Black Sail
Chapter 73: LXXIII. Above the Clouds

Chapter 73: LXXIII. Above the Clouds

In late December, the merciless sun scorched the earth, yet the sea breezel was bone-chilling cold.

This was no good news but a bolt from the blue.

The Earl, by not disclosing the identity of the mysterious person, was not worried that his group might detain her; he dared not take on the task.

Let alone one thousand two hundred Golden Dragons, he would have refused twelve thousand on the spot, considering the situation now.

Black Sail had been thrust into the Abyss, and all connected to this case were likely doomed to bad ends.

But on the contrary,

If used wisely, it could serve as a bargaining chip... to join the most terrifying and doomed power struggles of the Western Continent.

Standing as if in the dead of winter, Fen braced himself on the ship’s railing, his throat working as he listened to Swan’s description, realizing not even the big shots of Heaven Port, to say nothing of the Beima Duchy Royal Family, could stomach this news.

"Are you sure? You’re sure you didn’t see wrong?"

Fen kept confirming, suspecting Swan might have been mistaken due to the urgency of the situation.

"Absolutely certain! Silver scales... horns... identical to the human incarnation described in the bestiary."

Swan’s tone was resolute.

"Keep your voice down, don’t spread the word."

Fen immediately halted him, insisting on secrecy even among the ship’s key crew members.

A chain-smoker for years, Swan begged a pirate for a cigarette, lighting it shakily with a match and taking a deep drag that made his lungs roil, finally feeling somewhat relieved.

With too many pirates on deck managing the capstan and sails, the two moved to the foremost part of the ship’s prow-stern line.

"What do you think?"

Swan was unsure whether to inform Liszt.

Fen understood what Swan meant.

"You’ve just joined the crew and haven’t seen Liszt’s methods. He’s someone who would borrow at high interest to stay in the game, much more ambitious than us. Telling him the truth... I’m also... uncertain."

Even Fen was having second thoughts, his expression gravely serious, almost dripping with gloom.

Noticing the commotion, Ox, who had been steering, knew there was trouble. Having been aboard for two years, he had never seen Fen so flustered.

Ox had a soft spot for a One-eyed Dragon pirate, asked him to keep watch, and had the recorder keep up.

"What’s the problem?"

Ox could guess.

"The identity of the mysterious person. The Captain will inform all key members at our next stop, but you need not worry for now."

Fen spoke calmly, aware that spreading the news now could cause chaos.

"Alright, I trust you."

Ox, knowing Fen to be one of the most reliable on the ship, remembered when Swan joined the crew, causing a stir at first but ultimately winning everyone over. Others, even Liszt, sometimes botched things; the mess in the secret port, for example, could have been avoided if everyone had simply ganged up on Marcus. Face mattered, but not to the point of losing one’s head. With the added threat of the Thief Guild, if Liszt died, internal competition for decision-making power combined with external troubles could lead to collapse. Liszt, by pulling in the unstable factor of Morison and employing other tactics, demonstrated his intricate scheming to consolidate his authority.

Ox returned to his post, steering with his perennial poker face, the epitome of a workaholic.

"Then I’ll go talk to Liszt."

Swan, seeking refuge under Fen, had to align with his stance before acting with his approval.

Fen thought for a moment.

"I’ll go with you."

Fen believed Liszt’s strategy was ingeniously delicate, fortunate not to have killed Gloria Caruso; instead, entice her bit by bit to earn her spot in Heaven Port.

Inside the navigation room.

"What nonsense about being a heartbreaker, darling, you really have the nerve to say it. I’ve grown this big without even holding a girl’s hand. Brand new, fresh from the factory, all I need is for some Holy Spirit to take pity on me."

Liszt was now beyond shameless, with a face like black holes where light could not escape once events fell within its horizon.

"Do you really think I believe you? I bet not only your crew but even this ship was all conned by you."

Goria was now fully convinced; the man’s lies knew no bounds, but having such a person for amusement wasn’t bad.

