As soon as Klein set foot on the island, he felt that something was off—the surroundings were far too quiet.
According to Aldrich, after Bayam issued the pirate expulsion order, quite a few pirates should have gathered here on Cecil Island. Yet, there was no sign of such activity.
He headed to the bar closest to the port, intending to gather some intel about the recent happenings at sea. But even this place was eerily empty, with barely a few patrons scattered inside.
Just as he was about to enter, he noticed that the outer wall of the bar was plastered with bounty posters of all kinds.
Among them was one for the "King of the Five Seas", offering a reward of 800,000 pounds, as well as dozens of lower-level pirate captains with bounties ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand pounds. The notices were arranged from top to bottom in layers, forming a chaotic but striking wall of wanted men.
"Tsk...800,000 pounds. Even Miss Justice's family would struggle to produce that much cash in one go."
Klein clicked his tongue in awe, and in the next moment mentally sorted and memorised all the pirates he thought he could realistically handle.
Very soon, his eyes fell on a bounty poster even larger than the one for the King of the Five Seas:
The 'Moody' Gehrman Sparrow—Bounty: 300,000 Pounds
Beneath it was a sketch of a young man—handsome, refined, with a scholarly air about him.
"So that's Gehrman Sparrow, huh? Hmm…not as handsome as the face I pinched together."
Klein's gaze continued downward, reading the bounty notice's description of this "major figure".
---
First appeared hijacking five pirate ships; later released news of hidden treasure in Bayam, luring a wave of pirates who were then captured and delivered en masse to the Governor's Mansion using unknown powers, triggering the infamous "Assault on the Governor's Office" incident. Simultaneously, infiltrated and sank an ironclad warship docked at Bayam's naval base. At the Pirate Congress, set fire to hundreds of pirate ships including those belonging to the seven Pirate Admirals, took advantage of the chaos to kill Admiral of Blood Senor, and escaped unscathed from a demi-god's pursuit…
---
As Klein read on, the sense of familiarity grew stronger—and increasingly ominous—until he reached the line "killed Admiral of Blood Senor".
Then he understood.
This is talking about Edward!!
What the hell?!
So Gehrman Sparrow…is Edward?!
Wonderful. That explains why, when I first mentioned that name, he told me not to use it—turns out it was his own alias! This guy…was just waiting to watch me embarrass myself, wasn't he?
Where's the washroom? I need to have a serious conversation with him!
But wait…isn't this too much of a coincidence? I randomly came up with a name, and it just so happens to be the one Edward's using?
Coincidence?
Klein suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
———
Aboard the Ironblood pirate ship.
Edward had been lecturing for three or four hours straight.
Ever since Red-Hair had heard the full formulas for the Hunter Pathway from Sequence 7 up to Sequence 4, he'd been silently hypnotising himself nonstop:
Maybe…maybe teaching is just one of Gehrman's personal quirks?
Maybe he's fulfilling some unknown, higher purpose?
Maybe he's recruiting powerful pirates to build a fleet and seize the now-vacant Pirate Admiral position?
All sorts of maybes flooded his mind. He had only one real thought left: As long as I survive this, maybe someday I'll become someone truly powerful on this sea…Then I can lead the oppressed islanders to overthrow their chains and reclaim their freedom and future!
Edward, meanwhile, could feel his potion digestion progressing as he looked over these "XP babies"—though with a slight tinge of regret.
Shame. This is probably the best they can offer me.
Still, there was no rush to eliminate them before finding a fresh batch of pirates. He might yet squeeze out a little more "value" using…other methods.
Just as this thought passed through his mind, a vast grey mist suddenly filled his vision.
Upon the high bronze throne, the Fool spoke calmly:
"Mr. World would like a word with you."
"I understand, Mr. Fool."
The mist immediately dissipated.
That hurried approach...Klein must've figured out that Gehrman Sparrow is me.
Edward stood up. "You all digest what I taught you just now—I'm going in to rest for a bit."
"Yes, sir!"
As soon as he stepped into the captain's quarters, he called out, "Lilith, keep watch for me."
"Alrighty~" she replied sweetly.
Edward clasped his hands together and began to pray:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"
The infinite grey fog surged once more. In the midst of that crimson hue, Edward arrived at the grand hall of the Sefirah Castle. Klein was already waiting.
Edward gave a nod toward the Fool. "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."
Then he turned toward his alt-account, puzzled. "Mr. World, you had something to discuss?"
"..."
Klein gave a cold snort. "Mr. Tower, don't you have anything to say to me about this whole Gehrman Sparrow identity?"
Edward froze for a moment, scratching his head.
"Ah, you found out? I was actually planning to give you a surprise, you know."
"Surprise?" Klein narrowed his eyes. "You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself, didn't you?"
