Chapter Twelve: Bait
“Is that so? If we can’t even agree on this, then I think there’s no need for me and Mr. Kudan to continue talking. But I’ve heard that Mr. Gott has always strived to become a powerful figure dominating the Central Seas. Don’t his subordinates even have such insight, or dare they take such risks?”
Cruel sarcasm pierced through the bearded man’s wide-open mouth, forcing him to cough repeatedly to hide his embarrassment. “My lord, it’s not that Kudan distrusts you, but anyone hearing such a thing would first think of absurd rumors. After all, these legendary weapons have been spoken of for hundreds of years, yet no one has ever seen them. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, but you don’t even know about the legendary exploits of Pirate King Morgan who ruled the seas over two hundred years ago? Surely no one knows the powerful weapons that made him the king of the seas?” Komer glanced at him with disdain.
The Thousand-Mile Mirror and the Magic Armored Cannons were the essential weapons that enabled Pirate King Morgan’s private fleet to dominate the seas. With these weapons, Morgan’s fleet not only destroyed the most powerful imperial fleet and the combined fleets of several countries around the Central Seas but also established a new maritime order in that region. All merchant ships submitted to his tyranny, and every pirate in the Central Seas bowed before him. No one knew how these weapons came into his hands, but the Thousand-Mile Mirror allowed him to anticipate enemy moves, while the Magic Armored Cannons revolutionized naval combat tactics. The popular boarding battles meant nothing to Morgan’s fleet—he could destroy ships from a distance of 300 to 500 meters using his massive Magic Armored Cannons, making traditional close combat impossible. It was this ability that secured Morgan’s supreme dominance in the Central Seas.
Almost everyone tried every means to obtain the Thousand-Mile Mirror, the Magic Armored Cannons, and their manufacturing techniques, but no one succeeded. These weapons remained in the hands of Morgan and his trusted followers. To keep their secrets, countless pirates bribed with money ended up hanged. Even when Morgan’s fleet was destroyed in a storm, no one uncovered their secrets. From then on, the Thousand-Mile Mirror and the Magic Armored Cannons became part of legend, their true nature forever hidden.
“Oh, Lord, you’re too kind. Though we’ve never seen such treasures before, that doesn’t mean we can’t determine their authenticity. As far as we know, the three large ships equipped with magic cannons owned by Senior Morgan have long disappeared into the depths of the sea. Even if they were recovered now, after hundreds of years, they would no longer possess their original power. As for what you said about you having the ability to create such things, do I understand that you’ve acquired the technology to make them? If you can truly show us a genuine Thousand-Mile Mirror or magic cannon, I can promise to meet all your demands on behalf of our leader.” With a sly smile, the bearded man, who had gradually calmed down from his initial excitement, began to consider the truthfulness of the other party’s words. If he were deceived by such lies, the consequences would be disastrous. No one could tolerate such humiliation, and an organization that felt tricked would retaliate with extreme determination against such irresponsible deception.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kudan. Neither the Thousand-Mile Mirror nor the magic cannons can be created in just a few days. But I can assure you that I do possess the skills to make these two treasures. If given three to six months, along with some necessary materials, I believe I can produce a satisfactory product. However, the food issue I need to resolve cannot wait that long. If you think I’m just boasting, then there’s no need to continue talking. If you think this deal is worth pursuing, then let’s discuss it further.” Finally, Komer laid out his conditions. He believed the other party couldn’t refuse his proposal, but the man before him might struggle to make a decision. Still, he had patience.
After pondering for a long time, the bearded man still couldn’t decide. It was a hypothetical situation, but his side needed to fulfill the deal’s conditions in advance. This went against the organization’s usual trading principles, but the other party’s offer was too tempting. Anyone who lived by the sea would find it hard to resist such an offer. He couldn’t refuse, and he believed his leader would face the same dilemma.
“Lord, this matter is too significant, and your conditions are rather harsh. How about I give you a definite answer in ten days?” The bearded man finally made a difficult decision. He had to report this to his headquarters, despite the risks involved—it was still worth taking.
“Of course. I look forward to your reply.” Komer also nodded politely and smiled; in his view, this was already a prelude to success.
Three days later, in Rhode Island. The bearded man reappeared in the living room on the second floor of the three-story building. The sun was setting, casting golden light, and the calm, waveless sea appeared serene and peaceful. Even the flag on the flagpole atop the building hung limp in the breeze.
Although the bearded man was prepared, he was still surprised by the fighting spirit and dominance suddenly emanating from his leader. It had been a long time since he had seen his leader act so out of control—like an enraged lion, walking back and forth in the living room with his hands behind his back, trying to calm his uncontrollable emotions.
“The Thousand-Mile Mirror? The Magic Armored Cannon? Hah, great! I thought I’d never see these treasures in my lifetime. It seems fate favors us ‘Gray Skulls.’ It’s time for us to stand tall.” The hunchbacked old man had lost his usual gloomy demeanor; his cheerful expression made the bearded man even more nervous. “Leader, this is just one side of their story. We can’t be sure yet. It will take half a year to find out if it’s true or not. What if this guy is lying to us?”
