Closer
"Young master, we've received news that a Gold Priest of the church of wealth would like to meet you. He'll reach Venus Port in the next few days."
Claire and Clara blushing brought Jacob a goblet of mixed fruit juice after waking up from their reverie. This was a drink of the elves that Leylin found delightful.
"Gold Priest? Just having a Silver Priest coming over would already be enough…" Leylin half-reclined on the elven rattan chair, looking languid, comfortable, and not ruffled at all.
Waukeen's priests were divided into a few ranks, the highest of which was the current Patriarch. The rest of them were arranged according to currency, copper being the lowest and gold the highest.
A Gold Priest was equivalent to an archbishop, a status that greatly exceeded that of Bishop Tapris from the church of knowledge. Even if Tapris was converted by Waukeen, he would only be a Silver Priest.
The church of wealth sending out a Gold Priest showed that Faulen Island's trade volumes had reached a terrifying level. It was to the point that it even attracted some attention from the Goddess of Wealth!
"Understood. Tell them to give him VIP treatment!"
While this was important, Jacob felt relaxed after hearing Leylin's instructions. It was like he believed that as long as he did as Leylin said, things would go well!
This was the prestige that Leylin amassed over time, and at times, had the ability to reverse the trend of events.
After watching Jacob leave, Leylin pursed his lips and took a drink of fruit juice, a strange grin emerging on his face, "The Goddess of Wealth? Not bad…"
Port Venus was like Leylin's personal fiefdom. While it belonged to Baron Jonas in name, Leylin held the real power here, and had tight control of the management of the port. He had not constructed any churches here, much to Bishop Tapris' chagrin.
But neither Leylin nor Baron Jonas wanted the church of knowledge to solely occupy Faulen Island. And besides the God of Suffering, the Goddess of Wealth was the god that was most worshipped by nobility.
The nobles held the most faith in their own benefits and power. Of course this led to them believing in the Goddess of Wealth. After all, who could resist those adorable and dazzling bundles of gold?
Baron Jonas had long hoped to be able to attract the church of wealth into building a shrine to their goddess here. However, the Faulen Family had been too poor before, and the church of knowledge had obstructed it. However, this was now a request from the church of wealth themselves, and with a Gold Priest being sent over it was obvious how serious they were.
Leylin welcomed the church of wealth's presence here. The benefits it would bring to the region's development were obvious.
The priests of wealth were amazing at making profit. They didn't limit themselves to business; even with their gamut of profitable ventures there was nothing they did not do. From storing precious items, to remitting gold, to converting money between the different metals, they even provided high interest loans— as long as it was profitable, there was nothing they wouldn't dare do.
However, it could not be denied that with the church of wealth would partially take over the role of a bank, and there would only be advantages in trade and economic development.
Since this was a request from the other side, how could Leylin let go of such a great chance to rip somebody off? He could also take this opportunity to take revenge on what they had done in the past.
At this thought, Leylin's smile widened. He took a look at his stats.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 16. Race: Human, Rank 9 Wizard. Strength: 4.5. Agility: 5. Vitality: 6. Spirit: 9. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite. Spell Slots: Rank 4(1), Rank 3(3), Rank 2(5), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)] [Progress of analysis of the Weave: Rank 0: 100%. Rank 1: 100%. Rank 2: 25.17%. Rank 3: 8.89%. Rank 4: 0.001%.]
This past year, Leylin had secretly worked to help the Scarlet Tigers eliminate their enemies. Isabel now had the nickname of the 'Scarlet Witch' and was notorious in the outer seas. Half of that was thanks to Leylin.
The Devilblood Dagger also took this opportunity to drink the fresh blood of enemies, pushing Leylin to rank 9.
A rank 9 wizard was an existence that could make contact with fourth level of the Weave! At this point, Leylin had basically graduated from his study under Ernest. If not for Leylin's continuous motivation, Ernes would've been embarrassed to see his disciple. He had spent a lot of effort and broken through all the way to rank 10.
"Now that I can cast rank 4 spells, master Ernest has nothing to teach me anymore…" Leylin sighed. He could now cast rank 4 spells, and due to his specialisation, Ernest rarely learnt spells out of Abjuration and Evocation. Leylin felt like it was a great pity.
He now spent most of his time in self-study. Of course, with the Faulen Family's current wealth, buying some foundational spell models and scholarly volumes was no problem. However, what vexed Leylin was that the kingdom's wizard guilds were useful for low-ranked wizards, but spell models at rank 4 and above, including research, were kept a tight secret and not sold publicly.
As for information for high-ranking wizards, or even about Legends, it was the most taboo of all and was protected quite well. There was no way for Leylin to see it.
"Master Ernest has already given me a letter of recommendation. With this, I might be able to get the qualifications to get into a wizarding guild in the Dambrath capital…" Leylin's eyes were half-closed, and his brain continued to ponder different ideas.
"It's a pity that the outer seas cannot operate without me. Marquis Louis' patience must be at its limit, and his attacks of vengeance can come at any moment. And then there's also the partnership with the Barbarian Pirates…"
After a long while, Leylin sighed deeply. He obviously could not leave now. At the very least, he had to give Louis' family a firm push, but the day was near for that. Leylin's eyes blazed…
...
"Trash! You're trash!" The ink, quill pen, parchment and all the miscellaneous items on the table were flung onto Viscount Tim's body.
"A year has passed! A whole year has passed, but what have you done? Not only have the few ships you have been sunk by him, he's taken most of our trade! How did I get a son like you?" Marquis Louis exclaimed, the veins bursting out on his forehead in his fury.
"Father! My investigations show that there's a large possibility that Leylin, the son of Baron Faulen, is the person behind the Scarlet Tigers. We can ask for a trial from the kingdom and catch him on charge of being a pirate… And then there's the Barbarians. As long as we amass all our strength and attack Pirates' Cove…"
Tim lowered his head, concealing the icy glint in his eyes and trying his best to persuade his father.
He hated Leylin and the Scarlet Pirates to the bone. Leylin seemed to have become his nemesis. Ever since the incident with the Black Tiger Pirates, the few shipping routes in his control had been fiercely attacked, and his few attempts at revenge were seen through when he was trying to implement them. He had metaphorically been slapped in the face, and the organisations under his control had all been mostly or completely lost.
He had lost the favour of his father, and even the servants began to treat him with less importance. Of course, there was also his most hated big brother, who ruthlessly poured salt on his wounds and took the opportunity to take over much of the businesses he had possessed. His brother was even brazenly recruiting his men!
*Boom!* A black crystal ink bottle was thrown at Tim's head. Ink flowed down Tim's forehead, mixing with blood and leaving him frozen.
"Are you stupid? Guilty of being a pirate? Do you have any evidence, or do you want to implicate us too?"
Marquis Louis' yells were even louder, "And attacking Pirates' Cove? That's the biggest joke I've heard all year! That's the place where all the dark organisations in the outer seas gather. Even if we attack, what good is it for us? We'll even have to take on their counterattack…"
"Father!" At this moment, a gentle voice could be heard from behind the door. Marquis Louis immediately regained his calm, and the light in Tim's eyes dimmed.
The door pulled open. His brother, who seemed to have been blessed by the gods from birth and possessed all the fortunes of the world, walked in.
"William!" Seeing the son of his first wife walk in, Marquis revealed a rare smile.
"My men have already found traces of the Scarlet Tigers, but they seem to be very alert and don't stay on an island for long…" William smiled while he announced this, and Tim who was nearby felt like his face was burning.
"That's normal. They have a powerful wizard who even escaped Boruj's scrying and probes," Marquis Louis muttered to himself, "It's rumoured that Baron Jonas' son, Leylin Faulen, has a wizard behind him. I suspect that the wizard could be part of the pirates!"
"Father, please give me control over the Black Skeletons. I am confident I'll be able to destroy the Scarlet Tigers in 3 months!" William bowed, dealing Tim the final blow.
"Don't underestimate them," Marquis Louis regained his previous expression of a scheming man with deep foresight after his moment of rage had calmed.
Goddess of Wealth
"We are all nobility, and can only follow the rules of the game between nobles…" Marquis Louis spoke slowly, "The Faulen Family was very weak before and had no real backing, which was originally a very good opportunity for us, but…"
Having said this, he glared at Tim, resulting in Tim lowering his head further.
The Faulen Family used to be like duckweed floating through the air 1, but even then Marquis Louis did not dare to deal with them out in the open. He'd only sent out pirates in secret.
Furthermore, if those pirates had succeeded, the family would be annihilated!
But things could no longer be played that way. The Faulen Family now had more connections in the region, as well as backers. The strength they possessed was rapidly increasing. If he did not use all the strength he had at his disposal, Marquis Louis was not confident that he could wipe them out.
But was this possible? Even as a marquis of the kingdom, he could not attack the territory of another noble for no reason.
When it came to pirates, even with both the Black Skeletons and Tigersharks working together, Marquis Louis was still not confident, especially since the opponent had a church on their island.
With such a large-scale pirate invasion. It would be hard to avoid confronting the church.
