Chapter 364
Chapter 364. Charge! A Reasonably Priced Small Passenger Ship
“—Captain! We found our prey!”
From the top of the mast, a subordinate on lookout shouted.
“Well done!!”
The lake pirate captain, Mules, wore a rather vulgar grin on his scruffy face, showing off his chipped front teeth.
“Alright, you guys! It’s time for some fun! Get into position!”
““Yeah!!””
At Mules’ command, around thirty subordinates took up their oars in the rowing seats. The pirate ship was a longboat characterized by its slender hull and a large sail on a single mast. When the wind blew, they would use the sail, but in calm weather or during raids, they would paddle with their oars to gain speed.
Thanks to its ability to navigate shallow waters and make sharp turns, it was perfect for attacking merchant and passenger ships.
“Let’s go!!”
Mules steered the ship while pounding the drums for a beat.
““On three!!””
In time with the beat, the subordinates began to paddle in unison, singing loudly.
“Ho! Ho!
We are Mules Ho! The Lake Pirate Gang!
Wandering, rootless water plants!
As the wind blows, we do as we please,
Stealing, killing, and laughing!”
“Ho! Ho! Mules Ho! The Lake Pirate Gang!
Gold, silver, treasures, delicious food!
As long as there’s booze, we’re in high spirits!
Snatch the ladies! Kill the men!”
“Ho! Ho! Mules Ho! The Lake Pirate Gang!
Where’s our prey!?
We’re right here!
Ho! Ho! Mules Ho! Mules Ho!”
—Blasting out their crude song while laughing, they would have been a nuisance to any audience, but at least they seemed to be having a good time.
All of them were drifters from the opposite shore of Aulitos Lake. Originally fishermen from the coast, they found it ridiculous to live a proper life after their village was ravaged by magical beasts or due to heavy taxes, and decided to take wealth from others to survive.
Roaming the coastal regions, they would raid reasonably sized small merchant and passenger ships – whether due to luck or Mules’ leadership, they had managed to survive without encountering any extermination teams or military until today.
“Just ahead…!”
Mules licked his lips while glaring at the direction of the approach.
“A beautiful two-masted sailing ship…!”
The prey was a graceful sailing ship measuring about 20 meters in length. It was larger than Mules’ pirate ship, meaning more crew, but it was a passenger ship.
At this time, due to a labor shortage at the Holy Church, that type of small vessel was unlikely to have a ship guardian aboard. Of course, strong sailors could be tough, and there might be escort warriors onboard, but unlike the passenger ship, the pirate crew, being all combatants, had the advantage in numbers.
The sailors were frantically running around the deck, seemingly trying to escape towards the shore as the schooner attempted to change direction. However, the rapid pivot revealing its stern appeared almost like it was enticingly shaking its rear.
“Haha! Slow and clumsy!”
Unsheathing a short curved sword that was easy to handle in battle, Mules mocked the desperate attempts of his prey. The sword shone wickedly in the bright summer sun—
Mules was able to lead thirty subordinates because he boasted extraordinary swordsmanship (for a pirate). As he dashed first toward the prey’s ship, cutting down guardians and sailors in swaths, he exuded a charisma strong enough to impress even the roughest of men.
“Captain! It’s not just the ship; there’s a pretty lady on board!”
The lookout shouted again in excitement.
The pirates, who had been paddling with all their might, couldn’t help but stop and look in the direction of the shout.
—Indeed, if they squinted, they could see a young girl wearing a straw hat standing on the schooner’s deck. Her skirt billowed in the wind that skimmed across the lake, revealing her slender, white legs.
The lake pirates cheered wildly.
“That’s a real catch!”
“Hehe, I can’t wait for this!”
“Hey there, miss! Want to have tea with us?”
The raucous words from the jokers drew crude laughter from the pirates.
Thinking about the fun to come, Mules couldn’t help but smirk.
And yet—
The girl on the deck glared at them, taking a deep breath as if preparing to scream.
(…What’s this? What does she intend to do?)
It looked like a prelude to a scream, but her expression was… what should I say, too stern, and it wasn’t clear what she was getting at.
In the moment that Mules had this thought, the next instant.
“—GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”
His vision turned completely white.
And that became the last thing Mules ever saw.
†††
“GYAAAAAAAHH!!”
“GUWAAAAHHHHH!”
“ADIYAAAAAA!!!”
The approaching pirate ship instantly turned into a hellish scene on the lake.
A massive beam of light released by Leila ignited the sails, and the mast burst into flames like a dry twig, causing the lookout at the top to become a human torch as he dove into the lake. Furthermore, the fire spread to the spare sails, tents, and torches that had been onboard, and the ship itself began to catch fire.
Of course, the crew was not spared either. Those who had been leering at Leila found their faces and eyes seared, and numerous others also ended up with their hair and clothes ablaze.
“Hero, what the heck is that…!?”
The catastrophic situation caused by the hero’s companion made the sailors thankful yet somewhat fearful. A fire onboard is a nightmare for all sailors…
“…She is, um, how do I put this…”
The hero, Alexander, scratched his head with a troubled look while sheathing the Holy Sword.
“She’s from a family that inherits a certain secret art—a powerful light mage… Just that her magic comes out of her mouth.”
—After that, the pirate ship continued to burn uncontrollably under the relentless “secret arts”.
The lake pirates, unable to withstand the flames, leaped overboard, only to be met with harpoons and arrows from the sailors, leading to their swift and utter annihilation.
