Lynn replied with a blank expression, "That joke isn't funny at all."
"Good that it's not. This world nowadays, I don't know what's going on, it's getting more and more chaotic."
Sensing that there was more to the other's words, Lynn looked at him.
"What is it?"
Lothar said with so lingering fear.
"A village near Haggard was raided by a group of pirates so ti ago."
"They killed everyone in the village, not even sparing the won and children."
"That's the reason why there are fewer barges traveling the Pontar River."
"Although Teria and Redania have increased the number of patrol boats on the Pontar, they still haven't found anything so far."
Lynn looked at the fog covering the river surface, which had dissipated a bit compared to before.
"Do you know the origin of those pirates?"
Lothar shook his head. "I don't know. There's never been a large number of pirates on the Pontar River before."
Just then, a sailor ran over, his face full of terror.
"Captain, sothing bad has happened!"
"What's with the panic? What happened?"
"There are ships ahead, many ships. They're blocking our way."
"Terians? Or Redanians?"
The Pontar River flowed through four countries: Teria, Redania, Aedirn, and Kaedwen.
Since their barge had not yet reached Flotsam and was still far from Aedirn and Kaedwen,
they were currently still within the territory of Teria or Redania.
Teria and Redania used the Pontar River as a border, but both countries simultaneously claid ownership of the river.
To fight for the Pontar River, the two countries had many conflicts in history, and both sides shed a lot of blood.
Finally, after a large number of deaths, neither side could subdue the other, and they reached an agreent that the Pontar River would be jointly managed by both countries.
But this in turn would create new problems.
Because dividing national borders on rivers was much more difficult than on land.
Lothar prayed in his heart that it wouldn't be a Terian ship.
Because just two days ago, he had already paid taxes to a passing Redanian patrol boat.
If he only made a profit on one trip but had to pay taxes twice, he would truly wish he were dead.
When he clearly heard what the sailor who ran to report told him, Lothar's mood suddenly beca a mixture of joy and worry.
The joy was that the ships blocking the river ahead were not Redanian ships, so he didn't have to worry about paying taxes again.
The worry was that the ships blocking their way were precisely the notorious and lawless pirate gang that had been in the lilight recently.
"Go, call everyone up on deck, hurry!"
Lothar chased the sailor away, then looked at Lynn with a pitiful gaze.
He knew that witchers were all skilled swordsn.
Not to ntion that the other party also had more than a dozen dwarven companions who could use axes.
If they were willing to help, that would be great.
"Master..."
The captain didn't need to finish his sentence; Lynn already understood his aning.
He sighed.
"Captain, you see, I told you not to talk nonsense. Don't worry, Master Lothar, my companions and I will join the fight."
"After all, if the pirates win, we won't be able to stay out of it either."
...
The ship's bell, signaling an ergency, was rung.
Ordinary passengers all hid in the cabin. The sailors, ard, gathered on deck.
Hearing the bell ring, Yarpen and Zoltan, bringing their dwarven brothers, also ca up on deck.
But when they saw so many non-humans appearing on deck, they almost clashed with Lothar's sailors.
"Everyone wait, don't move!"
Seeing the tense standoff between the two sides, Lothar suddenly regretted his earlier thoughtlessness, realizing he hadn't considered everything.
He had only thought that calling the witcher's companions up would be a significant help, but he hadn't anticipated that it would instead cause panic among his own n.
At this ti, the unrest caused by non-humans was not as great as after the First Northern War.
But it still caused antagonism between northerners and non-humans.
Especially during such a special period.
"Yarpen, Zoltan, tell your brothers to co over here."
The witcher's voice sounded from the stern.
The two sides about to clash were both stunned for a mont.
Then they both looked at the witcher walking towards them.
"Master Lothar, your n guard the bow, and my companions and I will be responsible for protecting the stern. Everyone cooperates, no problem, right?"
"That's an excellent suggestion, Master. I wholeheartedly agree."
Lothar naturally couldn't object.
He also took this opportunity to restrain his n.
But just as Lynn was leading the dwarves towards the stern, his unusually keen hearing still picked up the sailors' resentful complaints.
"Captain, letting so many non-humans stay on deck with weapons, what if they are in league with those Scoia'tael causing trouble in the North? We'd be dood."
"If you ask , when they boarded the ship, we should have confiscated all their weapons and locked them all in the cabin. That would have been the safest way."
The endless complaints from his n made Lothar frown.
He finally couldn't help but stop the sailors from going to extres and becoming biased.
"Enough! All of you shut your damn mouths! Are you never going to stop? Open your dog eyes wide! Whoever doesn't have blood on their sword later, I'll throw them overboard to feed the drowners!"
On the other side, Yarpen, walking towards the stern, glanced at the expression on the witcher's face.
But he smiled generously.
"You heard what they were saying, right? They must be talking bad about us, hehe. There are always so people like that, useless at everything but internal strife."
"But we don't care, because our employer is you, not them. We and our axes fight for you. Lynn, if you die and no one pays us, that won't do."
Zoltan also heartily agreed with a loud fart.
The stench was as strong as a biochemical weapon.
Instantly, the previous oppressive atmosphere was dispelled by this stinky fart.
The dwarves laughed heartily and ran to the stern, each taking a position to guard.
Yarpen, Zoltan, and Lynn stayed together.
"You've been on the boat the whole ti, Lynn, do you know what's going on?"
Lynn replied, "I heard it's pirates."
Zoltan next to him was taken aback. "Pirates? Isn't this the Pontar River? How can there be pirates here?"
Pirates certainly didn't only plunder at sea.
The Pontar and Yaruga Rivers, as the most important rivers in the North, had developed river transport and many cargo ships. It was understandable that pirates would covet them.
"There are also pirates who plunder along the river, especially since these aren't peaceful tis."
Facing Lynn's explanation, Zoltan shrugged.
He spat twice into his palms.
"Then bring it on! My great axe is already thirsting. When one cos, I'll chop one. Two co, I'll chop a pair."
(End of this chapter)
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