Furthermore, for those on the outer seas, who did not know that these were the two most powerful pirate groups under Marquis Louis? His goal was far too obvious.
"The timing's gone! We've already lost the best time to attack…" Marquis Louis sighed, "The profits from these two goods, sugar and fish floss, really do measure up to the slave market…"
"Don't worry, father! I'll definitely get those two techniques!" William spoke with confidence, "The current situation is that we have many ships and shipping routes out in the open, but the Scarlet Tigers hide in the darkness where they have freedom. They can be the eyes and ears of the Faulen Family. On the surface neither side can make a move, and only rely on battling it out in the shadows. I'll definitely annihilate the Scarlet Tigers and break off the opponent's eyes and claws that exist in the darkness!"
Such profound insight immediately had Marquis Louis nodding.
"Very good. I'm relieved that you thought of that! Besides the Black Skeletons, I will order the Tigersharks to listen to you as well. The military fleet will await your orders at any time. You must destroy our enemies!"
At this moment, Marquis Louis' ruthlessness in staking everything on this was shown.
"Understood, father!" William's voice trembled slightly. To be able to have so much support made it clear that his status as the successor was unshakeable, and this was already the beginning of the shift of power.
"Also, the opponent has a powerful wizard. We can't ignore that! Wizard Boruj!"
"Lord Marquis!" An old man wearing grey wizard robes walked out from the shadows, eyes glinting with wisdom. The magic rays around him made those around him feel suffocated.
William and Tim hastily bowed towards the chief wizard of their family. Even Marquis Louis did not dare treat him with disrespect, "We will have to trouble you for this matter!"
"No problem!" Boruj's voice was hoarse, with the trace of a foreign and exotic accent, "I've long since wished to have a duel with that old rival whom I have yet to meet…"
"Henceforth, Wizard Boruj will accompany you until the Scarlet Tigers have been annihilated!" Marquis Louis stated.
"U-Understood!" This abrupt but pleasant surprise made William feel dizzy, and even his voice slightly trembled.
"Good! The future of our family will lie with you. Don't disappoint me…"
Tim was standing at the side. Seeing the pretty picture of the father and son together made him feel like an outsider. He was roaring inside crazily, but could only put on a calm expression, not daring to show any of his resentment on his face.
...
A giant golden ship slowly sailed to the dock of Port Venus.
This large ship had extremely extravagant decorations, and there was even a layer of metal that emitted golden luster. From afar, it looked like a ship made entirely of pure gold.
At the ship's bow was a large emblem made of pure gold that shone with dazzling light. This was a symbol of the Goddess of Wealth, taking the form of a huge gold coin.
'They're truly nouveau riche! It would be a disservice for them if they didn't ruthlessly spend this money.' Although he thought this, Leylin didn't dare show anything on his face. On the contrary, he had no choice but to put on his friendliest smile and welcome them.
There were others beside him. Baron Jonas, Madam Sarah, housekeeper Leon… Basically all the respected people here showed up. It was obvious how mind-blowing it was for them to see a Gold Priest.
"Welcome to Port Venus. We hope you like it here, beautiful madam!" Against Leylin's expectations, the Gold Priest who had arrived was a female!
She looked to be about 17 or 18, and her eyes seemed to be shining brightly. They held hints of the shrewdness unique to merchants, and her skin was as exquisite as ivory. She had a tender and splendid smile about her lips that made her look like the little girl next door. Her appearance made it difficult to associate her with the profession of a priest.
However, her brilliant high-ranking priest robe with vibrant colours as well as her powerful divine light, made her status clear.
"Hello, Sire Leylin! My name is Xena. This is a port brimming with hope. I sense the flow of a great origin of wealth…"
As was expected of the priest of the Goddess of Wealth, this was the first thing she mentioned.
"Haha… It's great that Mistress Priest likes this place!" As the successor of the Faulen Family, as well as the delegate to represent her, Leylin elegantly extended his right hand helped her down.
"Powerful! Is this the power of a high-ranked priest?"
The instant their skin made contact, Leylin seemed to see a body brimming with godly luster. All sorts of power from divine spells converged to form a high-pressure electrical network that kept her safe within it, giving off a sense of danger. This was the path of a priest. High-ranked priests prayed devoutly and borrowed the strength of gods to purify their souls, achieving the effect of existing in harmony with god. There was even the possibility of becoming a holy spirit!
Even the A.I. Chip was unable to scan her exact stats, and could only give the conclusion that she was extremely dangerous.
'Rank 15! She's definitely a high-ranked priest who's at least rank 15!' Leylin went on his guard. Meanwhile, she seemed to have noticed him spying and shot him a dark look.
"Oh, my apologies!" It was only at this point that Leylin realised he was holding on to her hand. This was rather impolite. However, as someone who had gone through various worlds, he could adapt quickly and immediately took care of the awkwardness.
After the banquet, Baron Jonas returned to the manor, which left Leylin alone to entertain the Gold Priest.
"It's rumoured that Baron Jonas thinks highly of his first son and has been giving him more authority lately. Seems like it's true!" Xena, who was on a mission set by the church, watched Leylin sitting opposite her, her eyes flashing with interest.
He seemed to have a unique temperament and a lot of confidence. The fact that a mere 16 year old could have such a presence astonished her. Of course, he seemed to be a decent wizard, though it wasn't much in Xena's eyes.
For the rich and overbearing church, cultivating a few spellcasters was no issue. In the Goddess of Wealth's church, there was no lack of legendary wizards.
After all, for the wizards who readily spent gold coins at every turn, there was nothing more comfortable than being able to embrace the church of wealth's golden thighs.
"This porcelain is very high quality!" Xena looked at the cup in her hands. It had many complicated and intricate flower patterns, showing the exquisite craft of the elves.
"How about trying the cocoa from the eastern archipelago? It's said that this marvelous plant has the amazing effect of perking one up without harming the body…" Leylin smiled while pouring her a steaming hot cup of cocoa.
Xena had naturally seen this drink before. The production of cocoa beans was meagre, and on the continent it was sold at an astronomical price. Of course, what shocked her even more was Leylin's capability.
'Does that mean… he's already built up a connection with the eastern pirates?' Xena's eyes shone, and she then put down the beautiful porcelain cup in her hands.
"Mister Leylin, I'm sure you know my intentions in coming here. May I know what you think of establishing a church on the port?"
"I'm definitely not opposed to you joining in, but there's actually a plan already for the Port Venus. Every plot of land has its own function… of course, it's not a problem to squeeze out a section, but…" Leylin had a standard smile on his face.
"The Goddess of Wealth will not mistreat any follower of hers!" Xena placed a golden card on the table, "This is a proof for the withdrawal of money. With it, you can exchange 10 000 kronas from any church of wealth. Treat it as the capital for buying this land!"
Rich and overbearing, Leylin now knew what rich and overbearing truly meant! The church of the Goddess of Wealth was truly rich, unlike the stingy Tapris who probably wasn't even willing to pay rent.
Of course, this was a problem left behind from Baron Jonas' time. This would not happen again with Leylin in charge.
"Then there aren't any other problems. The city hall will mark out the land tomorrow!" Leylin smiled gently, a hand taking and keeping the golden card on the table without batting an eyelid.
The Goddess of Wealth generously contributed her own divine realm, providing currency storage services. With her divine force as a mark against fraud, trying to trick anyone in this was just shooting oneself in the foot.
However, with this, there were fees to pay if people wanted to store their money with her. Then again, this was to be expected from a goddess even greedier than a dragon.
1. Uncertain, no good foundation
Agreement
"Apart from the issue with the church, there is also another matter which is related to why I came…" Xena's gaze pierced straight into Leylin.
'Finally, here it comes,' He thought inwardly. He had long felt that as his profits from his two avenues of trade grew greater and greater, he would eventually attract the attention of larger organisations.
As this moment had come, his earlier alliances to protect his profits were no longer of any use. In reality, Leylin had already planned in his heart to exchange his techniques with them. He'd long since understood the rules of the game in this world, and that he could no longer maintain a monopoly by virtue of his own strength.
He was already surprised that he was able to gobble up a year's worth of profiteering. Now, he would need to find a sufficiently powerful backer to sell his techniques to. From this point of view, the church of wealth was evidently a rather good option.
"Is it the fish floss and white sugar?" Leylin directly pointed it out.
"Yes, as well as you!" Xena's eyes were filled with humour, "Compared to those two techniques, the person who invented them is much more worthy of our consideration. You have Midas' touch!"
"Me!" Leylin pointed at himself, feeling a little ridiculous. Secretly, however, he was constantly on guard and a little apprehensive. It looked like he had been acting too conspicuously recently.
For now, Xena was only interested in his mind, but what if she discovered more things about him?
As he thought about it, Leylin suddenly made up his mind. After he resolved the issue with Marquis Louis, he had to disappear for a while. Otherwise, once he received the attention of even more deities, his troubles would certainly grow.
