The Defeated Dragon Chapter 135

135 – Kosto's Carrot and Stick

“Ready to jibe!”

“Trim in!”

“Bearing away!”

“Lower the sails!”

“All-up, left paddle!”

“Jibe-ho!”

On the rocking sea, the Flower slowly sailed along the current, stopped, circled, and turned. As if coming from a loudspeaker, Captain Kosto's voice continuously rang on the ship as he issued various instructions. The 12 sailors scrambled to control the big ship.

According to the Flower's size and weight, the 12 sailors weren't enough to maneuver it. To be fully operational, the ship required a crew of 30 sailors.

The pressure the 12 youngsters, which were still newbies, were under by doing the work meant for 30 people could very well be imagined. The Flower's movements were awkward and unsteadily.

Nonetheless, under Kosto's guidance, the Flower still stuck to the shore as it awkwardly sailed northward, towards the dock site. Half a day later, they successfully reached their destination – the rocky beach.

The Flower was anchored in the bay for a short while to take lunch and have a swimming lesson.

“Unlike what is said in the legends, there are no sea monsters near the coast. Sea monsters don't dwell in places like this! Sea monsters dwell in the deep sea. While sailing near the shore, there is practically no way one would come across sea monsters… Of course, there are no absolutes. If you're unlucky, you might come across a sea monster that crawled onto the shore to sunbathe and be eaten.” Kosto tried to dispel the fear the apprentice sailors had of deep waters. His approach, however, was obviously substandard, and the apprentice sailors were even less willing to go into water.

Swimming on the beach could be stressful after a while, let alone swimming in the deep water bay.

“Captain, we already know how to swim.” An apprentice sailor murmured.

“Deep waters and shallow waters are different! You have to overcome your fear of the azure seawater! It might save your life at a critical moment!”

“Why would it? We're on the boat, we won't go into the water.”

“Fool! When sailing the sea, sailors are often swept by waves into the water! If you don't know how to swim, then you won't have time to brace yourself for the rescue!”

“About that. Captain, I just came to apprentice as a sailor, I have no intention to go sailing.”

“You came to learn sailing without the intention to go sailing, are you making a fool of me?” Kosto was furious. He pointed at the nose of the apprentice sailor, shouting, “I was appointed as the captain of the Flower by Sir Lord! In the future, when I go out into the sea to do trade for Sir Lord, you will be the first sailors! You can fool me, but do you have the guts to fool Sir Lord?”

The apprentice sailors immediately became submissive. They felt as if they had boarded a pirate ship.

Kosto gave up on persuading them and directly threatened them: “Sir Lord gave me full authority regarding sailing affairs and the Flower Town's Sir Adviser is to cooperate with me. Mark my words, anyone who tries to go around or against my orders will be handed to Sir Karl's patrol team!”

The youngsters became more timid when they heard ‘patrol team'.

Although Sir Lord was indeed noble and untouchable, yet it was commonly known that Sir Lord was the embodiment of kindness, which was why they didn't fear him. They only revered him. The patrol team, on the other hand, had quite the reputation. Although Liszt wanted the patrol team to adopt the motto ‘to protect and to serve', but unfortunately, it was hopeless.

The existence of corporal punishment such as whipping was doomed to bear fear.

Karl was meticulous in the implementation of rules in order to pay the lord back for his trust. Therefore, offenders would be whipped without exception – one lash of the whip for refusing to go into water.

Whenever someone talked about the patrol team, their complexions would change.

Seeing the faces of the youngsters, Kosto was very satisfied. After brandishing the stick, he started to wave the carrot: “Don't be afraid of the sea, the sea and the land are the same. We can farm on the land and sail on the sea. Going out into the sea was the best decision you had ever made. Overseas, there are boundless riches as well as big-chested and big-butted women!”

“Really… are there really women with big butts?” A youngster overcame his fear. He swallowed.

“Of course there are. I've been to an island that had just gone through a war. There, women stood in a row, and everyone could pick as they wished. I picked the woman with the biggest butt…” Kosto recalled fondly.

“And next, Captain?”

“Next?”

“Yes, Captain, what did you do with that big butt next?”

“Next.” Kosto licked his lips, “Next, I gave her three copper coins. In fact, two copper coins would have sufficed to spend the night comfortably, yet I gave her one extra copper coin. That towering peek gave me an unparalleled experience. I swear, it could smother you!”

Kosto made a circle in the air, a very large circle.

The youngsters were flabbergasted. Gulp, gulp, they swallowed successively.

“Alright, the rest is over, it's time for the lesson, lads! If you want a woman with a rocking curves, you have to learn well from me. Once you become full-fledged sailors, you'll also be able to spend a wonderful night for two copper coins! Now dive and swim!”

The youngsters immediately overcame their fear. While howling, they pounced towards the sea.

Kosto took out a wooden jug from his bosom, uncorked it, and took a sip. He knew well what these youngster wanted. After all, he was also young once.

After taking the sip, he returned to the great cabin, where he carefully took out a one-meter-long cylinder from a chest. It was the telescope, which the sir lord had a servant deliver yesterday. The sir lord gave his telescope to the Flower. It was this telescope that allowed him to understand what the sir lord thought about sailing!”

“He has a greater thirst for the sea than any other aristocrat!” Kosto thought that his future was bright. An aristocrat that yearned for the sea would certainly support his sailing.

It was precisely because of this that he had the confidence to go to the administrative office, and pester and coax the adviser Gort over benefits.

With the telescope in his hands, he walked to the deck.

The wobbling deck felt steadier for him than land. He raised the telescope and began to look at the distant scenery, which suddenly felt like it was right before him.

The wondrous change felt incredible.

“Only noble aristocrats like Sir Lord can make such an incredible item!”

He looked at the sea in the distance, looked at the thick smoke rising from the distant Thorns Ridge, looked at several seabirds walking on the rocky beach, and then looked at the steep rocky ridge on the shore.

Suddenly, his brows wrinkled slightly. He saw what appeared to be a cave eroded into the cliff by the sea: “A cave? The ridge on this side isn't tall, so how come there's a cave? Just now, there seemed to be a seabird flying out of the cave. Are there perhaps guillemots?”

Guillemots were laridae-type seabirds that usually nested on cliffs by the sea, and their eggs were very popular among the aristocracy.

Some aristocrats would even specially arrange for serfs to collect guillemot eggs at the risk their lives.

“Guillemot eggs are an indispensable delicacy on aristocratic dining tables. If I find a place where guillemots nest and contribute it to Sir Lord, then Sir Lord is bound to be happy, Sir Lord is bound to reward me heavily!” He felt excited, “I'll have the money to attract more apprentice sailors!”

Chapter end