Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 452 Unexpected Mission
Fish Bay, Blue Clam Shipyard.

It was early morning, the sun was just rising, and a thin mist still shrouded the sea, but this shipyard, renowned in Suyu Bay, had already awakened.

On the slipway, the keel of a large ship under construction lies quietly, like the spine of a stranded whale, supported by countless thick wooden frames. The shipwrights, like cleaners enjoying the legacy of the whale fall, stand on the scaffolding beside the keel, axes and drills in their hands, scattering countless wood chips.

On the other side, a huge winch slowly turned with a creaking sound. A hemp rope, thicker than a child's arm, was taut and stretched straight out to the water, tied to the stern of a newly made boat that was about to be launched. The craftsmen on both sides looked expectant and serious as they carefully observed the boat's entry into the water.

On the southernmost side of the shipyard, near the sea, the former "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" has been moved from the dock to this location.

Its overall shape hasn't changed much from three days ago; it's still low and slender, clearly indicating that the renovation process hasn't started yet.

However, the detailed renovation plan and the parts that need to be addressed have already been planned in the past few days.

Having just finished his morning exercise and taken a shower in his hotel room, Xia Nan, his black, tousled hair still slightly damp, stood on the wooden frame next to the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," examining the pirate ship that was about to undergo renovation.

Hera introduced this "Blue Clam Shipyard" to him, saying it was one of the top shipyards in the entire Barracuda Bay. Xia Nan himself had also inquired about it with adventurers in the tavern, and it was indeed true. Occasionally, even the Gulf Merchant Guild and the Governor's Mansion would send orders over.

Of course, this comes with shipbuilding costs that far exceed the market average.

If Xia Nan were to pay for it himself, even if he were willing, he would probably feel like he was bleeding money.

Fortunately, Baron Farrow paid for this expense.

He even used his status as a "licensed approver" and his relationship with the shipyard to put in a lot of effort for Xia Nan. Putting aside things like "jumping the queue" and raising the priority, he even invited several old shipwrights who were usually too busy to work, just to help Xia Nan modify the pirate ship.

Xia Nan had no idea how much all of this would cost.

However, if we add the hidden value of the Baron's network of connections, four figures in gold coins are definitely possible, and it could even be said that it slightly exceeds the amount needed to pay for the commission.

It must be admitted that, at least in the shipbuilding industry, or more specifically at Blue Clam Shipyard, you really do get what you pay for.

In just a few days, even Xia Nan, who previously knew nothing about ship modification, had a rough idea of ​​how to modify his pirate ship after being carefully explained by the experienced old shipwrights.

First, regarding the most important part of the ship, the hull.

The "Flying Fish Oil Barrel" was originally custom-made by its original owners, the "Oilman" Byrne and his crew. It has a low and slender hull with the gunwale very close to the water's surface, giving it an extremely low visibility profile while maintaining speed. It is a type of ship that combines speed and stealth.

It meets Xia Nan's needs, so there's no need to make too many changes.

Only the hull plates near the keel and bow that are severely worn due to long-term high-speed sailing and frequent beaching need to be replaced.

While we're at it, we also need to clean the barnacles from the bottom of the boat, carefully inspect all the seams of the hull planks, and smooth out any uneven areas to minimize resistance.

Then there are the figurehead and the ram.

As a pirate ship sailing on the vast ocean, the figurehead can be said to be the soul of the entire ship.

Previously, the Flying Fish Barrel did not have a figurehead; its ram was just a hard wooden block covered with iron, which was not aesthetically pleasing at all, and its battle-hardened appearance also reduced its practicality.

Xia Nan definitely needs to be replaced.

However, he is still considering what form the figurehead should take.

The main considerations were whether to make the figurehead more distinctive, like the design on a pirate flag, so that others could recognize its identity at a glance; or to completely abandon the appearance and focus only on practicality, increasing the difficulty of identification.

Prioritizing practicality is certainly fine, but on this ocean, having a certain level of fame, like the nickname "The Hague" that is gradually gaining traction among adventurers, can help Xia Nan avoid many unnecessary troubles.

To put it simply, if I really make a name for myself in the Southern Islands, pirates would probably run away as soon as they see my ship and wouldn't dare to approach.

We still need to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.

Finally, there were a series of miscellaneous and tedious issues with the Flying Fish Oil Barrel, including mast maintenance, sail upgrades, rigging replacements, and internal space optimization.

Once this whole system is in place, the Flying Fish Oil Barrel will be completely transformed.

At that time, Xia Nan thought he would personally name his first seagoing vessel.

What should we call him?

It doesn't need to be too flashy; simplicity is better.

Considering his current titles "Grey Sword" and "The Hague," perhaps he could be called...

Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.

The sound of the voice taking effect made Xia Nan turn around and look in the direction from which it came.

Just then, Druid Hein entered the shipyard and strode quickly toward him.

"You're up way too early. You don't look like an adventurer at all. Hera said you've already finished your morning training?"

Such a self-disciplined "freak" as Xia Nan is not common even among professionals who have already achieved considerable success, and even rarer if the scope of reference is expanded to the entire adventurer community.

Having finally withstood immense pressure and overcome countless dangers to return safely, and reaped a substantial mission reward, indulging a little is perfectly normal.

To some extent, compared to the card table and alcohol, sleeping in is the most rigorous way to relax.

But to be honest, Xia Nan didn't find this lifestyle painful at all; he had gotten used to such a regular life after transmigrating.

Right now, he would rather sleep until noon every day or squander money at the card table than sleep.

Of course, he wasn't some emotionless training machine; he often felt pressure in various situations.

It's just that Xia Nan has her own unique way of relieving stress.

And it is very effective.

He knew that Hein wouldn't come to see him so early for no reason; she must have something to tell him.

Xia Nan nodded to the other party.

"What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing important, I just came to let you know." The druid stopped six steps away from Xia Nan, explaining, as the silver and black bracelet on his right wrist unconsciously tightened in protest.

"The fleet has a new commission, and the departure date is three days from now." "Remember to use this time to make some preparations, so as not to cause any delays."

"So fast?"

Xia Nan was surprised.

After all, when she first met their captain, Lorraine, three days ago, the female captain with long red curly hair had told her that she would rest in town for a while before setting sail.

Unexpectedly, only three days later, a new plan emerged.

"Hmm..." Hein's expression was a little strange in response to Xia Nan's question. It was obviously something unexpected for her. "It seems that Captain Lorraine found something that interested her on the black market a couple of days ago. After further investigation, she decided to go deeper and took on another commission near the destination."

"I'm not entirely sure myself. If you're interested, you can ask the captain when we get back to the tavern."

Now that I've become a temporary member of "Blade of Vengeance," it's only natural that I participate in the mission as part of the team.

With the "Moon Tide Feast" taking place three months from now, Xia Nan was very concerned about his future career as a sailor.

Besides, he really hasn't had much to do lately besides training. Whether it's the armor forging of [Pearl Spinning] or the modification and overhaul of the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," there's still a long time to wait.

They are not opposed to going out to do missions.

“Okay, I understand.” Nodding to indicate that she understood, Xia Nan asked the druid in front of her, “Do you know the specifics of the mission and the destination?”

Out of caution, and in order to be as prepared as possible, he naturally needed to learn some detailed information about the mission first.

"The mission details... I just woke up this morning and was still a bit groggy, so I didn't quite understand. I'll ask the captain when we get back to the tavern."

Shaking her head somewhat embarrassedly, Hein gave an awkward smile.

"But I did hear the destination clearly, they said we were going to something..."

"Twin oceans?"

……

……

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

It was still early morning, and the Polang Wharf was as bustling as ever.

Seagulls cried out as they circled high in the sky, their cries mingling with the shouts of fishmongers, and the air was thick with the smell of fish.

Fully armed, Xia Nan walked on the dock, accompanied by Alton, a halfling who was also ready to go.

