Chapter 70: Grand gesture

Danitz laughed.

“Yes. A Sequence that is extremely well suited to pirates. You do not know how much it helps me win in battle.

“Ordinary pirates’ provocation consists of insults. Mine is different. Mine is targeted insult.

“That requires mastering large amounts of intelligence and rumors, having sufficient understanding of the target you wish to provoke. Only then can you make him lose his reason and let anger burn his brain with just one sentence or one gesture.”

He paused for a second.

“Take Steel, for example. If you call him shit, or insult his father, mother, or captain, it will not have the slightest effect. But if you make this gesture and add a single word, he will definitely transform into a red-eyed bull.”

As he finished speaking, Danitz placed both hands at his waist, made a thrusting motion with his hips, and lowered his voice with extreme contempt:

“Whore!”

… I really want to hit him… As expected of a Provoker… So Steel Maviti really did have those tendencies and interests. Tsk… Klein loosened the fist he had unconsciously clenched.

“That is what professional provocation looks like.” Danitz spread his hands and concluded, “If I encounter a beast, monster, or some fellow that has lost control to the point of being unable to communicate, I can actively emit a feeling that makes them hate me. That belongs to my Beyonder abilities.”

Someone with that kind of Beyonder ability is either especially good at taking a beating, or especially good at running and dodging. Clearly, you belong to the latter… Klein silently retorted.

Danitz was finally free of worry regarding his left arm’s injury, and was in rather high spirits. Continuing on his own, he said, “Actually, I am also very good at setting traps. Unfortunately, you did not agree to my plan for hunting Steel Maviti.”

Klein controlled the corner of his mouth, which almost twitched, and calmly replied, “You will have another chance.”

“What chance?” Danitz asked curiously.

“A chance to set a trap for a Beyonder similar to Steel. One on one. I can introduce you.” Klein revealed a smile.

“…” Danitz suddenly could not speak.

He knew very well that against a fellow who did not fear bullets, arrows, fire, or drowning, traps were often useless.

Danitz gave two dry laughs, turned his head toward the window, and said, “The weather has cleared…

“Does that mean Kalvetua, that snake, is truly dead?”

Klein gave an “Mm,” making no attempt to hide it.

Danitz exhaled, then hesitated briefly.

“In any case, after this city-wide search, there should not be many pirates who dare come to Bayam for quite some time. Admiral of Blood is definitely included among them.

“Your plan with the captain to hunt him may have to be interrupted. The Sonia Sea is so vast; it is extremely difficult to find a fleet that has deliberately hidden its traces. And they can also head to the Fog Sea, the Berserk Sea, the North Sea, or the Polar Sea.”

If it were that easy to kill a pirate admiral out on the ocean, the Churches and the military would have done it long ago! Hurry up and let me return to the Golden Dream already! Danitz grumbled inwardly.

Do not worry. I have a way, and that will be your job… Klein asked without showing any change in expression, “What is your captain’s opinion?”

He had already spent twelve pounds to obtain the radio receiver from Fors. It was only because he had been busy with Sea God-related matters that he had not had time to transfer it from the pile of miscellaneous items above the gray fog to the real world.

At the same time, the payments from Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man had both arrived, causing Klein’s wealth to suddenly swell to 7,085 pounds and five gold coins.

Such wealth was enough to buy a slightly larger, productive manor anywhere.

If not for revenge, and if not for finding a way back to Earth, I could already retire… Klein thought with some satisfaction.

The captain’s opinion… Danitz squeezed out a smile.

“Although, in theory, the captain and the others should already have entered the five-hundred-nautical-mile range and could attempt the Spirit Descent Ritual, you know how it is. Sea routes are not absolutely safe, and pirates especially must be cautious enough. We have to constantly avoid being caught by the military and Church vessels, and often need to circle around.

“I think it would be better to wait another day before using the Spirit Descent Ritual, so we do not waste energy and materials.”

“Mm.” Klein did not say yes or no. He turned and walked toward the washroom.

He decided to go out again today and search for another opportunity for real acting.

Watching Gehrman Sparrow’s back, Danitz let out a silent breath.

I definitely need to contact the captain privately first and persuade her to let me return to the Golden Dream before I can perform the Spirit Descent Ritual in front of you! Gehrman Sparrow is someone who likes going out. I have plenty of opportunities and room. Heh, does he enjoy shopping? Danitz curled his lip in thought.

…

After leaving the Church of Waves, Alger Wilson went thoughtfully and directly to the Raelph Trading Company, finding the boss, who was reading a newspaper.

He knew very well that this graceful middle-aged gentleman before him, dressed in formal clothes, wearing a bow tie and glasses, was a veteran pirate who secretly supported the rebels and devoutly believed in Sea God Kalvetua.

“What is it, our ghost ship captain?” Raelph put down the newspaper, crossed his right leg over his left, and smiled leisurely.

He was an illegitimate child. His father had been an adventurer of both Loen and Feysac blood, while his mother had been a local native. He had started by working as a pirate, then transformed into a trade merchant with dealings in both legal and illegal spheres. He had built a vast network of connections and could receive stable help from the Governor-General’s Office, the city council, and the police department.

