Chapter 239 - 831 - 839

Thieves' Guild

"No need, I still have matters to attend to. I'll return at night," Leylin got up to reject her, ignoring Madam Tillen's resentful expression behind his back.

"Master, where are we going?" Karen stood next to Leylin, as well-behaved as a maid. Although the talks had not even begun, she acted as if she already belonged to him.

Hulk and Giant stood further away like a pair of loyal Imperial bodyguards.

"Call a few over to come with us and recruit the sailors," Leylin said. Be it the Scarlet Tiger or the merfolk ship, they currently had a severe shortage in sailors. As a result, they needed to recruit a great number of sailors as quickly as possible. Pirates' Cove would always have plenty of these fellows, one only needed to carefully choose from them.

'Whips and Whiskey!' Leylin looked at the tavern's name rather speechlessly, but still opened the wooden door. Although it was still morning, the tavern was filled with people doing business, as well as many hungover drunkards.

"Boss! We found some people last night, and they're all waiting here for you!" Giant smiled in his simple manner, suddenly hammering on the surface of the counter. It made all the hanging beer mugs shake chaotically with an ear-splitting sound.

"So it's you, the fellow from last night! Hurry up and settle your bar tab!" A bleary-eyed old drunkard crawled out from the small door behind the bar, glaring at Giant with disdain. Once he saw Leylin however, his eyes seemed to brighten up considerably.

Perhaps he had seen the beautiful clothes that Leylin wore, and reckoned that this was the golden benefactor who could settle the bad debt.

"Greetings, dear customer!" The old man bowed deeply, smiling until his eyes almost seemed to disappear into his wrinkles.

There was a huge gap in his treatment of Leylin and how he had treated Giant before, but Giant only muttered a few words under his breath, and did not dare to say anything else.

After all, he had tasted Leylin's methods before.

"What would you like?"

"A glass of rum! The rest of you are free to choose your own!" Leylin waved his hand and sat next to the counter, "Where are the people you found? Call them out and let me have a look at them."

His standards were not too high at the moment, and ordinary pirates would suffice. Death would help him select the cream of the crop.

"Wait, boss!" Giant scratched his head, and rushed to gap between a few sofas like a hurricane, and began to beat the sofas up with kicks and punches. Loud curses could be heard from inside the sofas.

After a few seconds, over ten badly battered pirates with swollen faces and bleeding noses were driven out by Giant. Although they were wounded, these pirates had a rather lively temperament, which was beyond Leylin's expectations.

"Giant, are these the people you fought with last night?" Leylin suddenly had a premonition.

"That's right, boss!" Giant laughed in his simple manner, "These fellows are pretty tough, and they can hold their own against my beatings. I think they would do well in the battle squadron…"

Giant's gifted strength was already on the level of a rank 5 Warrior, and he would not do badly against rank 6 or rank 7 Warriors either. For him to give this evaluation, the men must be rather powerful themselves.

At that point, they also knew that Leylin might become their employer, and they looked uneasily at the big fellow standing in the middle amongst them.

"Mm? What's your name?" Leylin looked at the fellow that was obviously their leader. He had a bearded face, and a pair of eyes that looked half-asleep, which glimmered with intelligence from time to time.

"This is a fellow with a lot of stories to tell!" Leylin judged him on his very first glance.

"Ronald! My name is Ronald, my lord!" His tone of voice was very respectful and decorous, and he even seemed to have learnt a little noble etiquette.

"Can you read?" This sort of subtle distinction aroused Leylin's interest.

"I previously spent some time in the Tillen scholars' family learning how to write," Ronald was very humble, and although they had only just met, he had immediately realised that Leylin was not an ordinary youth.

Not only could he subdue a subordinate like Giant, his temperament was different.

Only a life of abundance, and a long period of etiquette and culture lessons could nurture such an awe-inspiring presence, and an air of nobility.

In these times, a man like him represented hope!

"Very good! Ronald, are you willing to swear loyalty to me?" Leylin smiled, requesting loyalty rather than employment. This was clearly the invitation of a noble, and Ronald was stunned by it.

He was only startled for a short moment however. Ronald clenched his teeth and asked, "I want to ask my lord if you're part of the Louis family? If so, then please forgive me, as it would be difficult for me to agree!"

"Why is that? Are they your enemies?" Leylin asked with great interest. He immediately saw a trace of hatred within Ronald's eyes.

This complex change in emotion surfaced only for a moment, but it could not be concealed from Leylin's gaze.

"Yes," Ronald clenched his teeth and took a gamble. After all, if Leylin was a young master from the Louis family, then this situation would not end well for him.

At this moment, the atmosphere became rather delicate. The ten pirates next to Ronald glared at Leylin and his men, as if they were ready to leap into action if the response was unfavourable.

The boss of this place had long hid under the counter, and was obviously experienced with these abnormal situations.

"Haha… Haha…" Just when the atmosphere grew so tense that time almost came to standstill, Leylin suddenly laughed. His rippling laughter disrupted the heavy atmosphere, just like a rock being thrown into still water.

"I'm not one of Marquis Louis' cronies. On the contrary, my family has a grudge against him," Leylin spoke slowly, "After all, even if the Marquis needed men, it would be impossible for him to come and recruit here in the Pirates' Cove, wouldn't it?"

"Then, this Ronald is willing to accept your employment, my lord!" He skillfully answered Leylin's previous question, and clearly did not put any heart into his reply. However, that was normal.

Leylin was not brain-dead enough to think that once he exuded his oppressing aura as a hero, subordinates would come running over to worship him.

Perhaps only after he had lead Ronald to begin taking action against Marquis Louis, would he be able to obtain true loyalty from him. Only once he had destroyed Marquis Louis would Ronald be willing to die for him.

'However, having this sort of effect at the beginning is already good!'

"Very well, from now on you will be a sailor on the Scarlet Tiger ship. Ronald, you are my second officer!" Since there were many available positions now, he needed to fill the gaps quickly.

"Haha… This fellow, welcome to the family! Boss, bring the rum!" Giant firmly slapped Ronald's back, making him stumble.

"No problem!" The boss who had previously hid under the counter immediately stretched out his hand, a cunning expression on his face, "Only… Shouldn't you clear your bar tab before you continue drinking? Since you've already been hired by someone, doesn't that mean you'll have money very soon? Poor old Fade can't stay afloat any longer…"

After he finished, he even winked at Leylin several times and squeezed out a few drops of crocodile tears.

After he heard this, Ronald and the others bowed their heads, and their faces flushed in shame.

'It looks like these people all didn't have enough to pay their bill, and were locked up here last night,' Leylin grudgingly sighed.

"Tell me! How much money do they owe you?"

After walking out of the bar, the group of men behind Leylin's back still looked rather ashamed.

"I've given you the criteria of the men I'd like to recruit, so now it's up to you to recruit people. I need 100 men!" Leylin said to Hulk, after they had walked for a while.

"Don't worry, my lord!" As a guard of the Faulen family, Hulk's loyalty towards Leylin was very strong.

"Mm, go and attend to your business. There's no need to follow me," Leylin waved his hand to dismiss the others behind him.

"Master!" Karen followed behind Leylin with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry, once I make a promise, there is no way that it won't be fulfilled," Leylin said in a gentle voice, but Karen involuntarily trembled.

"Alright. Please be careful, Pirates' Cove is extremely chaotic…"

"Mm, I know," Leylin nodded, disappeared into an alley on the side of the street.

Pirates' Cove had a complex labyrinth of back alleys, and each one could allow only one person to pass. It was obviously crowded and chaotic and the floor was filled with slop and filthy things, making it smell absolutely awful.

However, Leylin's gaze was fixed on a unique symbol in a corner of the alleyway. It was a symbol of two crossed daggers, which faintly pointed towards a certain direction.

"The Thieves' Guild!" Leylin smiled, and immediately walked in the direction that the daggers were pointing to.

In the World of Gods, more and more people were able to advance into a profession. However, the one's that attracted the most attention and had endured the longest were the three guilds- the Thieves' Guild, the Warriors' Guild and Wizards' Guild!

These three guilds would frequently issue missions, which would bring great benefits to adventurer groups.

In the World of Gods, the number of shrines and whether the three major guilds were hosted there, was a major indicator of the prosperity of a city.

Pirates' Cove naturally did not host the Wizards' Guild, but Leylin had seen the Warriors' Guild as their symbol had been very striking.

The Thieves' Guild was an enormous organisation which had been secretly hidden in the dark, and their missions tended towards secrecy. Most of them were requests for assassinations or theft.

However, it was this dark network that seemed to permeate the entire continent, and rumour had it that they had the blessings of many gods.

Yes, the three great guilds each had the backing of more than one god!

Underground

As he walked in the direction that the daggers pointed, his surroundings became increasingly remote. The liveliness of Pirates' Cove was gradually left behind, and Leylin began to feel a pervasive sense of eeriness and desolation.

This feeling grew even more obvious after he walked down a flight of stone stairs. The terrifying senses of wizards allowed him to notice that there were three pairs of eyes spying on him in the shadows.

"It really feels like I'm walking down to hell!" Leylin chuckled. The sun was covered by vast dark clouds, projecting tremendous shadows.

He pressed his palm onto a gray rock covered in moss, and a gap immediately appeared in a wall nearby. He did not hesitate as he quickly ducked into the gap, simultaneously feeling many astonished gazes directed at him.

There was a very short path behind the wall, and at its end was a wooden door with an iron ring.

*Thump! Thump!* Leylin used the ring to knock loudly on the door, and it let out a distant sound.

