Chapter 21: Hostage

Chapter 21: Hostage

Upon discovering that a pirate worth three thousand pounds had boarded in disguise, Klein immediately became somewhat vigilant. With a smile, he said to Donna and Denton beside him, “A friend.”

Outwardly calm, he stepped forward and walked toward the fourth boatswain of Vice Admiral Iceberg, his gaze locked firmly on the other man.

Blazing Danitz, whose smile had already stiffened, watched the young adventurer with mad blood flowing beneath his skin slowly approach. A thought suddenly exploded in his mind:

Run! Run now! Flee with everything you have! Even if it means using Beyonder powers and exposing your true identity, run at once!

In his eyes, that restrained, cold adventurer was a genuine monster wearing human skin.

Just as Danitz was about to act, he suddenly calmed down, because he remembered what had happened the night before.

The other party had not attacked him. He had let him leave!

In other words, he does not possess an enemy’s determination to hunt me down. The present crisis can be resolved through communication… Running directly would only intensify the conflict… Thoughts raced through Blazing Danitz’s mind. Relying on his abundant experience, he forcefully controlled his legs and waited in place as though nothing were wrong.

Klein walked step by step until he was before him, then revealed a smile.

“Good morning. We meet again.”

That mild, courteous smile made Danitz shiver for no reason. Tugging at the corners of his mouth, he said, “Good morning.”

Maintaining his persona, Klein’s expression slowly turned cold.

“What are you doing on this ship?”

“To the Rorsted Archipelago,” Blazing Danitz, who could be considered a well-known pirate, answered honestly.

“What are you going there for?” Klein asked in an even voice.

Danitz forced out a smile.

“To await our captain’s orders. There may be a mission for me.”

He should be driving me off the ship, right? No matter what, a pirate boarding a passenger ship creates potential danger… After answering, Danitz guessed at the possible development of events.

For him, that would actually be a rather good result. At most, he would have wasted a ticket.

Klein fell silent. The silence made Danitz’s hair stand on end.

Only after five or six seconds did Klein speak again.

“Which cabin are you in?”

“First class. Room 312.” Danitz raised the ticket in his hand to eye level.

He did not dare lower his head to look, afraid the other party might seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

Klein nodded almost imperceptibly.

“Does it have servants’ rooms?”

“Yes.” Blazing Danitz answered instinctively. But his heart was full of confusion, completely unable to understand the meaning behind the question.

Then he heard the other man give an instruction as calmly as if commanding a subordinate.

“You will sleep there.”

Ah? Where? I sleep in the servants’ room? Isn’t he going to drive me off the ship? Danitz was stunned and blurted out, “Why?”

Klein glanced at him and indifferently spat out one word.

“Hostage.”

Hostage? He is worried that I boarded the ship as an inside agent, to help a pirate crew hijack the White Agate later, so he intends to use me as a hostage? That makes sense. If that really is the situation, even driving me off the ship now would not avoid the pirate crew’s later attack. It would be better to take a hostage and gain leverage for negotiations… Shit! I hate arrogant, cold people who refuse to speak like normal humans the most. They always say one or two words, or half a sentence, and leave the rest for others to guess! If—if I could actually beat him, I would never have any exchange with such a person! How did I ever think his temperament suited my tastes? I must have gone mad… Danitz thought, his teeth itching with frustration.

“Fine,” he said helplessly, breathing out.

“Go to your cabin.” Klein maintained the improved persona of Gehrman Sparrow.

Whew… Blazing Danitz carried his suitcase, unwillingly leading the monster in human skin into the cabin, up to the upper level, and to Room 312.

After opening the door, Klein swiftly swept his gaze across the room, feeling that it was far better than a second-class cabin.

The sitting room was roughly thirty square meters, connected to one master bedroom and three servants’ rooms. It had an independent washroom, a standard wardrobe, and a mahogany desk.

Danitz set down his suitcase, glanced at the servants’ room, and suddenly thought of a very important question.

“So the master bedroom will just be left empty?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he already knew the answer.

“It is mine.” Klein smiled in a refined, courteous manner.

As expected, to watch over me… Danitz sank into gloom.

Klein took two steps over the carpeted floor and pointed toward the door.

“Come downstairs with me.”

“…Alright.” Danitz was somewhat bewildered, having no idea what the other party wanted to do.

The strange pairing of adventurer and famous pirate soon reached the second-class cabin area and found Klein’s original room.

After opening the door, Klein did not enter. He pointed inside and said to Danitz, “Pack the things on the desk into the suitcase.”

What? Pack them? You want me to pack your things? Danitz nearly froze.

In that instant, anger shot straight to the top of his head.

I, Blazing Danitz, fourth boatswain of Vice Admiral Iceberg, a famous pirate with a bounty of three thousand pounds, am being ordered around like a servant!

My dignity and my reputation do not allow me to accept such an insult!

