Short on Money

"Back from Rhine Island in such a hurry in the middle of the night. Did Governor Drew fail to prepare any socialites for our newly minted lord?"

Arena reclined on the sofa, wearing a low-cut black dress with a white lace shawl. Her long hair spilled across the soft carpet.

She swirled the wineglass in her hand. Dark red liquid shimmered inside the colorless glass.

She didn't seem to be in a very good mood. Was it because of the socialites Governor Drew had prepared?

"Just people who fawn over false nobility for fame and money, and a pastry-shop girl pretending to be an artist."

"You're as independent as a rose, as pure and noble as a lily. Even the most beautiful violet would pale beside you, Miss Arena."

The corners of Arena's mouth lifted despite herself. She asked casually:

"When you meet socialites, do you use that honeyed tongue of yours to make their hearts bloom too?"

"I was discussing a deal with Governor Drew. I didn't pay attention to those people."

Arthur deftly dodged the trap in Arena's words and steered the conversation back on track.

Arthur opened the box on the floor. It was filled with a layer of gold coins, pearls, and gems. "Treasure worth 5,100 gold coins. That's what I brought back from this trip."

Arena looked at Arthur in surprise. "Does Governor Drew plan to marry his daughter to you, giving you all this wealth?"

5,100 gold coins were enough to outfit a carrack, from its crew to its cannons.

"I traded my depleted Sun Medal, my lord's badge, and a Letter of Marque for a great deal of wealth."

Confusion filled Arena's eyes. She didn't quite understand why those things were worth so many gold coins.

"You really went all out for that Scholar Potion~"

"So, what's the reason for your late-night visit?"

She had more or less guessed what Arthur was after.

Five thousand gold coins' worth of treasure was a lot, but it still wasn't nearly enough to win the potion at auction.

She'd almost been swayed by Arthur's honeyed words. So he was short on gold and had come to ask her for help.

"Gold."

Arthur's tone was firm. "As Miss Arena's capable assistant, I shouldn't be an ordinary person."

"That would reflect poorly on your status, Miss Arena. If I became a scholar, I could serve you better."

Arena let out a cold laugh. Could a pirate's words be trusted?

Last time, he'd wanted to enter the supernatural world and had asked her for supernatural knowledge. This time he was short on gold. Did he really think he could treat her, Arena Stuart, like a servant?!

"Not enough."

"Hmm?"

"That isn't a good enough reason. And why did you sell your Letter of Marque? You could earn far more gold with it."

Arthur fell silent for a moment. It seemed an ordinary excuse wouldn't persuade the young lady.

He needed something more compelling to make Arena give more.

"Miss Arena, Arthur doesn't want to deceive you. Everything I'm doing now is to prepare to [leave]."

Leave?

Leave what?

Arena sat up on the sofa. Her gaze grew dangerous. She raised her wineglass and took a small sip, hiding her eyes behind it.

She hated betrayal, and she wanted even less for Arthur to betray her.

"The Age of Discovery is a turbulent, magnificent era: the opening of the Grand Route, the discovery of the New Continent.

"Geography, astronomy, and civilizations; the mysterious Mist Sea; the wealth and mysteries of the New Continent.

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

Arthur bowed deeply and spoke earnestly. "A good scholar must be skilled in languages, geography, astronomy, and history.

"Only then can one explore the Mist Sea and the New Continent more effectively, and reach deeper into the supernatural."

"I plan to give up my position as captain of the Great White Shark and go to England University as a student."

The icy look on Arena Stuart's face softened slightly, though she still looked displeased.

"You? England University?"

"As the top university in the Tudor Dynasty, it's not a place you can simply walk into."

She still suspected Arthur was lying. England University wasn't somewhere a pirate with no standing could just wander into.

"I have a knack for languages. Lately, I've been studying Old Latin, as well as a few Occult Languages."

"If all goes well, I shouldn't have much trouble passing England University's screening."

Arthur wasn't lying. With [Research], languages came easily to him.

That was his ticket into England University: a language prodigy who had taught himself seven or eight languages.

Arena stared at Arthur in a daze. A knack for languages?

He knew several languages? In the Age of Discovery, linguistic talent made communication far more effective.

There was great demand for it in diplomacy, trade, and translation.

Well, well. He'd been hiding quite a lot.

Arena drained the wine from her glass. The shift from pirate to scholar.

It wasn't merely a change in identity; it was a leap to a higher social class.

The most famous pirate of all, Earl Drake, renowned across the Mist Sea, had once defeated the mighty Invincible Fleet of the Xiya Empire.

But when faced with old noble families like the Stuarts, Cavendishes, and Lanchesters, he had no advantage in any respect.

Yet a renowned scholar would receive the highest honors from the Tudor Royal Family.

What great ambition. It even suited me.

Arena closed her eyes, then opened them again. Her tone was casual, as if she were agreeing to some trivial matter like sleeping or eating.

"At the Old Wood Ship Auction, I'll bid for you. I'll cover whatever gold you're short."

"But—"

Arena changed her tone. "Any extra gold will be a debt you owe me, and you'll have to pay it back."

"Of course."

Arthur had no reason to refuse. Bidding under the name of the Stuarts would bring the price down even lower than he'd expected.

He raised his head and looked at Miss Arena. A ripple stirred in his heart. A beautiful young lady, lovely as a rose.

The instant he looked up, his eyes met Miss Arena's.

Her brown eyes grew as deep as an abyss, with a star-core of primordial darkness, as if one could sink into them forever. They were the purest night.

Arena's eyes flickered, then shifted to the wineglass at her feet. She chuckled. "Does Captain Arthur have anything else to attend to?"

Hearing Arena's dismissal, Arthur smiled and praised her sincerely:

"Your dark eyes hold a flickering Gypsy campfire. Even the golden cross of the light pales beside them."

Arena gave a soft, nasal hum, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

"The Moon Bone worked very well. I've advanced to a higher sequence and glimpsed a new vista."

Sequence 7 of the Darkness Path. That was truly extraordinary. She was the highest-sequence supernatural being Arthur had met so far.

"You were born to lead the dance!"

Leaving her with one last compliment, Arthur departed the tavern and headed for the captain's cabin he hadn't visited in a long time.

Watching Arthur leave from the window, Arena murmured softly, "The Great White Shark's teeth are so sharp they make one's heart race."