Kaya skimmed the purchase list.
Everything on it could be found in Syrup Village, so she immediately handed the list back to Merry and told him to take a few bodyguards and fifty villagers to gather the supplies.
The rest stayed behind to keep watch on Liszt and the others.
After all, Liszt and his people were pirates.
They looked like they had a bottom line, willing to buy rather than rob, but it was her first time dealing with pirates and no one knew if they would start playing tricks next.
Liszt didn't mind.
If he hadn't chosen the pirate's path, he might have treated pirates like foul garbage himself.
He didn't idle either. Once Merry led the group away to collect the goods, Liszt finally turned his gaze to the man at Kaya's side who had been playing the role of strategist all along: Kuro.
"Sir with the gold-rimmed glasses, you look familiar. Haven't I seen you somewhere?" Liszt looked at Kuro with a half smile.
Did he recognize me?
Possible.
I faked my death three years ago.
Even those who knew me think I'm dead and have long forgotten me.
Is he trying to bait me?
"Probably on a wanted poster. You look very much like the captain of the Black Cat Pirates with a bounty of sixteen million, Kuro of a Hundred Plans," Liszt said lightly.
"Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates with a bounty of sixteen million?"
Everyone turned to look at Kuro.
Even Kaya stared at him in surprise, though she didn't truly believe he was that Kuro.
A flash of killing intent flickered in Kuro's eyes.
The man had chosen death.
I will kill him.
Yet on the surface Kuro remained calm.
"Sir pirate, don't joke with me. My name is Klahadore. I am completely different from that Kuro of a Hundred Plans you mentioned. As I recall, about three years ago there was a newspaper report saying that pirate Kuro of a Hundred Plans was arrested by a Marine called Captain Morgan."
"You have a good memory, glasses. It's been three years and you still remember," Liszt said with a meaningful smile.
Kaya and the others couldn't help showing a glimmer of doubt.
A piece of news from three years ago, remembered so clearly now.
Not impossible, but for it to leave such a deep impression, there had to be another reason.
"Bastard."
Kuro gnashed his teeth.
He realized he was being led by the nose, so he simply shut his mouth.
Liszt glanced at Kuro and smiled faintly. "Miss Kaya, when did this gentleman with the glasses enter your household?"
"Three years ago," Kaya answered at once.
She looked at Kuro, then glared at Liszt.
"What are you implying, sir pirate? I trust Klahadore. He is not that Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates. Stop sowing discord."
"Thank you for your trust, Miss Kaya," Kuro said with feigned gratitude.
He would let a wealthy patron notice his talents.
He would be put to important use.
After winning that patron's trust, he would kill him, using an accident or perhaps an illness as the means.
Once the magnate was dead, he would move against the family.
He would target the wife first.
After the wife died, he would begin on the remaining children.
When Liszt finished his story, the entire shoreline fell silent.