I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 500: The Tide Caller’s Dwelling

Chapter 500: The Tide Caller’s Dwelling

An icy shudder ran down Sam’s spine as he remembered how the counter exploded without warning last year.

"It was you!"

His smirk reflected on the man’s constricted pupils as he whistled innocently.

Meanwhile, lips quivering, Flintwaters watched his saber in faked dejection. But he noticed the calculative light dancing in his eyes.

"Please, don’t temper with my weapon. Give it back, and I’ll guide you to the Tide Caller."

He shrugged, throwing the blade back.

"I can really improve it. But your blade, your call, man. When can we depart?"

Catching the blade and cradling it like a baby, Flintwaters fished a pocket watch from his coat and scrutinised it.

A deep furrow creased the captain’s brows the next second as Sam patted his shoulder and shook his head.

However, Flintwaters still continued.

"Her island is not far. In fact..."

An awkward silence descended on the room as Sam paled and covered Flintwaters’ mouth urgently.

"Shut up, animal! We’re already stuck on this island because we learned one of her secrets! What do you think she’ll do after we share it?!"

His brows rose in intrigue at Sam’s urgent actions, and soon, a crazy theory rumbled in his mind with the strength of a cannon.

"No way... You won’t tell me she lives in the towering fort between the mountains."

Sam trembled while Flintwaters seized the opportunity to remove his friend’s hand from his mouth.

"The fort is hers, but she lives elsewhere."

The pirate pointed down as he frowned in confusion.

"She lives in a submerged city under this artificial island! We’re only her vanguard and a diversion to hide her!"

As his fingers drummed on the counter behind him in interest, Sam clutched his head in disbelief.

"Nooo! Why did you tell him?"

Sam gripped his friend by the collar and roared, spit flying on his face.

"She already placed sea creatures to forbid us from leaving. Now she’ll put a bounty on our heads! Everyone will chase us down like rats!"

Sam gritted his teeth in rage as his clenched fists trembled on Flintwaters’ elegant shirt.

"Why? Because I’m tired of living in your shitty pub! I’m a pirate. I want to feel the salty breeze on my skin, the waves rocking my ship and the thrill of passing through a storm!"

Flintwaters pointed at Adam with one hand and used the other to grab Sam by the neck and bring him closer.

"He’s the solution! We can escape her range of influence with him and resettle to the north, east, or west."

Meanwhile, he tucked his fingers around his chin. A smirk tugged at his lips as he thought about Shepard’s future kingdom.

"Still as decisive as last year. Hahaha! I can take you to the College of Alchemy and Transmutation if you both agree to become official captains instead of pirates. Shepard will need a fleet in the future, and I trust you despite your bizarre tastes."

Brows rising in confusion, Flintwaters pointed at his face, gazing at him as if he were crazy.

"Me? Did you hit your head earlier?"

However, he only cracked his neck to the side and smiled, showing Flintwaters he was welcome anytime.

A momentary silence lingered as the two men scratched their heads before Flintwaters shattered it.

"Hahaha! Get me out of this cursed place, and I’ll help you build a fleet no one has ever seen. With me and a few good sailors, that college of whatever will rule the seas!"

He rolled his eyes at the eager pirate.

"You just want an official flag to enter any port and get more mistresses with your silver tongue and wild stories. Anyway, how do we get into the Tide Callers’ submerged city?"

"Argh, touché!"

Flintwaters clasped his chest with a faked grimace before his eyes narrowed in solemness.

"According to the old grimoire we found, we need to sail a river upstream to reach this island’s center. The path should be there, but I don’t know what it looks like or if it’s hidden."

"Shit! You guys are acting as if I’m not here. I’ll have to leave everything behind because of you! For what? A meager salary as a country’s captain?"

Thick veins throbbing on his reddening forehead, Sam slammed his fist on the counter and roared.

"Fuck you Flintwaters. And you too, boy!"

"Stay here and live in the rubble of what you had once built then. I don’t have time to waste and need you to wait for Admiral Reaper to collect my money. So, meet him and wait for our return if you want to leave later. If not, keep my money and wait for me to return to get it back and die alone."

He heard Sam’s teeth crack in anger and gave him a minute to assess his limited options. Then, he saw him deflate like a balloon.

"I want you to help me buy a shop at a premium spot."

"What if I negotiate for you to become a kingdom’s treasury manager instead? With how much of a cheapskate you are, I have no doubt you’ll sleep on the coins even if they’re not yours."

Sam’s eyes trembled as his words lingered in the air.

Then, the man’s arm cut through the wind before him, and his voice echoed.

"Deal! I’ll wait with that admiral for your return."

He shook his hand, his eyes narrowing into purple slits wafting electricity.

"You know that I’ll behead you myself if you steal from me? And trust me, no one is swifter than me but the Sky Guardian."

He saw the tremor jolting Sam’s arm for a second before the man’s lips quivered into a hesitant smile.

"I’ll turn my back on crimes and misdeeds. But negotiate the salary, too. There is no way I’ll refrain if I see wealth beyond my dreams daily but earn peanuts."

"Sure. You’ll earn enough to plate your house’s walls in gold."

He clapped his hands, tying the discussion with one last sentence and stepping towards the broken door resting in a sea of wood and glass shards.

"You both know what to do and expect, so let’s go!"

The evening sun filtered in the alleyway as he gazed at the horizon, his heart drumming against his chest in eagerness and terror. After all, he would meet the last of the three archmages and the one Shepard wanted to see the least.