Black Sail
Chapter 155: CLV. Methodology

Chapter 155: CLV. Methodology

Shrinking magic, huh.

Swan didn’t know what to say, but even with his experience, he had never seen anything like it. He gently took Lu out of his clothing and held her in his hand, worried he might accidentally kill her.

Liszt was slack-jawed, bewildered. What in the world?

After washing his face, Morison bent down to wipe his hands on his clothes and slowly walked over to the lively scene.

Hmm?

Morison had never seen it either, his fingers instinctively wanted to pinch.

When Lu, who had been freed, saw the pitiful state of her companions, her nose turned sour, and she immediately choked up.

Morison played with his hair, pretending it was real.

"Holy shit, this thing is interesting. Is it a magic prop?"

Like teasing a pet, Liszt made clicking sounds, trying to get a reaction.

"Kill me! You villains!"

Lu’s eyes reddened.

"She can speak, she’s intelligent."

Swan added, still feeling surprised.

"God damn villains, we are the partners of justice, ever heard of self-defense?"

Liszt was quite amused.

Sailing was extremely boring, and Qi Li’s group entertained themselves by raising monkeys and parrots. He couldn’t be outdone, this little thing was fun and could even perform magic.

The fire spread, growing bigger. They needed to leave soon.

"We can’t stay here any longer, the guards will be here soon."

Swan signaled everyone to leave quickly, this place was no longer safe.

"Where do you suggest we go?"

Liszt trusted Swan’s judgment; after all, Swan had experience in Aran. If they were exposed in this battle and arrested by the soldiers, they wouldn’t be able to return to Heaven Port.

"We could hide in the slums in the city. Although it’s a new era, the old Aran city area hasn’t been demolished. Every big city has it, just find a quiet inn to rest."

Swan suggested so.

"Then let’s do that."

Liszt had Mika check on the three people on the ground.

The woman was in the best condition, not life-threatening; Curved Sword Man was severely injured but could survive for a while if left alone; lastly, the man who was can-sized.

Mika had the pirates take off his armor to better assess his injuries.

He was an enormous man with a buzz cut; the wound on his back was horrifying, fortunately, it hadn’t hit his spine or internal organs, but his skin and muscle tissues were ruined, and he was massively bleeding, now hovering at death’s door; even if he survived, he would have to lie in bed for a month.

"They’re all still alive."

Mika put down his stethoscope and said calmly.

Lu, with one unclamped hand, wiped her tears, just about to plead with Liszt not to kill them when.

Liszt was even happier!

"Fantastic!"

Liszt had decided, the woman apart—disguising as her would be tough due to skeletal differences—Brother Sha and Mika would disguise as these two men and kidnap nobles.

They would start with an early kidnapping to practice, and then move on to robbing the carriage, seizing valuable hostages.

"Wrap these three people in some cloth and carry them together."

Liszt ordered about twenty pirates to do this.

Then a pirate raised an objection.

"This woman’s armor is heavy, we need to take it off before moving her."

"That’s right, I’ll take it off."

"You’re clumsy, let me do it."

"Damn it, I’m begging you, have pity on a virgin, let me take it off!"

People clamored to go first.

Swan stepped forward and lifted it; the iron armor was of a special material, probably weighing just about twenty kilos in total.

"Stop making a fuss, make it quick and snappy."

Swan chastised them in a cold voice, they needed to leave immediately.

A group of people left Water Pavilion Autumn Moon at the speed of light.

It had become Fire Pavilion.

Five minutes later.

Official departments arrived, reflecting the concept of a fire department.

Nearby residents reported the fire, and professionals skilled in Earth Magic and Water Magic quickly arrived.

Well-prepared magical materials were used, invoking sandstorms and waterfalls.

The fire was extinguished quickly.

The owner of Water Pavilion Autumn Moon also rushed to the scene in a panic.

When the firefighters questioned him,

the owner had no choice but to admit fault, since the place was illegal and would not endure an inspection. If he mentioned the fight inside, bringing in the guards would lead to an investigation, and he might end up in prison.

All he could do was stand there, dumbfounded, and report a fire.

About an hour later.

The people of Black Sail settled on the outskirts of Duguli City South, a very remote area.

This place still maintained the level of the city, with buildings seven or eight stories high and well-maintained roads that were quite smooth. Streetlights remained illuminated, and the architectural style was somewhat retro.

Compared to Duguli’s "CBD," the difference was like heaven and earth.

It was a relative slum with few pedestrians, especially after dark, making it hard to judge the security of this part.

But there were many vagrants and streetwalkers, and it was a common haunt for lower-class adventurers.

Before entering the hostel, Liszt even saw someone buying adventurer Identity Cards for eighty silver coins each. Desperate individuals huddled around to negotiate, unafraid of being accused of any crime.

Security was more lax here compared to other areas of Duguli.

Laws in Aran were strict, especially for government officials who had to tread carefully, but it was impossible to address all aspects of people’s lives. There always existed gray areas.

For instance, banning brothels was a brilliant law; it truly prevented women from being deceived and abducted, whether through entrapment or seduction. Once lifted, it was hard to differentiate those manipulated from those acting willingly, protecting women’s rights.

Those organizing such activities would be heavily penalized.

Yet complete prohibition wasn’t feasible. They had to turn a blind eye sometimes to those who couldn’t find wives under certain conditions. If all paths were blocked and no prostitutes were available, crime rates would rise again.

Thus, those selling themselves were detained for a few days as a mere formality.

Every place had these formalities, and it was never possible to completely ban gambling, brothels, or the black market, unless everyone in the world was a saint.

Inside the hostel.

The environment was quite ordinary, but for pirates, having a bed was already extraordinary.

The dimly lit room was illuminated only by an oil lamp.

Both standard beds were given to the sick.

Liszt and Swan watched by the side, observing Mika’s medical skills.

Morison was studying an Elf, pricking holes into a glass and covering Lu, pulling up a stool and using it as a spy chair, sitting silently and observing.

Lu felt chills all over from their stares; this group was strange, not only had they not finished her off, but they were also largely focused on healing.

She was completely unaware that Liszt’s sinister plot was unfolding, attempting to turn the three of them into his followers, not to mention the need for manpower to rob a train or fight Boss.

He would need to buy more ships on his return, for trade and combat both, otherwise, it would be unclear whether he was using Taylor or foolishly enriching Taylor at his own expense.

Mika was performing a miraculous revival. The injury on Can Man’s back had been disinfected and stitched, needing regular cleaning, and he was currently on a drip. It would be days before he could wake, and even then, he would have to lie down for a long time.

Curved Sword Man was in a dire state too, unable to wake up that night, transitioning from one severe area to another while vigorously fighting the charm.

"So why all the trouble, it would be better to kill him."

Mika, with a doctor’s compassion, was extremely impatient, wishing he could just stab the patient twice, finish off happily, and meet his daily targets.

He had a set methodology.

Similar to a card drawing system.

The high-end clubs were akin to paid premium draw pools with a very high base rate, at the very least Purple Card level, and sometimes even a glimpse of gold.

Low-end clubs and street vendors were like the free draw pools, mostly basic and ordinary, with an occasional Purple Card, only bursting with luck to see gold.

But drawing from free pools and slowly walking the streets was also a pleasure.

As for Meredith, she had awakened, hands tied.

It was time for interrogation.