The door creaked open slightly, revealing the face of an old man holding an oil lamp. He had practically no facial muscles anymore, looking like a withered corpse under the flickering light of the lamp. His two eyes looked dazed, the eyeballs completely motionless.

"The night is always lonely," The old man said in a hoarse voice, as if he had not spoken for a long time.

"For those who are seeking brightness and hope!" Leylin smiled slightly, a dagger flying into his hand and beginning to dance through the air as elaborately as a butterfly.

The old man gave Leylin a probing look and opened the wooden door, "Come in, brother from the Underdark!"

With the light from his oil lamp, Leylin could see a deep and pitch-black passageway that seemed to go all the way to the core of the earth. A distant sound increased in volume as he made his way across it, until it turned into what seemed like a market bustling with life.

*Pak!* Two enormous gates opened, revealing an even more expansive underground world.

What entered his sights was a hall formed from a deep cave, with sinkholes in the floor and underground streams trailing off to numerous others. People from all walks of life populated this area, most strangely covering their faces with shrouds. Only pairs of vigilant eyes were revealed.

In the distance were a few wooden constructions and a large announcement board towering ahead. Below were many masked people gesticulating at it. While they tried to lower their volume, the sounds of discussion from the whole crowd joined to form a buzz.

"Welcome to the Thieves' Guild! Is this your first time, kid?" A slender and tall person like a bamboo stick closed in, trying his best to create a stiff smile, "Need a guide? I…"

"No!" Leylin rejected resolutely.

This was the dark world of Pirates' Cove. How could there be good people here? Even if one looked to hire people, just showing the slightest of weaknesses would cause these people to pounce on you like wild wolves, dividing everything amongst themselves after murdering you.

"Mister… I…"

"Scram!" Leylin glared at him, and the murderous aura born of indiscriminate slaughter forced the man several steps back.

Having killed people meant nothing. Everyone here had the blood of at least one or two people on their hands themselves, but Leylin's own murderous aura was far more powerful than that. It was that of someone who's truly honed themselves on a bloody battlefield, not someone to be trifled with.

An important part of being a thief was knowing oneself well. The slender bamboo stick of a man laughed awkwardly and disappeared into the darkness. He had a feeling that if he were to continue staying here, what happened next would be something he would regret.

"Is this darkness…" Feeling the blood and violence lingering in the air, as well as the pure malicious intent, Leylin revealed a nostalgic look. He was originally a dark Magus after all.

He ran his eyes over his surroundings casually, and began to head towards the large announcement board. The thing seemed to grow bigger the closer he got, until it was the size of a small hill.

Numerous enchanted words flickered on it; just maintaining this effect would require at least tens of gold coins everyday. The extravagance caused Leylin to nod to himself.

'Mission: Track down whereabouts of a batch of silk cloth!'

'Mission: Investigate reason and happenings for the fall of the Half Merfolk Island!'

'Mission: Assassinate Viscount Lorraine's wife!'

'Selling information: The recent shipping route of the cargo ships of the Heigel chamber of commerce!'

'Selling recipe for poison: Tears of Molin! Interested parties must come for a face-to-face meeting!'

All sorts of information and news flickered on the announcement board. The missions for investigation and assassination caused Leylin to let out an involuntary sound of surprise, 'I didn't expect news of Half Merfolk Island to travel here so quickly, and… Missions for the assassination of nobility put out here in public…'

The only impression that Leylin got was that as long as money was involved, these assassins could do anything. He gazed steadily at the board as the A.I. Chip rapidly scanned everything, collating the information on all these missions into one system.

While it was only the names of the mission, Leylin grew to understand the outer seas better from it.

'Crimes and chaos… I like it…' Though he only saw a corner of this dark world, Leylin knew that things were definitely not all quiet and tranquil in the region.

Many rebellious powers lay low in the shadows, preparing to deal Marquis Louis a fatal blow at any time. This would completely destroy the market dominance that the Baltic archipelago enjoyed, allowing them to plunder the riches and resources there!

Once the A.I. Chip showed a prompt that it had recorded all the information, Leylin walked straight to the wooden house at the back.

Many roads immediately showed up like a dense cobweb. Some fellows with dangerous auras occasionally appeared in Leylin's senses, but there was only a very fuzzy image of them there.

'This feeling… Is it a protective layer due to some divine force? In addition, this seems to be from a god I know well…' Leylin snickered and strode inside.

*Pila!* The void was torn open at this moment, and an icy glint of steel was aimed straight at Leylin's neck like a poisonous snake's tongue.

The rank of this assassin seemed to be rather high, and he had almost escaped Leylin's senses. It was only at the moment of the other party's attack, that instant when their murderous intent surged out, that Leylin located them.

'Mage Armour! Fragile Barrier!' Two layers of protective spells immediately appeared with a thought.

But at the same time, he saw an icy look in the assassin's eyes. The rays of light from a divine spell shone out.

Dispel Magic! Under the glittering light, Leylin's protective spells instantly crumbled, revealing his astonished gaze. The dagger in the assassin's hand ruthlessly swiped at his neck, and he evidently would not stop until it was all over.

Most wizards would need a period of time to recover their senses and contact the Weave after being hit with Dispel Magic. This slight moment would be enough for the assassin to carve Leylin into multiple pieces. After all, a wizard that had lost all ability to cast spells was just a regular human.

[Beep! Host affected by divine spell, suffering a temporary loss of ability to sense level 2 and 3 Weave. Countdown: 5 seconds!] The A.I. Chip's prompt arrived in that instant, but strangely enough, there was no mention of the level 0 and 1 Weave. Leylin could sense that his ability to use that still existed.

'I see. So after I complete the analysis of the Weave, I'm immune to isolating skills?' Leylin could now cast rank 0 and 1 spells in an instant, drowning this assassin. However, he immediately gave this idea up.

An ability that was too unexpected would give rise to suspicions, which was not beneficial to him at the moment.

'Since it can seal the magic abilities I have, then…' A magic scroll instantly appeared in his hands, emitting terrifying light.

"A rank 4 spell!" The assassin produced a sharp cry. Meanwhile, he could feel his dagger piercing into what seemed to be the most solid granite, unable to penetrate through it even by an inch.

"Rank 4 magic, Stone Skin! You despicable maggot, you even made me use such a precious scroll!" Leylin feigned fury as he was completely covered by a layer of stone skin, as if he now wore armour of stone. This was Stone Skin, a rank 4 spell. Its defensive power was outstanding even among other spells of its kind.

This scroll was something that Ernest had given Leylin while he had still been in the manor just in case. He hadn't used it during the previous times of danger, but he'd done so now.

This was a rank 4 magic scroll! Even if its value wasn't enough to equal that of a city, it was very precious, and the fury on Leylin's face was understandable.

"You should not have come here!" The assassin's voice was hoarse as he hurriedly retreated.

"Trying to leave now?" Leylin's expression was filled with fury as he swung his fist.

*Thud!* The tip of the dagger was broken off by the stone fist, but it did not stop there. It crashed into the assassin's body with great power.

*Crack!* A layer of his defence was destroyed, and the assassin's body was sent flying backwards, the imprint of a fist clear on his chest.

"Never… Never has someone been able to treat me this way. I will kill you…" The assassin pulled his mask down, revealing a sullen face, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Let's see who dies first!" Leylin strode closer, a murderous aura apparent on his face.

"Esteemed guest, please forgive him!" At some point, a figure dressed entirely in a black robe came to the centre, a streak of divine force flying to the assassin's body.

Under the light, the assassin's wounds healed at a startling rate.

"Cure Serious Wounds! A rank 3 divine spell!" Leylin's eyes narrowed as he saw the emblem on the other party's chest.

Conference

"A priest of Cyric?" Leylin stepped backwards, "Since this is what the God of Murder's pries wants, then I'll forget it…" He had no plans of killing people here, he was in their territory after all.

"Lord Priest, please let me…" At this moment, the assassin on the ground began to crawl, eyes full of hatred for Leylin.

"Enough, fall back!" The voice yelled at the assassin without favouritism, causing him to freeze.

"You just wait!" The assassin glared at Leylin, drawing a finger across his neck before disappearing into thin air.

"Hehe… Little Cly was far too reckless and impulsive. Esteemed guest, please come with me!" The priest politely gestured at Leylin to move on. Leylin rubbed his nose and walked with him.

...

Leylin left a long while later, having acquired what he needed. This priest then turned here and there in the underground world, and finally left the Thieves' Guild and arrived in a secret room.

The flames around them flickered sinisterly. At the very centre of the place was a shrine to the God of Murder.

In front of the figure was an old man with wrinkles all over his face, praying as powerful divine force rippled forth from his body.

"Lord Bishop!" The priest from before bowed respectfully.

"Is that person gone already?" The old bishop opened his hazy eyes. They somehow held a lustre that could see through one's intentions.

"Yes, he has already left. He bought a lot information regarding Marquis Louis!" The priest did not dare conceal anything, and stated all of Leylin's activities.

"I saw it. He will be the source of chaos in the future. His many murders and the chaos he brings will definitely bring joy to our master!" The bishop muttered.

"Then what should we do? Help him?" The priest asked, confused.

"There's no need for that… Keke… Just be neutral. If required, he will definitely seek our help…" Lord Bishop snickered, "In addition, gift the news of him coming here to the Barbarians. Also, warn Cly not to interfere with the Master's great work just because of a brother's death, or I will put him on trial…"

The God of Murder's punishment was notoriously brutal, and even this priest began to tremble in fear once it was mentioned.

