Chapter 15: The Bounty Wall

Chapter 15: The Bounty Wall

By the time the treasure legends that had inspired generations of adventurers to set sail had been told, the chef had finished roasting the meat from the murloc’s belly.

The flesh was cooked to an opaque white, with a few charred edges. It was covered in tiny brown specks and gleamed with moist oil.

The seasoning that had been brushed on again and again had seeped into the texture of the meat, giving it an enticing appearance.

“Desi-style grilled fish. It is rather different from what you usually eat,” Elland said, pointing at the white porcelain platter the chef had just set down.

Donna pressed her hands to her knife and fork, eager to try it.

“I love honey-roasted fish best!

“But this looks tempting too.”

Honey-roasted fish… How much honey would that take… I should try it sometime. It ought to taste pretty good… Klein’s thoughts immediately began to wander.

With the chef present, they no longer needed to do anything themselves. Full of anticipation, they watched as slice after slice of fish was cut off, placed onto separate plates, and pushed before them.

Klein was extremely serious in his attitude toward enjoying fine food. He did not rush to deal with the fish, but first lifted his cup and took a sip of black tea, using the slightly sour liquid to clear away the lingering taste in his mouth.

After completing this, he speared a piece of fish with his fork and placed it into his mouth.

In an instant, he felt the slightly stimulating flavors of fennel, basil, and other spices. They fully opened up one taste bud after another.

Immediately after, the fresh juices of the meat, the salty fragrance and faint astringency of sea salt, and the refreshing sweet-tartness of lemon erupted all at once. They intertwined, echoing through his mouth and drawing out saliva.

As his teeth chewed, beneath the oils brought out by roasting, the fish’s final stubborn fibers broke apart one by one, revealing the beauty of the meat itself and a faint, hidden sweetness.

Klein swallowed the fish in his mouth. Recalling the food programs he had watched in his previous life, he selected the comment that best matched the feeling just now.

“The layers of flavor are very distinct. Excellent!”

“Haha. Your tone and choice of words make you sound like a gourmet,” Elland joked.

Donna waved the fork in her hand and echoed, “Uncle, perhaps you should open a column in the newspaper and review different restaurants and different dishes.”

Eh, why have I never thought of that idea before… That is a wonderful job that lets one earn manuscript fees while tasting delicious food! The only problem is that a fat person cannot be an agile Clown… Use the method of vomiting afterward? That would be such a waste of food! Klein seriously considered Donna’s suggestion.

“To this beautiful night!”

When there was little food left, Elland poured a little more Sonia Blood Wine. His face flushed, he raised his glass.

Klein and the others, in equally good moods, echoed, “To this beautiful night.”

One after another, they drank the remaining liquid in their cups and watched as the attendants cleared the table and cleaned the deck.

In the cold wind, they chatted a while longer, eventually reaching the topic that interested Donna most: mermaids.

Cleeves told the little girl that, in certain legends, mermaids were also called sirens. They used their singing to bewitch humans not for amusement, but for hunting. Apart from the route leading from the Gargas Archipelago into the depths of the Sonia Sea, there was also a certain chance of discovering such creatures in dangerous waters that humanity had yet to explore. However, all of this came from the drunken boasts of certain pirates. Every one of them avoided the question of how they had escaped the mermaids’ songs, so they were not very trustworthy.

In any case, this at least points out a possible direction… Klein noted down the words they discussed.

“Donna, Denton, it is time to go back. You still need to wake early tomorrow and have breakfast with your parents.” Cecile glanced at the position of the moon.

“Alright.” Donna stood up reluctantly.

Denton, however, hurriedly asked, “Do—do I have a chance to become an adventurer?”

His heart had already been captured by the hunting activity earlier and the legends just now.

Cleeves walked to his side and patted him on the shoulder.

“Before you ask that question, you will need at least five years of combat training and study. I imagine your father will hire good tutors for you.”

“Mm!” Denton’s eyes brightened, and he nodded hard.

Five years from now, once you have grown up, you most likely will no longer want to become an adventurer who can be buried at the bottom of the sea at any moment… Cleeves handled that very skillfully. He did not refuse outright, but instead gave him hope and let time wash it away. That avoids a child’s sudden rebelliousness… No matter what, learning a martial art will never be a disadvantage to anyone… Klein slipped both hands into his pockets and thought with appreciation.

On the way back into the cabin, Cleeves handed two five-pound notes to Klein.

“Your payment.”

He had already received the hundred and fifty pounds from Elland for the purchase of the entire murloc.

“I did not do anything,” Klein instinctively refused.

Cleeves swept his pale-blue eyes over him and said in a low voice, “You freed Cecile and watched over the children.”

Watched over the children? Klein felt somewhat like laughing, but in the end, he accepted the two banknotes and drew a triangle over his chest.

“You are more generous than I expected. Thank you.”

The reason he no longer declined was that he suddenly understood a problem. If he did not accept the ten pounds, in the eyes of a veteran adventurer like Cleeves, that would mean he was dissatisfied with the price and trying to obtain more, and that he might attack them at any moment. Among those who called themselves adventurers, money-hungry lunatics were certainly not few!

