The afterglow of the sun slowly dispersed on the surface of the sea, making it look like a rippling golden scale. By sunset, the battle was already winding up.
It couldn't be really be called a battle.The elites of the Merfolk Pirates as well as the adult merfolk had all died in the earlier naval battle, and the only ones left were old, young, or female. Even without many pirates under his command Leylin's raid had been successful.
Once the sun had set completely, Leylin stood on the balcony of the two-floored house that had belonged to the pirate captain. He was watching the tiny spots of flames flickering in the port. Large-scaled arson would have completely destroyed the place, so Leylin had forbidden it before they completely looted it.
Robin Hood's face was flushed with excitement. He stood in the room with Isabel who did not participate in the plunder, reporting the results of the battle to Leylin. Leylin could tell that the spoils were quite decent just by looking at his face. A smile arose on his face as Robin Hood finished his report.
"Boss, we've struck gold!" Robin Hood had already grown to resemble a pirate more and more, or perhaps he had just stopped repressing his true nature, "Just the loot from the warehouse could fill half the ship; there's massive quantities of sugar, silk, and even pottery and woodwork!"
"We also found this inside the villa," Isabel added as she kicked open a black trunk next to Leylin's feet.
The wooden lid was covered in floral patterns, and a golden radiance poured out of the chest when it was opened. Robin Hood's eyes filled with greed, but he quickly suppressed it.
"That fellow hid his treasures very well, it took a lot of effort to find this," Isabel's eyes were also sparkling like little stars, as if she had also completely fallen in love with piracy.
This was just like what Leylin had read in one of the ancient tomes in this world: 'Gold! What a beautiful and adorable little thing. It can turn a coward into a warrior and evil to good. It can make rivers flow upstream, and such a tiny thing can send a damned soul to heaven!'
Even the churches needed wealth, and their requirement was massive at that. They needed it to influence their believers, and expand the scope of their power. This was especially true of Waukeen's, which hoarded more money than dragons. They stuck their hands in every source they could find to earn more money.
Inside the wooden trunk were stacks of gold, alongside a few precious gems which almost blinded Robin Hood. Isabel was more resistant to the allure, perhaps because she was a noblewoman. She still remained rational in the face of the riches.
"There are a total of 782 kronas, and each one weighs 18 grams. That's at least 1500 pieces of Dambrath gold! Adding on the precious gems, this entire trunk is worth over 2000 gold…"
Leylin picked up a single gold krona, which was heavier than the gold coins he was used to. The decorative designs on them as well as the portrait were completely different to those of the Dambrath Kingdom's coinage. "Mm. There's no need to exchange the kronas, they can still be used on the continent."
In the World of Gods, any organisation that was a duchy or greater in authority could issue its own coins, and this created many different metal currencies. But the church of the Goddess of Wealth was always dedicated to normalising their own gold coin, the krona. They wanted it to replace all other coins, becoming an official standard. Still, due to the secret resistance of many gods, they had never been successful. The gods believed such a thing would bring Waukeen many followers, so it would only be odd if they supported it.
Even though this was the situation, it was the Goddess of Wealth issuing these coins. All the churches serving her would vouch for them, so it was still the strongest currency circulating in the entire World of Gods.
'It looks like these pirates all hid their wealth in their homes,' Leylin thought of the captives he had— If he had directly murdered Steve in his home, and dug out his buried treasures, he would have certainly gained as many benefits as he had now. It was a pity that he didn't have the time back then that he did now.
"Putting the treasure aside, what about the people and the slaves?" With this funding, Leylin had the confidence to build a profitable industry centered at Faulen Island. The most important thing now was to be able to obtain enough human resources.
"Our force was too small to blockade the port immediately. Many of the islanders managed to escape…" Robin Hood's expression grew ugly when he mentioned this point. "We've managed to capture 90 people by now, most of them elderly, women, or children. There was also some retired pirate trash."
Robin Hood spat out, and it was obvious that he had suffered while capturing these violent old pirates. Becoming either physically handicapped or growing senile with age, these pirates had been forced to retire. However, their ferocious and bloody nature hadn't left them one bit.
"I hung them to the death." Robin Hood did not dare to conceal anything in front of Leylin.
"Mm… Even if they are captives, there are many ways to distinguish them. How many of the captured ones are merfolk, how many human? How many of them were originally slaves?" Leylin clearly did not plan to pursue those problems, and he instead directly asked about his biggest concerns.
"The merfolk resisted most violently, and many of them fled. We've only managed to capture 19 so far, the other 71 are humans and natives. All of them seem to have been slaves." Although he didn't have the definite details on the numbers, what Robin Hood did have was enough to satisfy Leylin.
"Very good. There are different classes and ranks even amongst slaves. The merfolk were originally the highest class here, and now that we've killed their families and stripped them of their wealth we'll have gained their enmity. They won't put their faith in us, so just kill them all.
"As for those other humans and the native slaves, take all of them away and slowly screen them." From his own life as a human, Leylin had deeply understood the feeling the rest had: 'If they're not human, they won't think and act like us.'
On the other hand, Robin Hood didn't think of those Merfolk Pirates as the same as him either. He immediately agreed to leave and slaughter them.
"Wait, why don't you hand all those captive merfolk to me?" Isabel stepped out at this moment, her eyes filled with a bloodthirsty gleam.
"That's acceptable," Leylin nodded immediately. Demons all loved chaos and massacres, and her acts of piracy had most likely given Isabel many benefits.
Night fell, and the whole port wept after it was ravaged by the invaders. Smoke was still rising from it on the next day.
"The goods have all been transported to the Scarlet Tiger, boss!" Robin Hood respectfully reported.
"Very good, sound the bugle!" Leylin stood on the deck of the newly christened Scarlet Tiger, and issued the command with a peaceful expression on his face.
This Scarlet Tiger was the same as Black Tiger from before. Leylin had just decided to massively refit the ship, and he'd additionally decided to change its name.
He could imagine the name of this ship spreading across the entire Dambrath Sea in the future, accompanied by his cousin's reputation in battle.
The deep bugle horn sounded, and after a night of wreaking havoc, a whole bunch of sailors with dark and heavy bags under their eyes scattered out of the islanders' homes in twos and threes, gathering on the deck.
"Listen!" Leylin opened the treasure chest filled with gold kronas in front of the pirates, and the golden glow made their eyes light up with greed.
Yet, looking at whom the foot currently stepping on the gold coins belonged to, they immediately withdrew their greedy gazes. Over the voyage and their battles, Leylin had already used countless lives to demonstrate his savagery that exceeded theirs.
Sweeping over all the pirates with his gaze, Leylin was satisfied with the bowed heads that didn't dare look him in the eye. Only then did he continue, "Everyone here will get three gold coins, and those who've killed an enemy get yet another. Professional kills will be counted separately."
Many pirates immediately cheered at this news.
Leylin was very satisfied with this atmosphere. Just using military force to intimidate these pirates was not enough. It was necessary to demonstrate that, with him, they could snatch more things and gain more benefits. Only then would they follow him even to hell.
From now, these pirates would probably take some more initiative in battles.
After he had distributed everything, Leylin immediately issued a new command, "Set this whole place on fire! Afterwards, we sail!"
Dense black smoke quickly rose from the port as it was engulfed in raging flames. The fire quickly spread. The two pirate battleships laden with riches and slaves slowly left the port, and some of the pirates still had looks of regret on their faces.
'The terrain and condition of the place was very good, and there was a neat foundation as well. Such a shame, it was an excellent base…' Leylin looked on as the fire lit up the dock's sky, but his expression did not change.
He had always planned to burn down Half-Merfolk Island. It wasn't just the island, even the Black Tigers' stronghold as well. These places did not belong to him, and the pirates had been subordinate to Marquis Louis. Even if he occupied this place, Leylin would perhaps soon attract the attention of the Black Skeletons and Tigersharks.
-x-X-x-
The only thing Leylin could do now was hide somewhere secret, where his enemies could never find him. Only a fool would jump about shouting when he was weak.
"Isabel, Robin Hood!" he suddenly called out.
"You were looking for me, boss?" Robin Hood respectfully arrived in front of Leylin. After the battle, this first mate seemed to have changed dramatically.
Leylin stretched his hand out on the map of the ocean. "Mm, the two of you take the merfolk ship and bring the slaves to the pirates' families."
Be it Faulen Island or Marquis Louis' fiefdom, the Baltic archipelago, they were all new discoveries in the waters surrounding the Dambrath Kingdom, and that was also the only characteristic they shared. New, uninhabited islands seemed to emerge endlessly one after the other, full of both wealth and dangers. It was simply too easy to find a temporary base for his crew.
Of course, the condition was that Leylin could deal with the dangerous beasts in those territories, and they could brave the harsh weather and environment.
Taking into consideration that Robin Hood had the other sailors' loyalty, Leylin intentionally sent his cousin Isabel over as well. With her there, even if he couldn't control the entire ship, he could presumably intimidate the disloyal ones without much problem.
As a matter of fact, Leylin had plans to nurture this cousin of his. After all, he couldn't remain here commanding the pirates forever, so Isabel would serve as his stand-in. Although Robin Hood was more suited to this role, he was too feral. Leylin could not give this fellow too much space to make decisions so early on in his venture. It wasn't because he was scared that Robin would betray him, but it was just that Robin didn't have the instincts of a superior.
