Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 403 "Silver-Clawed Osprey"

Colin has some ambition.

Having grown up in a remote mountain village far from towns, even though he hadn't received much education, he still had the idea of ​​leaving this small world and going out to make a living.

Perhaps some of these young people are not yet fully developed mentally; they are naive and immature, only seeing the bright future described by the bards, while ignoring the potential dangers lurking in the outside world.

But regardless, he bravely took the first step.

Taking advantage of the adventurer named "Xia Nan" passing through the village, they traveled together to "Shuyu Bay," the largest city in the surrounding area, to seek refuge with their uncle Paddy, whom they hadn't seen for many years.

His Uncle Paddy was very good to him.

Having worked hard in Suyu Bay for many years without starting a family, she treated Colin like her own son almost immediately after confirming his identity, buying him new clothes and arranging jobs for him, taking great care of him.

Colin had even heard Paddy say that if he spent the next few years getting to know the town's distribution channels and building up his connections, Paddy would hand over the "salmon roe" grocery store to him when Paddy retired.

Perhaps for the gentry in the White Cliff District, or for professional adventurers like Xia Nan, these small shops in the nooks and crannies are nothing special.

But for outsiders like Colin, who came from humble beginnings, a stable property located inside Barracuda Bay that could generate a steady income was, to some extent, the limit they could reach through their efforts. It was something that countless ordinary people working hard in the port, the laundry, and the stables had long dreamed of.

Colin was very grateful to his uncle for treating him this way, but in some ways, he felt that farming in the village was no different from running a grocery store in Barracuda Bay.

It's just a different, more elaborate-looking cage.

He knew, of course, that his ideas were too naive and might even seem ridiculous to many people.

But after all, he was just a teenager. Deep down, he still longed to become a powerful adventurer like Mr. Xia Nan. Even though he knew his talent was limited, he was afraid of death and battle. He had finally come to Suckerfish Bay. If he couldn't be an adventurer, he had to go to sea at least once.

His Uncle Paddy, however, was remarkably open-minded about this.

I know that every young person who has just arrived in Suoyu Bay has some unrealistic fantasies about their future.

Only real setbacks can bring them back to reality.

So, using his connections built up over many years in town, he managed to get Colin into a cargo ship that was about to set sail as a trainee sailor.

The flight is short and the route is relatively safe, so there is basically no danger.

The boredom and monotony of the high seas, coupled with the diverse and sometimes chaotic crew members within the confined space—a veritable mini-society—were enough to make him come to terms with reality.

Colin, of course, had no idea what he might be facing. Right now, he was panting and happily carrying cargo up and down the gangway, filled with anticipation for the seafaring life that was about to begin.

Until a familiar voice came from behind me.

"Mr. Xia Nan?" The boy looked at the adventurer walking towards him with surprise, clearly not expecting to see him in this place.

He quickly seemed to realize something, blinked, and exclaimed in surprise:
"So, the adventurer the captain mentioned a few days ago who joined the ship to help escort the goods is you?"

Having traveled for so many days from the village to Sucker Bay, he was well aware of the black-haired adventurer's strength and had long regarded him as his role model.

He was overjoyed to have the chance to spend time together with someone he never expected, and this made him even more excited for the voyage.

Xia Nan nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the man's coarse linen clothes, already soaked with sweat, and the heavy goods at his feet. With a hint of doubt, she asked:
"Why are you working at the docks? Where's your Uncle Paddy?"

"Hehe, I asked him to help me find a job as an apprentice sailor." Colin scratched his head a little embarrassedly, as if ashamed to mention his willfulness in front of Xia Nan. "I plan to work at sea for a while and see how it goes."

On the way to Suoyu Bay, Xia Nan had heard the other person mention his longing for life at sea, so he wasn't too surprised to see that the other person had actually become a sailor.

It just felt like a coincidence that we ran into each other again, so I chatted with them for a bit.

