24: Arrived safely

Three days later, at Pier 3 of Tianhai City.

The newly purchased large cargo sailboat and the two original medium-sized cargo ships were filled. On and off the ships, it was a scene of busy activity.

Linn stood on the pier's boarding bridge, calmly watching the final stage of loading supplies.

Boxes of heavy weapons and equipment were carefully carried onto the ships, counted and received by Ocean personally leading the team, then stored deep in the cargo holds and strictly guarded.

The 2000 bewildered Slaves, consisting of 1500 male Slaves and 500 female Slaves, were guided by Hogan and the soldiers of the Second Squad to board the three cargo ships in an orderly manner.

Most of them were in rags, but their physical condition was passable; this was the result of Linn's special request—he needed subjects who could immediately engage in labor, not sick people who would require large amounts of food and medicine to treat.

Five blacksmiths and five shipbuilders were separately arranged on the "sea wave"; they would share the ship with Linn and enjoy slightly better treatment than the ordinary Slaves, which also indicated the importance Linn placed on their skills.

Not far away, a mercenary squad of about ten people was particularly eye-catching.

They were well-equipped, with fierce expressions, and their movements had a disciplined order, forming a sharp contrast with the busy soldiers and numb Slaves around them.

The leader was a burly middle-aged man with a thick brown curly beard. He stood with his arms crossed, his eyes scanning the surrounding environment and people passing by like a hawk. He was none other than the leader of the Mad Lion Mercenary Group, a Gold Initial Rank Knight—Merckdor.

Elise quietly came to Linn's side and whispered, "Sir, Captain Merckdor has confirmed that he and his members have all boarded the ship. They are mainly responsible for maintaining vigilance during the voyage and intervening when threats are encountered."

Linn nodded slightly. Hiring a Gold Knight and his team for three hundred gold coins—after seeing Merckdor in person, he felt the expense was worth it. With this powerhouse in charge, they had enough confidence, at least when facing average-sized pirates.

"All supplies and personnel have been counted, we are ready to set sail, Sir." Ocean walked over quickly and reported in a deep voice.

Linn took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the fully loaded fleet, and finally looked towards the direction of the Storm Sea Region.

"Depart!"

Following his order, flag signals were raised. The three sailboats successively cast off their moorings and raised their sails, slowly sailing away from the bustling port of Tianhai City.

The fleet entered the vast sea again. Compared to the journey here, the fleet was larger and more heavily loaded, so the speed was naturally a bit slower. But with the protection of the Merckdor mercenary group, the crew and soldiers felt much more at ease.

Linn spent most of his time in the breath of life, eager to become a Third-level Apothecary. With the support of level three potion, his strength would grow rapidly. He occasionally walked out to the deck to get some fresh air. Sometimes he would have brief exchanges with Merckdor. This mercenary captain didn't talk much, but he was experienced and knew the common risk points on the edge of the Storm Sea Region like the back of his hand, offering several useful suggestions.

The voyage was quite smooth at first, with fair weather and calm seas. However, just two days after the fleet entered the Storm Sea Region, the sailor on the watchtower sounded an alarm.

"Ships spotted ahead on the starboard side! Number: three... no, five! They are smaller ship types, very fast, and are approaching us!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense. Ocean immediately ordered the soldiers to enter a state of alert. Ocean and Hogan also directed the soldiers of the Second Squad to line up on the deck, brandishing their cold, gleaming weapons.

Linn and Merckdor arrived at the bow almost simultaneously. Merckdor squinted and looked out for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "They are pirate ships. Judging by their style and speed, they look like the 'Hyenas' common in this area. They aren't large, but they are very annoying. They probably saw that our ships are large and ride deep in the water, and want to try their luck."

The five speedboats were like sharks smelling blood, flanking in a fan shape. Their sails were painted with hideous patterns, and one could vaguely see moving figures on the ships and the cold light reflected from weapons.

"Do you need my men to intervene?" Merckdor looked at Linn, his tone indifferent, as if dealing with such riffraff was easy.

