North of Tulip, Adriad Sea.
Although this sea area was also part of the Black Sea, compared to the other parts of the Black Sea that were known for their bad sea conditions, the sea here was calm, the waves were not high, and extremely bad weather rarely visited.
It was like a paradise!
Moreover.
A warm ocean current from the south to the north and a cold current from the north of the continent met in this sea area, stirring the seawater vertically, bringing a large amount of nutrients to the surface of the sea.
It also brought abundant fish and prawn resources to this place that seemed to be blessed by the God of the Sea, as well as … hunters chasing after food!
Lively and cute dolphins, ferocious and bloodthirsty sharks, as well as all kinds of huge whales … they gathered here in groups.
Of course, behind the predators, there was an even more terrifying "predator"!
And that was — humans!
In the afternoon, a two-masted sailboat barged into this paradise of marine life, crushing the sparkling waves on the surface of the sea.
"Mr. Armand! This is the Adriad Sea that I mentioned with a large group of whales. Not only are there a lot of whales here, but most of them are not wary of humans.
It can be said that this is the best whaling ground.
We can harvest at least a hundred barrels of whale oil a day, and it won't take long for you to return with a full load! "
A middle-aged man with a pale face and yellow hair as thin as a match said to the tall captain of the whaling ship with a triangular captain's hat.
"So … Sir, what do you think of my debt …?"
Captain Armand had a thick beard. Although his long life of hunting whales at sea made him a little unkempt, his unkempt appearance did not change the fact that he was a whaler!
Hearing the middle-aged man's words, Armand did not immediately respond.
He held a brass telescope and kept scanning the sea in the distance.
Boom!
Boom!
As expected, it did not take much effort to see the sparkling waves in the distance. From time to time, whales would leap out of the water, frolicking, playing, and hunting.
"One, two, three …"
As he counted silently in his heart, Armand's rugged face could not help but reveal an uncontrollable smile.
It was not easy. He had led the whaling ship out to sea for a full year, but the harvest was only so-so. The hold that could hold a thousand barrels of whale oil was not even a fifth full.
But the Goddess still cared for the Harpoon!
Previously, when they were resupplying at the nearby port.
They had unexpectedly obtained information about the whales from this gambling addict named Pips!
Thus, Captain Armand, in a dubious manner, promised that if he could find the whales he spoke of, he would repay Armand's huge gambling debt.
Who would have thought that they would be able to find such a large group of whales in such a pleasant environment?
"Hahaha, no problem. When we return, I'll pay all your gambling debts!"
When Armand saw the whales, it was as if he saw flowing whale oil. Of course, he wouldn't care about such a small amount of money.
Looking at this scale, even with the most conservative estimation, he would be able to fill up all the empty barrels in less than half a month and make a huge fortune!
Whale oil has never had to worry about a market.
In this era before oil was widely used, there were two main materials used for lighting: gas and … whale oil!
As steam engines continued to be put into use in various industries, the requirements for the quality of workers continued to increase. Ordinary people's passion for learning was also unprecedentedly high. They tried every means possible to enter the factory to change their and their families' fates.
Therefore, the amount of oil used for lighting was also increasing!
Compared to gas, which was more expensive and dangerous, people preferred whale oil, which was priced at a more affordable price.
After many years of continuous development.
Currently, the whaling ships were like factories floating on the sea. After the whales were caught, they could continue to catch whales while boiling the blubber into oil on the ship to fill large barrels.
The oil produced from the subcutaneous tissues, organs, and bones of the whales was pale yellow to yellowish-brown in color. Other than being used for lighting, it was also an important industrial oil.
It was used on a large scale in the leather industry, as well as for tempering baths and lubricants. It was even used as a raw material to make soap, candles, and other products.
Therefore, a special resource like whale oil was very popular. To a certain extent, it could even be considered a form of hard currency!
"Lower the skiff!"
Armand couldn't wait to begin his hunting operation. He gave the order while checking the equipment at hand.
