The merchant's commission

16 Coreas Street.

Lumian stood not far from the door, adjusted his Golden-yellow Straw Hat, looked at Fidel Gera sitting behind his Desk, and chuckled rudely, "You made your decision faster than I expected."

Fidel, who possessed some characteristics of Feynapotter, glanced at Rody and sighed softly:

"I never imagined my Waiter was the head of a fraud ring."

"Perhaps it's the salary you pay him that doesn't match the lifestyle he experiences daily, leading him step by step into the Abyss," Lumian retorted habitually.

Fidel didn't bring it up again, scrutinizing Lumian for a few seconds before saying, "Your performance at the Bar was just to fool idiots like this?"

"Thanks to them for contributing nearly 1,000 Felkine. It seems that being a con artist is quite promising in Falin Port." Lumian felt no shame whatsoever for his banditry.

Hearing this filled Rody with intense remorse, as if countless tiny insects were Devouring at his soul.

Fidel nodded and asked, "What do you want to buy from me?"

"One bottle of Venom from Rainbow-Bearded Horned Lizard." Lumian adopted an indifferent attitude, seemingly testing the waters with this transaction.

"Isn't it the brain of Manticore?" Rody, who was listening in, was taken aback.

For a moment, he seriously doubted whether he was the Swindler or the man in front of him.

Wearing a white shirt and brown vest, Fidel thought for a moment and said, "I don't have any right now, but I can get some for you. It might take two or three days."

"I don't know the exact price; it depends on the seller. In my experience, it ranges from 3,000 to 4,000 Felkine. How about it, do you need me to help you find it?"

"No problem," Lumian said, opening his arms slightly. "Praise the Sun, you are truly a kind person."

Fidel frowned slightly, suspecting that the other person was being sarcastic.

He replied without changing his expression, "I'm not a kind person, I'm just a businessman. Why wouldn't I do a deal that can make money?"

"Furthermore, I really enjoy dealing with adventurers like you. There are some things I can't do myself, and I can only offer money and resources, but you can do them."

At this point, Fidel asked with a smile, "Aren't you worried that I'm selling you counterfeit goods? Do you have a way to verify their authenticity on the spot?"

Lumian smiled:

"I know you live here, and that's enough."

"It's hardly Dignity news that a wealthy businessman like Fidel was shot six times for falsifying a transaction worth a few thousand Felkine."

He didn't say whether he could determine the authenticity of the Rainbow-Bearded Horned Lizard Venom on the spot.

Fidel stared at Lumian for a few seconds without Change his expression, then suddenly curled the corners of his mouth and said, "I don't know how long it's been since anyone threatened me to my face like this."

Do you want to know what happened to those people later?

"Do you want to know if I dare to make a move now?" Lumian's eyes narrowed slightly, and although his smile remained, the atmosphere in the entire Study froze.

He met Fidel's gaze without backing down.

After a long while, Fidel sighed without anger, "Your style is very similar to someone, the legendary one, That One Great Adventurer Gehrman Sparrow."

"Yes, I'm Imitation him," Lumian readily admitted.

Fidel laughed:

"Imitation his madness? In other words, you're actually a calm, Rationality, and cunning person?"

"No." Lumian shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "If I didn't Imitation him, I'd go even crazier."

The atmosphere in the Study froze once again.

Fidel picked up his bone china cup and took a sip of the fragrant black tea:

"They really are young people; their vigor makes even an old man like me a little jealous."

"Want to take on a Commission from me? It can make you a fortune and help you become famous at sea in a very short time, just like Gehrman Sparrow."

"What Commission?" Lumian asked, adjusting the golden straw hat on his head.

"Kill a pirate, ' Black Lord ' Kras Kitz, captain of the Kinibos,' bounty 65,000 Felkine," Fidel introduced unhurriedly. "He used to be the third mate of ' King of Dusk ' Bratov, but later left the fleet to plunder on his own. Four months ago, in the private port of Saint Tique Island, he stole a shipment of my goods. That shipment has certainly been sold by now, and I don't expect to get it back. I just want him dead, so that everyone at sea knows that anyone who Fidel my goods deserves to die."

"Did they steal the ' King of Dusk '?" Lumian asked in a mocking tone.

Fidel fell silent for a moment.

After a few seconds, ignoring Lumian's question, he continued, "I will provide Kiz with regular intelligence, including his characteristics, his strength, where his ships are located, and his whereabouts on shore, and will pay him an additional 25,000 Felkine as a reward."

"If you can kill Kiz, I will also use my connections to help you get the full bounty as soon as possible, help you spread your fame, and all of Kiz's belongings will be yours."

