The attack by the Bloodhand pirates, though thwarted by the Flint Family in time, caused irreparable damage.
Half of the Flint Family's coffers, the Fine Wine Market, was completely destroyed, resulting in a loss of dozens of gold dragons – or rather, a loss that couldn't be quantified in gold alone.
And that didn't even account for the loss of life. In short, the Flint Family was thoroughly crippled this time, and the compensation owed to the merchants alone would be a significant sum of gold dragons.
After all, merchants paid hefty taxes to ensure the safety of their property and shops. The Flint Family's failure to detect the pirates in time and eliminate them beforehand meant they were held responsible for the losses.
It could be said that the Flint Family was destined to decline for several years after this incident, but fortunately, Widow's Watch had advantageous geographical conditions, making it difficult for them to fall entirely.
Marco was currently cuddling his young wife, catching up on sleep. The "battle" the previous night had been intense, both at the Fine Wine Market and in the room where Marco stayed.
In the latter half of the night, upon learning that the Flint Family had intercepted the enemy, Marco had pulled Moonshadow back to their room. It wasn't until the fighting outside was completely over that Marco finally relented.
It was noon when Henk and the others returned to relieve them, that Marco finally got out of bed with Moonshadow. The previous night's preparations were the second layer of insurance Marco had set up for himself and his men. Fortunately, the Flint Family handled the situation well, and Marco suffered no losses.
After lunch, Marco took Moonshadow and Maeve to visit the Flint Family. Gower, the steward who greeted them, mistook Marco, who was pretending to be a merchant from Essos, for a debt collector. The first thing Gower said was to ask for a few more days.
After Marco presented gifts and paid a two gold dragon fee for the meeting, the Flint Family steward immediately arranged a meeting.
Lady Lyssane of the Flint Family was a beautiful woman in her forties. Her figure was curvaceous, and time seemed to have left little mark on her. With her Reach heritage, she perfectly embodied the softness and grace of a woman.
It was no wonder that she and her cousin, Lady Donella of the Hornwood family, were known as the "White Harbor Twins" in their youth; they certainly had the looks to match.
After a few simple pleasantries, Marco gave Lady Lyssane some jewelry. Moonshadow and Maeve weren't particularly fond of such things, so Marco still had a large portion of his treasures left. These ornaments were quite suitable as a means of introduction in certain situations.
Lady Lyssane expressed her fondness for Marco's gifts. Afterward, Marco seized the opportunity to give a set of armor to her son, Robin Flint. This young man was about the same age as Marco, but he had a long, thick beard, giving him the appearance of a true Northman.
Manly Stone was a knight from the Vale. He had sworn fealty to the Flint Family a long time ago. It was worth mentioning that he was the commander of the castle's troops last night, and he was also the Flint Family's instructor.
This sworn knight from the Vale was handsome and strong, possessing all the qualities one would expect of a knight.
And through their soul link, Marco discovered a rather interesting little secret about him: the handsome oath knight and the beautiful countess's untold story.
No wonder those two characters are always so popular in certain color novels in this world.
Looking at Robin Flint, who was discussing armor styles with Manly Stone, Marco even felt a hint of fatherly affection. Afterward, the Flint Family invited Marco to stay for the evening banquet.
Although they had suffered heavy losses this time, a noble's airs couldn't be dropped. Besides, the value of the things Marco had brought was more than the cost of this banquet.
It could be said that White Harbor and its surrounding area were more or less influenced by the Manderly Family. Many families placed great importance on banquets and extravagance. However, the Flint Family seemed to be putting on a show, even though they were already in such a situation. Marco felt they were trying to put on a brave face.
But all of this had nothing to do with Marco. His main goal was still to find that mysterious power. After lunch, Marco and the others, under the guidance of Gower, the Flint Family's steward, toured the entire castle. Then, after Marco's indirect probing, Steward Gower led them to the Godswood.
Although the Flint Family had a marriage alliance with the Manderly Family, they still firmly adhered to the Old Gods' faith. The Godswood was also beautifully built. When Lady Lyssane's husband was still alive, he had built a small sept for his wife within the castle.
When Marco arrived at the Godswood, he noticed that faint, intangible strange power. So, after they arrived at the Godswood, Moonshadow and Maeve, at Marco's signal, dispersed to search for that power. Gower thought they were seeing the Godswood for the first time. The old steward even took Marco aside to introduce him to the Old Gods' faith.
Moonshadow and Maeve took advantage of the opportunity to search the Godswood carefully. Within the Flint Family's Godswood, there were several strangely shaped stones of varying sizes, carved with ancient First Men runes of different forms. However, Moonshadow managed to find the rune with the familiar power among these stones.
Just as Moonshadow was about to touch the rune, Maeve pulled her back. She gave Moonshadow a look and then glanced at Gower, who was still talking incessantly, indicating that there were others present.
Seeing their actions, Marco nodded at them. Just as Marco was considering what excuse to use to send Gower away,
a servant of the Flint Family suddenly ran over. After whispering a few words to Gower, Gower looked ashamed and apologized to Marco, indicating that he had to leave.
The old steward asked Marco to continue his tour of the Godswood and said that he would order the servants to bring tables, chairs, and food, allowing Marco to enjoy himself there.
After they left, Marco quickly came to the strange stone. He gently reached out his hand, feeling the strange power on it, and then tentatively touched it.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for discovering a treasure, the Flame Rune. It contains a complete rune magic. The host can use it by consuming resources." "Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the rune magic, Thunder Rune. The subject can gain the power of thunder, its power comes from a certain deceased Old God. Note! This may produce some unknown changes, please pay attention to the host's safety!"
The system's prompt made Marco's heart skip a beat, but he quickly relaxed. After all, the Thunder Rune was a Level 4 rune magic, and using a treasure comparable to a divine artifact would indeed come at a cost.
