Mountain of Gold Coins

Milta wore a long coat similar to Ian's and a wide-brimmed tricorn hat. Armed with both a long gun and a pistol, and with his now considerably taller frame, he looked much more imposing.

Milta was always unconsciously imitating Ian, from his clothes and appearance to his manner and bearing. Ian never corrected him and let him be.

Lia had put on a hat too, along with relatively gender-neutral clothes and a long coat. In the Sea of Miracles, beautiful women were generally synonymous with trouble, and Extraordinary women only had it a little better.

As the [Leviathan] and the [Swordfish] drew near, the pair of ships caught the attention of the people at the docks. The [Swordfish] behind them especially showed clear signs of having been through a bloody sea battle.

People whispered among themselves, guessing at the relationship between the two ships.

Under the dockworkers' guidance, the [Leviathan] and the [Swordfish] berthed without incident. Milta and Lia didn't lower a gangplank. They jumped straight ashore.

A crow circled overhead a few times before landing on the broken mast of the [Swordfish]. "Back inside the ship—"

Ian's voice, sent through their shared senses, was rough and hoarse. The crew hurried back into the ship in fright.

Ian turned to the acting captain. "Bring Sam out, along with the First Mate, the First Mate, and the Boatswain. Quickly..."

With the nightmare-like crow staring at him, the acting captain's scalp tingled. He gave a trembling reply, then hurried below to call the others.

It took Lia a while to finish negotiating with the dock workers. She hurried over with Milta.

Milta's expression was cold. "These people have a lot of nerve."

The dock workers were respectful enough toward the two Extraordinaries, but without a bribe, they dragged their feet, claiming this wasn't regulation and that needed inspecting. Pay them enough gold, and all the paperwork could be skipped.

Lia was used to it. She chuckled. "These workers are just after money. They're all old hands at this. The Government Office and the Governor's Residence stand behind them, so ordinary Extraordinaries don't dare make a scene."

There were Governor's Residences only at Storm Cape and Paradise Island. They were part of a new political system introduced by the Crown Prince. Governors served five-year terms, and the royal family chose who would fill the posts.

By the time the two reached the [Swordfish], Captain Sam and the others had already been waiting for a while.

Ian had no idea how much of an impact his actions in taking Rebecca away would have. He had to prepare for the worst. If a conflict broke out, they would have to return to the ship as quickly as possible and put out to sea at once. The sea was where he had the advantage.

Ian and the others would split up next. Lia would take the contract she had signed with Captain Sam, along with the crew as witnesses, straight to the Extraordinary Professions Union. After having it notarized, she would collect the ransom as soon as possible and deal with the spoils.

Milta would work with a crow and the [Leviathan], keeping watch over their home while guarding the [Swordfish] at the docks. Ian would act alone.

Ian looked at Lia, his expression serious. "Get rid of everything quickly. It doesn't matter if we lose a little money. It'd be best not to put anything up for consignment or sell it through an agent. That would take too long. We have to be ready to leave at any moment."

Lia nodded solemnly. She knew a conflict could break out at any time. She immediately took Captain Sam to the Extraordinary Professions Union.

Ian turned and patted Milta on the shoulder. "Don't hold back! If anything happens, have Beatrice inform me."

Milta patted his chest and nodded earnestly. "I understand, Captain."

Ian lowered the brim of his hat and turned toward the docks' exit. At that moment, on a small cemetery on the other side of the high ground where Calvin Castle stood, a crow circled low in the sky.

Then, as if it had confirmed something, it swooped down and landed on a low camphor tree. The tombstone beneath it clearly bore the name: Arnold Calvender.

Ian knew Storm Port too well. His favorite thing used to be standing in the castle's attic and looking down at the bustling streets not far away.

Ian didn't enter the busy city. Instead, he followed a small path around the port warehouses and went up a winding gravel road that led straight to the high ground. Few people ever took that road.

