radiothebook Chapter 131 Half Bloodline
Chapter 131 Half Bloodline
Chapter 131 Half Bloodline
The two gold coins in his pocket were burning hot from being gripped so tightly.
They were turned, collided, and rubbed in the palm of the hand. Over the years, the patterns on the surface of the gold coins were worn smooth.
At that moment, Henry was standing at the bow of the Two Gold Coins.
The two round copper discs at the bow of the ship were moved to the side and rear due to the rotation of the gear mechanism inside the ship, resulting in two dark holes appearing at the front of the ship.
Two enormous metal arrowheads protruded from the cave entrance, pointing directly at the enemy ship in the distance.
Those were giant arrows, and they were fired by giant crossbows.
More than a decade ago, Henry was driven to flee in terror by this weapon.
However, his two gold coins ship is now equipped with four fixed-position giant crossbows.
Two are at the bow, and two are on the sides and aft of the hull.
Only the workshops of the Far East Continent and the Holy Envoy Duchy are capable of manufacturing such weapons.
However, money makes the world go round, and Henry had made a considerable amount of money over the years, which enabled him to start building the Two Gold Coins.
They incorporated the giant crossbow into the plan, and while the engineers designed the ships, they also asked them to improve the crossbow blueprints specifically for the two gold coins.
I've heard that many coastal lords in the kingdom are also looking to master the giant crossbow technology.
However, it seems that the cost of introducing technology and talent is too high, so many lords choose to back down.
Therefore, as long as it's not in the Principality of the Holy Envoy or the Far East continent, any ship equipped with a giant crossbow can basically roam freely at sea.
Unless, of course, the other side also has giant crossbows.
The two gold coin ships are currently plundering, and judging from the wolf-like and fox-like manner of the two ships in front of them fleeing in panic, they are clearly not qualified to challenge the two gold coin ships.
"Boss, take it easy!" Benson suddenly walked up behind Henry. "But one ship reacted quickly and has already started to escape."
"Then let them go," Henry said, giving Benson a wary look. "The Two Gold Coins only have one keel and can't handle two waves at the same time."
"But we have giant crossbows,"
Benson came to Henry's side, facing Henry.
"We can disable that ship by shooting it down, and then finish the looting before it sinks."
"Money can be stolen again, and people can be recruited again, but Benson, do you know what the hardest thing to resupply us on this trip is?"
Faced with Henry's question, Benson shook his head.
"It's the giant arrow, Benson,"
Henry explained,
"Although the Clown Islands do not have the technology to produce giant crossbows, they can at least manufacture giant arrows of the minimum standard, but we have difficulty obtaining supplies in the Weeping Canyon."
"Without giant arrows, giant crossbows are nothing more than racks for shrimp to hang their underwear. We can't predict how far this voyage will go or what enemies we will encounter, so we must conserve as much as possible from the very beginning."
Benson said no more and nodded slightly:
"I understand, boss."
"Um,"
Henry responded and squinted, staring straight ahead.
"Speaking of which, this shooting was quite accurate; not a single shot missed."
"Ha, Cyril is truly remarkable. Not only is he an excellent archer himself, but he's also adept at instructing and training others. He's been directing from inside the cabin the whole time!"
"He's quite responsible," Henry smiled. "He's only been with our team for a few months, I didn't expect him to be so proactive."
"He told me that he liked the atmosphere on the Two Gold Coins and understood why the infamous talkative Benson was willing to be the navigator's sidekick."
"You added 'famous' yourself, didn't you?" Henry ruthlessly exposed him.
"That's not important, boss, but I must say that you've spent most of these years in the Clown Islands, and I've been in charge of almost everything outside, so I have indeed built up some reputation."
As Benson spoke, a hint of smugness inevitably crept into his eyes.
"Cyril also gave another reason: he had heard of the giant crossbow long ago, but unfortunately he had never had the opportunity to come into contact with it. His enthusiasm stemmed from his own interest."
Henry nodded. In any case, after spending this time together, Henry was certain that Cyril was undoubtedly a rare talent. "Alright, Benson, have the men stop firing. No ship can escape the hunt of the Two Gold Coins. Those two shots should have killed the morale of the crew on that ship and disrupted their rhythm. The objective has been achieved."
