Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 412 Hospitality and Spoils
The terrain of Qiaoyan Island was not as precipitous as Xia Nan had initially thought.

The towering, rugged, dark brown rock walls are located in the north of the island, gradually gradation towards the south, and finally opening up near the sea, forming a large natural rocky plateau.

Qiaoyan Village is located in this place.

The surrounding cultivated areas consist of thin soil composed of seabird droppings and decaying plants, where salt-tolerant and wind-resistant crops are grown. The houses are mostly built of dark brown rocks from the island, with thick stone walls filled with clay in the gaps, and roofs covered with dried hay bales and charred ship planks.

To the south of the plateau, the flattest piece of land is covered with densely packed wooden frames, laden with cod and herring, filling the air with a strong, pungent fishy smell; further ahead is an old, small dock, where several simple fishing boats bob on the waves.

As the Black Gull sailed from the north of Cliff Rock Island to the south and gradually approached dock, a large crowd was already waiting at the pier.

The leader was a short, stocky, and weathered man.

Fifty years old, or perhaps in her early thirties?
On the open sea, weathered by wind and sun, his dark, rough skin bears the marks of the sea breeze, with particularly noticeable hollows around his eyes and nasolabial folds, making it impossible to determine his exact age from his appearance alone.

He was only five feet four inches tall, but his body was very broad and thick, with firm and strong muscles under his skin. His fingers were wider than those of ordinary people because he worked at sea for many years, and his hands seemed to be half a size longer than those of ordinary people on the mainland.

"Hello, I am Steven, the village chief of Cliff Village."

As Xia Nan and his group disembarked from the Black Gull, the man stepped forward and greeted them with a smile.

“I am Captain Gregory of the Black Gull. The cargo is all on board.” Gregory shook hands with the other party, his expression calm. “Have someone take inventory of it, and hurry up.”

"If there are no problems, we can start moving and unloading the goods."

“Of course, of course.” Seemingly sensing the slight urging in Gregory’s tone, Village Chief Steven nodded repeatedly, but did not ask why.

He turned his head and nodded to the two young-looking men behind him who had remained silent the whole time. The two men then took the forms and boarded the Black Gull under the guidance of the boatswain.

“It takes at least four or five days to drive from Suoyu Bay to our Qiaoyan Island. We really need your help this time.”

Village Chief Steven's smile was natural, but his eyes unconsciously darted towards the pirate ship next to the Black Gull, which was Xia Nan's spoils of war.

"It will probably take them a while to inventory the goods. Perhaps... if you don't mind, you can come to the village to rest for a bit. When night falls, we will prepare the most sumptuous dinner for you gentlemen."

Upon hearing this, Gregory hesitated slightly.

He couldn't help but turn his body slightly and exchange a glance with Xia Nan and the others who had also disembarked and arrived at the dock.

Seeing that there was no obvious objection, he nodded and gestured for the village chief to lead the way.

Although the quest discovered on the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" pirate ship had already revealed that Cliff Isle was currently being invaded by some unknown monster.

Furthermore, they had discussed with Xia Nan and the others that they would not stay on the island for an extended period of time.

However, it is unrealistic to keep every crew member on the Black Gull throughout the entire process.

On the one hand, as a member of the crew, we need to disembark and communicate with the residents on the island to move cargo, replenish supplies, and carry out temporary repairs. The whole process may take one to two days, so complete isolation is not possible.

On the other hand, although they are all experienced veterans, they can theoretically endure a voyage that lasts for dozens of days without seeing each other, but the premise is that they are at sea the whole time and there is no opportunity to land.

Now that we've finally reached our destination, if we don't allow the crew to relax properly, it could lead to excessive stress and negatively impact the overall atmosphere on the ship.

I had already told every crew member to be careful on the island and not to go out alone.

The village chief is extending a warm invitation, and since I'm just staying in the village, there's no need to refuse.

Leaving some crew members behind to help inventory the cargo and guard the ship, the group followed Chief Steven into the small village on this remote island.

The layout of buildings in Qiaoyan Village is very simple.

