Captain, It's Time to Raise Your Bid

Because he was "weak," he had to wipe out anything that posed a threat?

No matter how the pirate captain heard it, there seemed to be something wrong with that logic.

If this necromancer who looked like a boy under ten was truly weak, then what did that make the pirates who had died under his command?

Especially the Trolls—one of them could often easily crush a small squad of fully armed human warriors.

Two hundred elite pirates were enough to conquer a small town or fortress.

Yet now, they had all been easily killed by poison and necromantic magic.

"Wait!"

Seeing the magic ring begin to flash with a chilling red light, Harlett immediately shouted despite himself.

He was not one of those fools under his command who did not even know what magical items were.

Judging from the intense magical fluctuations, if the spell within the ring was unleashed, he would likely be dead.

"Oh? Do you have any last words to say?"

Raymond paused as he activated the Ring of Chained Fireballs and looked up at the other man, curious to see how this pirate captain intended to save his own life.

As the suffocating magical fluctuations faded away, Harlett instantly let out a sigh of relief. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and cheeks with his sleeve, then forced himself to remain calm. "You said you attacked us because you were too weak to negotiate or deal with us while ensuring your own safety. But now, nearly all my pirates are dead, and I myself have suffered serious injuries. In theory, I can no longer pose a threat to you, can I?"

"So?"

Raymond blinked, not understanding what the other man was trying to say.

Or rather, as a transmigrator, his way of thinking and values were fundamentally different from those of the native inhabitants of this magical world.

This had already become very apparent back at the Floating City Tower.

"So you should take me prisoner instead of killing me. Don't forget, I am Captain Bloodhand. I can pay a large ransom in exchange for my life and freedom."

Harlett bluntly gave him a reason not to kill him.

After all, no one in this world would turn down money.

When someone could be exchanged for an enormous ransom, any monster with even a little intelligence would not kill him lightly.

The pirate captain believed that once the other party heard his offer, he would definitely accept the deal.

"How much ransom are you willing to pay? And how would you pay it?"

After thinking for a moment, Raymond was clearly tempted.

Everyone knew that studying magical knowledge was an extremely expensive endeavor.

Not to mention anything else, simply buying books, spellcasting materials, scrolls, gemstones, specially made paper, magical ink, and such could often cost an astronomical sum.

That was without even mentioning the staggering expense of building a mage tower.

According to the statistics compiled by the Necromancer Archmage Astar, training a child who knew absolutely nothing about magic into a qualified Level 1 mage cost roughly six thousand to ten thousand gold pieces.

The apprenticeship period alone was already so terrifyingly expensive, let alone the expenses after becoming a formal mage.

Therefore, if Raymond wanted to establish a relatively safe foothold in Faerûn, he needed an enormous amount of money to ensure he could buy all the things he needed.

"One hundred thousand Dant gold pieces minted by the Amnian Empire! Or magical items and gemstones of equivalent value! You can choose to complete the transaction at any coastal port between Baldur's Gate and Calimport."

To preserve his life, Harlett went all out, directly naming an impossibly tempting price.

He understood that money could be earned again once it was gone, but once his life was gone, everything would be over.

One hundred thousand gold pieces?!

Raymond was surprised by just how wealthy this pirate captain was.

Just as he was about to accept the offer, the merchant Bernard, who had been hiding in the bushes for quite some time, suddenly rushed out and shouted excitedly, "My lord mage! Do not agree!

All the merchant guilds in Athkatla once joined forces to post a bounty.

No matter who it is, anyone who brings back the head of Captain Bloodhand Harlett can receive a full sixty thousand gold pieces as a reward.

The government has also offered a bounty of nearly twenty thousand gold pieces.

That makes eighty thousand altogether!

In other words, if you kill him, cut off his head, and take it away, you can legally earn eighty thousand gold pieces without paying a single copper in additional taxes.

Not only that, you will gain a resounding reputation, as well as the friendship of the officials and great merchants of the City of Coin.

And if you hand him over to me for disposal, I am willing to pay the remaining difference of twenty thousand gold pieces out of my own pocket."

Hearing those words that struck at his very heart, Harlett's eyes instantly turned bloodshot as he glared at the young merchant with fury and killing intent.

He could hardly believe that the captive who had been kneeling before him and trembling not long ago now dared to jump out and cause trouble.

Compared to the pirate captain's amusing reaction, Raymond remained calm. With a faintly teasing tone, he said, "Ah! It seems another bidder has appeared.

His offer is clearly much higher than yours.

Especially the friendship of the officials and great merchants of Athkatla, the capital of Amn—something you can never provide.

But I am a fair person, so I am willing to give you another chance to make an offer.

Come, Captain. It's time to raise your bid."

How could something be sold for a high price?

The answer was, of course, to find two bidders who were hostile toward each other.

The young merchant Bernard clearly held deep resentment toward the pirate captain who had nearly ruined his life.

His sudden rush to interrupt the transaction was the best proof of that.

So if Harlett did not want to fall into the hands of his enemy, he had to offer a higher price.

At the very least, he needed to make it obvious at a glance that the value of his ransom far exceeded one hundred thousand gold pieces, plus the friendship of the officials and great merchants of the City of Coin.

In any case, the more fiercely the two fought and the deeper their hatred grew, the more beneficial it was for Raymond.

"I'll offer one hundred and thirty thousand gold pieces!" Harlett gritted his teeth and raised the price by another thirty thousand.

It was obvious that this price already hurt him immensely.

Normally, after successfully plundering a merchant ship, selling off the cargo, vessel, and captives together would probably only earn twenty to thirty thousand gold pieces.

One-third of that would be distributed as rewards to the pirates below who had participated in the battle;

one-third would be used for the routine maintenance of the ship, weapons, and armor, as well as replenishing food, alcohol, and fresh water;

only the final third would go into the captain's private coffers.

One hundred and thirty thousand gold pieces was roughly one-eighth to one-sixth of Harlett's total accumulated wealth over the years.

Moreover, he still had to set aside money to ransom back his carefully built pirate ship, as well as all the magical equipment and weapons on him.

The latter would cost no less than the former.

Beyond that, after regaining his freedom, he would inevitably have to deal with the slave traders of Calimport.

For example, he would need to spend heavily to buy a batch of Hobgoblin, Half-Orc, and Troll slaves as crew members, ensuring that he would not be preyed upon by his peers once he returned to sea.

Adding it all together, his wealth would probably shrink by at least half.

"I'll add another twenty thousand!"

Bernard had clearly caught the increasingly ugly expression on the pirate captain's face and decisively chose to follow up.

Of course, it was not because hatred had truly clouded his judgment.

Quite the opposite!

This shrewd young merchant was taking revenge this way, forcing Harlett to dig deeper into his reserves to pay the ransom.

Harlett realized this as well. He immediately glared furiously at Bernard and suppressed the urge to rush over and chop him to death as he demanded, "Bastard! What exactly do you want? Are you planning to fight me to the death?"

"No, Captain Bloodhand. I only want an answer from you. Who sold you the route information? Give me his or her name, and I will stop opposing you." The merchant stated his condition with a serious expression.

If he did not uncover the traitor, Bernard did not dare imagine how many more similar incidents he might encounter in his future business dealings.

After all, hiring killers was simply too easy in Faerûn, where monsters, Rogues, cultists, and wild beasts ran rampant.

Besides, one could be a thief for a thousand days, but who could guard against thieves for a thousand days?