Chapter 17: XVII. Job Market
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Originally, when recruiting sailors, Mika should have been present to check for any infectious diseases among these expendables and give them a certain degree of physical examination.
But Mika was preoccupied with that matter since early morning, and at this time, the brothels hadn't even opened yet, busy with cleanliness.
However, Ox knew very well about Mika's background. Over at East Shore, there were still quite a few decent schools, not to mention a big city like Londen City.
And not all the students were from aristocratic families. Even if they had a bit of money at home, the hefty tuition required them to work and study. Female students couldn't do heavy manual labor, relying only on talent. At this very moment, Mika might be squatting around the school, supporting impoverished students.
This time, just dividing the clean money alone amounted to twenty-five Gold Dragons. Once the stolen jewels were sold off through a channel, it would be another dozen or so shiny coins engraved with the eternal and Time Dragon symbol of Aran National Church. Even if educated individuals with excellent grades and conduct demanded a higher price, copper coins wouldn't do the trick—it had to be silver coins. Mika would be able to have a blast.
But having seen Mika conduct the inspection so many times, even a fool could have learned. Ox had his own methods. Those with obvious rashes or skin diseases didn't even need to be told; they could roll out immediately.
"Open your mouth."
Ox was checking these expendables' teeth, tongue coating, and whether there were any lumps swollen on both sides of their necks. Although Ox didn't understand the principles, as long as there were no apparent problems, it was okay.
Ox even went as far as to firmly squeeze these people's limbs to see if their muscles and bones were strong. Even the healthy ones screamed when squeezed, and the sick ones would faint on the spot.
"Alright, you pass. Wait on the ship. The guy who looks like a dog will be your officer; he'll lead you to your quarters. Eight silver coins a month, the same as the navy. Sometimes Admiral His Excellency might delay the military pay, but we won't. If that's fine by you, then get aboard. Keep your sign visible. Other pitiful ships don't offer this treatment, and you get meat every day. Tie your head to your belt tightly. Next!"
In fact, Ox was quite dissatisfied with the progress. With SS Fuma Keqing Revenge's size, considering the carpenters working in shifts around the clock, adding cooks and personnel ready for battle, and some miscellaneous positions, the ideal state was a crew of a hundred and fifteen sturdy sailors, preferably all battle-ready. But those who came for the interview were just too subpar; there were very few decent ones. If they were placed on the front lines of the Mirror Sea Alliance, they'd probably all get chopped down on the first day.
The bustling crowd on the Secret Port Pier had already come early to make a living. Most were desperate individuals who, in their desperation, decided to become pirates. Mostly malnourished with sallow complexions and thin muscles, their clothes were ragged, and they lacked experience at sea, necessitating further training.
Time had passed, and Ox had reluctantly picked only three strong and experienced ones. At this rate, one could hardly tell when they'd be able to set sail.
"What kind of work did you do before?"
Shadi looked at a guy who came for the interview.
"I don't know if gambling in a casino counts, sometimes managing to win a bit back. Just last night I went to the usual casino, but for some reason, it was shut down, so I'm considering looking for a job."
A young man, just over twenty, replied seriously.
Shadi regarded him solemnly; it turned out that gambling was also a way to make a living.
"Get lost."
Ox had no time for nonsense; what a bunch of cavemen.
After disembarking, Liszt, who came to inspect the work, also noticed the difficulty of the project's progress. It seemed that under the benevolence of the current King of Beima, the conditions in the inland towns were even more challenging. As for this bunch of famished men at the docks, one couldn't even talk about their combat ability; even their labor force was questionable.
"Annoying, I'll go to the city to find a headhunting consultant to pull people in."
Liszt didn't want a ship full of weaklings either; not to mention waylaying others, the ship wouldn't get to Heaven Port without exhausting dozens of people.
"Headhunting consultant?"
Ox didn't understand, but Liszt always had a way with extravagant terminology.
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"So, a middleman, an intelligence broker, recruiting some pirates who already had a structure in place."