At the very center is a small plaza with a smooth cobblestone surface, and in the center of the plaza is the heart of the entire Cliff Village—a cold spring that has never run dry.

A wooden shed was built above the well, with dozens of leather water bags hanging from the edges. Several simply dressed peasant women were drawing water while cautiously watching Xia Nan and the others, and their whispers could be faintly heard.

There are no functional buildings such as shops, blacksmith shops, or general stores; all the houses in the village are residential buildings for the villagers.

The so-called church was nothing more than a simple shed built of rough rocks and wood, with an interior space that could only accommodate thirty or forty people; the altar was made of several smooth, dark rocks, with some complex, primitive, and strange patterns carved on it.

The village holds weddings, funerals, and daily prayers before going out to sea here.

To be honest, Qiaoyan Village is just a remote village that is the most common and ordinary among the countless islands in the south.

It has neither any valuable local specialties nor any memorable natural landscapes.

Even the local customs and traditions are nothing special.

Of course, perhaps this is precisely why this small island, despite being only five days' voyage from the bustling Suyu Bay, remains as impoverished and desolate as it is today.

It was early morning, and there was still a whole day before the dinner that Village Chief Steven had mentioned.

Perhaps hoping to take this opportunity to promote Cliff Rock Village to the Black Gull crew, the village chief led the group toward the town center while enthusiastically introducing them to various aspects of the village.

This includes, but is not limited to, fishermen with years of maritime experience, whales that occasionally appear near the islands in winter, and the central square that is about to be renovated...

Xia Nan followed behind the other person.

Listen carefully to Steven's explanation and absorb any information that may be helpful to you.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, he subconsciously turned his head.

In front of a bungalow, a thin girl of about fifteen or sixteen, with coarse hair like weeds, was watching the strangers walking towards the center of the village with curious eyes.

In his thin hands, he was holding a small, miniature fishing net-like object, as if he were weaving something.

Seeing Xia Nan looking over, the girl quickly lowered her head shyly, her hands moving faster as she dared not look any further.

Noticing Xia Nan's actions, Steven, who was leading the group at the front, took the opportunity to introduce them:
"The Haiyun Festival is just over three months away, and every household in the village has already started making preparations."

"After all, it's a major festival that only comes once every three years, and very few people are willing to miss it."

“I remember last time, two families from our Qiaoyan Village took advantage of the ten days or so before the festival to go to Suoyu Bay with a passing caravan and participate in the Haiyun Festival celebration there.”

"They said that during the festival, the air was filled with the aroma of food and drinks, and even the homeless on the street could fall asleep with full bellies. I wonder if it's true." "Haha, although it's not that exaggerated, but..." Although Gregory was calm and collected, he had already completed most of the mission and was relaxed. After being flattered like that, he immediately became talkative and chimed in.

Turning his gaze away, Xia Nan looked at the two people chatting and laughing in front of him, but a sense of pressure unconsciously rose in his heart.

With more than three months to go until the Ocean Rhyme Festival, it means that I must seize the opportunity to participate in the "Moon Tide Feast" in the next hundred days.

Only in this way could he find "Algae Scale" Dodd, who had attacked Lelo Morton, and use that as a starting point to search for clues about the key to the [Dream Corridor].

The good news is that, at least so far, his plan is progressing smoothly.

After this mission is completed, as agreed, Hera, the owner of the Three-Legged Seal Tavern, will introduce him to a way to attend the Moonlit Feast.

At the same time, his reputation among the adventurers in Barracuda Bay should also improve, laying a good foundation for reaching the point where the organizers of the Moonlit Feast will take the initiative to invite him.

With two lines advancing simultaneously and supporting each other, the success rate of the plan should be maximized.

While pondering this in their hearts, the Black Gull crew had unknowingly been led by Steven to their destination.

It is the only two-story building in the entire Qiaoyan Village.

It is a place used by the village to entertain guests, and of course, it is also the residence of the village chief's family under normal circumstances.

Knowing that it would take about five days to travel from Suyu Bay to Qiaoyan Island, they had already made preparations based on the time.

