Chapter 5: Official Debut

Chapter 5: Official Debut

Why would that madman Gehrman Sparrow need someone to claim Blood Admiral’s bounty on his behalf? No, more importantly, why would he be able to claim Blood Admiral’s bounty? Danitz suddenly cleared his head from the confusion and caught the key point.

He abruptly lowered his head again, keeping his gaze from betraying his shock and bewilderment.

The adventurers beside him continued speaking.

“How could that be possible? No one would dare claim it!”

“Exactly. Unless they want to endure the wrath of the Church of Storms—or betray Gehrman Sparrow!”

“Forty-two thousand pounds… If I could get that bounty, I’d go straight to Backlund and become a rich man!”

“Haha, shouldn’t you first enjoy yourself at the Red Theater for half a year?”

“Maybe Gehrman Sparrow can claim the bounty from Intis, Feysac, or Feynapotter. It won’t be as much as forty-two thousand pounds, but it definitely won’t be small…”

As the adventurers spoke, they began fantasizing about the lives they would live after possessing 42,000 gold pounds. They even argued until their faces flushed because their ideals differed.

No way… They mean Gehrman Sparrow killed Blood Admiral? No, although that lunatic always had thoughts in that direction, he lacked the necessary helpers and would have needed to cooperate with the captain… Anderson Hood? Danitz stood up, pressed down his peaked cap, lowered his head, and hurried toward the billiards and card rooms, where newspapers were often placed.

The moment he left, the adventurers who had been speaking looked at his back and lowered their voices.

“Do you know him? Sneaky and timid. One look and you can tell there’s a problem!”

“I didn’t see his face clearly, but I think he’s probably one of the pirates’ people, here in Bayam to gather information.”

“Should we…” One adventurer made a throat-slitting gesture.

“He might be someone we can’t afford to provoke. Let’s wait until this period passes.” Another adventurer stopped his companion.

Danitz entered an empty billiards room, came to the corner, picked up a stack of newspapers, and quickly flipped through them. Gradually, his expression became somewhat twisted.

“What exactly did that lunatic do? Did he really kill Blood Admiral? It has only been a few months, and his strength has already increased to this level! And—and the newspapers don’t mention Anderson Hood at all…” Danitz was both astonished and relieved. He deeply felt that choosing submission every time he faced Gehrman Sparrow had always been an exceptionally wise decision. Otherwise, others would long ago have read in the newspapers that he had been hunted down and exchanged for a bounty.

No, no. Back then, my death wouldn’t even have qualified for the newspapers… Hiss. Gehrman Sparrow really is a member of an evil organization… As his thoughts wandered, Danitz suddenly froze, as though he had turned into a stone statue.

Because he seemed—possibly, maybe, probably—to also be a member of that evil organization…

“Haha. The Church and the military always like exaggerating things. Mm. It’s a secret organization, not an evil organization!” Danitz comforted himself, once again feeling that the organization behind Gehrman Sparrow was extraordinarily mysterious and powerful.

The hunting of one of the seven pirate admirals, Senor, was proof!

Phew… Danitz exhaled and, with reverent fear, began praising The Fool in his heart, expressing his attitude that he would carry out his work seriously.

…

Near the Governor-General’s Office, Elland and Oz Kent walked out of a small building.

“At last, it’s over…” Elland sighed as he put his captain’s hat on.

Oz Kent rubbed his nose, which had turned red from frequent drinking, and likewise exhaled.

“Indeed.”

Because of Gehrman Sparrow, they had been isolated and investigated for two full days, facing the Interrogators most skilled at such matters.

Fortunately, from the very beginning, Elland had hidden nothing. He had reported upward that Gehrman Sparrow’s origins were unknown, but that he bore goodwill toward the military. Bringing the mad adventurer into the category of informants and investigating his background had been a decision made by the higher-ups and had nothing to do with him.

As for Oz Kent, there had been no problems at all. Helping Gehrman Sparrow collect bounties had simply been part of the normal procedure he was supposed to handle.

Walking slowly down the garden path toward the gate, Elland sighed casually.

“Who could have known that Gehrman Sparrow would be this crazy, this powerful…”

According to the small amount of information he had learned, killing Blood Admiral had only been the most normal and insignificant thing Gehrman Sparrow had done that day.

And such a crazy man had once, in order to save several passengers and crew members who had merely shown him goodwill, voluntarily entered dangerous Bansy.

Only afterward did Elland learn that the horror hidden in Bansy had far exceeded anything he had imagined. The Church of Storms had directly destroyed the place!

If I told the Interrogators that Gehrman Sparrow has a soft and kind heart, they would definitely think I was lying… Humans really are aggregates of contradictions… Elland silently shook his head.

After hearing Elland’s sigh, Oz Kent smiled bitterly.

“At the time, I thought the one you introduced was only a relatively powerful adventurer. Who would have known that he’d even kill Blood Admiral? Damn it, I even think he has the ability to become the fifth king. Look at that forest. Look at what happened to the nearby mountain peak. You won’t doubt what I’m saying!

