The Wizarding World's Forbidden Book Administrator

Chapter 42 The House of Pleasure

Benson nodded and immediately went to carry out Henry's orders.

When he returned, he said:

"Boss, we've notified everyone and arranged for a sailor to fetch a doctor."

"Um,"

Henry nodded, but his expression remained serious.

"Benson, we still have a lot to do, and we must hurry!"

Repairing ships, replenishing supplies, recruiting sailors...

Those two giant crossbows also seemed to have malfunctioned and needed repair.

These things are all urgent; otherwise, if danger strikes, the black goat will be left only with panic.

"But things have to be done one step at a time, boss."

That's true...

So Henry said:

"The first priority should be repairing the ship; it must be put back into normal navigation as soon as possible."

Benson pointed to a wooden hut by the dock, its sign bearing the image of a hacksaw:

"Then you'll have to consult a ship repairman."

The two arrived at the shop and saw a burly man wearing an apron, dozing in a rocking chair.

Benson shouted, "Hey, repairman!"

The burly man staggered, abruptly opened his eyes, stared at Henry and Benson for a few seconds, then lazily yawned:

"Huh? Where's your ship?"

Benson pointed to the Black Goat, which was moored not far away.

The burly man clearly recognized the ship at a glance; his eyes widened.

"The Black Goat!?"

Benson laughed and said, "You're quite insightful."

"Where is Lord Edwin? I heard he sailed west. Is he back?"

Upon hearing this, Benson's face fell.

"Edwin? The Master? He's not coming back. I hope he finds the underwater palace."

"You mean..." The big man looked surprised.

"That's right, he was killed by my octopus. Now the Black Goat has a new owner, the one next to me."

The big man was stunned, speechless.

Henry smiled politely: "Sir, I am Henry Gijano Panza."

"Um?!!"

Upon hearing this name, the burly man's expression twisted even more.

"Gihano? Who is Joachim to you?"

"He's my dad."

"My God, Joachim's seed is actually... Oh!"

As he spoke, the burly man suddenly bowed and saluted.

"The Black Goat is the king of the seas, but you are absolutely worthy of it, Mr. Gihano."

Henry smiled: "No need to be so polite, sir. Just call me Henry."

"My name is Victor, Mr. Henry. It's an honor to serve you."

At this moment, the ship repairman's usual carefree attitude vanished completely.

The two men led Viktor onto the ship, and when he saw the devastation on board, he was utterly astonished:

"What...what exactly happened on the Black Goat?"

"It was clearly a major battle," Benson said proudly, "a spectacular naval battle worthy of being sung about."

Henry, however, was not in the mood for frolicking.

"Victor, can you fix it?"

Upon hearing this, Viktor dropped his flamboyant expression and his eyes became serious.

He carefully examined everything on the ship before speaking cautiously:

"The ship was on fire."

"Even my blind great-grandfather could see that," Benson retorted.

"The fire was huge; two masts were burned through, the main deck was completely destroyed, and many planks on the second deck were also burned."

Victor ignored Benson's foul mouth and analyzed the situation seriously.

"There are also burn marks on the side panels and anchor plate, but the damage is not obvious and should not affect the function."

Henry nodded and asked again:

"Can it be fixed?"

Victor smiled confidently: "This is our livelihood. If we couldn't fix it, would we dare to open a shop in pirate territory? However, it will take some time."

But what Henry was most worried about was time; the wolf lurking in the shadows wouldn't wait for the goat to recover from its injuries.

"I need you to fix this ship as quickly as possible so that it can sail normally again as soon as possible," Henry said in an unassailable tone.

"Oh, sir! You have no idea how badly this ship was damaged, let alone how much effort and materials it will take to completely repair it."

Henry frowned: "I'm listening."

Viktor then nodded, and said, piecing together his fingers:

"There are too many parts of the ship that need repair, but the most important ones are replacing the mast and deck, which are major projects."

"Even if we ignore the second deck, the main deck will definitely need to be replaced entirely. However, this work is just inlaying wooden planks. If we have enough materials, hiring more people can increase efficiency."

"But replacing the mast is not an option. The mast runs through the entire deck of the ship and is connected to the bottom plate. To replace it, you need to remove the decks of all nearby decks first, and then operate on the bottom plate."

"Sir, you know that the bottom plate and keel are the lifeblood of a ship and must not be damaged lightly. Therefore, this work must be done by an expert..."

"Besides..."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Henry's expression grew even more serious:

"Besides?"

"Master Henry, the Black Goat is a large ship; we've never even seen a ship as big as it before, so its masts are thicker and taller than those of ordinary ships."

Viktor gestured as he spoke.

"What burned out were the mainmast and the aft mast, yet their size was comparable to the mainmast of a typical ship!"

Benson said matter-of-factly, "Then just replace it with the mainmast material, right?"

"That's right."

Viktor nodded.

"But generally speaking, if the mainmast breaks, it's better to replace the ship with a new one, so few repair shops will keep materials on hand to replace the mainmast. We did have one a few years ago, but we haven't used it yet. However, you probably won't be able to find a second one in the entire Scorching Heart Islands."

Henry fell into deep thought upon hearing this, and finally he had to compromise:

"Then let's replace it first. I'll send someone to inquire at various shops in the archipelago. If they have it, I'll buy it and let you replace it."

Victor immediately lowered his head deeply:

"Oh! Thank you for your trust, Mr. Henry. We will do our utmost to cure this big fellow!"

Henry nodded:

"You can order the sailors around as you please; that should save some time. How many days do you think it will take to repair it?"

"Heavens? No, at least a month!"

"That's too long," Henry blurted out. "I'll only give you seven days."

"This, this! Mr. Henry, this is far too rushed, it's simply..."

Henry didn't wait for Victor to finish speaking before turning and leaving with Benson.

Benson followed behind Henry and said:

"Boss, isn't the deadline too tight?"

"He needs to be put under pressure so he won't dare to slack off at work."

Henry stepped off the diving board, his brows furrowed as he surveyed the damp earth.

"Benson, this is the Black Goat's most vulnerable moment, and we are all lambs in its womb, sharing its fate."

"I understand, boss..."

Henry turned and looked back at the Black Goat.

Although two masts were broken, it still looked magnificent and imposing.

At least it remains as domineering as ever, Henry thought, so that petty scoundrels wouldn't dare to harbor any evil intentions.

Then, he couldn't help but pray anxiously to the Lord, the Sea God, and the stars that nothing unexpected would happen during this time.

In the afternoon, Victor and his lambs had already moved all the materials needed for repairing the ship to the dock.

Benson suddenly found Henry:

"Boss, the shrimps are making a ruckus!"

"What did they say?" Henry frowned.

"They want this..."

As he spoke, Benson clenched his left fist and repeatedly inserted his right index finger into the knuckles...