Benson bowed slightly and immediately carried out the order.
Since Henry set sail from the port on the permafrost continent, he has ordered a voyage eastward.
After all, on that night when we missed the ghost ship, it and the green mist on it disappeared into the eastern waves.
Although a long time has passed since that day, Henry still intends to try his luck by following the previous clues.
Instead of encountering the ghost ship, we met two long ships anchored in the middle of the sea.
Just then, Benson said that looting was needed to fill the funding gap, so Henry agreed to the attack.
As the two gold coins rapidly approached the ship ahead, Henry noticed Miko approaching, surrounded by Benson, Cyril, and Victor.
"Sir," Victor said, "you'll never guess what Miko just did!"
Henry asked, "What's wrong?"
"He single-handedly operated a giant crossbow and successfully hit the target," Victor said, patting Miko on the back.
"Mico was just doing what Cyril told him to do," Mico said.
Cyril chuckled. "Oh! Strongman, I merely moved my lips; you were the one who hit the target!"
"Boss, look at Miko. He's strong, and when he operates it alone without anyone else interfering," Benson said. "That's why he can control the giant crossbow with such precision. He's a natural-born crossbowman!"
Henry nodded, walked up to Micoe, and patted him on the shoulder:
"What did I say, Miko? Everyone likes you. You'll definitely find your place again on the ship."
"However, Miko is not yet able to use the giant crossbow on his own," Miko said anxiously.
"Don't worry, strong man," Cyril said, "I will pass on all my skills to you without reservation!"
Upon hearing this, Miko finally nodded.
Then everyone gathered around and laughed at Miko.
After a while, Miko finally smiled.
Seeing this, Henry suddenly felt a sense of relief for some reason.
Henry smiled and exhaled the stale air that had been accumulating in his lungs for so long through his nose.
By this time, the two gold coin ships were close to their prey, so Henry ordered them to be stopped and prepared to plunder.
The one currently piloting the Two Gold Coins is an old sailor.
This man's helmsmanship is nowhere near as good as Micoe's, but at least he can understand Henry's orders and won't be foolish enough to let the ship crash straight into a reef if one appears ahead.
The raid went smoothly. After securing the enemy ship with a grappling hook, Benson quickly led his men onto the enemy's deck and took control of the crew.
Henry didn't need to lift a finger with prey of this caliber, nor did he enjoy watching such a scene, so he returned to the octopus's lair.
At this moment, he was still fiddling with the two gold coins.
Although Natalie encouraged him to seek justice among pirates, the longer Henry remained a pirate, the more he realized that justice did not exist among pirates.
Pirates are a group of people who only burn, kill, and plunder; their survival is built on more death, destruction, and tragedy.
If justice exists in this, then there will be no evil in this world.
"Boss!"
A knock came at the door, and Benson's voice came from outside.
Henry replied, "Come in."
Benson pushed open the door and entered, standing before Henry:
"We've already done a preliminary looting, boss."
"how?"
"Damn it, that's a slave ship, and a slave ship that hasn't even disposed of its slaves yet," Benson replied. "They seem to be heading to the frozen continent to dump all the slaves. But until then, slaves aren't worth a penny!"
"Didn't get anything?"
"Not quite, we still have a little money," Benson said, "but we wasted a few giant arrows, and that money was barely enough to break even."
"Retrieve the arrows that hit that ship," Henry calmly ordered. "They might still be usable."
"That's what I think too, and I've already sent people to do it."
"Yes," Henry nodded.
However, Benson remained standing in front of Henry, showing no intention of leaving.
Henry asked, "Is there anything else?"
Benson bowed: "That ship was strange. When we first boarded, the deck was already covered in blood and bodily fluids."
It looks like a fierce battle has just taken place.
"Could it be a riot? Or was the ship that just escaped also a pirate ship, and they were plundering it?"
“It wasn’t a riot, and it wasn’t a pirate ship that escaped,” Benson shook his head. “I questioned them, and it was a slave ship. And according to them, the slave king is on another ship.”
"Huh?" Henry asked, puzzled. "We attacked the slave king's ship?"