“That place was like, like…”

Elland glanced at Oz Kent and helped him finish. “Like it was bombarded by coastal-defense cannons hundreds of times.”

“Yes, exactly!” Oz Kent agreed with Elland’s description.

By then, the two had already walked out of the gate.

Elland looked at the night sky dotted with stars and the dim crimson moon. After a few seconds of quiet, he straightened his collar.

“I hope he doesn’t return to the sea again…”

…

Bayam, 6 Spear Street.

Denton, dressed in children’s formal attire, ran thump, thump, thump into the study and spoke to his sister, who was practicing sketching.

“Donna, they—they said Uncle Sparrow is a bad person, a cultist, a murderer!

“They even showed me the newspaper!”

Donna turned her head and wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t believe it!

“Uncle Sparrow is a just, brave, and kind adventurer. That is something we personally witnessed, so it must be more accurate than the newspapers!”

She hesitated for a moment, then continued fluently, “Although—although he has a very scary, very ugly appearance, that is the price of dreams and protection! Denton, you must remember. Those newspapers always like to fabricate stories based on rumors and hearsay.”

“Mm, mm!” Denton nodded heavily. “I already scolded them!”

Donna praised her younger brother, then subconsciously turned her head to look out the window. Gas streetlamps spilled light into their family garden, quiet, peaceful, and gentle.

…

Hillston Borough, inside a high-end hotel.

Klein placed a neatly folded stack of white handkerchiefs into his left breast pocket, then raised his hand and took down his half top hat.

Today would be the day that the mysterious magnate Dwayne Dantès made his official public debut!

He did not wait for the sale of the bicycle company shares or mystical items. He planned to first use the 2,962 pounds he had left from before to support his initial expenses.

That was more than enough. It was equivalent to the income of an upper-middle-class gentleman over six or seven years!

“Last night, Magic Mirror Arrodes did not enter my dreams. That means that, without close contact again, it cannot sense that I’ve already returned to Backlund. That’s a good thing. Mm. Tonight, I’ll use the radio transceiver to contact it and ask about the evil spirit. After that, things won’t need to be so complicated.” Klein muttered a few words inwardly, picked up his cane, and left the hotel.

At that moment, the sunlight after the rain pierced through the thin fog, involuntarily lifting the moods of pedestrians on the road. Klein boarded a carriage and went straight to 9 Canarowell Street in Cherwood Borough, where the Metropolitan Helping Household Servants Association was located. He planned to hire an experienced butler first and then have that person organize a team of servants suitable for a villa with a garden.

Inside the Metropolitan Helping Household Servants Association, Beline ended her conversation with a male colleague who had taken the initiative to speak to her. She lowered her head and began dealing with two drops of black tea that had stained her lotus-green dress.

Just then, by her ear, she heard a voice with a slight sense of vicissitude, yet mellow and weighty.

“Good morning, madam.”

Beline hurriedly raised her head and looked toward the front of the reception desk. There she saw a gentleman of about forty. He wore a silk tailcoat, held a cane inlaid with gold, and from the third button of his clothes, a golden chain extended inward toward an inner pocket.

This gentleman had deep blue eyes. His features were extremely pleasing, and even the faint traces of white at his temples only made him seem more tasteful. With merely a slight smile, he made Beline suddenly feel her face growing warm.

“Sir, is—is there anything I can help you with? Ah, yes, how should I address you?” Beline hurriedly stood.

“Dwayne Dantès,” Klein said with a gentle smile. “I would like to hire a butler. A good butler.”

“Mr. Dantès, please wait a moment. Please, have a seat.” Beline, somewhat flustered, led Klein to the reception area and gestured toward a cloth sofa.

With a faint smile, Klein did not hurry her or say anything unnecessary. Very patiently, he sat down and waited for the staff there to provide a list of butlers.

What refinement… Oh no, I forgot to ask what requirements he has! Beline raised a hand and touched her cheek.

“Mr. Dantès, what kind of butler do you need?”

Klein had long ago prepared an answer. In a mellow voice, he said, “Preferably one who once served a noble family.”

That would help Dantès expand his network.

Beline gradually recovered her professional knowledge and explained in detail, “Such butlers are not common. As you know, noble families rarely replace their butlers unless those butlers can no longer provide effective service. And even if they stop serving as butlers, they can still hold other positions inside noble households.

“In addition, wealthy merchants are very eager for such butlers and are willing to offer salaries at a premium. Mr. Dantès, we do indeed have the type you need, but their annual salaries are at least above 100 pounds.”

So nearly 2 pounds a week at minimum… An ordinary butler’s annual salary is only 40 to 80 pounds, which is 15 soli to 1 pound 10 soli a week. That seems only equivalent to a skilled worker’s level, but the master provides room, food, clothing, heating charcoal, and other necessities, so a butler barely has any expenses… An annual salary of over 100 pounds really is expensive… Klein rapidly calculated the price in his heart while replying with little concern on the surface.

“No problem, as long as they are good butlers.”