"I understand! Our Master's glory will definitely spread across the lands!" The priest said a prayer, and then left respectfully…

'The God of Murder? How interesting!' Leylin evidently realised that today's incident had to do with the wave of assassins he'd faced before.

However, assassins were people who worked for money. Mahnke might have sided with Marquis Louis at the beginning or had been hired by him, but he had already been turned into a pile of bones. Leylin could not be bothered with him. Rather, a high-ranked assassin like Cly was a threat he could not ignore.

"Seems like this Thieves' Guild is neutral. It's under the rule of the Barbarians, but also has connections with Marquis Louis…" Leylin smiled grimly.

Churches always saw things from their own point of view, the conflicts of mortals transient like fleeting clouds. As long as their own rule wasn't affected, they didn't care about the king. It was so with the church of knowledge, as well with the church of murder.

'The exploration of the sea started recently, but the place has already entered the sights of the gods. I need to step up my plans…' Leylin's expression could not help but darken, but after he returned to the inn he had calmed down, not revealing any hint of what he'd felt before.

"Boss!" Giant and Hulk stood up in the inn's main hall, accompanied by the tens of pirates they'd brought. Ronald was also there amongst them.

"Mm!" Leylin's eyes swept through this group of pirates. All who met his gaze felt a piercing feeling in their eye, and had no choice but to lower their heads.

"Tell them that I'll get the bill for the roasted meat and rum over these few days!" It had to be said that Leylin had a pretty good impression of these people. At the very least, these pirates were more ferocious than the rest.

Of course, that was the extent of it. It wasn't easy to recruit Professionals at or above the middle grades.

"Master, Madam Tillen has invited you to the back!" Karen noiselessly appeared behind Leylin, her footsteps incredibly light like those of a seasoned thief. She no longer showed any signs of her previous weakness.

"Has the poison from your body been removed?" Blue light flashed as Leylin asked in surprise. He only needed a bit of effort to obtain a cure for Karen's poison, but Madam Tillen had already taken care of it. It showed her favourable attitude.

After all, she had the Barbarians backing her. It was currently the only organisation that could contend against Marquis Louis in the outer seas.

"Yes! She's already removed my slave contract. Henceforth, I serve under you, Master!" Karen had already removed that maid uniform that gave rise to wild thoughts. She was now clad in black leather attire, a black leather holster for her dagger on her thighs that were as thick as ivory. It made her seem even more gallant.

"Good. Lead me there!" Leylin knew that Madam Tillen had already reported everything about him to the Barbarians, she was a part of them after all. They were now looking for him to lay all their cards on the table.

It was the same room as it had been in the morning, though there was now another giant in there.

This was a barbarian with green skin, sitting on the large sofa nonchalantly and with a great aura to him. The floorboards beneath him had slightly sunken under his heavy weight. He wore a cow-horn helmet made of wrought iron, and revealed a fine and solid upper body. His fierce looks were coupled with a pair of shrewd eyes.

At his right hand was an exotic saber 1 at a position from which it could be brandished most easily. Its sharp edge held a magic glow to it, evidently a result of it being enchanted by an alchemist.

"Hehe… the young master of the Faulen Family!" Madam Tillen now sat on the thigh of the barbarian, beaming up at Leylin.

Her fiery-red tail brushed against the barbarian from time to time, giving off an untameable feeling that was very tempting.

The two sat together, and Leylin suddenly had a bizarre feeling that this was rather similar to 'Beauty and the Beast', but Madam Tillen did not seem to think so. Her eyes were full of love as she stared into his eyes.

"Hehe… I never thought that young master Leylin, the heir of a Baron, would become a pirate!" Madam Tillen now sized Leylin up and down, eyes emanating a beautiful luster, "That's not all. I've heard about young master's talent in magic that even makes your mentor feel ashamed of himself. How extraordinary…"

In just a few sentences, she'd revealed that she now had all the information regarding the current Leylin.

"And so? Nobles will never admit it, and I obviously won't!" Leylin chuckled and sat on the sofa on the opposite side. Karen stood behind him, her body involuntarily trembling as if it had evoked some past trauma.

The Barbarians would've been too stupid to hold influence over the outer seas if they couldn't find information on him given his name and the fact that he was a wizard. The sincerity was a requirement of an alliance.

"Nice! Young master Leylin's words are completely different from those dignified nobles," Madam Tillen's tone seemed to conceal some hatred, "They appear to be openhearted and benevolent, but in reality they're worse than beasts…"

The barbarian warrior did not utter a single word all this time, but the pressure he gave off made him seem like a mountain, constantly attacking Leylin.

"This is…?" Leylin asked Madam Tillen bluntly.

"Oh, look at me!" Madam Tillen patted at her bright forehead and gave him a flirty look, "Let me introduce. This is Ogde Battlehammer, my lover! He's also the captain of the Barbarians!"

As she introduced him, Leylin's eyes flickered. The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded, and part of the information was projected before him.

[Name: Ogde Battlehammer. Race: Barbarian. Strength: 15+. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 9. A warrior above rank 15, extremely dangerous!]

Beside the numbers was a 3D image of him, including the magic saber. Just from the image, Leylin could tell that he had numerous magic items on him.

'A high-ranked warrior above rank 15, with a bonus in strength as a barbarian! Even on the continent, this strength would bring him fame. Even if it's the Marquis, with help from the barbarian race, Ogde should not be on the losing end in a battle against the Marquis.'

Leylin found that he had to recalculate the strength Marquis Louis had. In the World of Gods, Professionals between ranks 5 and 10 were elites. Those above rank 10 were great in their own right, and as for rank 15s and above, they were respected throughout the kingdoms and treated very well.

However, even a high-ranked warrior like that, with the power of his whole race on his side, was on the losing end against Marquis Louis. How powerful was the noble? At this moment, Leylin felt lucky that he'd left immediately after taking care of Half Merfolk Island.

As these thoughts flashed past, Leylin nodded at this high-ranked barbarian captain, "Nice to meet you, revered exemplary!"

Comprehend Languages flashed, allowing Leylin to understand what the Barbarian meant.

1. a single long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. Dating from Emperor Cheng of Han, made to slice through horse's legs (hence the literal translation of the term, Horse Beheading Sword)

Alliance

"Foreign wizard! I can sense an aura emitting from you, that only clan priests possess!" The high-level barbarian warrior, Odge, had his eyes fixated on Leylin's hands, "In addition, you're also a soldier worth respecting!"

His astonishing sharpness allowed him to sense Leylin's accomplishments as a warrior.

"Then… Speak your purpose in coming here!" After Odge spoke, the fox lady Madam Tillen immediately stood obediently as the side, as though she was a maid showing respect.

Leylin took a deep breath, then said his request, "I would like to join forces with the Barbarians' to attack the Baltic archipelago!"

"Are you crazy, young lad?" Even the fox woman couldn't listen to such a fantastical plan. She stood up as her chest heaved violently, "Do you know how many Professionals Marquis Louis has under him? You actually want to rope us in as his enemy? Don't think we'll think highly of you because you exterminated the Black Tigers and Half Merfolk Island. Wait till you've gotten rid of the Black Skeletons or Tigershark Pirates, before saying that again!"

"But… you're ALREADY enemies with the Marquis. I'm just offering a helping hand, am I not?" Leylin shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile.

"Good lord! To think that I actually know a chap like you who doesn't understand the complexity of the situation…" Madam Tillen was so furious that her entire body started to tremble, and she was close to chasing him away immediately.

But at this very moment, an enormously powerful pair of hands stopped Tillen from taking action. "Let him continue!"

"Odge… You…" The fox lady turned around and saw the interested expression in the barbarian's eyes.

"The enemy of our enemy is our friend!" Leylin smiled and spoke frankly with assurance. "Not only can the Faulens offer you support as a noble family, I am also a wizard, with a formidable tutor as my backing."

The power of magic was the eternal sorrow of these barbarians. Odge's expression changed greatly in response. Even though there were a few barbarian priests who had inherited magical abilities, they were always at a disadvantage compared to human wizards.

Upon seeing this, Leylin became more confident. "I presume… that you also know how powerful magic can be, right?"

"Yes, we will require the assistance of formidable magical power to aid us in defeating Boruj!" The Barbarian Warlock nodded.

"Boruj… Is that the chief wizard of Louis' family?" Leylin quickly recalled the information he had purchased at the Thieves' Guild.

"That's right! I can tell you for definite that he's a high level wizard above rank 15! Without him, if they relied only on Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates, I'd have ripped those two pirate crews into shreds a long time ago…"

"A wizard above rank 15!" Leylin exhaled deeply. Such high level wizards often had great mastery over powerful plane transmission spells and life spells, which made killing them exceptionally difficult.

"Such wizards are probably few and far between even in the Dambrath Kingdom, right? Why would he agree to work under Marquis Louis?"

If it was him that was the marquis of the empire, there would still be a possibility of attracting a high-level wizard to work for him. But Marquis Louis evidently didn't have this qualification. In the entire Dambrath Kingdom, the only person who had the ability to recruit a high-level wizard would only be His Majesty.

"As a matter of fact, I know a little about this…" Seeing that Odge didn't reject the alliance, and even appeared to admire Leylin, Madam Tillen took a deep breath, no longer looking down on Leylin.

"According to my intelligence reports, that marquis apparently promised to build him a wizard tower, and used this to pay for the wizard's assistance…"

"We absolutely must not let him successfully build a wizard tower!" Without waiting for Madam Tillen complete her sentence, Leylin had already made up his mind. Even it was a wizard tower of the lowest standards, the amount of wealth required was astronomical. Two million gold coins was the most basic requirement, and they had to be kronas.

