As soon as he stepped onto the deck, before he could even enter the cabin, Klein caught a glimpse of a figure weaving through the crowd and heading towards him out of the corner of his eye.
He appeared nonchalant, but inwardly he was wary as he glanced sideways and saw a man in his thirties wearing a top hat and a long overcoat of the same color.
The other person had a face weathered by time, rugged yet extremely masculine, with pale blue eyes that held no smile, as if they held many memories.
He looks familiar... Right, that guy I met at the ticket office yesterday, he seemed to be an adventurer too... Wearing a trench coat at sea in January, he's quite strong... Klein casually raised his cane, pointed it diagonally downwards, and smiled as he spoke:
Good morning, we meet again.
He was greeting an old friend as if he were.
The burly man, however, didn't seem surprised. He stopped, nodded somewhat reservedly, and said:
" Krivis, former adventurer."
"Hey buddy, are you in the same line of work?"
"I thought you already knew yesterday, Gehrman Sparrow," Klein replied with a smile.
He did not hand the cane to his left hand, because he did not intend to shake hands with the other person.
"I can see that." Krivis paused for two seconds before saying, "Being an adventurer isn't a pleasant profession. I've switched careers and become a bodyguard. This time, I'm accompanying my employer's family to the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago."
He turned halfway around and pointed to another spot on the nail plate.
Klein followed the trail and saw a group of nearly ten people gathered together. The leader was a middle-aged, slightly overweight gentleman with ruddy cheeks, bright eyes, and a double-breasted long suit from which the gold chain of a pocket watch and a jeweled lapel pin could be seen.
Beside him stood a woman wearing a wide-brimmed round hat; her face was completely obscured by a draped dark blue veil, but she maintained a fairly good figure.
Standing in front of them were two children, one older and one younger. The younger one was a boy, not yet 10 years old, dressed in a children's version of a tailcoat. The older one was about 15 or 16 years old, a vibrant young girl. She wasn't particularly outstanding in appearance, but her brown eyes were quite lively, and her light freckles and fluffy, pleated skirt added a touch of playfulness to her.
Surrounding them were three people, one man and two women, all dressed as servants, carrying suitcases and various items. One of the maids had a reddish-brown complexion and was clearly of the Southern Continent race.
The seven people were protected by a man and a woman, dressed simply but neatly, both wearing white shirts, light sweaters, black overcoats, dark trousers, and sturdy leather boots.
The two bodyguards made no attempt to conceal the marks left by the gun holsters on their waists, and scrutinized the approaching pedestrians with unwavering focus, their eyes sharp and their demeanor composed.
"Three servants and three bodyguards?" Klein asked casually.
This setup is quite luxurious, which means the employer is a wealthy person... He made this judgment instinctively.
"Yes." Krivis nodded.
Without saying another word, he quickly turned and walked towards his employers' family.
Klein stood there, stunned, wondering what it meant that the other person had come all the way to say hello.
After recalling the novels, movies, and TV series he had watched in his previous life, he gradually understood the hidden meaning behind Krivis's words.
He was a bit wary of me, or rather, someone who called himself an adventurer and seemed intimidating, so he introduced himself beforehand, stating his identity and what he was supposed to do, telling me not to mess with his employer's family. In short, it was a no-brainer... Is this the tacit understanding between seasoned adventurers or veteran bounty Hunter? Interesting... Klein chuckled, picked up his suitcase and black cane, entered the cabin, and found his room according to his ticket.
With a creak, he pushed open the wooden door and went inside.
The room wasn't spacious; it was just big enough to fit a bed, a table, and a cabinet, but there weren't even any chairs.
Its greatest advantage is that it has windows, allowing the harbor sunlight to stream in and cast pure golden spots on the table and bedside.
"The crew just said that the washrooms and showers are communal, about one for every eight rooms. If you're in a hurry, they can provide wooden toilets, but you have to pay a cleaning fee of 3 pence per use... I have to thank the White Agate for being renovated, with many metal pipes installed, a boiler running, and hot water available, providing a relatively convenient lifestyle. Otherwise, the Travel wouldn't have been a pleasant experience..." Klein sighed silently.
He quickly took out the necessary items and placed them on the table for easy access.
After tidying up, he sat on the edge of the low bed, listening to the long, mournful sound of the steam whistle, feeling the power of Steam and machinery contained within it.
The ship began to sail. Klein looked out at the sea view for a while, then gradually pulled his thoughts back and began to consider the most important thing next: how to Acting the " Faceless ".
When faced with the descent ritual of the " True Creator " and the powerful Mr. A, his decision to abandon the attempt to escape and instead try to cause destruction allowed his Potion to process a little more. Based on this feedback, he gained some new insights into the Acting of the " Faceless ".
"'You can impersonate anyone, but only yourself,' this is the rule that ' Marionettist ' Rosago was required to remember... I the Original thought 'yourself' referred to your original identity, but now it seems that's not enough. What is 'yourself'? I must truly understand that..." Klein leaned forward, bathed in sunlight, like a statue deep in thought.
After a while, he gradually came up with an idea:
Does this correspond to one's own spirit, referring to the truest self within?
Even on Earth, Zhou Mingrui wore many disguises, forming a social Persona Mask that, in a sense, contained a great deal of falsehood.
"Hmm... When I transform into other people and take their place, I also have to pretend in interpersonal relationships in order to avoid being discovered. It's like wearing different Persona Mask."
"Once all the Persona Mask are removed, leaving no trace, what kind of 'self' will the ' Faceless ' finally see?"
Is this the deeper meaning of "oneself" in that rule?
"When I confront my inner thoughts, overcome my fears, and stop challenging the impossible for social reasons, do I truly become myself again?"
"Needs further exploration and verification..."
With that in mind, Klein shifted his position to make himself more comfortable.
Reflecting on everything that had happened, he discovered another problem with his Acting:
"In the underground ruins, I disguised Ince Zangwill and successfully escaped, but why am I not feeling any signs of the Potion being digested?"
Does this mean that a superficial disguise is insufficient to digest the ' Faceless ' Potion?
"Yes, this is closer to the application of extraordinary abilities than Acting!"
" The Acting of facilitating the digestion of the Potion is a deep-seated disguise, a true substitution of a person, becoming that person in a social sense? Only when their relatives and friends cannot detect it for a long time can it be considered a successful disguise?"
"So, the reason I feel a connection with the ' Faceless ' Potion is because I successfully impersonated Klein Moretti before?"
"The first rule of the ' Faceless ' is that you can impersonate anyone, but only yourself... The second rule is to create a deep disguise that can deceive everyone?"
"But the mere thought of impersonating someone and becoming them in a social sense is wicked..."
"Are we looking for someone who died in a foreign land, with unfulfilled wishes?"
Klein calmed his inexplicable fear and tentatively formulated a direction for his attempt.
"The higher the Sequence, the harder it is to Acting..." He sighed, took out his pocket watch, and checked the time.
Seeing that it was still early for lunch and the room was too small and rather cramped, he decided to go for a walk on the deck, enjoy the sea breeze, and admire the view.
After the initial excitement of the first hour at sea, there weren't many people on deck anymore. Klein walked along the ship's side until he reached a secluded area with large shady spots.
The sun was shining brightly and it was warm... Apart from the strong wind, so I had to be careful with my hat, there were no downsides... He adjusted his top hat, leisurely surveyed the cabin, and listened to the faint music coming from inside.
Suddenly, he saw the former adventurer Krivis busy in the corner, with what appeared to be a triangular dagger, a dagger, and a short sword in front of him.
Krivis noticed something, looked up at him, his weathered appearance and unsmiling expression conveying the following:
"They're all old buddies; they need regular maintenance."
At this point, he added:
There are children in the cabin.
"I understand," Klein replied with a smile.
Krivis lowered his head and continued working, asking casually:
You don't seem to have brought these things with you?
"I'm used to using weapons that are right up to date," Klein said cryptically, "And I also take care of myself regularly."
Krivis silently raised the dagger, glanced at it in the sunlight, and muttered to himself:
"At sea, guns alone are not enough."
"Pirates will board the ship, there will be many of them. Once you run out of bullets, you won't have another chance to reload. These guys may not be up to the task anymore, but they're still useful enough."
Very professional... No wonder he's a former adventurer... Klein leaned against the ship's railing and said, half-jokingly:
"If pirates were to board the ship, I would most likely choose not to resist."
Krivis turned his head, stared at him for a full three seconds before looking away, then, while packing his things, said in a low voice:
"It seems you don't need to be reminded; you already understand the rules of the sea."
"Bounty Hunter roam the land are often no match for adventurers at sea."
He skillfully concealed weapons such as daggers, short swords, and triangular daggers under his clothing, leaving Klein dazzled.
"Thank you." Klein smiled and nodded.
Krivis didn't say anything more, turned around and went back to the cabin, leaving behind only a broad and profound silhouette.
Klein curled the corners of his lips into a smile, shook his head, and turned his gaze toward the outside of the ship's railing.
Blue waves rippled gently, and silvery flying fish occasionally leaped out of the water and soared into the air.
These fish can "fly" and swim, and are considered by fishermen and Sailor to be the retinue of the " Lord of Storms." Even if they are caught, they are released back into the sea... Klein leisurely admired the sunlit sea surface and the flying fish floating on it, and an idea flashed through his mind uncontrollably:
Hmm, I wonder what their meat is like...
P. S.: I will update earlier, around midnight.