"Hahaha—no, come on, not that bad."
Edward burst out laughing. "Actually, I was pretty surprised when you pulled out your ID with that name. Thought…wow, what a coincidence. But then I figured, since it's already such a weird coincidence, wouldn't it be more fun to let you discover it yourself?"
Klein glared at him.
"So you did want to see me make a fool of myself."
Edward adopted a more serious tone.
"The way I see it, the Gehrman Sparrow identity was something I made up when I first went out to sea as part of my acting process. I never expected it to cause such a huge stir…to become this well-known."
"But now, no matter how famous it's become, it's of no further use to me. Still, just letting it vanish feels like a waste. So I figured—why not turn it into a shared identity for our Tarot Club?"
Klein blinked. "You mean…"
"I mean that anyone in the Tarot Club who wants to use it—can. But they need to understand: while the name comes with advantages, they'll also have to shoulder the dangers that come with it."
Klein frowned. "So far, all I'm seeing are the dangers."
"Reputation always has its uses." Edward paused. "But more importantly, for you, continuing to use the Gehrman identity helps with your Faceless roleplaying."
"Because compared to building up a brand-new persona from nothing, Gehrman Sparrow already has an established reputation. As long as you can convincingly play the part and keep him active in the public eye—earning continued recognition—the digestion of your potion will go much faster."
"It's just like if you managed to successfully play the role of a king, a church pope, or…someone even higher—and had everyone acknowledge that identity. Your potion digestion would accelerate immensely."
Klein thought for a while, then hesitated.
"But…he's too famous. I'm not sure I can shoulder that level of attention with my current strength."
Edward smiled faintly. "Well, that's the nature of opportunity—it walks hand in hand with risk. You can take your time to think it over."
Klein wasn't the kind of person who liked reckless gambles. He preferred planning ahead and acting with caution. But this time, he'd deliberately given himself the identity of a mad pirate hunter—precisely to leverage that contrast and expedite potion digestion.
Thinking of that, his mind was already made up. Still, he added a safeguard for himself, "If I ever run into an enemy I really can't handle…I'll call for you immediately!"
"Haha, sure thing. Just bring money."
"…"
Klein's expression turned serious.
"Actually, the reason I rushed to contact you through Mr. Fool was because…this whole thing feels too coincidental!"
"Oh?" Edward raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't it?" Klein asked. "I came up with 'Gehrman Sparrow' by randomly picking two words and slapping them together. And yet it just happens to be the exact same alias you used before? Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"
"I'm worried this is another setup…After all, in the book world, that feather quill reappeared. Even if it turned out to be fake, it has to be related to the real one somehow."
—That's why I had to speak to you up here in the grey fog.
Ah…so it's a misunderstanding.
Still, Klein's suspicion did remind Edward of something: based on the events outside Backlund, it seemed the new owner of the feather quill was hostile to the Loen royal family…or more specifically, George III.
The good news? For the time being, Edward and the quill's owner could be considered allies.
The bad news? He had zero information about that new owner. And if the other party had used him once, they could use him again. Even if their goal wasn't him, Edward had no desire to be anyone's pawn a second time.
What exactly is Adam doing these days?
Is "He" not going to intervene?
Edward said slowly, "That quill's influence only extends to a single city. Since you've already left for sea, unless the new owner is actually following you, it should be impossible for them to keep setting up scenarios like this."
"And if they are tailing you that closely, then the more they do, the more mistakes they'll eventually make. Once they slip up, it'll be much easier to deal with."
Klein nodded.
"You've got a point."
At this moment, Edward turned to face the Fool with a solemn expression.
"If worse comes to worst, we can always pray to Mr. Fool for an angel's protection."
Klein sighed inwardly: That "paper angel" I have is basically just a display piece…
Still, he maintained Mr. Fool's mystique and answered in an even tone, "That can be arranged."
Both men bowed in unison.
"Thank you, Mr. Fool."
As the Fool severed the connection, Edward returned to the Ironblood's captain's quarters.
Lilith sat outside the door, wand in hand, watching the pirates with vigilant eyes.
"I'm back," Edward said gently.
She immediately turned her head. "Miss Lilith has been watching them very carefully this whole time!"
"Great job~ Thanks for your hard work!"
"Yup!"
Edward reached out and ruffled her hair. The strands were soft and silky, like fine silk beneath his fingers.
Lilith tilted her head up, eyes sparkling sapphire-blue.
"Edward…are we going to deal with them now?"
Her little face turned icy cold as she made a slashing gesture across her throat.
Edward was speechless. "…Where'd you learn that move?"
Lilith thought for a moment, then answered casually, "Forgot. Maybe Susie taught me?"
(Susie: You're the real little devil here!)
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.