With such a huge temptation, it was no wonder that Boruj would cast himself as one of Marquis Louis' subordinates. It was also not surprising that his table manners were exceptionally unsightly 1, as he was a person who wanted any kind of benefits.

But the more it was so, the more Leylin wanted to destroy their alliance.

No one else understood the terror of a wizard tower more clearly than a wizard himself. A low-ranking wizard tower was equivalent to a rank 15 wizard, the sort that did not need to rest day or night, with boundless energy. Once he successfully constructed his wizard tower, the entire Baltic archipelago would be so sturdy that it would be impenetrable under Boruj's supervision.

With the wizard tower, not only would Boruj take a step forwards to advancement, it also meant that he could groom a steady flow of wizard apprentices!

It only took a few reminders from Leylin before Odge's eyes shone with resolution.

"But… According to our intelligence reports, Marquis Louis is already secretly buying mithril and refined gold in bulk, and they even increased the intensity of their slavers' fleet. He even sent people to the mainland to acquire high-grade construction blueprints…"

"The more he moves forward, the more we cannot let them succeed, or else his will be the only voice in the outer sea in the future!" Leylin's expression was serious, "I'll incessantly raid his shipping routes from now, I'll need your cooperation for intelligence reports and to fence stolen goods."

Hearing Leylin's simple yet crude plan, Madam Tillen had a rather thoughtful expression on her face. What he offered was something the Barbarians themselves could not do.

Were they to do such a thing, it would mean the start of a war! The Marquis' powerful fleet of ships would arrive at Pirates' Cove in the blink of an eye, but it was different for Leylin. He was executing this in private, but still had the identity of a noble on the surface.

Even Marquis Louis would not dare to commit the heinous crime of attacking another noble family's territory without any evidence. Besides, only a wizard like himself would be able to avoid the detection and predictive spells of the wizard working under Louis.

As for dispatching pirates and the like, did he think the other nobles were fools? There was a church on Faulen Island as well.

As long as the high-level wizard Boruj was not around, Leylin dared to join up with the Barbarians, and make sure that Boruj would walk the path of no return.

Many thoughts passed through the barbarian's mind. One should not be baffled by his appearance; although he was a barbarian, his ability to hold the throne of leadership showed that he was no simple character.

Moreover, no matter how he looked at it, the one taking the risk would be Leylin and his family. There wouldn't be any gains or losses on his part. This was what Leylin had planned long ago, and it would soon bring sorrow to his weaker opponents.

"Madam!" At this instant, there was a light knock on the door.

"What's the matter? Didn't I say before that you can't approach the lord if there isn't anything important?" Madam Tillen scowled, but continued to swing her hips as she opened the door by a small crack.

"Madam!" A maid with extremely clever eyes lowered her head and secretly scanned her surroundings, before whispering something in Madam Tillen's ear.

After closing the door, Madam Tillen returned to her seat. She looked at Leylin oddly. Her facial expression changed a few times, before she leaned forward on Odge's shoulder and said a few words to him.

"You're good!" Odge gave Leylin a profound look. He then whispered urgently and hastily in Madam Tillen's ear.

A high-ranking warrior of Odge's level could already manifest their qi into the external environment. Isolating an area from detection was simply a piece of cake for him, and even Leylin couldn't hear anything they were discussing.

"Alright! Our chief has agreed to form an alliance with you, and even share our intelligence reports and the channel where we dispose our stolen goods with you!"

Madam Tillen grudgingly shot a bitter glance at Leylin, as though he had gotten some huge advantage, "However, we want half of the benefits of your profits every round!"

"Ten percent at most, or else I will not be able to pay my subordinates!"

Once they were back to this matter, Madam Tillen seemed to have returned to being that shrewd wife. Leylin couldn't give them his benefits just based on a few sentences she uttered, and they settled on the criterion of thirty percent in the end.

Since the leaders of both parties had already confirmed their inclination towards a collaboration, the rest of the matters could be settled by their subordinates. Odge stood up, causing a slight tremor in the process.

"Nobleman from the outer seas, wizard Leylin! Are you my friend?"

"Of course. May our friendship last for a long time, and even carry over to our descendants!" Leylin solemnly made a promise.

*Thump!* Two fists, one large and one small, collided, producing a light crack. This was a contract of their alliance and a pledge between men.

Of course, how long this would be maintained was a question that Leylin found hard to confront. However, before the fall of Marquis Louis' influence, their relationship as allies would be relatively solid.

After Odge left, the fox lady moved next to Leylin. Her petite frame which could light up a fire in most men was almost completely leaning against his body as she said in a feminine voice in his ear, "Hehe… Odge seems to like you very much?"

"My apologies, Madam! It's about time for me to leave!" Leylin pushed her away courteously and got up to take his leave.

Hearing his words, a trace of disappointment flashed across her eyes, although it wasn't clear if it was genuine or false. "Your behaviour really does deeply wound me! However, elder sister still has two gifts for you!"

"Karen! You belong to Mr Leylin from now on. You need to satisfy all of his demands, understand?"

"Understood, Madam!" Karen agreed like it was a conditioned reflex, before a hint of shame and fury flashed across her face, as though she had come to a realisation.

Although he was fully aware that Madam Tillen was being generous, at least she had gotten the approval of the barbarian, or else she definitely wouldn't have dared to free Karen of her imprisonment. Leylin thanked her anyway.

1. Acting tastelessly and greedily

Establishing Might

"And the other gift?" Leylin looked at the appealing fox lady in front of him. There was a glimmer of anticipation on his face like that of a little boy-next-door.

Such an attitude made Madam Tillen blush instantly, and her heart almost could not take it, "Although I know perfectly well that you're just putting on an act, I still was nearly captivated by you…"

Tillen swayed her hips. Her fiery-red fox tail drifting gently with the wind, "The second one is an intelligence report. It's about the God of Murder's church."

Leylin's expression turned solemn as he listened carefully.

...

After several days, the Scarlet Tiger had been repaired at the pier of Pirates' Cove. The blood-red flag with the skull and dagger motif fluttered in the wind.

The damage to the ship's hull had been completely mended, the bottom of the ship polished, and even the bow of the ship had been replaced. The entire ship seemed to have been given new life, making Leylin feel deeply moved and feeling that his gold coins had been well-spent.

Now, Leylin was standing at the front of the deck with his hands behind his back, looking down at more than a hundred pirates.

These men were all recruited at Pirates' Cove, and would make up the members in his future pirate crew.

Although Hulk and Giant had diligently attended to the matter, Leylin still had a glimmer of dissatisfaction due to the short period of time they had.

It could not be said that he was discontented with these pirates below him. It would be a wonder if these stubborn and unruly pirates submitted immediately upon discovering that their boss was a youngster. Thus, Leylin was not upset about that. What made him unhappy was how weak these pirates were.

The number of Professionals were so low that it could be counted with his fingers, and not a single one was above rank 5. Ronaldo's group was already considered the cream of the crop, but they had at least seen bloodshed before, so they wouldn't be lenient during a battle.

Furthermore, the few who had pretty decent strength seemed to be up to no good. They didn't even have the inclination to lay low for a while, which made Leylin shake his head inwardly.

'Forget it, an elite pirate crew isn't made in one or two days. Hulk and Giant have done quite well.'

Leylin sighed secretly, then stood in front of everyone, "I am the captain of the Scarlet Tiger and will be your captain in the future. Does anyone have anything to say?"

He roared loudly all of a sudden, and his voice even made the pirates' eardrums hurt, "I know many among you are unwilling to obey me."

Leylin slowly ran his eyes through the crowd, seemingly able to read every single pirate's heart, "Some of you have your eyes on the handsome pay. Others are here purely to have some fun. Furthermore, some of you, perhaps, simply harbor prohibited thoughts and wish to kill me and seize control of the boat at sea."

An uproar came from the pirates below, but Leylin's voice was loud enough to repress it.

"But it doesn't matter, I can put all that aside. However, if you disobey my orders on the ship, or are unable to complete even my most basic requests, I will wring your brain out and stuff it up your anus. Do you understand?"

This arrogant threat immediately created a commotion among many of the pirates. Even Ronaldo was slightly displeased.

"Ya tender white swine! How dare ye speak to adults like that! Be a good lil' boy and run back to yer mommy's bosom to drink her milk!"

A jarring voice sounded from the crowd and hoots of laughter instantly erupted.

"Stop hidin', Damphair Aeron. I can see ye. Get out here!" Giant and Hulk were rather furious.

"Hey! Hey! Mateys! Are we gin' let a mischievous imp climb over our heads?" The crowd parted. A pirate with a fake eye and yellowing teeth walked out with more than a dozen men behind him.

"Browntooth Torworld, Pinchface Jon Myre, Red Oarsman Lucas Codd, Quellon Humble…" Giant's expression grew worse as these names were called out one by one.

These were all famous pirates. Most of them worked alone, but they still were forces to be reckoned with.

Moreover, they had great popularity among the various pirates. Even Cyclops felt that this wouldn't be easy to settle.

"Finally, you appear." Leylin shook his head, "Then what do you plan on doing? Don't forget we are still at the pier."

Leylin was speechless regarding how those few had appeared all of a sudden. Even if they were just being compliant on the surface, but were secretly conspiring to seize control of the authority, Leylin could still use them temporarily for a period of time. It was better than disposing of them immediately.

"Nothin', respectable young master!" Aeron snarled, making his yellowing teeth even more conspicuous, "I'm just hopin' that young master can appoint me and these mateys as assistants onboard. This way, we'll be able to pass on a portion of the benefits to ye. A person with such honorable status like yourself can refrain from headin' out to sea and takin' risks. Ain't that reasonable?"

