Chapter 156: Toxin Expert

Chapter 156: Toxin Expert

As Klein bowed, Cattleya, whose black hair fell simply around her shoulders, drew the purple within her eyes inward. They seemed to become a deep abyss capable of devouring souls, and the mysterious aura she naturally possessed grew even more pronounced.

She saw that, deep within Gehrman Sparrow’s ether body, on the surface of his astral body, there was pure, lightless darkness. In its subtleties, hidden currents surged and changed without end.

She saw that Gehrman Sparrow’s left hand shone with brilliant colors, yet was stained with a thick blood-red that would not dissolve.

She saw an azure brilliance at Gehrman Sparrow’s cuff; in his left pocket, silver-white flowed vividly, as though connected to the layered, illusory spirit world. Around it gathered many objects that seemed accompanied by phantom tides and faint winds.

She saw green and black interweaving in Gehrman Sparrow’s right pocket. Beneath his arm were two points each of gold, silver, and copper. At his chest, a gray-white depth lay heavy, like death already rotting away.

Four mystical items, and Beyonder objects or spiritual charms numbering by the tens… Admiral of Stars Cattleya’s eyes almost dazzled from the sight, and she could not help closing them briefly.

Using the motion to nod, she said, “Good evening, Mr. Sparrow.”

Even as a powerhouse long famous across the sea, and as one of the senior, more outstanding members of the seven pirate admirals, she rarely encountered someone who armed himself to the teeth with extraordinary items like this.

Of course, it was not that she had never seen or owned more mystical items, Beyonder objects, and spiritual charms than this. But she stood behind a secret organization, commanded several ships and more than a thousand pirates. Many things had to be turned in, distributed, or sold in order to maintain and expand her force. What could remain in her own hands was not particularly abundant.

That “not abundant” was only relative. It could almost rival what Gehrman Sparrow carried now, but through various exchanges, Cattleya had consolidated them down to two items—two pieces powerful enough, wondrous enough, and sufficiently suited to the status of a pirate admiral.

Apart from the lights representing different items, Cattleya’s black eyes, touched faintly with deep purple, also vaguely saw that Gehrman Sparrow was not entirely real. It was as though he were hidden behind a thick curtain of shadow.

Is… is this why he gives me the impression of not being alive at the Tarot Gathering? His secrets are not small. At the very least, they involve a Sequence 3 Saint, perhaps even an angel of higher status… Cattleya did not dare look any longer, and her gaze ceased to be so deep and dark.

At the same time, she laughed at herself inwardly, feeling that some of her guesses about The World, about Gehrman Sparrow, were almost absurd:

Involving a Sequence 3 Saint, or even an angel of higher status—heh, there is nothing wrong with that statement at all. Like me, he is a member of the Tarot Club, so of course he is connected to Mr. Fool, who is suspected to be a revived ancient god.

After they exchanged greetings, Cattleya made no small talk and wasted no words. She led Klein directly toward the entrance to the cabins.

At that moment, the Future, which had been stopped, set sail once more. It drew a long arc across the sea and headed east along the whaling route. The tense atmosphere in Nas Harbor dissipated with its departure.

Gazes from the sailors fell upon him one after another. Klein showed not the slightest unease. Instead, he looked around and said in the casual tone of someone returning home, “Fewer people than I imagined.”

Admiral of Stars Cattleya glanced sideways at him and replied simply, “Going east of the whaling route is extremely dangerous. Only Ludwell often heads there, as though searching for something.

“Apart from the Future, none of the other ships in the pirate crew will…