On the other hand, Isabel did not possess much authoritative power, but what she did have was enough to cow these pirates into submission.
Watching the merfolk ship leave, Leylin waved his hand. "Set off, we're going to Pirates' Cove!"
Pirates' Cove was a port that provided services for pirates. It could be called the gathering part for the shady figures of the seas.
The port sold intelligence, goods, and even top-grade elven slaves. Of course, one needed to have the courage to take the risk and buy something; as a port where pirates disposed of stolen goods, the things they sold were definitely unclean in origin. Even Marquis Louis, who controlled the Baltic archipelago, did not allow too many stolen treasures pass through his territory, regretfully giving up on the profits that came to Pirates' Cove.
As for the port's location, many of the old pirates under Leylin knew of it. The route wouldn't be a problem at all, but there were several dangerous areas they had to pass through.
"Are you sure the route won't have any problems, Cyclops?" Leylin opened up the map of the ocean as he called over a one-eyed pirate. The sailor had a courage bred from years of killing, and although he had only one eye its gleam caused others to tremble with fear.
It was only at this moment that a flower-like smile bloomed on Cyclops' stubbled face. He revealed his few yellowing teeth, "Don't worry, Boss. I've sailed to Pirates' Cove with Steve a few times, and at that time I was even the navigator's assistant. I can get there with my eyes closed!"
"Very well, you're now the ship's navigator. If you do well, you'll be the Scarlet Tiger's first mate once we reach the port." This was the promise Leylin made to this pirate in whom he had just placed his trust.
"Yes, boss!" A first mate would receive a greater share of the booty than the other pirates, and would also have authority over the others. Cyclops' remaining eye gleamed with excitement.
"Very well, you can leave now. Send Giant over!" Leylin waved his hand and watched Cyclops' back as he left. His eyes showed that he had fallen into deep thought.
Although he was giving these defeated pirates positions one by one, he hadn't completely let his guard down against them. For example, he couldn't trust that Cyclops wasn't deliberately leading the fleet into dangerous waters. He had already obtained the coordinates of Pirates' Cove through other means, from merchants and pirates.
'He told me the correct location, and also suggested the most efficient route. It looks like he's truly pledged his allegiance to me.' Cyclops didn't know that he had just narrowly avoided death's door. On the contrary, he was in good spirits from Leylin's promise, and he quickly executed the tasks that Leylin had asked him to do.
"Boss, lookin' fer me?" A deep, coarse voice sounded as a heavyset man walked in. He was more than 8 feet tall, and he had to lower his head to enter the captain's cabin. His flesh trembled with every step he took, like he was some sort of half-giant.
"Yes. Giant, I want you to lead the Scarlet Tiger's battle squad. Choose ten men for now, wait until we reach Pirates' Cove and recruit more." Leylin told him the plan with crossed arms.
The leader of the battle squadron was often the right-hand man of the captain. The battle squad was also at the forefront of every fight, so the position of its leaders had rather stringent requirements on strength.
Leylin had personally tested the might of this pirate that was called Giant. Not only did he have boundless strength, but he also had unparalleled talent in cultivation as a fighter. He could already release his qi and use martial techniques. Other than Leylin himself, only Isabe; could match him in close quarters combat.
Furthermore, this Giant had a straightforward personality; after numerous losses while dueling Leylin, he became more obedient and was easy for Leylin to control.
"Just pick anyone, huh?" Giant asked, clearly thinking of putting his own men into his team. However this was normal, otherwise even if he was strong as an individual, he would still be crushed by the other pirates.
"Yes, the sailors on the Scarlet Tiger, be it my sailors or the captured pirates, are all for your choosing," With regards to this point, Leylin turned a blind eye.
"Aye, I'll go and wake them up, and choose them one-on-one!" Giant looked extremely excited.
"As you wish!" Leylin didn't have anything to say about Giant's method of recruitment, and just waved him away.
As the leader of the battle squadron, if there weren't a few trusted aides on the battlefield to take a knife for him, then perhaps he wouldn't even be able to survive a single battle. It was necessary to allow him to choose his aides.
Furthermore, Leylin also believed that Giant wouldn't dare to betray him. He was confident that the cost of rebellion was so incredibly high that it would eliminate all thoughts of betrayal…
The endless voyage, the battles and the struggle, challenged them over and over again. Leylin was confident that this journey to Pirates' Cove would whip his crew into shape.
'On the whole, even a well-known pirate crew on the outer seas needs about a hundred pirates,' Leylin traced his finger on the map carelessly, 'Take the Black Tigers, or even the Merfolk Pirates which we just destroyed; normal pirate crews all have more than a hundred people, and their captains are even rank 10 Professionals with exceedingly good equipment.'
'Truly large-scale pirate crews need at least 300 pirates and above, and also need a number of ships. If I want a main battleship, it will have to be magically refitted or receive a cleric's blessing.'
Such a crew was configured like the small coastal fleet of a minor coastal duchy. If he had such strength, Leylin would be able to find a rather good position amongst the continent's navy, or even that of other countries. Who, then, would fight him without good reason?
As a result, there were only three truly large scaled pirate crews in the Dambrath Seas: the Black Skeletons, Tigersharks, and Barbarians.
Two of those pirate crews were even under the control of Marquis Louis. In addition, the other fleets owned by the marquis could not be underestimated. One of them was a professional slavers' fleet.
This fleet had always been at the forefront of clashes with the natives, and Marquis Louis had used a lot of gold coins to arm it. It was even more powerful than the kingdom's elite navy!
Leylin's elimination of the Black Tigers and Merfolk Pirates would at best be him taking out the marquis' trashe. He couldn't be considered to have encountered the marquis' main force.
Only once he was able to destroy the Black Skeletons, Tigersharks and the slavers' fleet in one fell swoop would he be able to deal a fatal strike to the Baltic archipelago's trade. However, this was almost impossible. Leylin could only continue to act from the shadows, and first clip the marquis' wings.
It was very unrealistic for Leylin to fight against a Marquis of the kingdom now. However, Leylin was not an ordinary person. He would use any means necessary to accomplish his goals, without fear of the consequences.
He was the sort of person that could described as a reasonable lunatic, or perhaps he was the most insanely reasonable man.
"I'll need many men to accomplish this goal… Or allies," Leylin naturally would not be stupid enough to act against the marquis alone.
Furthermore, fighting Marquis Louis was one thing, but Viscount Tim was another. Although Leylin had targeted Marquis Louis all along, the one who would bear the brunt of it was still the Viscount who coveted the Faulen lands.
Leylin wasn't sailing to Pirates' Cove for no reason. Besides recruiting the men he needed, he was preparing to look for more supporters. Marquis Louis would have offended quite a few people with his dominant character, even if he had done so unintentionally, and Leylin wanted to round those people up and take advantage of their power.
Leylin pressed his fingers heavily on the mark of the Pirates' Cove on the map, his eyes regaining their previous calm.
-x-X-x-
This was Pirates' Cove!
It was rumoured to be the holy land of pirates on the outer seas, where one could dispose of any problematic goods in exchange for attractive gold, or anything else your heart desired. They had the best women and the best rum, but only if one had enough gold. If anyone dared to cause trouble in the port, the enforcers would make them rue the day they were born!
As the most diverse place in the sea, where honest men and crooks mixed with each other, it was awash with information.
Quite often, a plump and juicy target passed by and one could see the magnificent sight of thousands of sails spreading open.
Many pirates spontaneously formed privateering operations, and disguised among the myriads of ships were a few powerful battleships armoured with magic. There were also a few unsinkable ships blessed by the Emperor of the Sea. Naturally, there were also much smaller boats that could only accommodate a dozen people, and even a few small canoes owned by the pirates.
The Pirates' Tide had occurred once, over 50 years ago, and they'd damaged a duchy's navy in the process of plundering a massive amount of wealth. The story became an excellent way of enticing ignorant fishermen's children into become pirates.
However, once Marquis Louis' Baltic archipelago rose in power, Pirates' Cove had grown weaker day by day. Once two of the great pirate crews were roped in by the marquis, the place grew to no longer be as prosperous as before. It slowly turned into an ordinary den of pirates, where they fenced their stolen goods.
Even though it had become like this, the background of the port was still extremely important. Not only had it established a town with an air of importance, they had won over many churches as even pirates needed the healing of the gods or the comfort of a priest.
Furthermore, the evil gods would not deny pirate believers; some perhaps even schemed to become the gods of piracy...
One morning, a fleet with a bizarre flag entered the docks. The crew could be considered large for its kind, and they seemed to have experienced many intense battles. The hull still had marks of battle, slashed by swords.
'This looks like the main battleship of a crew… Why don't I recognise the flag?' The clerk who was responsible for registering ships on the dock rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He could confirm that he'd never seen that bright scarlet flag in his career, with its sinister lifelike skull and dagger.
It was at this moment that a group of pirates came down from the pirate ship, and the clerk welcomed them with a professional smile, "Welcome to Pirates' Cove, here we have—"
Before the clerk could finish speaking, the young man just waved him away with the toss of a golden coin.
