The morning sun filled the sky, reflecting the boundless ocean in a red hue. The Flying Fish of the Kingdom of Dawn was covered in sails, braving the wind and waves.
"Sir, Professor Bob and his servant have woken up. They're a little agitated now …" Shiward reported to Lollister as soon as he got on the dock.
The two sacks that Aire and the others had transported last night contained Professor Bob and his servant, Sylvia, who had deciphered the dwarves' gunpowder formula. Through Ell's old brother, the current boss of the community, Ledos, he learned that Professor Bob had no children and didn't have a family. However, there was a widow named Sylvia who had been his personal servant for nearly twenty years.
According to Ledos' investigation, Professor Bob's relationship with this woman named Sylvia wasn't clear. It was very likely that he didn't marry her because he was concerned about his reputation. In fact, the two of them had a very good relationship. It seemed that Professor Bob's monthly salary from Star Academy was given to Sylvia to take care of his living arrangements.
The Morning Star Academy's ranking among the academies in Morent City was very low. It seemed to be around the 21st rank. Professor Bob's salary was not high, only three gold fords per month. As the professor liked to research strange things and spent a lot of money on it, his life was not very well-off. Moreover, Professor Bob was not very happy at Star Academy. He had said many times that he would find a better job elsewhere.
Lollister had originally thought that it would be easy to recruit Professor Bob, but he had not expected the professor to be a staunch liberal who hated nobles to the bone. Lollister personally went to invite him, but was instead scolded and chased out by the professor with a broom.
Although he didn't know if Professor Bob had any conflicts with the nobles in his early years and suffered some losses, time was of the essence, and Lollister couldn't care less about the inside story. Last night, he ordered Aire and his men to knock Professor Bob out and even capture his servant, Sylvia. Once they were on the ship, Professor Bob wouldn't be able to do whatever he wanted.
"Alright, I'll go see him and calm him down," Lollister said. He did not see Shiward roll his eyes behind him.
Professor Bob wasn't just a little excited, he was extremely excited. Especially after seeing Lollister, he understood why he was on the ship. At this moment, his anger erupted like a volcano. A string of vulgarities gushed out, leaving everyone dumbstruck. It was hard to believe that this was a knowledgeable and well-mannered academy professor.
"Professor Bob, I don't have any ill intentions in inviting you here. I just want to …" It took a long time for Professor Bob to stop talking.
"Don't even think about it. I won't do as you wish. No matter what you want to do, I won't agree to it. You despicable …" Professor Bob didn't even listen to what Laurist was saying. He started scolding Laurist again. He also attacked Laurist's intelligence, pulling him down to the same level as the donkey.
Lollister turned a deaf ear to Professor Bob's personal attacks, as if he didn't hear them. He turned to look at the professor's servant, Sylvia, and found that she was a little seasick. He quickly ordered Shiward, who was standing outside the cabin, to get some medicine to treat seasickness from the medicine box in the cabin. He also wanted to make a cup of tea for the professor to moisten his dry throat …
The professor was helpless against Lollister's shamelessness. He thought that he could provoke Lollister into beating him up, and he would be able to show that he wasn't going to be used by Lollister. However, Lollister did not take his scolding to heart. Instead, he started taking care of the seasick Sylvia.
"What do you want me to do? Kidnap? I'm a poor professor, I don't have much money. Knowledge? There are so many professors in Morent City, and there are many who are more skilled than me. Haven't you heard about the conflict between me and the academy? In the eyes of other professors, I'm just an old fogey who doesn't do proper work and likes to research strange things … "Professor Bob, who had been silent for a long time, opened his mouth again as he drank his tea. This time, he didn't scold Lollister, but he was deeply puzzled.
Lollister smiled. It was fine as long as they could communicate normally. "Professor Bob, I'm looking for you because of gunpowder."
"The Dwarves' gunpowder?" Professor Bob was still puzzled. "I've already finished researching this. I published the formula in an academic report last year. Wasn't it published in Morent Daily? You should be able to find it in the public library. It's all there, and there's nothing missing. "
"Professor, I'm interested in what you think. The Dwarves' gunpowder has a lot of room for improvement. What I want is the best ratio of gunpowder, "Lollister said.
Professor Bob spread his hands. "Then you should look for the Dwarves and get a large amount of saltpeter from them. That way, you can experiment with all kinds of gunpowder and obtain the best ratio in the end. The problem is that we haven't found any saltpeter mines in the human world. Those Dwarves won't sell saltpeter mines to us at all … "
Professor Bob cursed a few more times, but this time, the target was the square-headed Dwarves.
"Professor, I don't have any saltpeter mines, but I can provide you with a large amount of saltpeter for your gunpowder experiments. I invited you here just for this … "Lollister said.
