Black Sail
Chapter 200: CC. Set Sail

Chapter 200: CC. Set Sail

Early in the sixteenth month.

As the year approached its end, it was the coldest time of the year.

Even in the winterless Southern Country, there was a slight chill along the shores of Red Tree Bay.

After reclaiming the Great Wetland, the Emperor tried to set a cat among the pigeons by establishing a system of military merits, urging the Sub-dragon people of the Great Wetland to go against the Beastmen in the north.

Unfortunately, this strategy failed. The Sub-dragon people, with their thick skin and flesh, lived in a moist and warm maritime climate with perpetual spring but suffered greatly when taken north. They struggled to acclimate to the different soil and cold, their combat effectiveness decreased, and eventually, nothing more came of it.

Since the beginning of the Ancient Era, the calendar of the Holy Spirit Church has been adopted over others due to its precision and influence, gradually replacing the solar, constellational, and Holy True God calendars. Today, other calendars are seldom used.

However, on major traditional festivals, some ethnicities still adhere to the old calendars and celebrate the new year at different times.

There was not a hint of the New Year’s atmosphere in the Great Wetland—it would be odd if there were one, given that every adult male in the country was conscripted for three years of service.

The Sub-dragon people did not celebrate overseas festivals. Before their lands were developed more than a decade ago, it was the place most heavily plagued by feudal remnants and retained many traditions.

To this day, curse masters planned to use their dark sorcery to kill Murphys.

It was different from robbing trains.

The Black Sail members found their escape route back rather easy; everything was within Fen’s carefully planned path, which took them through unpopulated areas. They traveled day and night without rest, buying fresh horses when needed, and reached the border with ease, dispatching seven or eight Sentinels at a remote Aran outpost.

They left Aran smoothly, passed through two Affiliated Countries where the news had yet to arrive, paid off some border officers with gold, and returned to the Great Wetland.

Yet on their way back,

Liszt reacted overly sensitively—not just him, the entire Black Sail crew seemed to suffer from paranoia, convinced that their smooth escape was impossible.

It was like a cybercafe legend who’d won five million in the lottery; on his way to claim his prize, he felt like he was in a mad, post-apocalyptic world where every building was derelict and every passerby was a Mohawk-sporting biker, licking dagger piercings and out to rob him.

On the return journey through the Great Wetland, they also conveniently killed many who trafficked in hallucinogenic substances, in fear of drawing unwanted attention.

Liszt did not know the current situation inside Aran.

He had become the most notoriously evil horse bandit leader since the founding of Aran, with the Black Sail name now infamous worldwide, having secured a place of honor among criminals.

Still, to save face for the country and let the budding transport industry grow, the news was suppressed.

"We see it!"

"They’ve really come back."

"This isn’t a dream, is it?"

"It’s the SS Fuma Keqing Revenge!"

It was like a person who walked under the scorching desert sun for three days and nights, lips cracked and dry, finally coming upon a spring in an oasis, and drinking deeply with unimaginable relief.

There were few ships docked on the shores of Red Tree Bay, but the tall and imposing SS Fuma Keqing Revenge stood there, finally finding some sense of safety under the protection of its forty-two-pound cannons.

When Gawain stood on the ship’s rails and saw his own brother, he was completely desperate.

His brother was chatting and laughing with a pirate, smoking away, clearly having made friends with the pirates on board. He’d been indulging in prostitution and gambling in the Aran Affiliated Country, engaging in all kinds of debauchery—who cares about going to school or having a future?

"First, get the injured settled, Fen, come with me to the district; we’re going to pick up Old Man Hened. Once we’re ashore at Heaven Port, let’s give our esteemed senior a chance to show face and give Boss... a bit of a hard time."

Liszt relaxed from his high-stress state.

Fen had once been a member of the Warlock Council, also known as the Tower Alliance.

This council wasn’t a combat force, but more of an academic body dedicated to regulating the conduct of Magicians and facilitating the joint discussion of various professional issues. Funded by the nation and various universities, it held a decisive position in the Magician community of the Western Continent.

Those who entered the council were without exception, the crème de la crème.

The name Tower Alliance came from the eleven extremely old High Towers left on the Western Continent, the dwellings and libraries of the greatest Magicians in history. After their deaths, most towers were usurped; only two or three maintained their lineage to this day.

Each tower was magnificent and beautiful, some even within forbidden areas, situated atop peaks, and it was said that they were so high one could pluck stars with an outstretched hand.

When Liszt first heard such rumors, he thought they were insanely cool, like a space elevator, and immediately asked Fen for confirmation.