The gold coin that the young pirate had used wasn't a Dambrath coin, but it was the even more valuable gold krona!
'Is this youth the captain of these pirates? What a dangerous man…' The pirates standing behind the young man had an aura of death about them, especially the giant who was over two metres tall. He could've been mistaken for a small mountain.
However, these fearsome fellows all acted like fluffy little white rabbits behind the young man, which made the clerk's heart jump into his mouth. He came to realise that the man he faced was possibly a very extraordinary person.
"I know all the rules of this place, isn't it 5 coins to anchor our fleet here for a day?"
The clerk was a former pirate himself, and subconsciously assessed others in strength. The internal injuries which forced him to retire still persisted, forcing him to take up clerical work.
In truth, Leylin felt like the clerk was a very interesting person. Very few in the World of Gods received an education, and a pirate who could write was as rare as the mythical phoenix. Still, he didn't have the heart to discuss anything with him after the long journey. They violent storms and sneak attacks from the other races had fatigued him a little.
"Recommend the best inn, and tell me where I can recruit some sailors. You see the ship behind me, no? It needs to be reworked heavily." Leylin immediately tossed out these requests, and before the clerk could show his dissatisfaction, he immediately added, "If your recommendations are good, then this will be yours."
Another gold krona glowed brightly in his palm.
"Aye, your lordship! There is no one more familiar with Pirates' Cove than me!" The clerk unwittingly swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.
He simultaneously shot a glance at the signature that Leylin had left, the beautiful cursive making his heart jump, before he noted the information written. 'Scarlet Tiger pirate crew? I've never heard of it before, has it just sprung up out of nowhere?'
Small pirate crews were born frequently in these waters, and death was frequent as well. Nobody would raise an eyebrow at a new pirate crew that relied on fishing to make a living in peacetime, only turning to amateur piracy when their options ran out. These weaker pirate crews were like ants and could perish at any time, but more pirates would emerge the next year.
The treasures of the outer sea, the frequent wars on the continent and its politics, as well as the persecution from the church… All these caused many adventurers, unbelievers, and even those faithful to demons and devils stream into these seas.
The sea was a place where good Gods had little influence, and the few strong evil gods did not mind them. It only rendered the place even more complicated.
The Dambrath area was only a tiny part of the outer seas, and it was still in the early years of development. As a result, no especially strong organisations had formed, and Marquis Louis, with the kingdom's support, had become the strongest person here.
"If you would like me to recommend an inn, then the ones opened by the Barbarians are the best choice!" The clerk immediately answered without hesitation.
"Barbarians…" Leylin's mouth curved into a smile as he thought of the crew. They were part of the big three.
The Barbarians were different from the other two crews, the organisation was made up purely of a single race. Made of barbarian warriors and priests, they were the only ones who had not been reined in by Marquis Louis.
The Barbarian crew shared a deeply hostile relationship with the Black Skeletons and the Tigersharks, and seemed to launch a large-scale battle with them every few years. They were the current head of Pirates' Cove, and the other free crews had formed the Dark World organisation to protect them. There was nothing wrong in saying that this place was the base camp of organisations who opposed Marquis Louis.
The inn opened by the secret master of Pirates' Cove was naturally the safest place in the whole area.
"As for sailors, just shout out in any random tavern and ten pirates will run up to you. How you choose them is up to you, and of course you need to settle the tabs of those you hire at the bars…" As expected, the clerk was extremely familiar with the Pirates' Cove, and he even fervently recommended a certain shipyard to Leylin. That shipyard may not have a high degree of credibility, but they were certainly good enough to do some routine maintenance on a pirate ship.
Leylin silently remembered the address of the shipyard, but he did not choose to go there directly. Instead, he brought his men to the barbarian inn recommended by the clerk.
On the way, Leylin wordlessly assessed those around him.
Most of the people who were able to live in Pirates' Cove were retired pirates or others of that ilk. Although some were too weak to even stand up to the wind, and some were even disabled, they all had one or two skills that kept them going.
Of course, many more were prostitutes in revealing clothing, directly soliciting customers. Although Leylin didn't think much of them, there were a bunch of animals following behind him who were clearly unable to hold back. If it wasn't for Leylin's command, a majority of them would have broken formation.
'They even have a Thieves' Guild!' Leylin looked at the crossed dagger symbol on a street corner thoughtfully. He did not feel worried as he had plenty of time left, and still needed to arrange a place for a large group of men.
The barbarians' inn was in a prime portion of Pirates' Cove, and there were even two armed barbarian warriors standing guard at the door. It made everyone feel exceptionally safe.
Leylin did not trust in the law and security of Pirates' Cove, and did not want to cause any trouble. Even if it cost a bit more money, staying there was an excellent decision.
'They're actually using two rank 5 Professionals to guard the place— is this pirate crew very strong? It's not surprising that they can contend against the two large pirate crews propped up by Marquis Louis,' Leylin assessed the two barbarian guards with interest.
The barbarians were scattered throughout the World of Gods, much taller than ordinary humans with light green skin and muscles that were as solid as granite. Whether male or female, they were all muscle maniacs.
Rumour had it that they were mentally challenged and were even more stupid than orcs. As a result, only a few uncivilised gods preferred to favour them, and they occupied a weak position in the civilised world. In many places, mercenary associations were periodically tasked with clearing up barbarian bandits and tribes.
-x-X-x-
'A.I. Chip, scan their stats!' Leylin commanded inwardly.
[Beep! Establishing mission, initiating scan.] Invisible ripples swept across the area, and the stats of one the barbarian guards were soon displayed.
[Name: Unknown, Race: Barbarian Warrior, Rank 5, Strength: 5, Agility: 2, Vitality: 4, Spirit: 1. Feats: 1. Strong: Barbarians possess increased strength and vitality. 2. Berserk: When they hit emotional extremes, some barbarians have the ability to enter a berserk state of violence, increase strength by 1 and reducing agility and spirit by 0.5.]
The A.I. Chip scanned the other barbarian as well, and he had similar stats.
'These two barbarian warriors both have Berserk abilities?' Leylin secretly compared them to his own men, 'If they really fight, then even Cyclops can't beat them. Perhaps Giant could get in one strike if he risked his life, but after that…
'After all, it's rumoured that barbarians are very well suited to be warriors, but the intelligent ones amongst them can also learn spells, and are capable of using magic…'
This sort of magic ability which was linked to the bloodline was different from that of wizards, somewhat similar instead to the powers of Warlocks. However, their magic was rather restricted, and only a select few were able to use it.
Not even the elite troops of the continent dared to provoke barbarian clans with members who had the ability to use magic.
'It is generally understood that with the scale of the Barbarian pirate crew, the number of women and children that they have to feed must be even greater. On this basis, it's normal for them to have a few magical Professionals. No wonder they were able to resist Marquis Louis for so long…'
All of these thoughts whirled through Leylin's mind in the blink of an eye. To anyone watching from the outside, it looked like he'd merely glanced at the warriors before sweeping past them into the inn.
A dense odour of rum mixed with tobacco smoke welcomed him inside, causing him to wrinkle his brows. Many other travelers were seated in the inn's reception, and the tables there were heaped with a mountain of roasted meat and fruit. Barrels of rum were opened directly, despite a number of drunkards next to them glugging them all down.
Many scantily dresses maids flitted like butterflies through the main hall, occasionally felt up by various customers. They cursed at it, but still laughed all the while.
One really could not ask for more from an inn which specially catered to pirate customers. Fortunately, Leylin's earlier frown was just a natural reaction from many years of living like a noble. His years of enduring hardship still allowed him to endure the vile environment he was now in.
It was clear that his group had attracted the attention of the other customers when they suddenly burst in, especially since Leylin was such a pretty little thing. There were even some reckless fools who wolf whistled at him.
"Giant!" Leylin said in a low voice, shaking his head.
"Do you want to die?" Giant emerged from the shadows. His enormous muscles and the faint traces of scars on them gave him an incredibly oppressive aura. The pirates jumped in surprise, and Giant disdainfully spat a mouthful of saliva at them and drew a line across his throat meaningfully.
"Well? If you're not happy, then let's take it outside," Giant clearly knew the rules, and Leylin nodded at his words inwardly.
The pirates looked at Giant's enormous body as well as the intensely dangerous feeling he gave off, and immediately sat down obediently like a bunch of small chicks, not daring to utter another word.
It was absolutely necessary for a pirate to have an instinct for danger. One look at Giant was enough to know that he was not to be trifled with, forget Leylin who was his master.
The pirates were beginning to secretly regret their earlier blunder, but there were naturally a few whose eyes gleamed with sinister intentions. One could not dominate Pirates' Cove with strength alone, and every day there were several reckless and arrogant novices whose bodies were chucked into the sea.
Leylin was very happy to see the pirates developing plans to provoke him. When the time came, he resolved to teach them the true meaning of fear.
The hall remained silent for only a moment before returning to its normal uproarious state. No one wanted to break the rules laid down by the Barbarians and offend the crew.
"What can I do for you, guest?" As Leylin came to the counter, he found that the boss was a tall and beautiful woman who wore a scarlet low-cut dress and a fur shawl.
