Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Danitz turned agape as he subconsciously said in Intis, “Hotel.”
The air seemed to instantly freeze as Danitz looked at the carriage driver’s dark-brown skin, coarse and messy black hair, rather soft facial contours, and blank expression. He exhaled silently and blamed it on his bad luck before silently carrying his luggage to walk down the street.
“Dogsh*t! I actually encountered a carriage driver who doesn’t know Intis! Shouldn’t someone who picks up passengers near the harbor know a few Northern Continent languages? There are so many people from Intis, Loen, and Feysac around here!” As Danitz grumbled, he looked ahead to look for pedestrians who looked to be from the Northern Continent or had similar heritages in a bid to smoothen his process of checking into a hotel and filling his stomach.
According to what he knew, Behrens Harbor had quite a number of people from Intis, Loen, Feynapotter, and Feysac who had migrated here. As long as he met one, communication wouldn’t be a problem.
However, Danitz felt that all of this was built on a premise: he had to ensure that he didn’t collapse from heatstroke.
“This dogsh*t weather!” He looked up at the azure-blue sky, white clouds, and the sun which wasn’t too glaring. Cursing with a warped expression, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Despite his cursing, Danitz actually knew that the temperature in the Southern Continent was considered mild to the point that even calling it slightly cool wasn’t an exaggeration. The reason why he was feeling so hot was because he was wearing the Sun Brooch. However, having just arrived and having not figured out the situation in his surroundings, he didn’t dare remove the brooch to stuff it into his luggage bag. If he were to lose the item, he could imagine the cold and crazy look Gehrman Sparrow would give him.
Come on, give me a few people from the Northern Continent. Any country would do. I’m a famous pirate who knows several languages after all… Danitz kept muttering under his breath as all he could think of was iced beer and icebergs that floated in the ocean.
As he muttered, he suddenly rubbed his eyes.
He had finally seen someone who was clearly of Northern Continent descent!
Furthermore, it seemed to be someone familiar!
Diagonally ahead of Danitz, at a street illuminated by bright sunlight, a young man with blond short hair that was split seventy-thirty was leaning against a wall, blowing into a silver harmonica.
He had emerald-green eyes, and he wore a white shirt that didn’t have the top two buttons buttoned up. He wore a completely unbuttoned black vest, dark-colored trousers, and a single black glove. He was none other than the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea, Anderson Hood!
What a coincidence? This fellow actually came to West Balam… Danitz felt delighted deep down, feeling that he had finally grabbed a floating plank in the sea of people. Ignoring Anderson’s actions on the Golden Dream, he approached him and greeted in standard hunter speech.
“What happened? Treasure hunting hasn’t been working out for you, so you’ve begun busking on the streets?”
He noticed that Anderson had an overturned hat in front of him. In it were about twenty to thirty brass coins. A few of them were Intis Coppets, with the majority being local Delexi.
In Intis, Delexi meant copper coins.
Anderson stopped playing the harmonica as he shot Danitz a glance.
“That’s not my hat.
“I happened to walk past and saw a hat on the ground. Seeing how no one discovered it, I felt a little wistful and took out my harmonica to play it. To my surprise, quite a number of people gathered around to listen and threw money in it.
“A boorish pirate like you probably doesn’t understand the beauty of music and how it has no borders. I’m telling you, your captain especially likes…”
“Stop!” Danitz’s forehead throbbed as he stopped Anderson from diverting the topic of conversation. He asked, “Why are you here?”
Anderson held the harmonica and thought about it seriously.
“That’s a good question.
“I have no idea why I’m here in West Balam either. I don’t remember a thing that has happened over the past two months.”
Danitz originally wanted him to cut it out, but Anderson’s serious expression convinced him. He deliberated and asked, “You don’t remember a thing?”
Anderson put away the silver harmonica, bent down, picked up the hat with quite a number of coins, and dusted it.
“My last memory was of me in Bayam with Gehrman Sparrow. After going our separate ways, I had apparently gone somewhere to meet someone. When I woke up, I was already here in West Bayam…
“Haha, don’t be concerned over such matters. As long as I’m still alive. Ah, it’s almost noon. Let’s go have a meal. I heard that Behrens is famous for its pork knuckles.”
While saying that, Anderson placed the hat along with the coins beside a tramp to his side.
Already hot, hungry, and exhausted, Danitz was invigorated upon hearing that.
“You know Dutanese?”
Anderson chuckled.
“Haven’t you heard of my numerous adventures as a treasure hunter in West Balam?”
