"That's all?" Barrett deliberately glanced at Captain Rawlings with a slight suspicion, "If it's the same as before, I don't think you need to worry too much, Mr. Rawlings!" ”

But the attitude of the owner of the goods was suspicious. Even if there were merfolk on the course, judging from the known numbers, it would hardly pose a major threat to our Yorkshire Mariner. Captain Rollins shaved his beard with his hand that he should have gone to sea and could not continue to take care of, "Who knew they would force you over." If it weren't for the news of the fish-men, this behavior would not have affected our evaluation. Even if that guy pays more, we will refuse this business. ”

"Do you suspect that the goods this time do not match the list provided by the cargo owner?" Barrett immediately understood what was being said in the opposite direction. This made his heart beat a little faster.

Captain Rollins nodded, "The cargo in general may be fine. But it can't be ruled out that they have something hidden in those barrels. And as a regular customer who has cooperated for several years, we are not good at taking it apart to see what it is. So the situation is still a bit unclear. ”

'The reason for not unpacking the box is probably because the chamber of commerce overseers who travel with the ship are watching! In the end, you are still reluctant to let go when you look at the money......, and Barrett can see through the cause and effect of this matter. After all, similar incidents can be said to be staged from time to time on the Western Continent. After learning more, it is naturally not difficult to grasp their common characteristics.

However, since he should be involved, Barrett naturally will not displease his collaborator in front of him with his words. He gently flicked his holster with his fingers: "If we really encounter an enemy, we will be ready for battle." ”

After giving the other party a rebellious reply, Barrett immediately changed his previous plan. Turn around and go back to the cabin to be with the players. Now the bloodstained Greyflower mercenary group and the rest of the crew of the Yorkshire Mariner are all grasshoppers on a rope. In addition to being in the same boat at the moment. There was no other option—Barrett didn't believe in an attack. Those pirates will just let themselves go.

Unleavened bread with the same color as brown bread, and a thick soup with salted fish, salted meat, and potatoes is everyone's daily meal. A certain amount of freshly sprouted sprouts have temporarily become a substitute for citrus. In terms of food alone, although the standard of the cooks is not very good, the standard of living in the western continent is not too bad.

However, in such a hygienic environment on the ship, it was less than a day, and the surrounding air was always filled with the smell of stinky salted fish and fermented residues. This inevitably makes people lose their appetite when faced with food. Especially for discerning players, this is more or less a test.

The good thing is that intelligent beings are always very adaptable. Over time, the impact on the players has diminished - it's like spending a lot of time in the toilet. It will gradually become less and less smelly. In just three days, not only did the two ladies regain their combat effectiveness, but even the dwarves were able to walk around the cabin alone.

Barrett finally felt relieved when he saw this, and at the same time, the curiosity in his heart came out again. Without touching his index finger and thumb against his chin, he was thinking about how he could figure out whether what Captain Rollins said was true or false.

And Clematis, who discovered Barrett's appearance. Bot immediately patted him on the shoulder from behind: "Barrett, what are you thinking!" If you have something to say, you can let everyone come up with an idea together. ”

"It's not a mission yet...... Barrett, looking up, told his companions all the news he had received from Captain Rollins, along with his own guesses.

After listening to this, Anvil immediately muttered, "I knew I shouldn't take on this task." The priest of the 'Goddess of Wealth and Commerce' must have been unkind. ”

"Anvil, you're irresponsible. Even if it's not well-intentioned, it's the Chamber of Commerce that issued the task. The advice of the priest of Catherina at that time was also for our sake: "After hearing the dwarf's words, Claymatis. Bot was immediately displeased.

Barrett, who noticed that the two seemed to have a tendency to be really arguing, patted it: "Now is not the time for the two of you to quarrel." Regardless of whether Catherina Priest was hiding something or not. We're on this boat now. The next thing to think about is how to survive the possible dangers, rather than pursuing the problem. ”

"Then Barrett, you just figured out what you just thought." Clematis who said this. Bot immediately rolled over and returned to the hammock.