"These two techniques came about due to luck. I have always loved reading books, and discovered the invention from the writings of the ancients by chance. I'm also very thankful to my father as well, as he allowed my nonsense and even specially bought some craftsmen slaves for me…"
Leylin felt a magic undulation sweep across him, clearly trying to find out whether he was lying. Although Xena's action was performed in secret, how could he possibly not notice it? He raged in his heart, but on the surface he did not make a single sound.
His expression made Xena rather suspicious, and as she felt the feedback from her divine spell, she grew even more confused.
'It can't be, he's telling me the truth?' Xena felt a little disappointed, but did not continue to discuss the matter of the two trades with Leylin. No matter how one looked at it, the profits from the fish floss and white sugar were absolutely mind boggling. If she could not stick her hand in these two trade rivers which were overflowing with gold, she was sure to lose Waukeen's favour, and would be replaced with other priests of gold.
Leylin's nature and the A.I. Chip's adjustments were more than enough to hide information from a high-ranking priest. Looking at Xena's crestfallen face, Leylin inwardly smiled to himself, but his expression was still as serious as ever.
"Then, let's discuss the issue of the the two trades."
"Say it! How many gold coins do you want to give me the techniques?" Xena said with a rich and powerful air, suppressing her emotions completely.
"The entire curing process of fish floss, as well as the can sealing method and even the skilled craftsmen can all be given to you for 100,000 gold pieces!"
For Leylin, it was necessary to mass produce things like fish floss. The greater the volume he was able to sell, the more lucrative it would be. The capital and investment necessary was enormous, and the technique was not particularly sophisticated. After a few years it was sure to be imitated, so it was better to sell it off in one go.
"100,000 gold pieces?!" Xena bit her lip.
From her view, this price was on the high side. However if skilled craftsmen and the sealing technique were included, then it was much more worth it.
The crucial point was the sealing technique that Leylin used. Xena could immediately see the advantage in using the sealing jar to preserve food for a long time. Even if it wasn't used for fish floss, it was enough for her to make a profit.
So what if this industry needed a lot of initial investment? For the church of wealth who threw money at all their problems, that would never become an issue.
"This price is really far too high, unless you include the technique used to refine white sugar as well…" Although she had already inwardly agreed to the deal, she had a forced smile on her face, and on the surface she looked like she was moments away from throwing a tantrum.
"The white sugar purification technique?" Leylin muttered to himself. This was a different technique to the fish floss, and he was secretive about it as there were several key steps to making it.
Additionally, it did not require a big production line or much investment, and it was a business that he could continue in the long-term.
The white sugar trade brought in over half of the Faulen Family's income, and was like an inexhaustible gold mine! As their profits grew, naturally the number of sharks that were attracted by it also grew. This was something that Leylin understood very well.
"Well?" Xena clearly seemed to understand the difference between the two techniques, and her eyes flashed in anticipation.
"This is…" Leylin's expression looked as if he was mired in difficulty, and his fingers began to involuntarily drum on the table. Xena's heart seemed to also throb along to the rhythmic tapping sounds.
'Why… Why did I do that?' Xena's face seemed to flush red as she inwardly chastised herself.
However, Leylin looked at her softly. "The purification technique for white sugar cannot be sold to you. However, can we discuss the matters of the church of wealth?"
"The church of wealth?"
"Yes! For example, how many priests you will dispatch here, how many paladins, and other matters like that…" Leylin smiled like a crafty fox, leaving Xena feeling as if she had met the most unreasonable devil in her career.
After a while, Xena bid farewell and left, looking as if she had been driven to distraction.
"I'll need to carefully consider your proposal!" were the words she left behind.
As he watched many priests and paladins escorting the figure below him, Leylin's lips slowly curved into a smile.
As a matter of fact, his proposal was not complicated. It was only to allow the church of wealth to become a partner in the business, and gradually pass on the technique over three years, enough time for the Faulens to fill their own coffers.
Leylin had additionally emphasised a clause in their agreement— If Faulen Island came under attack, the church of wealth would have to send out priests and paladins to fight alongside his guards.
This was practically a request for the church's protection. Even if they only sent out a low-ranking priest, it would be enough. After all, even Marquis Louis would not dare to declare war on the church of wealth unless he was tired of living.
Leylin had also heard several rumors which made it necessary for him to protect his own lair. Binding the church of wealth to his chariot of war was undoubtedly the safest thing for him to do.
Naturally, he would not have unrealistic expectations of the church protecting the Scarlet Tigers as well. Even if Marquis Louis wanted a truce, Leylin was not willing to agree. Without enough enemies and flesh, how could he fulfil the Devilblood Dagger's needs and quickly advance?
'The clause is not too harsh, and I believe that in the end, this Gold Priest won't be able to withstand the temptation…' Leylin's eyes continued to flash, 'Once the church of wealth puts down their roots here, perhaps my plans can begin…'
After returning to his villa, Leylin waved his hand at Claire and her sister, who had faces full of anticipation, "I won't need you here for now, leave first!"
"Y–yes, young master!" The sisters had a secretly bitter expression on their faces but did not dare to say much as they meekly left the room.
"Come out!" Leylin looked towards the window sill. For a moment, it seemed as if no one was there and the window was tightly shut, without even a small crack.
However, a shadow slowly emerged from the darkness, and the outline of a curvy body could be seen. The owner of this body was a half-drow, who wore the tight-fitting clothes of an assassin and a thief. "Master!" she immediately knelt down.
"I'm afraid that your stealth is no worse off than some middle-ranking assassins!" In the World of Gods, a middle-ranked class was a formidable Professional of over rank 10. Such an assessment coming from Leylin was indeed high praise. Perhaps this half-drow had practised like she was mad after shedding her past humiliating identity, and made great progress.
Karen currently had the heavy responsibility of communicating between Leylin and the Scarlet Tigers.
"Master, we looted two more merchant ships from the Baltic archipelago this month, the estimated profits are about 5000 gold pieces. Additionally, Miss Isabel has acted according to your plan and begun to intentionally leak our whereabouts…" Karen reported respectfully.
"What about the Barbarians?"
"I have already notified them and they have promised to act when the agreed time comes." How could Leylin not take advantage of the assistance the Barbarians could offer to recklessly fight Marquis Louis?
"Mm, even so, we would increase our success rate if we could plant a high-ranking spy in their camp…" Leylin said, seemingly with a sigh.
"Master! This humble servant deserves death. The thieves and spies that were previously sent to the Baltic archipelago in the past all seemed to have been uprooted, and the ones that are left can only divulge ordinary information…" Karen immediately begged for forgiveness. Only after working for Leylin for so long did she realise how deeply terrifying he was.
Compared to this master, those pure-blooded drows in the Underdark seemed extremely kind-hearted!
"The reason I said that was not to blame you," Leylin shook his head, thinking that his servant's cowardice was not a good thing at all.
Mouthpiece
"Set out immediately towards the Baltic archipelago, and find someone for me," Leylin could not help but to get Karen's attention, as he saw the bewildered expression on her face.
"Who?" Karen was surprised. Could it be that the master had made other preparations over there? Did this mean that he had lost trust in her? Once she thought of the consequences of being abandoned, Karen involuntarily began to tremble.
That display made Leylin inwardly laugh to himself.
"Go and find Viscount Tim, and tell him the truth about who you are. In addition, tell him that I am willing to form an alliance with him and help him become a marquis!" Leylin laughed coldly, as if he were the devil.
"Viscount Tim?" Karen was shocked, and couldn't help but to lift her head up. She had heard many times about the Faulen family's affairs after joining Leylin's troops, and she certainly knew that Viscount Tim had been the main ringleader in coveting the Faulen Island's territory.
This viscount was also the Scarlet Tigers' biggest enemy right from the start, so how could they suddenly shake hands and talk of peace?
"Carry out the order," Leylin waved his hand. Karen respectfully bowed, disappearing into the darkness.
"That's politics for you… The enemy of my enemy is a friend, and no matter how one fought to the death against the other the previous day, to the point of wanting to directly kill each other, one must join hands against the common enemy all the same…"
Although the ambushed spies in the Baltic archipelago could only divulge the most basic of information, Leylin could still see a lot of things in them. For example, the discord between Marquis Louis and Viscount Tim, as well as the eldest son William's outstanding performance.
According to Leylin's understanding of human nature, he had over a 50% chance of success to rope in Viscount Tim., a chance great enough for him to try and grab.
Even if he failed, he would not suffer any losses, right?
...
A few days later, The Gold Priest Xena eventually accepted Leylin's conditions and signed the agreement. She received the sugar refining technique under the condition that they would protect the Faulen family for 3 years.
Both sides were very satisfied with their deal, and perhaps it would take a long time for both their profits and losses to come to light.
When all of these matters had been accomplished, a resplendent church had been erected at Port Venus.
As she had money, Xena, that prodigious bitch, seemed to simply use gold coins to accelerate the progress. Naturally, it had shockingly good results. The main body was up within ten days, several times faster than Leylin's construction of the city hall.
Naturally, this could not have happened with the efforts of the priests. As they could recover their divine skills just by praying every day, they were not afraid of generously using their skills to support the construction. Leylin could only look on in envy.
On the day that the construction was complete, Xena personally prayed and brought down the divine grace of the Goddess of Wealth.
Although the goddess herself did not appear, just being able to give all her followers in the port some additional luck and eloquence, as well as quick calculation abilities, was enough for those fellows to earn enough to fill their coffers in the future.
Naturally, the divine grace which was as boundless as the sea, and the imposing divine might, left a deep impression on Leylin.
The Goddess of Wealth was just a mid-ranked god, and shared the same status as a rank 8 of the Magus World. However, the feeling she gave Leylin was far more terrifying than many rank 8 entities.
Perhaps this was because it was her home turf, but it still gave Leylin an enormous shock. The powerful qualitative change that occurred when the power of faith was united with the body's power of laws greatly inspired him.
There were still a few discordant voices in the crowd.
The priests of the God of Suffering did not say much; his believers were of the lower classes, such as slaves and labourers, as well as others like farmers. They simply did not care about a goddess of merchants, because in reality the total of their belongings did not even add up to a single gold piece!
However, for the Bishop of the God of Knowledge, Tapris, having priests of the Goddess of Wealth stationed here was a great challenge. Although he still sent people over to congratulate them, he turned a cold shoulder to Baron Jonas.
Leylin and Baron Jonas completely ignored his attitude. As a representative of the nonreligious royalty, there were some essential benefits that they would never relinquish, and would even defend to the death.
Leylin stayed there for a while, until the transaction involving the fish floss technique had been completed and Port Venus was back on track. Only then did he retreat back into his laboratory.
The azure sea sprayed stinging salt and a soothing sea breeze at the same time. A black shadow whizzed past, leaving ripples on the sea surface behind it on its way.
An enormous fleet of pirate ships was quietly moored on the horizon, a terrifying skull and dagger flag the colour of blood on their flagpoles. The Scarlet Tigers had made a name for themselves in the nearby region, and their strength began to approach that of the three great pirate crews.
It was rumoured that the captain of that pirate crew, the Scarlet Witch, was from the abyss of evil, and even enjoyed bathing in the fresh blood of her enemies. Just the mention of her name could make small children cry fearfully at night.
However, the rumoured Scarlet Witch, Leylin's cousin Isabel, stood with the other high-ranking pirates on the deck, as if waiting for their true captain to appear.
"You've worked hard!" Leylin's figure slowly descended in the howling wind. He first nodded at his pirate crew, then turned to face his own cousin. Afterwards, his brow slowly furrowed.
As she had sacrificed a great deal of blood and flesh, Isabel's power had improved very quickly, and she was now almost a rank 15 high-ranking Professional. She was the number one combatant under him.
At the same time however, Isabel's demonisation had also grown even more serious.
Although her appearance was still human, occasionally she emitted an extremely demonic and icy aura, which was terrifyingly evil. It was enough for weaker people to fall into a dead faint if they got too close to her.
As a result, even the most ferocious pirates did not dare to get close to Isabel.
"Our people have all been set up according to your plan," Isabel had no interest in the fearful gazes from the others, and arrived at Leylin's side.
"You've done very well," Leylin captured Isabel's small hand. Although it was as cold as ice, there was a touch of warmth to it that still belonged to the living.
"Ronald, come to the captain's room. I need to hear your latest report," Leylin looked towards Ronald, who immediately bowed and obeyed his order.
Of all the mates, he was the one with the best foundation. He even had some ability at leadership, something that had caught Leylin's attention. His current position had slowly been elevated above that of Cyclops, and he had become Leylin's top talent apart from Isabel.
Naturally, Leylin did not treat his old subordinates badly, and had given them a ship and 10 pirates. They were promoted to middle-ranked leaders and had awe-inspiring prestige, but now that their status had been upgraded, their thoughts also seemed to change a little.
After the pirates on the deck all left after reading the mood, Leylin spoke in a low voice to Isabel, "If you make the decision, then I still have ways to get rid of the demonic transformation of your body. However if you really wait until the transformation is complete, then I fear you will directly descend into the abyss, and your soul will never receive salvation…"
Isabel played with her long hair. Only in front of Leylin would she do these little feminine actions.
"After I give up my power, how do I get revenge on my enemies? I made a vow, that every day I live I will seek the deaths of my enemy to comfort the souls of my family…" Listening to what Isabel said, Leylin could only fall into a gloomy mood. His cousin's character was so strong that it could give him a headache.
"Alright, since we have nothing left to do after this battle, we can take our time to consider how to resolve it. I only hope that we aren't too late…" Leylin looked towards the sky where clouds were slowly gathering, heralding the arrival of a storm.
"My sword has long been thirsting for blood…" His cousin stood next to him just like a valkyrie.
...
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Viscount Tim cursed as he slammed the bedroom door handle, holding an bottle of empty bottle of rum.
Those serving maids? He had long roared at them to leave.
"One day! One day, I'll make all of you who despise and insult me pay the price!" Thinking back to those looks of contempt he had received recently, Viscount Tim's mood became even worse.
"Mm? Who is it? Didn't I say before, to all get out of my sight…"
Viscount Tim's voice stopped, because the person he had discovered standing in his bedroom was not a maid, but a thief.
"The Scarlet Tiger pirate crew gives you our greetings!" This thief had a sweet voice that was pleasant to the ears, and her figure was very good.
Viscount Tim looked at her from head to toe, and his expression changed completely. He even looked like he had woken up from his drunken stupor. Scarlet Tiger? Were they not his enemies?
"Haha… Are you here to take my life?" Tim took a few steps back, and his dark heart was filled with hate. If it was his father and William's place, that thief would been chopped to pieces before she could get this close to them. Only here in this neglected second son's house could an assassin easily step through.
However, if he could fight for a little more time, the guards would notice something was amiss and immediately rush through.
"No, we're here to help you! You, do you wish to become a Marquis?" The temptation of a devil poured out from Karen's lips.
"Marquis?" Tim's expression changed greatly, and he immediately shut his bedroom door with a dark expression.
Pirates Tide
"Go on! You were sent by William, weren't you. What are you plotting?" Tim immediately sat down to one side.
"Haha… I'm afraid that your brother can't order me around. If you want to confirm my identity, how about this?" Karen lifted her hand, and a scroll covered in the Scarlet Tiger's skull and dagger seal flew directly to Tim.
"It really is you people…" Tim touched the unique imprint on the parchment in disbelief, his eyes slowly growing as round as saucers.
"What do you want?" Without quite knowing why, Tim's heart began to beat wildly.
"Didn't I say before? We're going to help you become the marquis, my lord," Karen smiled.
"What sort of joke is this, William is still here, and apart from him there's still…" Tim mumbled.
"Then just let them all die," Karen's words were filled with venom.
"Let them all die!" Tim bonelessly flopped onto his chair as he heard her speak his mind, but his eyes actually shone brightly.
"You want me to work undercover and sell out my own family?" He asked slowly.
"That depends on your decision. What do you want, a broken family? Or the glory and power that your brother William currently holds?"
Karen could tell that Tim never really had a choice.
The night wind blew through the window, and the curtains continued to wave in the breeze. However, there was someone missing from their earlier position in front of the window. After a long time sitting uneasily in his chair, Tim felt dizzy and confused. However, an idea had seeded itself deep within his mind.
'That's right. If I can't have it, you can't either! I'll destroy everything, this entire Baltic archipelago should belong to me!'Under the moonlight, Tim's back seemed to have twisted demonically.
...
"Master, everything went smoothly. Tim also gave us the route maps of the Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates." Tim had completely revealed Marquis Louis' plan to them; the forces he was mobilising, William's route, even the news of the wizard Boruj's return.
"Ah, is this Tim crazy?" Isabel stood next to Leylin, looking at the final part of the parchment which held the map of the entire Baltic archipelago. He had completely betrayed his family and even given them the defenses of the marquis' house.
"Desperate and crazy people can be unreasonable like this. He clearly knows that his family is the only thing left that he can rely on, but he willingly wants to destroy it. It's really too funny…" Karen knelt down even lower, and did not dare to look Leylin in the eye.
Although she had a rather intimate relationship with this master of hers, she realised that she couldn't even begin to understand Leylin yet. For the sake of benefits, even his enemies became his allies, and the ability to accurately grasp someone's heart made him seem like a demon wearing human skin.
Indeed, a demon! In Karen's heart, perhaps only the Archdevil of the 9th level of hell would have such a cold and cruel mentality.
"What, are you afraid of me?" Even this light thought was discovered by Leylin, and his casual way of asking made Karen tremble all over.
"No! No, your servant was just concerned that Viscount Tim would go back on his word. After all, nobles are not to be trusted. Even if we succeed, I fear that he will act as a witness against us…" Karen immediately replied.
"Before William dies, the likelihood of Tim going back to their side is very small," Leylin did not get angry after discovering his servant's fearful state of mind, it was a very normal reaction.
Only in front of the Scarlet Tigers did Leylin abandon his aristocratic airs, showing his true self to the crowd. Because of it, he had earned the other pirates' genuine awe and fear. Were Isabel not slowly transforming into a demon in body and mind, perhaps even she would feel fearful and alienated by him.
