Redbeard

Ronan and the others entered Whiteport at noon. Everyone was hungry, and Daisy clung to Belicha, insisting on trying Whiteport's signature seafood. Belicha could not refuse her, so she led the group to Whiteport's largest and most famous tavern—the Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals.

The group split across five tables. Every table ordered crabs, lobsters, abalone, and all sorts of seafood. Since Belicha was paying, Ronan did not hold back, secretly telling the Nord to show their true appetites.

Basin after basin of seafood was brought out, and Ronan's group began eating it with the tavern's special sauce. With a single bite, the freshness of the seafood and the strange flavor of the sauce burst across his tongue. It tasted completely different from the seafood Ronan had eaten in his previous life, yet it had its own unique charm. He could not help eating quite a lot.

Watching Daisy use her table knife to cut a piece of abalone, the line "Why must those born of the same root be so eager to fry each other?" popped into Ronan's mind. However, he did not dare say it aloud, or Daisy would definitely pester him to explain it. And if Daisy learned its true meaning, Ronan feared death would be the only way to atone.

Just as Ronan and the others were enjoying their meal, another group of customers entered the tavern. They immediately caught Ronan's attention—not because there were any great beauties among them, but because each of them had a snake coiled atop their head. Real, living snakes, flicking their tongues.

Ronan could not help turning toward Belicha. She understood what he meant and rolled her eyes. Captain Ronan was good in every way, except that he was as curious as a child despite knowing so little. Belicha leaned over and whispered to Ronan:

"Those are members of the Snake Worshipers. They are also a religion from another continent, but they are not particularly welcome there either. Most of their followers are ruthless, cold-blooded people like venomous snakes."

"So they're a cult?"

"Shh, keep your voice down! But you're not wrong. The Slovak Continent has many religions that coexist and oppose one another. The Snake Worshipers have a city-state on the Slovak Continent that follows their faith, and they are quite powerful."

"The Holy Cross Kingdom doesn't do anything about them?"

"They came here to trade, not preach. Although the Holy Cross Kingdom rejects foreign faiths, aside from certain fanatics, they do not excessively hate believers of other religions or constantly launch crusades against heretics."

Ronan secretly glanced at those Snake Worshipers a few more times, then stopped paying attention to them and focused on the food before him. What Ronan and the others did not notice was that when they entered the tavern, a black-robed figure in the corner had quietly left.

Danger was already drawing near, yet Ronan and the others were still stuffing themselves.

Off the coast of Whiteport, six wooden ships roughly thirty meters long were sailing slowly. Judging by the flags flying from them, they were pirates. However, a pirate crew with six ships was very rare, since the Sea People themselves were far from united.

On the lead ship, a man wearing only a sleeveless vest, his chest exposed to reveal eight-pack abs and powerful arms, stepped onto the platform above the captain's cabin. He looked quite young, yet he had a thick, bushy red beard.

"Brothers, look over here!" At Redbeard's shout, the pirates drinking or wrestling on the deck all stopped and looked his way. He clearly held considerable prestige among them.

Redbeard nodded in satisfaction and shouted again, "Brothers, I have another grand plan!"

"Roar!" The pirates below roared in response. Every one of Redbeard's grand plans had let them loot to their hearts' content, and his pirate crew had steadily grown because of it. Sea People often came to join them.

"Who are we?" Redbeard asked.

"Brave Sea People!" the pirates answered.

"What are we?"

"Redbeard's Pirate Crew!"

"So?"

"We are invincible!"

Seeing that the pirates' spirits had been stirred, Redbeard nodded in satisfaction, raised his cup, and began gulping it down.

At that moment, the pirate nearest him asked a question. He was Redbeard's first mate.

"So, Boss, which merchant convoy are we robbing this time?"

"Good question. Tonight, we rob Whiteport!"

The pirates around him, who had been making a racket moments ago, instantly fell silent. Redbeard frowned as he lowered his cup and looked around. The pirates were all staring at him with their mouths agape.

"What's wrong?" Redbeard asked in confusion.

"Boss, did you say Whiteport?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Boss, Whiteport of the Holy Cross Kingdom?"

Redbeard slapped the first mate on the head. "Spit it out already!"

"Boss, Whiteport has over a thousand soldiers stationed there! We have fewer than three hundred men even at full strength. How are we supposed to rob it? Besides, in a thousand years, no Sea People have ever tried to rob that kingdom's port. That's suicide!"

"Nonsense! I'm the invincible Redbeard. Do you think I don't know all that? I have a meticulous plan. We'll do this, then that, and strike from within and without. We'll catch them off guard, then withdraw quickly. Their warships are patrolling the shipping lanes right now—they won't be able to catch us!"

"After this job, we'll immediately leave these waters and operate somewhere new. Like you said, no Sea People have ever accomplished such a feat. If I succeed, my reputation will soar, countless Sea People will flock to join me, and becoming Pirate King will be just around the corner!"

After hearing Redbeard's words, these simple-minded pirates felt that success really might be possible. They began cheering once more. Seeing the atmosphere aboard the ship grow lively again, Redbeard burst into laughter, lifted his cup, and gulped it down again.

Redbeard's pirate crew was slowly approaching Whiteport, while the Moran assassins hidden within Whiteport had also gathered together.

"Are you sure it's them?"

"There's no mistake. Based on the information you provided, they match perfectly. However, there have been some changes in their personnel. Some of them look difficult to deal with."

"No matter what, this is our last chance. I have already contacted Redbeard. They will attack the port tonight. Once they create chaos and draw the guards' attention away, we act. We must capture the girl alive. As for the others, dead or alive makes no difference!"

"Have some people disguise themselves and rent rooms beside theirs. Have you found the mercenaries I told you to look for?"

"Yes! The mercenaries have already been arranged. Those men came from the Slovak Continent, and tomorrow they will return with a merchant convoy."

"Good. Go make your preparations!"

The black-robed figures around him all nodded. Half of them left to begin preparing, while the other half removed their hoods as well.

"My lord, could there be any consequences if we forge orders to mobilize the kingdom's hidden sentries here?"

"As long as we capture the girl and bring her back to the kingdom, there will be no problem. If we fail, we will probably die here anyway. What can the kingdom do to us then?"

The last person removed his hood, revealing an orc head with dark brown skin. It was Guldan. No one knew how these outsiders had managed to sneak in.