Her long red tail naughtily swept across her waist. She shot Leylin a sugar-sweet smile, and the mole at the edge of her mouth grew animated. The boss of the inn was a fox girl, and a stunningly top-grade one at that. Leylin could almost hear his men salivating from behind his back.
"I have 23 men here, are there enough rooms for them all to stay?" Leylin asked immediately. His eyes swept over the fox girl, but his gaze did not linger for too long. There was a flash of surprise in the fox girl's eyes at his attitude, as it was very rare that a young man like him could resist her allure.
"Haha… Of course there are enough! I just need to know what kind of rooms you need," the fox girl changed her strategy, slowly shifting her sinuous waist and revealing her beautiful curves, "We have ordinary rooms here that can fit 5 people. They cost 2 silver bars per night. The medium-ranking rooms are for 3 people, and costs 5 silver bars. What do you need, little brother?"
Her eyes sparkled brightly as she looked at Leylin appraisingly, "Of course, a young nobleman like you would want our best rooms. Not only will it be for you alone, but you will also have an enthusiastic maid serving you. It's not too expensive, and it'll only cost you two Dambrath gold coins per night…"
Leylin clearly felt the power of an enchantment coming from her eyes, but it was completely useless. His spiritual force had already reached 8, and this was nothing.
"I need a single room. Giant, Cyclops and Hulk will have a medium-rank room. The rest will all stay in ordinary rooms," Leylin confidently gave himself the best room, and placed his two officers as well as a soldier from his family into the medium-ranked room. The rest were given ordinary treatment. This was only right, it wasn't like gold fell from the sky.
The bunch of common pirates were already grateful to have the chance to stay in such a luxurious inn. If Leylin wasn't afraid that he would find all his men's corpses in a dreadful ditch on the second day, he would have planned for them all to stay in the Scarlet Tiger itself.
"You can all leave after you receive your room number and key. I have have one requirement: you must all return at night!" Leylin's announcement immediately attracted a burst of cheers from the pirates behind him.
After the period of killing, and the battles with the wind and waves, these pirates had long been physically and mentally exhausted. They wished to let off some steam.
"If you have any requests, remember to call for me." The fox girl boss twisted her slender and supple waist as she brought Leylin to his room, leaving behind a string of coy smiles as she left him at the door.
Cyclops had his ear pressed against the door, and nodded after a moment, "Boss, she's gone."
Leylin was rather speechless at his method, but this was Cyclops' territory. There were too many methods and means to obtain information, and he didn't particularly care to dispel the enthusiasm of his men. He simply nodded and said, "Do you know why I called all of you over?"
"Boss, if you have an order then just tell us!" Giant scratched his head. His coarse face made him look a little foolish, but Leylin had once seen him sturdily squeeze the heads of two enemies until they directly exploded. He wasn't fooled by his appearance whatsoever.
"Mm, the men have gone out to indulge in drink and pleasure. Watch them closely, and don't let them stir up any trouble. This time tomorrow, I want all the information on Pirates' Cove here, understood?"
"Aye, boss! I'll watch those scallywags!" Cyclops licked his lips, smiling sinisterly.
"Very well, go out and have fun!" Leylin threw three small money pouches to them, and the experienced Cyclops immediately knew it was the merry clinking of gold coins.
"Blimey! There's a bonnie gift, boss, thank you!" After opening the money pouch and seeing the golden light that spilled out, Cyclops seemed to forget himself. Even the silent Hulk had a different look in his eyes.
Even though he put overwhelming pressure on them, he still had to fall to using money to bribe them in the end. Leylin did not have any other ideas; he needed special means to build a pirate crew that was capable in battle.
Leylin only rose to his feet after the three had left, and began to appraise the room with his hands held behind his back. The deluxe room was worth its price of two gold coins a day. Not only was it very spacious, with rather opulent decor, it even had its own washroom with a gleaming white porcelain bath crafted by elves, a precious luxury even on the mainland.
"May I ask if the guest is here?" Just when Leylin was preparing the bath, the tender voice of a girl came from outside the door, making Leylin furrow his brows.
"What's the matter?"
"I-I've come to pour hot water for you," the girl outside the door seemed to be rather uneasy and disturbed, which made Leylin feel rather curious. There seemed to be many maids who engaged in part-time work at the inn, but this maid's performance was particularly interesting.
"Come in, the door is unlocked." As the door opened, a half-elf girl in a maid outfit walked in, with wheat-coloured skin and a tall and slender body. She wore a pair of black silk tights, and looked extremely suggestive.
'A half-elf? No, this is…' Leylin's eyes suddenly narrowed.
-x-X-x-
Elves were a populous intelligent race that all lived a secluded life on an enormous island. There were however remnants of some branch families on the mainland. They lived well under the protection of the elven god, and were blessed with good talent and long lives. Many of them made prominent contributions to the arts.
Naturally, elven slaves were highly sought after. Despite the protests and warnings of their race, their price had only increased, with wave after wave of adventurers hunting for them.
Half-elves were more common than purebloods. They still inherited the elfin beauty and elegance, and most of them stood out in terms of appearance, which had led to several disasters. It was not particularly surprising to see a half-elf maid in Pirates' Cove, but Leylin's expression had changed in spite of that.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Karen, respected young master!" The 'half-elf' forced a smile. It appeared that she was not very well trained, and could not properly display her bodily assets to her customers.
"It looks like you haven't been doing this for very long, how much are you for one night?" Leylin asked directly.
This sort of sudden humiliation made Karen want to clench her teeth, but she held herself back and revealed a dazzling smile, "One Dambrath gold coin…"
The price was a little high, but Leylin still nodded, "It's a reasonable price, especially for a half-drow like you…"
The moment he called her half-drow, Karen rose up angrily. She was like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
"How do you know that?" she blurted out. She immediately covered her mouth, but clearly realised that she'd already all but confirmed it.
"Your eye colour. The colouring agent you used to stain it can't fool me. You ears are also pointier than normal mixed-bloods by 12.4%, and they are slightly concave…" Leylin lightly pointed out the gaps in her disguise. His sharp observations made Karen subconsciously take a few steps back.
The corner of Leylin's mouth tilted up in a smile as he saw Karen's stats:
[Name: Karen, Rank 5 Assassin, Race: Half-Drow. Stats: Strength: 1 (3), Agility: 2 (5), Vitality: 0.5 (2), Spirit: 3, Feats: 1. Night Vision: Dark elves have the ability to see even at night. 2. Shadow Perception: Dark elves are sensitive to shadow particles, and are innately gifted assassins and pirates. Status: Poisoned by unknown toxin, causing strength, vitality and agility to fall!]
Karen's physical stats somewhat surprised Leylin. She even had the abilities of a rank 5 assassin, but some unknown poison had taken control of her, locking half of her strength away.
It was very clear that the person who controlled Karen from the shadows only thought that she was an ordinary half-elf, otherwise they would never have let her come here. Would that not be like sending someone out to assassinate himself?
Leylin smiled faintly. This rank 5 assassin could not touch even a hair on his head.
"Haven't dark elves always lived underground? How could you appear here, and even take up this line of work?"
Dark elves were a type of elf which were rumoured to live in the darkness. They had awoken the dark nature in their blood, becoming extremely brutal. They longed for violence, blood and chaos, and had separated from the regular elves to move underground. Some rumours said that their gifts in bed could make both men and immortals die of pleasure, that it was comparable to charm and pleasure magic.
"I'm a halfblood. I moved out from the underground with my clan, but we were all scattered in an attack. When I woke up, I was on a trading ship which was later attacked by the Barbarians…" Leylin's eyes seemed to be filled with magic charm, and Karen could only helplessly tell her story.
'No wonder… Half-drow really don't differ too much from half-elves, and only a specialised scholar would be able to tell the difference. She's a rank 5 assassin, and she did not have enough power to fight back against the entire Barbarian pirate fleet, not to mention that she was affected by the toxin's restrictions… Of course, an assassin's camouflage and disguise abilities could let her fool others, so that they thought that she was an ordinary half-elf.'
Something dawned in Leylin's eyes as he said, "And after that you were controlled by the pirates, and now work for them as a maid?"
"Yes…" Karen nodded, and her eyes seemed to fill with momentary hope. She immediately knelt on the ground, looking up at Leylin, "Sir! I beg you, please save me from this hellhole!"
"Save you?" Leylin had an evil smile on his face as he sat back down, "Why would I save you? Give me a reason."
Even Leylin had to admit that Karen was a rare beauty, especially with her eyes which were like the ocean waves. Her unique charm gave him a subconscious favourable impression of her.
"I…" Karen bit her lip, "I'm a rank 5 assassin. If you can save me, I'm be willing to serve you for a hundred years. I swear it in the name of the Dark Maiden!"
The Dark Maiden was a god who tended towards the good alignment, and could not be reconciled with the gods that other dark elves believed in. If Karen believed in this god, then perhaps this was the reason why she had been driven away from the underground.
"Why would you do that? Can't you save up money to buy back your freedom?" Although she seemed rather out of practice, this was clearly not the first time she had done this sort of thing. This sort of life wasn't completely unsuitable for a half-drow, and Leylin couldn't think of why she would want to pay such a huge price for freedom.