It's worth mentioning that, compared to the previous set of studded leather armor used as a transition, and learning from the lessons of the battle with the Shark Gang, Xia Nan spent over a hundred gold coins to buy a new set of plate and chainmail armor of decent quality from a reliable blacksmith shop recommended by Hera, thus increasing his margin for error in battle.

There was no other way; the enchanted equipment he commissioned [Pearl Spinning] to forge was not yet complete, and he was about to embark on a sea adventure, so he had to spend some money to buy equipment.

I remember when I was shopping at the blacksmith's shop, Hera mentioned to me that she had some ways to rent instead of buy, and all I had to do was pay a deposit. I could get the items back after I finished the quest.

However, considering his high chance of armor breakage, Xia Nan knew that even if he paid the deposit, he would most likely not get it back, so he declined the other party's offer and directly paid for a brand new set.

Fortunately, the two enchanted armor pieces from the Pearl Spinning tailor shop have finally entered the formal production process after the shop owner, a sea elf hybrid with a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism, completed a rather complicated design and preparation process.

Considering the time required for this mission's round trip, Xia Nan should be able to wear his two new pieces of equipment the next time he returns to Suoyu Bay.

Therefore, he had already paid a deposit of 1000 gold to the half-elf.

After factoring in Xia Nan's current bank savings, along with the spoils from the Shark Gang's raids, pre-trip supplies, and daily expenses, he still has 1932 gold, 6 silver, and 5 copper coins remaining.

Still plentiful.

The "Blade of Vengeance" was not hard to find; Hein had led Xia Nan to the dock location a few days earlier.

In less than five minutes, a three-masted sailing ship, much larger than the "Flying Fish Oil Barrel," appeared before the two men.

Clearly, it had also undergone special modifications. The Blade of Vengeance was wider and had a deeper draft than other sailing ships of its type, which helped it sail more steadily in storms and was also large enough to carry the odds and ends that the fiery captain had collected during the mission.

The ship's hull was an extremely deep brownish-red, like blood that had been congealed for a long time. Only when the sun shone directly on it and you squinted could you see the faint blood-red hue underneath, which was almost exactly the same as Lorraine's eye color.

Three masts stood tall, their sails folded up, and a black flag embroidered with two crossed, dripping blood scimitars fluttered in the wind at the highest point of the masts—the insignia of the "Blade of Vengeance" fleet.

The figurehead is a sea siren with outstretched arms.

The wood material is difficult to distinguish, and years of exposure to the wind and sun at sea have given its surface a mottled color, but it should be maintained regularly to keep the overall details intact.

The only thing that was blurred was the face of the siren on the figurehead, which faced the sea; only the outline of her features could be vaguely seen.

When Xia Nan first saw it, he thought it was damage that the ship had suffered during the last mission and hadn't had time to be repaired.

Only after Hein's explanation did they realize that the blurry face of the siren's figurehead was intentional on Lorraine's part from the very beginning of the design.

I remember the druid's original words at the time were: "Everyone has a different fear in their heart, and the captain wants her enemies to fill in that face themselves."

Originally, I just wanted to take a look at how the ships of famous adventurer teams were designed so that I could modify my own pirate ship later.

After hearing this brief introduction, Xia Nan, who had only recently joined the team, gained a general understanding of the "Blade of Vengeance" team's style and overall character.

It's not bad; it suits me quite well.

When Xia Nan arrived at the bottom of the ship, the preparations for the fleet's departure were basically completed, and the older of the twin warriors, Rein, was standing on the deck counting the number of crew members.

Like most adventurer teams in Barracuda Bay, "Blade of Vengeance" has a team structure of "professional" + "ordinary crew".

The former are relatively few in number and are the core of the entire ship; the latter mostly serve as sailors and help handle miscellaneous tasks.

Upon seeing Xia Nan and his companion on the dock, Haiyin, standing by the ship's railing, waved and greeted them.
"Get on board, we're ready to set sail!"

Raising its head to look at the sound, the first thing that caught its eye was a fluffy tail with dark brown spots, gently swaying in the air.

(End of this chapter)