Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start - Chapter 399 - 373: Ghost Tide
Sailing northeast from Rapids Island was the way out of the Screaming Sea. To the south, the visible landmass was the northwestern part of the Wushan Mountain Range.
Using this landmass as a point of reference and heading east would lead them to the northern part of the Wubei Territory.
Considering the entire journey, the chances of straying off course were low, even without Carlos to correct their heading, thanks to the aid of a telescope.
Ronin had chosen to come along this time partly because this first voyage was a momentous occasion, and partly just to be safe.
After offering a few course corrections, he had ducked into his cabin on the passenger ship to study steam engine designs, along with a paper titled “A Manufacturing Plan for a Steam Engine Based on Fourth-level Flame Pillar Magic.”
Lately, as his mastery of the Earth Core Fire had grown, he had become capable of shaping slightly larger iron components.
Furthermore, as he grew more skilled in its manipulation, the strength of the components he created was also gradually increasing.
He figured it wouldn’t be long before he could begin experiments on a small-scale steam engine.
Now that the Wubei Territory had coal mines, there was no shortage of resources. But magic had the unique ability to release more heat in a shorter amount of time. Combining the two methods might prove to be an excellent solution.
By the second day of the voyage, perhaps thanks to a favorable wind, they had already left the Screaming Sea.
“Lord!”
Lusen knocked on Ronin’s door. “There’s a situation outside.”
’Hm?’
Ronin gathered all the drafts from his small desk and stepped out of the room. “What’s the situation?”
Lusen reported, “I was just surveying the waters ahead with the telescope and spotted two ships to the northwest of our course, and they’re approaching us. According to the map, there’s no mainland or islands in that direction. There shouldn’t be any ships out there.”
Ronin’s brow furrowed. “Let’s go. Take me to have a look.”
The two of them went up to the deck. Ronin took out his telescope, adjusted the eyepiece, and managed to get a clearer look at the approaching vessels.
They were two ships, similar in appearance to their own passenger vessel. They flew white flags emblazoned with a black skull.
“Vic.”
“Lord, at your command!” Captain Vic immediately jogged over.
“White flag, black skull. What flag is that?”
Ronin asked, “Blood Sail or Ghost Tide?”
The only ones he could think of who flew such a flag were the pirate gangs active in the Screaming Sea.
Vic was stunned.
“Lord, that’s the flag of the Ghost Tide Pirate Gang!”
He peered at the approaching ships, but they were still too far away for him to make out the details on the flag.
Even though he was formerly of the White Whale Pirate Gang, he still feared other pirates.
Ronin’s mouth curled slightly. ’Interesting!’
He put away the telescope. “Lusen, have the crew go on alert. I’m going to meet them.”
“Lord…”
Lusen was about to suggest that the Lord stay with them for safety.
But then he remembered the Giant Dragon in the sky, and the fact that his Lord was a Great Mage himself. He swallowed the words he was about to say.
Ronin activated Wind’s Wings and instantly cast Swift Magic on himself. With a mere thought, he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Lusen and the crewmen who witnessed this all watched with expressions of envy and awe.
They wondered if they could be as dashing as their Lord, if only they could fly.
Ronin had chosen to strike first mainly because he didn’t want the pirates getting close to his ships.
After all, if they got too close, a single moment of carelessness could allow them to blast a hole in his passenger or cargo ship, just like what happened to the Denis Three. The losses would be too great.
’These pirates are such good people. They knew I was short on ships and insisted on delivering such a generous gift to me in the middle of this vast ocean!’
At that moment, aboard the two Ghost Tide Pirate Gang ships, the man in charge was staring at the vessels on the distant sea.
“Everyone get ready! When we get within one hundred meters, directly bombard their ships with the Magic Energy Cannons!”
A man with a thick beard bellowed, “We don’t need to board and plunder! We just need to blast a hole in their ships and sink them!”
“Sink them!”