"Is their price very high?" Leylin could only guess.
"No!" Karen's lips curved into a rather heartbreaking smile, "They won't ever let me go. As a slave, I don't have the authority to buy my freedom. After I can't be a maid anymore, those barbarians will sacrifice me to their gods…"
Leylin realised that the barbarians had saved her for some bloody and violent sacrificial rituals. Seeing Karen in that state, perhaps she had recently seen this happen several times, and so she began to plan her escape, begging Leylin for his help.
Even though she was pleading for help, she would meet an even worse fate if she asked the wrong person. Leylin seemed to have an air of nobility about him, and Karen was sure that he was not a pirate.
As a result, after realising that her cover had been broken, Karen immediately asked him for help. She almost did not mind promising to become his slave instead.
'He's a young man after all, if I could charm him…' her eyes were filled with anticipation.
As a half-drow, she was born with the knowledge of how to handle males, and did not require further education on that matter. Although Leylin did not look too easily charmed, she was quite willing to at least try. When she thought of this, Karen's heart seemed to be fired up, leaving two faint traces of a blush on her face. She appeared even more charming and lovely.
"A rank 5 assassin?" Leylin looked as if he was thinking over the matter with some difficulty, making Karen reluctant to mention her thoughts.
"You… Do you know anything about sailing?" After a long moment, Leylin stopped pondering and asked this question.
"Sailing?" Karen was shocked dumb. She originally thought that Leylin would come out with an outrageous request, but she had long made her mind up to use all her techniques to mesmerise him. She never thought that he would ask such a completely irrelevant question.
"Yes, I am a pirate captain, and I'm in need of sailors to be my underlings." Leylin waved his hand and seemed to admit it very reluctantly. There was a trace of humour in his eyes, as if he was playing a joke on her, and Karen immediately knew that he had seen through all her plots.
"I… Honestly I don't, but I will work hard to learn. I beg you, Sir," Karen wanted to come up to Leylin and hug him, but Leylin nimbly dodged her.
"Then it looks like you aren't much use to me," Leylin said, making Karen's heart completely sink.
"However, since you're a dark elf, and you lived in the Underdark before, then you're slightly worth something," Leylin continued, his voice drifting into Karen's ears and raising a thread of hope once again.
"Tell me, Karen, are you willing to become my dagger in the shadows, to help me dispatch my rivals, and drink the blood of my enemies?"
An invisible hand tilted Karen's chin upwards, making her eyes widen considerably. "Mage Hand! You're a wizard!"
This nobleman had come to a port where pirates fenced their goods, and although she did not know why, all Karen could see was opportunity! "I'm willing! In the name of the Dark Maiden I swear this— I will become your sharpest dagger!" Karen respectfully knelt down on her knees, making a strange gesture with her hand.
"Very well," Leylin nodded. He really had recruited her on the basis of her being a half-drow assassin.
After all, he currently lacked a spy network and assassin group. Since Karen had recently lived in the Underdark, she would have good experience and knowledge in torture and interrogation as well as assassination. As a rank 5 professional assassin, she was just barely good enough to be of use…
-x-X-x-
"Very well, I'll speak with the boss later about the issue of your ransom," Leylin promised, rubbing his hands together.
"Many thanks, master!" Karen immediately began to address him differently. Although she currently looked like a weak little elfling, Leylin knew that once he cured her of her poison and armed her with a sharp dagger, this half-drow would immediately become a powerful god of death in the shadows.
After she had thanked him, the room's atmosphere immediately grew awkward.
"Master… Would you like me to call my sister maids over?" Karen twisted the corner of her skirt, and looked extremely embarrassed.
"There's no need. Didn't you come to help me pour the hot water?" Leylin smiled faintly. The bloody battles and the accumulation of a great deal of life energy had left a fire in him that needed quenching.
"Yes, master!" Karen's lips curved into a charming smile, and the entire room was soon enveloped in a layer of youthful lust.
Breakfast in the Barbarian Inn was a rich affair. The staples of fluffy and soft wheat bread and milk were present, and the intoxicating aroma of cheese and fried eggs was in the air. There were even several strings of juicy berries in a rattan basket nearby, to tempt one's appetite.
There was a white napkin around Leylin's neck as he enjoyed his meal with fluid movements. Karen sat on his side and occasionally stole a few glances at him with a blush on her face. These gestures made Leylin smile inwardly; she was a very lovely creature indeed, and he had exceedingly enjoyed his stay last night.
The half-drow seemed to have special talent in that area, but Leylin was not some incapable youth himself. His strength was too much even for a dark elf.
At this moment, Cyclops' voice came from just outside the door, "Boss, can we come in?"
"Enter!" With Leylin's command, Cyclops, Giant and Hulk entered the place all at once.
Looking at the massive dark circles and bags under their eyes, it was easy to tell that what kind of merriment they had gotten up to last night. Even after they had diligently cleaned themselves, Leylin could still smell a strong stench of alcohol and perfume on them.
Cyclops and the others noticed Karen by Leylin's side, but the three pretended as if they hadn't seen her, their eyes filled with a rather questionable smile.
"I'll leave for now, master," Karen said after seeing the others enter. She knew that Leylin had things to discuss with his subordinates, and smartly prepared to leave despite not finishing her breakfast.
"No need. You're one of us now, so you should stay and listen," Leylin said, motioning for Karen to stay.
Cyclops was shocked at this action, and he looked over the girl in appraisal. She was certainly just an elfling girl, and also a part-time prostitute, so why would she be recruited by the captain of their crew? However, since this was Leylin's decision, they could not object to it.
Leylin picked up the white silk napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth before turning to Cyclops and the others, "So, how was last night?"
Cyclops knew that Leylin was naturally not enquiring about what mischief they had gotten up to. He cleared his throat, and began revealing the information they'd found, "Boss! I've already fully found out…
"In Pirates' Cove, there are several merchant families that are interesting in our goods. However, our biggest patron is the boss of this inn… Haha."
"That fox girl?" Leylin nodded, "What offer has she made us?"
"860 Dambrath gold coins for the whole lot! This price is rather average amongst the offers we have received, but it would be the safest option," Cyclops spat fiercely before continuing, "Other families may have offered us a higher price, but I can tell with just one eye what they are planning. Those fuckers!"
Cyclops was a pirate after all, and he subconsciously exploded into foul curses. However, Leylin did not mind the merchants. Pirates' Cove had a mixed bag of characters, and it was not surprising that a pirate would have their own ideas and want to devour their fleet and their goods all in one go.
Compared to this, as the Barbarians were the biggest players in Pirates' Cove, it was entirely normal for them to take in these stolen goods to sell them for a profit.
"Mm, this price isn't bad." Although Leylin had buckled down on a pile of sugar for himself, the rest of his goods were worth at least 3000 gold coins and above. Since they were stolen goods and therefore 'dirty', Leylin would be satisfied with a small profit after it had changed hands a few times.
"This is a detailed map of Pirates' Cove, including the locations of all the churches!" Hulk respectfully handed a sheepskin scroll to Leylin, and also brought a reply from the shipyard, "The shipyard's owner has already had a look at the Scarlet Tiger, and has said that there shouldn't be any problems repairing it. However, the owner said that it would be impossible to magically refit the ship. As for the cost, he will need at least 300 gold coins more…"
"Our little bunny rabbits played hard last night, but nothing big happened. They only had a fight with a few other drunkards," Giant triumphantly announced, and just looking at his face one could tell that he did not lose the fight.
"Mm, we'll rest here for 5 days. Hand the maintenance duties over to the shipyard owner, and ask him to finish the work as quickly as possible. We can make some concessions on the price." It was only routine ship maintenance, and was not as if the ship's entire keel was being replaced or massively refitted. In this world of extraordinary ability, if the shipyard master could put in all his effort to quickly complete it, there should virtually be no problems.
"Rest assured, boss!" Cyclops beat his chest confidently, taking control of the task. Hulk, who stood at his side, had a rather gloomy expression on his face.
Leylin pretended not to see this sort of infighting amongst his men's factions. As long as it didn't interfere with his or the others' ability to fight, he didn't particularly want to intercede.
"Mm, so Cyclops can sort it out. Hulk and Giant, come with me to get rid of the goods and hire some men as well."
"Alright!" "Yes boss!" Since Leylin had issued the command, everything proceeded as expected.
The main hall of the inn was not as noisy as it had been last night, but there were bits of debris on the ground, and even drunkards on the floor.
"All of you, take this drunkard who can't pay my money back to the docks. Put him in hard labour, and give him a harsh whipping every day until he pays back his debts. Don't let him leave until then," the fox girl boss from yesterday ordered the two barbarians from behind the counter, her hands on her hips.
"Oh, young master! Why have you gotten up so early?" After seeing Leylin, her expression quickly changed. She eyed Karen who was standing to one side, and under her piercing gaze, the elfling couldn't help but unconsciously shrink back.
"Unless you're dissatisfied with Karen's service, in which case I'll swap her for someone else for you!"
"No, no need. She's very good," Leylin scratched his nose, "I still don't know my lady's name?"
"Haha, my name is Tillen. You can call me Madam Tillen!" Madam Tillen smiled amorously at Leylin, a smile filled with the charm of a mature woman.
