Chapter 138: Substitute Mission

Chapter 138: Substitute Mission

Inside the room, hearing Bilt’s sigh, Sotos pressed at the edge of his eye socket and said in a deep voice, “Boss, that major figure arrives the day after tomorrow.”

Bilt looked back with a grave expression.

“I know.”

“We only have two choices. First, regardless of whether Gehrman Sparrow is trustworthy or not, we entrust the mission to him and hope for the best outcome. Second, we immediately give up our businesses in Oravi, take the cash and jewelry, and leave this place, heading out to sea to become pirates. I am confident that most sailors and adventurers aboard the Pirate Hunter will follow us.” After a pause, Sotos added, “Boss, when you were an adventurer, leading us to sail and hunt pirates, you were so firm and decisive. I think you already have a decision. There is no need for me to do anything more.”

“Haha. No need to flatter me.” Bilt laughed bitterly twice. “I am no longer the pirate hunter who feared nothing in blood and cannon fire. A long life of comfort has unknowingly corroded my will. I do not even want to continue seeking a chance to advance. Those companions who turned into monsters one after another still seem alive inside my mind.”

Whew… He exhaled, and his expression suddenly became serious.

“However, you are right. We no longer have time to hesitate. We must make a decision immediately.”

At this point, Bilt tilted his head and pointed with his chin toward the window.

Sotos was first stunned, then understood what his boss meant.

…

After leaving Sweet Lemon Bar, Klein strolled along the street, preparing to hire a rental carriage at the intersection.

Just then, he heard the window upstairs rattle and saw a figure drop down.

Perhaps because of horrific incidents like the Antigonus family notebook and Bansy Harbor’s strange telegraph office, Klein’s first reaction was that Bilt Brando had died. After his visit, Bilt had suddenly perished, fallen from upstairs, landed on the ground, and lay there with eyes wide open.

It was like when Klein had opened a door and seen Ray Bieber’s mother dead in an armchair, her corpse already severely decomposed, her eyeball dropping with a plop because of an outside vibration.

Similar thoughts flashed past. Klein then saw clearly that the figure falling from upstairs was Sotos Young, not Bilt Brando.

Moreover, the other party was in normal condition, clearly still alive.

Damn it, trouble has come to my door… Klein’s heart sank as he made an even more accurate judgment.

If he were acting as himself, he would definitely pretend not to have seen Sotos Young jump down to intercept him. Before the other party could speak, he would turn and leave, sprinting until he shook the man off, just as the Admiral of Stars had fled when being pursued by knowledge.

Unfortunately, I am currently Gehrman Sparrow. A mad adventurer could not possibly run away because of such a small matter… Sigh, understanding myself more clearly can also count as an additional gain… Klein stopped and watched Sotos, wearing a linen shirt and brown jacket, land steadily. Sotos placed a hand on his chest and bowed.

“Mr. Gehrman Sparrow, we have an extremely important matter we would like to commission you for.”

Here it comes… Klein responded calmly on the surface.

“I have not been free lately.”

“This will not take too much of your time. You can first listen to what needs to be done, then consider whether to refuse or accept.” Sotos, with black whiskers above his mouth and beneath his chin, spoke sincerely.

What I am afraid of is that once I listen, I will have no choice but to accept… Uh, actually, it should be fine. If Bilt Brando and Sotos Young dare threaten me and force me to take the mission, I will not mind converting them into gold pounds and Beyonder materials… After seriously thinking about it, Klein discovered that, at sea, he did not seem to need so many concerns. With pirate admiral-level strength, he could basically move sideways in most places.

He took the gold-cased pocket watch from the inside of his clothes, clicked it open, and glanced at it.

“You have five minutes.”

“Good. That is enough.” Sotos pointed toward the entrance of Sweet Lemon Bar behind Klein.

Returning to the same room as before, Klein glanced at the wall clock and said coldly, “Three minutes and twelve seconds remaining.”

That attitude inexplicably steadied Bilt’s heart, making him begin to believe that Gehrman Sparrow possessed the absolute ability to complete the mission.

“Mr. Gehrman, I heard you can transform into anyone, just like the former Vice Admiral Hurricane, Qilangos,” Bilt asked quickly, seizing the time.

Who leaked this? Klein’s brows twitched, and his gaze toward Bilt instantly became deep and dark.

The fact that Gehrman Sparrow could transform into anyone, if spread, would be a small but real problem for Klein. It would either make people think of Creeping Hunger and Qilangos’s death, or lead Beyonders who knew certain secrets to suspect that he was a Faceless. The former might draw the attention of the Twilight Hermit Order. The latter would likely attract the attention of the Church of the Evernight Goddess and cause them to send people to investigate.