Just as I was about to ask the other party about the whereabouts of the "captain" they mentioned, a rough, hoarse male voice came down from the gangway.

"You two must be Mr. Xia Nan and Mr. Alton, right?"

The man walking briskly down the gangway was a middle-aged man in his forties with dark skin.

With his neat crew cut, the years of sea voyages exposed him to wind and sun, making him look more weathered than the average person. His broad palms were covered with calluses, the marks left by years of wrestling with cables and rudders.

Although as a captain, his income is much higher than that of ordinary seamen, he was not wearing any fancy clothes that reflected his status. Instead, he was wearing a slightly loose short shirt, which made him look quite simple, but also made him look more composed.

"I am Captain Gregory of the 'Black Gull'." The middle-aged man extended his hand to the two of them to show his respect for Xia Nan and his companion. "I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the future."

Xia Nan pulled Alton, who was squatting by the wooden railing at the dock, intently observing the seawater splashing on the wooden piles, back to his side. Xia Nan politely extended his hand and nodded in response.

"They should be setting off soon, right? Could you tell us about this Black Gull?"

“Of course!” Captain Gregory stepped aside, lowered his body slightly, and gestured for the others to proceed.

He then led Xia Nan and Alton up the gangway and introduced them to the cargo ship that was about to set sail.

As a standard-sized, medium-sized cargo ship commonly found at the docks, the Black Gull's interior space is just as simple and efficient as its unpretentious exterior.

It is mainly divided into several areas: the bottom hold, the main cargo hold, the deck, and the stern deck.

The bottom compartment, located at the very bottom of the ship, is covered with heavy ballast stones to stabilize the ship's center of gravity and ensure navigational stability; it also stores the heaviest and most moisture-resistant cargo.

As the name suggests, the main cargo hold stores the ship's main cargo and is also where most sailors rest—in the narrow area between the cargo or near the ship's side, straw mats or hammocks serve as "beds," with almost no personal belongings.

The deck, which covers the main cargo hold, is where the crew works daily and is also the busiest place on the entire ship, where routine maintenance, tarpaulin repairs, and processing of catches are all carried out.

As for the sterncastle, it is the highest point of the entire ship. The navigator usually observes the stars and determines the direction here; the captain and Xia Nan and the others have a high-class private compartment here; it also stores some expensive items such as nautical charts, navigation instruments, gold coins and crystal cards.

Although the Black Gull appears exceptionally large from the outside, once you ascend the gangway to its towering deck, even the crowds coming and going in the harbor below seem to shrink.

However, its interior space is basically filled with cargo, and there is almost no spacious area below the deck. Many narrow corridors can only accommodate one person at a time.

In this situation, the number of crew members on the Black Gull was far less than Xia Nan had imagined.

Even including senior command staff such as captains and navigators, the total number of personnel is only slightly over twenty.

“That’s enough,” Captain Gregory explained. “After all, you know that if we take one more person on board, we have to carry less cargo, and the brothers’ earnings will be less on average.”

"Twenty-odd people is just right. The shifts allow the sailors to get relatively sufficient rest while ensuring that there is someone on duty on board 24 hours a day."

"Even if they encounter dangers like pirates, with so many people piled up on the deck, they'll have to think twice before they see it."

Xia Nan remained silent, listening attentively to the captain's explanation while trying to absorb the nautical knowledge revealed in his words, preparing for his future solo voyages.

Unlike wilderness survival, in those remote and desolate places, he might be able to live very comfortably thanks to his professional physical qualities and combat skills. As long as he doesn't intentionally seek death, he doesn't have to worry about any danger.

But on the open sea, putting everything else aside, just finding a water source is a rather troublesome problem.

He thought he would take advantage of this valuable opportunity to spend time with experienced navigators and learn as much as he could about navigation.

Currently, the crew of the Black Gull is making final preparations before its departure.