"Is this what all of you think too?" Leylin looked down at the newly recruited pirates.

At this point, even Giant, the most slow-witted of them all, understood that they were plotting to seize control. He immediately stood behind Leylin, along with Cyclops and the other older pirates. Their gazes were filled with pity.

Based on what they knew of Leylin, they instantly predicted that this was the beginning of a show of force and massacre.

The majority of the pirates lowered their heads, but a few jeered rowdily. The crowd still showed tacit approval on the whole.

The loyalty of pirates was as chaste as prostitutes.

"Aeron! You're too much!" Ronald stood apart together with his brothers, drawing the boundaries with him.

"A silent majority, and a handful of rebellious people?" Leylin laughed while looking at Aeron, who seemed to be at a loss of what to do. His eyes were filled with panic.

Upon seeing Ronald step out, he evidently understood that the situation had escalated to a point where it would be difficult to tell what would happen.

At first, they had more than a dozen brothers that were not inferior to Leylin's men. While the remaining newly recruited pirates wouldn't have helped an outsider.

But now, the tables had turned. Since Ronald decided to defect while bringing some people along, the tides turned immediately. The number of people in Leylin's team rapidly increased, which intimidated majority of the remaining pirates.

Aeron deeply understood that, with his reputation, it was possible to get some of these pirates to fight for him. However, it would be impossible for Ronald to fight for Aeron as if his life depended on it.

"Damn it Ronald, ye made me lose such a huge juicy sheep! Watch out!" Aeron cursed and moved to leave with his subordinates. Death, however, was already knocking on his door. A nimble black silhouette suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Shadow Stealth!" The figure that had appeared was an assassin. Her dagger slashed an elegant arc across his neck.

Assassin skill— Cutthroat!

A great amount of fresh blood splurted out. Aeron covered his throat with both hands, and struggled as he collapsed on the floor. His death was quick.

"Anyone with the audacity to offend my master, will die." Karen stood behind Leylin, wielding the dagger.

After the poison was expelled from her body, Karen finally returned to her original strength as a rank 5 assassin, which immediately intimidated a few people.

Now, she faced these pirates with the blade of vengeance.

"A rank 5 assassin! Mateys, charge! Avenge Aeron!" A red-haired pirate, who had been standing behind Aeron, immediately yelled out as a layer of qi burst forth from his body.

"Don't move, all of you!" Leylin raised his hands and stopped his subordinates from causing trouble.

"Perhaps you once heard how the captain of the Scarlet Tiger was a powerful wizard but, upon seeing me, you instantly thought it was only a rumour," Leylin strolled in front of those traitors. What he said made their expression change drastically and, at this point, many of them were already secretly regretting their actions.

"But let me tell you that, unfortunately, your guesses are wrong." A refined and courteous smile was plastered on Leylin's face. What he did next, however, wasn't so civilized.

"Fireball!" Two balls of fire shot out, and the red-haired pirate was instantly torched.

The powerful force of the spell immediately made numerous pirates retreat one by one, a look of respect emerging on their faces.

"Animate Rope!" Leylin pointed his finger. The once useless cable suddenly started moving about, as if it had a life of its own. It nimbly bound the rebellious pirates together, and hung them upside-down on the deck.

The numerous ropes resembled the tentacles of a formidable monster as they danced around continuously, while Leylin looked like the powerful wizard who tamed the monsters of the sea only found in legends. Many pirates couldn't help but kneel down.

"Ah! Release me! Release me! This is the Pirates' Cove, ye can't do this! The Barbarian Pirates crew ain't gonna let ye off!"

A few pirates were still putting up their final struggle. Their high-pitched voices pierced the air, attracting a team of barbarian guards.

There was a glimmer of hope on the faces of the captive whey they saw the guards. However, it was unfortunate that their hopes were immediately smashed to smithereens.

Upon seeing the flag of the Scarlet Tiger, these barbarians left immediately, not even bothering about the tragedy that was taking place.

"This treatment! It means there's an alliance with the Barbarian Pirates crew! Boss has already made an alliance with the Barbarians!" The numerous pirates immediately began to heartily surrender. With the assistance of the prestigious Barbarian Pirates and his own formidable strength, Leylin knew that he had finally established a definite amount of trust with these newly recruited pirates, at least for the time being.

"Boss! Please spare us!" "Respectable and powerful Lord Wizard! Red Oarsman Lucas Codd is willin' to pledge loyalty to ye!"

At this point, the pirates hanging upside-down sank into despair, and many began begging for forgiveness.

"Traitors must be dealt with strictly and severely. That way, the others can witness how high a price one must pay for betraying me!" Leylin's indifferent tone sent a chill through the hearts of the other pirates.

Following his orders, the cable ropes suddenly tightened, forcing out copious amounts of blood.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Splashes of blood burst out. The gazes of the other pirates were filled with fear; right now, Leylin looked like the king of all devils.

Reward

"Master! Your beautiful strength is like a resplendent jewel, brimming with a dazzling brilliance!" Karen, who was standing beside Leylin, immediately complimented him. As a half-drow, she seemed to have regained her natural instincts after being liberated. She was gradually recovering her darkness and thirst for blood, which was characteristic of the drow.

"Alright, get up."

Cyclops and the other pirates who had long pledged their loyalty were already aware of the outcome, thus they didn't appear to be flabbergasted. The new pirates, on the other hand, were all frightened out of their wits, especially Ronald and his group.

"So, what do you think? Does anyone else have any objections?"

Leylin ran his eyes over the crowd. The other pirates didn't dare meet his gaze, yet their eyes were brimming with reverence.

"Excellent! I like the respectful look in your eyes." Leylin nodded. His subordinates immediately pulled out two trunks of silver kronas and copper coins.

This was the only payment he had obtained from selling the majority of goods he had on hand. Madam Tillen had ruthlessly cut the prices, probably in an attempt to vent her anger.

However, this much was sufficient to maintain the pirate crew for a few months. As for the months after that? Why would he still worry about providing for his men after getting a hold of the riches of the entire sea?

"The pay I promised earlier will not be reduced." Leylin opened the chest. The twinkling radiance of the silver kronas blinded the eyes of numerous pirates.

"Each buccaneer of the Scarlet Tiger will obtain a fixed salary every month, in addition to the loot plundered," Leylin announced loudly. This policy was quite different from the usual pirate way, and it instantly received cheers from the pirates.

Although it was akin to opening a huge hole in the finance department, Leylin needed to create a strong pirate crew as fast as possible, and he couldn't care less about anything else.

After all, immense pressure and death threats were insufficient to govern a huge group. A system that gave encouragement through incentives had to be established. Otherwise, why would they join a crew with a temperamental captain like Leylin, when there are so many other pirate crews?

As soon as news of this spread, no matter how savage Leylin would be rumoured to be, he probably would still have enough manpower sources. Perhaps he could even attract a few Professionals, which would be incredibly amusing.

'As expected, these pirates don't have a single bit of loyalty.'

After giving out the money, the newly recruited pirates were immediately in high spirits. They looked as if they had completely forgotten what had happened earlier. Leylin secretly shook his head.

However, this was the objective truth, and there was absolutely nothing that could change that. Leylin could only take a laissez-faire approach.

After all, the control that any pirate captain had over his men was always the same. Unless authority was rooted deeply after long periods of time together, and trust was established through continuous victories, this was all it would amount to.

If it was not like this, Leylin wouldn't have been able to subdue the Black Tiger crew previously, and set up a new crew with them as the first few subordinates.

'These incentives… It seems like it is still not enough.'

There was a flash in Leylin's eyes as he stood on the platform, "Giant!"

"I'm here, boss!" Giant immediately half knelt on the floor. His body resembled a small-scale mountain.

"You killed more than ten enemies when you accompanied me last time. You're also the Professional with the highest rank among all my men. I want to reward you."

Leylin waved his hands and a piece of leather armor, that resembled a singlet, flew in front of Giant. There was an armor plating in the most crucial body parts, offering better protection.

Giant put on his sleeveless leather armour. His face, however, changed when a magical brilliance burst from his armour. He couldn't help but shout in surprise, "This is magical armour!"

"What? Magical armour?" This immediately attracted envious looks from the other pirates.

Even though it was the cheapest of all magical goods, it had to be supported by primary smelting spells, and was worth hundreds of gold coins. Furthermore, a life-saving item such as this one was priceless.

"Yes. It has been reinforced by the "Hardness Spell" three times. Even a heavy hammer would be unable to break through your defense with a single blow."

Actually, the raw material of this leather armour had been looted from the captain of the Merfolk Pirates after the battle. Leylin had found it to be beneath him, thus he decided to modify it for his men to equip.

Giant didn't know what else to say and could only scratch his head as he smiled foolishly, while attracting a few jealous looks.

"Also, Ronald!" Leylin turned his gaze to Ronald.

"Young master! You called for me?" Ronald knelt on the floor with one knee, with a strange feeling in his heart.

"Yes! Your earlier actions attest to your loyalty! This rapid explosion ring is yours!"

This had also been a contribution made by those unlucky Merfolk Pirates. Leylin did not feel a tad bit embarrassed.

"Many thanks!" Ronald felt as though he had been struck in the chest by a heavy hammer/

While knowing that he had only coincidentally been there when Leylin needed to point out role models amongst the new pirates, he was still elated.

This was indeed a magical item! It was so valuable that it could be a family heirloom for commoners, knights and lords.

"I will always be loyal to you!" Ronald kissed the ring on his finger, and solemnly accepted this precious treasure into his embrace, also attracting many envious stares. Mainly, many of the new pirates had flushed faces. They gazed at Leylin as though they were looking at a god.

