Black Sail
Chapter 147: CXLVII. Play with Him

Chapter 147: CXLVII. Play with Him

Within the territory of Aran.

The Black Sail group had definitely settled in a hotel that night, taking the time to bathe in a hot shower and tidy up to appear more civilized and elegant, rather than looking like fugitives that would make a guard’s eyes light up, seeing an opportunity for promotion.

It has to be said that adventurers can be unkempt.

But they’re cleaner than pirates by an unknowable margin.

On the other hand.

Gawain had a tough night, he knew about the tunnel, but he couldn’t blend in; without the token from the district boss, outsiders could forget about crossing there.

He had no choice but to make haste, using his official Heroic Level adventurer identity, to cross the border.

Naturally, those with the skills to deal with domestic Magic Beasts were very welcome, a standard entry into the country.

Gawain was rushing to the next city non-stop, continuing to track these big fish.

The next morning.

Outside the hotel.

This town was extraordinarily peaceful and quiet; although it was a border town, the low-rise traditional style buildings, capped at six floors, were quite pretty. Other than the light and unsaturated tones used, which avoided elaborate decorations, they fittingly emulated the style of the Victorian era of the 19th century.

But the overemphasis on symmetry or gradation in the architectural design, as well as the unified style of the building clusters determined in the city planning, made them appear even more solemn and serious. More precisely, the traditional architecture on Aran’s side resembled a New England Gothic style with the darker elements toned down.

The streets were tidy and clean, paved with precisely interlocking brick and stone, every street lamp was pleasing to the eye, and there were benches anyone could sit on. They didn’t skimp on public facilities.

And the town was full of life, with food vendors selling breakfast on the street early in the morning, and various businesses slowly opening their doors to welcome customers.

The standard of living here, compared to the Beima Duchy, now a nation of bandits, was incomparably higher.

Every passerby, though not dressed in expensive fabrics, was neatly attired, exuding a different vibe, all smiles and laughter.

It was the picture of a thriving civilized society.

Such peaceful times, because the Emperor was bearing the weight and waging war for them.

This was the normal side of the Western Continent; Pedan, Ji Weng, Lostra, and other nations might not compare to Aran, but they weren’t far behind.

Whether it was East Shore, Great Wetland, let alone Heaven Port, those were no places for normal folk—who in their right mind would run off to such places?

The Black Sail group had all changed their appearance; altogether, they must have scrubbed off ten to twenty pounds of grime the night before. They now looked like adventurers, albeit battle-hardened ones.

"The moon in Aran is so round, the air in Aran is so sweet."

Rein remarked, becoming sentimental for a moment before his expression darkened.

In Aran’s official records.

He was the fugitive who had swallowed eight thousand Golden Dragons, a birthday gift to a Minister of Aran, forced into exile overseas.

This place was also the source of Rein’s bitterness.

"The bread in Heaven Port tastes awful! Aran’s bread, delicious! We Aran are truly amazing!"

Liszt nibbled on his bread and went into raptures.

After finding several breakfast places to eat, the group had to split up.

Liszt and Fen discussed some matters at last.

According to the original plan.

Fen, with Rein, Shadi, Claude, and about twenty pirates, set off directly for Yunxi City.

Liszt, on the other hand, would head to the capital city of Cast Province first to nab Mr. Sefer, during an art exhibition where he could also steal some art pieces along the way.

The group arrived at the travel relay station of this border town, where there was a creature known as the Earth Dragon.

Though called Earth Dragons, they had nothing to do with actual dragons; they were more akin to oversized, even more robust rhinoceroses, creatures unique to this world with much greater stamina and strength than horses.

Even though the train trial runs hadn’t begun.

But Aran had long embraced the concept of public transportation; two Earth Dragons could pull a cart, racing along roads to other cities, with a capacity of around twenty passengers.

All the drivers shouted, as though they were right outside a passenger terminal, the place was bustling with activity, calls incessant.

But with Black Sail’s financial resources, they were definitely chartering the entire carriages.

Took a cab straight to the destination.

Watching Fen and her companions get into the car and drive away.

Liszt suddenly felt a bit out of sorts, as Swan also wasn’t fond of talking, Mika was just dead weight, and Brother Sha was also hard to communicate with, no one to banter with.

He felt unexpectedly uneasy all of a sudden.

Mainly because the external brain of the Human Rights Card had left, leaving Liszt feeling somewhat cerebrally deficient.

"Come on, guys, let’s not just stand here, let’s hail a cab to Cast Province."

Liszt called a cabby himself, opting for a private hire.

"Cast Province, huh? It’s a place rich in Aran cultural heritage, and there are quite a few art schools over there."

Swan remarked as such.

"Cultural heritage," Morison said calmly, "or in other words, flirty parties."

Liszt was dumbfounded; this guy was so serious but made such an explosive statement, it was too shady!

"We’ve got no choice but to go now."

Mika was not more familiar with his homeland than the others, having never moved in the first half of his life.

They chartered the most upscale vehicle available and set off with about twenty pirates.

Gawain was dumbstruck from a distance; he hadn’t slept all night and had pulled an all-nighter, with dark circles around his eyes, and now he encountered a special situation.

He had no clue what these folks were up to, but damn it, they split up in a foreign place, and for a moment Gawain didn’t know which group to follow.

Should he go after Fen, who had the highest bounty, or follow Liszt? He hesitated.

But blending into the crowd, he overheard the destinations of the two groups: Yunxi City, with an unclear significance other than its beautiful scenery, a favorite spot for Aran gentry to check in, where the rich liked to buy holiday homes—nothing more to say.

The capital of Cast Province was a pretentious place, known as the city of arts, many literati, poets, and musicians, other than in the Imperial City, loved to flock there.

"What do you think?"

Gawain sought Lu’s opinion as well.

Lu, barely taller than a finger, was taking a little rest on his ear and yawned, somewhat drowsy, not quite awake this early morning.

"What do you mean ’what do you think’?"

"Yunxi City and the capital of Cast Province, which one is more suspicious? These people have actually split into two groups."

"Follow the doctor. Bringing a doctor clearly means they are more likely to get into a fight, that’s more suspicious!"

Lu waved her fist, actually having ulterior motives—she had to deal with that client who forced others into prostitution.

Gawain considered it and thought Lu’s reasoning made a lot of sense.

He decided to follow Liszt.

No rest for him today either; he’d have to follow until they went to sleep tonight.

Meanwhile, at this very moment.

Inside the slightly bumpy carriage.

"Someone has been following us non-stop, even after entering Aran territory, it’s not as simple as just being on the way, we’ve been targeted by Bounty Hunters."

Swan, ever so experienced, was considered a Staff Chief in the Thief Guild, if we were to translate his rank, he’d be something like a lodge master—the little tricks were nothing to him.

"Dammit."

Mika had peeled off a few Bounty Hunters himself and knew just how crafty they could be.

"What should we do?"

Swan sought Liszt’s advice.

"Don’t panic, let’s play along with them."

Liszt was not at all concerned; with Morison sitting here, they’d have to drag us onto the ship, he was already wondering about insufficient manpower, as Black Sail needed to bolster its fighting strength.