Sun-Shadow Grocery.
Deacon Wallace had been waiting here for a long time—or, to be precise, a day and a night.
He had received definite news from the Theocracy that traces of the Black Devil Order had appeared in that stretch of sea.
How could a shadow believer of the Shadow Temple have escaped the brutal, vicious, and utterly inhumane cultists of the Black Devil Order?
That was what Deacon Wallace needed to investigate.
If his investigation confirmed the story, Deacon Wallace would grant him a substantial reward in accordance with the Temple's rules.
Arthur arrived at Sun-Shadow Grocery and removed his hat as a sign of respect. "Deacon Wallace."
Deacon Wallace looked solemn as he asked seriously, "You encountered the Black Devil Order. How did you escape from them unscathed?"
"If you have a reasonable explanation and it can be verified, you may receive a reward from the Shadow Temple."
Arthur remained calm and recounted the events of that day:
"Deacon Wallace should know that after we arrived on Blue Bay Island, we sold a batch of goods."
"That's right. Goods from the Jasmine."
Arthur's last mission had nearly faded from memory because of the Black Devil Order's appearance.
"I joined forces with the Jasmine's true captain, an extraordinary individual on the Darkness Path, to fight off the cultists who attacked the ship.
"During the fight, they used a forbidden item—a special hand bone.
"Protected by the Sun Medal, I shot the target with my pistol. The cultists then badly wounded the extraordinary individual and escaped.
"After that, my Great White Shark Pirate Group sank the Jasmine and salvaged most of the spoils."
As Arthur spoke, his gaze was remarkably resolute.
Not a single word he said was fabricated. He had merely been a little vague about Arena's and Dorian's identities.
The target he had shot was Dorian, not one of the Black Devil's cultists.
Deacon Wallace's expression darkened slightly. He lowered his eyes to the extraordinary artifact in his arms, but it showed no particular reaction.
Arthur wasn't lying.
Rationally, Wallace approved of Arthur's actions: joining forces with the Stuart Family to fight the evil cultists.
But emotionally, he couldn't accept betraying a comrade who had fought alongside him, even if they had been at odds. Taking advantage of someone when they were down was wrong.
It went against the morality and conduct expected by the Church of Light.
"Was it right to betray a comrade who had fought by your side, all for a few spoils?"
Arthur furrowed his brow slightly. Was Deacon Wallace bothered by that?
It did seem to violate the Church of Light's teachings and the code of honor upheld by the Order of Light Knights.
He replied in a low voice, "A pirate's duty is to plunder. Besides, they were my mission target."
Deacon Wallace frowned, and most of his goodwill toward Arthur vanished in an instant.
"By the rules, the Shadow Temple will reward you. What would you like?"
"Personally, I think you should ask to study at the Theology Academy at England University. You'd have better prospects there."
"Many famous missionaries graduated from the Theology Academy at England University. Cambridge University is good too. You—"
"I want gold coins."
Arthur interrupted Deacon Wallace without the slightest hesitation.
He wanted to become a scholar, study languages, geography, and history, and explore the Grand Route through the Mist Sea and the New Continent.
He was also interested in the civilizations of the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca, which existed in legend.
England University could provide a platform that would allow him to access this crucial information under better circumstances.
For now, he wanted gold coins!
"W-what?"
Deacon Wallace thought he must have misheard. Not even a drunken pirate would say something so absurd!
That was the Theology Academy at England University, a place that represented limitless hope and a bright future.
Quite a few bishops in the Church of Light had graduated from the theology academies at England University and Cambridge University.
The connections and resources there far surpassed anything the impoverished Blue Bay Island could offer.
Gold coins?!
What were they compared to that?
"I think you should pay attention to your mental state. How can gold coins compare with an opportunity like this?!"
Arthur crossed his hands and calmly stated what he wanted.
"Deacon Wallace, the waves of the sea punish anyone who fails to respect it. For pirates who roam the ocean, strength comes first.
"I want to step into the extraordinary realm and gain enough strength. Gold coins can give me that strength.
"If the Shadow Temple's reward could be exchanged for an extraordinary potion, perhaps I'd give you the delighted, overjoyed smile you're hoping for.
"But if you mean the Theology Academy, I'm sorry, Deacon Wallace. I'm a pirate!
"Not some dull fish with its nose buried in a book!"
Arthur's words left Wallace silent.
Deacon Wallace felt that he had expected too much of Arthur. He had originally hoped to bring him into the Shadow Temple.
But it seemed that Arthur still retained the base instincts of a despicable pirate.
He couldn't understand the sanctity of the Theology Academy at England University, nor could he understand how deeply a clergyman might yearn to study there.
"Gold coins," Deacon Wallace scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a look of disdain. "How much do you want?"
Arthur's instincts told him that Deacon Wallace's regard for him was plummeting.
None of that mattered. Arthur would be dead before long.
"If possible, I want ten thousand gold coins. I hope the Shadow Temple can show enough sincerity to reward a believer brave enough to face the cultists."
Deacon Wallace's expression stiffened. What did ten thousand gold coins even mean?
His salary at the Church was quite good—around ten gold coins a week. It would take him twenty years of wages to earn ten thousand.
"I can't make that decision on behalf of the Temple, but I'll submit your request."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Arthur picked up his hat and left without hesitation. Their friendship was broken, with no hope of repair.
Though they had only met twice, he could tell Deacon Wallace was a principled shadow deacon.
And the role Arthur was playing was that of a pirate who valued money above all else. The two of them were never going to get along.
After leaving the grocery store, a sense of pleasure rose within Arthur.
If the Shadow Temple gave him a generous reward, he could ask Arena for another sum to fund his plans.
Surely the Tudor Royal Family would offer an appropriate reward at his knighting ceremony.
The knight's badge or some other item ought to fetch a decent price.
Wait.
Arthur suddenly remembered something. Extraordinary power wasn't something one encountered everywhere; it had a certain threshold.
In this age of great voyages, those landlubbers might have heard a few rumors, but they wouldn't come into contact with true extraordinary power.
He took out the Sun Medal he had never returned to Deacon Wallace and examined it carefully in the sunlight.
"A finely crafted Sun Medal, symbolizing the boundless light of the Church of Light. How many gold coins would it fetch?"
"It's time to pick a lucky soul from the Tudor Dynasty."
Note: "Landlubber" describes someone unfamiliar with sailing.
Before you continue