Chapter 71: Danitz’s Efforts

Chapter 71: Danitz’s Efforts

Bounty…

The muscles on Danitz’s cheeks twitched. He forced out a smile, pretending that he was not Blazing and that none of this concerned him.

After Elland left, he abruptly turned around and said to Gehrman Sparrow, “I think we should change inns. No, it would be best if we left Bayam as soon as possible!”

If I end up carrying a bounty of more than five thousand pounds, then nowhere I go will be safe! Those pirates and adventurers who were originally at my level will rush over like sharks smelling blood! Prey that they are capable of dealing with, that can prove their ability, and that carries a sky-high bounty is always extremely popular. It is no worse than a treasure! Danitz swallowed down the rest of his screaming.

Klein neither agreed nor objected. He slowly revealed a smile.

“You are worried your bounty will be too high?”

Danitz nodded heavily, feeling as though this lunatic Gehrman Sparrow had finally spoken like a human being.

“Other than hiding, there is another solution.” As Klein spoke, he walked toward the coat rack.

“What?” Danitz asked instinctively.

Klein took down his half top hat and placed it on his head.

“Raise your Sequence.”

Make your strength match your bounty… He draped on his coat, turned the handle, and left the suite.

Advance to Sequence 6? Become a Conspirer? Danitz froze for two seconds, then suddenly frowned and grimaced.

When he had consumed the Sequence 9 Hunter potion and the Sequence 8 Provoker potion, he had not felt that there had been too many problems. He had even begun fantasizing about finding several legendary treasures, obtaining mid- and high-Sequence formulas and corresponding materials, advancing to a demigod, and becoming a new king upon the sea. But the intense pain and terrible feeling brought by the Pyromaniac potion had left him traumatized and afraid. He dared not believe that even someone like himself—who normally followed the captain’s instructions strictly and constantly provoked opponents—had still nearly lost control.

This forced Danitz to consider whether he should simply muddle along until he had enough wealth, then return to Intis and live as a rich man.

He stood there, troubled for several minutes, before finally figuring out one thing:

Even if he did want to consume another potion and advance, he could not manage it in the short term, because he still had to gather the formula and materials. That was by no means easy. Yet the new bounty might be released tomorrow, or even today!

Therefore, they still had to change inns and leave Bayam as soon as possible!

…

After leaving the Raelph Trading Company, Alger pretended to conduct a serious investigation while perfunctorily asking around at several places. Near noon, he received new intelligence passed down by the Church of Storms:

“The one confirmed to have posted the notice at the church entrance is Blazing Danitz.

“Pay attention to his movements.”

Blazing Danitz… Holding the slip of paper, Alger silently chewed over that name. The corners of his mouth lifted bit by bit, and not the slightest doubt remained in his heart.

He relaxed completely and began looking forward with confidence to sailing out to sea and hunting for materials.

Because that would happen on the sea.

Because Mr. Fool had gained a new identity:

Sea God!

…

Because he had missed the morning blue-star hour, Danitz waited until four in the afternoon. Only then, taking advantage of Gehrman Sparrow’s departure, did he attempt to perform the Spirit Descent Ritual.

With reasonable familiarity, he drew the holy emblem of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom—an all-seeing eye set upon an open book—and arranged the corresponding altar.

Within the wall of spirituality, he lit the candles, picked up the hydrosol extracted from lavender and mint, and dripped it over the quietly burning flames.

A fresh and pleasant fragrance spread outward. Danitz then burned several more kinds of herbal powder in succession.

After finishing all this, he stepped back and said in ancient Hermes, “I pray for the power of knowledge;

“I pray for the power of reason;

“I pray for the favor of the God of Wisdom;

“I pray that You allow me to communicate with the spirit of ‘the Mentor Who Pursues Knowledge, Researcher of Spirit World Creatures, Vice Admiral Iceberg upon the Seas, Edwina Edwards from Lenburg.’”

…

Wooo!

As the incantation echoed, the altar suddenly turned cold. Other than the three candles, the brass ritual dagger, the plate of salt, the little hydrosol bottle, the paper, and the pen all floated into the air.

Danitz waited with slight nervousness, not knowing what would happen next.

After ten-odd seconds, the flames of the three candles swayed at once, becoming a pale green tinged with white.

Danitz’s body abruptly stiffened. A cold, hair-raising chill forced itself into him, completely irresistible.

He saw his feet move forward of their own accord, taking one step.

He saw his left hand rise, grasping the black pen and the whitish paper.

He saw himself bend low over the table, left hand holding the pen, swiftly writing:

“What is the matter?”

The words were graceful and flowing, full of artistic beauty, completely different from Danitz’s own style.

Only then did Danitz discover that he could control his head and throat.

“Captain, Sea God Kalvetua is dead!” he squeezed out in a rather deep, hoarse voice, as though suffering from a heavy cold.