"Impossible …" The professor jumped in shock. "How can you provide a large amount of saltpeter without a saltpeter mine? If you had a large amount of saltpeter, then you could have told me the first time I came … "
Lollister smiled and shook his head. "Professor, you should understand that gunpowder is a very powerful weapon. It can even change the situation where Galintland's qi dominated. I don't want to be a thorn in other people's side because of this. Nature is actually very wonderful. The human world hasn't found any saltpeter mines, but there is a way to provide a large amount of saltpeter. It's just that no one has discovered it yet. If you are patient, you will know what this method is when you reach my family's territory. "
"Tell me what it is first." The professor was a little impatient.
Lollister shook his head.
Professor Bob glared at Lollister fiercely, but Lollister smiled and remained unmoved.
"Alright, I'll believe you this once. You better not lie to me …" The professor admitted defeat. He had no other choice but to admit defeat. He was already on the ship, and he couldn't run even if he wanted to.
"There's a ship ahead, be alert!" The lookout's voice came from above.
"Professor Bob, Madam Sylvia, please rest on the ship for a few days and enjoy the scenery of the sea. When you reach my family's territory, I believe you will understand that not all nobles are detestable. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask my guards. I will do my best to satisfy you if it's within my means. I'll take my leave first. "Lollister lowered his head and hurried to the top deck.
"There are two large three-masted merchant ships, four medium-sized two-masted swift merchant ships, and six medium-sized two-masted armed merchant ships with square sails. They are surrounding us in a fan shape, and seem to be hostile! No, the flags they are holding are wine barrels and swords. They are the ships of the Chikede Merchant Group! They are enemies! … "
The lookout's piercing screams came from above, and the ships in front could be clearly seen.
Lollister quickly walked up the slipway and saw the chief officer, Old Jack, holding a strange ruler and measuring a long rope that was swaying in the wind. He was still mumbling to himself, as though he was calculating something.
"Captain!" Old Jack quickly shouted at Captain Wilson who was manning the helm, "We are going against the wind, and our speed is only eight knots. Those bastards are going with the wind, and half of them are fast sailboats, and their speed has reached ten knots. At this speed, we won't be able to make a big turn to avoid them. We will collide in ten minutes …"
"What's going on?" Lollister asked sternly.
"My Lord, the Chicant Merchant Group's fleet is clearly up to no good. Furthermore, the commander of this fleet is very experienced. They've arranged themselves in a formation to surround us. No matter which direction we try to break out of, we'll fall into a pincer attack from two of their ships. Once they destroy our sails with long-range attacks, we won't be able to display the advantage of our ship's speed, and we will be at their mercy. I wanted to turn and avoid them, but the draft of our ship is very deep. If we turn, we will have to make a big circle, and the other party will have already come into contact with us … "Captain Wilson quickly explained.
"Avoid the two large ships in front of us, and charge through the center of the two ships on the left in a zigzag pattern. Josk, shoot down the sails of those two ships. Ell, switch to fire arrows, and let the steel crossbows shoot at those ships …" Lollister thought for a moment, and immediately made a decision.
Josk stood at the bow of the ship, the green longbow in his hand drawn into a full moon. A bolt of green lightning shot out from his hand, and in the blink of an eye, the medium double-masted fast merchant ship that was only fifty to sixty meters away seemed to have been punched by an invisible fist. The tallest mast at the back of the ship swayed twice, and then fell toward the bow of the ship …
Josk had actually shot down the mast with one arrow, and the speed of the medium double-masted fast merchant ship instantly slowed down. It even changed direction and started to spin in circles on the sea. The ship was in a mess. An opening appeared in front of everyone, just like that.
Josk drew his bow and aimed at the other ship on the opposite side. The crew of this ship had already discovered the power of Josk's arrows, and the helmsman began to steer the ship in a zigzag pattern instead of charging straight at them. Moreover, a few crew members with bows squeezed to the bow of the ship and fired arrows at them, trying to interfere with Josk's aim.
Josk was calm and focused, ignoring the arrows flying at him as if they were nothing. However, this arrow didn't have the same effect as the first one, which didn't break the mast. Instead, it brushed past the mast, and although it took a large chunk of wood with it, the mast was unharmed. The crew of the opposite ship let out a cheer. At this time, the two ships were only thirty to forty meters apart, and they were still rapidly approaching each other. Standing on the berth, Loriste could clearly see the crew of the opposite ship preparing to draw their large crossbows and ignite fireballs and other long-range attacks.
Josk took a deep breath and yelled. The green longbow in his hand let out a thunderous roar, and screams of pain and alarm rang out from the opposite ship. The four or five sailors who had been holding bows at the bow all fell to the deck with green arrows stuck in their throats, struggling for their lives. The sailors who had been working on the deck all fell to the ground without exception. More than 20 people were hit by the arrow, and the deck immediately became empty. The rest of the people who weren't hit by the arrow all found a place to hide. No one expected that the enemy's Golden Archer would be so strong. Her Continuous Shooting skill was already amazing.