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Liszt was planning to find Beima Xiaochaijin once this big deal was finished, whether it panned out or not, but a recommendation letter would certainly be more reliable. Mr. Chai loved to collect Guests, the more impressive the better. If Mr. Chai saw this ragtag bunch, how embarrassing would that be? You might just get brushed off with a 'hero's dismissal,' so you'd have to put Mr. Chai in his place a bit.
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"Now, Liszt is feeling on top of the world, with money on the ship, tough guys, and an immeasurable future ahead."
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"How about you all stop clinging to your crappy ship and come aboard mine? Every month you'll have a salary and meat to eat, and the share of the spoils will surely be much higher than what your junk ship offers."
Liszt was as arrogant as can be, bellowing at the crew members on several nearby pirate ships.
Indeed, some people were tempted, but still, nobody paid Liszt any mind. They were all from the same world; switching ships wasn't an easy decision, as reputations were at stake. Many looked at him with unfriendly eyes but didn't dare to say anything. In the East Shore area, Liszt had been making a name for himself for four or five years and was now a local figure of some renown, lately even making waves in both the lawful and criminal worlds.
"You forgot about over twenty days ago, slaughtering until my hands ached. Looking for a middleman to recruit people is one thing, but it should be individuals, not whole groups with existing ties," Ox didn't want to make the same mistake again.
"Right," Liszt patted his head, "You keep recruiting. If you're tired, switch with Wolman and Rein. Those two are the laziest, damn."
Liszt's gaze turned to Fen, when suddenly a lightbulb went off in his head, and he said, "I knew we were missing something. The ship's all about physical damage. We need some magical damage."
Fen replied, "Strictly speaking, there isn't such a division."
Fen thought Liszt had been reading too many fanciful adventurer biographies, romantic tales fabricated by the adventurer's guild to entice registrations. Damage type... what a load of nonsense.
The skill level of those Traveling Wizards and swindlers from the adventurer's guild was laughable compared to their own. Everything in the world has a fundamental starting point, both on the surface level of physics and the deeper logical aspects, leading to the same endpoint. Magic Techniques were merely methods of resonating with this starting point through certain elements to manifest power, adhering to a set of objective principles.
Some magicians understood the tricks of the trade well enough to control a single element, but Fen was different. Aside from her expertise in Necromancy, she mastered all elemental spells. She had yet to show off all her abilities, and even at the Pedan National Arcane Academy, if she hadn't gotten into trouble, her portrait would be hanging in the hall for alumni to admire.
"You got a lot of friends, a wide network, right? You know people in the Thief Guild, that school of yours, and the Warlock Alliance you joined... What's it called again... something-something Tower Alliance. Get some proficient magicians over here," Liszt remembered this detail. Among the illiterate fugitives on the ship, who had connections? Even if they knew someone, it was likely fellow brutes from jail, not high-end talent. Business was getting bigger, and brute force alone wasn't enough; they needed brains, and that meant relying on General Fen—my proudest conviction.
Fen looked at Liszt as if looking at an idiot and calmly said, "Do you think a person who has received higher education, with a luxurious home, a noble's daughter for a lover, a court mage's status, also a Baron's title, a pillar against religious forces, and also a top talent of the academic Tower Alliance, would come to a pirate ship, endure ten days to half a month without bathing among desperados from all over the world, drift aimlessly with blood on every penny they earn, and descend into self-degradation with cheap liquor and vulgar company?"
Faced with Fen's question.
After thinking for a while, Liszt replied, "Aren't you just that?"
Even Fen couldn't help but swear.
"I...!"
Fen drew her Sword, ready to chop someone.
"Easy there, First Officer! This is mutiny!"
Archer intervened.
"Um... if you have business in town, hurry it up. You're scaring everyone away."
Pressing a hand to his forehead in exasperation, Shadi decided to even recruit some Dark Elf brothers himself. The old Black Sail didn't care, anyone who could work was welcome aboard, but after last night, things were different. They needed elites; without some tough guys, they couldn't protect the treasures Swan had brought. The riffraff from the Thief Guild were no easy targets, fouler than sludge and sneaky in every conceivable way.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone