Pirate Kingship-Chapter 42 - 41 Article 1: Historical Revisionist

Where on earth is my steed of a thousand miles?

Byron was still troubled by the motley crew under his command, even as he followed Gus into the largest Slave Trade Guild at the port.

The misfortunes of contracted slaves vary, and the lives of pirates are similarly filled with their own sorrows and joys.

There are usually three motivations that drive someone to become a pirate.

One is extreme poverty and a future so devoid of light that survival becomes the only choice. Another is the desire for wealth, power, and the yearning to break through class barriers.

The last consists of criminals on the continent who truly have nowhere else to turn.

It’s precisely because every Extraordinary profession has its own maxims and professional standards.

The Tribunal’s sequence of Law Mages, Punitive Knights, Jailors... and even the Church’s Judgment Knights would not miss any opportunity to advance themselves.

They would relentlessly chase those criminals to the ends of the earth.

Since ancient times, the vast sea has been the safest refuge for criminals.

Normally, the second and third motivations often merge, forming the main force among pirate groups.

It is almost impossible to find the kind of upstanding youths that armies prefer when selecting soldiers.

They lack organization and discipline.

They might be strong and willing to fight, but even with unrestricted resources and knowledge, it is almost impossible to train an army with the iron will Byron remembered.

Byron did not want to indiscriminately accept all sorts of people onto his ship.

As the seed for the future Pirate Group, the quality of the initial members is especially important. Perhaps I should simply find a group of blank slates and train them from scratch for a year or two?

If Byron had to define his own behavior pattern, he felt "lawful evil" might be more appropriate.

He was willing to be self-interested while following certain rules; when his personal interests clashed with others, he would not hesitate to sacrifice them.

However, he would also maintain order and stability, striving to establish laws and regulations that suited his own interests.

The crew members who would eventually board the Golden Deer, regardless of their abilities, should at least not be the "chaotic evil" type who only cause trouble.

"What are you looking at, Eight Fingers? Gus?"

Byron raised his head and suddenly realized that Eight Fingers and Gus, who had been following him, had unwittingly stopped.

Following their gaze, he saw that this Slave Trade Guild, which housed many trading companies, sold much more than just slaves.

Entering the main gate of the Slave Trade Guild revealed a bustling commercial street.

On both sides of the wide road were densely packed shops in a minimalist North Sea style.

Everywhere the eye could see were contraband items, as defined by the Church and the Kingdom.

Psychedelic drugs, potent poisons, powerful military-grade weapons, small sleeve-arrows designed for assassination, a variety of explosives...

There were even many Magic Potions clearly made using forbidden knowledge.

Using Echoes of History was unnecessary, as their labels were perfectly clear.

"Wandering Witch’s Growth Potion:

Allows an adult to grow taller. One potion grants a five-centimeter increase in height, but as weight does not increase correspondingly, please distribute your mass carefully."

"Wandering Witch’s Slimming Potion:

Effective for females only. One potion can help you lose ten pounds in three days, but the area of weight loss is random."

"Wandering Witch’s Cannon Potion:

Effective for males only. The red pill can make a certain part of your body very spirited for an entire day.

Also random! Perhaps you’ll get an invincible... tongue or finger?"

[...]

There were many more similar Magic Potions, each boasting powerful effects coupled with unpredictability.

For a moment, Byron couldn’t tell whether these were the intended effects of the Magic Potions or simply the side effects of some punitive mechanism.

Calling them Magic Potions was less accurate than calling them a showcase for the side effects of forbidden knowledge.

Byron seriously doubted what kind of brave soul would dare to consume such things.

However, as he looked further, he found that what had caught the attention of Eight Fingers and Gus was not these items, but a list posted on a wall.

"Charles’s Wealth Ranking (Current Location: Irisflower Kingdom, Luwana County)"

Tenth Place: Doyle Harvey, spice merchant, director of the Hundred Fragrance Trading Company, net worth 23,800 pounds.

Ninth Place: Clements Walter, lord, fortunate noble heir, net worth 25,100 pounds.