When Fen and Swan entered,

Liszt was playing a drinking game with Goria.

They were both completely engrossed, and Liszt knew he was halfway there—at this point they were past being strangers. Finding the right opportunity to deepen their friendship would not be rejected by Goria, given the adventurous spirit of adventurers.

Swan’s fists clenched.

Fen took a deep breath, "Black Sail’s about to be fucking wiped out, and you’re here hitting on girls?"

Fen knocked vigorously on the door to make some noise.

"Fifteen, twenty, fifteen."

"Fifteen, twenty, twenty."

"Your turn to drink."

Liszt had taught Goria a relatively new drinking game.

The two of them were having such a good time that they were completely unaffected by what was happening around them.

"I’m sorry, can I borrow the Captain for a moment?"

Fen had no choice but to walk up to the long table and forcefully slapped it twice.

"Oh, sure, go ahead, you guys do your thing."

Goria, quite perceptive, stood up, ready to leave.

"Hey, what’s the rush? It’s not like there are important things to do on this shitty boat. We still need to upgrade our friendship."

Liszt shamelessly remarked.

"There’s still time. Oh right, I forgot to say, please tell your crew to stop harassing me, I don’t like men."

After saying that, Goria left the navigation room without turning back, politely closing the door behind her.

Liszt was instantly petrified, "Doesn’t like men... she means she’s a lesbian, right? Then all my efforts have been a waste of fucking time!"

He immediately turned into a cleaning master, sweeping all pots and pans off the table.

"Could’ve said that sooner, asshole!"

Liszt was numbed by the realization, but no matter, even if she was gay, he, North American Li Xunhuan, would straighten her out.

Seeing Fen sitting upright and serious, Liszt knew something big was up; now wasn’t the time to be flirting, especially since he had six Kagomes and six Kikyos as a backup anyway.

Swan sneaked over to the door to keep watch, guarding against eavesdroppers, as everyone else was busy.

"Things are going smoothly, I presume."

Liszt lit a cigarette and started smoking, "Heaven Port’s damn far away, it will take over ten days to reach, but the sooner we finish our business, the better."

"It’s a Dragon."

Fen got straight to the point, without any nonsense.

"What the hell? Did some health spa show up or something? Talking about foot massages and wellness?"

Liszt didn’t understand and didn’t think in that direction.

"I mean... an actual, physical Dragon."

Fen thought he might go mad because of Liszt someday.

"You’re making me laugh; if not physically, what, you mean magically? Like it’s a spiritual experience or something?"

Liszt laughed, in the Western Continent they have a legend of a Dragon too, but here ’Dragon’ refers to an emperor-level service, not an entire process.

He never dared to guess in such a horrifying direction.

Fen closed his eyes.

"Swan, you tell him!"

Fen was exasperated.

"I went to their room, knocked out the woman, the dose was enough to kill several cows, but that creature just fell asleep. I pulled off her mask. It looked almost like what I’d seen in the atlas, with silvery Dragon Horns, previously hidden by a Spell, which were exposed after she fell asleep. Beneath her eyes were shiny Dragon Scales, that terrifying energy aura, was unmistakably real."

Swan trusted his own judgment.

"This makes everything clear now," Fen continued, "Eternal Sect sees the Dragon Lord as the only True Dragon, the existence of other Dragons is considered sacrilege, leading to a conflict within the Sect. Dragon Clan bloodlines can also pose a threat to the Emperor. All the questions... come unraveled and fall into place. The letters Swan found mention that a delivery will be made to someone from Lostra at Heaven Port at the end of the thirteenth month, which will become Lostra’s weapon against the Emperor. With this corroborating evidence, it’s almost certain, it can’t be wrong."

Fen’s fingers tapped on the table faster than before, somewhat in a panic.

Liszt held back for a long time, dropping his cigarette on the floor.

In the end, he could only utter two words.

"Fuck..."