Chapter 9

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

He really did not expect that a shy, loyal, and honest man like Sanji would be capable of getting a girl’s affection without him noticing.

But that was probably the happiest thing that could happen to a normal person, right?

Alvin, who had a different life goal, was destined to drift further and further away from the life of a normal person, so he could only silently wish Sanji happiness in his heart.

Walking down the road, Alvin scrutinized the note in his hand with a distant gaze.

Having reached the pinnacle of apprentice knighthood, unless Alvin was willing to put in several times more effort than he did before, he would not be able to round up the two insignificant digits behind the decimal point and truly reach the limit of humans. But he would lose more than he gained in the process.

No Extraordinary who aspired to go a long way on the path of knighthood would deliberately try to reach the human limit.

Alvin was now confident that as long as he could obtain a bottle of Black Ocean Potion, he would have a great chance of becoming an Extraordinary!

In fact, so long as he had the main ingredient, Extraordinary Organ of a Demonized Shark, Alvin could try to collect ingredients according to his family recipe and make a bottle of it himself.

But even though the Black Ocean Potion was only the lowest level of magic potion in the path of knighthood, it also involved the Extraordinary. The main ingredient, Extraordinary Organ, was not something a normal person like Alvin could find easily.

Moreover, the choice of the main material would have a bearing on his path after becoming an Extraordinary. This was an important matter that would affect a knight’s entire life, so he could not be sloppy.

So joining a faction and making use of the strength of an organization was Alvin’s only option.

At this time, because new sea routes had been opening up over the years, the royal navy, which was in desperate need of new recruits and resources because they needed to deal with pirates, defend sea routes, and compete with the navies of enemy countries, had caught the attention of Alvin.

Only a new, extremely fast-growing power like the navy could recruit talent without any restrictions. This would allow him to stand out quickly and obtain some power.

Only the navy would not dwell on Alvin’s status as a descendant of a downtrodden noble family from another country and would give him ample opportunities for promotion. After all, the desperate navy even recruited thieves and criminals. They did not lack people like Alvin at all.

Moreover, Alvin was alone and had no background at all. If he joined the cavalry, which cared a lot about a person’s background, he would remain a mere soldier no matter how hard he worked. So whether he wanted to search for his sister or seek revenge on Ilia’s enemies, the navy was the best option at the moment.

Alvin had a little hidden motive as well.

It would be a pity not to take part in this magnificent era personally, where sea routes were being opened continuously, the true nature of the world was being revealed bit by bit, and geographic discoveries were in full swing, wouldn’t it?

After reading the information about the navy that Sanji had compiled, Alvin, who already had a plan in mind, spent the next few days settling all kinds of errands and saying goodbye to his friends.

…

Time always flies when one is occupied, and before he knew it, it was already the night before his departure. Maybe it was the emotions of farewell, but lying in his own bed, Alvin could not sleep.

He stared at the ceiling as his mind raced.

Alvin, who had been alone since his previous life, had lived alone for a long time. He even had the feeling that this seaside town was his hometown and felt sad because he was about to leave his hometown soon.

As he tossed and turned, it was already the darkest period of the early morning.

Thump—

Thump—

Suddenly, a shrill alarm sound pierced through the night sky and continuous rumbles sounded from the direction of the pier.

Afterwards, people were shouting,

“Pirates have attacked the city!”

“Pirates have attacked the city!”

With a jolt, Alvin instantly woke up, leapt up from the bed, and pulled open the curtains. He saw a state of chaos outside. Only then did he realize that pirates had really rushed ashore.

Piracy was rampant along the coast, and incidents of pirates coming ashore to loot had occurred before.

But as small as Leopold was, it was a city that retained its walls, and with the coast being a key patrol area for naval vessels, this was the first time Alvin had ever encountered a pirate attack on the city in his five years of living here.

Alvin quickly changed, bringing along his longsword and hunting bow, and rushed outside.

He thought very clearly. At a time like this, it may not be safe to stay at home, especially in the commercial district, where he lived. If the city fell, the pirates would definitely loot the commercial district first. It would be better to take the initiative and keep the pirates out.

“Hey! Alvin!”

“Graham!”

On his way out, Alvin unexpectedly met Graham, who had also run out after hearing the commotion. With a brief greeting, the two of them paired up and ran together towards the city gate on the side of the pier, which was also the direction from which the cannon sounds had come.