“I’ve seen Warren’s ship, and this isn’t it,” Benson said confidently. “Besides, Warren’s a slippery eel.”
He's very suspicious; he wouldn't possibly be on someone else's boat.
"so?"
"So either someone is lying, or the information is wrong, or that Valen is an imposter."
But whatever the reason, Henry could imagine that something must have happened on those two ships that would be a topic of conversation over dinner.
However, Henry never relied on anecdotes for entertainment; he returned to his previous question:
"What happened to the blood on the ship?"
Henry saw Benson swallow hard: "They said it's a monster—"
Upon hearing this word, Henry took a deep breath.
Henry had never encountered any magical beasts, but he had suffered a lot because of the strange fish that corrupted the sea.
If the monster is something as dangerous as the strange fish, Henry has to be on his guard.
He said no more, picked up his axe, and followed Benson to the opposite deck to assess the situation.
Upon arriving on the slave ship, they immediately witnessed the horrific scene on the deck.
He immediately noticed something strange: the body and bloodstains were mostly concentrated on one side of the body.
Henry gripped the axe handle and cautiously approached.
He discovered a rat's head in front of a headless corpse, swaying from side to side in rhythm with the waves.
Could this rat be the monster Benson was talking about?
Henry examined the nearby corpses and, apart from the headless body, the fatal wounds on the others all showed signs of biting.
He immediately questioned the slave traders on the ship, and their words confirmed Henry's suspicions.
Henry also inquired about the situation and learned that the monster had been brought aboard the ship by a boy.
And that monster seemed to have killed so many people in order to protect the boy.
Monsters protecting humans? Henry found it somewhat unbelievable.
So he asked, "Is that boy still alive?"
The slave trader nodded.
"Bring him here."
Not long after Henry gave the order, the slave trader brought a boy to Henry.
Judging from his height, the boy should be thirteen or fourteen years old.
The boy's clothes were very fine, clearly indicating that he was not from an ordinary family.
Moreover, when Henry looked at him, he did not avoid Henry's gaze at all, but stared straight into Henry's eyes, indicating that someone had specially trained and cultivated him.
What Henry cared about most was the boy's hair.
That was orange-yellow hair, the same color as Natalie's!
Henry couldn't take his eyes off that hair.
He stepped forward and ran his fingers through the boy's hair to examine him.
The roots of my hair are also orange-yellow, not dyed!
Henry stepped back and examined the boy's entire face.
He frowned; the boy's face was exactly the same as Natalie's.
A small face, a delicate nose and lips, and bright, expressive eyes.
"Ugh—"
Henry let out a deep sigh, inexplicably feeling weak all over, and staggered back a few steps.
However, the boy tilted his head in confusion at Henry's strange reaction.
Seeing this, Benson quickly stepped forward and supported Henry's back.
"Boss? What's wrong? Are you alright?"
Henry shook his head: "It's nothing, just a little dizzy."
"Then go and rest, boss. Leave this to me. According to them, there's probably only one monster left, and it's already dead."
"Um,"
Henry nodded, then walked toward the side, and as he grasped the rope, he suddenly turned back to Benson and said,
"Later, take this boy to my room."
Henry returned to the octopus cave and sat down in a chair.
He supported his head with his left hand and rested his elbow on the table.
He had a terrible headache.
Natalie
Henry has met countless people over the years, but he has only ever seen two people with orange-yellow hair: Lady Aurélie and Natalie.
The boy in front of them also had orange-yellow hair, which at least indicated that he shared a similar bloodline with Natalie. However, he looked so much like Natalie when she was thirteen years old, as if they were cut from the same mold.
Henry couldn't help but suspect that this was Natalie's child.
Well, more than ten years have passed after all, and she was only fifteen when she separated from Natalie.
It would be perfectly normal for her to get married.
Although Natalie stole Henry's soul in just one night.
But Henry had no idea what Natalie thought or how she viewed him.
She left behind only two gold coins.
So what do the two gold coins mean?
Thinking of this, Henry felt a surge of heat throughout his body and couldn't help but reach out and scratch his head.
Henry actually understood all of this, but he was unwilling to admit it.