Barrett then glanced at the pastor, "That's why I don't take the initiative to talk to you about this issue." Now that's for you to ask. ”

"Are you going to hold back for a while and wait until you go ashore to trouble the other party?" Klaimatis squirming in a hammock. Bot asked in a low voice.

Barrett was noncommittal on the question: "I haven't decided right now whether I'm going to get in trouble or not." It depends on what you will encounter next! ”

In the following days, the voyage of the Yorkshire Mariner was uneventful, and the two beams of the ship's speed were measured with hourglasses and knots, and they were very pleased with the sea breeze along the way. The crew, who had become a little nervous from the fear of threats, was now a little more relaxed. However, Barrett could still feel from Captain Rollins' eyes that the other party did not take it lightly.

For the next two days, however, the sun had dispelled the fog around the hull. Suddenly, there was a shout from the lookout of the mainmast. "Captain, there is a situation! There is something approaching from the northwest to the west. ”

With this shout, the sailors working on the deck jumped up one by one, stood up straight, and looked out at the vast sea-sky junction to the northwest. Over time, on the sea level, which became sparkling in the sun, a mast slowly rose.

"There's a boat approaching." This conclusion made the palms of the sailors from Captain Rollins down to the sailors who had just embarked on the ship feel sweaty. Everyone was praying before identifying the other party, and preparing for the next battle - as for turning and fleeing, when a round ship like the Yorkshire Mariner was attacked. There has never been a record of escaping with speed.

Another 10 minutes or so passed. The general outline of the ship soon came into everyone's view. Even if it's far away. The seafarers on deck were able to tell the difference between each other and their own vessels. The long poles sticking out from both sides of the ship's side indicate that the other party is a galleys.

"Ring the bell! Prepare to meet the enemy. Captain Rollins gave the order decisively. Because almost no one would use a galley to transport goods.

If you compare horizontally, you will find that there are fewer people to operate the sailboat, and the consumption of food is bound to be less, and the more people there are on the galleys, the more food is consumed, and the less goods can be carried. At the same time, the sailboat has a strong ability to fight against waves, so there is little difference between the ocean and the near sea, and the galleys have a poor ability to fight against waves, and the speed of the offshore is okay, but the speed is very slow when it reaches the open ocean. Moreover, sailing ships rarely have crew falling overboard in storms, but galleys are bound to lose people.

These restrictions make transportation by galley extremely costly. Profit-seeking maritime merchants have long since eliminated this type of ship that was obsolete for them. However, the galley can rely on the drive of the oarsman to find a very high sprint speed in a short time. When it comes to fighting, it can often be surprisingly successful. Therefore, the military often has excellent performance in coastal operations. Of course, some pirates also use these ships for raiding, and they don't have that much need for seaworthiness when they have supply points overseas.

As the bell rang 'Dang Dang', the players who had been standing by in the cabin immediately began to skillfully help the anvil put on his armor. The wearing of this full-body plate armor was quite tedious, close to the dwarve's own words. I don't know when I'm going to wear it!

Barrett, on the other hand, took the lead and ran to the deck. I saw that the ring in his hand lit up, and the torso, which was originally wearing a linen shirt, was immediately protected by the Adamantite breastplate. At the same time, the chain mail covering his limbs and the helmet that appeared on his head out of thin air immediately changed Barrett's image.

Barrett was immediately greeted by a busy scene as the sailors hurried to open the barrels containing their weapons. Pick up the weapons you are relatively familiar with and stand by at the greatly arranged posts.

By the time the players were all on deck, the ships to the northwest were getting closer. From 1,000 yards to 900 yards – the distance between those guys and the Yorkshire Mariner was getting shorter.

