Chapter 2347 Drifting Woman <TOC> Chapter 2349 The Pigpen
Translator: SumTLMan
“Please no no——Captain, spare me, don’t, I’m scared——”
“Quiet down, shut your mouth. If you cause any misunderstandings, I’ll beat you to a pulp,” the burly captain growled, his voice harsh though his grip slightly loosened.
Dragging the still whimpering thin man, he pushed open the grand door.
Beyond lay darkness, the specifics of the scene obscured, yet the captain showed no reaction, accustomed as he was to such gloom.
Walking on the creaking, dilapidated wooden corridor, the captain continued to threaten the thin man to keep his incessant babbling to himself.
“If you keep yelling and attract Renko’s attention, we’re both done for.”
Perhaps it was the captain’s stern warning that had an effect, for the thin man’s cries did diminish somewhat.
However, the earlier loud pleas from within the room had already aroused suspicion. The captain hadn’t walked far, still traversing the rickety corridor, when he noticed a tall silhouette emerging from the mist ahead.
Cursing under his breath, the captain squeezed the thin man’s neck harshly and pushed him aside. Then, taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.
When the captain reopened his eyes, his gaze had shifted from fierce to benign, his demeanor transforming from that of a brute to a simple, honest man.
“Captain Barlow?” came a pleasant and elegant voice from ahead.
“Yes, Mr. Renko, haven’t you retired for the night?” Captain Barlow, with a beaming smile, responded.
“I’ve just returned from the experimental fields, planning to document the growth of the red radishes before resting,” the figure from the darkness approached, revealing himself to be a tall young man dressed in the same burlap attire as Captain Barlow. Unlike the captain’s unkempt appearance, this young man looked neat and tidy, his posture upright. Even on this gloomy, sunless island, his hair was well-groomed.
Notably, a slender knight’s sword was fastened to his waist.
Renko moved closer to Barlow, his gaze inadvertently drifting towards the thin man, filled with curiosity and contemplation.
At this moment, the thin man fell silent, his gaze wandering, too intimidated to meet Renko’s eyes.
“I heard little Birch crying out ‘don’t, I’m scared’ or something of the sort outside. Has something happened?” Seeing the thin man’s reluctance to make eye contact, Renko directly inquired, though his eyes couldn’t help but scan the thin man, especially around his waist and thighs.
On this dimly lit island, almost entirely devoid of women, some individuals’ moral compasses could start to deviate. Little Birch, the thin man, could easily become a target, which is why Renko, upon hearing Birch’s cries, hurried over.
Captain Barlow, of course, understood the implication behind Renko’s words. He couldn’t help but glare at Birch with a venomous look from the corner of his eye, cursing the boy internally for putting him in this predicament. Who would take an interest in him?
Moreover, with the presence of Renko, a person of formidable strength and self-proclaimed superiority maintaining order, no one dared to force anything at Dock 4.
“There’s nothing, nothing. I just wanted to take Birch to the seaside to catch some fish and crabs, but this guy heard from others that there are luminous ghosts by the sea that devour people, and he was terribly afraid. So, he’s been making a fuss,” Barlow said, and then kicked Birch with his foot.
Birch didn’t react at first, but when Barlow winked and made faces at him, Birch finally went “Oh, oh, oh,” and said, “Right, the captain is correct. We’re just going to the seaside to catch something to eat, yes, that’s it.”
Barlow, seeing Birch’s eyes wandering, couldn’t help but curse inwardly: This guy is as dumb as a manatee, can’t even lie properly.
Renko looked at Barlow, then at Birch, and finally said softly, “I don’t care where you’re going, little Birch, tell me, are you doing this voluntarily?”
Birch’s eyes darted around. He really wanted to say “no,” but he also understood the subtext of Renko’s words. Renko had obviously misunderstood his relationship with Captain Barlow… Renko didn’t think that if Captain Barlow really had ill intentions towards him, there would have been plenty of opportunities, so why would he allow him to shout and scream?
He couldn’t smear the captain’s reputation at this time.
And that woman… As soon as Birch thought of the words used by the Little Flea to describe that woman, he felt a burning desire within him; he indeed was a bit eager to see for himself. The condition being that the lord doesn’t discover him.
“Mr. Renko, I think you’ve misunderstood. Captain Barlow really just wants to take me to catch fish and crabs, and I really am doing this voluntarily,” Birch still nodded and said.
Renko looked at Birch, knowing the boy was full of lies, but when it came to saying “voluntary or not,” there was genuine emotion.