That’s right. I had thought of seeking you out to get information on West Balam… The situation here is chaotic, and it’s rather dangerous. I’ll definitely be safer with Anderson around. Also, I’ll have an interpreter! I can’t say I’m hiring him, as I can’t afford him… Danitz slowly revealed a smile.
“That puts me at ease. Let’s go.”
Holding his luggage, he and Anderson circled to a nearby main street and found a restaurant.
Upon hearing the waiter speak in his native tongue, and seeing the menu filled with indecipherable text, Danitz felt a headache as he hurriedly said to Anderson, “I’ll leave it to you.”
As he spoke, he handed the menu to the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea.
Anderson didn’t reach out his hand as he replied with a composed expression, “I can’t read it either.”
“…Didn’t you say you know Dutanese?” Danitz blurted out in surprise.
Anderson threw up his hands.
“I didn’t say that.
“What has my repeated visits to West Balam in search of treasure have to do with knowing Dutanese?”
“Without knowing Dutanese, how are you able to understand those texts in the ancient temples and castle ruins? How do you seek out treasure?” Danitz’s expression contorted bit by bit as his tone sped up without him realizing it.
Anderson picked up the cup served by the waiter and gulped it down.
“Problems that can be solved with a dictionary aren’t problems.
“Besides, does not knowing Dutanese mean that you can’t communicate with the people from the Southern Continent?”
WIth that said, he turned to look at the waiter. Speaking in the Intis language, he said, “Two specialty pork knuckles.”
The waiter obviously gave him a blank look as he kept pointing at the menu.
Anderson didn’t fluster at all as he unhurriedly pressed his right hand to his nose and mimicked the grunting of a pig.
The waiter was first taken aback before revealing a look of enlightenment. Then, Anderson pointed at his knuckles and pointed at the Behrens label on the menu before using his fingers to show two.
“%$#” As the waiter spoke in an accented Dutanese, he repeatedly nodded to show his comprehension. By the side, Danitz was dumbfounded by what he saw.
After a series of gestures, mixed with a few basic Dutanese words, he finally finished ordering the meal. Turning his head to Danitz, he smiled.
“Get it? In this world, there’s a common language—body language!”
Danitz watched with a frozen expression as he curled the corners of his lips as a response.
…
A carriage drove out of West Borough, and it headed south at an intersection. Soon, it arrived at a military base.
With Colonel Calvin’s letter and a junior officer escorting him, Klein successfully entered the base and arrived at a square paved with rammed earth. Berthed on it was a dark-blue and white behemoth.
This airship was dozens of meters long, and its truss had solid and light composite metal frames extended from it. They were intercrossed with one another as they held up an impermeable cloth used as cushions. Beneath it were openings mounted with machine guns, projectile launchers, and cannons.
At this moment, the ignition steam engine had yet to hum, and the corresponding propellers were still static. Everything appeared extremely silent.
Klein handed his documents and proof of identity to the officer on guard by the gangway. After receiving permission, he walked up onto the airship with his suitcase in hand.
It was like a ship with three sections. The uppermost section had complicated machinery and a cargo haul. The middle section had a hall for buffets and balls. Surrounding the hall were hallways that led to the upper and lower sections. These hallways included lounges. As for the lowest section, they were the rooms for the machine guns, projectile launchers, and cannons, as well as the soldiers’ cabins.
Walking by the guards equipped with rifles, Klein followed the instructions he received from the officer and found the lounge reserved for him. He placed his luggage beside a sofa-like chair.
Then, he picked up a cup of water on the table, walked to the window, and took in the scenery outside.
To be frank, although he knew a little of everything, it was really only a little. Therefore, he didn’t understand the design principles used for this new airship model. He didn’t know how high it could go or how stable it was in midair.
This left him a little uneasy. Before setting off, he had even done a divination above the gray fog. He received a revelation that he would arrive at his destination rather smoothly.
There seems to be a safety belt. This world’s airship industry has plenty of years of history. They have quite a bit of experience accumulated in all aspects… Klein was just about to retract his gaze and admire the decorations inside the room and the candlelight when he noticed a group of people approaching Airship 1345.
They were men and women, all of them wearing thin, black trench coats and red gloves. They were carrying leather suitcases of varying sizes. Only one of them wore a mysterious medium’s robe. She had blue eyeshadow and blush, and she was none other than Daly Simone.
And behind the lady was the black-haired, green-eyed Leonard Mitchell.
While no one noticed it, Leonard’s footsteps suddenly slowed down. Then, he looked up at the midsection of the airship.
His eyes reflected the gray-sideburned and blue-eyed Dwayne Dantès who was wearing a suit and bow tie.
This gentleman was standing behind a window, revealing a genial smile as he raised the cup in his hand.