But Fen dispelled the myth; indeed, the towers were much higher than the clouds, but the idea of plucking stars was simply nonsense, merely making it more convenient to observe celestial movements.

The Tower Alliance also had a Lower House and an Upper House.

And Fen, with his portrait-hanging level of prowess, had once been a member of the Upper House, with the power to veto proposals from the Lower House. He had been influential and omnipotent in his time.

Just below the Eleven People Pavilion, the so-called Eleven People Pavilion was akin to the meaning of a cabinet, with the highest decision-making power vested in the Magic King and the ten Tower Masters.

With their backing, the influence of the Warlock Council had exploded, becoming the most authoritative organization in the world.

The current Emperor’s niece, Alanee Astalia, was a student of the Magic King.

In her youth, she had once met Fen.

Fen, as her elder in the family hierarchy, would sometimes send people from the Warlock Council to mentor her when the Magic King was unavailable. Though Fen had only taught her a few lessons and cannot exactly be called her teacher, they were not particularly close. Yet, strictly speaking, he had bestowed her with his teachings.

The six-trillion-sided warrior, the absolute Human Rights Card—Fen was a god in his connections, unrivaled.

Without this foundation, one could not possibly play the broken game that was the Western Continent.

It was just too bad that the job turned out so miserably; it was clearly not the work of carbon-based life forms. Having made a mortal enemy of the Pedan Royal Family and seen as a deadly foe by the Magic Energy Industrial Committee, he fell from grace, as if the sky had come crashing down. He became the rat everyone in his hometown wanted to hit. It was impossible to get by on the Bay Shore anymore.

He had no choice but to mix with pirates, at the very bottom of the professional contempt chain, worse than begging. At least beggars could wish you well with courtesy in a Western dialect, but pirates were good for nothing.

That’s why they say straight-laced women are uninteresting.

It took only three sentences.

To soothe Alanee, a string of obligations stemming from the teachings was put into motion.

Perhaps Alanee would even speak in his favor.

In the scar-faced woman’s sector of Red Tree Bay Shore.

Because he had entered the live wire tunnel using someone else’s identity, there could be repercussions. Liszt had grand plans and was originally prepared to present five hundred Golden Dragons as a courtesy, but after consideration, he only gave two hundred as a token of gratitude.

The money he had plundered was immense, and it would likely take days to count once back on the ship. Fen was knowledgeable in jewelry appraisal.

He took Hened back to the ship.

Liszt had wanted to take advantage of the situation and bring Lu Chen back to check out some technology, but the scar-faced woman refused to let him go. Lu Chen’s wife had been adopted by the scar-faced woman, making it quite impossible to leave.

He could only wait until Heaven Port officially opened for business. The Great Wetland was no match for the strategic location of Heaven Port. By then, he would bring over Hened’s partner as well to expand and strengthen the business.

On the Bay Shore Pier, the water was bluest sky, and the sky cloudless.

A slightly fishy sea breeze wafted through.

These times had been hell for One-eyed Dragon; Mr. Archer was not one to manage affairs, and in over a month, the man had only been sober for a few days.

But he hadn’t been entirely idle—during that time, he’d chopped up a couple of tough guys from the sector who thought they were tough enough to cause trouble.

When Archer finally came to his senses, he realized more than forty days had passed.

"Already? Isn’t it still the Fourteenth Month?"

Archer burped after watching a bunch of people unloading their goods.

No one bothered with him, Mr. Archer was akin to an Immortal; one day in Heaven was a year on earth.

"The money is in hand, let’s get going."

Rein was eager to leave the shore, as his last trip back to the Great Wetland had triggered his condition again. He was already injured, and he really needed to rest for a good ten days or half a month.

Due to the many wounded and the bumpy horse rides, their injuries hadn’t healed much these days. They could only hope to recover properly on board the ship.

All the crew members were in an extremely excited state; even though they hadn’t entered Aran, they could expect a considerable share of the booty, just like those highwaymen.

"We must return immediately; delay breeds trouble."

Fen was somewhat troubled; he still had a pile of accounts to go through.

Liszt tapped the Frost Rhododendron Blood-crying on the ground, creating noise. It was time.

"All eyes on me, I have an announcement to make. We set sail for the highest port in the universe! Heaven Port!

Set sail and embark!"

Of course, a cultured person must put on an act.

"With the capital in place, I hold the reins long; all that remains is to capture the Azure Dragon!"

Liszt was determined to be in the running.

The person who would speak for Heaven Port.

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