"Mm. Dear Madam Tillen, I want to talk about our transaction, and about this maid's ransom as well," Leylin said directly.
"Ransom?" Tillen swept her eyes across Karen, her eyes filled with a special look, "Well, it looks like our Karen has satisfied the young master well…"
Tillen seemed to yawn lazily. "This isn't the place to talk, follow me!"
She swayed her sinuous hips as she left, leaving behind the strong fragrance of her perfume. Leylin smiled a little before following Her into a small room.
Madam Tillen brewed a floral tea that was said to come from the elves, and waited until white steam had risen before a shrewd expression appeared on her face. "You've asked me for my name, young master, but I don't know how to address you."
"You can call me Leylin," Leylin replied with a smile. Since he wanted to form an alliance with her, trust was crucial. She was only asking for his name, which she could have easily found out later with some investigations.
"Alright, young master Leylin!" Madam Tillen crossed her long, slender legs, her fiery fox tail caressing her supply waist.
"I can take charge of the negotiations for the goods, but Karen is a slave of our inn. If it's to do with her, I don't have the authority to deal with this matter."
"I know everything here is the personal property of the Barbarians!" Leylin smiled as he rubbed his hands.
*Crackle!* A powerful electric current flashed, filling the room with a piercingly bright light.
"Since it's like this, call the person who can make a decision here." He followed up in a deep voice, his powerful magic force lingering near his body.
"Wizard! You're a wizard!" Madam Tillen's voice grew somewhat shrill, and it was clear that she had not discovered Leylin's identity.
A noble wizard was very rare in the outer seas. On top of that, Tillen realised that the energy undulations rolling off of Leylin put his strength higher than rank 5. A wizard of that level was a decent adventurer, and could even have a stronger master backing them!
'A wizard named Leylin… That's enough for me to find out who he is!' Unless he used a fake identity, Tillen was certain that Leylin would not be able to escape her information network.
"I never thought that my guest would be such a powerful wizard," Tillen clasped her hands to her bosom, inadvertently revealing a wide and creamy expanse of her delicate skin.
However, Leylin made very clear the division between business and pleasure, "When is your boss coming over?"
"Don't be in such a hurry! The latest you'll meet him will be tonight," Tillen threw a flirtatious glance, "Before that, our store has many things to pass time with, does my guest care to have a look?"
-x-X-x-
"No need, I still have matters to attend to. I'll return at night," Leylin got up to reject her, ignoring Madam Tillen's resentful expression behind his back.
"Master, where are we going?" Karen stood next to Leylin, as well-behaved as a maid. Although the talks had not even begun, she acted as if she already belonged to him.
Hulk and Giant stood further away like a pair of loyal Imperial bodyguards.
"Call a few over to come with us and recruit the sailors," Leylin said. Be it the Scarlet Tiger or the merfolk ship, they currently had a severe shortage in sailors. As a result, they needed to recruit a great number of sailors as quickly as possible. Pirates' Cove would always have plenty of these fellows, one only needed to carefully choose from them.
'Whips and Whiskey!' Leylin looked at the tavern's name rather speechlessly, but still opened the wooden door. Although it was still morning, the tavern was filled with people doing business, as well as many hungover drunkards.
"Boss! We found some people last night, and they're all waiting here for you!" Giant smiled in his simple manner, suddenly hammering on the surface of the counter. It made all the hanging beer mugs shake chaotically with an ear-splitting sound.
"So it's you, the fellow from last night! Hurry up and settle your bar tab!" A bleary-eyed old drunkard crawled out from the small door behind the bar, glaring at Giant with disdain. Once he saw Leylin however, his eyes seemed to brighten up considerably.
Perhaps he had seen the beautiful clothes that Leylin wore, and reckoned that this was the golden benefactor who could settle the bad debt.
"Greetings, dear customer!" The old man bowed deeply, smiling until his eyes almost seemed to disappear into his wrinkles.
There was a huge gap in his treatment of Leylin and how he had treated Giant before, but Giant only muttered a few words under his breath, and did not dare to say anything else.
After all, he had tasted Leylin's methods before.
"What would you like?"
"A glass of rum! The rest of you are free to choose your own!" Leylin waved his hand and sat next to the counter, "Where are the people you found? Call them out and let me have a look at them."
His standards were not too high at the moment, and ordinary pirates would suffice. Death would help him select the cream of the crop.
"Wait, boss!" Giant scratched his head, and rushed to gap between a few sofas like a hurricane, and began to beat the sofas up with kicks and punches. Loud curses could be heard from inside the sofas.
After a few seconds, over ten badly battered pirates with swollen faces and bleeding noses were driven out by Giant. Although they were wounded, these pirates had a rather lively temperament, which was beyond Leylin's expectations.
"Giant, are these the people you fought with last night?" Leylin suddenly had a premonition.
"That's right, boss!" Giant laughed in his simple manner, "These fellows are pretty tough, and they can hold their own against my beatings. I think they would do well in the battle squadron…"
Giant's gifted strength was already on the level of a rank 5 Warrior, and he would not do badly against rank 6 or rank 7 Warriors either. For him to give this evaluation, the men must be rather powerful themselves.
At that point, they also knew that Leylin might become their employer, and they looked uneasily at the big fellow standing in the middle amongst them.
"Mm? What's your name?" Leylin looked at the fellow that was obviously their leader. He had a bearded face, and a pair of eyes that looked half-asleep, which glimmered with intelligence from time to time.
"This is a fellow with a lot of stories to tell!" Leylin judged him on his very first glance.
"Ronald! My name is Ronald, my lord!" His tone of voice was very respectful and decorous, and he even seemed to have learnt a little noble etiquette.
"Can you read?" This sort of subtle distinction aroused Leylin's interest.
"I previously spent some time in the Tillen scholars' family learning how to write," Ronald was very humble, and although they had only just met, he had immediately realised that Leylin was not an ordinary youth.
Not only could he subdue a subordinate like Giant, his temperament was different.
Only a life of abundance, and a long period of etiquette and culture lessons could nurture such an awe-inspiring presence, and an air of nobility.
In these times, a man like him represented hope!
"Very good! Ronald, are you willing to swear loyalty to me?" Leylin smiled, requesting loyalty rather than employment. This was clearly the invitation of a noble, and Ronald was stunned by it.
He was only startled for a short moment however. Ronald clenched his teeth and asked, "I want to ask my lord if you're part of the Louis family? If so, then please forgive me, as it would be difficult for me to agree!"
"Why is that? Are they your enemies?" Leylin asked with great interest. He immediately saw a trace of hatred within Ronald's eyes.
This complex change in emotion surfaced only for a moment, but it could not be concealed from Leylin's gaze.
"Yes," Ronald clenched his teeth and took a gamble. After all, if Leylin was a young master from the Louis family, then this situation would not end well for him.
At this moment, the atmosphere became rather delicate. The ten pirates next to Ronald glared at Leylin and his men, as if they were ready to leap into action if the response was unfavourable.
The boss of this place had long hid under the counter, and was obviously experienced with these abnormal situations.
"Haha… Haha…" Just when the atmosphere grew so tense that time almost came to standstill, Leylin suddenly laughed. His rippling laughter disrupted the heavy atmosphere, just like a rock being thrown into still water.
"I'm not one of Marquis Louis' cronies. On the contrary, my family has a grudge against him," Leylin spoke slowly, "After all, even if the Marquis needed men, it would be impossible for him to come and recruit here in the Pirates' Cove, wouldn't it?"
"Then, this Ronald is willing to accept your employment, my lord!" He skillfully answered Leylin's previous question, and clearly did not put any heart into his reply. However, that was normal.
Leylin was not brain-dead enough to think that once he exuded his oppressing aura as a hero, subordinates would come running over to worship him.
Perhaps only after he had lead Ronald to begin taking action against Marquis Louis, would he be able to obtain true loyalty from him. Only once he had destroyed Marquis Louis would Ronald be willing to die for him.
'However, having this sort of effect at the beginning is already good!'
"Very well, from now on you will be a sailor on the Scarlet Tiger ship. Ronald, you are my second officer!" Since there were many available positions now, he needed to fill the gaps quickly.
"Haha… This fellow, welcome to the family! Boss, bring the rum!" Giant firmly slapped Ronald's back, making him stumble.
"No problem!" The boss who had previously hid under the counter immediately stretched out his hand, a cunning expression on his face, "Only… Shouldn't you clear your bar tab before you continue drinking? Since you've already been hired by someone, doesn't that mean you'll have money very soon? Poor old Fade can't stay afloat any longer…"
After he finished, he even winked at Leylin several times and squeezed out a few drops of crocodile tears.
After he heard this, Ronald and the others bowed their heads, and their faces flushed in shame.
'It looks like these people all didn't have enough to pay their bill, and were locked up here last night,' Leylin grudgingly sighed.
"Tell me! How much money do they owe you?"
After walking out of the bar, the group of men behind Leylin's back still looked rather ashamed.
"I've given you the criteria of the men I'd like to recruit, so now it's up to you to recruit people. I need 100 men!" Leylin said to Hulk, after they had walked for a while.
"Don't worry, my lord!" As a guard of the Faulen family, Hulk's loyalty towards Leylin was very strong.