"After we succeed, whether Tim will ask for help from the Dambrath Kingdom or testify against us…" Leylin laughed gently, "Did I let you leave behind any evidence or information that points towards me?"
"No," Karen dimly began to realise.
"So from beginning to the end, this entire matter is only related to the Scarlet Tigers and Tim. Is Tim willing to gamble away his future and be hanged for the crime, just to testify against a bunch of pirates?"
"Master is wise!" Karen only understood at this moment how deeply Leylin had thought about everything.
"Not only that… Louis and William are the marquis and the marquis' heir, even containing royal blood. The Baltic archipelago is the marquis' fiefdom, do you really think we can go swaggering in after disposing of them both and take it over?"
"If that happened, the king would lose his mind and attack us!"
"That's right, so we should at least support a puppet agent on the surface, and Tim is rather suitable, is he not?" Leylin folded his hands, "With him there, then we can cover up the whole matter as a fight between a noble family's sons, and isn't this sort of thing common in the Kingdom?
"This would let his majesty and the royal family save face, and although they will continue to resent us, the possibility of them wasting manpower and resources to exterminate us will be very low."
"Your servant understands…" Karen's face was still rather shocked as she respectfully withdrew. It was clear that Leylin's view extended further into the future than she had realised.
'Don't tell me that all humans are as full of convoluted schemes and foresight as him? The extent of this plot, perhaps even those Matriarchs of the Underdark…' Karen left with a heavy heart.
Leylin was comforting his cousin, "I know your family's debt of blood includes Tim's. Don't worry, when the time is ripe he WILL pay the price…"
"There isn't a trace of doubt in my mind," Isabel looked deeply into Leylin's eyes, "Additionally, I would like to finish him off myself…"
"No problem, I can leave William to you," Leylin's eyes flashed coldly, "Notify the Barbarians as well, this time we will eliminate their naval force in one fell swoop!"
A grey falcon with a scroll tied to its leg disappeared into the sky, as quickly as a flash of grey lightning. With this sort of raptor-like speed and flight, it would only take half a night to reach Pirates' Cove.
A strong breeze flowed past, lifting the heavy curtains.
"What an adorable little fellow, haha…" Madam Tillen caressed its ash-grey beak, and retrieved the message tied to its feet. After glancing through the message, she turned to the Barbarians' captain in her room, "The operation can begin!"
Several loud grunting sounds could be heard. An enormous hand attached to an arm the size of an entire baby was grasping a huge goblet filled to the brim with golden spirits.
Odge's throat was gulping down the drink, and occasionally some liquor would leak out from the corners of his mouth and flow down his prickly beard.
"Boruj, Boruj, Boruj! I'll turn your skull into a wine glass!" Odge growled, snatching up the enormous saber. A powerful spell glinted on the swordpoint.
"Send the order, we act now!" Odge roared, and the two barbarian warriors outside immediately flew out.
Pirates' Cove immediately burst into a flurry of activity. Under the command of their captain, teams of barbarian warriors boarded their ships in an orderly manner, amongst them shamans who wore colourful feathers and had painted faces.
They were the rare spellcasters of the barbarian tribe, and one could tell Odge's resolve and caution from how all of them had been dispatched.
"The Pirates' Tide! It's similar to the last Pirates' Tide that happened decades ago…" The barbarian pirate crew did not consist solely of barbarians. As the head of the Dark Alliance in the outer seas, they had many pirates under them of other races which were all currently taking action with them. Several thousand ships sailed out from Pirates' Cove, which gave off a rather chilling feeling.
"I smell killing, and the plot is afoot… This festival will please our lord greatly!" In a dark corner, the Cyric priest murmured to himself, next to him the bent figure of the bishop from before.
"Prepare your men to assassinate the leaders of both sides, and let the chaos grow even more turbulent!" After this reshuffling of the pirate organisations, the situation in the outer sea would change greatly. However, this bishop's purpose was greater than that.
All he asked was for there to be chaos! After the chaotic battle, no matter who rose to the top, they would represent order. However, this would clearly displease the God of Murder, as he only wanted an endlessly chaotic outer sea, full of all kinds of murder and conspiracies.
Murder and plots were Cyric's most favourite things. If they could accomplish this, then he was bound to receive the grace of his god. He would advance by 1 or 2 ranks as a priest at the very least, and even receive other advantages. Compared to that, how could allowing the entire outer sea wither even compare?
"As you command!" The priest now understood the tip of the bishop's plot. Neither their past neutrality nor the current assassinations mattered, all that was left was a sacrifice of chaos and death!
These sorts of methods obviously brought great pleasure and excitement to him. With high spirits, the priest's body slowly melded into the shadows, leaving behind the bishop who watched the sails alone.
Dawn of Battle
"Young master! We've received word that those Barbarians at Pirates' Cove are acting strangely!" It was very unlikely for such a large-scale shift in manpower to be hidden from other organisations. William got a report quite quickly.
"The Barbarians? Get me a map of the sea!" William put down the copper telescope. The feeling of possessing so much power left him in a marvellous mood.
Under him was a huge three-masted ship that was over 300m long, able to displace 500 metric tons of water when sailing. The terrifying battleship, its deck and hull coated in magic armour, was a symbol of invincibility and tyranny in the outer seas.
A flag with a sinister black skull on it flapped around in the wind, the mark of the Black Skeletons. This was one of the three great pirate crews of the outer seas of Dambrath, with over 300 elites and ten large battleships. Their flagship had been remodelled with magic!
At this moment, a young pirate walked over, opening up an intricate map next to William.
"You've worked hard, Captain Crowe!" William nodded politely.
Captain Crowe had translucent fair skin and a tall forehead, the bridge of his nose long and straight as a snowy mountain. His eyes were long and narrow, as were his proportionate eyebrows, and he had a delicate yet seductive aura.
However, William did not dare underestimate him. Crowe was a high-ranked Professional exceeding rank 15, his outer appearance only the effect of his bloodline.
Indeed, this was someone with a bloodline. His powers stemmed not only from his Profession, but also his innate constitution. The power he inherited from his bloodline allowed him to possess greater vitality than the average human, and the bloodline itself would awaken spell-like abilities as he grew.
However, bloodlines had limitations as well. He could only cast from a limited pool of spells, and there was a limit to the number of uses.
However, even the simplest rank 0 spell was useful for high-ranked warriors. On top of that, his bloodline allowed him to cast spells so quickly that defending against them was pointless.
It caused many to describe bloodline holders as lucky people who possessed gifts from their ancestors. Crowe himself had a high grade of bloodline ,but he was also a knight that was over rank 15. Still, the influence of his ancestor's bloodline naturally lent to a savagery and violence that was in his very genes. He was like a devil king in the outer seas.
However, the Black Skeletons were subservient to Marquis Louis, and Crowe had a great attitude towards William. It could have to do with the high-ranking wizard by his side.
While similarly ranked as Professionals, a wizard far exceeded knights and bloodline holders in power. Perhaps, given time to prepare, a high-ranked wizard could contend against several enemies of their rank.
As a nobility of the seas, William knew these basic things well. After using a vernier caliper and making marks, he stowed the map away. "They set off from Pirates' Cove just yesterday. Based on the distance, it'll take them at least two days to reach the battlefield. We should be able to exterminate the Scarlet Tigers in that time…"
"When the time comes, please leave the Scarlet Witch to me!" Crowe bowed elegantly, seeming like a refined noble. It was impossible to connect him to piracy on the seas.
"No problem!" William frowned, but quickly smoothed out his expression. He stood on deck, watching the over 30 battleships behind him, "Send down the command that we are to increase our speed, we should strive to annihilate the Scarlet Tigers within a day!"
The flag bearer immediately got up to the observation deck and sent down the order. The vessels sped up, creating a spectacular sight. Most of the ships belonged to the Black Skeletons, and only a few were marked with the symbol of the Tigershark Pirates.
However, William would not underestimate them because of that, There were many white lines next to the fleet, the dorsal fins of many tigersharks. They looked like innumerable fish scales that emitted a dark luster in the sunlight.
This was a group of tamed tigersharks, the main force of the Tigershark Pirates! A formation of them spelled disaster in the deep seas, easily able to flip ships over and rip the flesh off their enemies from the waters.
"Keke… seems like Citamo's little darlings are already impatient, or am I wrong?" Crowe coquettishly greeted a sharkman behind him.
"I want to rip off every bone of the body of that Leylin, inch by inch. I'll then let my children share every drop of flesh and blood on his body…" Citamo was a hybrid between a shark and a human. His outer skin was like the solid cartilage of a shark, and his smile revealed a row of sawtooth-like teeth. The corners of his lips extended all the way to his ears.
Such a huge mouth could easily swallow a full-grown man.
William gulped, "It's rumoured that the Tigershark Pirates and Merfolk Pirates have connections. After the Merfolk Pirates were annihilated, Citamo even tried to cause trouble for the Scarlet Tigers, but the opponent fled…"
"The captain of the Merfolk Pirates was a bastard of yours, no? Don't worry, the enemy won't be able to run!" Crowe's eyes had a bloody glint in them as he ruthlessly revealed the secret.
