Flynn Fairwind [Seeking Recommendations]

Liam had already formed a rough assessment of the boy's character based on the shifting expressions he'd worn while running over.

First, he was short on cash and greedy enough to chase after them even at the risk of his own life. Liam knew the moment he'd snatched those coin purses that they contained less than a single gold coin in total, meaning the "fat sheep" the boy had targeted previously weren't exactly wealthy either.

Next, he was well-informed, having easily tracked their movements in such a short time. The way he'd suddenly stopped when he got close showed the kid had a bit of street smarts; he'd realized something was wrong the moment he saw Liam waiting for him.

Yet, even so, after struggling with himself for a long while, he'd finally steeled his resolve to walk over, and he'd even opened with the moral high ground, berating Liam as a "thief" for stealing his things. This was enough to show that the money he stole served a greater purpose, unlike the others in Freehold who squandered it on rum and women.

Of course, at his age, it was unlikely he'd be spending it on the latter anyway...

Persistent, clever, and with a sense of purpose—Liam felt this kid could handle the role of his guide, and if he had potential, he might even be worth cultivating.

"Little one, what's your name?" Liam asked casually. Since he had his eye on the kid, he needed to at least know his identity.

"What do you want?" the boy asked warily.

Seeing the kid's shrewd demeanor, Liam knew he wouldn't get anything out of him with empty words. He casually pulled out two gold coins and tossed them in his hand. Watching the boy's eyes track the coins as they moved up and down, he tossed them to him with satisfaction.

"I'm looking for someone named Leo Shields. If I'm not mistaken, he should be in Stormsong Valley right now. This is a deposit; you can keep it. I have plenty of money, as long as you can provide useful information..."

Liam looked at the boy with feigned contempt, and as expected, the boy immediately jumped up.

"You can go ask around—the best brother of the Bilgewater Cartel boss, 'Flynn', that's me! There isn't a single thing in Freehold, from the land to the sea, that I don't know about."

The seven or eight-year-old kid was using a tiger's skin as his banner, invoking a pirate gang to try and intimidate Liam. It was just that no one would believe a little shrimp like him had any connection to a notorious pirate leader; his bluffing was truly clumsy.

"Flynn Fairwind, is it? It seems I really came to the right place in Freehold this time..."

Liam was all too familiar with that name. This kid would eventually be kidnapped by pirates and later, relying on his exceptional intellect, successfully work his way up to becoming a captain. Unfortunately, because he wasn't ruthless enough, his subordinates would eventually mutiny, and he himself would be captured by the navy, forced to do things for the Kul Tiras navy that they found inconvenient. He would go on to become one of the most famous scouts for the military.

Seeing Liam remain silent for a moment, Flynn Fairwind assumed the "fat sheep" across from him had been bluffed by his words, so he quickly took the win and said:

"Then... I'll be going now? You know, gathering information takes time. Why don't you come find me at the Legend of the Dead in two days?"

Legend of the Dead was the only small inn in town, and it looked like the place where Flynn staked out potential targets. Liam naturally knew that once this kid returned to Freehold, he would vanish without a trace; all that talk about gathering information was nonsense. He was just pretending to agree to get away.

However, Liam wasn't planning on dragging the kid along just yet. Flynn Fairwind was too slippery; even at less than ten years old, he wasn't someone who could be easily kept by his side. Liam intended to probe his background first and then find a way to make the kid work for him willingly.

"That works perfectly. We need a place to stay anyway, so we'll go stay there for two days."

Liam went along with the suggestion, and Flynn Fairwind's face immediately twisted into a bitter grimace. But he suppressed it in an instant, put on a smiling face, and led the way, guiding the two of them back toward Freehold.

With Flynn Fairwind, a local snake, leading the way, entering Freehold this time was much easier than the last. After Liam opened two rooms under the innkeeper's disdainful gaze, they had finally settled down in Freehold, sparing them from having to sleep in the open.

Flynn left impatiently after "settling" the two in the inn, unaware that a figure lurking in the shadows behind him was following from a distance, heading deep into the town.

In truth, Liam was a bit reluctant to stay in a chaotic place like Freehold. If he were alone, he would have been happy to familiarize himself with the daily lives of the pirates, but it wasn't convenient with Jaina, a burden, in tow. Fortunately, Jaina seemed to have been frightened by the four "brawls" and one "murder" they had encountered along the way. As soon as Liam mentioned he was going out, she retreated to her room quite consciously, completely losing the curiosity she'd had before.

Liam should actually be thankful he chose to stay in Freehold. Otherwise, had he stayed at any other inn in Kul Tiras, he would likely be surrounded by a large group of sailors by now and escorted to their Commander Daelin Proudmoore.

Only in Freehold, a lawless land, could they fail to receive the notification from the Proudmoore Admiralty in the first instance. Of course, cats have their paths and dogs have their ways; these monsters and demons entrenched in Freehold had their own intelligence channels. But unfortunately, because Daelin Proudmoore had already launched a blockade, they were destined not to receive this crucial piece of intelligence.

Flynn Fairwind was very cautious. He didn't just wander the streets; he specifically chose to walk in front of the most "lively" taverns and the main thoroughfare. Finally, relying on his small stature, he dove between two confronting groups of pirates, turned, and ran into a small shop by the side of the road, disappearing from everyone's sight through the back door.

If an ordinary person had been tailing him, they would have been shaken off long ago. Unfortunately for Flynn, while Liam's stealth wasn't top-tier, it was more than enough to handle these third-rate sailors and pirates. He followed closely behind Flynn to a very desolate spot.

Watching Flynn arrive behind a few low-lying boathouses, he looked around and ducked into a fence where a wooden plank was missing.

Liam didn't follow him in. Instead, he gave a light leap, stepped onto a windowsill to grab the eaves of the boathouse, and with a surge of strength in his arms, flipped onto the roof.

Flynn was too cunning; he didn't want to capsize in the gutter and have his tracks discovered just because he crawled through a dog hole...