Troubled by Money

"Returning in such a rush from Rhine Island in the dead of night—could it be that Governor Drew failed to prepare a socialite for our newly minted lord?"

Arina lay sideways on the sofa, draped in a black, low-cut ruqun with a white lace shawl, her long hair spilling onto the soft carpet.

She swirled a stemmed glass from the Water City, the dark red liquid swaying within the colorless crystal.

Her mood seemed poor; was it because of the socialite Governor Drew had prepared?

"Nothing but people clinging to the fame and wealth of false nobility, a pastry shop girl masquerading as an artist."

"You are as independent as a rose, as pure and noble as a lily; even the most exquisite violet would pale in comparison to Miss Arina."

The corners of Arina's mouth curled up involuntarily, and she asked casually:

"When facing socialites, is your tongue just as honeyed, making their hearts bloom with joy?"

"I was busy striking a deal with Governor Drew; I paid no mind to those people."

Cleverly sidestepping the trap in Arina's words, Arthur steered the conversation back on track.

Arthur opened the chest on the floor, revealing a layer of gold coins, pearls, and gemstones. "Treasure worth 5,100 gold coins—that is the harvest of this trip."

Arina looked somewhat surprised, eyeing Arthur. "Does Governor Drew intend to marry his daughter to you, giving you such a vast fortune?"

5,100 gold coins were enough to arm a Carrack, from the sailors down to the cannons.

"I traded my exhausted Sun Medal, my lord's badge, and a Letter of Marque in exchange for this wealth."

Arina's eyes were filled with confusion; she did not quite understand why those items would be worth so many gold coins.

"You truly are going to great lengths for that Scholar Potion~"

"So, what is the purpose of your late-night visit?"

She had roughly guessed Arthur's intent.

Five thousand gold coins were a lot, but it was far from enough to win that potion at auction.

She had almost been bewitched by Arthur's honeyed tongue; it turned out he was short on gold and had come to seek her help.

"Gold coins."

Arthur's tone was resonant and firm. "As Miss Arina's capable assistant, I should not be an ordinary person."

"That would diminish Miss Arina's status. Only by becoming a scholar can Arthur better serve you."

Arina sneered. Could a pirate's words be trusted?

Last time, he had sought her out for occult knowledge to touch upon the extraordinary; this time, he was short on gold. Did he really take her, Arina Stuart, for a servant?!

"Not enough."

"Hmm?"

"This reason is insufficient. And why did you sell the Letter of Marque? With that, you could have earned even more gold."

Arthur fell silent for a moment. It seemed a common excuse would not convince this young lady.

He needed more potent information to make Arina pay more.

"Miss Arina, Arthur does not wish to deceive you. Everything I am doing now is in preparation for [Abandonment]."

Abandonment?

Abandonment of what!

Arina sat up from the sofa, her gaze turning dangerous. She took a small sip from her glass, using it to shield her line of sight.

She did not like betrayal, and she hoped even less for Arthur to betray her.

"The Age of Discovery is magnificent—the opening of the Grand Route, the discovery of the New Continent."

"Geography, astronomy, civilization, the mysterious Mist Sea, the money and mystery of the New Continent."

"A crude pirate captain can never reach the deeper layers, but a scholar can."

Arthur bowed deeply, his words earnest. "An excellent scholar, proficient in language, geography, astronomy, and history, is better equipped to explore the Mist Sea and the New Continent, and to touch upon the deeper extraordinary."

"I intend to abandon my identity as captain of the Great White Shark and head to England University to study as a scholar."

Arina Stuart's icy expression softened slightly, though she still did not look pleased.

"You? England University?"

"As the top university of the Tudor Dynasty, is that somewhere you can just enter whenever you please?"

She still suspected Arthur was lying; England University was no place for a pirate without status to mingle.

"I have some talent for languages. Recently, I have been delving into Old Latin and some Occult Language."

"If all goes well, passing the screening for England University should not be a major problem."

Arthur was not lying. With the existence of [Research], languages were easy for him.

This was his stepping stone into England University: a linguistic genius who had self-taught seven or eight languages.

Arena stared blankly at Arthur, linguistic talent?

This guy knew multiple languages. In the Age of Great Navigation, linguistic talent was effective for communication.

Diplomacy, commercial trade, translation—there was a huge demand for it.

Good heavens, this guy is hiding a lot.

Arena drained the wine in her goblet, a transformation from pirate to scholar.

It wasn't just a change in identity, but a leap in social class.

The most infamous pirate, Count Drake, renowned throughout the Mist Sea, had once crushed the invincible fleet of the formidable Xiya Empire.

Facing established nobles like Stuart, Cavendish, and Lanchester, he had no advantage in any aspect.

But a renowned scholar would receive the highest courtesy, even from the Tudor Royal Family.

Such great ambition, it does have a bit of this young lady's spirit.

She closed her eyes, then opened them again. Arena's tone was relaxed, as if agreeing to something as trivial as sleeping or eating.

"For the Old Wood Ship Auction, I'll bid for you. I'll cover any shortfall in gold coins."

"But—"

Arena's tone shifted. "Any excess gold coins will be a debt you owe me, and you'll have to repay it."

"Of course."

Arthur had no reason to refuse. Bidding under Stuart's name would result in a lower price than expected.

He looked up at Miss Arena, a ripple stirring in his heart. A lady as beautiful as a rose.

The moment he looked up, his gaze met Miss Arena's.

Her brown eyes deepened like an abyss, primal darkness like a star core, as if one could be forever lost in them—the pure essence of night.

Arena's eyes flickered, her gaze shifting to the wine glass at her feet. She chuckled lightly, "Captain Arthur, do you have any other business?"

Hearing Arena's dismissal, Arthur smiled and praised in a sincere tone:

"Gypsy bonfires dance in your dark eyes, eclipsing even the bright golden cross."

Arena let out a soft hum, her tone carrying a hint of pride:

"The effect of Moon Bone is very good. I've already stepped onto a higher sequence and am experiencing new scenery."

Sequence 7 of the Darkness Path—that was truly extraordinary. Currently, Arthur had seen the highest-sequenced transcendent.

"You were born to lead the dance!"

With that final compliment, Arthur left the tavern and headed for his long-neglected captain's cabin.

Standing by the window, watching Arthur leave, Arena murmured softly, "The sharp teeth of a great white shark, so keen they make the heart race."