Iron Anchor Bay, Sailors and Cats Tavern.
Right outside the door was a small square facing the harbor’s anchorage, where one could immediately see whether a ship was setting sail or arriving at port.
Thus, it attracted many free pirates, who stood with the cheapest mugs of barley beer, eagerly waiting, hoping to board a formidable pirate ship and write their own legends.
Gradually, the tavern also started to double as a recruitment agency, connecting ships in need of sailors, sailors who had lost their ships, and novices eager for adventure at sea.
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the square, and someone shouted, "Hurry, hurry! Lads, rush to Dock No. 2, the first mate of the Beast Cage is recruiting crew members, it’s a rare opportunity. That’s the pirate ship of "The Conductor," Councilman Ferdinand of the Captains’ Parliament. If we could get on board the ship of this Third Order Great Pirate, we’d be rich!"
"I hear those Great Pirates hold more than just one prelude of knowledge and promotion rituals for Transcendent Sequences. Not only is there plenty of money, but also the chance to become a Transcendent. If we don’t have the talent for one sequence, maybe another one would do, right?"
"Wait for me, I’m going too!"
Pirates who considered themselves skilled swiftly finished their cheap barley beer in one gulp for courage, patted their behinds, and rushed out.
It didn’t take long for Dock No. 2 to be crowded with people. Unfortunately, as quickly as they gathered, they dispersed just as swiftly. The Great Pirates’ crew requirements were far higher than they had anticipated. It’s like modern recruitment: without a shiny degree and resume, big companies won’t even give you the chance to interview; they just weed you out directly. Most of them obviously did not possess such credentials.
A Bayfolk youth in his early twenties, with a pair of daggers at his waist, sat back down on the stone steps of the small square, looking dejected. He had an ordinary build and an ordinary face, the kind that you couldn’t pick out in a crowd. He buried his hands in his hair in extreme frustration, and even his shadow cast on the ground seemed somewhat dim.
"The 887th attempt, and I’ve failed again. When will I ever be able to set sail and become a real pirate?" Feeling overwhelmingly sorrowful, he couldn’t help but wail out loud. This caused the other pirates nearby to avoid him from a distance, lest they be tainted by his bad luck.
In addition to pirates, a large number of ordinary North Bay Folks lived in Iron Anchor Bay; it was said that even the term ’Bayfolk’ could be traced back to Iron Anchor Bay. Unlike pirates who roamed ashore, who might have pursued a variety of professions before taking to the sea, those Bayfolk from North Bay who stayed had upheld traditions generation after generation, regarding "sailing out on patrol" as the most noble profession and honor. The repeated failures had obviously dealt a huge blow to this quintessential Bayfolk youth.
At that moment, a large hand suddenly landed on the young man’s shoulder; a voice as rough as rock resounded in his ear, "Gerry, there you are. If you hadn’t suddenly yelled out, I might have lost you again."
Following that, a middle-aged man with a thick beard sat beside him. Seeing the young man’s dejected look, he couldn’t help but comfort him, "Listen to me, Green, your talent is definitely the most... uh, unique I’ve seen.
"The reason you keep failing on pirate ships is just that you haven’t used this gift in the right place.
"If, instead of choosing to go to sea, you had gone to a bustling big city on the Old Continent to become a thief, I believe you could have become one of those legendary super thieves!
"Don’t you dream of striking it rich? Consider it, being a thief is also a promising career."
The newcomer was the owner of the Sailors and Cats Tavern, an old Bayfolk pirate who had already amassed enough wealth and retired successfully. Clearly, he had a good relationship with the youth. Although, as a pirate nation, this way of thinking was fundamentally off-kilter.
Thinking of his own talent, a glimmer of light appeared in the youth’s eyes, but it quickly faded again. He turned to look at the old pirate with a serious expression and said, "Uncle John, thank you for caring about me.
"Actually, I don’t love money. What I really love is freedom and dignity!
