Black Sail
Chapter 395: XXX. Real or Fake Boss

Chapter 395: XXX. Real or Fake Boss

The next day at noon.

Southern Country Exclave, Kersuna Island.

The harbor was bustling, also serving as one of the key transit points to Heaven Port. Countless Gold Seekers and adventurers set out from here to Heaven Port, and then traveled to Iron Soul Island to seek Gold.

The situation in the East Sea had settled down, and there were rumors of gold mines discovered on Iron Soul Island along with ample sand gold. The gold rush was far from over, still drawing crowds.

Moreover, the planning of the new district in New Heavenly Port also attracted many old-timers eager to find work upon hearing the rumors.

The adventurer’s guild had a stringent rating system, and even Silver Level adventurers had to complete assessment missions, facing dangerous Magic Beasts that could easily kill a person.

The majority were newly minted adventurers who did not require assessments but just needed to pass a physical fitness test. Aside from a few older folks who couldn’t lift a bag of rice despite having able hands, most could get through.

For new adventurers in particular, the guild was more like a jack-of-all-trades task platform, where one could find all sorts of odd jobs, from carpentry to masonry, and many women even registered as new adventurers to accept high-paying cat-finding jobs, becoming adventure girls. Pu Xi is not a cat, and sexy is not a burn.

It wasn’t just about fugitives anymore; peace was said to be returning to the East Sea, and Liszt was known as a "Benevolent King" who implemented policies in three Chapters, ensuring excellent public order. Even the rookies with a clean background were eager to find work.

Along the coastal areas, Liszt’s fame had grown significantly; he even became the victim of new children’s tales—if you keep crying, Liszt will cook you and eat you, three bites per child, said to stop children from crying at night.

The pier was bustling with vehicle and horse traffic, the sound of hoisting cargo and lively conversations, brimming with vitality and progress.

Liszt had also become a popular topic of conversation after meals.

"I heard he can stay awake for seven days and has four hands."

"How come I heard it’s six?"

"They say Liszt’s gaze can kill a man directly."

"Dang, that’s getting more outrageous. We’re all flesh and bone; how many meals can even a tough guy eat in a day? He’ll know who I am when he meets me."

A group of adventurers, their faces tough, boasted as they walked toward the passenger ship.

On the busy dock, a man cloaked in a dark brown hooded robe disembarked from a ship, walking slowly across the pier like a vagrant. But wherever he went, people instinctively moved out of his way.

Perhaps it was a primal biological instinct sensing extreme danger; anyone who got close felt all their hair stand on end.

The adventurer’s guild had not yet established a presence in Heaven Port for two reasons.

First, due to historical issues from the Doringger era, which had harmed Liszt. Last year, to threaten the guild to establish a presence, Doringger had someone kill the son of the head of the Eastern region.

It was a done deal, handled with terrifying efficiency; the young man, still in school, was soon lying dead in the street.

The guild held deep mistrust for the East Sea.

Second, it was because of Diaz.

This man, known as the Emperor of the Night, had power and reach beyond what one could imagine, a terrifying thing.

There was no secret in the underworld that Diaz and Liszt were at odds; everyone knew.

Comparing the newly rising but unstable Liszt with the established, international juggernaut that was the Thief Guild, it was clear who was likely to lose.

No one believed Liszt would have the upper hand in this struggle.

Furthermore, with Liszt in the East Sea and Diaz inland, the guild’s leaders were clear on one thing: establishing a presence in Heaven Port might provoke Diaz.

For these reasons, the guild had delayed its establishment in Heaven Port, and this delay had stymied the development of Heaven Port to some extent.

Of course, Liszt didn’t mind; once the new district was up and running, those compared to humans would come begging to set up shop, and he would still collect their taxes.

Diaz’s obsession with the Stele had reached an abnormal degree.

The Dream Element, often called little Diaz.

For a price of one thousand eight hundred, Diaz bought an anchorwoman’s Stele priced at eight hundred, originally flaunting it as a treasure and sleeping with it every night. Later, when the scandal broke, he denied buying it for himself, claiming it was for a friend.