"Mm, go and attend to your business. There's no need to follow me," Leylin waved his hand to dismiss the others behind him.
"Master!" Karen followed behind Leylin with a worried expression on her face.
"Don't worry, once I make a promise, there is no way that it won't be fulfilled," Leylin said in a gentle voice, but Karen involuntarily trembled.
"Alright. Please be careful, Pirates' Cove is extremely chaotic…"
"Mm, I know," Leylin nodded, disappeared into an alley on the side of the street.
Pirates' Cove had a complex labyrinth of back alleys, and each one could allow only one person to pass. It was obviously crowded and chaotic and the floor was filled with slop and filthy things, making it smell absolutely awful.
However, Leylin's gaze was fixed on a unique symbol in a corner of the alleyway. It was a symbol of two crossed daggers, which faintly pointed towards a certain direction.
"The Thieves' Guild!" Leylin smiled, and immediately walked in the direction that the daggers were pointing to.
In the World of Gods, more and more people were able to advance into a profession. However, the one's that attracted the most attention and had endured the longest were the three guilds- the Thieves' Guild, the Warriors' Guild and Wizards' Guild!
These three guilds would frequently issue missions, which would bring great benefits to adventurer groups.
In the World of Gods, the number of shrines and whether the three major guilds were hosted there, was a major indicator of the prosperity of a city.
Pirates' Cove naturally did not host the Wizards' Guild, but Leylin had seen the Warriors' Guild as their symbol had been very striking.
The Thieves' Guild was an enormous organisation which had been secretly hidden in the dark, and their missions tended towards secrecy. Most of them were requests for assassinations or theft.
However, it was this dark network that seemed to permeate the entire continent, and rumour had it that they had the blessings of many gods.
Yes, the three great guilds each had the backing of more than one god!
-x-X-x-
As he walked in the direction that the daggers pointed, his surroundings became increasingly remote. The liveliness of Pirates' Cove was gradually left behind, and Leylin began to feel a pervasive sense of eeriness and desolation.
This feeling grew even more obvious after he walked down a flight of stone stairs. The terrifying senses of wizards allowed him to notice that there were three pairs of eyes spying on him in the shadows.
"It really feels like I'm walking down to hell!" Leylin chuckled. The sun was covered by vast dark clouds, projecting tremendous shadows.
He pressed his palm onto a gray rock covered in moss, and a gap immediately appeared in a wall nearby. He did not hesitate as he quickly ducked into the gap, simultaneously feeling many astonished gazes directed at him.
There was a very short path behind the wall, and at its end was a wooden door with an iron ring.
*Thump! Thump!* Leylin used the ring to knock loudly on the door, and it let out a distant sound.
The door creaked open slightly, revealing the face of an old man holding an oil lamp. He had practically no facial muscles anymore, looking like a withered corpse under the flickering light of the lamp. His two eyes looked dazed, the eyeballs completely motionless.
"The night is always lonely," The old man said in a hoarse voice, as if he had not spoken for a long time.
"For those who are seeking brightness and hope!" Leylin smiled slightly, a dagger flying into his hand and beginning to dance through the air as elaborately as a butterfly.
The old man gave Leylin a probing look and opened the wooden door, "Come in, brother from the Underdark!"
With the light from his oil lamp, Leylin could see a deep and pitch-black passageway that seemed to go all the way to the core of the earth. A distant sound increased in volume as he made his way across it, until it turned into what seemed like a market bustling with life.
*Pak!* Two enormous gates opened, revealing an even more expansive underground world.
What entered his sights was a hall formed from a deep cave, with sinkholes in the floor and underground streams trailing off to numerous others. People from all walks of life populated this area, most strangely covering their faces with shrouds. Only pairs of vigilant eyes were revealed.
In the distance were a few wooden constructions and a large announcement board towering ahead. Below were many masked people gesticulating at it. While they tried to lower their volume, the sounds of discussion from the whole crowd joined to form a buzz.
"Welcome to the Thieves' Guild! Is this your first time, kid?" A slender and tall person like a bamboo stick closed in, trying his best to create a stiff smile, "Need a guide? I…"
"No!" Leylin rejected resolutely.
This was the dark world of Pirates' Cove. How could there be good people here? Even if one looked to hire people, just showing the slightest of weaknesses would cause these people to pounce on you like wild wolves, dividing everything amongst themselves after murdering you.
"Mister… I…"
"Scram!" Leylin glared at him, and the murderous aura born of indiscriminate slaughter forced the man several steps back.
Having killed people meant nothing. Everyone here had the blood of at least one or two people on their hands themselves, but Leylin's own murderous aura was far more powerful than that. It was that of someone who's truly honed themselves on a bloody battlefield, not someone to be trifled with.
An important part of being a thief was knowing oneself well. The slender bamboo stick of a man laughed awkwardly and disappeared into the darkness. He had a feeling that if he were to continue staying here, what happened next would be something he would regret.
"Is this darkness…" Feeling the blood and violence lingering in the air, as well as the pure malicious intent, Leylin revealed a nostalgic look. He was originally a dark Magus after all.
He ran his eyes over his surroundings casually, and began to head towards the large announcement board. The thing seemed to grow bigger the closer he got, until it was the size of a small hill.
Numerous enchanted words flickered on it; just maintaining this effect would require at least tens of gold coins everyday. The extravagance caused Leylin to nod to himself.
'Mission: Track down whereabouts of a batch of silk cloth!'
'Mission: Investigate reason and happenings for the fall of the Half Merfolk Island!'
'Mission: Assassinate Viscount Lorraine's wife!'
'Selling information: The recent shipping route of the cargo ships of the Heigel chamber of commerce!'
'Selling recipe for poison: Tears of Molin! Interested parties must come for a face-to-face meeting!'
All sorts of information and news flickered on the announcement board. The missions for investigation and assassination caused Leylin to let out an involuntary sound of surprise, 'I didn't expect news of Half Merfolk Island to travel here so quickly, and… Missions for the assassination of nobility put out here in public…'
The only impression that Leylin got was that as long as money was involved, these assassins could do anything. He gazed steadily at the board as the A.I. Chip rapidly scanned everything, collating the information on all these missions into one system.
While it was only the names of the mission, Leylin grew to understand the outer seas better from it.
'Crimes and chaos… I like it…' Though he only saw a corner of this dark world, Leylin knew that things were definitely not all quiet and tranquil in the region.
Many rebellious powers lay low in the shadows, preparing to deal Marquis Louis a fatal blow at any time. This would completely destroy the market dominance that the Baltic archipelago enjoyed, allowing them to plunder the riches and resources there!
Once the A.I. Chip showed a prompt that it had recorded all the information, Leylin walked straight to the wooden house at the back.
Many roads immediately showed up like a dense cobweb. Some fellows with dangerous auras occasionally appeared in Leylin's senses, but there was only a very fuzzy image of them there.
'This feeling… Is it a protective layer due to some divine force? In addition, this seems to be from a god I know well…' Leylin snickered and strode inside.
*Pila!* The void was torn open at this moment, and an icy glint of steel was aimed straight at Leylin's neck like a poisonous snake's tongue.
The rank of this assassin seemed to be rather high, and he had almost escaped Leylin's senses. It was only at the moment of the other party's attack, that instant when their murderous intent surged out, that Leylin located them.
'Mage Armour! Fragile Barrier!' Two layers of protective spells immediately appeared with a thought.
But at the same time, he saw an icy look in the assassin's eyes. The rays of light from a divine spell shone out.
Dispel Magic! Under the glittering light, Leylin's protective spells instantly crumbled, revealing his astonished gaze. The dagger in the assassin's hand ruthlessly swiped at his neck, and he evidently would not stop until it was all over.
Most wizards would need a period of time to recover their senses and contact the Weave after being hit with Dispel Magic. This slight moment would be enough for the assassin to carve Leylin into multiple pieces. After all, a wizard that had lost all ability to cast spells was just a regular human.
[Beep! Host affected by divine spell, suffering a temporary loss of ability to sense level 2 and 3 Weave. Countdown: 5 seconds!] The A.I. Chip's prompt arrived in that instant, but strangely enough, there was no mention of the level 0 and 1 Weave. Leylin could sense that his ability to use that still existed.
'I see. So after I complete the analysis of the Weave, I'm immune to isolating skills?' Leylin could now cast rank 0 and 1 spells in an instant, drowning this assassin. However, he immediately gave this idea up.
An ability that was too unexpected would give rise to suspicions, which was not beneficial to him at the moment.
'Since it can seal the magic abilities I have, then…' A magic scroll instantly appeared in his hands, emitting terrifying light.
"A rank 4 spell!" The assassin produced a sharp cry. Meanwhile, he could feel his dagger piercing into what seemed to be the most solid granite, unable to penetrate through it even by an inch.
"Rank 4 magic, Stone Skin! You despicable maggot, you even made me use such a precious scroll!" Leylin feigned fury as he was completely covered by a layer of stone skin, as if he now wore armour of stone. This was Stone Skin, a rank 4 spell. Its defensive power was outstanding even among other spells of its kind.
This scroll was something that Ernest had given Leylin while he had still been in the manor just in case. He hadn't used it during the previous times of danger, but he'd done so now.
