Chapter 17: The Ironborn Only Know How to Burn, Kill, and Pillage
Narrow Sea, The Stepstones, Cutthroat Isle, heart tree Forest
As night fell, the lights on Cutthroat Isle gradually dimmed. When the Moonlight shone upon the sea, the entire island seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious veil.
A gentle breeze brushed the coastline, bringing a hint of coolness that couldn't help but make one feel peaceful and comfortable.
On this tranquil night, the waves gently lapped against the rocks on the shore, making a pleasant sound.
Under the Moonlight, the seawater rippled slightly, like a series of shimmering silver scrolls.
Yet, within this quiet and peaceful environment, undercurrents were surging. Most of the pirates and slaves on Cutthroat Isle came from the two continents of the East and West.
The slaves were better off; they had long yearned for freedom. After being rescued by Jon, they completely considered themselves members of "The Chainbreakers."
But the pirates were different. Most of the pirates under "Skullcap" Bill were primarily Ironborn.
Most of these people from the Iron Islands were born pirates. Due to the unification of the Seven Kingdoms, many pirates accustomed to a life of pillaging had no choice but to lie low under the suppression of the Iron Islands' lords.
However, there were some—or those who were pirates themselves—who disliked a life constrained by lords.
Thus, The Stepstones, being relatively close to the Iron Islands, became a favorite habitat for the Ironborn Pirates of the Iron Islands.
While everyone was resting, a group of uninvited guests arrived in a patch of shadows outside the Godswood on Throat-Cutting Isle Main Island.
To hide their figures, they all wore uniform black cloaks. With hoods covering their heads, people from a distance couldn't discover their presence at all.
"Leader Kapo, it looks like that should be the grove where that Bastard of the North is. That guy is truly pious; he actually hasn't come out even now!"
Just as the group stopped and gathered together to rest, one of them suddenly spoke up and asked this.
"This guy is too eerie. I suspect he's like those Farwynd monsters on Lonely Light. You must have heard that he can transform into a white wolf!"
Before Kapo, the leader, could answer, an old man beside him spoke up directly.
"What's wrong? Is our leader 'Bucktooth' Kallen afraid?"
Hearing the other's concern, the Ironborn pirate named Kapo was also a bit afraid, but he didn't want to appear even more pathetic than his old rival.
"Hmph! Who cares if he can turn into a wolf? There are over thirty of us here. Even if he could transform into a mammoth, there are enough of us to kill him!"
Knowing he had already shown weakness, Kallen quickly spoke up to retort. To regain his dignity, he intentionally raised his voice a bit.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Suddenly hearing something, Kapo quickly shouted this. Then, he and those around him huddled into a circle, while reaching for the weapons tucked into their lower backs.
Due to Jon's victory, most of the weapons on the island had been gathered into the Pirate Fortress.
Just as pirates never have only one treasure hoard, they also hide their weapons in several places so they can handle unexpected situations.
"Alright, keep moving. You lot, be careful!"
Kapo felt much better after seeing Kallen get shut down, but he also knew very well that if they wanted to succeed this time, both sides had to be sincerely united.
"Fine, the mission is the priority. We'll talk about later things later. Move out, quickly!"
Soon, the two groups began advancing toward the heart tree. Utilizing their familiarity with the island's terrain, they quickly approached the sentry post.
Since this area was newly occupied, Garo was also very concerned about Jon's safety.
Therefore, even though Jon had the Direwolf Ghost by his side, Garo still arranged ten guards for him, and two knights from "The Ring Guard Squad" were also guarding him at all times.
"Hmm?"
As the pirate remnants approached, Narsas, who was leaning against a large tree, seemed to sense something. He instantly transformed into a dark shadow and disappeared into the night.
"Thud..."
Meanwhile, Merry, who was dozing by the fire pit, was suddenly hit on the head by a pebble.
"Hiss... Ouch... What's going on... Uh..."
Just as Merry started to complain, Frodo, who was opposite him, reached out and gestured to him.
"Get ready... Enemy attack..."
"Shring..."
Soon, faint shouts appeared in the Godswood, followed by several figures flashing through the forest.
After Frodo and Merry drew the system weapons Jon had given them, they stood back-to-back, confronting the pirates gathering around them.
