The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 496: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, - 8: Hayreddin

Chapter 496: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, Chapter 8: Hayreddin

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"Heh, a slacker from Sparta? I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a joke. Spartan men are never cowards or slackers, they bravely face everything that comes their way, no matter the situation, don’t they? Could it be that Captain Portalan’s lifelong aspiration is merely to captain a small passenger vessel?"

Komer searched for his opponent’s emotional weak spot with his sharp words, capable of sensing the hidden wounds deep within the other’s heart. Though they were well-concealed, nothing could escape detection by Komer, whose intuition was extraordinarily keen.

The Bearded Captain’s facial muscles twitched slightly, a sign that he had been pricked in a sensitive spot. His complexion grew somewhat strained as if struggling to find the right words to deflect the conversation. He thought about turning his head away but probably felt it impolite, and his gaze gradually became somber, as if laden with too much regret and pain.

"Captain Portalan, I do not wish to pry into the painful past you might have experienced, but there is one thing I do understand. A true man seeking to regain his self-respect and honor will not achieve it through self-exile or by drowning his sorrows in mellow wine. What a true man should do is reclaim it all with his own hands, repaying those who once looked down upon him and insulted him in every possible way. Only then can he be considered a true man. You might appear calm on the surface, but I believe that, deep inside, you carry an unyielding flame just like mine. Trust that I can offer you the life you desire, help you achieve your wishes!"

Komer did not give the other man a chance to explain or deflect, assaulting him with a cascade of words that lashed cruelly at the wounds he was desperately trying to shield, leaving the Bearded Captain’s face ashen, his stalwart frame swaying slightly.

Closing his eyes in pain, the Bearded Captain seemed unable to endure Komer’s verbal lashes any longer and eventually turned away. Komer, however, remained exceptionally calm, believing that his words could awaken the spirited, and if the other remained numb and indifferent as now, he would lose the value of extending an invitation to him.

Odessa boasted many trout restaurants, but only two or three were renowned, and the Carino Trout House was undoubtedly among the finest. Komer did not repeat his invitation, simply informing the Bearded Captain upon disembarking that he would dine at the Carino Trout House before serenely leaving with Rebry, Solonberg, and Lome.

As a mage who wandered from place to place, Rebry naturally wouldn’t pass up the opportunity for a gourmet meal, while Solonberg, the Dark Knight who considered dining merely another mission to accomplish, was only too happy to comply with Komer’s arrangements. As for Lome, wherever she went brought endless novelties, and she was more than content just to be close to the Great Sage.

Fried trout, mushroom trout rolls, trout roe sauce, sliced trout—when the flavorful and unique trout feast was served, there finally came the knock at the door Komer had been waiting for: "Your baron, please forgive my tardiness. I hope it hasn’t affected your dining mood."

In response to Portalan’s arrival, Rebry and Solonberg remained exceptionally calm. Komer’s actions were always unexpected, with Rebry never intervening and Solonberg indifferent.

Lome, however, was quite intrigued by the large-bearded captain who had sailed with them for three days. Particularly, his conduct during those days aboard sparked great interest in Lome, who was eager to learn everything. How to fish at sea, how to read the clouds for impending weather, how to differentiate types of ships—all of this only increased her admiration for the energetic captain.

The night view of Odessa was beautiful and tinged with a romantic atmosphere. It was the largest city on the Busen Plain and the second-largest port in the Homer region, second only to Cyprus.

Traveling northwest along the Sim River from Plovdiv to the Canal Area, one could reach Gutenberg, the capital of the Galle Region. This was also an important slave market in the Homer region, where slaves of various races from the south were for sale. Even on the black market, one could purchase the rare Shark People slaves.

Of course, such trades were highly secretive. In these port cities near the ocean, angering the Shark People—who prided themselves as children of the sea god—was the least wise thing to do, as it could lead to punishment from everyone.

Perhaps to satisfy the dreary lives of sailors at sea all day, the establishments of pleasure in Odessa were hardly fewer than in Cyprus. Here, the number of slave prostitutes and Free Citizen prostitutes even exceeded that in Cyprus. After all, Cyprus remained the capital of Homer, and from every perspective, sexual trade seemed to be something the religious folk would not acknowledge.

The rich nightlife did not enthrall Komer and Portalan—no, he should now be referred to as Hayreddin, Hayreddin Barbarossa. Though they might share an interest in the fair sex, they seemed more engrossed in a deeper understanding of each other at the moment.

