Black Sail
Chapter 474: CIII. Collector

Chapter 474: CIII. Collector

Aisnor Province.

Sand Valley.

On the carriage to the Tiger-man collector’s place, the stone road to the town was relatively less smooth than the direct path, causing some bumpiness.

Liszt was lost in profound bewilderment.

After conversing with Isis, she didn’t have much insight into Archer either, having never met him but merely heard some rumors about him as the Church’s number one enemy amongst the Demon Hunters in Ji Weng.

Such a mysterious man.

Thinking about it...

Archer and Hannibal were not entirely dissimilar, for Archer could say to a female officer next to his adjacent cell like Hannibal, "I can smell your virginity," or like a Blastoise using Hydro Pump through the bars.

Now you’re telling me this guy is an ogre?

Dark cuisine competition, a golden smile on its face! On the surface, they were fried buns, but they were actually an ammunition depot. Magical Panda Mapo Tofu! On the surface, they were soybeans, yet they actually were ghost and squid breast meat.

After finishing cooking.

As Archer removed his headscarf, he revealed the court’s special chef badge on his arm, with a Gardenia bloom on his face, "Pardon the subpar hospitality!"

This bastard... has been cooking for Black Sail for several years!

No, it might just be one-sided rumors, slander was rampant, I myself was not the boss of the Eastern Sea Dog Pirates, those guild papers painted me like a criminal organization.

I knew Archer for so long, he wasn’t that kind of person.

Actually, the opposite was true, which was normal for humans.

Wait...

What kind of person is Archer really? Being constantly hungover, indescribably chaotic, staring directly at any corner of his mind would turn one autistic.

Just a pure drunk, even in brief moments of sobriety, due to withdrawal symptoms he became fiercer and more anxious, making things even more chaotic.

Liszt realized he knew nothing about this man; Mr. Archer was even more mysterious than Morison.

Arrived at the town where Dreya had traveled not long ago.

The scenery here was indeed unique, different from other areas on the Western Continent, resembling an alien planet, preserving well the original landscape of the Tiger-man habitat.

The undulating brown soil morphed into hills, and both bushes and the nameless vines on the walls were dark red. Although the area had little rainfall, it was rich in underground river resources, and umbrella-shaped trees shielded against the sands while protecting the strange fungi below.

Hundreds of years ago, Tiger-men truly roamed everywhere, directly sleeping on the sandy ground like it was cat litter.

But with secularization, they too developed architecture that conformed to their unique racial aesthetics, favoring buildings with alternating red and white lacquered walls, akin to an inverted Mediterranean style with a touch of Bohemian color in the belt lines.

This town was unexpectedly nice; many people traveled here.

During the Continent Martial Arts Competition, plenty of wealthy individuals from west of the Narrow Sea frolicked across Aran, and Liszt spotted several individuals with the typical Lost features—prominent cheekbones, deep nasolabial folds, but with strikingly dimensional facial constructions, sculpted-like.

Thinking about it now, Celeste truly possessed all the commendable traits of her homeland, having discarded any flaws, an impeccable beauty with perfect curves.

On her way to Golden Palm Port, that woman must have felt something, after all, she’s been influenced by Ji Tou Si. Liszt watched the Scissors Sisters, Heavenly Dao, and Oga were still at Heaven Port.

Little did he know that Kai Deng had already reset all the positive feelings Liszt had strategized.

Riding the chartered carriage to this town took over two hours, costing eighty-six copper coins, cheaper than in Duguli, but Liszt wasn’t short on money, and he simply paid two silver coins to round up.

"Alright, where’s that Tiger-man collector?"

Liszt was eager to act upon arrival; already possessing a tenth of the Radiant Knight’s strength, if he could advance further, why couldn’t he casually slay a Dragon?

"There, that big house is it."

Goria pointed to the tallest building within the group of structures, still manorial in nature.

"Damn, don’t tell me he’s an official in Aran? Does he know I’m involved with the underworld?"

Liszt cursed these wealthy landlords. The town was not small and couldn’t be fully explored in half a day. Restricted by building heights, apart from that manor, the tallest buildings were only four or five stories high, surely hosting thousands of residents, his being the most conspicuous.

It’s best for someone like me, a Netherworld People, to avoid getting involved with officials.

"Don’t mention your underworld ties, even if you came from Northern Prison..."

