Reincarnation of a Hunter Chapter 37 - The Pirate King’s Sophistry

⚔️

 

A galleon, a type of sailing ship from the Iberian Navy, has docked at the port of Marseille.

 

Since it entered with my permission, I naturally knew which noble was arriving and went out to greet them.

 

‘Appraisal.’

 

---

Anior Gibraltar (42 years old)

➺ Eldest son of the late Baron Alan Gibraltar. 

➺ Lord of Gibraltar. 

➺ Serves Thetis and Annapurna.

---

 

The man who disembarked from the galleon was the Baron of Gibraltar, a naval base, and a maritime knight of the Iberian Kingdom.

 

I approached him to shake his hand.

 

“Welcome, Baron Gibraltar.”

 

Baron Gibraltar responded to my greeting with a bright smile, gripping my hand firmly in a vigorous handshake.

 

I guessed that not many people called him ‘Baron.’ Due to his position as a maritime knight, most probably addressed him as ‘Sir.’

 

Perhaps he was pleased that I, a lord, referred to him as ‘Baron Gibraltar.’

 

He bowed deeply in greeting, “Thank you for your hospitality, Count Marseille.”

 

“Please join me for a meal. I know a good restaurant that serves seafood. I insist.”

 

“Haha! Dining with Count Marseille, famous for his sailor’s tonic and… anti-diarrheal medicine—what an honor!”

 

I suppose he didn’t want to say ‘diarrhea-stopping medicine’ while heading out to eat.

 

In any case, I led Baron Gibraltar to a restaurant in the port. The restaurant we arrived at on foot had not only a signboard but also wooden carvings of squid and octopus hanging outside.

 

Baron Gibraltar took one look at the carvings and stepped back.

 

“Ugh! I can’t eat that!”

 

“Baron, you should try it. It’s really delicious.”

 

“Isn’t it disgusting?”

 

I laughed at the weak reaction of Baron Gibraltar, a knight of the kingdom’s navy.

 

In the Iberian Kingdom and the France Kingdom, people don’t eat squid or the like. The reason is that its slimy and ugly appearance is off-putting. 

 

Some regions even despise it, saying it looks like a demon.

 

But I am Korean. I may not know about octopus, but when it comes to squid, I’m the type who can’t live without it.

 

So I taught them a few simple recipes and had them open this restaurant. 

 

The owner here sold seafood dishes that were moderately localized based on the recipes I provided, and business was good, earning them quite a bit of money.

“Baron Gibraltar, it’s really delicious. I can vouch for it.”

“No, if you keep saying that…”

“I even eat live octopus, you know.”

“Ugh! How on earth do you eat that?”

“Like this—wrapping it around a stick and chewing it.”

When I demonstrated with my hands and mouth how to eat it, Baron Gibraltar was horrified, and I burst into laughter.

But he’s a soldier. He can’t keep showing weakness forever.

It seems he finally decided to give it a try.

“Very well. I’ll take on the challenge.”

The Baron flared his nostrils like a warrior making a life-or-death decision.

At any rate, I succeeded in persuading him, and we entered the restaurant. True to my praise of its tastiness, the place was bustling with customers. 

 

The air inside was filled with a spicy, savory aroma mixed with the scent of salt.

Guided by a server, we took a seat at a table by the window. Whether he was hungry or influenced by the enticing smells, fortunately, Baron Gibraltar’s eyes showed some anticipation for the food.

“You can order by looking at the pictures on the wall over there.”

“I’ll have whatever Count Marseille recommends.”

“Hmm. Then, stir-fried squid.”

“How is it prepared?”

“It’s squid mixed with spicy seasoning. Is that alright?”

“Of course. I can handle spicy food well.”

Just in case he couldn’t handle spicy food, I also ordered steamed eggs. I also asked for rice, though it was quite expensive since all the ingredients were imported.

While waiting for the food, Baron Gibraltar brought up the matter regarding the pirates.

“For a while now, the military leadership has been suspicious of you, Count Marseille. They’ve been questioning whether you’re in league with the pirates.”

“I expected as much. Given the circumstances, it can’t be helped.”

 

While ships from other territories are being plundered, those flying Marseille’s flag remain untouched. Naturally, this raises suspicion.

“As a sailor, I’ve long been familiar with Count Marseille’s reputation. That’s why I protested, calling such claims absurd.”

“Thank you, Baron.”

“But then, out of nowhere, the royal family stepped forward to defend Count Marseille. Because of that, the voices of suspicion within the military also faded. So, I must ask—do you perhaps have some connection to the royal family?”

 

Baron Gibraltar likely had no ulterior motive in asking this. He was probably just checking to avoid making a mistake.

“At the moment, there is no such connection. It may have been the influence of the Pope of the Church of the Goddess of Abundance. I do have a personal connection with him.”

 

The Baron’s eyes widened in surprise. It seems he values a relationship with the Pope even more than one with the royal family.

This is a common reaction among deeply religious people.

He even bowed his head in apology, “On behalf of our navy, I beg your forgiveness.”

“Haha! Not at all. Given the circumstances, the navy had every reason to be suspicious.”

 

Just then, the stir-fried squid arrived. We continued our conversation while eagerly digging into the meal.

“Baron, how do you plan to proceed with the pirate suppression?”

“Since we can’t raid their stronghold, we’ll have to confront them at sea. The captains are currently discussing tactics.”

 

The pirates’ stronghold, Cagliari, is part of the Odoacer Empire’s territory. 

 

Attacking Cagliari could spark an international dispute. The reason Marquis Catalonia hasn’t attacked Cagliari isn’t because he’s a fool. 

