Chapter 162: Reunion

Chapter 162: Reunion

Danitz opened his mouth and instinctively spat out an Intis word:

“Hotel.”

The air seemed to freeze instantly. Danitz looked at the coachman’s dark-brown skin, rough and messy black hair, relatively soft facial contours, and equally blank expression. He silently exhaled, accepted his misfortune, picked up his luggage, and walked toward the other end of the street.

“Shit! Of all people, I had to run into a coachman who doesn’t understand Intis! Shouldn’t someone taking customers near the docks know a few Northern Continent words? So many Intisians, Loenese, and Feysac people come and go here!”

As Danitz muttered, he looked ahead, searching for passersby who appeared to come from the Northern Continent, or who possessed corresponding ancestry, so that he could smoothly check into a hotel and fill his stomach.

As far as he knew, Berens Harbor had quite a lot of Intis immigrants, along with some Loenese, Feysac, and Feynapotter people. As long as he encountered one or two, communication would not be a problem.

However, Danitz felt that all this had one prerequisite: he must not pass out from heatstroke while searching.

“This damned weather!” He raised his head to look at the blue sky, white clouds, and sun that was not scorching enough to justify his suffering. Lifting a hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, he cursed with a slightly twisted expression.

Curse as he might, Danitz was actually very clear that the Southern Continent’s temperature during this season was moderate, even slightly on the low side. The reason he felt so hot was that he was wearing the Sun Brooch. However, having just arrived and not yet understood the situation here, he did not dare take the brooch off and stuff it into his suitcase. If he accidentally lost this item, he could completely imagine Gehrman Sparrow’s cold, mad gaze.

Come on, a few Northern Continent people. Any country will do. I am a great pirate who has mastered many languages…

Danitz kept muttering under his breath, his mind filled with ice-cold beer and oceans drifting with icebergs.

As he muttered, he suddenly lifted a hand and rubbed his eyes.

He had finally seen someone who was obviously of Northern Continent descent!

Moreover, it seemed, probably, perhaps, to be an acquaintance!

Ahead and to the side of Danitz, at a sunny street corner, a young man with short blond hair combed in a side part leaned against the wall, playing a silver-white harmonica.

He had emerald-green eyes and wore a white shirt with the top two buttons undone, a completely open black vest, and dark trousers. He wore a single lonely black glove. It was none other than the strongest Hunter of the Misty Sea, Anderson Hood!

What a coincidence? This fellow actually came to West Balam…

Danitz rejoiced inwardly, feeling as though he had finally grabbed a piece of driftwood amid a vast sea of people. He did not bother thinking back to Anderson’s behavior aboard the Golden Dream. He approached directly and greeted him in a standard Hunter’s tone.

“What? Couldn’t make it as a treasure hunter anymore, so you started street performing?”

He noticed that in front of Anderson, a top hat had been placed upside down. Inside were twenty or thirty brass coins, a small number belonging to Intis as copet, most of them local delisi.

—In Intis, delisi meant copper coin.

Anderson stopped playing and glanced at Danitz.

“This is not my hat.

“I just happened to pass by and saw a hat like this fallen on the ground, unnoticed by anyone. I felt a little moved, so I took out my harmonica and casually played a bit. Who knew that quite a few people would stop to listen and toss some money inside?

“A crude pirate like you probably cannot understand the charm of music. It knows no national boundaries. Let me tell you, your Captain especially likes…”

“Stop!” Danitz’s forehead twitched, cutting off whatever direction Anderson’s words might wander toward. He changed the subject and asked, “Why did you come here?”

Anderson held the harmonica and thought seriously.

“That is a good question.

“I also do not know how I ended up in West Balam. I cannot remember what happened during the past two months at all.”

Danitz had originally wanted to say, Stop joking. But Anderson’s serious expression made him involuntarily believe it a little. He carefully asked, “You cannot remember anything?”

Anderson put away the silver-white harmonica, bent down, picked up the top hat filled with coins, and flicked off the dust.

“My last memory stops at Bayam. After parting with Gehrman Sparrow, I seemed to be going to a predetermined place to meet someone. Then I woke up and found myself in West Balam…

“Haha, no need to mind these things. It is enough to still be alive. Ah, it is almost noon. Come, let us find somewhere to eat. I heard Berens’s pork knuckle is especially famous.”

As he spoke, Anderson placed the top hat, together with the coins inside, beside a neighboring tramp.

Danitz was hot, hungry, and exhausted. Hearing this, his spirits lifted.

“You understand Dutanese here?”

Anderson immediately gave a heh.

“Have you not heard of my many treasure-hunting adventures in West Balam?”

Right. I previously even wanted to ask you about West Balam intelligence… The situation here is chaotic and rather dangerous. If I can pull Anderson in, things will definitely be much safer, and I would have an extra translator too! I cannot call it hiring. I cannot afford his compensation…

Little by little, Danitz revealed a smile.

“Then I’m relieved. Let’s go.”

He carried his luggage and, together with Anderson, circled to a nearby street and found a restaurant close by.

Hearing the waiter babble in the native tongue and seeing the menu filled with characters he did not recognize, Danitz immediately felt a headache and hurriedly said to Anderson, “You look.”

As he spoke, he handed the menu to the strongest Hunter of the Misty Sea sitting opposite him.

Anderson did not reach out. He replied with complete normality, “I cannot read it either.”

“…Didn’t you say you knew Dutanese?” Danitz blurted in astonishment.

Anderson spread his hands.

“I never said that.

“Does coming to West Balam many times to search for treasure have anything to do with understanding Dutanese?”

“If you do not know Dutanese, how can you understand the writing in ancient temples and castle ruins? How can you search for treasure?” Danitz’s expression twisted once again, and his speaking speed involuntarily grew faster.

Anderson picked up the cup the waiter had just set down and gulped some water.

“A problem that can be solved by bringing a dictionary cannot be called a problem.

“Besides, does not knowing Dutanese mean I cannot communicate with Southern Continent people?”

After saying this, he turned his head toward the waiter and said in Intis, “Two special pork knuckles.”

The waiter, without a doubt, looked blank and kept pointing at the menu.

Anderson was not irritable at all. Calmly, he pressed his right hand to his nose and imitated a pig’s grunting.

The waiter first froze, then revealed an expression of realization. Then Anderson pointed at his own elbow, pointed at the Berens icon on the menu, and used his fingers to show the number two.

“*%￥#,” the waiter said in accented Dutanese while nodding repeatedly, indicating that he understood. Danitz, sitting beside them, had nearly gone dumb from watching.

Through a round of gestures mixed with a small number of simple Dutanese words, Anderson finally completed the order. Turning his head, he smiled at Danitz.

“Understand now? In this world, the true universal language is body language!”

Danitz stared at him blankly. The corner of his mouth twitched, and that counted as his response.

…

The carriage left the West Borough and turned south at a fork in the road. Before long, it arrived at a military base.

With Colonel Calvin’s handwritten note and a lieutenant leading the way, Klein smoothly entered and reached a square paved with compacted earth. There, an enormous object colored deep blue and pure white stood still.

This airship was dozens of meters long. From above the carriage body extended one sturdy yet lightweight alloy framework after another. They spread and crisscrossed, supporting airtight waterproof fabric that contained the gasbags. Below were machine-gun ports, bomb-dropping ports, and cannon ports.

At this moment, the hum of the high-phlogiston steam engines had not yet sounded, and the corresponding propellers had not begun to rotate. Everything seemed extremely quiet.

Klein handed his documents and identification to the officer guarding the gangway. After receiving permission, he carried his suitcase and ascended the airship step by step.

The interior resembled a ship’s cabin, divided into three levels. The uppermost level had complicated mechanical devices and storage warehouses. The middle level contained a hall that could host buffet receptions and dances. Around the hall and along the passages respectively leading to the upper and lower levels were individual lounges. As for the very bottom level, there were machine-gun rooms, ammunition rooms, cannon positions, and soldiers’ quarters.

Passing between one armed guard after another holding rifles, Klein followed what the officer had told him and found the corresponding lounge, placing his suitcase beside a sofa-like seat.

Then he picked up a glass of water sitting on the table and walked to the window, gazing out at the scenery.

Frankly speaking, although he knew a little about everything, he only knew a little. Therefore, he did not understand the design principles of this newest airship at all. He had no idea how high it could fly or how turbulent it would be in midair.

This made him somewhat anxious. Before setting off, he had even gone above the gray fog to perform a divination, obtaining the revelation that he could arrive at his destination relatively smoothly.

It seems to have safety belts. The airship industry in this world has already existed for many years, so experience in every aspect should be relatively sufficient…

Klein was about to withdraw his gaze from outside and appreciate the room’s decorations and the candle flame behind its hard glass cover when he suddenly saw a group of people approach the airship numbered 1345.

Among these people were men and women. Most wore thin black trench coats and red gloves, and they carried leather suitcases of different sizes. Only one wore a mysterious Spirit Medium robe and had blue eyeshadow and blush on her face. It was none other than Daly Simone.

Behind and slightly to the side of this lady walked Leonard Mitchell, with black hair and green eyes.

While everyone else failed to notice anything, Leonard’s steps abruptly slowed. Then he raised his head and looked toward the second level of the airship.

Reflected in his eyes was Dawn Dantes, whose temples were graying, whose blue eyes were deep, and who wore formalwear and a bow tie.

This gentleman stood behind a window. He showed a warm smile and lifted the cup in his hand.