HoG - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Revealing Talent

 

 

Byron, having just been inducted into the 'Maneater,' was oblivious to his new alias, 'Son of the Demon,' and the 5,000-pound bounty on his head!

 

All he witnessed was the pandemonium that ensued after the lookout rang the alarm bell. The first mate, 'Bone Crusher' Miles, reported with barely concealed panic:

 

"Captain, the sharks didn't give us an early warning, and by the time we spotted the cruiser, it was already too close to evade! And the Force 6 wind from the northeast arrived too swiftly; we must reef the sails or even take them in."

 

Near the waterline of the pirate ship, it was evident that numerous black shark fins were still circling, oblivious to the cruiser's approach. These man-eating sharks, raised by 'Blood Eye' Salman, were not mere pets but invaluable assistants and guards for the pirate ship. With a sense of smell 32 times more acute than that of a hunting dog, enhanced by supernatural power, they could detect a single drop of blood from 5 kilometers away. They served as excellent scouts.

 

However, the fault lay with 'Blood Eye' Salman, who had recalled all the sharks he had released during the blood sacrifice with the crew of the 'Pelican.' Before these man-eaters could resume their posts, the 'Severe' used the fog to close in, breaching the safe distance for both sides to avoid each other.

 

The pirates were acutely aware of the disparity in hard power between a pirate ship and a warship, more so than the eager navies. Moreover, the captain of a fifth-rate ship, regardless of their supernatural sequence, would at least possess a second-tier 'Profession' rank, giving them no advantage in the supernatural realm either.

 

'Blood Eye' Salman finally ceased his feasting, and his usually slitted eyes widened, shooting out a bloody light as he surveyed the ship. This sent a shiver down the spine of every pirate, including Byron. Then he issued orders decisively:

 

"I'll take the helm myself. Order: Furl the topgallant and royal sails, reef the topsails by 50%, jettison unnecessary supplies to lighten the ship and increase speed—do whatever it takes to shake them off!"

 

On a fully rigged galleon, each foremast or mainmast typically carries four square sails: the course, topsail, topgallant, and royal sails. Controlling just one square sail requires nine types of rigging: halyards, sheets, braces, leech lines, buntlines, outhauls, and three sets of reefing lines for the foot, bottom, and sides. A sailing warship usually has 11 square sails, necessitating these riggings to be repeated 11 times, totaling at least 99 riggings, with larger warships having even more of each type.

 

As the sole source of power for a sailing ship, the complex rigging requires constant fine-tuning to achieve high speeds and must be ready to adapt to sudden changes in wind direction at sea. Damage to the rigging and a significant loss of speed could spell disaster in the vast, desolate ocean.

 

"Aye, aye!"

 

The bosun immediately commanded the sailors to tighten the reefing lines on the winches, taking in the topgallant and royal sails at the first opportunity. Simultaneously, he directed the bravest sailors to scale the towering, thick masts along the net-like lateral rigging amidst the turbulent waves. Using reef points, they reduced the area of the "topsail" by 50% in one go.

 

Allowing the sails to fully catch the wind could cause the square sails to repeatedly "bow" the warship into the sea. Such a mishap would lead to a ludicrous demise for the pirates on board. In this Force 6 gale, maintaining high speed while preventing the sails from being shredded by the sea wind was a severe test of the bosun's and sailors' skills, not something all sailing ships could easily accomplish.

 

At the same time, the boatswain rushed to the hatch and bellowed the captain's orders to the sailors below:

 

"The captain orders the jettisoning of supplies! Hurry!"

 

Plop! Plop! Blankets, cloth, ironware, barrels of wine, pots—all plundered from the 'Pelican'—were consecutively thrown into the sea. The pursuing warship showed no sign of slowing down to salvage the spoils. Clearly, they were not interested in these trifles; their sights were set on the big fish aboard the pirate ship!

 

As time passed, the pirates exhausted all their tricks, yet the distance between the two ships continued to narrow. It was only a matter of time before they were caught.

 

The pirates of the 'Maneater' brandished their scimitars, short swords, boarding axes, and various firearms, taking up their battle positions with shouts. Every pirate knew that without a privateering license from the Hastings Kingdom, capture meant only one fate: hanging from the gallows.

