Kidnapped

We squeezed through the crowd and found that a stall had been set up, with a dazzling array of very appealing items.

"These are all rare treasures from the deep sea, blessed by the Serpent Mother. Don't miss them."

How much is this?

"I want this..."

People were making a racket and crowding around, clearly very interested. Yarlin told me that the people of Biels have a custom of seeking "amulet".

Poor people would dip small amounts of currency in seawater as amulets, while wealthy people would choose rare and precious items from the deep sea to seek the protection of the sea god.

People who frequently go to sea are especially concerned about these things, which is why people like to look for work at Slaughter Docks, where they can often find valuable items.

"My old talisman was a dagger made from the tooth of a deep-sea monster, but unfortunately I sold it." Yarlin said somewhat dejectedly.

"You and Maki can each choose one."

"Really?" Maki looked at me, her big eyes full of anticipation.

"We can't do that, Maki! Yasuo and Riven have helped us so much, we can't push our luck!"

"It's okay. In return, you can pick two for us too," Riven said with a smile, patting the two of them on the head.

Yarlin hesitated for a moment, but seeing his sister's expectant look, he couldn't bear to refuse and finally agreed.

They are dressed very cleanly now, completely different from how they looked a few days ago, and no one will stop them from picking out things.

The two little ones were very careful in their selection. Yarlin helped me pick out a bronze plaque covered with strange writing. The vendor explained that it was lost by ancient indigenous people during their voyages and was very effective.

I never cared about these things, and even thought they were just empty words from vendors, but I wouldn't refuse a child's kindness, so I gladly accepted it.

He simply picked out a very ordinary crystal, which was so cheap that the merchant gave it to him as an accessory to the bronze plaque.

Maki had a hard time choosing. She looked left and right, liking each item, but upon closer inspection, she wasn't satisfied with any of them.

Only after Yarlin's constant urging did she choose a red pearl to give to Riven.

Actually, I also had my eye on this pearl. Even if Maki hadn't chosen it, I would have bought it anyway. It's very beautiful; the deep red pearl exudes a lustrous sheen, making it irresistible.

The vendor was quite blunt, demanding twenty gold coins upfront. Seeing how generous I was when buying the bronze pendant, he didn't hesitate to ask for a high price, claiming it was a blood pearl, a once-in-a-century find, and that it would nourish and moisturize the skin, blah blah blah. I must say, he was quite the smooth talker.

In the end, Maki didn't buy anything. She had been looking forward to it for so long, but in the end, we each chose one thing. Maybe girls just enjoy the process of choosing things.

We hadn't walked far after buying our things when a few thugs stopped us. At first, I thought they were after our money, but I never expected they were after Yarlin and Maki.

"Young Master, do you still remember us?"

"You despicable scoundrel!"

"Looks like you've found new parents, and they're quite wealthy. You seem to be doing well."

Yarlin was trembling with rage, but he dared not make a move in front of so many people. Riven gently patted his shoulder:

"It's alright, leave it to me."

"Oh, is it because you can't have children that... ah!"

Before he could finish speaking, the man was sent flying straight away, crashing into the wall behind him and spitting blood.

"I haven't even made a move yet, why are you so scared?" Riven mocked, having just used Wind Force to push the person away.

"You! You're a mage?"

"I don't know anything about magic. You bumped into the wall yourself; it has nothing to do with me."

The thugs, refusing to believe their fate, charged forward again, only to be pushed aside by Riven's Wind Force and slammed against the back wall.

Even a fool would know to run now. They fled in a panic, leaving behind the words, "Don't be so arrogant, the Terror of the Seas will come after you!"

Yarlin was overjoyed. He looked at Riven with admiration and asked, "Riven, what move did you just use? Can you teach me?"

"It's not that I don't want to teach you, but your current physical condition makes it impossible for you to learn."

"Then what should I do?"

"Well... I'm actually not good at teaching others." Riven looked at me after saying that, wanting me to give her some advice.

"Martial arts require an exceptionally strong physique, which you clearly lack, but learning magic is still possible."

Do you know any monks?

"The person we're looking for is a mage. Once we find him, we'll see if we can teach you some magic." I thought of Tam.

"That's great!"

"Don't be too happy yet. The path of battle is paved with blood. If you can live an ordinary life, you'd better not get involved."

"I can no longer live an ordinary life. If I don't become stronger, I won't even be able to protect Maki!"

"Elder brother..."

Yarlin was very serious. Since it was for the sake of protection, I couldn't say anything more. Let's see if Tam can help us when we find him.

Of course, it would be best to encounter other skilled mages; I always feel uneasy leaving it to Tam.

We had just finished talking about this when we suddenly heard a commotion not far away. When we rushed to the street, we found a group of people carrying several children and hurriedly leaving.

The children were crying terribly; it looked like they had been kidnapped. Riven wanted to help, but I stopped her.

There are too many unfortunate things happening here; if we intervene in every single one, we won't be able to help everyone.

"Damn it, why do they always target children!" Riven said bitterly.

Maki was so frightened that she clung to my leg, Yarlin shielded her in front of him until those people disappeared before she relaxed.

"Do you know what happened?" I asked Yarlin.

"I don't know, but I've heard that the Terror of the Seas has been capturing children recently, possibly to train them to join their fleet."

"Let's head back first. You two should stay home as much as possible. We'll leave together once we find the person we're looking for!"

It's inconvenient to travel with two children, and many dangerous places are hard to approach. It's better to let them stay indoors for now, and Riven and I will focus on finding Tam first!

Yarlin was very sensible; he stayed inside with his sister and didn't go out at all. I was afraid they would get bored, so I bought several books for them to read. The two of them read very attentively, although Maki needed Yarlin's help to read.

Next, Riven and I expanded our search area, from Slaughter Docks in the east to Butcher's Bridge in the west, from Temple of Bahru in the south to the Old Fortress of Doom in the north.

Now we don't care about being conspicuous or inconspicuous anymore; with the convenience of motorcycles, our footprints cover the entire Bilgewater.

Unfortunately, finding a few people in such a vast sea of people is not easy. Just after we had been searching for about a week, an unexpected incident occurred: Yarlin and Maki disappeared!

The books in the room were scattered on the floor; they had been kidnapped!