“Since you’re doing this voluntarily, then bear the consequences yourself.” Renko didn’t say more, directly walked to the side, leaned against the wooden wall, and made way.
The message was clear, at least in Renko’s view, they had passed this hurdle.
Barlow no longer held Birch by the collar, nodded slightly to Renko, and then motioned for Birch to follow, walking into the mist.
In the following journey, Barlow no longer spoke to Birch but walked swiftly.
After walking more than ten meters, suddenly a gust of wind blew, the wooden planks underfoot began to sway, and the sound of water could be heard rustling.
Barlow stood very steadily, while Birch stumbled a bit, leaning on a wooden railing nearby, looking down.
Below was a pitch-black water surface.
They were on a boat.
The wind moved the boat, and after the wind stopped, everything returned to silence. Only then did Barlow continue to Birch: “You can’t even stand steady in this bit of wind, not at all like a seafarer.”
Birch mumbled back: “I wasn’t a seafarer before, I’ve only been to sea once, and I ended up in this godforsaken place.”
Barlow slapped Birch on the head and said, “You just have to contradict everything I say, don’t you? Shut up.”
Birch pouted and fell silent.
Only then did Barlow express satisfaction, saying, “Hurry up and follow me. Let’s leave the dock before Renko catches on.”
They traversed the lengthy wooden corridor, ascended onto the deck, threw down the rope ladder, and in five minutes, Barlow and Birch had finally disembarked from the ship.
Standing on the ground at the entrance of the dock, Barlow looked up at the massive yet scarred cargo ship with a trace of sentiment in his eyes, “The Moonlight Toucan… Ah, is there still a chance for it to set sail?”
Barlow shook his head and sighed deeply.
Unbeknownst to him, at that moment on the deck, Renko was leaning against the mast’s shadow, his ears twitching slightly.
“Set sail? I hope so,” Renko murmured, lowering his head in contemplation. “I certainly don’t want to stay on this forsaken island forever.”
After whispering to himself for a moment, Renko suddenly looked up, peering into the dark mist.
“Captain Barlow said he’s taking Birch to the seaside? Hah, but they’re heading north along the inland lake; that’s not the way to the sea,” Renko frowned slightly. “Could it be that Birch really went with Barlow? It doesn’t seem likely. And if they are up to something, why go outside?”
The outside was not only fraught with wild beasts and venomous snakes but also potentially with people from other docks, who had completely descended into darkness, to the extent that they could no longer be called human.
After some thought and hesitation, Renko finally picked up his weapon, his figure flashed, and he jumped down from the deck, disappearing into the darkness.
…
This island, known by its common name, is located in a misty area, almost always shrouded in fog, and sunlight cannot penetrate it. The difference between day and night is not significant here; it’s always gloomy and foggy.
However, despite the fog, it’s relatively safe on the island.
There’s a large inland lake on the island, containing some ancient shipwrecks, accumulating a large number of broken or sunken ships, making this place resemble a graveyard of ships.
Therefore, some call this place Ghost Shipyard Island.
It’s not called Ghost Ship Island because there are several functional large docks in the inland lake, where the majority of shipwrecks are piled up.
The Moonlight Toucan is docked at Dock 4 in the inland lake.
Other docks are also occupied by some people, among them, the Broken Blood, occupied by the formidable Manfred, is at Dock 1, which is currently the largest and most fully equipped dock in the inland lake.
This also shows that Manfred, who can occupy Dock 1, is definitely not to be underestimated.
At this moment, Captain Barlow, along with Birch, was making their way to the infamous Dock 1 along the lakeshore.
“In this world of ours, you’re well aware, though Renko doesn’t speak out of turn, his letting us go could spark some speculation among the others on the ship,” Barlow said as he walked alongside Birch, whose expression was somber. “Once we’re back, we’ll find a moment to clarify things, so they don’t get the wrong idea about us.”
“How could I possibly be interested in…” Barlow’s words trailed off suddenly.
Birch understood what Barlow meant and didn’t dare to talk back, but in his heart, he echoed Barlow’s sentiments.
“Sigh, if it weren’t for Renko’s excessive sense of justice, we could’ve just discussed it with everyone and gone for it directly… instead of sneaking around like this,” Birch couldn’t help but grumble.
Barlow stopped in his tracks, turned around, and pressed his finger hard against Birch’s forehead. “Are you complaining about Renko now? Have you considered that without him, could the Moonlight Toucan have maintained such good order over these past months? Not to mention, we’ve taken out quite a few who coveted the ship’s resources, showcasing our strength.”