As long as they worked hard , there would be hope. As long as they put in the effort, there would be reward.

More often than not, the people of the lower classes only hoped for so much, yet the upper classes cruelly deprived them of even this slight hope.

But now, Leylin showed them hope of being able to completely change their fates. This alone was sufficient to arouse their enthusiasm and will to fight.

"Raise the flag! Set sail!" Seeing their boosted morales, Leylin loudly announced his command.

"Aye! Aye!" The multitude of pirates immediately started to get busy. Under the directions of Cyclops, Hulk and the others, the Scarlet Tiger was quickly driven out of the dock.

At this moment, the bishop and priest from the God of Murder were silently observing the situation from the shadows, until the ship departed.

The bishop spoke after a long silence, "What do you think?"

"He's firm when dealing with issues, determined and unscrupulous. It's hard to believe that he is only fifteen!" The priest seemed unwilling to admit it, but eventually admitted.

"But even so, we don't have to tell him about 'that', right?"

The bishop replied with a cold snort, "Cly has already violated the teachings of our master, and is bent on avenging his brother who betrayed the church long ago. He must be punished for such conduct."

However, these were just excuses, The pivotal point was that Cly was a hindrance to his own plan.

For a person with great influence, disposing of a small pawn was nothing in the face of the bigger picture.

As long as the glory of the God of Murder continued shining across the seas for eternity, what was the worth of a few highly-ranked assassins?

"I'm looking forward to what will happen to him" The bishop smiled as his silhouette slowly faded into the darkness.

The priest's eyes were filled with shock. As the bishop left, he started understanding that the bishop actually placed great importance on that young nobleman.

...

The Scarlet Tiger sailed on under the azure skies, although it appeared to be moving slowly, it was travelling at high speeds.

"Five hundred metres ahead! I spotted an unknown ship without a pirate flag!" The mariner on the observation deck called out.

"Boss!" Giant immediately appeared behind Leylin, donned in his newly-attained leather armour.

Cyclops also appeared next to Leylin and reported softly, "I asked around beforehand. A bunch of scurvy dogs are coveting our booty and ship."

"Organisations that have been blinded by greed?" Leylin suddenly raised his brows, "Their vessel doesn't look too shabby. We are still lacking a few buccaneers and slaves, aren't we?"

After hearing Leylin's words, Giant and the rest were already dedicating a moment of silence in mourning for the pirates on the other ship. They would never know what a terrifying chap they had provoked.

"Prepare for battle. I want to check out the strength of these men," Leylin instructed Ronald, who was standing behind him.

"On it, young master! You will see it!" Ronald retreated respectfully.

With such a formidable wizard on board, he couldn't see the slightest possibility of them being defeated.

The two ships came into contact. Without the slightest bit of hesitation or shouting, they both launched their attacks.

After the whistling of the harpoons and numerous rounds of feathered arrows flying back and forth, they immediately jumped aboard each other's ships and descended into a chaotic battle.

Giant laughed maniacally as he brandished the enormous claw hammer in his hand. He was covered in the enemy's blood and resembled a fiend emerging from the abyss as he charged forth in the frontline.

Behind him, Ronald commanded the new pirates, and assembled them into a few simple formations, obtaining favourable results. He felt as if he possessed an irresistible force, especially with the weapon infused with poison that Leylin had provided.

Seeing his fluent commanding skills, Leylin couldn't help but be fond of him, 'Who would have thought that Ronald would be a military genius?'

"You guys attack them as well. I'm going to meet with an old friend." Leylin waved his hands and flew out of his ship, landing onto the opponent's deck.

Ray of Frost! Fireball!

A hell made of fire and ice spread across the ship, along with the ghoulish wails and painful howls of numerous pirates.

"He's a wizard!"

The powerful force generated by the spells instantly dealt a huge blow to the morale of his opponents. The situation seemed to be tipped in favour of Leylin and his party.

At this moment, however, several secret conscients with the intent to kill approached from the darkness. Their keen aura had the characteristic of highly-ranked assassins.

"It's indeed you guys!" The corners of Leylin's lips curled into a gentle smile as he tore open the magic scroll in his hands right away.

"Ice Storm!" The snow attack covered an even larger area, and had the powerful might of a rank 4 spell. Leylin's surroundings instantly turned into a land of ice and snow.

Return Home

*Plunk!* A few figures were forced out of stealthy advancement, and their bodies bore the traces of having been frozen.

"How did you find us?" Cly's face was now filled with disbelief.

"Dead men don't need to know anything!" The blood-red Devilblood Dagger appeared in Leylin's hand, making him look more evil.

*Whoosh!* He turned into a phantom, pouncing towards these few assassins.

"Damn it…" Feeling sluggish from the frost, Cly's expression was incredibly sinister. Somehow, he already knew who had sold him out.

In the end, all he saw was a dazzling blood-red.

*Pu! Pu! Pu!* Making use of the hindrance from the ice storm and the poor visibility, Leylin took care of the assassins in an instant. The many enemies with immense injuries caused by the ice storm finally lifted their white flag to surrender.

However, Leylin was disinclined to bother with matters like his subordinates looting and taking prisoners. He looked at the prompt his A.I. Chip gave him.

[Beep! Host has been enhanced by the Devilblood Dagger. Agility has increased by 0.3!]

'0.3? Not bad. If that's changed into spiritual force, that might be even less than 0.0001!'

Leylin was very satisfied with this. He had far too much spiritual force, and slight increases like this meant nothing to him. Hence, he focused on his shortcomings.

Making use of the ability of the Devilblood Dagger, he was confident that he could develop his stats in an all-rounded way to become the perfect existence!

Though that was only for perfection below rank 10.

His stats had turned into: [Leylin Farlier. Race: Human. Rank 8 Wizard. Strength: 3.5. Agility: 3.3. Vitality: 4.5. Spiritual force: 8. State: Healthy. Talents: Sturdy, Erudite. Spell Slots: Rank 3(2). Rank 2(4). Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]

At this moment, Karen came beside Leylin. "Master, all the remaining people who resist us have been purged!"

"Good! Send news to the Church of Murder to say that I have already received their goodwill!" Leylin now had a satisfied grin on his face.

...

Faulen Island, in the temporary camp that Leylin had first built.

Jacob, who was patrolling the area, suddenly heard his subordinate reporting to him in panic. "My lord, there's an unknown fleet nearing us!"

"What? Are they pirates? Be on the alert!"

Jacob's expression was solemn. On the outer seas, pirates would never go extinct. They were like a pack of ravenous wolves, attacking any ships or ports that would bring them wealth.

A bell rang urgently, and with the soldiers urging them on, the slaves hid within wooden houses. The rest of the soldiers took their weapons and watched the sail in the distance.

However, even Jacob involuntarily gaped, unable to say a word.

Large. It was much too large! There were three huge ships with densely packed human figures atop them, causing Jacob to say bitterly, "These numbers are probably enough to attack the whole Faulen Island. Could this be the three legendary large-scale pirate groups?"

"It's the time to show your loyalty to the family till the end!" Jacob gripped the weapon in his hand tightly and yelled.

"Long live Faulen!" "Long live!" Many soldiers yelled together, but their voices were filled with immense fear. A few soldiers were already looking out for escape routes. Not everyone could view death with equanimity. Under the threat of death, too many things could happen.

The three huge ships did not hesitate as they drew closer. However, there were no pirate flags at the top. Could this instead be three large merchant ships?

Merchant ships? How was that possible? Jacob was completely confused.

At this moment, a figure flew like an eagle from the ship, heading in his direction.

"That's Fly! It's a mid-rank wizard spell, could it be…" Jacob's expression changed, eventually turning into one of anticipation and elation, "It's young master! Young master is back!"

As the streams of air dissipated, Leylin's figure stopped in front of Jacob, "You did well with the camp!"

He'd taken a quick look at this camp from the skies and found that Jacob had completed everything according to his plans. It already was in a good state, able to take in a new population and slaves, which would help him with his trading plans.

"Many thanks for your praise! It's actually thanks to the slaves. They work diligently everyday, but it's a pity there are too few of them…" Jacob placed his right hand on his chest, bowing respectfully.

"You don't have to worry about the slaves. I brought a lot… and there are other surprises as well! Prepare to dispatch people to take them." Leylin had a trace of a smile on his expression. A huge flame flew from his hand, forming an obvious signal.

The three ships began to move slowly, releasing countless little boats that rowed in their direction like ants.

"Three ships…" Jacob's eyes widened.

"Hehe… These are ships of the Rhodes Merchant group. I made a deal with them and bought large numbers of slaves and coarse sugar…" Leylin watched the many little boats, frowning slightly.

"Here!" He pointed to a coastal area, "We'll need to build a new dock. Of course, there were far too few people before, but this won't be a problem now…"

Seeing the unending stream of slaves and baskets of coarse sugar, as well as other construction materials unceasingly being sent ashore, Jacob clenched his fists. His face flushed.

While he had no idea how this mysterious young master had gotten a hold of this, that had nothing to do with him, did it? As a subordinate, all he needed to do was carry out his superior's orders. That was enough! Just seeing how much Leylin had spent, it was obvious that he was planning to go big.

"Jacob! Make arrangements for the slaves being shipped over. Males and females are to be separated and watched. Don't let them get up to anything funny!"

Leylin's blueprint had been very large, and he had even especially left out blank spaces in it. Hence, it was not an issue to take in hundreds of slaves.