Ian followed the gravel road for three or four kilometers before finally reaching the high ground. One side, with a gentle slope, led straight down to the city; the other ended at steep coastal cliffs.

The high ground covered a fairly large area, more than twenty square kilometers. Ian stood at a fork in the path. The ruined castle lay to the west, and a stretch of woodland to the east. Without hesitation, he turned and headed east.

A few minutes later, a small patch of low woodland came into view, with dozens of tombstones standing among the trees.

Ian slowed his steps. His vast spiritual power spread out, quickly reaching more than a hundred meters and covering the entire cemetery.

A few minutes later, he confirmed that the cemetery was real. He lowered his head and let out a dejected sigh. Ian didn't go any closer. His gaze swept over each tombstone, again and again, until at last he suddenly turned and walked toward the distant castle.

A quarter of an hour later, Ian left the castle with a cold expression. He couldn't find a single intact chair inside. It had clearly been ransacked, then set on fire. There were no signs that anyone had tried to stop the flames. They had gone out on their own only after everything flammable had burned away.

Though he'd expected as much, Ian's mood was still wretched. Pirates raided for plunder, and they'd been in a hurry. There was no way they could have cleaned the place out so thoroughly.

At a small tavern not far from the residential district of the Church of Truth and Justice, Ian had already been sitting for two hours.

The church's residential district was really a neighborhood for the families of its members. Bishops, priests, monks, nuns, and their families could all live there for free. The orphans of clergy were also raised and educated by the church.

Church knights and guards were stationed in the residential district at all times, making it difficult for anyone whose identity was unknown to enter.

The problem Ian now faced was how to get into the district and bring Rebecca out—or get her to come out on her own.

At that moment, a crow that had concealed its spiritual power circled above the residential district. It tried to land several times, but the guards spotted and drove it away. A crow in broad daylight did stand out a little.

"Looks like I'll have to wait until nightfall."

Ian's gaze came back into focus. He hadn't found Rebecca, but he'd spotted a familiar figure. She was here, so there could be no mistake. He would still have to wait until night to make his move.

Toward evening, Ian and the two women stood at the docks, watching a tugboat slowly tow the [Swordfish] away.

Ian exchanged a glance with Lia. "Let's talk back on the ship."

The [Leviathan]'s crew dining room had a long banquet table piled with a mountain of gold coins. The sight was truly staggering.

Milta wasn't the only one briefly stunned. Even Ian lost his focus for a moment. Lia, on the other hand, looked perfectly composed, smiling as she gazed at the scene.

"Th-this... how much money is this?!" Milta stared at Lia in astonishment.

Lia smiled. "There are seventeen thousand six hundred gold coins here."

She turned to Ian. "Things went fairly smoothly. This sort of thing—an attack that ends with the attackers being captured—does happen from time to time. Ships and crews are in high demand right now, so they fetch a hefty premium. If we weren't in a hurry, we could've gotten another one or two thousand gold coins.

"The biggest part is the [Swordfish], valued at nine thousand gold coins. Next are the crew. These dozens of experienced sailors are worth over five thousand. The rest comes from the ransom paid by the captain and some of the crew, as well as a small price difference from the cargo.

"We sold everything as a package to the Extraordinary Professions Union. We won't have to worry about any trouble down the line."

Each Poderia Gold Coin weighed about fifteen grams. These coins weighed more than 255 kilograms. Gold was very dense: one hundred kilograms of it would form a cube only seventeen centimeters on each side.

But those hundred kilograms of gold, turned into 17,000 coins and then poured out of metal chests, made for a truly spectacular sight.

Ian had earned over a thousand gold coins a week working with the Whaling Group, already more than most Extraordinaries could imagine. A few dozen cannonballs had turned into over ten thousand gold coins. As the saying went, murder and arson put gold belts around your waist!

As the sky slowly darkened, Ian turned to Lia. "Take your share. Put the rest back in the chests and store them in the captain's quarters."