Pirates? Lorne's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
A pirate actually came to recruit me... He had never expected this.
"We're a pirate crew made up of adventurers. We only raid merchant and passenger ships when we're particularly hard up, and we don't hurt innocent people." Danitz seemed to notice Lorne's reservations and explained in a casual tone.
They don't hurt innocents... Can you trust a pirate's word?
In Lorne's mind, pirates were ruthless outlaws who killed without blinking.
Especially in an era like this, Lorne had absolutely no expectations of their moral standards.
Their promises probably weren't even a tenth as reliable as they claimed.
Besides, there were only two possible explanations for the "powerful backing" Danitz claimed to have: either their forces were strong enough to resist an official crackdown, or some unmentionable official power stood behind them.
Just like those royal pirates with "letters of marque" from centuries ago in his old world.
Either way, pirates were dangerous people who made their living on a knife's edge. That was completely at odds with Lorne's cautious approach to things.
Lorne had never considered becoming a pirate who plundered the seas, either.
Still, watching Danitz talk so confidently left him a little worried.
If I turn him down, will he lash out in humiliation?
I already beat him at gambling, and now I'm rejecting his recruitment offer...
"Oh, right." Danitz suddenly slapped his forehead. "The captain's rules say we have to explain our principles and compensation before recruiting anyone."
Principles and compensation? Your pirate crew is pretty formal... Lorne was rather surprised.
"We don't have weekly wages or annual salaries," Danitz said with a grin. "But whenever we find treasure or plunder some wealth, all the money is divided according to rank."
He raised three rough fingers and waved them in