"Well, once you take down Kiz, you'll be one of the most famous adventurers on the sea."

An extra 25,000 in rewards and intelligence support... Lumian thought for a moment, then asked with a smile, "How many adventurers have you said that to?"

"Seven or eight, all of them are ones I have my eye on," Fidel answered frankly. "There's no penalty for mission failure, as long as you survive."

So, it's okay to accept the mission but not do it? Lumian muttered to himself before nodding and saying, "Hunting pirates is the mission of every adventurer."

Seeing that a deal had been reached verbally, Fidel opened a drawer, took out a Cowhide document bag, and threw it directly to Lumian.

Lumian caught it with one hand, spun around the thin thread, pulled out the documents inside, and quickly flipped through them.

Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at Fidel:

"Is Kiz recently in Falin Port?"

"Yes, I'm certain of this information, but I don't know where he's hiding yet," Fidel nodded slightly.

Having agreed to return in two days to check if the Venom of the Rainbow-Bearded Horned Lizard had arrived and if there was any new information about "Black Lord," Lumian left 16 Coreas Street and headed towards the port.

Fearful and trembling, Rody thought his master would punish him severely, but Fidel simply waved his hand and said, "Go back to your room and repent."

"Yes, Mr. Gera." Rody quietly breathed a sigh of relief, left the Study, and returned to the second floor along the dimly lit stairs.

As he walked, he suddenly felt a Chill, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

The darkness around him instantly intensified.

In the dim light, he saw something emerge from behind his shadow.

Rody opened his mouth in terror, trying to call for help, but he could no longer make a sound.

Instead of returning directly to the "Flying Bird," Lumian walked towards a street he had just passed as the night grew cooler.

There is a very simple Church there; it is the Church of the "The Fool".

Lumian had seen the "The Fool" Holy Emblem on the Clock Tower from afar and decided to pray on his way back.

Sure enough, Mr. The Fool's faith spread mainly at the Sea, and there were Church in Falin Port, which was Intis colony, and it seemed that there was more than one... Lumian stared at the yellowish light inside the Church for a while, took off his golden straw hat, and went inside.

He immediately noticed that twenty or thirty people, who appeared to Vagrant, were sleeping at the edge of the spacious hall. Some of them had brought their own tattered blankets, while others were curled up, relying solely on their clothing for warmth.

The Sea of Fog Archipelago at this time of year won't freeze the Vagrant to death, but the rain is plentiful and could fall at any moment. Having a place to sleep that shelters them from the wind and rain is a dream for many Vagrant, and the "The Fool's " Church seems to Vagrant them in to rest.

When I was a homeless person, if I encountered Vile weather or couldn't find food for several days, I would try my luck at the Church of the two major Church. If the bishop or Priest was kind, he would not only provide me with dinner, but also give me a place to sleep for the night. But I had to leave quickly after dawn, otherwise I would be sent to one of those bad relief centers... Lumian recalled the past, found a place to sit down, and began to pray attentively.

The "The Fool's " Church is quiet at night. Occasionally, people come in, pray for a while, and then leave. Some are dressed as merchants, some look like Sailor, and some vaguely exude the air of pirates, but none of them disturb the peaceful atmosphere.

Lumian didn't really know what to pray for. When he occasionally went to the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, he would simply repeat parts of the Holy Scripture in his mind, making one Wish after another, asking for corresponding Protection —what if they came true?

Now he knows it's pointless and meaningless, and he no longer has those Wish.

Most importantly, Lumian had only heard Sermon from the Clergy of the Church of the Fool two or three times, and the only parts of the Holy Scripture he could recall were the section on the Archangel and the description of Mr. The Fool's Authority. He couldn't possibly think about those now, could he?

Ultimately, Lumian chose to recount the entire journey, from leaving Trier to arriving at Falin Port.

His mood gradually calmed down and became peaceful.

"May Mr. The Fool Protection, may all Calamity be averted, may Aurora be Resurrection..." About fifteen minutes later, Lumian finished his prayer and made a simple Wish.

He had just stood up when a loud crash came from afar. The glass windows of the "The Fool's Church" rattled and the building shook violently.

Lumian raised an eyebrow, and amidst the bewildered expressions of the awakened Vagrant, walked to the door and gazed in the direction from which the sound came.

He saw thick smoke and Flame rising from the area where the Governor's Mansion was located, shooting high into the sky and illuminating the surroundings.

Lumian couldn't help but raise his right hand, stroke his chin, and mutter to himself, "This shouldn't have anything to do with my arrival, right?"

It seems something serious has happened in Falin Port.