Portalan, now more appropriately named Hayreddin Barbarossa, had a background familiar to Komer. The Barbarossa family in Sparta could be considered a prosperous and thriving clan. However, due to the sheer size of the family, descendants other than the most legitimate direct lineage were often excluded, resulting in many branch families adopting different surnames.

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However, it seemed the line of Hayreddin had not given up their surname, which they regarded as prestigious, but their efforts were met with cruel irony.

In Oubeia, when Hayreddin began his life at sea, he was actually banned from using the surname Barbarossa for a simple reason because the Barbarossa family from Sparta had charged him in the Oubeia City-State Court, claiming Hayreddin was not a true descendant of the Barbarossa family.

Hayreddin was forced to relinquish his surname publicly, which undoubtedly was a severe insult and a considerable provocation for him.

Hayreddin hoped to prove himself through success; in just ten years, he had risen from a common sailor to a navigator, but the examination for promotion not only depleted his savings but also left him heavily in debt, forcing him to work for others for the next several years.

Bid after bid of misfortune followed. When he summed up the courage to court an Elf Clan woman, he was coldly rejected on the grounds that he could not bear the surname Barbarossa, a turn of events thanks to his kinsmen of the aristocratic children, which nearly drove Hayreddin to impulsively murder all those aristocratic children who could freely enjoy the surname Barbarossa.

Komer seemed to understand Hayreddin’s slightly drunken confession. Although he didn’t think a surname could change anything and even wanted to abandon his own surname Reese, he knew that for some, a surname and family were indeed inseparable parts of life. All he could say was that Hayreddin was too obsessed with it.

It led him to duel with his family’s children, and of course, he was falsely accused of attempting revenge murder and drunken rape of a tavern maid. Such clichéd stories had unfolded countless times in every city, and Hayreddin seemed to be just one of the actors in them, unfortunately, a tragic character.

Escape seemed to be the only option, thanks to his good relations in the Southern Mediterranean, but no matter how good those relations were, none dared defy the arrest warrant issued by the city-state court. After all, the influence of the Corinth City-State Union across the Mediterranean was significant, and escaping out of the Mediterranean became the inevitable result if Hayreddin were to survive.

"My lord, if I may ask, it seems you are about to embark on a long journey. May I know your destination?" Gently swirling his wine glass, Hayreddin’s dark brown eyes sparkled with a light that seemed to signify something.

"First to Luxembourg, I plan to enter the Java Swamp to meet with the Jellyfish People," Komer did not wish to hide his purpose.

"The Jellyfish People?" Hayreddin’s sensitivity to waterways was extraordinary, "Could it be, my lord, that you intend to persuade the Jellyfish People to open up the Catania River’s waterway?"

"Haha, Mr. Hayreddin is indeed astute, guessing my intention from just a word. Yes, you’re probably aware of my territory’s current situation. Philip is using his naval fleet to constantly suppress me, and the trade with the Northern Region and Mattdam has been greatly affected. Now that the Floating Bridge on the Nissai River has been burnt, even if it weren’t for the flames, Bruce Fortress acts like a noose around the neck of Our Caucasus. Our Caucasus cannot continue in this way, being subjunctive is too dangerous, especially since our food supply in Our Caucasus is still not self-sustaining, and our mineral products also need more export markets."

"So you want to open up the Catania River, a channel to the Continent’s hinterland? My lord, are you aware that Luxembourg and other countries along the Catania River have thought of it long ago, but why it couldn’t be achieved? The Jellyfish People’s closed customs deter everyone, and they won’t accept any terms."

Shaking his head with some regret, perhaps also feeling that Komer’s journey would not yield results, Hayreddin shook his head sorrowfully.

"Instead of exerting effort in this direction, Sir, wouldn’t it be better to think of solutions in the Mediterranean? I’ve heard that Mattdam is right under the nose of the Gray Skulls, but it seems you have a good relationship with the Leader of Gote. Why not seek his help to resolve this issue?"

"No need to be circumspect. The relationship between Our Caucasus and the Gray Skulls is just mutual use," Komer replied with a light smile. "Indeed, I do have a gentlemen’s agreement with Gote, but he will not help me resolve the conflict with the Homer Navy. He merely ensures that his own forces won’t attack the fleets coming and going to Mattdam. Besides, isn’t he currently engrossed in a fierce battle with Katrina? So, it’s even less likely he will concern himself with Our Caucasus’s affairs."