This was a rank 4 magic scroll! Even if its value wasn't enough to equal that of a city, it was very precious, and the fury on Leylin's face was understandable.
"You should not have come here!" The assassin's voice was hoarse as he hurriedly retreated.
"Trying to leave now?" Leylin's expression was filled with fury as he swung his fist.
*Thud!* The tip of the dagger was broken off by the stone fist, but it did not stop there. It crashed into the assassin's body with great power.
*Crack!* A layer of his defence was destroyed, and the assassin's body was sent flying backwards, the imprint of a fist clear on his chest.
"Never… Never has someone been able to treat me this way. I will kill you…" The assassin pulled his mask down, revealing a sullen face, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Let's see who dies first!" Leylin strode closer, a murderous aura apparent on his face.
"Esteemed guest, please forgive him!" At some point, a figure dressed entirely in a black robe came to the centre, a streak of divine force flying to the assassin's body.
Under the light, the assassin's wounds healed at a startling rate.
"Cure Serious Wounds! A rank 3 divine spell!" Leylin's eyes narrowed as he saw the emblem on the other party's chest.
-x-X-x-
"A priest of Cyric?" Leylin stepped backwards, "Since this is what the God of Murder's priest wants, then I'll forget it…" He had no plans of killing people here, he was in their territory after all.
"Lord Priest, please let me…" At this moment, the assassin on the ground began to crawl, eyes full of hatred for Leylin.
"Enough, fall back!" The voice yelled at the assassin without favouritism, causing him to freeze.
"You just wait!" The assassin glared at Leylin, drawing a finger across his neck before disappearing into thin air.
"Hehe… Little Cly was far too reckless and impulsive. Esteemed guest, please come with me!" The priest politely gestured at Leylin to move on. Leylin rubbed his nose and walked with him.
...
Leylin left a long while later, having acquired what he needed. This priest then turned here and there in the underground world, and finally left the Thieves' Guild and arrived in a secret room.
The flames around them flickered sinisterly. At the very centre of the place was a shrine to the God of Murder.
In front of the figure was an old man with wrinkles all over his face, praying as powerful divine force rippled forth from his body.
"Lord Bishop!" The priest from before bowed respectfully.
"Is that person gone already?" The old bishop opened his hazy eyes. They somehow held a lustre that could see through one's intentions.
"Yes, he has already left. He bought a lot information regarding Marquis Louis!" The priest did not dare conceal anything, and stated all of Leylin's activities.
"I saw it. He will be the source of chaos in the future. His many murders and the chaos he brings will definitely bring joy to our master!" The bishop muttered.
"Then what should we do? Help him?" The priest asked, confused.
"There's no need for that… Keke… Just be neutral. If required, he will definitely seek our help…" Lord Bishop snickered, "In addition, gift the news of him coming here to the Barbarians. Also, warn Cly not to interfere with the Master's great work just because of a brother's death, or I will put him on trial…"
The God of Murder's punishment was notoriously brutal, and even this priest began to tremble in fear once it was mentioned.
"I understand! Our Master's glory will definitely spread across the lands!" The priest said a prayer, and then left respectfully…
'The God of Murder? How interesting!' Leylin evidently realised that today's incident had to do with the wave of assassins he'd faced before.
However, assassins were people who worked for money. Mahnke might have sided with Marquis Louis at the beginning or had been hired by him, but he had already been turned into a pile of bones. Leylin could not be bothered with him. Rather, a high-ranked assassin like Cly was a threat he could not ignore.
"Seems like this Thieves' Guild is neutral. It's under the rule of the Barbarians, but also has connections with Marquis Louis…" Leylin smiled grimly.
Churches always saw things from their own point of view, the conflicts of mortals transient like fleeting clouds. As long as their own rule wasn't affected, they didn't care about the king. It was so with the church of knowledge, as well with the church of murder.
'The exploration of the sea started recently, but the place has already entered the sights of the gods. I need to step up my plans…' Leylin's expression could not help but darken, but after he returned to the inn he had calmed down, not revealing any hint of what he'd felt before.
"Boss!" Giant and Hulk stood up in the inn's main hall, accompanied by the tens of pirates they'd brought. Ronald was also there amongst them.
"Mm!" Leylin's eyes swept through this group of pirates. All who met his gaze felt a piercing feeling in their eye, and had no choice but to lower their heads.
"Tell them that I'll get the bill for the roasted meat and rum over these few days!" It had to be said that Leylin had a pretty good impression of these people. At the very least, these pirates were more ferocious than the rest.
Of course, that was the extent of it. It wasn't easy to recruit Professionals at or above the middle grades.
"Master, Madam Tillen has invited you to the back!" Karen noiselessly appeared behind Leylin, her footsteps incredibly light like those of a seasoned thief. She no longer showed any signs of her previous weakness.
"Has the poison from your body been removed?" Blue light flashed as Leylin asked in surprise. He only needed a bit of effort to obtain a cure for Karen's poison, but Madam Tillen had already taken care of it. It showed her favourable attitude.
After all, she had the Barbarians backing her. It was currently the only organisation that could contend against Marquis Louis in the outer seas.
"Yes! She's already removed my slave contract. Henceforth, I serve under you, Master!" Karen had already removed that maid uniform that gave rise to wild thoughts. She was now clad in black leather attire, a black leather holster for her dagger on her thighs that were as thick as ivory. It made her seem even more gallant.
"Good. Lead me there!" Leylin knew that Madam Tillen had already reported everything about him to the Barbarians, she was a part of them after all. They were now looking for him to lay all their cards on the table.
It was the same room as it had been in the morning, though there was now another giant in there.
This was a barbarian with green skin, sitting on the large sofa nonchalantly and with a great aura to him. The floorboards beneath him had slightly sunken under his heavy weight. He wore a cow-horn helmet made of wrought iron, and revealed a fine and solid upper body. His fierce looks were coupled with a pair of shrewd eyes.
At his right hand was an exotic saber [1. a single long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. Dating from Emperor Cheng of Han, made to slice through horse's legs (hence the literal translation of the term, Horse Beheading Sword)] at a position from which it could be brandished most easily. Its sharp edge held a magic glow to it, evidently a result of it being enchanted by an alchemist.
"Hehe… the young master of the Faulen Family!" Madam Tillen now sat on the thigh of the barbarian, beaming up at Leylin.
Her fiery-red tail brushed against the barbarian from time to time, giving off an untameable feeling that was very tempting.
The two sat together, and Leylin suddenly had a bizarre feeling that this was rather similar to 'Beauty and the Beast', but Madam Tillen did not seem to think so. Her eyes were full of love as she stared into his eyes.
"Hehe… I never thought that young master Leylin, the heir of a Baron, would become a pirate!" Madam Tillen now sized Leylin up and down, eyes emanating a beautiful luster, "That's not all. I've heard about young master's talent in magic that even makes your mentor feel ashamed of himself. How extraordinary..."
In just a few sentences, she'd revealed that she now had all the information regarding the current Leylin.
"And so? Nobles will never admit it, and I obviously won't!" Leylin chuckled and sat on the sofa on the opposite side. Karen stood behind him, her body involuntarily trembling as if it had evoked some past trauma.
The Barbarians would've been too stupid to hold influence over the outer seas if they couldn't find information on him given his name and the fact that he was a wizard. The sincerity was a requirement of an alliance.
"Nice! Young master Leylin's words are completely different from those dignified nobles," Madam Tillen's tone seemed to conceal some hatred, "They appear to be openhearted and benevolent, but in reality they're worse than beasts…"
The barbarian warrior did not utter a single word all this time, but the pressure he gave off made him seem like a mountain, constantly attacking Leylin.
"This is…?" Leylin asked Madam Tillen bluntly.
"Oh, look at me!" Madam Tillen patted at her bright forehead and gave him a flirty look, "Let me introduce. This is Ogde Battlehammer, my lover! He's also the captain of the Barbarians!"
As she introduced him, Leylin's eyes flickered. The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded, and part of the information was projected before him.
[Name: Ogde Battlehammer. Race: Barbarian. Strength: 15+. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 9. A warrior above rank 15, extremely dangerous!]
Beside the numbers was a 3D image of him, including the magic saber. Just from the image, Leylin could tell that he had numerous magic items on him.
'A high-ranked warrior above rank 15, with a bonus in strength as a barbarian! Even on the continent, this strength would bring him fame. Even if it's the Marquis, with help from the barbarian race, Ogde should not be on the losing end in a battle against the Marquis.'
Leylin found that he had to recalculate the strength Marquis Louis had. In the World of Gods, Professionals between ranks 5 and 10 were elites. Those above rank 10 were great in their own right, and as for rank 15s and above, they were respected throughout the kingdoms and treated very well.
However, even a high-ranked warrior like that, with the power of his whole race on his side, was on the losing end against Marquis Louis. How powerful was the noble? At this moment, Leylin felt lucky that he'd left immediately after taking care of Half Merfolk Island.
As these thoughts flashed past, Leylin nodded at this high-ranked barbarian captain, "Nice to meet you, revered exemplary!"
Comprehend Languages flashed, allowing Leylin to understand what the Barbarian meant.