Gold Coins Reign Supreme

Sun-Shadow Grocery.

Deacon Wallace had been waiting here for a long time—to be precise, for a day and a night.

He had received definitive news from the Church that traces of the Black Devil Order had appeared in those waters.

How could a Shadow Believer of the Shadow Temple escape from the clutches of the brutal, vicious, and inhumane cultists of the Black Devil Order?

This was the matter Deacon Wallace needed to verify.

If his investigation confirmed the account, Deacon Wallace would grant him a significant reward in accordance with the rules of the Temple.

Arthur arrived at the Sun-Shadow Grocery and removed his hat as a sign of respect: "Deacon Wallace."

Deacon Wallace wore a solemn expression and asked earnestly: "You encountered the Black Devil Order; how did you manage to escape from their hands unscathed?"

"If you have a reasonable explanation that can be verified, you may receive a reward from the Shadow Temple."

Arthur did not panic and began to recount the story of that day:

"Deacon Wallace should be aware that after we arrived at Blue Bay Island, we sold a batch of goods."

"Indeed, the cargo from the Jasmine."

Because of the appearance of the Black Devil Order, the mission Arthur had undertaken previously had been so overshadowed that it was almost forgotten.

"I joined forces with the true captain of the Jasmine, a Beyonder of the Darkness Path, to fight against the cultists attacking the ship.

During this process, the opponent used a contraband item, a special bone hand.

Because I was protected by the Sun Medal, I managed to strike the target with my musket, and in the end, the cultist severely wounded the Beyonder and fled.

After that, my Great White Shark Pirate Group sank the Jasmine and salvaged the majority of the spoils."

As Arthur narrated the events, his gaze remained exceptionally steady.

There was not a shred of fabrication in his words, though he had slightly obscured the identities of Arena and Dorian during the retelling.

The target he had struck was Dorian, not a cultist of the Black Devil Order.

Deacon Wallace's expression darkened slightly; he looked down at the extraordinary item in his arms, which showed no particular change.

Arthur was not lying.

Rationally, Wallace approved of Arthur's actions—uniting with the Stuart Family to fight against evil cultists.

Yet emotionally, backstabbing a comrade-in-arms, even if there were conflicts, was not something one should do while taking advantage of another's vulnerability.

It violated the moral and behavioral codes of the Church of Light.

"For the sake of a few spoils, backstabbing a comrade you fought alongside—is that appropriate?"

Arthur frowned slightly; was Deacon Wallace concerned about this?

It seemed to go against the doctrines of the Church of Light and the chivalric honor of the Order of Light Knights.

He said in a deep voice: "A pirate's duty is, by nature, to plunder, especially when the other party was my mission target."

Deacon Wallace furrowed his brows, and the favorable impression he held of Arthur dissipated by more than half.

"According to the rules, the Shadow Temple will grant you a reward; you may discuss what you desire."

"In my opinion, you could propose to attend the Theology Academy at England University; there, you could have better development."

"Many famous missionaries have come from the Theology Academy at England University; Cambridge University is also quite good, you..."

"I want gold coins."

Arthur interrupted Deacon Wallace without the slightest hesitation.

He wanted to become a scholar to conduct research into languages, geography, and history, and to explore the Grand Route of the Mist Sea and the New Continent.

There were also the rumored civilizations of the Aztec, Maya, and Inca.

England University could provide a platform that would allow him to access this key information with a better status.

Right now, all he wanted was gold coins!

"Wha... what?"

Deacon Wallace felt as if he had misheard; even a drunken pirate wouldn't spout such nonsense!

That was the Theology Academy of England University, representing infinite hope and a future.

The Church of Light had many bishops who had graduated from the theology academies of England University and Cambridge University.

The connections and resources there were far beyond anything the barren Blue Bay Island could compare to.

Gold coins?!

What kind of thing was that!

"I think you need to pay attention to your mental state; how can gold coins compare to such an opportunity?!"

Arthur crossed his arms and stated his demand calmly.

"Deacon Wallace, the waves of the sea punish everyone who does not respect them; for a pirate drifting on the ocean, power is the only thing that comes first."

I intend to step into the realm of the extraordinary and gain sufficient power; gold coins can grant me that power.

If the reward from the Shadow Temple could be exchanged for a transcendent potion, perhaps I would, as you wish, reveal a look of ecstatic joy.

But if you are speaking of the Theology Academy, I am sorry, Deacon Wallace, but I am a pirate!

I am not some dull fish clutching a book!

Arthur's words left Wallace silent.

Deacon Wallace felt he had held expectations for Arthur that were far too high; he had originally intended to recruit Arthur into the Shadow Temple.

Now, it seemed that Arthur still retained the base, ingrained nature of a wretched pirate.

He was fundamentally incapable of grasping the sanctity of the England University Theology Academy, nor could he understand a cleric's yearning for such a place.

"Gold coins," Deacon Wallace sneered, a look of disdain crossing his face as he leaned back into his chair. "How many do you want?"

Arthur's intuition told him that Deacon Wallace's favor toward him was plummeting.

None of that mattered; in the near future, Arthur would be dead.

"If possible, I want 10,000 gold coins. I hope the Shadow Temple can show enough sincerity in rewarding a believer who dared to face a cultist head-on."

Deacon Wallace's expression stiffened. What kind of concept was 10,000 gold coins?

His salary within the Church was not low, at about 10 gold coins a week; it would take twenty years of salary to reach 10,000 gold coins.

"I cannot make that decision on behalf of the Temple, but I will report your request."

"I thank you for your generosity."

Arthur picked up his hat and turned to leave resolutely; the friendship between the two had shattered, with no possibility of repair.

From their brief two encounters, he could tell that Deacon Wallace was a man of principle.

And the role he was playing was that of a money-grubbing pirate; the two were destined to never get along.

After leaving the grocery store, a sense of pleasure rose in Arthur's heart.

If the Shadow Temple could provide a substantial reward, he would then ask Arena for a sum of development funds.

The Tudor Royal Family's knighthood ceremony surely wouldn't be without a decent reward, would it?

A knight's badge or some other item should at least fetch a good price.

Wait.

Arthur suddenly recalled something: the extraordinary was not something seen everywhere, but rather something with a certain threshold.

In this Age of Great Navigation, those land-dwelling fools might hear a few rumors, but they would never come into contact with the true extraordinary.

He took out the Sun Medal he hadn't returned to Deacon Wallace and examined it carefully under the sun.

"A finely crafted Sun Medal, symbolizing the infinite light of the Church of Light—how many gold coins should this sell for?"

"It is time to select a lucky soul of the Tudor Dynasty."