"Crowe! Once the battle's over, I'll wring your head off!" Citamo widened his mouth, revealing a terrifying tongue with sharp barbed tips on them, "I've long since wanted to taste a bloodline holder…"
"Enough!" An aged voice sounded just as William furrowed his brows and was about to stop the fight. Boruj slowly strolled to the deck, leaning on a slender magic staff.
While he looked like a shrivelled old man who already had a foot in the coffin, and there was only a little bit of light in his eyes, Crowe and Citamo both did not dare underestimate him. This was a high-ranked wizard, a spellcaster who possessed immense strength! No matter where he went, he would be greeted with reverence.
"Master Boruj, you're just in time!" With Boruj's arrival, William was more confident.
"I hope you can use Sending to inform the naval commander that he doesn't need to come over here. He'll just have to carry on stalling that trash at Pirates' Cove for a while…" William's eyes now held rays of wisdom, "Though they definitely won't be able to make it to the battle, I still feel uneasy…"
Sending was only a communication spell that high-ranked wizards used. The distance it allowed and its convenience far surpassed old methods. Of course, Leylin was still unable to use this as he was still too low-ranked.
"Don't worry," Boruj looked hard at the two pirate captains and headed back to the hold of the ship.
"I still have some thoughts on the upcoming massacre, I invite the two of you to discuss this together…" As if not seeing the dark look in their eyes, William put on his sincerest smile and called for Crowe and Citamo.
...
As they were planning for the battle, Leylin's various channels gave him an unceasing stream of intel.
"Mm. William's main force is two large pirate groups. He's protected by the high-ranked wizard, Boruj, and they've already reached the Strait of Storms?" Leylin looked at the gigantic map on the wall and stuck a few flags on it.
"Yes. Marquis Louis' slaving fleet has already shifted towards the Hygar Islands, blocking the path that the Barbarians are sure to pass by. It'll take a long time for victory to be decided between them…"
Only Isabel and Ronald were beside Leylin, even Karen had been sent out. Evidently, this was a military meet for those of high rank..
"Good. As we expected, they sent out their last resort…" Leylin clapped his hands, "Is that stuff prepared yet?"
"We've already made contact with the people there. They delivered all the goods right away once we paid them their gold. We're currently storing it here…" Ronald's voice trembled slightly as he said this. While he had talent as a commander, he was still shocked by Leylin's risky actions.
"Act based on the plan. Remember to keep it a secret! Let's go out and see the leader of the other pirates…" Leylin clapped his hands and decided the fate of many people, and then walked out as if it was nothing at all.
"With a wave of his hand, he can take the lives of tens of thousands at one go and even show no remorse. Is this the way the truly powerful behave?" Ronald muttered to himself as he followed Leylin.
Lights illuminated the hall atop the Scarlet Tiger. Numerous pirate leaders stood at the two sides of the long table, with the elites and trusted aides behind them.
"Boss!" Boss!" After having brought Isabel and Ronald inside, Leylin occupied the host's seat as he took a quick look around. The Scarlet Tigers had grown to over 500 men strong in the past year, even if they didn't have many elites. Many familiar and unfamiliar faces appeared in front of him.
"I've gathered you here today because we are going to deal with the Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates!" Leylin's voice was low as he announced his objective.
The moment the words came out, there was a slight commotion below. One-eyed Dragon, Hawk, and the rest that Leylin was more familiar with merely whispered, while the rest of the pirates grew noisy.
Barren Island
"Boss, why do we have to go against the Black Skeletons and Tigersharks? Marquis Louis and the Baltic archipelago are behind them, and we're no match for THEM… Isn't it better to stay out of the way like we did in the past? The sea is so vast. They can't find us…" A pirate who looked kind stood out.
"Are you questioning my decision, Stalker?" Leylin's voice was low, immediately causing the hall to turn chilly.
This was the disadvantage of staying at Port Venus and avoiding trouble. Since he controlled the pirates from the shadows most of the time, he still didn't have enough of a grasp on them. This was especially true of those like Stalker who'd just joined. He'd originally commanded a few ships himself, and had never experienced how brutal and callous Leylin could be. There were things he did not understand.
Stalker froze, but still mumbled everything out anyway, "I obviously wouldn't want to do that, but we have to worry about our brothers…"
"Wouldn't want to? So that means you'll still do it?" Leylin chuckled, a flash of lightning shooting out of his hands.
With his strength as a rank 9 wizard, plentiful battle experiences, and excellent techniques, taking care of a Professional merely about rank 10 could be done in an instant.
*Crackle!* Amidst the fierce electric currents, Stalker turned into a few portions of charred ash.
"Ah… Head!" "What are you doing?"
The trusted aide standing behind Stalker brought out his curved knife in his grief, but was immediately drowned out by Ronald's underlings.
Leylin played with the electric currents that struck fear into the hearts of the pirates, leaving them trembling in their fright. He then ordered in leisure from his seat, "Ronald, go and take over their ship!"
"Understood, Captain!" Ronald immediately brought his men and left, leaving behind a group of pirate leaders quivering at their seats. It was only at this point that they remembered the Scarlet Tigers had been established with the captain's ruthlessness and cruelty.
They had to carry out his orders with determination. The only other option was being purged callously!
Shouts could be heard, and there was some chaos in the distance but Leylin didn't care. Sensing the wordless communication amongst his subordinates, He snickered inside, 'As expected, the truly troublesome ones aren't hot-blooded. There are more of those who only pay lip service…'
After a year of work, the batch of people under Leylin had all grown rich, gaining control over certain sections. They were now smalltime leaders themselves.
Due to a shortage of manpower, Isabel and Ronald had no choice but to hand over some power to others, which then led to a few other hidden leaders amongst the pirates. Leylin kept them under control by pressuring them with his power. While this made sure that they wouldn't dare rebel, the hatred in their hearts increased by the day.
After the fools who had the guts to speak out all died, the only resistance was left hidden in the shadows. It was alright if they only paid lip service, but how many out of these people had contact with Marquis Louis and betrayed him, turning into spies?
Leylin sneered on the inside. On the surface, the opponent's strength far exceeded his, even in terms of his noble status.
This was the loneliness at the top of the pyramid. Worldly matters were like water that would wash away the people beside him, the mere thought of like-minded companions from the past difficult to remember.
'But even if you work from the shadows, you can't stop me.' Leylin was unfeeling and merciless.
"Captain! Stalker's ship has been cleaned out!" At this moment, Ronald pushed the door open and walked in hurriedly, bloodstains still on his body. "We found some assassins from the church of murder on it, and this too!" A few noble emblems with blood on them were flung to the long table.
"This… It's the family emblem of Marquis Louis!" Someone who recognised it yelled.
"Hang all the assassins. Kill all of Stalker's assistants. Let them know what the punishment for treachery is!" Leylin instructed calmly, deciding the life and death of tens of people in an instant.
"Now, do you have any other opinions?" Being glanced at by Leylin's lightning-like eyes, the many leaders immediately lowered their heads, having no courage to meet his gaze.
...
After the meeting was adjourned, Leylin might have used his might to forcefully allocate tasks, but the undercurrents still flowed. A few suspicious figures sneakily met up at the bottom of a ship's hold in the deep night.
"Nondetection" An expensive scroll was torn, and once the rays of light from the spell filled the area, the people finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"Is this place safe?" One of them asked with a rough voice.
"I spend a lot of money to get this magic scroll. Even a high-ranked wizard might not be able to find us!" Another voice sounded exasperated.
"Fine, stop quarrelling!" An old and hoarse voice sounded, immediately suppressing the dispute, "I believe Liberty—"
"Didn't I tell you not to call me by my name? Not even my nickname!" The voice from before sounded again immediately.
"Fine, sorry." The elderly voice halted, and then continued, "There are now tens of ships. We have people keeping watch over the Scarlet Tiger, and there's the power of magic involved. He definitely won't discover us, so we can discuss at ease…"
"The captain's been getting more ruthless lately. Stalker merely said a word and was killed by him just like that. Even his underlings weren't spared…" A voice of indignance could be heard.
"Did he discover something?" This was the worried person.
"The reason us brothers are banding together is for our own benefits, but now the captain wants to go to war on those two huge pirate groups. Tell me, what are our chances of winning?"
The elderly voice replied, "Actually, if the captain's still like before and lets us loot and plunder as we like, while he's in charge of disposing of the stolen goods and distributing profits, I have no issues with that. The issue is that things are different now. He wants us to risk our lives! Even if we get rid of the Black Skeletons and Tigershark Pirates, they still have the Marquis and Baltic archipelago as their backing and can quickly regain their strength. What about us? On top of that, they have a tremendous slaving fleet…"
At the end of that, the elderly voice suddenly grew louder.
"Then what do we do?" The reason they had gathered was not because they truly had plans to start a rebellion, but were merely agreeing on an alliance in order to protect their own interests.