Linn shook his head, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "No need to trouble yourself, Captain. It's a good chance to let the new recruits see some blood. Ocean!"

"Here, Sir!" Ocean immediately replied.

"Order the 'sea wave' and the 'Raging Waves' (the other medium-sized cargo ship) to seize the windward position, and prepare the crossbows! Tell Hogan to let them get close before firing, and focus on their sails and rudders! We want to repel them, not annihilate them; letting them know when to retreat is enough!" Linn quickly issued the instructions.

"Yes!"

The order was quickly conveyed. The two escort cargo ships began to adjust their course. Although the soldiers on board were a bit nervous, under the reprimands of the officers, they quickly operated the Ballistae and longbows mounted on the ship's sides.

The pirate ships were getting closer and closer, and one could already hear the strange cries and provocative whistling coming from the other side.

"Fire!"

Following Ocean's order, several thick crossbow bolts shot toward the two leading pirate ships with shrill whistling sounds. At the same time, a rain of arrows also covered them.

"Puchi!" "Crack!"

A crossbow bolt accurately hit the mainmast of the lead ship. Wood chips flew, and a large part of the sail was torn, causing that ship's speed to immediately slow down. The side of another pirate ship was also hit by a crossbow bolt, opening a large hole, and seawater began to pour in. The arrow rain caused casualties among several pirates.

The pirates clearly didn't expect this seemingly clumsy merchant fleet to possess such powerful long-range weapons and well-trained soldiers. Their arrogant momentum was halted, and their formation fell into chaos.

It had to be said that Ocean was very diligent in training his Second Squad of soldiers, perhaps because his dream of conquering the sea and becoming the Pirate King was still burning.

Just then, a powerful aura soared into the sky from the "sea wave". Although Merckdor did not take action, he deliberately released the pressure belonging to a Gold Knight. That tangible pressure crossed the sea, making those pirates, who generally only had the physique of Apprentice Knights or even ordinary people, feel a wave of palpitations and suffocation.

"G...Gold Knight?!" The terrified voice of the pirate leader could be vaguely heard.

Seeing that they had kicked an iron plate, the pirates had no more Battle Intent. The remaining three intact pirate ships hurriedly turned around, not even bothering to rescue their companions, and fled desperately into the distance. The two damaged pirate ships also struggled to keep up, but their speed was far from what it used to be.

Linn did not order a pursuit, just coldly watching the pirate ships disappear from his field of vision.

"Clean up the battlefield and continue sailing." He ordered calmly.

This brief skirmish not only tested the combat effectiveness of the new equipment and soldiers, but more importantly, the news of Merckdor's presence would likely spread through this small sea area via the mouths of the fleeing pirates. This reduced many potential troubles for the fleet's subsequent voyage.

After this battle, the fleet did not encounter any decent obstacles again. After sailing for another seven or eight days, the familiar outline of Iron Sand Island finally appeared on the horizon.

Looking at the island in the distance that carried his hope and future, a surge of heroic spirit rose in Linn's heart. This time, what he brought back was no longer just a struggle for survival, but the cornerstone for the true rise of Iron Sand Island.

The fleet slowly sailed toward the simple yet significant port on the east coast of the island. On the pier, Clay, Morton, and others who had received the news were already looking forward to it. When everyone saw the Slaves and supplies on the ships, they were greatly surprised! They didn't know how Linn had managed such a scale of procurement.

"Knight Linn," Merckdor stepped forward, "You and your fleet have arrived safely, and it is time for us to leave."

Linn took out the gold coins that had been allocated from the magic bag and handed them to Merckdor. "Here is 320 gold coins. The extra 20 are my personal thanks to the Mad Lion Mercenary Group. I hope we have more cooperation in the future."

Merckdor did not refuse and took the gold coins. He said goodbye to Linn, stepped onto a small boat, and began his return journey.

Under the command of Clay and Morton, the supplies and Slaves on the three cargo ships began to disembark in an orderly manner.

"After you finish transferring and counting all the goods and Slaves, everyone gather at the meeting room."

"Yes, Sir!"