However, Marco now had the Archangel Maeve and a full set of light magic. While his offensive power wasn't great, he was more than capable of protecting himself.
Near Bite Bay, the Three Sisters Islands were home to two very unique Old Gods: the "Lady of the Waves" and the "Sky Lord." The ancient people in this area believed storms were sacred, as they thought storms were created when the two gods copulated.
What was even funnier was that the ancient people would sacrifice gnomes during storms, because they believed gnomes were hated by the storm gods.
Later, the invasion of the Andals brought the faith of the Seven Gods to the Three Sisters Islands. Gradually, the islanders abandoned their belief in these two gods. Now, only the islanders on some remote islands still followed them. Marco suspected that this rune stone might well be the power left behind by the ancient "Sky Lord."
Looking at the Flame Rune that had materialized in his hand, Marco felt the powerful energy it contained. Wisps of lightning surged across it. Unlike the bright yellow in the game, this Flame Rune was blue and white.
Having gotten what he wanted, Marco was a little less enthusiastic. However, he still needed to be polite, so he stayed until the evening.
During the dinner, everyone in the Flint Family wasn't in a good mood. Each person's smile towards Marco carried a hint of bitterness. The visitor who came after Marco was sent by the merchants to collect debts. They would probably lose more than 10 gold dragons. Marco estimated that the family would have to live a few years of hardship before they could escape the shadow. However, he figured White Harbor would still offer them some support.
Back at the inn, Marco summoned Henk and had him prepare for their departure the next day.
The next morning, after a simple breakfast, Marco and his group set off towards the harbor.
Ivy and her family asked to join them on the ship to Seagull Town, but Marco refused. The Snow Bear had a Griffon Swan on board, and Marco didn't want to reveal his trump card too early. He simply gave them a silver stag as a parting gift.
After the Snow Bear left the Flint Family's dockside town, they began heading south towards Seagull Town. They would continue sailing through Bite Bay, then pass the Fingers Peninsula before reaching their destination.
Three days later, one night, Marco was "playing a game" with Moonshadow in the cabin when a violent impact interrupted his enjoyment. Cursing, he got up to get dressed, only to hear shouts and the clash of steel outside.
At that moment, Maeve burst through the door. Seeing Marco half-dressed, her face flushed slightly. But she suppressed her embarrassment and said to Marco:
"Marco! The ship seems to have run aground. A large group of pirates has suddenly surrounded us. Henk and the others are preparing to defend."
Around the Snow Bear, a large number of pirates armed with makeshift weapons had gathered. However, they looked less like pirates and more like fishermen wielding weapons.
After telling Moonshadow to rest well, Marco brought Maeve to the deck. He looked at the pirates below, who were throwing grappling hooks, and felt puzzled. He asked Henk, "Henk! What's going on? How did we run aground here?"
"My Lord! I apologize! I saw a fire over there and thought it was a newly built lighthouse. I wasn't careful, and…"
There were many reefs in the waters near Bite Bay, which provided opportunities for shrewd pirates and local fishermen to get rich. They would light fires during foggy days, pretending to be signal lights or lighthouses to lure careless captains.
The pirates had originally thought the Snow Bear would crash and sink like other ships. But they hadn't expected the Snow Bear to suffer so little damage, which left them momentarily helpless.
But soon, they came up with a plan. As grappling hooks secured the ship, the pirates began to climb aboard, all of them excitedly yelling, hoping to grab some good loot.
"Screech..."
A cry of an eagle suddenly came from the bow, silencing the chaotic shouts of the pirates. Then they saw a giant beast with long wings flying down from above.
The Griffon Swan was incredibly fast, snatching up the highest-climbing pirate in a flash. Soaring high, it then released its grip, sending the pirate plummeting to his death, crushing three unlucky souls in the process.
A chorus of wails followed, and then the Hag of the Underworld, Danni Flint, materialized on the ship's bow. Seeing her, Maeve frowned, her power surging, as if facing a natural enemy.
The Hag of the Underworld had initially intended to taunt Maeve, but under Marco's strict orders, she charged into the crowd below. These souls, filled with sin and resentment, were her favorite meal.
The Hag of the Underworld slammed down in front of a terrified pirate, her sharp bone claws ripping out his heart. She devoured it in front of her master.
Then, the Hag of the Underworld let out a roar at the crowd, a wave of cold, deathly pressure instantly washing over the pirates, filling them with boundless terror.
Some of the more cowardly among them were so terrified that they soiled themselves on the spot, wailing and begging for mercy, just as they had treated the crew. Danni Flint reveled in the chaos, driving the pirates into the sea.
Once the pirates were no longer a threat, Marco recalled the Griffon Swan, having Henk ride it to a relatively safe area. After selecting a spot, Henk used his unique skill, "Sarah's Ark."
At that moment, massive waves surged from the sea, lifting the Snow Bear as if cradled in a giant hand, then delivering it to Henk. Just then, the Hag of the Underworld's time was up. She let out an eerie laugh and vanished before the pirates' eyes.
The surviving pirates saw the Snow Bear being lifted by the waves in the distance. Tonight's events were simply too bizarre. They all thought it was a divine miracle and instinctively began to shout the name of the "Lady of the Waves."
Gradually, the calls grew louder and spread further, with the waves themselves seeming to surge in response to their cries.
The thick fog that had been lingering like smoke instantly vanished, leaving the sea visible under the moonlight. However, the wind grew stronger. Within a mere ten minutes, huge waves had risen, and the sky had turned a gloomy gray.
A storm carrying strange energy, with a terrifying might, swept towards the Snow Bear, causing Marco, who was holding Moonshadow, to frown and murmur to himself: