The mirror

In the bathroom, rushing water washed the sweat and fatigue of training from Dunn's body.

In this era, being able to enjoy a comfortable bath aboard a ship on a long voyage was a real pleasure.

This was entirely thanks to the freshwater conversion device.

Especially now, with fewer than thirty people aboard.

There was more than enough fresh water even if everyone bathed every day.

Even so, few of the pirates were willing to bathe. Only under Annie's insistence had they been required to wash at least once a week.

Dunn had no objections to this. After all, he had come from a civilized society in his previous life, and he could hardly stand having filthy crew members either. A hygienic environment could also do a great deal to prevent disease.

The [Black Pearl] was a large merchant ship, with a standard minimum complement of a hundred Sailors. Under normal circumstances, the twenty-odd people currently aboard would have struggled even to get the [Black Pearl] moving.

It was only because the pirates were now Second-Tier Professionals with abundant stamina, and because Dunn's [Ship Animation] ability could also control the [Black Pearl], that they had sailed this far without any problems.

Back on Greenleaf Island, Dunn had originally intended to recruit more Sailors, but the incident with the [Golden Tangerine] had forced him to set sail in a hurry after recruiting only Hans and his five companions.

The [Black Pearl]'s main priority now was to fill out its crew of Sailors. After all, as captain, he could not devote part of his attention to operating the ship every day.

Besides, the crew members were all Second-Tier Professionals now. No ship could afford the luxury of assigning Second-Tier Professionals to menial work over the long term. These people had only just advanced and had yet to realize it, and they were also cowed by Dunn.

But if this continued for long, problems were bound to arise, such as crew members running off during a stop in port or being poached by someone else.

Mulling over these trivial matters, Dunn left the bathroom and returned to the captain's cabin.

The moment he entered, a patch of silver light on the desk caught his eye. The sunlight was shining through the cabin window onto the desk, where a palm-sized silver mirror of ornate, exquisite design reflected a glittering silver glow.

Where did this mirror come from?

Dunn looked at the silver mirror on the desk in some surprise and slowly approached it. The mirror was made entirely of silver-colored metal, even its reflective surface, yet the image it reflected was clearer than that of a glass mirror.

After examining it closely, Dunn was certain the mirror was no ordinary object. Although he did not know exactly what material it was made from, its appearance alone left no doubt that it was valuable.

"Where did this mirror come from? Could it have been Annie?" Out of caution, Dunn did not touch it. Keeping a distance from which he could see it clearly, he considered, That shouldn't be possible. With our relationship growing more harmonious by the day, she shouldn't overstep her bounds like this.

The captain's cabin was, after all, the captain's private space. For a crew member to enter without permission was tantamount to mutiny. With their cooperation currently in an "ambiguous" phase, Annie could not possibly do something that would damage their trust in each other.

But aside from Annie, the other crew members should have been even less likely to do something so suicidal.

And if this silver mirror had nothing to do with anyone aboard...

Dunn's expression instantly darkened somewhat. Looking at the silver mirror, which was still reflecting a faint silvery glow, he decided it would be best to keep his distance for now. Something of unknown origin like this might well be a ticking time bomb.

Just as Dunn was about to turn and leave the captain's cabin, something suddenly changed.

The silver mirror's glow instantly expanded. This time, the light was not reflected from the mirror but emitted by the mirror itself, enveloping Dunn before he could even react.

By the time Dunn reacted and tried to run, the silver light had already enveloped his entire body. Then he discovered that it had no effect on him whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the silver mirror had begun moving on its own, slowly drifting in front of him.

The Undead's ancestral compulsion to fiddle with things kicked in instinctively.

By the time Dunn came to his senses, he was already holding the silver mirror.

A line of writing slowly appeared on its spotless surface, catching Dunn's eye: [Good. Now everyone is here.]

So someone really is behind this. Only certain high-tier Professionals could pull off something like this.

[I know you all have many questions. I will now explain.]

Having confirmed that someone was behind this thing, Dunn carried the mirror out of the captain's cabin without expression and drew back his arm to throw it toward the boundless sea.

Off you go!

In an instant, the silver mirror flew hundreds of meters before falling into the sea.

Like hell I'm listening to you.

It was best to stay away from unknown things like this, especially when they might involve high-tier Professionals. Every Professional who managed to climb to a high tier was someone who would not lift a finger without something to gain, each one thoroughly ruthless.

Ignoring the puzzled looks of the crew on deck, Dunn returned to the captain's cabin.

The moment he entered, his expression darkened. The silver mirror he had just watched sink into the sea had appeared on the cabin desk again.

Dunn strode over to the mirror.

Reaching into his clothes, he took out the box containing the Career Cards, removed the cards and placed them on the desk, then put the silver mirror inside.

He locked it.

He turned and left the captain's cabin.

He aimed toward the sea.

He drew back his arm.

Off you go!

The box that had contained the Career Cards had a slight magic-sealing effect and was worth several dozen gold coins.

The [White Elephant Chamber of Commerce] had prepared it specifically for smuggling these Career Cards.

Although throwing it away like this stung a little, it was worth it to get rid of the mirror that had latched onto him.

Watching the box containing the silver mirror sink into the sea, Dunn waited a while. Only after seeing no sign of the mirror flying back out did he turn to head back.

"Dunn, did something happen?" Annie's voice came from the deck.

After seeing Dunn's two strange actions, Annie could not help asking.

"Nothing." Dunn answered without even turning his head, then entered the captain's cabin.

Watching Dunn disappear inside, Annie lightly rubbed her smooth chin with one hand and thought, Could keeping it pent up have caused some sort of problem?

Back in the captain's cabin, Dunn walked straight to the desk. Seeing that it was empty, he immediately relaxed.

Looks like I didn't throw that box away for nothing.

Then Dunn suddenly sensed something unusual behind him. He spun around, and his expression changed drastically.

The silver mirror was floating silently behind him.

There was only one thought in Dunn's mind now: Several dozen gold coins down the drain.

The next moment, writing slowly appeared on the silver mirror.

[People call me the Eye of the Firmament. I believe some of you should have heard of me.]