My Stele, you can’t look at it!

Anyway, Diaz’s people, both literary and martial, were all here. Liszt was determined not to hand over the Stele. Very well, they had to intensify their efforts.

The Thief Guild also had a corporate culture, involving the worship of evil gods—the Night Goddess, the Shadow Lady, the Unknowable.

Above the Shadow Messenger.

They were the top professionals of the Thief Guild, the Netherworld Envoy.

And Kaden.

Had already reached the battlefield.

The plan was simple; Swan was now ranked second, and Liszt had become the priority assassination target.

But to ascertain the location of the Stele, they couldn’t act recklessly.

The best course was to infiltrate.

Find Liszt, kill Liszt, become Liszt, cause Black Sail to collapse from within, or perhaps... take over Black Sail entirely under the guise of Liszt.

There were quite a few seemingly independent factions of the Triad Gang in the world, but in reality, their leaders were undercover agents of the Thief Guild, with Netherworld Envoy as their most professional personnel.

The most advantageous strategy was no longer a matter of mere assassination or theft; it was to oust others and become the head of other forces, then continue to contribute to the behemoth organization that was the Thief Guild.

The history of the Thief Guild was long, with ups and downs spanning hundreds of years, with periods of decline and periods of glory. However, since Diaz’s arrival, their influence had peaked. Initially, more than a decade ago, it was merely a legal thief organization based in the giant sewer system of the Floating City, a large city in Western Aran. Under Diaz’s subtle manipulations through letters, they had suddenly leapt to the top of the underworld.

They had absorbed countless forces and developed to this day.

Training, deployment, funeral services, all-in-one.

And now, it was time to absorb Black Sail.

Kaden was originally planning to take a ship to Heavenly Port, but as he surveyed his surroundings, there was no need; the target had appeared, these people had already been disavowed by the Cross Alliance, brazenly landing, disguising themselves was useless to him who had already memorized all their distinct features.

Black Sail’s fleet had also reached Kersuna Island.

Obviously, the sail battleship could not directly enter the harbor unseen and had been spotted by the local navy’s patrol boat, claiming they were the admiral’s acquaintance before being let in.

But even if they weren’t the admiral’s acquaintance, they would still have been allowed in.

Now, Liszt’s influence worked anywhere.

The fleet docked one by one, even in VIP positions specifically reserved in advance for dignitaries, where other ships couldn’t stop.

After furling the sails and dropping the anchor.

The crew, after nearly a week at sea, simply couldn’t hold back anymore, exploding out like freed animals and indulging in frantic prostitution and reckless gambling.

When those people had left.

It was then the turn of the core members, who one by one walked onto the pier. Not wanting to attract attention, they all wore sunglasses and disguised themselves, since each was a figure of considerable influence.

"How beautiful, Kersuna Island. Look at the distant palm trees, my family."

Rein came off the ship sneezing wildly; he itched all over in the summer, also suffering from flu—he was the opposite of humans.

Freshwater storage was difficult on the ship, so they replaced it with alcohol; after disembarking, he really wanted to drink something refreshing.

"How long did Liszt say we’re staying?"

Mika also debarked, and there were indeed fine goods on this island. Not experiencing the local culture was equivalent to not having come at all.

"He said there’s no hurry, we can stay for a night or two. There’s no emergency right now, so we can take it slow. He’s got some business with the admiral here too."

Swan warily scanned the surroundings of the pier; his sight was excellent. In this line of work, being fast was essential—to see if there were any suspicious persons.

But Netherworld Envoy Kaden.

As the regional Staff Chief, Shadow Messenger, and then Netherworld Envoy.

His skills had already become an art.

No need to go to Heavenly Port now; the plan had changed. He would infiltrate the ship, and when they sailed again, he would secretly kill Liszt, throw his body into the sea. For the next few days, he would just observe Liszt’s habits and the people around him, and then replace him.

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