“Hmph, Titch, is your head in your pants? If he can deceive us for a while, can he deceive us forever? We’ve done things ten times riskier than smuggling grain countless times before. If this is a deception, then he’ll have to pay a heavy price. But at least for now, we can afford that price. Even if we satisfy him first, as long as we can get those two weapons, heh, what is Katrina? What is Selinger? Everyone will bow before us ‘Gray Skulls.’ I never thought I’d get such an opportunity in my old age. This is our chance as ‘Gray Skulls.’ We can’t give it up.” At that moment, the hunchbacked old man seemed to suddenly look ten years younger. “Tell him we agree to his conditions. We’ll help him solve the grain problem. Don’t we have a secret warehouse south of Odessa? Let him secretly transport the grain there, and we can help him ship it back to Rotterdam. But no later than six months from now, I want to see the Thousand-Mile Mirror or the Magic Armored Cannon!”
Kudan’s contribution finally allowed Komer to breathe a sigh of relief. The remaining tasks could be left to Palermo and Kafli to handle. It was never Komer’s style to put all his eggs in one basket. Although he believed Palermo wouldn’t have any conflicts with him at this point and trusted that Palermo had his own special methods to solve the problem of transporting food to Odessa, he still needed to be cautious of Philip, who was constantly keeping an eye on Palermo’s movements—after all, that was his territory. Kafli, on the other hand, was much more reliable. The low-key merchant from the Barefoot Society could use his extensive network to transport the food acquired from various places in batches, thus reducing the target and avoiding many other risks.
“Boss, that scruffy guy has been wandering outside the castle for over two hours. If you hadn’t told me his true identity, I really can’t think of any other occupation that fits his appearance other than a vagrant. I have no idea how he makes a living.” Pupber watched from afar as the vagrant returned to the castle’s main gate and sighed. These days, morals were declining—even a shifty guy who was obviously trying to exploit others could be called a mysterious magician. Pupber wondered whether the title of “magician” was becoming increasingly overused or if magicians were originally made up of such people with strange behaviors and unusual styles.
“Pupber, you can’t judge a book by its cover. This guy might bring us surprises or not. In Gutenberg, his judgment saved me a great deal of trouble, though it also caused me immense pain.” With a faint smile on his lips, Komer crossed his arms and leisurely watched the visitor who kept searching for something in front of the castle gate.
“Sigh, the Essence Ring—one of the seven sacred rings passed down by the Nature Goddess. Such a precious artifact, and you just gave it away to a woman you met for the first time, boss. Aren’t you being a bit too biased? I’ve followed you through thick and thin, through wind and rain, yet it seems you’ve never even given me a single gold shield.” Pupber’s whining sounded more like regret over such a priceless treasure falling into someone else’s hands than a complaint about Komer’s unfairness. With the boss being such a spendthrift, having even one gold shield already seemed like the greatest favor he could expect.
“Hehe, Pube, don’t dwell too much on these past events. Many things become clear only in hindsight. Besides, that ring is probably a gem in the wrong hands—after all, without the chance to showcase it, we’ll never know its true nature.” Komer was tired of hearing Pube’s complaints, but he admitted it was indeed painful to think about—a magical artifact capable of causing a stir in the magic world slipping away so easily from his grasp. Deep down, he felt regret, but since it was already over, dwelling on it was pointless.
“Hmm, you’re right. But boss, we still have some gains. First, at least you’ve left a good impression on Princess Vero, laying the foundation for your future plans to court her. Second, without that ring, this guy wouldn’t have come all this way. If we can get him under our control—and if he truly has the skills you mentioned—then that ring wasn’t wasted after all.” Pube always weighed the pros and cons of everything, which made Komer admire the Phoenix Elite Academy as a true cradle for officials. It was fortunate for Pube that he had been able to stay there for two years.
Shrugging helplessly, Komer didn’t know the real purpose of this guy’s visit. But even when leaving Gutenberg, he had sensed something extraordinary about him—a similarity to himself, though he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was a sense of kinship.
Rebri had been lingering outside the castle for half a day, observing the surroundings. Sure enough, it was located above the Eye of Darkness. He could clearly hear the frantic screams coming from deep underground—the sounds of a group of arrogant and insane beings. He also sensed a shadowy figure drifting among them, though he didn’t understand how such a being could exist here and still dare to challenge him so freely. Could the Eye of Darkness truly resist the unbreakable laws of the celestial light and preserve these souls? No wonder every lord who lived there in the Caucasus met a tragic end. Even he wasn’t sure he could subdue the ghosts wandering in the castle.
Wandering in the wilderness outside the castle, there was no one living within a thousand meters of it. It wasn’t out of fear—Dalmoresk Castle’s terrifying reputation applied only to lords and adventurers seeking treasure. For ordinary people, its notoriety wasn’t so significant; at least, no ordinary citizen had been affected by it in all these years.
“Kid, it seems your castle is truly a remarkable place—legendary as the Eye of Darkness, a land cursed by demons. Hehe, I wonder what it’s like to be inside. I really want to go in and experience it soon.”
Seeing the sincere anticipation on the other man’s face, if not for his clear and natural speech, Komer might have thought he was mentally unwell, speaking in a somewhat deranged manner. The Eye of Darkness, a land cursed by demons—any normal person should understand the meaning of these names, but this guy seemed to regard it as a paradise.