The other party rushed straight and did not use the flag to identify himself to the 'Yorkshire Mariners'. Soon the opposing oars stopped, and it was obvious that the oarsmen on the lower deck had stopped working. Even the gray canvas is being put away partially. Now, the ship in the distance was moving entirely by the currents and inertia, but even then it was approaching at a rapid pace.

"Ballista! That's a ballista. "The sharp-eyed sailor spotted the apparatus hidden in the bow of the opposing ship at a distance of 500 yards.

That ballista was placed on a sturdy stand. The front end is flanked by two torsion spring sets, each of which drives a crossbow arm. The end of the crossbow arm is attached to a bowstring, and in the center of the bowstring is a braided mesh bag that holds the projectile. The upper side of the beam has a long dovetail groove, a slide with a long guide rail can slide back and forth along the long groove, and a set of ingenious firing mechanisms is installed behind the slide to easily lock and release the bowstring.

In order to make it not too laborious to operate the winch, round ratchets were set on both sides of the beam. This allows the bow to be fired without having to be done all at once, and allows for the ability to adjust the weapon's projectile power to get the desired range. At the same time, in order to give the ballista a flexible direction and elevation angle, the technicians who built it did not design a base for the ballista that could rotate freely.

At this moment, the ball-sized stone bullet had been placed on the bag. With the rotation of the round ratchet, it is pulled along the chute by the disc to the end of the crossbow arm. The tendon cords on the torsion spring set creaked and creaked mirredly through the metal sleeve. As the trigger mechanism instantly brought up the pawl, Piso turned the short stick and instantly threw a pound of stone projectiles into the 'Yorkshire Mariner', which was more than 100 yards away.

"The other party's quasi-head doesn't look good." Looking at the splash of water not far away, Anvil said bitterly. But the fact that on this turbulent ocean, the opponent's attack can be so close to the 'Yorkshire Mariner', which can show that those guys are well trained in this area. Exactly when it hits is only a matter of time.

As the distance gets closer, it becomes easier and easier for the opponent to throw a stone shot. After 5 consecutive misses, he finally hit the side of the ship accurately and smashed a dent. The projectiles shattered as they hit, which made Barrett's mood even worse.

The situation before you shows that these stone bombs are made of heavy gravel and baked clay. They are bound to shatter upon impact, so that the enemy's equipment cannot reuse the projectiles. Usually these elaborate stone bullets are not cheap, and each is worth at least 7-8 silver coins.

Within a short period of searching, the stone bullets worth several gold coins were thrown over by the guys on the other side as if they didn't want money. It's no wonder that Barrett, who is a hostile person, can be in a good mood.

The Yorkshire Mariner, a merchant ship, had its own armament, but the power of the two sides of the ballista was completely incomparable—long-poleed crossbow bolts that flew out of the deck, with clusters of flames, flew towards the approaching galleys. However, both in terms of the flat rate of the launch and the accuracy of the head, all of them are at a disadvantage.

If it weren't for the enemy's powerful plundering and not directly using fire attacks, the Yorkshire Mariner would have been completely ignited by now. The amount is even the case now. The seafarers on the deck were also under the fragments of the projectiles flying everywhere on the other side, and they were suppressed and couldn't lift their heads.

By the last 200 yards, the hook was already ready. As the stormtrooper took the lead in throwing out the hook in his hand, several pieces of metal slammed onto the side of the Yorkshire Mariner. This is not a good thing for ships without high freeboard, and if they were to be replaced by other ships, the enemy would have to climb up with a jumping gang.

And now the other party clung to the rope, stepped on the hull of the ship and climbed alternately with his hands, but in just a few breaths, the light body was the first to board the deck. Although the experienced sailors had already cut each other's hooks in the first place, the flaws in the ship's shape made their efforts go to waste. (To be continued.) )

PS: Modify the wording. Thanks to "421435735" and "Sadhanha. Paz" and other two-digit large monthly votes. At the same time, thank you for the great reward of "Three Weeks in March".