Chapter 7: The Spoils of War: Bounty, Betrayal, and Unlikely Alliances

Captain Homan watched Ian smile and listen attentively, raising his glass to toast.

The mana in the wine swirled, and Ian's senses reported back—no toxins.

Captain Homan chuckled, observing Ian's cautious actions, but instead of showing any displeasure, he seemed to approve.

"Being cautious is the best way to avoid unnecessary risks. When I was your age, my head was filled with nothing but gold and women."

"Everyone grows up eventually. My name is Trist, and I'm also from Storm's End."

Ian gave a false name. With the mysterious attack on Storm's End and the unclear situation, he figured it was better to stay cautious. The port had always been a chaotic, dangerous place, and his previous self had spent most of his time locked away in the castle, away from the world. He wasn't worried about running into anyone who might recognize him.

"I too had a run-in with pirates—the Blackbeard Pirate Crew! I was lucky to escape. I should be thanking Captain Homan for saving me," Ian continued.

Captain Homan stared into Ian's eyes, as though trying to gauge his sincerity.

"It was the first mate who found you. Every time we pass through that reef area, we end up rescuing a few lucky souls."

"You know how it goes with slave ships. If you have money, you buy your freedom; if not, you get sold as a slave."

Homan emphasized the point, still unsure about Ian. There was something about the young man that didn't sit right with him. Earlier, when he was treating his wounds in the cabin, he even feared Ian might come for him—he had no doubt the young man had the strength to do so.

"Better to be a slave than dead. Captain Homan, you've done a good deed here."

"Thank you for understanding!" Ian smiled but didn't respond further, raising his glass in a silent toast.

The tension was gone now, and the atmosphere relaxed considerably.

The table was laden with honey-glazed roasted fish, mushroom cheese soup, charred, smelly bacon, sashimi, and some unknown dried vegetables. The taste left much to be desired, but Ian's body was clearly starving. He gritted his teeth and forced down a substantial amount.

Seeing Ian's hearty appetite, Captain Homan put down his utensils and instead sipped more wine, pushing the remaining food toward Ian.

They chatted as they ate.

The Windbreaker was a second-hand merchant ship that Captain Homan had bought with all his savings. It was registered under the Hansa Trading Company, primarily for protection and tax evasion.

The ship mostly carried food, timber, and everyday goods. They had left Storm's End on November 7, 2635, just a day before the attack. Normally, they would wait for other merchant ships or travel alongside the second fleet of the Kingdom's navy, but with the fleet away and very few merchant ships in the harbor, they had decided to sail alone.

The Windbreaker had been sailing this route for over ten years, often alone, and if the wind was favorable, it could reach Heaven's Island in about a week. This route was regularly patrolled by the second fleet of the Kingdom, making it relatively safe from pirates.

But, as fate would have it, barely two days from Heaven's Island, they had encountered the Bloody Hand Pirate Ship after sailing through a patch of fog.

And the rest, as they say, was forced combat.

"Thank you for the meal, Captain Homan. The taste wasn't bad," Ian said, finally setting down his utensils after devouring everything.

"I'll have Old Bill prepare more, if you like," Homan offered.

"No need, this was more than enough."

"This is your reward," Homan said, placing a gray-white leather pouch on the table. Ian could hear the sound of clinking coins.

The pouch wasn't small—about the size of a large, drawstring money bag. Ian opened it to find a coin pouch, a damaged but still glowing mana crossbow, a well-crafted short sword with a leather sheath, and a severed hand wrapped in cloth.

The coin pouch was heavy, made of dark brown leather, and stuffed full. It contained roughly 100 Podrian gold coins, 20 Divine Grace gold coins, and several silver coins of various sizes from different nations, with the majority being of Podrian origin.

This was no small fortune. The best farm workers in the Podrian Kingdom made about 10 gold coins a year. The salary of a sergeant in the Kingdom's fleet was around 30 gold coins annually, and even then, it was often unpaid. As for sailors on merchant ships like the Windbreaker, they might only make a handful of coins a year, considering how expendable they were.

The annual income of Storm's End, outside of the royal family and the Duke of the "enclave," was less than 10,000 gold coins.

The cost of the Podrian Kingdom's current fourth-tier ships was about 30,000 gold coins, though Ian's family had spent 50,000 on one—at a special price, no less. Not just anyone could afford one.

Podrian coins were well-regarded for their quality and were widely circulated throughout the Sea of Miracles.

Unlike the old system with exchange rates of 1:20 or 1:12, the new system used by the Seven Great Gods' Church fixed the weight ratio of gold and silver for coin minting.

1 gold coin = 10 large silver coins, 1 large silver coin = 10 small silver coins, 1 small silver coin = 10 minted copper coins.

The Divine Grace gold coins, issued jointly by the Seven Great Gods' Church, were of even better quality and more valuable—about 1.5 times the worth of a Podrian gold coin.

Additionally, there were magical coins made with extraordinary powers.

The total value of the coins in the pouch was over 200 Podrian gold coins, more than most sailors would ever see in their lifetimes.

But Ian wasn't surprised. He had already known from his predecessor's memories that this world of the extraordinary was rife with extreme wealth disparities.

As the undisputed heir of the Calvin family, a few hundred gold coins were nothing.

What really surprised Ian was the enchanted crossbow. Although it was damaged, the bow limbs and string were still intact, making it quite valuable.

Even low-tier magical equipment could cost over a hundred gold coins, and these weren't items one could simply buy off a shelf.

"This crossbow belongs to Bloody Hand Collier's lieutenant. It's not badly damaged. There's an alchemist's guild on Heaven's Island; they're known for fair pricing."

"Collier's longsword is badly damaged, but we have a spare short sword on board. It's of good quality."

"Collier's on the pirate bounty list—Adventure Guild, Bounty Hunter's Guild, and the Balanced Sect have all issued rewards for him."

"Even though we only have his hand, it can still fetch a hefty bounty—at least two or three hundred gold coins. They'll need to take the evidence, though. I'd recommend the Bounty Hunter's Guild."

Captain Homan continued explaining as Ian inspected the spoils.

"And the coins?"

Ian shook the pouch in his hand.

"These are a token of gratitude from the crew and an apology for the first mate's earlier rudeness," Homan said.

Ian smiled and shook his head. "Captain Homan, you're too generous. Do I really look that terrifying?"

Ian took the pouch and tied it to his belt, hanging the short sword at his side, then returned the severed hand and crossbow to the pouch, pushing it back toward Captain Homan.

"Collier wasn't the only one who fought. It wouldn't be fair to claim all the spoils."