"We're pirates. How valuable could trust be? If put in a spot, we can just rebel against him and side with the other pirate groups. Whether it's Marquis Louis or the Barbarians, anything can be considered…" The aged voice held hints of resentment.
Eyes full of wit shone in the dark room like a pack of wolves.
...
"Reporting! Traces of the Scarlet Pirates have been found!" A pirate respectfully reported.
"Follow them, follow them! Keep a tight hold of them!" William's eyes brightened.
The huge ships pulled at the sails, and they formed a huge arc in the strong wind. The entire fleet began to sail at a terrifying speed.
'This is all thanks to master Boruj!' Experiencing the strong winds in his face, William could not help but take a look at the high-ranked wizard next to him in admiration. The Breeze spell he'd cast had raised the fleet's speed more than twofold.
Wizards could adapt to all sorts of complex environments. With the numerous types of spells they could cast, they were useful in all sorts of abrupt situations. In his opinion, the Scarlet Tigers would not be able to escape.
"An island has been discovered up ahead, and there are ships anchored there!" At this moment, the sailor at the observation deck exclaimed.
"What?" William immediately darted to the railings, using the telescope to observe. A huge barren island appeared in his line of sight. There was a series of pirate ships anchored at the side, the flag of the Scarlet Tigers extremely obvious on them.
"They've abandoned their ships and landed? Have they gone mad?" While still in disbelief, William gritted his teeth, "Go! Sink them!"
Whatever it was, he needed to sink the opponent's ships. This way, they would be completely trapped. The offensive went smoothly. Not many had been left on watch, and Crowe and Citamo hadn't even needed to act. Their first and second mates had taken along some people and seized the thirty pirate ships.
All the pirate ships that Leylin had spent a year seizing with his own pirate crew now fell into William's hands. The process was so smooth-sailing that it was difficult to believe. The merfolk's ship, and even the Scarlet Tiger with its blood red flag were at his disposal.
"His ships were all very clean and had no traps. Based on the information from the slaves, this is a temporary stopping point for them, and they've built a few simple defenses…"
Crowe fiddled with the black curved knife in his hands, "So? Should we sail them away?" Such a huge fleet was worth at least tens of thousands of hold, an impressive amount of wealth. Even large pirate groups would go green in envy at it.
William muttered to himself, and then gritted his teeth. "No. Sink them all! Even if they've done anything to the ships, it shouldn't affect us."
After all, there were a few terrifying toxins and curses that could be hidden from the senses of magic, and even divine force. He had come out to obtain a beautiful victory to secure his position as the successor. Nothing could go wrong.
"Master Boruj, what do you think?" William did not forget to ask for Boruj's opinion at this point.
"Alright!" The wizard nodded, causing Crowe and Citamo to curse inside. As expected, wizards were all spendthrifts!
Attack And Defence
Chaotic sounds rang out, and the bulk of the ships sank down into the sea one by one. William, however, had a blank expression on his face while he watched the Scarlet Tiger sinking. The largest ship of them all was being swallowed by the merciless waves.
"Is this… victory?" This presented him with an even greater enigma, which was whether to proceed with ground warfare or not.
"What should we do now?" William turned to look at Boruj rather awkwardly.
"I can feel a huge amount of life energy on the island. If I'm not wrong, he should still be there. But I can't probe further into the details, and there are also disturbances deterring my predictions. After all, they have a wizard with them too…" The radiance of spells shone over Boruk as he shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Why would we attack? We can just patiently surround the island here, it'll be impossible for anyone there who isn't of a high rank to survive the loss of the ships…" Crowe's expression was specific to the craftiness of a pirate.
"That's a pretty good idea, but there's another thing we have to consider. They might be trying to stall us here, I'm worried about the other fleet…" As loyal as the bribed pirates could be, they were nothing compared to the dogs they raised. William was aware of that.
Moreover, loyalty and trust weren't words in the pirates' dictionaries anyway. They were merely instinctive loonies that sought refuge from the strong!
The sudden blinking of a communication spell cause Boruj's face to drop.
"I've just received news that Pirates' Cove is immensely determined this time, and they even sent out the Pirates' Tide. The slaves' fleet has suffered great losses, and a few high-ranking captains were even murdered. We suspect that the God of Murder's organisation is behind it…"
"The God of Murder? Damn it!" Nobody who heard the name off this crazy deity would be too happy. William was about to implode. At the same time, he felt some sort of change in the eyes of the two bulky captains beside him.
The main reason why the Louis' family could terrorise these pirates was because of their enormous military fleets. If they lost too much power now, even without the Scarlet Tiger keeping them in check it was possible that these pirates would mutiny. Common countermeasures were useless against the pirates if they were set on betrayal.
"My Lord! The pirates that we've sent out have come back!" A subordinate announced as he led in a rogue dressed in black skintight clothes.
"My Lord, this is the information from 'Night Owl'!" The rogue presented a letter to them. William slightly jerked his head to the side, signaling for his grey-haired butler to receive the letter and put it through a thorough check.
"No anomalies," the butler reported after scrutinising it. He then passed the letter to William, who took his time to absorb the information.
His expression grew progressively better, "I've decided! We're gonna land immediately and ambush the Scarlet Tigers!"
'Has he had a spy among the Scarlet Tigers for a while?' Crowe watched everything quietly, but something flashed across his eye.
William looked at Crowe. "They have around 500 pirates, if we were to face them head on, do you have the confidence to defeat them all, Captain Crowe?"
"Without any confirmed numbers of professionals over there, they are just merely just 500 midgets to me! My subordinates can finish all of them by themselves!" A sinister smile flashed past Crowe's face.
The look of bloodlust induced some fear inside of William, 'It's been rumoured that most bloodline holders are nuts, and are easily aggravated or have extreme bloodlust; seems like it's true!'
"It's decided then! Captain Crowe will bring some men alongside me to the land and Citamo will guard this place!" William commanded. Most of Citamo's main power was still within the tigersharks, so only a small number of people could help on land.
'I need some deeds to prove myself. As long as Master Boruj is here, everything should be alright!' William glanced at the expressionless wizard at the side and cheered himself on.
Very quickly, an elite team led mostly by the Black Skeletons with some of William's guards and the Tigershark Pirates reached the island.
The team had a manpower of around four to five hundred, but in terms of skills they were far better than whoever Leylin had under him.
"They've built a simple campsite here and stored a minimal amount of water and food, enough for more than two months. Also, they've also set up many traps, a majority of which are venomous snakes, in the canyon."
William's informant seemed to have given him more than enough intelligence, and he even provided a rough map.
"We'll be fine as long as we have this!" Crowe's bloodlust-filled smile widened, and it was indeed intimidating.
With the informant's report and their own pirate scouts, they successfully passed the trap-filled canyon and arrived at the pirate campsite. The wooden fence was sharp, and in front of it were some ugly pagodas. Many were looking at these, secretly letting out fearful gasps every now and then.
...
Isabel walked into the center of the campsite, "The enemies have made it past the venomous snake canyon, I was right about them having a mole in us. And the spy is at least a middle-ranked one, god damn it!"
"This is nothing out of the ordinary. You can leave for now." Leylin waved his arm, and a dispirited pirate leader walked out.
"You used Dominate Person?" Isabel asked. Although the pirate leader didn't look like he was in his best condition, it didn't look like he was controlled either.
"Nope, just a simple psychological hint. And with those kinds of spells, even if spell slots weren't taken into account I don't have enough power and spirit to control so many intelligent creatures right now." Leylin shook his head. "Survival is the first instinct of all creatures, and to be able to leave a spiritual imprint on this base nature is very difficult. On the other hand, it's easy to give them a lasting hint, furthermore…"
"My Lord!" Ronald came in on time, and knelt down respectfully, "All the preparations are done!"
"Great! Let us go welcome them, or else they wouldn't launch the attack at all." Leylin stood on top of the fort with Isabel and Ronald by his side, directly looking into the eye of a young aristocrat in the opposite force.
"Is that Leylin Faulen? The son of the the Baron?" William was looking at them too.
"Yes, I've checked! It isn't any illusionary spell or camouflage. The Scarlet Witch is there as well." Boruj confirmed.
"The rest is up to you, Captain Crowe!" William looked at Crowe beside him, the man's eyes already filled with killing intent. Blood vessels were popping up on the man's eyes.
"No problem, but that Scarlet Witch is mine!" Crowe growled, "Black Skeletons, follow me!"
"Animate Dead!" "Strengthen Undead!" "Skeleton Call!"
An array of spells launched from Crowe's body, forming a bone armour around his body first of all. It caged him securely. The ground then bulged, small bones jutting out as skeletons crawled their way out. They seemed to come from hell, holding rusty axes and broken swords as they rushed towards the campsite.
"Undead creatures!" "It's the undead!" The pirates in the campsite were in chaos. If it weren't for Leylin's early preparations, it might have sparked a rebellion.
"It has been rumoured that the Black Skeletons' captain is a bloodline holder, and is able to call upon the dead, looks like the rumours are real!" Even though low-ranked skeletons like this would not cause much trouble, it was a huge blow to his men's confidence. Leylin furrowed his brows, sending out a few spells.