Seeing Blazing Danitz turn into a stone statue and stand there without moving, Klein gave him an icy look.

Danitz’s body immediately trembled.

He drew in a breath and answered with a smile uglier than crying, “Of course.”

Feeling deeply wronged, he bent down and entered the not very tall room, swiftly putting the scattered items into the suitcase one by one.

Without needing Klein’s reminder, he arranged everything very neatly, treating it with even more care than his own luggage.

After finishing, he carried the leather suitcase and followed behind Klein back upstairs.

Along the way, he repeatedly felt the urge to launch a surprise attack at the other man’s back, but in the end, he restrained himself.

Back in Room 312, Danitz clenched his jaw, swallowed, and asked, “How should I address you?”

“Gehrman Sparrow,” Klein replied concisely.

Gehrman Sparrow… Danitz chewed over the name in his heart, swearing that he would never forget what happened today. In the future, he would absolutely let the other party taste something similar!

The captain will definitely help me! he thought with anticipation.

For the sake of his persona, Klein did not choose an armchair. Instead, he casually found a hardwood chair and sat down.

Leaning against the chair back, his body slightly bent forward and his hands naturally clasped together, he said to Blazing Danitz, “Tell me about the famous pirates you know.”

“There are many,” Danitz replied with some difficulty.

He stood there, not daring to move, looking almost like a servant.

The corners of Klein’s mouth slowly lifted.

“By bounty.”

After saying that, he pointed to the chair opposite him.

“Sit.”

Danitz let out a breath of relief and hurriedly sat down.

He suddenly felt that the other party was not entirely bad. At the very least, he was willing to give him a seat.

…

Woo!

The White Agate left the harbor and sailed into the vast ocean, traveling until noon at a speed of thirteen knots.

Blazing Danitz, whose mouth had gone dry from speaking, finally received permission to stop. Holding his ticket, he led Klein to the first-class dining room.

The dining room was arranged with great elegance. A violinist played in the corner, and there were a certain number of screens and partitions between different tables, ensuring privacy while dining.

After walking only a few steps, Klein encountered Donna’s family, Cleeves, and the others. They had taken a large table and were waiting for the attendants to serve the food.

“Uncle Sparrow!” Because they now shared a secret, the little boy Denton had quietly changed how he addressed him.

Donna blinked, fully displaying her confusion.

She clearly remembered that Uncle Sparrow lived in second class. He should not be appearing in this dining room.

Klein smiled and waved in greeting, then pointed at Danitz.

“He is treating.”

“So that’s how it is…” Donna curiously sized up Danitz, feeling that this gentleman looked rather odd, especially his eyebrows, which seemed very unnatural.

Cleeves set down his knife and fork. After two seconds of silence, he asked, “A friend of yours?”

Klein gave a soft laugh. Turning his head toward Danitz, he said, “How do you think that should be answered?”

Danitz first clenched his teeth. Then he forced out a smile.

“Gehrman once saved me.”

Yes, that is how it is. Otherwise, he might already have killed me and exchanged me for the bounty… Danitz comforted himself inwardly.

Cleeves looked Danitz up and down a few times, but said nothing more.

After passing Donna’s family, Klein found a table by the window.

The attendant came over warmly and handed over the menu.

“Charcoal-grilled veal cutlet, red-wine foie gras, vegetable salad…” Danitz glanced at the menu and could not help sighing. “Ships that dock and replenish supplies every two or three days are still the best. There is enough fresh food. On those that drift at sea for one or two weeks at a time, it is nothing but beer, cured meat, and all kinds of canned food over and over again. Monotonous enough to drive a person mad. Still, the sea itself can provide fresh ingredients. Heh, but that requires enough discernment. There was once a sailor on our ship who, because of a particularly beautiful lobster, had diarrhea until his ass—”

As a pirate, he had originally planned to use the coarse language he was accustomed to. But after glancing at Gehrman Sparrow’s expression, he changed his wording in time.

“Had diarrhea until his backside practically fell off.”

I have reason to suspect other factors were involved. Although your captain is a woman, there should be very few women among the crew, and if you cannot go ashore for long periods, the sailors must all be desperately thirsty… Klein lampooned inwardly, took the menu, and swept his eyes down the prices.

“All of these.”

“Very well.” The attendant’s expression did not change in the slightest.

At that moment, Klein saw Captain Elland enter the dining room and pass nearby, so he offered him a simple greeting.

When he turned back, however, he discovered that Blazing Danitz had already twisted his head to look out the window, as though admiring the scenery.

“The captain knows you?” Klein asked in a nearly declarative tone.

Danitz gave two dry laughs.

“When he was still boatswain of the King William V, we fought them.

“And besides, besides, I can be considered a rather well-known pirate…”

At this point, Danitz remembered his current situation and suddenly became somewhat melancholic. He changed the subject.

“I have always found it strange. Why did Fair Elland suddenly leave the navy? At that time, he was already an Arbiter.”