 

Byron watched as the cruiser approaching from the northeast became clearer, and the malice he sensed with his 'Spirituality' intensified. He muttered to himself:

 

"One is a soldier, the other a thief; it's only natural for you to fight to the death! But the premise is... I'm not on this ship."

 

If the circumstances were any different—a different weather pattern, wind direction, or relative positioning—the pirate ship might have stood a chance of escape, leveraging its natural agility. However, under the current conditions of a shared tailwind, they were squarely within the domain of a cruiser, a type of medium-sized warship. Even 'Blood Eye' Salman, an extraordinary being of an unknown sequence, was at a loss.

 

Yet, Byron held a lifeline in his grasp—his 'Talent: Weather Intuition,' which foretold a shift in the weather. The escalating wind was their sole chance at survival, provided the 'Maneater' could endure for three hours.

 

Sailors at sea were bound by fate, united by their vessel, with no option to retreat into the crowd. Defeat for the collective meant doom for all. In the storm five days prior, Byron had been powerless against the crisis that struck him in his dream. This time, he was determined to control his destiny.

 

He glanced at the calluses on his palms, a testament to years of sword practice since childhood. Then, he swiftly moved through the shouting pirates toward the pile of spoils from the 'Pelican' at the center of the deck. Among the swords and sabers, he spotted a longsword that stood apart from the sailors' scimitars. It was an elegant, sheathed longsword, emanating a deadly aura.

 

The longsword, also known as a hand-and-a-half sword, combined the convenience of a broad sword, the thrusting of a knight's sword, and the chopping power of a two-handed sword. It was hailed as the most perfect sword of the cold weapon era, favored by knights in warfare.

 

'Echoes of History' activated, revealing the sword's past:

 

"The hand-and-a-half sword is 120 cm long, weighs 1.98 kg, and has a double-grip hilt with a brass pommel. Its previous owner was Captain Jody Gordon of the 'Pelican,' a first-tier 'Page' level 'Chastisement Knight' from the Court of Inquisition sequence. He perished due to betrayal by his crew and an attack by the marines from the 'Maneater.' This is a high-quality weapon, just shy of reaching 'Curio' status, with its own name and 'Judgment Inscription.'"

 

Byron's eyes darkened as he read the sword's history:

 

"Captain Jody Gordon of the 'Pelican' was the one who ordered me to be rescued from the sea, effectively saving my life. Though a vassal's vassal is not my vassal, Lord Crawford died for the Lancasters, and you died protecting Lord Crawford's property. I will carry your grudges in the name of Lancaster and exact vengeance in blood!"

 

Suddenly, a cold shout came from behind Byron:

 

"Newcomer, put the sword down. New recruits have no right to our spoils!"

 

Turning, he saw the first mate, 'Bone Crusher' Miles, approaching with menace. 'Blood Eye' Salman, at the helm, made no move to intervene. On a pirate ship, rules belonged to the chaotic evil camp's dark zone. Newcomers always faced intimidation, and their future status was determined by their response.

 

A flicker of killing intent vanished from Byron's eyes. In theory, during battle, all focus should be on victory. Experienced pirates wouldn't switch to unfamiliar weapons, even if the spoils were superior. But the issue was not about the sword. On a pirate ship where cooks never lasted more than a month, who would take a disposable cook seriously?

 

Without this pursuit, Byron's future would have been at the bottom of the food chain. 'When you're poor, don't speak; when you're lowly, don't advise others!' he thought. To influence the captain and the battle's outcome, he needed more influence on the ship.

 

Ignoring the first mate, Byron stood and fastened the hand-and-a-half sword to his belt. In the navy, everything followed procedure and seniority. Among pirates, convincing others was simpler and more direct.

 

As Miles stepped into the sword's attack range, Byron drew it with a steady hand. The cold light of the blade flashed in the howling wind. When Miles could see clearly again, he found the sword's edge at his throat. A bead of sweat trickled down the pirate's forehead.

 

Byron held the sword with a rock-steady grip, his face impassive.

 

"The second commandment of the 'Pirate Ten Commandments' states: Fairness for all; the capable shall rise, the mediocre shall fall. First Mate, do you believe... I have the qualifications to replace you?"