“Sink them!”
“Sink them!”
As if this were the most exciting thing in the world, the Knights and Sailors on board roared with delight.
Several Knights had already pushed out the Magic Energy Cannons.
The Magic Energy Cannon on one ship could fire an Ice Cone Skill, just like the cannon used by the White Whale Pirate Gang that had attacked Ronin before.
The cannon on the other ship could unleash Tearing, a Fourth-level Wind Magic spell used to shred an enemy ship’s sails.
As they were shouting, Ronin’s figure descended slowly onto the deck.
Suddenly, it was as if an invisible hand had seized everyone by the throat.
A faint smile played on Ronin’s lips. “Do you mind if I watch you sink the ships?”
“G-g-g…”
The leader of the Ghost Tide Pirate Gang, Dick, pointed at Ronin, so shocked that he could only stutter.
“Yes, I am a Great Mage.”
Ronin said, “I want to know, on whose orders are you here, lying in wait for my ships?”
Dick finally found his voice. “Lord, this is all a misunderstanding! We were just passing through, we…”
SWISH!
An instantly cast Wind Blade slashed past Dick’s face. He felt a flash of heat on his cheek. When he instinctively reached up to touch it, his hand came away covered in blood. He felt again—his left ear had been sliced off!
“I’m not interested in your excuses.”
Ronin said coldly, “Who told you to intercept the ships from Rapids Island here? MacLaren Fleming?”
He refused to believe the Ghost Tide Pirate Gang’s presence here was a mere coincidence.
“I’ll fight you to the death!”
Dick drew the longsword from his waist. Knowing there was no escape, he threw caution to the wind and charged, attempting to close the distance with Ronin.
In his mind, if he could just get close, even a Great Mage could be killed by a Golden Knight.
WHOOSH!
Dick was fast, but Ronin was faster.
He swiftly dodged the downward slash of the sword. Then, in a single motion, he drove his knee into his opponent’s stomach and swung a fist into his chin, shattering the man’s jaw.
Before Dick could even process what had happened, he collapsed to the deck, blood pouring from his mouth.
For a Golden Knight to panic and charge a Silver Moon Knight was no different than suicide.
“Flee!”
Seeing this, Vice Leader Nasi on the other ship didn’t dare to linger for a second longer. He immediately yelled for the captain to turn the ship around and flee.
But just then, he heard what sounded like the low growl of a behemoth in his ear. Its hot breath made him freeze.
“AHHH!!!”
“Magical Beast!”
“A Flying Magical Beast!”
Panicked shouts echoed their terror. The crewmen were too frightened to even control the ship, their eyes fixed in horror on the colossal creature in the sky.
Nasi slowly, stiffly, turned his neck to look behind him. A behemoth, over ten meters long, hovered in the air, staring down at him with eyes that were the very definition of cold.
“G-gods, what the hell is that thing!”
Nasi’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the deck.
Carlos exhaled a chilling breath, leaving the man to die a quiet, frozen death.
The sudden appearance of the Giant Dragon not only sent the Ghost Tide pirates into a panic but also stunned everyone on the two ships from Rapids Island.
“Everyone, don’t panic! This is the Lord’s Magical Beast!”
Lusen shouted, “It won’t harm us!”
The crowd’s panicked shouts gradually subsided, replaced by expressions of utter disbelief.
“Gods, that thing actually belongs to the Lord!”
Someone shouted.
Amid their relief and shock, their gazes toward Ronin filled with awe.
Ronin bent down, picked up the longsword Dick had dropped, and pressed the blade against his neck. “Give me an answer, or you’ll become dragon shit.”
“I, I…”
Dick was so terrified he was on the verge of tears. If he had known it would come to this, he would have rather died than leave the Screaming Sea.
“My Lord, spare me! Please, spare my life! It was Joss! He made me do it!”
’Joss?’
Ronin frowned. He didn’t recognize the name.