Despite his dislike for Renko, Barlow had to admit that Renko’s formidable presence had deterred not only significant internal strife within the Moonlight Toucan but also eliminated many external threats over the months, highlighting their power.
Now, at the Ghost Shipyard Island, Dock 4 and Dock 1 represented nearly parallel forces, a balance made possible by Renko’s influence.
However, while Renko brought many benefits, he also imposed some restrictions that Barlow deemed unnecessary.
For instance, Renko still adhered to rules and morals.
The reason they hadn’t directly challenged Manfred, despite having the strength, was Renko’s moral compass, which prevented him from infringing on others unprovoked. Of course, should anyone dare to attack, Renko wouldn’t hesitate to respond.
Manfred, knowing some of Renko’s habits, chose not to provoke Dock 4 further upon realizing he likely couldn’t match Renko’s force.
This left Barlow, who was ambitious to take over Dock 1, somewhat disappointed. Without Renko, their own forces might not be sufficient to conquer Dock 1.
On this ghost island, where one cannot escape and humanity’s darkest depths are fully excavated, adhering to morals seemed foolish, at least in Barlow’s view.
Also, Barlow’s concern that others might disagree with him taking Birch to secretly scout the situation stemmed from knowing that Renko would never approve. After all, Renko never resorted to underhanded tactics.
This marked a difference in stance between Renko and Barlow.
A decade ago, Barlow was a pirate who roamed the seas. Though he later quit and joined a shipping company, becoming the captain of the merchant vessel Moonlight Toucan, he still harbored the ruthless streak of a pirate. Thus, he didn’t place much emphasis on rules.
Renko, on the other hand, was different. He boarded the Moonlight Toucan by chance, intending to travel to the Vast Continent as a knight.
Yes, a knight. He claimed to be a current knight, and his actions adhered to the knight’s code: humility, integrity, compassion, bravery, justice… Although Barlow often found Renko’s adherence to these principles to be somewhat old-fashioned, it was precisely because of his old-fashioned values that everyone on the ship, including Barlow himself, trusted Renko.
Therefore, even though Barlow didn’t like Renko, when Birch blamed Renko, Barlow was quick to defend him.
In their hushed conversation, they had reached the lakeshore near Dock 1.
Upon reaching this point, Barlow became noticeably more cautious.
Even though the fog and darkness limited visibility, their proximity to Dock 1 meant that any slight movement could potentially attract attention.
Barlow was on a secret mission to “the pigpen” to see a beautiful woman, not intending to start a war with Manfred at this moment. Therefore, caution was paramount; recklessness was not an option.
“We’ll sneak past the dock to their pigpen.”
Barlow, taking Birch by the hand, left the lakeshore and entered the forest, planning to bypass the lake and head directly to the back entrance of the dock.
As the leader of Dock 4, Barlow had previously met with Manfred at Dock 1 to discuss the so-called “theory of balance.”
The conversation and negotiations at that time were mostly pointless, and Barlow had almost forgotten them. However, he remembered the layout of Dock 1 clearly.
Moreover, with Flea secretly assisting, Barlow was well-informed about the movements at Dock 1.
Walking through the pitch-black forest, Birch was not as scared as before because he often came here to meet with Flea, making him familiar with the forest. He even knew the snakes and birds quite well.
“Should I signal Flea to come out?” Birch asked.
Barlow shook his head: “No need. Flea has already met you today. Coming out again within the same day might raise suspicion. After all, his job doesn’t require him to leave the ship every day.”
Flea was the ship’s doctor on the Broken Blood. However, he didn’t join the Broken Blood voluntarily; he was kidnapped by Manfred years ago.
When Barlow came to Dock 1 for negotiations last time, Birch saw Flea and realized that his friend, who had been missing for years, had been captured by pirates and was now trapped on Ghost Shipyard Island.
Interestingly, Birch had set sail from his hometown, Sidro Island, on the Moonlight Toucan, partly in hopes of finding Flea.
Unexpectedly, he did find him, but now they were both trapped here, leaving Birch to wonder whether this was luck or misfortune.
After seeing Flea, Birch often used their childhood secret signals to summon him. Initially, they just shared their stories, but after Barlow found out, he gradually turned Flea into their secret lookout on Dock 1.
Thus, they were informed about any events occurring at Dock 1 through Flea.
“I know where the pigpen is. Just follow me closely.”
Barlow led Birch deeper into the darkness. As soon as Barlow moved forward, Renko appeared at the original spot.
“So, they’ve come to Dock 1… And what was that about a pigpen?”