“Details,” his left hand wrote smoothly.

This was the opportunity Danitz had been waiting for. He immediately described everything that had happened, from beginning to end: how Gehrman Sparrow had gone to Simim Island in order to fulfill a certain adventurer’s final wish; how he seemed to have encountered Sea God’s curse but had resolved it easily after shutting the door; how that madman’s guess had been mistaken, causing him to identify the ancient elven ruins as Sea God’s ruins, and so on.

At the end, Danitz hurriedly added his own judgment:

“I believe Admiral of Blood will not come to Bayam for a very long time, and most famous pirates will not either.

“The impact of this incident will take at least half a year to calm down.

“Captain, your hunting plan with Gehrman Sparrow may have to be suspended for now. I—I want to return to the Golden Dream.”

His left hand paused for several seconds before writing:

“Continue following Gehrman Sparrow and serve as the liaison between me and him.”

“Captain, y-you can teach him the Spirit Descent Ritual!” Danitz shouted hoarsely.

His left hand swiftly wrote:

“It only allows communication within five hundred nautical miles, and the ritual host bears considerable risk. In addition, you know our contact points on different islands. That is information that cannot be told to outsiders.”

True… Gehrman Sparrow is only an outsider… But, Captain, I really want to return to the Golden Dream! Danitz racked his brain and said, “Perhaps we can, can invite him aboard as a guest—no, that…”

Suddenly, inspiration flashed through Danitz.

“Captain, he has a messenger! He has a messenger!

“A messenger that travels through the spirit world to deliver letters for him!”

That should be a contact method unrestricted by distance, and it is more hidden and safer! I no longer need to serve as the liaison! Danitz thought with exceptional joy.

His left hand hovered for several seconds before writing:

“If that is true, then there is no problem.

“The New Year holiday is nearly over, and you indeed ought to return to the ship. You have a certain talent for languages, but in other areas you still have no small number of problems. You need to attend more classes and work harder.”

Danitz opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He suddenly felt that returning to the Golden Dream might not be such an exciting prospect after all.

…

At dusk, Klein returned to the Azure Wind Inn.

After an entire day of running around, he had not found a suitable target for acting. Because of the recent inspections, many pirates and adventurers with cases on their backs had been captured. Those remaining were still cautious and hidden, not daring to go out casually. Whether bars, casinos, or brothels, business was currently bleak and customers were few.

“It is like this.” Danitz came over, cleared his throat, and said with a dry laugh, “This was my first time using the Spirit Descent Ritual, and I did not have much confidence, so I tested it ahead of time. Haha. It succeeded. I communicated with the captain. She also believes there will be no chance to hunt Admiral of Blood recently and is preparing to summon me back to the Golden Dream. As for the contact method… do you not have a messenger? You can have that messenger deliver letters to the captain.”

That messenger was given by a big shot. It is not mine… And a messenger can only carry messages back and forth between its owner and the token holder. It does not involve other people. Mm, it can also travel between the ritual user and the owner… But this does remind me: I need to think of a way to obtain a messenger that belongs exclusively to me. Otherwise, many matters will become inconvenient… As for the method, of course I should write a letter asking Mr. Azik. He is definitely an expert in this area… Klein calmly pulled over a chair and sat down. Leaning slightly forward, he said in a low voice, “Tell your captain that I have a way to find Admiral of Blood.”

“Ah?” Danitz froze, never expecting that answer.

Then he saw Gehrman Sparrow pull the corners of his mouth apart bit by bit and repeat, “Tell your captain.”

…Danitz shuddered. Not daring to ask further, he forced a smile.

“That has to wait for the next blue-star hour, which is tonight from eleven to midnight.”

“Very good.” Klein praised with a smile across his face.

Danitz did not feel happy at all.

Klein slowly stood and walked toward the bedroom while savoring the special food he had eaten for dinner that day.

The food was called teyatiwa, translated into Loenese as “meat inside fruit.” The chef took a giant local fruit known as the teyanna, emptied out its flesh, leaving only the hard outer shell, then stuffed mashed lamb and fish inside. After seasoning it with sea salt and several spices, the fruit was repeatedly roasted over a fire. The meat was fresh and delicious, releasing a strange fragrance that merged perfectly with the fruit’s sweetness and faint tartness.

After closing the bedroom door, Klein first wrote a letter, thanking Mr. Azik for his previous guidance. Then he once again asked about how to possess a messenger that belonged exclusively to him.

After folding the letter, he took out the copper whistle and summoned the messenger.

The messenger did not linger. It snatched away the letter in one motion and disintegrated on the spot.

Whew… Klein rested briefly, preparing to enter the world above the gray fog and see whether those believers’ prayers could provide him with useful intelligence—for instance, a target suitable for real acting.