Chapter 219 Who's the Good Samaritan Who Sent a SOS Signal to the Warship?
The Goliath is sailing smoothly at an altitude of 7,000 meters.
The ship was far from the border of the Northern Kingdom, leaving the mainland and surrounding islands behind. No land could be seen outside the porthole; all that could be seen was the boundless blue ocean.
On the day they set off, Pazu and Sheeta were so excited that they ran all over the ship, wanting to explore every corner.
But after two days, even the most novel things became tiresome, and high-altitude flights were quite dull.
The two children finally quieted down and were sitting at a small table on the side of the Bridge, listening to Dola's lesson.
As a captain or explorer, the first thing you need to understand is the navigation routes and the world situation; blindly flying around is the most dangerous thing to do.
Dola unfolded a huge nautical chart and began marking it with a pencil.
"This is our current location. Flying about 8,000 kilometers east will take us into the sphere of influence of the Eastern Ocean Archipelago and the Kingdom's colonies. If we were using ordinary airships, we would have to send a telegram in advance to apply for transit permission."
"Of course, Goliath doesn't need it, and they wouldn't dare to block their master's airship."
Pazu sat at the table, pen in hand, jotting down notes rapidly in a brand-new notebook.
He was determined to clear his father's name and began building his own flying machines from a young age, eagerly consuming knowledge about navigation and exploration.
Sheeta sat beside him, resting her chin on her hand, silently watching Pazu, seemingly somewhat absent-minded.
Dola glanced at the girl, then whispered in her ear while Pazu was diligently taking notes, " Sheeta, your man aspires to be a great explorer. If you want to help him, you'll have to study hard."
"When I was your age, I was already traveling all over the world with my child's father. How can a woman rely solely on a man for protection if she doesn't learn some skills?"
Sheeta's face flushed red to her ears, and she uttered a few incoherent words, unable to find a way to explain herself.
Dola, who is well-versed in both aviation and mechanics, certainly has the right to say that, and her lessons are actually not boring at all.
As the captain of an air pirate ship with a large airship, she had traveled all over the world to collect "trophies," including an abacus that she had casually stolen from an island nation in the Eastern Ocean.
So when she lectures, she can always tell interesting adventure stories based on her own experiences—although those stories always end with illegal activities.
Mu En, sitting in the command seat, was also listening to this engaging aviation course, gaining a deeper understanding of the world's structure.
It turns out that the continent he saw in the far east when he landed was the " New Continent " of this world, and according to Dola, that continent is still in the midst of the Civil War.
I wonder if, like the history of Earth, that powerful yet distorted nation will develop again over there?
While Mu En was distracted, the soldier responsible for receiving radio signals suddenly reported loudly.
"Report! We have received a distress signal from a commercial airship, located just ahead of our flight path!"
Dola raised an eyebrow, tossed aside her pencil, and strode to the control panel.
What content?
"The airship has encountered Storm and is severely damaged. We are requesting emergency assistance. Judging from the signal strength, the distance shouldn't be far."
After listening to the communications soldier's account, the female captain's lips curled up, her smile carrying a hint of amusement.
"Ah, a distress signal? Pass down the order: load the turrets and prepare for battle!"
The Bridge immediately sprang into action, with soldiers rushing to their posts and the sound of turrets turning echoing from the deck.
Before Mu En could even ask, Dola snapped out of her reverie and solemnly explained, "My lord, you may not know this, but this route isn't a common commercial route. Legitimate merchant ships usually take the southern route, where there are islands along the way that can provide supplies and shelter."
"Therefore, it's almost impossible for a commercial airship to happen to be traveling the same route as us. I suspect we've run into a competitor."
"Some experienced air pirates specifically use this method to lure novice captains off course for rescue. Once the ship arrives, they hide..."
The accomplices in the clouds will then rush out and attack.
Mu En nodded. "Commanding warships doesn't require my opinion. Just be careful not to harm innocent bystanders."
As a modern time traveler, Mu En would never do something like an outsider instructing an expert; letting Dola, the seasoned veteran, do it was the best choice.
Shortly afterward, the airship that had sent out the distress signal came into view.
It was a large commercial airship about eighty meters long, with its black and red paint covering it in a battered state. There were several huge holes in the hull, exposing the internal skeletal structure. The airship's tail thruster was also tilted to one side, clearly damaged. The entire airship was swaying and drifting in the wind.
The Goliath, with its over 300-meter-long hull, slowly approached, its main bow gun and secondary guns on the sides all aimed at the wrecked airship.
"Top-level observation posts, be alert. Search the surrounding airspace for any accomplices hiding in the clouds. Bottom-level posts, also be alert and watch out for anyone approaching from below."
Everyone on the Bridge was on edge.
However, several minutes passed without any abnormalities. The airship seemed to have spotted the Goliath as well, and signal lights began flashing in the portholes, also signaling for help.
"I wonder which fool dared to see the Goliath and not run? That's the largest air battleship in the Northern Kingdom. Any normal person would have turned tail and run for their life at the sight of that thing. This guy actually dared to send out a distress signal. Let's see who's in charge of..."
The guy who used the decoy had no experience.
Dola muttered to herself, clearly very experienced in this kind of thing, albeit with the experience of being a pirate.
"Um, old woman, is it possible—it really is just a merchant ship in distress?"
After watching for a while, Pazu finally couldn't help but speak up.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
Dola turned to look at Pazu, her tone full of confidence.
"Kid, remember this: no merchant will send a distress signal to the Northern Kingdom's military. These scoundrels in disguise are already showing kindness by not rushing in to rob us."
"Some merchants would rather abandon their goods and escape in lifeboats than approach military ships, as that would at least save them a 'rescue fee,' which is usually higher than the payment for the goods."
Pazu recalled the performance of Mouro's soldiers in Valley Town, then nodded in strong agreement.
Mu En's expression turned strange after hearing this analysis, even though he had no face to save.
He understood what Dola meant: the so-called "rescue" by those warships was actually a disguised robbery, and even more ruthless than real pirates.
Most pirates simply looted the goods and left, while the armies of these "civilized nations" would collect the looted goods and then...
A ransom is demanded, and they'll only release someone after draining them dry.
As expected of the Northern Kingdom, a counterpart to Great Britain, they've done pretty much the same despicable things.