Freedom

The bounty on Bloody Hand had to be claimed through the Bounty Hunter Guild, which could easily expose his identity. With the situation still unclear, it was better to lie low for now.

The Magic Crossbow would not help him much. More importantly, he was an Alchemist himself, and crafting this kind of low-level Magic Equipment was precisely his specialty.

Using a piece of Magic Equipment that was useless to him in exchange for some information from this captain—surely he would not refuse, right?!

Captain Homan fell silent and studied Ian seriously once more. To deal with this young man who had severely wounded Bloody Hand Collier with a single strike, he had prepared many contingencies.

He was nearly fifty, yet his face was weathered, and both his hair and beard had turned gray-white.

He had been fortunate enough to set out shortly after the fog dispersed, and he had been making his way in the world for nearly thirty years.

If his experiences were written down, they would make for a thirty-year dark history of Extraordinary struggle.

In his eyes, humans were greedy, nobles were greedy, and the Extraordinary were even greedier.

He had only encountered people like Ian in storybooks. In reality, those who appeared around him were either fools or villains.

"You..."

"I've never been to Paradise Island. Would Captain Homan be willing to offer a young man some guidance?"

Captain Homan visibly relaxed. "Of course."

"What would you like to know?"

"Um... as comprehensively as possible. The ports, races, garrison, churches, Extraordinary Association, that sort of thing."

"Alright."

Captain Homan had sailed between Storm Cape and Paradise Island year-round and knew the island's basic information extremely well.

Paradise Island was shaped roughly like a long mango tilted southwestward. It covered around 1,200 square kilometers, and while its population was uncertain, it should have been over a hundred thousand.

The narrow end of the mango curved slightly upward, forming an excellent sheltered harbor at the southwestern tip. This was Paradise Port, the largest port on Paradise Island.

There were also at least a dozen other ports, each belonging to different nobles, with some not even open to the public.

As the largest springboard on the Eastern Continent for exploring the Sea of Miracles, Paradise Island had initially been monopolized by the nearby Poldoria Kingdom. However, under pressure from various major powers, it had been forced to compromise, selling off most of the island in sections while retaining only certain areas, including Paradise Port.

As a result, the island's powers were highly mixed. The major Extraordinary Associations, the Seven Major Churches of the Righteous Gods, and royal families from various nations all had footholds on the island.

The strongest force was still the Poldoria Kingdom. The Kingdom's Second Fleet was permanently stationed at Paradise Island and Storm Cape, firmly controlling this vital transport route between them.

Of course, the other powers were not weak either. It was simply that their attention was mainly focused on exploring the Sea of Miracles farther south.

It was said that dozens of islands had already been discovered, four or five of them even larger than Paradise Island.

Perhaps because of Ian's generosity, Captain Homan's description was quite detailed, benefiting Ian greatly.

"Thank you very much, Captain Homan, for sharing so generously. This has helped me a great deal."

"Mr. Trist, you're too polite."

Ian declined Captain Homan's offer to see him off and returned to his room alone.

The next day, Ian ended a night of deep meditation amid a burst of noise.

He felt spiritually refreshed, his thoughts lively, his body brimming with energy and vigor, with a powerful sense of strength filling every inch of him.

The world was so vast, the omnipresent Mana Tide surging and roiling. At this moment, he felt like a fish, like a bird, and even more like a gust of wind—so free and unrestrained. The marvelous sensation left him immersed in it.

Just yesterday, he had still been an exhausted office worker, trapped as though in a quagmire, struggling bitterly and longing for release. This was truly an unprecedented experience.

The taste of being Extraordinary was pretty damn good!

Of course, he could not get carried away yet. He had not forgotten that he was still caught in the aftermath of his clan's extermination, with potentially fatal attacks lurking in the shadows.

Ian pushed open his door, followed the corridor to the edge of the stairs leading down from the low quarterdeck, and looked below.

The deck was in an uproar. Numerous sailors had gathered in a chaotic crowd, with more than ten ragged slaves surrounded in the middle. Judging by their expressions, they seemed somewhat at a loss as well.

"Shut up, all of you!"

"Beep—"

The bearded First Mate blew a shrill whistle, waving his whip as he loudly ordered the noisy sailors to be quiet.

"Listen to the captain!"

The First Mate pointed toward the higher part of the quarterdeck. Ian turned slightly and looked up to see Captain Homan, wearing a captain's hat, standing there.

Captain Homan was also smiling as he looked toward Ian from the side. He nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Trist."

"Good morning, Captain Homan. What is this about?"

"Of course, I'm fulfilling yesterday's promise! Please wait a moment, Mr. Trist."

Captain Homan turned to the crowd below.

"Just yesterday, we repelled the infamous Bloody Hand Pirates and even cut off Bloody Hand Collier's bloody hand!"

Captain Homan raised the bloodied severed hand high.

The sailors below erupted into excited howls.

"First, we must thank Mr. Trist, who severely wounded Bloody Hand Collier. Without him, the [Windbreaker] would already be history!"

"At the same time, Mr. Trist has been extremely generous. This bloody hand will remain aboard the [Windbreaker] and be exchanged for the bounty."

"I promise that this bounty will be distributed fairly according to the rules for spoils taken at sea!"

Captain Homan gestured toward Ian and gave a slight bow.

The sailors below looked toward Ian standing at the stairway entrance. After a brief silence, even louder cheers erupted.

"Thank you, Mr. Trist!"

"Mr. Trist is invincible—"

"Thank you, Captain!"

"Roar—"

The crew below wailed and howled like demons and ghosts. In Ian's view, these sailors were accustomed to seeing death, so perhaps gold was more practical to them than the grace of being saved.

Captain Homan was very satisfied as he watched the lively scene below.

Yesterday's attack had dealt a heavy blow to the crew. Boosting morale was necessary. The promise had to be painted well; whether they could actually get it was another matter, but at least they needed something to look forward to.

Captain Homan raised a hand, and the noisy scene gradually quieted down.

"Additionally, some slaves also participated in yesterday's battle. I, Homan Davis, keep my promises!"

Homan looked at the few slaves below who wore hopeful expressions, though his peripheral vision remained fixed on Ian.

"From this moment onward, you are free! Once we reach port, you may leave on your own."

The slaves exchanged glances and fell silent, clearly doubtful.

"First Mate—" Captain Homan removed a prepared money pouch and tossed it to the First Mate.

"Give them two Little Cutes each!"

"Little Cute" was generally the Sea of Miracles term for a Small Silver Coin. Similar names included "White Moon" and "Silver Moon."

"Big Cute" and "Silver Coin" generally referred to large silver coins. Gold coins had even more names, such as "Gold Sun," "Golden Knight," and "Golden Cake." Regional slang varied according to place and race.

The bearded First Mate opened the pouch and stuffed two Small Silver Coins into each slave's hands.

The surrounding sailors stared at the silver coins in their hands, their eyes flickering.