Besides the unskilled labourers, there were many confused faces. The sickly slaves who were chased into a camp barricaded with pointy wooden fences.

There, Nunooker, whom Leylin had appointed as head of the slaves, had already commanded the older ones to bring out pots of mashed fish soup to share with the newcomers. He then darted to Leylin upon catching sight of him, kissing the soil under his feet, "Respected master, Nunooker expresses his reverence for you!"

"I heard you managed the slaves well. Good job!" Leylin nodded. Nunooker had already put on linen clothing and looked somewhat like a commoner now. There was even a lash hung at his waist that seemed rather worn out, making it look well-used. His clothes and whip all showed the rise in his authority and status.

"Do it well. After this, I'll remove your contract as a slave and free you. I'll even give you some land!" Leylin was never stingy with those who sided with him, and this would also set an example for others.

"Oh, great master, I praise you! Your benevolence is as vast as the ocean!" Nunooker knelt down once more.

A manager clad in silk clothing with gold threads on his cuffs came beside Leylin, "My lord, the goods have all been received. There are a total of 275 slaves and 5000kg of coarse sugar! There are also other goods as well. This is the bill for your account…"

"Mm, the numbers are right!" Leylin took a glance at him, knowing that he had not done anything fishy with them. The manager wouldn't dare to anyway, since Leylin was a channel to dispose of stolen groups belonging to the Barbarians.

It was understandable why he feared Leylin. In addition, even if they were to practice fraud, this would not be able to trick Leylin. Hence, Leylin quickly signed his name after looking at the bill, then stamped it with a special ring of his.

This was a dagger and skull, the mark of the Scarlet Tigers! This ruby ring could be opened at the top, and it held Leylin's pirate imprint inside. This was also proof that he had dealings with the Barbarians.

"Alright, you have already paid for the goods before. The deal has been completed successfully. Thank you for your cooperation!" After seeing Leylin sign his name, the manager sighed in relief and then revealed a genuine smile.

"Thank you for your cooperation!" Leylin's eyes moved swiftly away, thoughts already on other matters.

Once he had left from Pirates' Cove, Leylin had wiped out a few pirate groups who had wanted to take advantage of them. Once he had established his reputation and secured his status, he met up with Isabel and the rest at a place they had previously arranged.

Due to the many battles and prisoners, Leylin's pirate group had already changed greatly by the time he met up with his cousin and the others. He now had a tremendous organisation, with three battleships and over two hundred pirates under him!

Though they seemed like nothing more than a mob, it wasn't as if there weren't any talents amongst them. If Leylin was counted as well, this new crew was the strongest one out of the big three. He even had the capital to challenge the larger pirate groups!

What happened next was obvious. With information from the Thieves' Guild and Barbarians, Leylin brought his subordinates and plundered countless merchant ships that belonged to the Louis Family, killing all of the passengers. The goods were naturally mostly sold to the Rhodes Merchant group using the Barbarian Pirates' connections, and in return he earned many slaves and resources.

Following that, the pirates that had endured countless battles needed to rest and reorganise. Leylin seized this opportunity to let his cousin Isabel take over, announcing her the acting captain with Hulk, Cyclops, Giant, Karen and Ronald assisting her. Meanwhile, he returned to his own family's territory.

Sugar Cubes

There were a few special little families in this batch of slaves, those of the Black Tiger pirates who were no more. Leylin planned to integrate them into his people to fill up the population here. At the same time, they could be treated like hostages; any pirate that pledged his life to him at the start would no longer need to be doubted.

Without any major changes, the possibility of their betrayal was at their lowest.

'When it comes to the accumulation of resources, plundering is truly the fastest method!'

Of all the resources this time, there was a special batch that was the spoils of war that Leylin would keep for himself. This included the crude sugar obtained on Half Merfolk Island, as well as items that were difficult to dispose of.

After all this privateering, it could be said that the basic conditions to build the production lines were already in place. The next step was to attempt to produce the items themselves. Had he used the normal method of having his family invest capital into the project, he would have to slowly buy slaves and make attempts to produce the product. He would have suffered difficulties even in the beginning!

"No matter what kind of production it is, privateering is the key part…"

Leylin sighed, "It's a pity that after Marquis Louis' organisation dispersed, I can't go on being a pirate. After all, then I would be viewed as an enemy by many, and there would even be people who have formed grudges against me…"

Destruction and plunder easily gave rise to hatred. At the same time, it had the quickest results, which was why people could not give it up so easily. Leylin being able to make this decision showed his foresight and wisdom.

The pirates would not give up, and that led to the entire region of the sea being abandoned by merchants. Only massive growth of trade would serve as a source of wealth, which was why Leylin wanted to create a sugar and fish floss trade.

Of course, this did not mean that Leylin would disband the pirate group.

In reality, he had already thought of the alternate route for the Scarlet Tigers in the future. They would no longer engage in piracy, instead they would share their ill-gotten gains from collecting protection fees and naval escort services, for instance.

In essence, they would be taken from exploiting others openly, to exploiting them from the shadows.

Leylin was very ambitious! To do this, he had to first become the king of the outer seas, or at the very least, the king of the dark world and possess the power to draw up rules and regulations!

That would also be the rise of his power over the seas! If all went well, he might even be able to create a powerful country based on this sea!

Leylin would not reject the chance to gain power in the secular world. Rather, that was what he was working hard and making preparations for.

As the gods of this world needed the faith of mortals, especially for the newly-advanced gods, having a stable foundation for faith as well as their own territory was far too important. This was what could be relied on to protect and prevent the fall of their divine nation.

The gods were far-sighted. Leylin could not steal the followers of the old gods, because that would only result in a terrifying battle with a god!

His way would be to develop a new territory of his own, and expand the population to gain faith.

Any issues when it came to the time it would take was never a problem for gods.

Three ships steered away from the port under Jacob and the others' watchful eyes. Leylin clapped his eyes, smiling at Jacob, "Alright! What happens next is our responsibility. How are things on your side?"

Jacob looked startled, "Please come with me!"

Leylin opened the wooden door to one of the little storehouses in the camp and was met with the smell of sea salt and fishiness.

There were rows of wooden frames inside, where a large quantity of fish floss were tightly sealed well in porcelain jars.

"Based on the method Young Master taught us, the fish floss we created can be kept for over a month. If we use this method of storing it, it can last for over half a year…"

Jacob sounded excited, "With this shelf life, we'll be able to sell the fish floss to the continent…"

"Mm! The key now is to have a small profit but rapid turnover!" Leylin nodded.

Techniques to create fish floss were not all that meticulous. What was important now was upscaling and industrialising it, which would reduce costs.

Even so, there were a limited number of consumers. At the very least, Leylin could not place his hopes on the farmers and tenants in villages

All they could squeeze out of them was meagre, and they'd be happy if they just got to eat black bread.

Leylin's target market lay in the larger cities. There were handicraft workers, free citizens, many adventurers and mercenaries, who Leylin were counting on.

The villages in the World of Gods were never places where wealth gathered. The cities were the only places with the greatest profits.

He didn't need much. As long as he could break into a few cities near the shore, the profits alone would make Leylin smile brilliantly even in his dreams.

"As for the sugar refinery, due to the lack of acid and activated carbon that Young Master spoke of, we have only stockpiled a batch of raw materials in storage…"

Jacob brought Leylin to another warehouse. Sealed under dry conditions, the sugar was piled together, with some yellow and even black inside.

This was coarse sugar that was even slightly bitter. However, the bit of sweetness within was already a pretty good luxury for the nobles.

However, as this was the outer seas, the moisture in the air caused the white sugar to show signs of coagulating into clumps despite methods that attempted to rectify it.

"It doesn't matter for now, since there will still be another process. The fine white sugar created after that will need even more attention though!"

This was the greatest wealth that Leylin had gotten for himself.

Fish floss would garner small profits but a rapid turnover and thus expand production. However, methods to refine white sugar would have to be kept a secret. This way, he had control over both high and low-end markets, and if he was lucky, this might be able to keep the Faulen Family rich for centuries!

Leylin was rather ambitious about this.

In his plans, this place would become the Faulen Island's most important port, and even the core of the island!

Of course, before either of these two were developed, Leylin would keep all these plans deep inside his heart.

Though it looked more convenient and safer to plunder another island, Leylin was unperturbed.

The problem here was the feudal fiefdom!

In theory, the outer seas of the Dambrath Kingdom naturally belonged to the king. Once unclaimed lands were occupied, that would imply losing protection from the kingdom and would stir up hostility!

What would it imply, for the outer seas without land held by nobility, with no shrines, churches or priests?

Terrifying diseases could not be healed with divine spells, and could only be endured. People also had to deal with the ferocious natives and terrible climate.

In the deep seas, there were also numerous terrifying monsters, with some able to massacre a whole island!

Every year, the number of people who died while trying to break into the outer seas was a number that would cause one to tremble in fear.

Hence, as the Faulen Island had been cleared and cultivated, with a great port, people and church as foundations, it was inevitable that Viscount Tim coveted it.

However, Leylin had long since treated Faulen Island as his own, which determined the pitiful fate of the poor Viscount.

"Jacob, send down the order to give the slaves another meal tonight. We begin training tomorrow, where we are going to prepare the selected outstanding artisans to take part in the production. The rest of the slaves will extend the camp. Whatever it is, we can't have them idle!"

The method to create fish floss was extremely simple, but the method to refining sugar was something Leylin was planning to keep a secret for a few years. While he would be left with no choice but to hand over the techniques later, the immense profits before that happen were going to be terrifying.

Leylin was already planning to sternly exercise control over the artisans, and even set out individual residential areas that would be monitored.