Hearing Raelph’s question, Alger almost frowned, because the other party’s attitude and tone were quite abnormal.

By abnormal, he meant that they did not conform to the state Alger had expected.

In his view, after Sea God Kalvetua had completely fallen, corresponding bad omens would surely have appeared throughout the Rorsted Archipelago. Devout believers would certainly sense that something was wrong, becoming either filled with worry or heavy and pessimistic. How could they remain relaxed and natural?

Alger did not directly mention Kalvetua. He chuckled and said, “Do you know where Cowalow has been lately?”

Cowalow was the pirate captain who possessed the legacy characteristic of a Blood Clan Baron. It was said that he had once worked as a sailor aboard the Black Emperor, and that he was one of the King of the Five Seas Nast’s peripheral forces.

“Who knows? But he is definitely not in Bayam. Otherwise, he would have been caught during the thorough search over the last two days.” Raelph shrugged. “I heard his ship headed south.”

Alger had actually arranged to meet Cowalow before. He had only deliberately used this topic to begin the conversation.

Of course, he knew very well that, in order to avoid the tsunami crisis in the Rorsted Archipelago’s waters, Cowalow had certainly gone far from here. It would be a while before he returned to Bayam.

However, Alger was not especially anxious, because he already knew that Mr. Moon had obtained a banker’s acceptance bill. If it was cashed before maturity, it would have to be discounted, losing a large amount of interest.

He deliberately nodded.

“I see. Thank you for passing that along.”

At this point, Alger pretended not to know what had happened and asked, “I heard that many Sea God statues shattered on their own?”

He had not witnessed anything similar with his own eyes, but he could make a certain reasonable inference based on the Church’s archival documents.

On many colonial islands and throughout the nations of the Southern Continent, false gods similar to Kalvetua had been killed by the seven major Churches many times over. What would happen after their deaths had long since been recorded.

Raelph nodded calmly.

“Yes, such things happened.

“But that is not bad news.”

His expression suddenly became fanatical.

“Because God has reappeared upon the earth, and He has a new image!”

God has reappeared upon the earth, and He has a new image? Alger’s gaze froze. He felt that this was both reasonable and completely beyond his expectations.

From the Church of Storms’ reaction, he could confirm that Kalvetua had already died. Then which “Sea God” was responding to believers now?

Linking it to his earlier judgment, he quickly arrived at a bold idea:

This is Mr. Fool’s incarnation?

By using Sea God Kalvetua’s fall, He obtained a new identity? An identity that can let His power seep out through the seal and directly affect the real world?

Is this the true purpose behind The World’s arrival in Bayam?

Hiss. Mr. Fool truly made a grand gesture!

Alger secretly swallowed, restraining the excitement in his heart.

…

Inside the Azure Wind Inn, Klein had not yet gone out when he saw Captain Elland opposite him hand over a stack of cash.

“This is your reward. One hundred pounds in total.”

He did not mention how much belonged to Gehrman Sparrow or how much belonged to Blazing Danitz. He only gave the total. How they divided it was their internal matter.

The military is quite generous… Klein muttered inwardly as he took the thick stack of cash. Instinctively, he almost pulled out two five-pound notes and tossed them to Danitz.

His wrist grew heavy for a moment. In the end, without changing expression, he added two ten-pound notes.

Gehrman Sparrow is quite fair after all. Even more fair than Fair Elland… Danitz accepted the reward in pleasant surprise, feeling that his shriveled wallet had been replenished again.

Glancing at Gehrman Sparrow, who wore brand-new clothes, Elland held his ship-shaped hat and asked after some deliberation, “There is news from the Church of Storms. They say the person who pasted the notice at the church entrance in the middle of the night, revealing the matter of Leticia and Sea God Kalvetua, was Blazing Danitz.

“What do you think?”

He stared into Danitz’s eyes, waiting for an answer.

“Haha.” Danitz gave two dry laughs. “I do not know him.”

Klein was silent for two seconds, then said, “I went to Simim to fulfill a dead adventurer’s final wish. At the inn, I encountered Leticia and her companions.

“In the middle of the night, there was a snake intrusion. They easily resolved it.

“After returning to Bayam, I went to the rebels to buy items and discovered that they had actually placed the holy sword out for sale, with two mid-Sequence Beyonders guarding that small stronghold.

“I only touched that holy sword once and nearly had a mad will invade me, causing me to lose control on the spot.

“They were also hunting Leticia.”

Everything Klein said was fact, though not the entirety of the facts. But from those facts alone, one could already infer the contents written on the notice.

Even if the kingdom’s military and the Church of Storms investigated further, at most they would dig up the possibility that Gehrman Sparrow might be able to change his appearance.

Elland listened carefully, then sighed with a smile.

“If you encounter something like this in the future, there is no need to paste notices at midnight. You can come directly to me. That would earn you a far richer reward.”

He stood, put on his hat, and said to Danitz, “I hear Blazing’s bounty is about to rise again.”