Of course, the Church of the Evernight Goddess was not powerful at sea, so Klein was not too worried. He merely did not want to clash with the Nighthawks.

If that happened, he would have no choice but to abandon the identity of Gehrman Sparrow—at the very moment when the image of a mad, powerful adventurer with a soft heart was becoming increasingly well-known, increasingly accepted, and bringing him more and more feedback.

Bilt sensed the change in Gehrman Sparrow’s gaze, and his whole body instantly tensed. He laughed dryly.

“This news came from the Black Death.”

Tracy… She is retaliating against me. One day, I will complete the hunt for her… Klein gave a light nod.

“You may consider that information true.”

He did not deliberately explain where the ability to change into others came from, because that did not fit Gehrman Sparrow’s persona.

Bilt immediately let out a breath and calmed himself for two seconds.

“We are searching for a substitute on behalf of a major figure.”

Under Gehrman Sparrow’s ambiguous gaze, he explained in detail, “That major figure needs to act alone to handle a secret matter that cannot be known to others. Therefore, someone must serve as his substitute, handle routine affairs on his behalf, meet different guests, deal with his mistress, and reveal no flaw. He should be able to return in about three to five days.

“We had already found someone who looked very much like him and spent a great deal of time correcting his bearing and accent. We even reported the good news to that major figure. Who would have known that the vagrant overate and drank excessively, then died suddenly from illness two nights ago?

“That major figure is about to begin his operation. We do not have enough time to find another person who resembles him, so we can only ask for your help.”

Isn’t this exactly the kind of real acting opportunity I want… Klein felt his heart stir.

But he also keenly noticed one point:

Someone whom Bilt, leader of the Adventurers’ Mutual Aid Association, called a major figure had to be a genuine major figure. And matters revolving around major figures were often not simple, concealing considerable risk!

After thinking it over, Klein asked in a deep voice, “Do you consider this dangerous?”

“No. As long as you are not exposed, there will be no danger at all. What you need to do is merely appear in public on that major figure’s behalf. Heh, no one dares assassinate him. Mm… I know what you are worried about. You fear that the major figure will afterward kill everyone who knows? Do not worry. Pirates have made up all kinds of vicious rumors about him, so as long as the mission ends successfully, no matter how you leak this matter afterward, no one will believe it. They will only treat it like those ridiculous rumors,” Bilt said with a spread of his hands and a smile.

Klein did not dwell too much on this issue and instead asked, “What reward can you offer?”

“1,000 pounds in cash, plus three opportunities for Artisan crafting. Heh, I will pay all costs aside from materials,” Bilt said, approaching from the angle of Gehrman Sparrow’s previous commission and proposing a condition he believed the other party would be unable to refuse.

Not bad… But the most important part is the real acting opportunity… Klein glanced at the wall clock.

“I will go back and consider it. I will give you an answer tonight.”

No matter what, first divining the danger level of the matter above the gray fog is necessary!

Considering that Bilt and Sotos were Sequence 7 or even Sequence 6 Beyonders, Klein did not make an excuse to go to the washroom in front of them, lest the other party notice the problem.

Since the major figure’s identity had not been revealed, Bilt was not worried. He nodded.

“Alright.

“I hope our cooperation will be pleasant.”

…

Williams Street. A nearly two-meter-tall, sturdy Feysacian was searching for clues.

Suddenly, his spiritual intuition stirred, and he lifted his head.

Around his body, dawn-like radiance had already appeared, illuminating the nearby houses and gas streetlamps until they seemed almost illusory.

At the same time, flames rose along the street, and all kinds of supernatural phenomena emerged.

As expected, the Sauron family sent people too… The Feysacian, who had already suspected this before, turned his gaze to the front of the street.

He saw Nighthawks, some wearing red gloves and some black gloves, appear one after another. He saw deep-black gun barrels covered in complex patterns extend from rooftops and aim at him. The pedestrians around them seemed completely unaware of anything.

He also saw Horamick, archbishop of the Church of Steam and Machinery’s Backlund diocese, and Saint Anthony, archbishop of the Church of Evernight’s Backlund diocese.

Immediately afterward, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that the members of the Sauron family had raised both hands above their heads.

…The powerful Feysacian spy followed and made the same gesture.

They decisively chose to surrender!

Resistance meant death on the spot. Surrender still left the possibility of being ransomed!

…

At 6:30 p.m., Klein once again arrived at Sweet Lemon Bar and met Bilt and Sotos.

Expressionless, he said, “Five hundred pounds in advance.

“Then tell me who the target is.”

Bilt could not stop an obvious smile from appearing. While indicating for Sotos to go to the safe, he said in a deep voice, “He is the kingdom’s highest naval commander in the Central Sonia Sea.

“His Excellency Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt!

“A true demigod!”