In addition, Steven dawdled along the way from the dock to the village center, which added a little extra time.

Even though it was still morning, the dining table in the living room was already full of food and drinks.

Limited by the economic conditions of Cliff Village itself, the dishes on the table were certainly not comparable to the luxurious set meals at the Three-Legged Seal Tavern that cost two or three silver coins, but they were clearly all that this remote village could afford.

The belly is stuffed with a small amount of freshly grilled cod seasoned with scallions and garlic, a bacon platter, limpets and shrimp, crispy sea cabbage root slices grown on the island, and even a large piece of marinated whale meat...

It was clear that the villagers had made careful preparations to welcome the Black Gull crew.

Unfortunately, since I'm not a professional chef and lack spices and seasonings, the taste was ultimately a bit lacking.

In addition, Xia Nan had already drunk the seafood soup made by the halfling Alton for breakfast before disembarking, so she wasn't too hungry.

He only ate a few bites before putting down his spoon.

In contrast, the other crew members seemed excited and overjoyed.

For them, being able to stand firmly on the ground after a long period of life at sea was something to celebrate, and the dishes on the table were obviously much more plentiful than the food on the ship.

Taste and such have long become unimportant in today's lively atmosphere.

The crew members, including a few from the "Silver Claw Osprey" team, were enjoying this rare moment of leisure during a break in their mission.

Seeing the lively atmosphere, Alden even took out his small and exquisite lute and played a sailor's tune that was widely popular in the Southern Islands, which made the crew cheer.

Some even held a wine glass in one hand and started dancing.

As a newcomer, Xia Nan didn't have the same profound feelings as the sailors, and his personality wasn't as outgoing as the short guy's, so he couldn't fit in.

But not wanting to spoil the fun for the others, she simply wiped her mouth, quietly got up, and went outside.

There, Steven, the village chief of Cliff Rock Village, was squatting by the wall, watching the figures of people coming and going at the dock in the distance, counting and moving goods.

Upon seeing Xia Nan emerge from the room, the weathered-looking man paused in surprise, then abruptly stood up, his voice tinged with caution:
"What's wrong, sir? Is the food not to your liking? I'll be right there..."

Xia Nan waved his hand, interrupting the other person.

"Thank you for your hospitality. The food was delicious. I just came out for some fresh air."

Upon hearing this, Steven visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good……"

As the village chief of Qiaoyan Village, his experience and ability to judge people are arguably the most extensive in the entire village.

Almost the moment the Black Gull crew disembarked, they noticed the young man with short, black hair.

On the one hand, it was naturally because of his full armor and the attire of a seasoned adventurer;

On the other hand, it was also because Steven observed that although he seemed to be a few steps behind Captain Gregory, he was actually subtly positioned as the core of the entire team.

Even the other adventurers in the group, including the orc who was as big as a shark, vaguely regarded him as the center.

Steven estimated in his mind that this overly young adventurer must be the strongest crew member in the entire fleet, otherwise no one could have performed like this.

This made him secretly increase the level of importance he placed on Xia Nan, placing him on par with, or even above, Gregory.

It's rare to have an opportunity to be alone with someone.

Steven stood at the doorway, chatting idly with the other person, his heart pounding and his body tense. He subtly steered the conversation to the strait near the dock, on a single-masted sailing ship that was clearly several sizes smaller than the cargo ship, and probed indirectly:
"I'm so sorry, is it because we've ordered too much cargo this time that one ship can't deliver it all?"

"Please rest assured, if so, Qiaoyan Village will definitely make up for your transportation costs, not a single copper coin will be owed!"

Xia Nan has an exceptionally keen sense of perception.

Without even needing to think carefully, the moment Steven's words entered Xia Nan's ears, the subtle fluctuations in his tone and the unconscious little movements of his body made Xia Nan realize that there was something else behind his words.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, making no attempt to hide anything, and shook his head, answering quite frankly:

"That pirate ship?"

"No, it's just my spoils of war."

(End of this chapter)