"Where did that bastard go? Why are there only two brats?"
Seeing Frodo and Merry, Kallen spoke up with some surprise.
"Yeah? Could it be that he turned into this weirwood?"
Kapo also found the situation strange. Although he had heard this information from others, he had heard the same thing from no fewer than five people today.
"Could it be... we've been tricked?!"
Upon realizing this possibility, Kapo broke into a cold sweat.
And it wasn't just that. After bypassing the previous sentry post, the old Ironborn, Kallen, had felt a faint sense of being watched, as if someone were staring at them from the shadows.
Thus, Kapo felt that entering the target area so easily was suspicious. Seeing only two guards nearby, his unease grew even stronger.
"We have our reasons for being here. What exactly do you want?"
Because the light was dim and the people opposite them were all wearing hooded cloaks, Frodo couldn't judge how many of them there were.
"What are you waiting for? Charge already! Since we can't find that guy, just set this place on fire and burn it down."
At this moment, Kallen really wanted to prove himself. Because he had just lost face, he now only wanted to quickly reclaim his authority in front of his subordinates.
"Don't be reckless! Don't you realize something is strange here? Why are there only two brats?"
Seeing his side becoming increasingly disorganized, Kapo quickly pulled Kallen aside. Due to the lighting, Frodo and Merry couldn't see their movements clearly.
Kapo was among the first group of Ironborn Pirates to follow "Skullcap" Bill, and he had always served as the brains of this pirate group.
It was precisely because of his caution that Kapo hadn't lost his life in Jon's previous raid. Compared to Kallen's one-size-fits-all approach, Kapo preferred to use his head.
Perhaps it was because he was too cautious that he hadn't directly ordered everyone to deal with Frodo and the other.
"Hehe, what's wrong? You traitors don't even dare to face us, yet you dream of dealing with Lord Jon? Are you really not afraid of divine punishment?"
Seeing that they didn't dare to step forward, the clever Merry seemed to have spotted an opening, so he directly mocked the pirate traitors.
"Let me do it! I'm going to kill this brat who doesn't know his place. I'll lock him in an iron cage and feed him to the ravens!"
Hearing Merry's mockery, the thick-headed Kallen seemed to be enraged again.
"Merry!?"
When Frodo heard Merry's mockery, his heart skipped a beat. He knew very well that there were only two of them here. If they weren't careful, they and Jon might not see tomorrow's sun.
"Don't worry, they don't dare to come up. They're all afraid of Lord Jon!"
Merry whispered comfortingly to Frodo.
To be honest, they also found it strange. Since they started their shift, they hadn't seen Jon; he seemed to have disappeared from the area.
If not for a certain strange resonance in their minds, they probably would have mobilized everyone to search for him long ago.
"Are you scared witless by that bastard? Charge! We're this far away, so we definitely won't see him. Go over and set this ghost-faced tree on fire. I don't believe he won't come out."
Seeing Kapo's reaction, the hot-tempered Kallen instantly exploded like a cannonball.
"If you won't go, we will! Hmph! Anyway, the drowned god's watery halls will always be open to me. Remember this, you bastard born in the North: the Ironborn only know how to burn, kill, and pillage. We won't join you in being some bullshit 'Chainbreakers'!"
Kallen was extremely dissatisfied with the situation and grew increasingly contemptuous of Kapo. At this moment, he had completely stepped out of the previous gloom.
In Kallen's eyes, he was the true Ironborn, not a timid coward like Kapo.
"Ha..."
"Bang... Shring..."
Wielding a hand axe, Kallen appeared very agile, completely unlike his obese physique.
Although he faced Frodo's longsword, his heavy and powerful attacks were more than Frodo could handle, forcing him to retreat repeatedly as if he could no longer resist.
Merry, who wanted to help from the side, was entangled by several of Kallen's subordinates. However, after changing classes to a Knight, his combat power had significantly increased, preventing those pirates from having any chance to help Kallen.
"Eh?! Could it be that I guessed wrong?"
"Leader Kapo, what should we do now?"
Seeing Kallen's successive victories, the surrounding Ironborn were also eager to give it a try.
Most of Kallen's men had been sent out earlier to deal with the hidden sentries. After thinking for a moment, Kapo decided to join the fray immediately.
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