But Henry kept the two gold coins with him, thinking that if he and Natalie met again one day, and he took out the two gold coins again, they might smile knowingly at each other.
But now it seems that it was just Henry's self-pity.
What am I even asking for?
Henry chuckled to himself.
I'm just a pirate, while Natalie seems to be a noblewoman. Would she really entrust her life to me?
Besides, more than ten years have passed without any contact. Even if the relationship was good before, it should have cooled down long ago.
Besides, he didn't spend much time with Natalie, only three years and one night.
Okay, it's alright.
He's forty years old; what hasn't he seen?
I don't care at all.
"Knock knock knock!"
The sudden knocking startled Henry.
His elbow slipped, and he fell under the table.
Henry scrambled to his feet, saying:
"Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Benson brought the boy in.
Henry quietly rubbed his left buttock and said:
"Bensen, go out and close the door behind you. You're in charge of everything outside. Don't let anyone bother me."
Benson responded and immediately left the room.
Henry walked up to the boy, whose hands were tied and mouth gagged, and circled him a few times.
Then, Henry removed the gag from the boy's mouth and untied the ropes binding his back.
Henry sat back down in his chair and ordered the boy to stand in front of him.
The boy was very obedient and stood in front of Henry.
Henry looked at the boy, and the more he looked, the more he saw Natalie's shadow in him.
This inexplicably annoyed him.
He had many questions he wanted to ask the boy, but he didn't know where to begin.
Finally, he asked:
"What's your name?"
However, the boy chose to remain silent.
"Speak, answer my question," Henry commanded.
"I can't tell you my name," the boy said.
The boy's voice was very pleasant, just like Natalie's, thin and delicate, but with a deeper, more masculine tone.
Damn it, Henry, who usually keeps his composure, was cursing in his heart why he had so many similarities with Natalie.
However, Natalie was rebellious, and Henry could only console himself with this thought, while the boy in front of him was very well-behaved.
Henry asked, "Why? It's just a name."
"I can't say."
Upon hearing this, Henry narrowed his eyes.
He immediately realized that the boy was afraid of his identity being exposed.
In other words, being a boy can bring disaster upon oneself.
Henry quickly concluded that the boy was a wanted criminal, or at least had a bounty on his head.
"Is someone trying to arrest you?"
The boy didn't answer, but just stared straight into Henry's eyes.
Seeing this, Henry knew he had guessed correctly:
"Tell me who you are, maybe I can help you."
Henry wasn't lying.
If the boy really was Natalie's child, even if Henry was jealous and possessive, he wouldn't have the heart to kill him.
Moreover, Henry was willing to return the boy to Natalie.
At least this way, Henry can move on from the past and let go of his resentment towards Natalie.
perhaps..·
However, the boy said, "I heard them say that you are pirates."
"That's right," Henry nodded.
"But pirates are all ruthless villains who will stop at nothing for profit and kill without blinking an eye," the boy said. "If I told you who I am, you would definitely betray me."
His vigilance was commendable; he shouldn't have trusted a pirate, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong person.
Henry sighed, "I really want to help you."
The boy was silent for a moment, then suddenly said:
"In that case, you don't need to know my identity to help me."
"Oh?"
"Find my family and send me there."
Henry was puzzled: "Wasn't that what I meant just now?"
The boy shook his head: "No. I just let you know half of my identity."
"Half?" Henry asked, somewhat curious about the boy's words. "Who do you want me to find?"
"my father."
Hearing this, Henry clenched his fist, feeling the flesh of his palm digging deep into his nails.
However, despite the excruciating pain, he was unable to loosen his fist.
Finally, Henry managed to squeeze out a few words:
"who is he?"
"I don't know either."
"have no idea?"
Henry frowned upon hearing this.
The boy explained, "All I know is that the blood of the ocean flows in my veins."
After speaking, Henry stood frozen in place, and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally managed to utter a single word:
"Huh?"
Seemingly finding Henry's reaction too unusual, the boy asked:
"What's wrong with you?"
Henry snapped out of his daze after being reminded.
He shook his head at the boy, then began to ponder the boy's words.
Henry was born and raised at sea; he and his father were both renowned pirates.
If Henry were to claim that he had the blood of the sea, few in the world would be able to refute him.
