Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World

Chapter 341: Escaping the Tiger’s Mouth

TL: Etude

“Notify the entire ship to be on alert!”

The captain of the Fortune furrowed his brow, instructing the crew to prepare for trouble.

He turned to Eileen and the others, saying, “Guests, it might be safer for you to stay inside the cabin.”

Eileen shook her head, replying, “If they are indeed pirates, and you can’t fend them off, hiding anywhere on the ship won’t do us any good.”

She patted the sword at her waist—for convenience, she and Leah had been dressed in men’s clothing since boarding—and said, “We know a bit of swordsmanship and can lend a hand if a conflict arises.”

Leah, standing beside her, nodded. Not only was she a princess’s guard, but the princess herself had received excellent swordsmanship training from a young age. Confident in her own skills, she believed that ordinary people couldn’t get close to her, especially when she was armed.

Otherwise, the two young girls wouldn’t have dared to run away from home so casually.

“Uh… alright then.”

Velos, a merchant nearby, said, “If the girls are brave enough to face danger, then we men hiding in the cabin would be a laughingstock.”

The other passengers responded to Velos, expressing their willingness to stay on deck and face the situation together.

“Alright, then thank you, everyone,” said the captain, bolstered by their courage. He ordered his crew to distribute weapons to those passengers who were unarmed.

A small boat that had left the western harbor was gradually approaching the Fortune. The captain estimated there were about ten people on board, including the rowers. With over fifty people on his own ship, this small boat alone didn’t pose much of a threat. However, if they were pirates, there would certainly be more accomplices in the western harbor. He instructed those on deck to conceal their weapons for now.

“I am the harbor officer. Requesting permission to board your ship.”

Once close to the Fortune, a leader-like figure on the small boat shouted to the deck.

“Alright, please wait a moment!” The captain agreed and ordered a rope ladder to be thrown down.

The self-proclaimed harbor officer, along with a few followers, climbed aboard.

“Where does your ship hail from?” the captain asked with a furrowed brow.

“We’re the Fortune from Northwest Bay. We’ve been to the western harbor several times and are registered at the harbor office. Don’t you recognize us?” the captain inquired, his suspicion turning to worry. The full-sail design of his ship was quite unique for the western harbor, and it should be easily recognizable. Why wouldn’t the harbor officials recognize it?

Embarrassed, the self-proclaimed harbor officer chuckled, “Sorry, I’m newly assigned to the western harbor and not quite familiar with some details yet.”

Then, with a serious expression, he questioned, “Why are you lingering so close to the western harbor without entering? What are your intentions? Are you trying to spy on the harbor or even gather information on the kingdom’s navy?”

“No, no, sir,” the captain of the Fortune hastily explained. “Actually, our rudder is damaged, and we wanted to see if we could fix it before entering the harbor.”

“I see, a broken rudder,” the harbor officer stroked his chin. “Well then, you shouldn’t drift around here. Use the wind to move towards the western harbor, and when you get close, we’ll send someone to tow your ship in. It’ll be easier to repair in the dockyard. There are many skilled craftsmen in the western harbor who can handle even a new type of ship like yours.”

“Ha ha, thank you for your assistance, sir,” the captain said, feigning gratitude.

Velos, standing nearby, suddenly spoke, “Mr. Harbor Officer, please extend my greetings to your colleague, Mr. Jefferson. I have some acquaintance with him and plan to visit him while I’m in the western harbor.”

He reached out his hand as he spoke.

The harbor officer shook his hand, smiling amiably, “Ah, Jefferson, that guy. Don’t worry, I will pass on your greetings.”

After a brief exchange, the harbor officer quickly led his followers back to the small boat and rowed towards the western harbor.

“Captain!” Velos suddenly spoke seriously to the captain of the Fortune, “Turn the ship around immediately and head away from the western harbor. I made up the name Jefferson; it’s highly unlikely that there would be an officer with that name there by coincidence. Moreover, when I shook his hand, I could clearly feel thick calluses, not at all like those of someone who does clerical work. Putting all this together, there must be something fishy going on in the western harbor.”

The captain nodded gravely, “I was thinking of turning around and leaving anyway. With your analysis, I’m even more convinced.”

The captain quickly issued the order to head north. Under the threat of pirates, the sailors worked with efficiency far beyond their usual performance.

With a north wind blowing, they adjusted the angle of the ship and sails, using the wind to create forces in two directions: one pushing the side of the ship, the other pushing towards the bow. The sideways force was counteracted by the water resistance against the ship’s hull, while the other force propelled the ship forward in the direction of the bow.

In this way, the Fortune slowly started moving, sailing northward in a zigzag pattern.

This maneuver took some time, but the impostor “harbor officer,” believing his performance had deceived everyone on the Fortune, was smugly waiting in the harbor for his prey to come to him, so he made no further move.

However, once the Fortune turned north, they realized that it was they who had been deceived.

In a flurry of activity, several larger ships set out from the western harbor in pursuit of the Fortune. But since the Fortune was already quite far from the port, the pursuers ultimately failed to catch up.

“What should we do now?”

Watching the distant ships fade to the south, Eileen asked somewhat bewilderedly. Her simple journey home had turned into this, and she couldn’t help feeling a profound sense of loss.

Furthermore, the appearance of pirates on the kingdom’s western coast was a source of concern for her as a princess.

The captain revealed his plan, “We don’t have enough food and fresh water on board to return to Northwest Bay. We must head north to find a supply point.”

Velos suggested, “There are several ports along the west coast; it’s unlikely they are all occupied by pirates like the western harbor. Getting supplies should be easy.”

The captain stroked his chin, “Now that you mention it, it reminds me to find a closer port to offload our cargo. It’s better than transporting it all the way back to Northwest Bay. However, we should first send someone ashore in a small boat to scout the area and understand the situation.”

As the sun set, dinner was arranged on the Fortune, and everyone spent the night with mixed feelings.

The next morning, the captain sent people ashore to a fishing village, where they learned that the western harbor had indeed been overrun by pirates who had emerged from nowhere. Even the kingdom’s navy stationed there had been defeated. Crystal Shine was now mobilizing ships and recruiting sailors, preparing for a combined land and sea operation to eliminate the pirates.

Everyone on board was relieved and grateful; they had narrowly escaped walking into a trap.