Eighth Place: Bart Clark, shipowner, owner of two of his own oceangoing merchant ships, net worth 29,300 pounds.

Seventh Place: Thomas Wayne..."

Honest Eight Fingers stared at the dizzying numbers, wiped away the drool nearly reaching the corner of his mouth, and muttered to himself,

"It turns out even a single county has so many rich people. They must work very hard and diligently, right?"

Money-obsessed Gus, though it wasn’t his first time seeing a wealth ranking, still found himself rooted to the spot each time.

His face, etched by poverty, was filled with thick envy. "This list changes every week, showing a new region and a new batch of wealthy people. But no matter how poor or remote the place, anyone on this list is completely out of my league. I wonder if I’ll ever make it on there?"

Byron shook his head helplessly, waved his hand in front of their eyes, and then metaphorically threw cold water on them, "Hey, snap out of it! Look at where we are. Since this so-called wealth ranking is posted in Iron Anchor Bay, it’s no longer a wealth ranking—it’s a genuine hit list! Praising their hard work? Thinking you could take their place? Ha, you two are truly unqualified pirates, a disgrace to the profession."

With that, he gestured to a fierce-looking pirate passing by and, pointing to the list, asked him,

"Friend, what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see this wealth ranking?"

"What else? Of course, it’s... to rob these fat sheep!"

The man gave Byron a pitying look, as if at a fool, shook his head, and walked away.

Only then did Byron turn back to the two stupefied young men and shrug.

"You see? That’s a pirate’s normal reaction. In fact, the nobility and Transcendents of various countries all know about this renowned First-Class Holy Relic from the East Coast, also known as the ’Legendary Fat Sheep List.’

It once belonged to the Whale Hunter, the Pirate King of the North Sea, and is now managed by the Captains’ Council of Iron Anchor Bay.

Each week, it randomly displays the names of some wealthy individuals from a selected region; the higher their actual status, the less likely they are to appear on the list.

It has always served as a business guide for pirates. Whenever the original is updated, the Captains’ Council of Iron Anchor Bay transcribes and posts copies throughout Iron Anchor Bay, making it easy for them to choose plundering targets."

"For the pirates of Iron Anchor Bay, this is unquestionably a Holy Relic that can guide them to great wealth. But for the wealthy individuals who make the list, it is undoubtedly a Cursed Object.

Even without a curse stemming from transcendent ability, simply having one’s wealth exposed in such detail to countless ravenous wolves is terrifying enough.

About one in five of those listed disappear completely from this world within a year. And it’s said that 45% of all listed wealthy individuals worldwide are Remit People."

Eight Fingers and Gus swallowed hard, gaining a more visceral understanding of the dangers of the Supernatural World.

Some things in this world are far more covert, unpredictable, and harder to guard against than guns and swords.

Whether it was the somewhat knowledgeable Gus or the country bumpkin Eight Fingers, neither dared to casually comment on things anymore, sticking close to Byron’s side.

However, after Byron had enlightened them about Holy Relics, they began to look forward to the day they might obtain a powerful Holy Relic of their own.

Byron looked at the first ability he had successfully activated after becoming a Storm Knight: Historical Reviser.

Its effects were:

"One: Your Anchors will become more stable. Individuals with an Anchoring connection to you will also be more easily drawn with you into historical maelstroms, bringing them closer to various unknowns and secrets. Of course, if an Anchor is strong enough, or if there are enough of them, they might even pull you directly out of the maelstrom!

Two: As compensation, when participating in clandestine events with a historical impact greater than 30, you can summon a one-time Holy Relic from history, related to the specific region or ethnicity, to help you correct the course of history. The higher the degree of decipherment, the stronger the Holy Relic’s effect will be!"

Actually, acquiring a Holy Relic might not be that difficult after all, he thought.

Just then, Byron suddenly stopped in front of a shop that looked very familiar: the Golden Palm Trading Company.

He frowned, staring uncertainly at the entrance for a long moment.

Finally, following a fleeting palpitation in his heart, he stepped inside. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

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