However, the boy's words could also mean something else, for example, that his father was a coastal lord.
Furthermore, even if Henry was certain that the boy before him was Natalie's son, it was not confirmed after all.
Perhaps all members of Natalie's family have similar appearances?
Even if things don't go perfectly, the boy in front of her might be Lady Aurélie's son, or perhaps Natalie's younger brother.
However, no matter how Henry tried to convince himself, he couldn't help but wonder if the boy in front of him was his son.
Henry was in a state of utter panic; he could no longer sit still in his chair and began pacing back and forth in the room.
Think! Think quickly! Henry urged himself, trying to figure out how to prove his guess!
Henry only realized his lapse in composure when he accidentally met the boy's eyes.
He stood facing the boy, took a deep breath, and calmed his mind slightly.
He immediately came to two key points.
First, it must be proven that the boy is indeed Natalie's son; only then should we consider whether the boy is related to Henry.
Just as Henry was organizing his thoughts, the boy asked:
"Are there really too few clues?"
"Hmm," Henry's tone softened unconsciously, "Any other clues?"
"That's all I know."
The boy shook his head as he spoke, paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said to Henry,
"It's okay if you don't contact my father! If you really want to help me, you can send me somewhere else!"
Henry asked, "Where?"
"A building located in O'Brien Bay—"
"—The library!" Henry blurted out.
"?" The boy looked puzzled. "How did you know?"
"Because I spent six years in that library,"
As he spoke, Henry pulled out his copy of "Stars, Moon, Night, and Enchantments".
"This book was lent to me by the librarian there."
The boy nodded repeatedly: "That's exactly the kind of person I'm looking for—the caretaker!"
Hearing this, Henry smiled.
Orange-yellow hair, and even knows about libraries:
"I know who you are now. Your mother is either Aurelia Capello or Natalie Lines!"
Hearing this, the boy turned pale and asked in a terrified voice:
"Who exactly are you?"
“I am not your enemy,” Henry said. “I lived with Natalie and Mrs. Aurélie in that library for three years, and I was close to them. So if you are their descendant, I will do everything in my power to help you.”
The boy still seemed hesitant, Henry said:
"Not many people know about libraries, so you should trust me, or do you need me to prove it in another way?"
The boy thought for a moment, then asked:
"Who told me to go to the library?"
"?" Henry asked, somewhat confused. "Isn't it your mother?"
The boy's expression instantly turned somber: "I've never seen my mother."
Oh my god.
But if it weren't for Natalie and Lady Aurelia, who would know about the library's existence?
At that moment, Henry suddenly remembered the knight Natalie had mentioned:
"Bourne!"
As soon as Henry finished speaking, the boy suddenly went limp and collapsed to the ground, tilting his head back and letting out a long cry, as if the emotions that had been building up in his heart for a long time were finally being released:
"Oh! Pegasus! I've finally made a friend!"
Although he didn't know who Bekas was, Henry could tell from the boy's tone that he must have suffered a lot.
Henry helped him up, placed him in a chair, and looked at him with a gentle smile:
"So, are you willing to believe me now?"
The boy nodded.
Henry immediately asked his first question: "Who is your mother?"
"Natalie Lines," the boy replied briefly.
Hearing the name he had longed for day and night, Henry took a deep breath.
He found his heart pounding wildly, like thunder, and no matter what he tried, Henry couldn't calm it down.
In this state, Henry could only continue asking:
"So, what's your name?"
"Kathy Lines".
Lynes inherited Natalie's surname.
Henry could not deduce the identity of the boy's biological father from his name.
But... Casey?
Henry smiled as he recalled his search for Natalie more than a decade ago. He knew why Natalie had named her son that.
"So, Casey, do you know any other clues about your father?"
Kathy shook her head: "They don't want to talk about it."
"Why?" Henry asked, puzzled.
"Although they didn't say it explicitly, I roughly know the reason," Kathy said. "My father's identity is probably a stain in my blood."
"In other words, your father could be a minor coastal nobleman, a fisherman, a merchant, or anyone else associated with the ocean," such as a pirate.
“Yes,” Casey said, “but I am a duke.”
