Aramis's family used to run a tavern, but after going bankrupt, his parents were hounded to death by debt collectors, forcing him to join a pirate crew. Because of this background, he had a keen understanding of taverns. No matter how well-hidden a wine cellar might be, he could usually find it. Additionally, he could read and do basic arithmetic—an impressive skill in a world where education was not widespread.
In contrast, the other members of William's small gang had different backgrounds. Agin was originally a fisherman. After being extorted by a gang similar to fishing mafias, he accidentally killed someone during a confrontation and decided to become a pirate. Due to the high commercial mobility around the dock areas, Agin had picked up some literacy despite lacking formal education, making him semi-literate.
The last member, Vallon, a 17-year-old youth, came from a farming background and was completely illiterate.
This demonstrates that everything has both negative and positive aspects. Focusing solely on the latter can lead to excessive optimism, while fixating on the former can result in dejection and loss of confidence.
In the early days after his transmigration, William, inspired by Robinson Crusoe who once drifted to a deserted island, mentally created a list of pros and cons to encourage himself, regain his motivation, and rebuild his will to survive.
At the very least, this body was young and healthy, unlike his previous life's body that had been poisoned by years of tobacco and alcohol. From the inherited memories, it was clear that the original owner had received a good education and even some sword training. Although the original owner appeared somewhat ineffectual, never putting in much effort, these foundational skills had allowed William to distinguish himself on the pirate ship through his physical abilities—a key factor in becoming the leader of his small gang.
Starting from scratch was nothing new to William. He had built himself up from nothing in his previous life, and while the challenges now were greater, so too was the potential for growth.
After briefly examining the room, Aramis didn't linger. He led William to a courtyard behind the tavern.
Bending down, he studied the soil traces for a moment before clapping his hands to get William's attention as he surveyed the courtyard. With a hint of pride, he announced, "Found it."
Aramis approached a grape trellis in the courtyard, moved some foliage aside, and lifted a small wooden board covered with weeds. The cellar door had been disguised and positioned in the shadows beneath the trellis, making it easy to overlook if one wasn't paying attention.
When the wooden board was removed, it revealed a narrow passageway behind it, pitch-black inside. William didn't rush in. Instead, he shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the darkness.
William waited like this for several minutes. When Aramis began to show signs of impatience, William finally tossed the pillow he had been holding into the dark cellar.
As expected, the sudden intrusion of an unknown object triggered a commotion in the cellar.
Bang! A gunshot suddenly echoed from within. Aramis jumped in surprise, then saw William beckoning to him before taking the lead and charging into the cellar.
William's earlier caution stemmed from concern that someone might be hiding inside. The cellar's passageway was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time, leaving no room to dodge. If someone were hiding inside, a single gun could turn anyone entering into a living target. He had deliberately waited those few minutes to make any potential hidden person grow suspicious and tense. When the pillow was thrown in, they couldn't resist firing.
The East Blue region where William now lived used old-fashioned flintlock pistols that required considerable effort to reload. Hearing the gunshot, he didn't give the shooter time to reload, immediately crouching and plunging into the darkness of the cellar.
The cellar entrance led to a narrow staircase. William rushed down in the blink of an eye, landing on level ground. At that moment, a figure suddenly emerged from behind a wooden beam beside the stairs, attempting to ambush him while he was still finding his footing. But William was prepared—though the cellar was pitch-black, not as bright as above ground, he had already given his eyes time to adapt to this environment.
With a slight sidestep, William evaded the attacker's weapon. His left hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the assailant's wrist and pulling them forward while clearing the narrow cellar stairway for himself.
The light streaming in from the cellar entrance illuminated the attacker's face. William seized this opportunity to see that it was a boy of only fourteen or fifteen, his face contorted as he struggled to free his wrist from William's iron-like grip.
Without hesitation, William struck the boy on the temple with the hilt of his knife. With a thud, the boy collapsed unconscious.
All this happened in a flash. By now, Aramis had followed closely behind, rushing through the space William had cleared and into the cellar. Looking up, he immediately saw a middle-aged woman holding a pistol, staring in shock as she pointed it toward the stairway entrance.
The woman seemed paralyzed with fear, maintaining her gun-pointing posture. Wisps of gunpowder smoke still rose from the barrel. Knowing this was the gun that had fired earlier, Aramis barked a command, rushed forward in a few quick strides, knocked the pistol from her hand, and grabbed her by the throat. With a powerful move, he mercilessly slammed her to the ground.
Ignoring the woman he had left dazed and disoriented, Aramis turned to scan the surroundings for other enemies. When his gaze reached the corner where wine barrels were stacked on the right, his expression suddenly grew complex and he called out, "William!"
William hurried over and followed Aramis's gaze, discovering that a little girl was hiding in that corner.
The girl looked to be only about ten years old, with a single greasy braid. In the somewhat cold cellar, she wore only a thin dress. She crouched on the ground, tears flowing like continuous streams, but she bit her clenched right fist, making no sound.
She had also seen William and Aramis, which made her cry even harder. Her body trembled continuously, yet she still made no sound. Instead, she shrank her body even more, making her crouched figure appear smaller, as if hoping that this way, Aramis and William wouldn't see her.
William and Aramis exchanged a glance, after which Aramis asked in a low voice, "What do we do?"
"...Tie them up first," William said gravely.
Aramis acknowledged with a sound, then efficiently pulled out a rope from his pocket and bound the constantly struggling woman to a wooden beam in the cellar.
The woman was slender with quite charming features. The youthful Aramis took some liberties while binding her, though William didn't notice. He was looking toward the cellar entrance, where a series of footsteps approached. As the light dimmed, the vigilant Agin had already stooped to enter.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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