manynovel Chapter 31 Birds Eating Sheep
Chapter 31 Birds Eating Sheep
"Boss, it's autumn!"
Benson said, standing behind Henry.
"No,"
Henry stood beside the seagull statue, gazing at the ravine and the sea, feeling the bleak autumn wind.
"It is late autumn."
For most people, spring represents new life, while autumn represents harvest.
Pirates, however, were not so perceptive of the seasons.
In the eyes of these outlaws, surviving the battlefield is a new life, and being laden with spoils is a bountiful harvest.
The boundary between spring and autumn is often only a moment apart; what remains is the cruel heat of summer and the desolate harshness of winter.
"You're right, boss."
Benson replied,
"But this further proves that winter is approaching."
Henry knew what Benson wanted to say, so he chose to avoid it as usual.
"With the protection of the sea god, the ocean currents are not afraid of the severe cold."
"Ocean currents may not be a problem, but sea winds are another matter entirely. Boss, you have no idea how unbearable it is on the Soaring in winter. Apart from your captain's cabin, there are ice holes everywhere on board, and the crow's nest is hell. Boss, we need to keep warm."
Indeed, this problem needs to be solved, Henry asked:
"What suggestions do you have?"
"In previous years, Matim would sail to the Heart of Flame, where the waters are warm."
"We're not going," Henry decisively rejected.
The Black Goat is still lingering here, and Natalie is even further inland. Henry can't go too far!
"Then you'll need to prepare winter supplies: cotton-padded clothes, blankets, cloaks, and strong liquor. These are all essential. If you also have a few passionate and fiery women, I bet no one will complain to you about winter."
Women… Henry had some reservations about this, but the rest…
"Cotton-padded coats, blankets, cloaks, and the kingdom's strongest liquor—I'll send someone to exchange for them next time we're near the port."
Benson shook his head:
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Why?
"Boss, we did indeed gain a lot from the Battle of Chau Harbor, but three or four months have passed since then, maybe even five months? We haven't had another victory since, and the spoils on the ship are almost gone, not enough to exchange for sufficient supplies. We need another raid."
Henry could not refute this, but he had an excuse:
"It is a fact that the defenses of the major ports have become stronger, and even merchant ships are more vigilant and cunning, so we have no chance to make a move. The effects of the Battle of Chau Harbor have continued to this day, and the return of the Black Goat to the southern coast of the kingdom after many years has made those maritime merchants and nobles even more on edge, which is undoubtedly adding insult to injury for us."
Even worse, the pursuit by loyal dog Hubert Payton continues.
Even months later, Henry could still occasionally see that dog-headed boat following behind him.
Henry was helpless; he couldn't shake them off, and confronting them head-on was too risky.
Are hunting dogs really animals that will never turn back until they have killed their prey completely?
Henry regretted not having paid more attention before, and now he could only sigh in vain.
Upon hearing this, Benson said:
"But if that's the case, boss, if you don't intend to plunder, then why did you spend so much money to purchase longbows? If you had kept that money, it would probably have been enough for us to get through this winter."
At this moment, the seagull was carrying more than thirty longbows and more than five thousand arrows.
These weapons were enough to hold out a small fortress for more than half a month, while the Soaring was just a two-masted sailing ship.
Preparing weapons was naturally for the purpose of starting a war, and Henry was no exception.
But he couldn't tell Benson his plans directly yet.
Only by compressing the pirates' thinking time can we instill in them the determination to die before they become fully rational.
Henry then explained:
"Soaring is a seagull."
"Yes, boss."
"Benson, do you know anything about seagulls?"
"Of course, I'm neither stupid nor blind. Seagulls are white or gray seabirds. I've heard that on the other side of the Flameheart Sea, there are also blue seagulls. Seagulls frequent beaches and harbors, and sometimes they rest on boats."
Benson suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the top of the mast.
"Look, boss, two of them have landed on our crossbeams."
Henry stared for a moment, then his voice slipped from the tip of his throat:
"Seagulls may look beautiful, but they are treacherous and despicable. They soar in the sky, overlook pedestrians on the ground, and once they have spotted their target, they swoop down and snatch food or glittering objects from the hands of humans."
Benson seemed quite moved; he spat and then said:
"It makes me angry just thinking about it. I once bought a venison sausage from Capello Forest at the port, and it was coated with a thick layer of honey. That kind of thing is hard to find by the sea. I was looking forward to enjoying it when a seagull suddenly swooped down and snatched my sausage away. I was so angry that I threw stones at it all the way, but it all came to nothing."
Henry laughed a few times, then asked:
"Don't you think pirates are just like seagulls?"
These words caused Benson to remain silent for a few seconds, then he nodded:
"In that sense, there are some similarities. Plundering is about stealing other people's food, and pirates love gold even more than seabirds."
Henry scoffed:
"But a seagull is still just a seagull. No matter how it tries to package itself, it can only snatch scraps."
"Boss, what do you want to say?" Benson asked, frowning.
"There are other birds at sea, such as eagles. Eagles are fierce, and they don't bother with humans to steal food, but they will hunt seagulls. If an eagle encounters a seagull, what will happen, Benson, can you imagine?"
Benson shook his head at Henry's question, while Henry continued.
"The eagle will not only seize the seagulls' spoils, but the seagulls themselves will also become its food. Think about it, Benson, isn't the eagle far more impressive than the seagull? If Matim once trained you into a group of qualified seagulls, then I, as the new octopus, will evolve you into eagles!"
After hearing Henry's words, Benson's eyes widened, his face filled with shock:
"Boss, could it be that you're planning to...?"
"Yes," Henry nodded.
"You're preparing a longbow and arrows, also for the same reason..."
"Yes," Henry nodded.
"The coastal nobles of the Kingdom of Judian are hardly easy targets, so few pirate groups make a living in these waters. Boss, I want to confirm, do you have a target?"
"certainly."
"Who is it?"
"Since I became an octopus, have I ever seen any other pirate ships?"
Benson was clearly shocked; his pupils trembled, and he remained speechless for a long time.
After recovering a little, he stammered:
"But, boss, that's the Black Goat! Every pirate has heard of its legendary reputation. Calling it the king of the seas is no exaggeration. You want to plunder it... no, no! To challenge it? That's like a moth flying into a flame!"