.
The carriage came to an abrupt stop at the entrance to the dock, its wheels screeching as they scraped against the stone pavement.
Alexandros jumped off the carriage, not even glancing at the terrified coachman, and headed straight for the port.
A strong odor, a mixture of the salty smell of seawater, the stench of rotting fish and shrimp, and the cheap smell of cigars and tobacco, hit him, causing him to frown.
The sailors shouted curses in various languages, the crane winches creaked with a tooth-grinding sound, and the steamship's whistle blared so loudly it hurt one's eardrums.
The entire port was a huge, chaotic, and bustling construction site.
In such a crowd and noise, finding someone whose appearance is unclear is like finding a needle in a haystack.
But Alexandros showed no sign of panic.
He is the Crown Prince's blade, and His Highness's will is the direction of the blade.
His mind raced, and he immediately devised a plan of action.
"Athena's Glory!"
He grabbed a dockworker who was hurrying past carrying a sack, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.
The worker, intimidated by his imposing presence, stopped in his tracks: "Sir, what did you say?"
"Which berth is the 'Athena Glory' ship bound for New York at?"
The foreman pointed with his dark, grimy finger toward the farthest dock: "Berth number seven, the easternmost one, the one flying the blue and white flag. But sir, you'd better hurry, that ship is about to set sail."
Alexandros thanked him and strode towards berth number seven.
He didn't go directly to the ship to find the people; that would have been the most foolish thing to do.
His target was the cheap hotels around the docks that catered to travelers staying overnight.
A person who is destitute and has to sell all his possessions to buy a boat ticket could not possibly afford to stay in a luxury hotel in Athens.
His only place to stay is in these mixed-race dockside hotels.
Alexandros entered the first hotel, and the damp, musty smell made him almost nauseous.
"Boss, is there a young man named Nicholas staying at the hotel? In his twenties, studying physics."
The portly shop owner, who had been dozing behind the counter, opened his eyes and waved his hand impatiently: "No! I don't know him! Next!"
Alexandros turned and left without wasting a second.
The second one, the third one...
I asked five or six hotels in a row, and all of them gave me a negative answer.
The clock on the wall showed the hour hand pointing to 2:30.
There are only 30 minutes left before the ship departs at 3 o'clock.
A fine layer of sweat appeared on Alexandros's forehead, but he remained calm.
He entered the sixth hotel, which was more dilapidated than any of the previous ones, with a crooked wooden sign that looked as if it might fall down at any moment.
Looking for someone?
The hotel owner, a thin middle-aged man, was wiping a wine glass with a dirty rag. Without looking up, he asked...
"Yes, a young man named Nicholas, a scholar," Alexandros said calmly.
"A scholar?" The shopkeeper stopped what he was doing, looked up, and sized him up with a strange look. "You're here to see that madman?"
Alexandros's heart skipped a beat!
He asked calmly, "How so?"
"What else can I say!" The boss seemed to have found someone to confide in, slammed the rag down on the bar counter, and began to pour out his grievances.
"That guy who lives on the third floor, around the corner! Last night, he was fiddling with some weird stuff in his room, and the whole hallway smelled burnt! He even short-circuited my wiring! He almost set my hotel on fire!"
The boss got angrier and angrier as he spoke, spitting as he spoke.
"Thank God, this plague is leaving this afternoon! If he had stayed another day, I would have thrown him and all that junk into the sea!"
Alexandros stared intently into his boss's eyes: "Where is he going?"
"Where else can he go? To the New World to indulge his crazy dreams! The ship leaves at 3 PM for New York!"
Everything matches perfectly!
it's him!
Alexandros felt his blood start to flow faster throughout his body.
He took a silver coin out of his pocket and placed it on the bar.
Under the boss's surprised gaze, he rushed quickly towards the hotel's narrow, steep staircase.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
His military boots clattered dully on the old wooden stairs.
The hallway was dimly lit, and there was indeed a faint smell of ozone from burning electrical sparks in the air.
He walked quickly to the end of the third floor and found the door.
The door panel was worn and had several scratches from hard objects.
He straightened his collar to calm his rapid breathing.
Then, he raised his hand and knocked rhythmically on the door.
"Thump, thump-thump".
There was no response from inside.
Alexandros frowned and knocked again, this time with more force.
After a long while, a series of dragging footsteps and impatient mutterings came from inside the door.
"Who is it! Didn't I say I'd clean up later!"
"Squeak—"
The door was opened a crack.
A face peeked out from under the door.
He was a man around thirty years old, with messy hair like a bird's nest, deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and an extremely thin appearance.
He was wearing an ill-fitting old suit with oil stains on the collar.
Any normal person who sees him would immediately think he's a homeless person or a drug addict.
But Alexandros's attention was completely drawn to his eyes.
What kind of eyes were those!
In the dimly lit stairwell, those eyes shone with an astonishing light, as if an imperceptible current was surging within them, filled with curiosity about the world, a kind of obsession, and a wisdom that transcended ordinary people.
Nicholas Dimitrios.
Alexandros confirmed it in an instant.
"Who are you?" Dimitrios looked warily at the well-dressed, distinguished stranger before him. "Did the boss send you to collect the rent? I told you, once I get to the New World and secure the investment, I'll pay him double!"
His voice was hoarse, carrying the fatigue of long-term sleep deprivation, but he spoke very quickly and his thinking was clear.
Alexandre de Roth did not answer his question.
He took a step back, straightened his body in the narrow stairwell, and gave an impeccable military salute to the disheveled "madman" in front of him.
His movements were precise, and his expression was solemn.
Dimitrios was taken aback by his sudden action, and his wariness deepened.
"Mr. Dimitrios."
Alexandros spoke, his voice clear and solemn, each word carrying an undeniable force.
"By order of His Highness Crown Prince Constantine, we invite you to the palace for a discussion."