 

If war were to break out between the two nations, the Catalonia region would be the first to suffer due to its geographical vulnerability.

Moreover, the lord of Sardinia, the island where Cagliari is located, has never once participated in pirate suppression. 

 

At first, they likely turned a blind eye in exchange for tribute, but now Cagliari has grown too powerful to control.

 

“How is the speed of the warships? I’ve heard the pirates’ ships are extremely fast.”

“That’s the biggest problem. Those pirate bastards overload their acceleration magic tools to speed away, whether their ships break or not. It’s hard for even warships to catch up.”

A fast ship, huh?

Then, a pretty good strategy came to mind. One that only I could pull off.

“Baron Gibraltar, I have a good idea.”

“Oh? What kind of plan—”

“Lure them in and take them out one by one.”

 

⚔️

 

A few days later, in the waters between Marseille and Catalonia.

The fleet of the Pirate King Luca had been appearing and disappearing unpredictably in these waters, plundering transport ships left and right.

Using their speed to strike and retreat, the navy was left helpless, like a dog chasing a chicken only to stare at the roof in frustration.

But today, Pirate King Luca had a bad feeling.

“This feels off. Maybe we should call it a day.”

Due to the weather, a sea fog had rolled in, reducing visibility. Luca gazed at the distant sea from the deck of his flagship.

His sudden hesitation puzzled his first mate.

“Boss, why the sudden change of heart?”

Luca pointed at the fog.

“That. I wonder if the Sea Goddess Thetis is in a capricious mood today.”

The first mate studied Luca’s face as he muttered these words.

Over time, deep wrinkles had formed, and more than half his hair had turned white. His sunken eyes made him look more cautious, but the first mate knew it was just his worsening eyesight.

‘The boss has grown weaker. Seems like he’s still shaken by what happened to young Marco.’

Shaking off his thoughts, the first mate spoke to Luca.

“Then let’s make this the last job for today and head back.”

“Right. Just one more haul, then we return to Cagliari. That brat Marco’s looking weak—gotta get him some meat to build up his strength.”

 

Luca’s frown deepened. As expected, his love for his son was second to none.

Just then, a shout came from the sailor atop the mast.

“Starboard 90 degrees! The distance is one and a half! A single carrack spotted! Course 270 degrees!”

“It’s a grain transport ship heading from Marseille to Catalonia. Prepare.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The first mate signaled to the steamship’s captain, and soon signalmen waved flags to relay orders to each vessel.

“Form a straight line as usual, then surround them.”

“Aye!”

Soon, the sails unfurled, and the magic tool engineers warmed up the acceleration devices.

The fleet arranged itself in a horizontal line formation, waiting for the transport ship to draw closer.

But then, the sailor shouted something strange.

“The transport ship is accelerating! It’s approaching rapidly!”

“What?”

At those words, everyone turned to look at the transport ship.

Instead of fleeing, it was speeding toward them.

“Have they lost their minds? Did they not see us?”

“Maybe they’re trying to break through.”

“Even if our ships are smaller in class, a collision would snap their keel.”

“Let’s brace for impact, just in case.”

“Right. Their captain might be insane.”

The signalmen frantically waved their flags.

Each ship adjusted its course to minimize the collision area. A high-speed crash would not only cause heavy casualties but also sink the ships.

“The transport ship isn’t slowing down!”

“They really intend to break through. Let them pass. We can chase afterward.”

“Aye, Captain.”

As Luca predicted, the speeding transport ship cut straight through the center of the line formation.

“Did anyone see which territory’s flag they’re flying?”

“Can’t confirm.”

“Then let’s plunder them. If it were Marseille’s ship, they’d have flown their flag clearly.”

The pirates were well aware that more transport ships had begun flying Marseille’s flag.

 

However, there were so many ships worth plundering that they had been left alone.

 

“Track the transport ship! Overload the magic tool!”

 

—Buzzzz

 

A low-frequency vibration resonated through the ship, accompanied by the sound of the hull trembling.

 

It was the noise produced when a magic tool was overloaded. The pirate fleet began chasing the transport ship at high speed.

 

But something felt off.

 

The transport ship was moving far too fast.

 

“What the hell? Why is it so fast?”

 

“Boss, it seems that ship is also overloading its acceleration magic tool.”

 

“Those crazy bastards. They’ll wreck their ship at this rate.”

 

While pirates were used to adjusting magic tool output as easily as eating, ordinary ships operated their magic tools only within standard specifications.

 

Without experience, one could easily blow up the magic tool and shatter the hull.

 

“Let’s accelerate moderately and close the distance.”

 

“Boss, that ship just sped up again.”

 

“What? Damn it. Change formation from horizontal to vertical, and send the faster ships ahead.”

 

The transport ship’s speed was absurdly fast.

 

Because of this, the pirate fleet’s formation shifted from a horizontal line to a vertical one. With each ship moving at different speeds, the gaps between them soon widened significantly.

 

‘This doesn’t feel right. It’s like fish taking the bait and being reeled in.’

 

Luca’s flagship was leading the charge. When he looked back, the sight of the pirate ships being dragged along in a line made him uneasy. 

 

This wasn’t the situation he had intended.

 

“The transport ship! It’s slowing down!”

 

“Now? Are they insane? Slowing down suddenly while being chased?”

 

A sudden surge of unease made Luca decide to retreat.

 

‘This isn’t good. Let’s pull out.’

 

And just as Luca was about to order a turn—

 

—Whoooosh!

 

Something flew toward them from the transport ship.