"Berserk!" "Blizzard!" "Resist Energy!"
Under the influence of Berserk, many low-ranked pirates started yelling as if their bodies were filled with immense strength. Bows were continuously in action, the arrows they shot out turning the skeletons to dust.
"These spells, we can already confirm it's him." William nodded his head as he watched, feeling a little upset. Even though his opponent had a good affinity for spells, to waste his slots from the start made him no different from those stupid and rash bloodline holders.
'Alright. We can end the war if we capture him, but on top of that we can even blackmail Baron Jonas for the refined sugar and fish floss techniques.' William was extremely jealous of these two money-makers and started growling, "I will bestow 1000 coins upon anyone who's able to capture that wizard. You can also do whatever you wish to the captured women!"
All the pirates got excited at the great rewards, and started charging madly towards the fences.
"Our low-ranked pirates are of such inferior quality, they couldn't improve much even with the enhancement of the spells. And my spells are limited in time and scope." Leylin laughed bitterly to Isabel as he looked at the pirates who were starting to give way. Both of them retreated from the frontline and came to the hall.
"Prepare to leave!" Leylin signalled with his hand, and Ronald started moving away the obstacles to reveal a passageway in the corner of the hall. This was a passageway that Leylin had made when he built the campsite back then, its existence was known to only about 3 people. Ronald had only found out about it today.
Explosion
"Brothers, we can't risk our lives for that wizard who fled and left us all behind!" An unexpected figure stood out in the front line.
Cyclops growled, "If we surrender, they'll overlook all the sins we committed against them. He's a viscount, mateys! What are you sprogs still waiting for?" This pirate, one of Leylin's first subordinates, betrayed him in the blink of an eye. Cyclops had even established contact with William some time before.
As they realised that Leylin was indeed absent, the morale of the other pirates was greatly affected. They were shaken by the suggestions of their leader, and many decided to throw down their weapons and surrender.
The door of the campsite was thrown open, and Cyclops stood aside respectfully to let Crowe and his gang in. Even if they still had any last remnants of resistance, it was of no use in this current situation.
"You've done well, I will put in a good word for you to my father!" William patted Cyclops' shoulder contentedly, which made the pirate looked very touched.
"Where are Leylin and the rest?"
"Don't worry, we've already sent our men to block off their paths, they won't be able to escape!" Cyclops proceeded to welcome William into the meeting chamber, while the summoned skeletons were disposing of a handful of pirates that were still putting up a fight.
"What's going on? What happened to all of you? I thought we had come to an agreement!" Cyclops raised his attention as he saw a few of the pirate leaders who had conspired with him grouping together.
"Be careful! I felt uneasy the moment I stepped in here." Boruj whispered to William as he cast some spells.
"Mage Armour II!" "Detect Danger!" "Eagle Eye!"
Soon after, his expression grew dark. "Shit! Run!" A teleportation gate appeared and Boruj pulled William with him as he threw himself into its depths.
"Come and see the fireworks." Outside the campsite, Leylin and Isabel stood next to each other and watched the camp near them.
*Boom!*
Dazzling sparks of flame emerged from all around the campsite, and immediately encircled the pirates within.
Cyclops was at a loss. Before he could even figure out the situation, an immense force ripped his body apart.
Terrifying explosions sounded, and a mushroom cloud soared into the sky. The resulting shockwaves were so strong that even the trees near Leylin were uprooted. Earthquakes ensued, the ground seeming to let out a deafening lament as it split wide open.
"With the money from the fish floss as well as some money borrowed from the church of wealth, I bought goblin explosives. What a scene!" Leylin commented as he observed the scene unfolding itself from afar.
Ronald stood behind Leylin, shock was written all over his face. Only his psychotic leader could think of a plan as crazy as filling the campsite with dynamite to send both his enemies and his own men to hell, hand in hand.
"But, even though we used a big amount of dynamite, this impact is just too big. This is as powerful as a rank 9 area of effect spell. Actually, it might even be equivalent to a legendary spell!" Ronald muttered, without noticing he had just voiced his opinion out loud.
Leylin smirked. In reality, the credits weren't solely to the dynamite. He had added his own techniques and the A.I. Chip's processing, enhancing the explosives and and increasing their damage.
Furthermore, Leylin made meticulous preparations, using many concealing spells to avoid the enemies' suspicion.
Well, at the very least, the Black Skeletons became history. This plan ended up creating a huge hole in his wallet and exhausting him to the bones, but the results were satisfying. As for Boruj, Leylin did not plan on keeping the wizard around.
A bad thing about high-ranked wizards was that it got increasingly difficult to eliminate them once they grew familiar with teleportation.
But the rest of the people on the campsite were not so lucky.
"Be prepared, out men will soon catch up to us." There were still around a hundred elite pirates under Leylin's control.
These were Leylin's true subordinates, the loyal ones that he chose through many bloody battles. Even their families had been sent to the Faulen Island to be supervised.
"Kill everyone in the campsite. No exceptions," Leylin commanded icily at the crucial moment. He could not spare any time to care about collateral damage.
He knew that, even if it was stunning, this enhanced explosion's damage was still limited.
After all, at least the rank 15 Professional Crowe would be able to run a few hundred meters away before the explosion, leaving the area with highest damage. However, he would still be severely injured. In addition, Professionals at or above rank 10 would still have a high survival rate. The deciding factor would be their injuries.
Others, however, would have no chance to live. Leylin had added some special elements to increase the damage, contaminating the campsite with large amounts of neurotoxins. With the explosion, the toxic gas would finish off any remaining people.
This was Leylin's niche, so he was obviously confident about it. As for his current subordinates, they had already received their doses of antidote, so there was no need to worry. These trained pirates charged into the hellish campsite and started attacking every person and creature in sight.
Every Black Skeleton survivor was severely injured, and was no match for these guys. Thus, there was no way of resisting their fate. On the other hand, Leylin and Isabel were able to locate Crowe through their spiritual force and stop him from going any further.
"Captain Crowe, please be on your way soon. I'm extremely busy today." Leylin spoke politely while he scanned the severely injured Crowe. He meant what he said. After all, once Crowe was dead, Leylin would have access to a huge number of ships.
The deaths of those stupid pirates meant nothing. As long as his 100 elites remained, he could have as many men as he needed. Of course, if the Black Skeletons' magic battleship was included, then that would be a perfect ending.
However, Crowe suddenly did something out of the blue.
"My young lord Leylin! Please let me off! I promise you my loyalty and all of the Black Skeletons' fortunes!" He got onto his knees with a thump and buried his head in the mud. This arrogant pirate had actually surrendered.
'Really?' Leylin looked at him with an undecipherable expression. Crowe's condition was obviously not at its peak, but Leylin could feel that he still had the power of qi.
"This comes from the bottom of my heart! Furthermore, the ships are still being watched by the sharkman Citamo, I can kill all of them for you, my precious Lord!"
"It's unbelievable that our cruel and merciless Black Skeleton Pirate captain still had this side to him!" Leylin smiled, "But I won't be fazed by this little bloodline trick. You can stop your performance right there."
'He noticed!' Crowe raised his head, while spell power glowing on his body.
But Leylin was faster. A crimson shadow flashed, and the Devilblood Dagger was pinned onto Crowe's head in no time.
Crowe's expression was weird as his body slowly fell. All the spell rays on his body broke into pieces. This brutal bloodline pirate, and high-ranked knight, ended up dead.
Loud gurgling noises could be heard. The Devilblood Dagger was glistening with blood, numerous blood vessels emerging and coiling around Crowe. Everything was sucked from him, causing the demonic skull to emit an excited growl.
After all, it had never encountered a creature of this strength. An immense power spread from the dagger, and Leylin felt a little uneasy.
[Beep! Host body enhanced by Devilblood Dagger! Strength+0.7, Agility+1.5, Vitality+0.3] The A.I. Chip's alerts made Leylin realise his stats had updated once more.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 16 Race: Rank 9 Human Wizard. Strength: 5.2. Agility: 6.5. Vitality: 6.3. Spirit: 9 Condition: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite. Spell Slots: Rank 4(1), Rank 3(3), Rank 2(5), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
"You really live up to the fame of a high-ranked Professional. Look at the extent of this enhancement." Leylin smiled with satisfaction as he felt his limbs become more nimble and light.
Crowe's high rank was no joke. The enhancement he brought upon Leylin was great. He wasn't interested in spirit enhancement from the man, given that everything he had would only raise it by 0.2, but there were better candidates to harvest spiritual force from anyway.
The A.I Chip flashed another prompt. [Beep! Target hods the 'Wolf Skeleton' bloodline, 12.19% compatible with host's body. Begin absorption?]
"No, extract the bloodline instead!" Following Leylin's command, a dark drop of blood appeared from Crowe's forehead, seating itself inside a black bottle that Leylin was holding.
Leylin had no interest in this sort of bloodline power, but it would be useful to give to his subordinates so he could create a few bloodline holders.