"It just so happens that money can bring about freedom and dignity."
Just like the song from "Call of Valhalla": "I am both the firm shield and the long spear, sharing weal and woe, plundering the dead foe." Their branch of North Bay Folks, based around Iron Anchor Bay and the Eternal Night Peninsula, had always followed the primitive religion, not converting to the Church like the Hightins branch. They firmly believed that plundering their fallen enemies in blood and fire was glorious, but stealing from ordinary people was a disgrace. Although he loved money, he also had his own set of principles, a sort of honor among thieves.
"Uncle, I think that a person’s confidence largely comes from economic strength. I hope that one day when I need money, I can take a deep breath and say how good it is to have money, instead of letting out a helpless sigh and wishing I had money."
As the youth spoke these words, he paused for a moment, continuing to gaze at the man beside him, and corrected him very seriously, "Also, Uncle John, my name is Gus, not Gerry, nor Green."
The man gave an embarrassed smile and withdrew his hand. In fact, it wasn’t because he was particularly forgetful, but Gus had a unique talent—or one might say, an affliction: he was naturally unnoticeable! Apart from his mother, everyone else would subconsciously overlook his presence; even when seen straight on, he would sometimes be ignored. This condition did not affect his life much in his younger years, but as he grew older, the situation became increasingly severe. Until a few years ago, when his mother—the only one who didn’t overlook him—died because there was no money for treatment. The "condition" even worsened to the point where acquaintances would completely forget about him after a mere glance. Though he possessed remarkable assassin skills, his companions had forgotten him on the battlefield more than once. As a result, he never received a share of the spoils. Landlord John, as one of their old neighbors, was one of the few people who still remembered him.
Gus, of course, had tried to find a solution, seeking out many excellent ship surgeons among pirate crews, but to no avail. Only at last, from a Prophet of the Tower Sequence, did he learn the truth. He was born with the Concealment Aura of the assassin profession but had inadvertently lost his only... Anchor in the process of growing up! Not only could he not become a Transcendent, but he might even disappear from this world without warning one day. Unless he found someone who could always remember him, there was a chance to set everything back on the right track.
"By the way, I came mainly to remind you that your rent for this month is due.
"Young man, you’ve got to work hard! Take advantage of the unusually large number of pirate ships at Iron Anchor Bay recently. Keep trying, and you’ll surely succeed.
"Just don’t forget to bring back the Settling-In Fee for me.
"After all, you don’t want to sleep in the plaza tonight, do you, Des?"
Old John gave him a big smile and turned back to his tavern.
Gus no longer had the energy to correct the mistake in his name. It was only at the mention of "rent" that his expression collapsed. Money was never the problem, but did he look like someone who had money?
Gus’s wish was simple and urgent. He just wanted to find a captain who wouldn’t forget him by accident so he could move onto the ship. And it’d be best if that captain was also rich!
O God of Prophecy, Authority, and Mad Hunt, I beg you, grant me a wealthy captain!
Just as Gus prayed reluctantly, he suddenly heard the voices of two people conversing behind him.
"Strange, what’s going on with Iron Anchor Bay lately? Yesterday when we passed by here, it was councilmembers of the Captains’ Parliament recruiting crew, like Morrison of the Butcher Bird with his Piercing Thorn, and Red Beard Edward with his Goddess of Vengeance. Today it turned into Ferdinand "The Conductor" with his Beast Cage. All of them being Third Order or higher Transcendents of the Middle Sequence. Looking at the pirate flags fluttering on the ships in the harbor, it’s clear that many famous pirate captains have also flocked here. Are these guys all running off here to play house instead of raiding ships?"
"Right, Captain, isn’t this picking on us honest folks? They’ve snatched away all the good crew we wanted to recruit for Golden Deer."
Gus turned his head and saw two figures, one following the other, walking toward him.
As fate would have it, the man in front was actually wearing a tricorn captain’s hat!