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow tuck the notes away, Cleeves withdrew his gaze and said with a calm expression, “That is the rule of the sea.”

He said no more. Following Cecile, Donna, and the others, he entered the cabin.

If every commission and every mission I took were of this level of difficulty and gave this kind of reward, I would have made a fortune as a private detective long ago… Klein gave a self-mocking smile and glanced sideways at the red moon high above.

It continued to shine upon the night, quiet and gentle.

“Legends of the sea, different monsters… I finally found a little of the feeling of an adventurer.” Klein turned and walked to the edge of the ship’s rail. Bathed in the light crimson veil, he admired the waves that grew darker the farther they stretched into the distance. His mood gradually settled, little by little emerging from the gloom that had followed Backlund’s great smog.

The cold, damp wind struck his face. The vast, boundless ocean entered his vision, slowly broadening his heart.

At that moment, Klein felt the urge to recite poetry. But after opening his mouth, he discovered that he could not remember any suitable modern verses.

I cannot very well say, “O sea, you are full of water”… The Emperor’s Savant Sequence really is well suited for this sort of thing. I should read his poetry collection when I have time, so I do not look like an illiterate… As Klein lampooned inwardly, he gazed at the red moon and the ocean and sighed.

“What a beautiful night.”

…

After an accidental detour, the exploration team returned to the City of Silver.

Looking at the city walls where wild grass grew from the cracks, Derrick felt slightly dazed, as though he had already been away for many years.

Diagonal behind him, Demon Hunter Colin’s eyes suddenly grew vacant. He raised his hand and pressed his right temple.

The other team members were filled with heartfelt joy and relief.

After a difficult exploration, to have an end point, a home, waiting for them was the most wonderful thing in their hearts.

Colin’s gaze returned to normal. He tilted his head slightly and looked toward the diagonal front.

…

Backlund, the White residence.

After thinking it over repeatedly, Emlyn, full of confidence, came before his parents and asked, “If—if I wished to study the history of us Blood Clan in depth, whom should I seek?”

If I directly ask about the City of Silver, I might expose my problem. Although I am not afraid and can face it frankly, for the sake of the Ancestor, and for saving the entire Blood Clan, I can only choose to conceal it… I have always been interested in the history of the Blood Clan and have collected quite a bit of information. Father and Mother know this very well and will not suspect anything… This excuse is perfect! Emlyn praised himself inwardly.

His father resembled him by about fifty to sixty percent and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looking very professional.

This gentleman, who had genuinely obtained a doctorate in medicine, put down the thick volume of Anatomy in his hands, pushed his glasses, and said, “In Backlund, no one knows more than Lord Nibbs.”

…If I dared to seek Lord Nibbs, I would have gone long ago… Emlyn thought of the image Mr. Fool had described: a savior bearing secrets and misunderstandings. With a serious expression, he asked, “Other than Lord Nibbs?

“He sleeps underground. It is not convenient to disturb him frequently.”

Emlyn’s father pulled at the collar of his thick cotton nightclothes and thought for a moment.

“Wimandy. He always considers himself a historian.”

Emlyn secretly let out a breath of relief and smiled.

“I wish to pay him a visit.”

…

Woo!

The whistle sounded. The White Agate sailed into Damir Harbor.

It would replenish fresh water and food on this colonial island and set sail again the next morning.

After hunting the murloc, Klein had spent two days in a life that could be called leisurely, or perhaps boring. Thoroughly tired of the scenery at sea, he decided to visit a harbor bar that night, hoping to obtain more information about mermaids and find inspiration for his acting.

If some pirate with hands drenched in blood happens to come ashore, I will not be stingy with a lesson either. There are still souls within Creeping Hunger waiting to be released… Carrying all his mystical items on him, Klein left the cabin with sweat on his forehead and descended toward the harbor.

On the way, he ran into Donna, Cleeves, and the others. They seemed to be going to a harbor restaurant to taste Damir’s most famous cured meat.

When their parents were not paying attention, Donna and Denton greeted the adventurer uncle they had only recently met, apparently very curious where he planned to go.

Klein returned a smile, drew his collar tighter, and followed the road signs to the nearest bar.

“The Flying Fish and Wine…” Klein glanced at the signboard and discovered that the outside of the bar was covered with all kinds of bounty posters.

Among them was the eight-hundred-thousand-pound bounty belonging to the King of the Five Seas, as well as hundred-pound bounties for ordinary pirate leaders. From high to low, the posters overlapped layer upon layer, forming a unique sight.

“It is all money…” Klein stopped in place and looked at them for quite a while.

Withdrawing his gaze, he pushed the door open and entered the bar, only to discover that it was unusually quiet inside, lacking the noise that was supposed to be essential to such a place.

What happened? Klein looked around and saw Captain Elland, dressed in his dark-red coat, sitting at the bar. In the center of the room, two burly men stood in confrontation.