The Mighty Dragons Are Dead

“Tighten the braces!”

“Keep downwind, heading downwind!”

“Prepare to lower the sails!”

“Oar room, row on the port side!”

“Raise the fore-and-aft sail!”

The waves gently undulated across the sea as the Fresh Flower Vessel slowly sailed with the current, intermittently stopping, circling, or turning. Captain Kostor’s voice, with the effect of a loudspeaker, continuously rang out over the entire ship, issuing various commands. Twelve sailors busied themselves in a frenzy, controlling the large ship.

Considering the size and tonnage of the Fresh Flower Vessel, twelve sailors were simply not enough to operate it; the full complement was thirty sailors.

The tasks meant for thirty people were being carried out by merely twelve youths, all novices at that, so the pressure was imaginable. Consequently, the ship’s voyage was intermittent, never able to smoothly head towards the target.

But regardless.

Under the command and instruction of Kostor, the Fresh Flower Vessel still managed to sail north, bumpily along the coastline, towards the dock area. Half a day later, the instructional voyage successfully reached its destination.

This was a rocky beach.

The Fresh Flower Vessel moored briefly in the bay for a lunch break, while also taking the opportunity to train the sailors in swimming lessons.

“The coast is not as people say, with sea monsters eating humans; this is not the habitat of sea monsters! Sea monsters live in the deep sea, and coastal voyages hardly ever encounter them… Of course, with bad luck, even sunbathing on the shore could end with a sea monster crawling over to devour you.”

Kostor tried to dispel the Sailor Apprentices’ fear of deep waters, but his rhetoric was clearly inadequate, making them even more afraid to enter the water.

Swimming at the beach could cause them half a day’s nervousness, let alone this Deepwater Bay.

“Captain, we already know how to swim,” a Sailor Apprentice said softly in defense.

“Is deep water the same as shallow water? Absolutely not, you need to overcome your fear of the azure seawater; it could save your lives at a critical moment!”

“How is that possible? We are on the ship; we would definitely not run into the water for no reason.”

“Idiots! While sailing on the ocean, sea waves often sweep sailors overboard into the sea. If you can’t swim, you won’t even have the time to wait for rescue!”

“But, captain, I am just here to be a Sailor Apprentice, I have no plans to go out to sea.”

“You have no such plans, then why are you learning to sail? Do you think I, Kostor, am easy to fool?!” Kostor suddenly became furious, pointing at the Sailor Apprentice’s nose and bellowing, “I am appointed by Lord Landlord as the captain of the Fresh Flower Vessel, and in the future, I will sail out to trade for the Lord Landlord. You are the first batch of sailors! You might fool me, but do you dare fool the Lord Landlord?”

The Sailor Apprentices nodded timidly in agreement.

They felt as though they had boarded a pirate ship.

Kostor also gave up on trying to persuade them with kind words, and instead threatened them directly, “I have been given full authority by the Lord Landlord to be responsible for all maritime affairs, and the Lord Advisor of Fresh Flower Town must cooperate with me. Remember, anyone who dares to evade or disobey my commands, I will hand you over to Lord Karl’s Patrol Team!”

Hearing the name of the Patrol Team, the youths became even more frightened.

The Lord Landlord was indeed noble and untouchable, but it was said he was the embodiment of kindness, so they were not afraid, only awestruck. However, the Patrol Team had an illustrious reputation for fierceness—Liszt always wanted to build the Patrol Team to be a police station with the motto “police and citizens as one family,” but it was hopeless.

The existence of physical punishments like flogging ensured that fear was inevitable.

Karl was meticulous in enforcing the regulations, repaying the Lord Landlord’s trust by lashing at any commoner who made a mistake.

No mercy was shown with the whip.

Thus, mention of the Patrol Team made people change color with fear.

Seeing the expressions on the boys’ faces, Kostor was quite pleased. Having swung the big stick, he now began to dangle the carrot, “Don’t be afraid of the sea. The sea and the land are the same. We can farm on land, so we can sail on the sea. Going out to sea is the best decision you’ve ever made. Beyond the sea lies endless wealth, and women with huge chests and even bigger butts!”

“Really… are there really women with big butts?” a boy overcame his fear and swallowed hard.

“Of course. I once visited an island that had just ended a war, where women stood in lines, and everyone could take their pick. I chose a woman with the biggest butt…” Kostor said, reminiscing.

“And then what, Captain?”

“Then?”

“Yeah, Captain, what happened next with that big-bottomed woman?”

“Later,” Kostor licked his lips, “I gave her three copper coins when in fact, two would’ve been enough for a comfortable night. But I gave her one extra copper coin. Those towering peaks provided an unparalleled experience. I swear they could bury your head inside and suffocate you!”

Kostor gestured a large circle with his hands.

A very large circle.

So large that it left the boys speechless.

Gulp.

Gulp.

The boys swallowed hard, one after another.

“Alright, break’s over. Time for lessons, lads! If you want a woman with surging waves, then learn well following my instructions. Once you become qualified sailors, you too can spend two copper coins for a marvellous night! Now, jump into the water, swim!”

The boys suddenly overcame their fear.

They rushed into the sea, crying out excitedly.

Kostor took a wooden flask out of his bosom, uncorked it, and savored a sip—he knew what these boys wanted, after all, he’d been young once too.

After a sip of liquor, he returned to the captain’s quarters and carefully took out a one-meter-long cylinder from a chest—this was the telescope that Lord Landlord had sent via a servant yesterday, fitting out the Fresh Flower Vessel with his very own telescope. It was this telescope that informed him of Lord Landlord’s view on sailing!

“He craves the sea more than any Noble!” Kostor felt his future was bright; a Noble who longed for the sea would undoubtedly support his voyage.

It was also for this reason that he had the confidence to go to the administration office and nag Lord Advisor Goltai relentlessly to reap benefits.

Cradling the telescope, he walked onto the deck.

The swaying deck was, to him, steadier than land. He lifted the telescope to his eyes and began to look into the distance, where everything afar seemed to suddenly appear before him.

It was an amazing transformation, incredibly astonishing.

“Only such an exalted Noble as Lord Landlord could craft such a miraculous item!”

He observed the distant sea surface for a while, the thick smoke from Thorn Ridge, a few sea birds walking on the rocky beach, and then the sheer cliffs of the rocky mountains on the shore.

Suddenly.

His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed what appeared to be a cave on a cliff face washed by the sea at the rocky mountains, “A cave? The cliffs here aren’t high, could they have caves? Is that a rock cave? I seemed to have seen a sea bird flying out just now; could there be Sea Swallows?”

Sea Swallows are a type of gull that builds nests on seaside cliffs, and their eggs are highly sought after by Nobles.

To the extent that some Nobles would specifically send Serfs to risk their lives to collect Sea Swallow Eggs.

“Sea Swallow Eggs are an indispensable delicacy on the Noble’s table. If I discover a collective nesting place for Sea Swallows and offer it to Lord Landlord, he will surely be delighted, then reward me handsomely!” he felt the excitement growing, “With that, I’ll have the money to attract more Sailor Apprentices!”