This era could hardly be described as “peaceful”, and professional armies had only just started to develop. They found it very hard to meet the strong demands of the officials.

As a result, it was very common for hunters to be temporarily recruited to serve as scouts and perform other duties in the army.

As an excellent hunter who had also participated in several military operations, Graham brought Alvin, who was a pretty familiar face, and approached the city gates unhindered in the state of chaos.

The bombarding from the sea was now over, but the situation in the city was critical.

Two large holes had been created in the city gates and a part of the city walls, which were not really tall to begin will, had collapsed due to either concentrated attacks or explosives. They were already unable to defend the city against enemies.

On the city walls, the middle-aged captain holding a saber shouted, “Fire! Chase these d*mn pirates back into the sea!”

Boom!

Boom!

The soldiers lined up in three rows and fired their flintlock muskets alternately.

After only two rounds of firing, before the smoke from the muskets had cleared, there was already a large crowd of pirates with machetes screaming while charging towards the city.

“Charge—”

“Hahaha…!”

“Trash and vermin of the sea, give them a taste of the Blood Anchor Pirates! The gold, wine and girls in the city are all yours! Hahaha…”

“Long live the captain!”

“Kill them all!”

After firing in unison, the soldiers threw away their muskets, drew their sabers and stood under the command of the captain. Although flintlock muskets were powerful, their loading speed was too slow, and firing within ten paces was like playing with one’s life.

In the next moment.

Boom—

Two torrents created by blades and guns clashed together and a bloody melee ensued. Screams and howls could be heard among incessant shouting as blood and limbs flew. This was the horrifying scene Alvin and Graham saw when they arrived at the city gate.

Alvin, who had trained for a long time but was going to fight with cold weapons for the very first time, felt his body tremble slightly!

The splattering of blood, the miserable screams of the dying, and the mutilated limbs all gave him a tremendous shock. While his trembling did not stem from fear, this situation was certainly a test for Alvin.

Smack—

Graham suddenly pushed Alvin. “Alvin, don’t just stand there, we’ll use our arrows to assist! Reinforcements will come very soon.”

Taking a deep breath, Alvin nodded vigorously, took his yew bow from behind his back, and making use of his strength, leaped up the damaged city wall deftly with a few jumps.

With just a glance, the Data Vision had already marked out all the enemies and allies, who could not be seen clearly due to the darkness, clearly. The wind speed and wind direction were updated in real time as well.

Alvin nocked his arrow.

Whoosh!

An arrow shot through the air, entered the mouth of a bloody-faced, big-bearded man laughing wildly, and pierced through his head.

The young soldier on the other side who was fighting with him was slightly stunned but instantly reacted to go help his other companions.

At this time, Alvin had already turned his longbow and sent an arrow into another pirate’s eye socket. His actions were fluid and he was very concentrated. The situation of the battlefield no longer allowed him to slowly experience what it felt like to kill for the first time.

In Alvin’s hands, the primitive bow and arrow was a more effective murder weapon than a musket!

Although the armies of this era had already started equipping their soldiers with muskets on a large scale, it was not because bows and arrows were less powerful, but because muskets and musketeers were more cost-effective!

It took years to train someone into a well-trained and qualified archer, while an ordinary musketeer needed only a few days to become proficient in the use of a musket. The difference in efficiency was exponential.

And the era of shooting in a line did not really require much precision.

A competent archer needed to be able to fire ten arrows in a minute, all while standing in a chaotic battlefield. With the help of his physical prowess and the Data Vision, Alvin could shoot an arrow in three to five seconds without fail, which was far more effective and terrifying than a musketeer.

By the time Graham climbed up the stairs, Alvin had already killed five pirates with his arrows without a single case of friendly-fire.

In contrast, although Graham, who had also fired his bow to support the army, managed to kill some pirates too, he was nowhere near as efficient or lethal as Alvin.

Alvin’s body constitution, which had reached humanity’s limit, endowed him with terrifying stability. Maintaining a shooting speed of one shot every three seconds, barely a minute after ascending to the top of the city to support the army, both the enemies and his allies had noticed that a terrifyingly dominant sharpshooter had descended upon the battlefield.

The morale of the soldiers was boosted. On the other hand, although the pirates were fearless, they were also somewhat intimidated. They were no longer as arrogant as before. The line of defence that Leopold’s city guard had created with their blood and flesh was actually miraculously solidified just like that!