The fresh water, low-alcohol ale, and large quantities of hard bread, beans, and cured and smoked meats that had been replenished several days earlier were carefully checked and confirmed.

Xia Nan even saw two goats responsible for providing fresh milk and several hens flapping their wings to supplement the eggs somewhere inside the cabin.

The fresh fruits and vegetables that had just been purchased from the market were carried up the gangway by the crew, box by box. In the first few days after leaving the port, these fruits and vegetables, which had not yet rotted, would greatly enrich the crew’s meals and provide the necessary vitamins and nutrients.

The boatswain, along with several meticulous crew members, carefully inspected essential but easily overlooked details, including mooring lines, cargo lashings, and hull pump rods, to prevent any errors or omissions.

The dark-skinned, composed middle-aged man, Captain Gregory, personally led Xia Nan and his companion on a tour of the ship, introducing them to the functional areas and main crew members of the Black Gull.

As they climbed the narrow wooden ladder back onto the deck, three more figures appeared near the gangway.

"By the way, let me introduce you two. These three are also escorts for this voyage."

"You can get to know each other better, so that it will be easier to cooperate if any unexpected situations arise."

Xia Nan followed the gaze and saw an adventurer team that perfectly fit the stereotypes people had of them.

Humans, half-elves, and an orc.

At the very front of the group, the human male who appeared to be the leader was about thirty years old, with short brown hair and a sharply defined face;

He wore a well-maintained, finely studded leather armor, covered by a dark green travel cloak, and had two short swords tucked into his belt, the hilts of which were wrapped in non-slip leather.

Slightly behind, the tall woman had sharp eyes, and her exceptionally fair skin and pointed ears peeking out from her light silver hair indicated that she was a half-elf.
A longbow made of yew wood emerged from behind it, its slender bowstring almost invisible in the sunlight.

The orc warrior at the very back of the group was nearly seven feet tall, a head taller than Xia Nan, who was close to 1.9 meters. His rock-like, bulging muscles were even more conspicuous against the backdrop of his short, narrow breastplate.

He carried a broad, shield-like, wildly-looking two-handed battle axe on his back, with tribal totem battle patterns engraved on the axe blade.

Two in the front row and one in the back row. There are no spellcasters, but they should all be professionals, with a professional level of around 2 to 3.

With his keen senses working silently, Xia Nan's dark eyes subtly swept over the three adventurers.

Based on the details observed and combined with his own experience, he had already made a fairly accurate judgment about the strength of these adventurers.

Not surprising.

Even before he received the commission from Hera, he knew from her that he and Alton were not the only two escorts on this voyage.

In a way, the two of them were actually "transfer students".

After all, for cargo missions like this, the cooperating ships and adventurer teams are determined half a month before the official departure, and sufficient time needs to be allowed for them to prepare.

Xia Nan and Alton were only assigned the mission three days ago due to special circumstances, and were added as temporary members.

He didn't quite understand why Hera had given them this escort mission even though she had already arranged for manpower.

After thinking about it, perhaps he wanted to use the commission to further test his abilities and credibility, in order to confirm that the investment he trusted would not be a waste?

Regardless, since the other party was willing to provide information about "Algae Scales" Dodd and introduce channels that might allow him to participate in the "Moonlit Feast" as payment, he decided to continue the mission as planned. With Lady Luck by his side, he shouldn't have too many concerns.

Upon seeing Captain Gregory leading Xia Nan and his companion out of the cabin, Xia Nan keenly noticed that the three adventurers before him did not look pleased.

The human captain and the half-elf behind him managed to restrain themselves slightly, but the resentment on the faces of the orcs in the same group was almost impossible to conceal.

Only when Gregory brought Shanan and Alton closer did the human male who appeared to be the leader force a stiff smile, take two steps forward, and greet them:

"Hello, I'm the captain of the 'Silver Claw Osprey' squad. Just call me 'Nick'."

(End of this chapter)