Chapter 110: 110

“You wish to learn the art of wielding the dagger?” Owen asked, surprised . Considering the extreme dangers pirates faced each time they went out to sea, they were mostly hedonists, living from each day to the next . Few made any plans for tomorrow, which was why Owen made it a point to remind Zhang Heng of what he was about to face .

“It’s not something you can pick up in two shakes . It would take at least a good month or two before you see any results at all, not to mention that the drills are very monotonous . Aren’t you already good with guns? Why learn how to use a dagger?”

“I’m terrible at close combat, and the flintlock can only fire one bullet at a time . Reloading is a pain . I don’t want to stand by and watch from the sides each time I’ve fired a shot . In any event, I can defend myself if I learn some fencing . ”

“Mm, that’s true . ”

The muskets in this era differed greatly from their newer counterparts . Although flintlock pistols were an improvement from matchlock muskets, reloading it was still a complicated process – the shooter had to refill the barrel with gunpowder before shoving down the charge with a long rod . The chances of it misfiring was also terrifyingly high . For that reason, whenever there was a battle, both sides would usually engage in a shootout first before moving on to the more physical sword fights .

However, the vast majority depended on sheer adrenalin and brute strength to get through combat, utilizing neither skill nor talent . Hence, those who had undergone official military training like Owen always had an edge in battle .

“Err, well then… be at the deck at sunrise tomorrow . I’ll teach you some basic moves like swinging,” said Owen . “You can practice your swordsmanship, but don’t you neglect your duties . ”

“Thank you . I won’t,” Zhang Heng replied with sincerity . It was not without reason that Owen won the favor and support of the other pirates; he was generous but also upright . Rather than keeping his excellent swordsmanship to himself, he was ready to impart what he knew to Zhang Heng .

The same, however, could not be said of the others . Zhang Heng found the bosun of the ship, an old man named Rothko . According to the crew, he had been out at sea longer than living on land . Wind reading, weather forecasting, and sailing were three skills that he took pride in .

Having such expertise earned him the respect of the captain and the crew, even if he did not participate or contribute much in battles . He dearly valued and treasured his own skills, keeping his knowledge close to his chest lest others might learn from him and subsequently overtake his job . Zhang Heng wasn’t the first to approach him, and like all the others before him, his request was flatly rejected .

Zhang Heng attempted to offer a handsome 500 silver pesos to him, which would be paid within the year, but Rothko still insisted that he would impart his skills only after retirement .

Taking into account the present circumstances, it appeared that Zhang Heng would have to wait a very long time for that to happen . The old man was one tough son of a gun . Even at his age, he had an appetite healthier than most who were younger, and he was not a picky eater either–able to swallow anything given to him . At this rate, Zhang Heng suspected Rothko would continue to linger around long after he’d left the game .

After disembarking the ship for the third time, Zhang Heng looked for old Pirate Frazer in the tavern .

“How are your close-quarters combat skills coming along? Are you ready to be my debt collector?” asked Frazer as he tossed a chunk of peanuts into his mouth .

“No,” Zhang Heng answered truthfully .

After two months on the sea, his swordsmanship still remained at level 0 . Like Owen had said, it was a lengthy process that required consistent practice and perseverance . The results would only show itself once he was able to integrate his basic moves with combative instincts . At the moment, he was still miles away from his goal .

Thankfully, Owen had already begun sparring sessions with him .

On top of that, the good news was that after such a long period of recuperation, Zhang Heng finally regained his weight, and his strength even exceeded his level when he first entered the quest .

Although no match to those born with divine power, he was already considered a prodigy among the regular crowd .

“Why did you come see me then?” the old pirate asked .

“The Sea Lion was originally yours . Rothko is the oldest crew member on the ship . You must know him pretty well, right?”

“Oh, that old fox? He may not be a man of many principles, but his sailing skills are pretty good, I must say . You’ll never find a better bosun in the whole of Nassau,” proclaimed a thoughtful Frazer .

“Ah, I really miss those times . There was this once, we came across pirate hunters and we were forced to head into a storm as we were a lot slower than them . Had it been someone else manning the sails, the ship would’ve been wrecked, and we would all have been dead . But no! Rothko and I worked together to secure the main mast, and, by a stroke of luck, we miraculously returned to Nassau in one piece . I only admire a few people in my entire life, and Rothko is, by the narrowest of margins, one of them . You must drink to that guy’s excellent skills . ”

The old pirate picked the glass of beer in front of him .

Zhang Heng did not beat around the bush and jumped straight to the point . “What do I need to do to make him teach me those skills?”

The pirate looked amused . “You want to learn how to sail? Why?”

“One should always learn as much as he can while he’s young, right?”

Frazer grinned . “So, you’re going to persuade me with all this nonsense?” He lowered the knife and fork and stared at Zhang Heng with hollow eyes . Only after a while did he continue .

“It would seem you’re in luck today . I’ve found myself in a bit of trouble recently . If you can help me solve my problem, I wouldn’t mind telling you how to make Rothko more compliant . ”

“What is it?”

“There’s a fool called Jacob in the city . He just stole a bag of black pearls from me this afternoon . If you can, find him in half a day and get my pearls back . I will meet your requirements then . ”

“Sounds fair to me,” Zhang Heng said as he stood up .

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I hired another guy . He started an hour earlier than you, so I can only wish you the best of luck . ”

…

Zhang Heng left the tavern .

As he stepped outside, he saw a group of kids frolicking by the side of the road . When a food peddler passed them by, a couple of them pretended to have a row . The peddler had his attention diverted while the smallest one among them slipped his tiny hand into the peddler’s pockets . As soon as their ruse was a success, they dispersed into oblivion .

This was Nassau, and petty theft was not an uncommon occurrence . Ever since Zhang Heng began renting the hut, he had never left anything valuable inside . Whenever he returned from a voyage at sea, he often caught the urchins sleeping in his place, god knows how they got in anyway . He would eventually rough them up and throw them out every time .

It was not going to be easy to find a pearl thief amongst a jungle of villains, not when all he had was a name for a clue .