"Captain!" A capable young man in a yellow shirt standing behind Armand frowned as he called out to him softly.
"What's wrong, my first mate?" The excited captain didn't notice the abnormality in the first mate's tone.
"Captain, I feel that something's not right. This sea is less than ten days away from the nearest Tylon Kingdom. We're not the only ones lacking whale oil. Why don't others come here to catch whales?
And not only are there no other whaling ships, we haven't even seen the smallest fishing boat in the Adriad Sea. Don't you think something's wrong? "
The capable young man voiced his doubts to the captain.
"This …"
Armand's excited expression gradually stiffened. As an experienced captain, he shouldn't have been reminded of this by the young first mate.
However, the agreement he made with the owner of the Harpoon stated that as long as he brought back 1,000 barrels of whale oil, he would get one-twelfth of it.
If he couldn't catch enough whales, not only would he not get the promised bonus, he might not even be able to keep his position as captain the next time he went out to sea!
He was blinded by the huge benefits, which was why he didn't realize that something was wrong with this sea.
Armand turned to the gambler Pips, his expression unreadable. "I think you should be able to tell us the answer!"
"It's just an unimportant ancient legend that has been passed down in this sea for hundreds of years!
Only those stubborn old fogeys are still holding onto that story that's meant to fool children!
Moreover.
I've already come with you, why would I lie to you? Could it be that the whales in front of us are fake? "
Seeing that his huge gambling debt was settled, Gambler's eagerness wasn't any less than Armand's.
Only when the whaling ship received profits could his problem be solved. Not only for the whaling ship, but for himself, this was the last battle where he had to cut off all means of retreat.
If he couldn't catch the whales, he would die sooner or later even if he went back!
He had already given it his all!
The captain stared at his turbid yellow eyes for a long time, his expression uncertain. Finally, he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Lower the boats. Let's go!"
What was a little risk in the face of huge benefits?!
The first mate, Fisher, didn't try to persuade him. He was unwilling to let go of the whales that were sent to him.
Soon, three boats were lowered from the whaling ship.
Captain Armand, first mate Fisher, and the most experienced whaler besides them each led a boat.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh —
Amidst the neat oars, they charged like hungry wolves towards the whales that didn't seem to realize that danger had arrived.
There were ten well-built whalers on each boat. Many of them had a string of amulets made of whale bones around their necks. That was proof that they had once successfully hunted a whale.
Without exception, they were all experts in whaling!
At this moment, not far away from them.
Boom —
A huge gray baleen whale that was more than twelve meters long leaped out of the sea, and then crashed back into the water, splashing up a large snow-white splash.
Its bright eyes were curious, friendly, but not vigilant.
It didn't expect that while it was having fun in this sea that had no natural predators, it had already attracted the attention of the hunters.
"Quick! Get closer! "
Captain Armand ordered the sailors to continue approaching, while he held a specially made whaling harpoon with sharp barbs as he stood firmly at the bow of the ship. He exchanged glances with the chief mate, Faith, who was also holding a whaling harpoon on the small ship that was parallel to him.
"Three, two, one!"
Whoosh —
Whoosh —
When the gray baleen whale swam close to the boat again, two gleaming harpoons were already shot out.
Splash!
Splat!
The first mate, Fisher, threw the harpoon a little too early, and it brushed past the baleen whale and fell into the water. Captain Armand was more experienced, and the harpoon hit the baleen whale's back.
Boom —!
The baleen whale was suddenly attacked, and dove back into the sea.
The frequency of whale cries exceeded the range of human ears (ultrasonic). Humans naturally couldn't hear their painful cries after being injured, and naturally couldn't feel their pain.
"Captain, you're awesome!"
Each of them cheered excitedly for hitting their target, and their voices … could be heard by the whales.
Long ropes were tied behind the harpoons to prevent the whales from escaping.
Because of the pain and their instinct to avoid danger, they would struggle to dive down quickly. However, when they resurfaced, exhausted, it would be time for the whalers to reap their harvest!
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