Goria hesitated, this guy really did escape from the big prison, "Anyway, you didn’t see it, we four beauties were there, he didn’t even blink. But when he heard about someone mastering the Junlin Sword, he was happier than if his wife had given birth, jumping with joy."

"That’s for the best."

"Four beauties?" Liszt had forgotten about Tani, the girl who had come along to have fun and had truly learned something valuable in Aran, thanks also to Taylor’s connections. She must have already gone to the Tower Alliance by now, which is indeed the most authoritative Magician organization on the Western Continent. To put it into perspective, it’s like someone from Liszt’s hometown becoming an astronaut—ancestral tomb smoking with pride, a future without limits.

I hope she doesn’t end up like Fen, not becoming a member of the Upper House of the Tower Alliance but choosing to be a pirate instead.

Arriving at the mansion gate of the Tiger-man collector.

When the butler saw Goria and Meredith, he knew the young master’s expected guests had arrived and quickly ushered them into the living room.

Since Tiger-men could see in the dark, they were more sensitive to light, so the living room was kept very dim, and Liszt couldn’t make out much.

Tiger-men didn’t like sweets; the snacks served to the group were salty, similar to flaky pastries but thinner and smaller.

Before seeing the person, they heard a voice.

"Who is it? Who is it?"

A sickly, addiction-riddled Tiger-man, skinny as a bamboo pole, hurried down the stairs in his pajamas, even twisting his foot by accident.

He resembled a lynx more, with gray fur, not the same species as Swan.

Liszt cringed at the sight, "Take it easy, man, I’m afraid you might die on me." He had seen plenty like him at Heaven Port—this guy was definitely the type needing a hit every few days.

"I brought the person, where’s the payment?"

Meredith reached out her hand for the money.

"Sure! Uh... butler, go fetch fifty Golden Dragons for this lady."

The lynx Tiger-man was not short on cash. Last time, a Daywalker from the Blood Clan hadn’t dared mention that he also collected a Junlin Sword. Real or fake, they would soon find out. No fear of being deceived here; this was his turf, where the National Guard and Aran Military Officials were just a call away.

Since the separation between Aran military and police wasn’t very clear and the security authority was given to the local nobles, but thanks to the Lord’s Bill, nobles couldn’t have private armies yet could deploy the local National Guard, practically acting like the police.

In essence, it was still under military control; the Lord could only use them temporarily.

Although the Emperor had assigned Aran to these nobles long ago, he kept a tight leash on them. With such repression, there were bound to be anti-imperialists.

Liszt scoffed, "Damn nobles, giving out fifty Golden Dragons just like that. Even I, the Boss of the East Sea, am not that lavish."

Besides, that money should have been for me, you jerk! It’s like I’m being sold by the Scissors Legs Sisters!

"You must be the one, truly exceptional, just the aura of a master."

The lynx Tiger-man, upon seeing a middle-aged man with mutton chops among Isis’ escort, felt an instant connection.

"Uh... no, I’m not."

The guard felt awkward.

"It’s the scar-faced one."

Meredith, counting the Golden Dragons in the bag, not one less, showed a slight pleasure on her otherwise stony face—it was the sisterhood’s little treasury.

"Ah, this..."

The lynx Tiger-man glanced at Liszt, thinking, "Isn’t this guy just a pure murderer, seems like someone from the Eastern Sea... looks kind of familiar."

"You, what the fuck, man? I’m clearly better-looking than him, okay?"

Liszt, feeling betrayed by everyone, with Scissors Legs Sisters only caring about money and going lesbian, and Isis just wanting to hook up; if General Rein had been here, he’d have blasted this Tiger-man with a verbal cannon.

The lynx Tiger-man recognized him, after all, Liszt was a big figure in the Netherworld.

No wonder...

The Boss of the East Sea, indeed the Junlin Sword Master.

Everything made sense now! Definitely exciting!

The lynx Tiger-man turned serious,

"Esteemed guests, please rest in the living room for a while. I would like to speak with you alone!"

The lynx Tiger-man was also excitedly rubbing his hands.

The Junlin Sword, being unusable by anyone but due to its rarity and uniqueness, had become a top collectible, starting from five thousand Golden Dragons at elite auctions and only soaring to astronomical numbers.

"Are you into guys, or what? If you go gay on me, I’ll kill you right here."

Liszt was really annoyed by this Tiger-man’s behavior.

Despite not catching the gist, the lynx Tiger-man still insisted, "Please come with me! This is of great importance!"