Liam felt partly responsible for what had happened. As he was considering whether to step in, the three boys had already walked up to a hulking man whose face practically screamed, "I'm no good." Unfazed by the thug, they began negotiating, with Flynn taking the lead.
Liam wasn't interested in what they were saying. He just wondered whether, if he hadn't come along and something happened to Flynn, it might affect Jaina's future as the story's main character.
At the thought, Liam nervously looked around, afraid some huge, shit-yellow lizard might suddenly leap out beside him and point at his nose, declaring that he was an unstable factor who had disrupted the timeline and needed to be erased immediately or something.
While Liam was "doing nothing," Wilton was clearly making much better progress.
A few years of practice had helped Wilton develop a particular strength: he could always fit right in, in no time, wherever he went.
Of course, that was also thanks to his increasingly skillful command of his shapeshifting ability.
Wilton stayed aboard the ship at first. He blended in with a group of sailors and went ashore with them, then took advantage of their heavy drinking at a tavern to get the information he wanted.
Anyone who had been to Kul Tiras had heard of Stormsong Monastery. It was home to more Tidesages than anywhere else in the country, which had earned it another name: the "Tidesage Academy," or simply the Tidesage Academy.
Since it was such a famous place, Wilton had no trouble asking around. All he had to do was flatter the sailors a little, and the tipsy men told him everything he needed to know.
Taking advantage of his "connections," Wilton forged himself some identification the night he entered Boralus. Then, early the next morning, he joined the Tidesage Academy as a "transfer student" and began yet another stint of studying.
As the least talented new student in decades, Wilton wasn't turned away by the monastery. But as a newcomer who'd gotten in through backdoor connections, he naturally wasn't given any special treatment. Being relegated to the sidelines was inevitable.
Fortunately, Stormsong Monastery wasn't a business or a formal educational institution. And Wilton showed off his finest quality: his "devotion" to the sea—though of course it was all an act. So nobody discriminated against him for his lack of talent.
As a nobody, Wilton managed to blend into the monastery and began testing the waters with the other equally overlooked apprentices. He hoped to finish his "mission" as soon as possible and leave this weird, godforsaken place.
Wilton was making good progress, but things had gone wrong on Liam's end.
After looking around, Liam nearly laughed at himself. He'd clearly been worrying too much. The Bronze Dragons were usually neglecting their duties and fussing over trivial matters, but they evidently hadn't paid him any attention. Perhaps their focus had been drawn to the "major incidents" they'd caused themselves.
Leaving the troublemaking Bronze Dragons aside, Liam realized that if he didn't step in soon, the two people who would shape Kul Tiras's future for the next twenty years might really end up dead here.
While Liam had been distracted, things had completely fallen apart between Flynn and the others. The argument had turned into a fight, and the culprit was none other than the chubby boy, Harlan Sweete, who'd insisted on coming along.
The kid was still young, but already greedy and ruthless. While Flynn was talking to the pirate, he'd slipped a dagger out from behind his back and plunged it toward the pirate's nape.
If the blow had landed, the pirate would have died on the spot, no matter how big or strong he was. And in a place like Freehold, the death of an outsider wouldn't attract as much attention as a local losing a chicken.
The pirate had only wanted to extort a few coins for travel money after his ship had been destroyed and he'd lost his livelihood. He hadn't expected to run into a "hardcase" who valued money above his own life and was ready to kill at the slightest disagreement.
Unfortunately, the pirate had been expecting a trick like that. The moment he heard the wind behind his head, he twisted aside as best he could. The dagger that might have killed him instead sank at an angle into his shoulder, and blood immediately welled along the blade's dull edge.
Though the pirate had injured one shoulder and could only fight with one arm, dealing with a few children who hadn't even hit puberty wouldn't be any harder than catching a few chickens.
Just as the pirate sneered and drew his cutlass, closing in on the three boys sprawled on the ground, a dagger suddenly appeared at his throat. Then a voice spoke.
"If I were you, I wouldn't move."
The pirate froze. He could feel the dagger's murderous chill. Its owner had clearly used it to end plenty of lives; a thick aura of bloodlust clung to the blade.
And only someone extraordinary could have seized him so silently and taken him by surprise. The old sea dog immediately assumed the person behind him was the three little crooks' backer, and didn't dare move again.
Liam's hesitation lasted only a moment. He realized that playing peacemaker really wasn't for him.
By all rights, the pirate was in the right this time. Liam knew these men robbed passing merchants, and they had surely spilled plenty of blood. But unlike the rotten-to-the-core Syndicate, some pirates, for all their infighting, could still do the right thing when fighting Azeroth's "enemies." Liam couldn't bring himself to punish someone without giving them a chance, and it seemed the pirate might still be useful.
"Blood or gold, everything comes at a price. Take this as compensation for your medicine. Let's forget about the ale, all right?"
Liam put away his dagger and tossed two gold coins to the pirate, who turned around in surprise at the sound of his voice.
This was Liam's first time mediating a dispute, and his methods were rather crude. The only thing he could think of was to throw money at the problem... though he'd also shown the man a knife.
The pirate knew better than to argue. He snatched up the two gold coins and ran, though before leaving, he gave the children a hostile look. He clearly hadn't forgotten the stab wound.
"You owe me two more gold coins now."
Liam turned to the three children behind him and smiled at Flynn Fairwind.
Before you continue