Leylin was the worthy master of this land. Once he made a decision like this, it would be enforced without question.

When Baron Jonas arrived, what he saw was an area buzzing with activity.

"Such a huge camp with so many slaves, wouldn't that cost thousands of gold coins?"

Baron Jonas walked along the streets in disbelief, carefully sizing up the camp. The ground was tidy, and there were spaces at both sides meant for shops, blacksmith stores and tailor stores. It was clear that Leylin had planned this out very carefully, and had built this place up like a little town.

"Yes, master! To create this camp and purchase the slaves, it would be possibly only if we invest months of profit from our entire port…"

Leon's eyes betrayed his shock, especially after he saw the many slaves being managed by Leylin in such a clear and orderly fashion. His eyes flashed and he looked on speechlessly.

Only he, as the main housekeeper, knew how difficult it was to tame so many natives!

The young master, who was able to do this, was truly the treasured child of the gods!

At this thought, Leon could not help but to say a prayer.

But this was just the start. After seeing the completed product that Leylin spoke of, Baron Jonas and Leon were even more shocked.

"Is this… truly cane sugar?"

Eyeing the snow white sparkling cubes that were reflective like mirrors, Baron Jonas picked up a cube in disbelief.

Such a translucent luster was mind-blowing to him, "It's too- too beautiful! It's like a crystal. This is a work of art!"

Baron Jonas mumbled as he tossed it into his mouth, and a sweetness then exploded in his mouth.

Such a sweet taste caused Baron Jonas to be so moved that he could not even speak.

"I can tell you for sure…" After a long while, Baron Jonas huffed out, "The sugar cubes will definitely be a luxury that the nobility long for. Without it, those extravagant banquets will lose much splendour…"

"You are right, Father!" Standing at the side, Leylin revealed a smile.

Venus

Leylin put down the plate that contained the sugar in his hand and looked at Baron Jonas, "Father, how much do you think I can sell these refined sugar cubes for?"

Baron Jonas closed his eyes for a moment and answered with certainty, "It should be at least ten times the price of coarse sugar! If we weren't afraid of someone backstabbing us or coveting this, we could perhaps sell it at even twenty times."

Leylin smiled and nodded. "Then I'll leave the avenues of selling it to Father!"

The moment the method to create such refined sugar cubes entered the market, it would have a huge effect. How could Leylin match up to Baron Jonas in behaving appropriately, finding backers, transferring profits, and building profitable partnerships and the like? His father was a very experienced trader.

"I've just seen the fish floss jars, and they're not bad!" Baron Jonas looked at his son, his eyes full of indescribable emotion, "Sigh… You've really created a difficult problem for your father! Such immense profits…"

While he was sighing, the Baron still could not conceal his smile. Leylin always seemed to be able to surpass his expectations in unimaginable ways.

...

With enough manpower and physical resources, the fish floss and sugar trade that Leylin was anticipating finally began to take shape. Baron Jonas knew full well that such immense profits were something that his family could not handle alone, so he made use of the two items to rope in a few other noble families that had their lands in the outer seas. He also got in touch with the local forces, and gave them a large portion of the profits. This way, there were a lot of people he could drag into deep waters to bear the brunt of the backlash with him.

The moment Faulen Island's refined white sugar entered the market, the effect even surpassed the baron's imagination.

Its pure taste was as sweet as heaven, and immediately conquered many nobles. They rushed to find this luxury item like they'd been driven insane. Just the profits from the first month reached a startling 2000 gold coins!

The fish floss was not as popular, but the market's reaction was not bad. Its characteristic of being convenient food as well as the benefit of being able to store it for a long period of time made it popular among mercenaries and adventurers. Even the military of the kingdom expressed their interest.

The profits of this becoming military rations… was there more to be said?

Making use of these two items earnt them tons of wealth, the Faulen Family began to grow at a rapid rate. Leylin had to even open up a few production lines in order to match the insane market demand!

Of course, this couldn't have been done without the Scarlet Tiger pirates investing a lot of funds. With Leylin controlling everything from the shadows and the aid from the Barbarians, the Scarlet Tiger Pirates had gone all out, attacking numerous ships that belonged to Marquis Louis under Isabel's lead.

Leylin waited on Faulen Island, like nothing had to do with him. The Barbarians were also exceptionally quiet, making the marquis unable to find any evidence. He could only grit his teeth in the shadows, preparing to exact revenge.

Nearly a year passed in the blink of an eye. The camp that Leylin had constructed had now turned into a bustling harbour with limestone floors and tiled houses. There was an imposing aura in the area, and the port was arranged very logically. Security was very good, and there was not a trace of trash on the ground.

When compared to other ports, this was unimaginable. They were nasty and filthy, and usually the sources of diseases and epidemics. Leylin obviously would not tolerate this. Furthermore, a clean, tidy, and orderly port was unimaginably attractive for sea merchants.

With the fish floss and the refined sugar cubes dominating the markets, the port was now a money-making area. A lot of ships stopped at the pier every day, loading up completely on goods before leaving. Even at night, the labourers would still work with much clamour; the place looked prosperous.

Leylin named the place Port Venus, an allegory for a rising star. And indeed, once it was constructed it attracted many merchants into frequenting Faulen Island, and it silently became another trading hub of the outer seas.

Originally, The Baltic archipelago and Pirates' Cove which belonged to two different powers dominated the scene, but Port Venus marked the rise of a third power. Such a huge change obviously attracted the attention of intelligent people.

"My lord, here's the latest news!" A middle-rank warrior in exquisite chainmail armour respectfully passed a letter sealed in wax to Jacob.

Jacob hastily opened it up, and after skimming through a few lines his expression changed, "This is… I'll tell young master myself!"

Once they left the room, two rows of elite warriors followed behind him, all of them with a strong and bloody aura. Their eyes even seemed to glint, they were naturally elite warriors who had activated their qi.

After walking out of the city hall, Jacob mounted a handsome black stallion. While he could use a horse carriage as a public security officer, his fighter habits made it such that he preferred to ride horses himself.

Glancing at the luxurious and imposing city hall at his back, the many middle-ranked warriors behind him, and the eyes of people on the roads looking to curry favour with him, Jacob was slightly absent-minded.

'Everything has really changed!' Jacob sighed. When they came into their wealth, Leylin and Baron Jonas did not hoard their gold like greedy dragons. On the contrary, other than to construct more production lines and Port Venus itself, Baron Jonas had the great vision to take out almost all his savings to increase the power of the Faulen Family.

Exquisite chainmail and stainless steel longswords replaced the leather armour, metal forks and wooden pikes from before on a large scale. He even recruited huge batches of Professionals. While it wasn't quite possible to get high-ranked ones at rank 15 and above, the middle-ranked ones and especially close combat warriors just could not reject the conditions the Baron had offered.

After serving here for a long time, many of these with professions fell in love with the atmosphere and brought their families here, becoming free citizens of Port Venus. Leylin was extremely welcome to the idea, and was generous in his treatment and the promotions. This formed a virtuous cycle, which helped his subordinates get even stronger.

Jacob knew that there were already Professionals over rank 10 siding with Leylin. If not for him following the Baron around since childhood and working hard for the family, his own position would long since have been filled with someone else.

Even so, the sense of danger kept lingering in his mind.

'I need to train even more. I have a feeling that the bottleneck that's been bothering me for years should be able to be broken this time!' With the rise of the Faulen Family's income, Jacob and those of his batch naturally benefitted.

Their salaries rose sky high, and Jacob felt that he was not deserving of this. Not only did he use this money for lessons from scholars, but he also sought powerful warriors for their advice. He had now reached the peak of rank 7, and was a step away from rank 8.

The new wheat farms met him outside the port, the green wheat filled with vitality freshening up the air. Jacob couldn't help but take in several deep breaths.

Those farming here were the farmers who had migrated over from Faulen Island, and there were also slaves that had been released and the families of pirates.

Leylin especially made it a law that as long as slaves worked hard, they would regain their status as free people after a certain number of years, and would acquire 0.6 hectares of land. After paying three years of taxes, they could go to the city hall and apply to redeem it at a low price and become farmers of their own plots of land. The promise of becoming free men motivated the slaves to work with all their might.

Leylin knew that no matter how human society changed, a hierarchy would always remain. Allowing mobility between the levels would give those at the bottom hope, and was the only method that would ensure the vitality of both the organisation and government.

Past the wheat fields were even more guards. Jacob could sense knight-errants, thieves and even assassins spying from the shadows as the farms gave way to an industrial zone. This was where the fish floss and sugar were produced.

Ever since his first trade profits made their way into his hands, Leylin had shifted his production line to the area to give the port more space. It was also convenient to supervise it and ensure the secrecy of the place.

With the expansion of the profits from trade, the issue of security became increasingly serious. It was at the point that Leylin and his master Ernest came here personally to take charge of it. Most of the Faulen Family's elite forces were here, which frightened off numerous spies. However, as long as there were huge profits, the spying would never end.

Leylin's villa was next to the factories. He was never one to mistreat himself, and the villa took up a lot of space. He had even brought over his servants from the manor, including the housekeepers. Of course, Clara and Claire came as well.

Jacob only saw Leylin after two rank 10 warrior patrols. His sixteenth birthday had passed, and Leylin now seemed more mature. His curly blonde hair was like the sunlight, and his blue eyes like the sea. Every inch of his musculature was perfect, which made one feel that his proportions were in perfect harmony. Rather, with his current appearance he seemed like the ideal lover for a noble princess.

The sisters' eyes showed how intoxicated they were by him; they hadn't even noticed Jacob's entrance.