An even louder cry of alarm rang out. The middle-sized double-masted fast-sailing merchant ship's four sails were filled to the brim by the wind, and the bottom two large sails twisted and hung down in the wind. Josk had shot four arrows that broke the knots of the ropes holding the two large sails, and the two large sails fell right onto the fireballs burning in the braziers on the deck. The flames flew up, and the opposite ship was instantly engulfed in thick smoke and flames. The lookout on the observation deck looked down at the raging fire, and screamed in despair as he jumped into the sea …
Captain Wilson quickly turned the rudder, and the Flying Fish of the Dawn gracefully brushed past the side of the medium double-masted fast-sailing merchant ship. They had already broken through the encirclement of the intercepting fleet of the Chikder Merchant Association, and a vast expanse of sea and sky lay in front of them. When the intercepting fleet turned around and tried to chase the Flying Fish of the Dawn against the wind, the Flying Fish of the Dawn would quickly lose sight of them with its advantage in speed.
"Fire!" Four to five fireballs were shot from the deck of a large three-masted fast-sailing merchant ship over a hundred meters away. Unfortunately, the range was not enough, and the fireballs fell into the sea a dozen meters away from the Flying Fish of the Dawn.
A burly man with a purplish-red face looked at the Flying Fish of the Dawn in the distance, and said calmly, "Don't shoot anymore fireballs. It's just a waste if the range is not enough. Release the petrel and tell the third young master that we failed to intercept them. Then, tell the third intercepting fleet to be careful. There's a very powerful Golden Godly Archer on the other ship. He broke through our encirclement by himself, and even caused us to lose a ship. Leave one ship to rescue people, and the rest turn around and chase after them. I hope the third intercepting fleet won't disappoint us. "
"Yes, Admiral." A crew member quickly ran to pass on the order.
Another burly man next to him said, "Big Brother, that ship is really strange. It's as slippery as a loach, and it's very difficult for us to catch up with it at our speed."
"It's fine, just do your best. The third young master can't forget about this ship precisely because it's too fast. If this ship had stopped to pick up the third young master and sent him to Morent City, the third young master wouldn't have been eliminated by a day. The third intercepting fleet has Master Swordmaster Kumoli in command, and the admiral's old Ali is very experienced. He'll naturally have a way to deal with that ship after receiving our message. If that ship tries to turn around and avoid us, we'll chase after it and surround it. Then, it'll be hard for it to escape. "
Cheers sounded continuously from the Flying Fish of the Dawn. Being able to charge through the enemy's interception unscathed made all the sailors and guards very excited, and they were full of energy.
Laurist looked at the four to five fireballs that fell into the sea far behind the ship, and frowned, asking, "What are those things?"
Captain Wilson looked back, and just happened to see the last fireball fall into the water. "Oh, those are fireball bombs. Sir, they're the main long-range weapons used in naval battles. They're made from clay, fine sand, silk, hemp, and kerosene, and finally mixed with the juice of rubber vines and water to form a ball the size of a human head. When used, they're ignited and placed on a special large crossbow to fire. The range is within a hundred meters.
It doesn't matter if they don't hit their target, but if they do, it'll be very troublesome on the ship. Water won't extinguish them, and they'll even roll around. Sometimes, if you're lucky, a fireball bomb can turn a large ship into ashes. I've asked my family if they have such weapons, but the shipyard said that our family has the latest long-range weapons. Don't mention such outdated things. "
Laurist was about to speak, but he saw Eyre coming up the dock, swearing.
"Sir, those steel crossbows are completely useless," Eyre said.
"What now? Did something happen? "Laurist asked.
"Sir, although the range of the steel crossbows is long, they can't aim accurately. We're not on land, and the sea is full of ups and downs. The other side isn't a military formation, and we can just close our eyes and fire in one direction. The ships one or two hundred meters away look like the size of a palm, and they're all one by one, so it's very difficult to aim. Also, these steel crossbow bolts are useless. I've fired ten, and only hit two. One is stuck in the cabin, and nothing happened. The other one blew a hole in the sail, and who knows where it flew … "Eyre complained.
Laurist blushed with shame. He had taken things for granted. Only after moving the steel crossbows onto the ship did he realize that they weren't long-range weapons suitable for naval battles. They weren't even as threatening as the fireball bombs fired by the Chikede Merchant Association's fleet.
"Sir, the best distance for long-range attacks in naval battles is thirty to fifty meters. Beyond this distance, hitting the enemy's ship will mostly depend on luck. After all, everyone is on the sea, and the ship is constantly moving, so long range doesn't have much of an advantage. Right now, naval battles mainly rely on boarding battles. If the enemy has the advantage in numbers, normal long-range attacks won't cause much damage to the enemy, "Captain Wilson said from the side.
Laurist nodded. "Thank you for your advice, Captain Wilson. When we get back, we'll discuss what kind of weapons are most suitable for the ship …"
Before he finished speaking, he heard the lookout shout again, "In front, there's another fleet in front!"
…
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