Although Henry spent most of his time at sea, he was somewhat familiar with the rules of the nobility in the kingdom.
Those who are strong at sea live forever, but on the mainland, bloodline is above all else.
Putting himself in her shoes, Henry could understand to some extent why those around Cathy were unwilling to talk about Cathy's father—that half of her bloodline was destined to be dishonorable.
But right now, all Henry wants to know is who Cathy's father is.
However, there are too few clues at the moment, and Henry is unable to draw accurate conclusions.
Suddenly, Henry thought of a way, although he still couldn't confirm Cathy's father's identity.
But it helps Henry determine whether he himself is Cathy's father.
Henry knelt down in front of Casey and asked:
"How old are you?"
Kathy said, "Fourteen years old."
Henry tensed up.
He and Natalie separated a month before it would have been fifteen years.
Plus, it's October—.—
The deafening sound of his heart pounding made Henry's heart flutter.
Henry quickly asked Cathy again, "Your birthday was last month?"
"Yes," Casey nodded.
My heart, which was pounding wildly just moments before, suddenly stopped.
Henry was unusually quiet until Cathy's face was reflected in his pupils again, and he remembered to breathe.
Haha! Hahaha!
Henry burst into uncontrollable laughter and jumped up from the ground, wildly waving his fists at the air.
Natalie!
Kathy!
Henry repeated those two names in his mind.
One is the person he misses, and the other is most likely his son.
Since he hadn't received Natalie's personal confirmation, Henry stubbornly felt he needed to be more precise.
Henry turned back and looked at Casey.
Not long ago, Henry felt extremely uncomfortable because Cathy and Natalie looked too alike.
But right now, he really likes Cathy's small and cute face more and more.
Henry knelt down in front of Cathy again, and ignoring Cathy's confused expression, reached out and pinched Cathy's cheek.
It's warm and soft.
Does Natalie's face feel the same way when you pinch it?
Henry thought about it carefully and realized that he had never pinched her cheek.
At the library, Henry was completely focused on the homework assigned by the librarian and even seemed somewhat indifferent to Natalie.
That night, Henry had no time to care about such trivial matters as pinching cheeks.
Henry noticed Cathy's hair again.
Cathy's hair was not only orange-yellow, but also curly.
Curly hair, Henry thought, the same curly hair as mine.
Henry stroked Cathy's hair, then leaned forward uncontrollably, resting his chin on Cathy's shoulder and hugging him tightly.
Kathy! Kathy Lines! My son!
Henry felt Cathy's body temperature and listened to her breathing.
At that moment, he felt incredibly happy.
All pirates are the scum of the earth; their beds are always occupied by prostitutes, and they are unworthy of marriage.
Henry's own mother wasn't exactly clean.
He never expected that he would have a son!
Moreover, the son's mother's lineage was not only clean, but even noble.
At the same time, Henry suddenly realized that he missed Natalie and wanted to see her again.
Perhaps Natalie is now married and has other children.
But he didn't care about any of that. Henry, who was holding his son in his arms, was completely content.
"Kathy?"
"Um?"
"Kathy!"
"What's wrong?"
Henry had nothing else to do but want to call his son's name a few times.
He smiled and shook his head: "It's nothing."
After a while, Casey suddenly asked:
"Um, I don't know who you are yet."
Oh right, Henry suddenly remembered, I haven't introduced myself yet.
Henry released Cathy and then knelt upright in front of her:
"Henry! Henry Gijano Panza!"
"So, Henry, have you thought of something—" Cathy asked obediently, "about my father's identity."
"Of course!" Henry said without hesitation.
"Really?!" Cathy's eyes lit up. "Who is it?"
"Me!" Henry blurted out.
"you?"
Looking at Cathy's surprised expression, Henry suddenly remembered what Cathy had just said.
Kathy was a duke.
Kathy's last name is Lines.
Everyone kept Cathy's other half's background a secret.
On the mainland, bloodline is more important than anything else.
Pirates are all dirty and wicked.
Henry had been to the permafrost continent, where people said that the ice mounds of the northern communities were the coldest places in the world.
But Henry would bet that the blood in his veins is now much colder than the ice family's.
"I-"
Henry stammered,
"I...I don't know"