章 76: The Most Precious Bribe
"Captain, are you certain you want to push me to action? I'm here for business, not battle," Grayson stated coolly, surveying the spectral sailors, his gaze as steady as the cigar he lit.
"I've no interest in chit-chat. If you want to talk business, join my ghostly crew first—let me chop off your head," Captain Jaxton declared, brandishing his cutlass and ordering an assault with a bellow.
"Captain, do we kill the lasses too?" an adjacent pirate enquired.
"Did you not understand me? I said kill, not dally with the dames. Get to it, you sloth," the captain scolded viciously, propelling the pirate forward with a kick.
The pirate lurched towards them, raising his cutlass as he caught sight of Katheren standing next to Grayson. Grayson didn't flinch; instead, a gunshot rang out, and a silver bullet pierced the pirate's skull.
The bullet, soaked in soul-eating elixir, siphoned the spectral energy from the pirate's form, detonating amidst the crowd and sending the undead sailors tumbling.
"Well done," Grayson praised, casting a smile at Katheren, who stood proudly behind him. "But don't misunderstand; you've attracted a fair bit of trouble."
No sooner had he spoken than the infuriated undead pirates surged forward. Grayson's left claw flicked, and five blades fanned out, embedding into the skulls of five sailors who dissolved into mist with their death cries.
The blades, charged with the spectral energy, shone with a brilliant silver light, extending their length, and whirled through the pirate masses, mowing down the undead like a scythe through wheat.
Seizing the moment, Grayson spun to face another wave of assailants. His soul-eating silver sword cleaved down upon the lead spirit, who raised a harpoon in defense. A mighty burst of stored spectral power from the sword obliterated the surrounding pirates.
"Ladies, show the Captain a hint of color. He won't talk sense otherwise!"
As he spoke, Grayson dashed into the throng, his silver sword swirling a white cyclone around him, shredding the spectral pirates and recycling their essence into new waves of force that he sent hurtling towards the others.
Katheren and Seraphine stood back to back, the former's twin pistols firing silver bullets like a swarm of attacking bees. Each bullet exploded upon impact, hollowing the cabin walls with bursts of energy.
Seraphine, wiping her magic lamp, summoned forth the genie in a blaze of glory. She pointed her staff, and the genie's massive fists plunged into the crowd of spectral pirates, beating them back.
"Hey, that's hardly fair!" Grayson exclaimed, slamming his sword down into the deck, dispersing an energy ring that sent nearby spirits flying. He called out to Seraphine, "We're battling valiantly, and you bring in a substitute? What happened to fighting side by side?"
"Sorry, at least for today, that's impossible," Seraphine shrugged, amusement in her voice. "These spirits don't exactly bleed."
"Excuses, excuses," Grayson said as he darted back to her side. "Still, you've got to take part. The spirits on the right are yours. I'll keep the Captain company." With that, he charged towards Jaxton.
The captain, seeing Grayson approach, fired his ghostly pistol in rapid succession. Grayson moved with an ethereal grace, dodging three projectiles, his sword absorbing two more before sweeping horizontally. But the Captain had already vanished into thin air.
Swinging at nothing, Grayson recalled his blades and spun around, parrying an invisible strike. The now-visible Captain clashed against Grayson's claw, who seized the ethereal cutlass. Five blades shot towards Jaxton, who once again disappeared, leaving the blades to thud into the deck.
Grayson punched a pirate charging at him, unleashing a burst of spectral energy from his claw that flattened the assailants.
He exhaled a puff of cigar smoke, scanning the room vigilantly. Suddenly, he spotted the Captain near Katheren, pistol aimed at her head. Instinctively, she swung her pistols towards him while Grayson launched five blades, encircling the Captain in a brilliant halo of light.
"You think you can kill me? I won't go down so easily. The girl's not bad, young and pretty. I'll use her as a shield," the Captain spat venomously, turning his cocky laugh toward Grayson. "Come on then, try me! Let's see who dies first, me or the damsel!"
Silence fell abruptly. The undead pirates halted, and even Seraphine and her genie turned to watch the standoff. The Captain and Katheren pointed their guns at each other's heads, the former defiant in the face of death, the latter resolute and determined.
After a moment of silence, Grayson spoke evenly to the Captain, "Before deciding whether to meet your maker, perhaps you should consider the opinion of the person behind you."
"Haha, you take me for a fool? I'm no child, and if you think to play me, believe me, I can blow off her head this instant," the Captain threatened, pressing his pistol against Katheren's temple.
Grayson shrugged, "You won't do it."
"You think I won't dare?" Jaxton's eyes bulged as his finger twitched toward the trigger. Then, a scream from behind: "Father, stop!"
The Captain turned, startled. A girl in a white dress stood at the cabin doorway. He hesitated, lowering his weapon, and asked in a daze, "Lia, what are you doing here?"
The marionette girl hurried forward, embracing the Captain. Katheren lowered her pistols, and alongside Seraphine, who had recalled her genie, retreated to Grayson's side. Seraphine looked at Grayson questioningly, "How did she end up here?"
"I knew she had followed," Grayson replied, unfazed. "Her scent lingered behind us ever since we stepped into the chef's kitchen."
"Is she here to help us?" Katheren asked, concern lacing her voice.
"She's here to help her father," Grayson said, watching the father and daughter converse. "She feared we would harm him, and that's why she came."
As they spoke, the Captain turned, still holding his daughter's hand. "Mr. Demon Hunter, I've heard from Lia about what happened. Thank you for not harming my girl."
"Not all spirits are malevolent, and I do not slay the innocent," Grayson said, sheathing his sword.
"Now, you were mentioning a business proposition. Perhaps we can discuss it now," the Captain suggested, sheathing his own weapons and dispersing the nearby pirates.
"That's exactly what I intend," Grayson stepped forward. "Captain Jaxton, I've heard you're working for Titan King's second son, Solon. He's paid you handsomely to bombard Tyrrel's stronghold, hasn't he?"
"It's true, though I've never seen any Titan prince. The man I spoke with wore a black cloak; never showed his face. Probably uglier than my cook, but what does it matter if the pay is good?"
"Well said," Grayson nodded approvingly. "But what if I offered you something more precious than money as a bribe to switch sides?"
"More precious?" the Captain's eyes widened. "What is it?"
"Freedom," Grayson said, profound depth in his voice.
"Freedom?" the Captain echoed, taken aback.
"Yes, true freedom," Grayson affirmed. "If you're willing, I'll help you exterminate the demon on the Nameless Isle that binds your spirits. Just as I dispatched your treacherous first mate."
"No, that's impossible!" the Captain paled, shaking his head. "You don't know what lies dormant there. No one does, except the dead..."
"I'm no stranger to the company of the deceased," Grayson said, his gaze unwavering. "If I'm willing to take a stand for you, to break your chains, would you join me in retaking Thunderhold?"
"Aren't you afraid of death?" Jaxton jerked his head up, eyes alight with the gambler's fervor. Grayson's eyes, however, remained serene: "Death isn't to be feared. It is cowardice that breeds true terror."
He stepped close to the Captain and asked solemnly, "Do you wish to break free from your shackles? With my help, your fleet would be mightier than when you seized Grey Harbor. No one could defeat you!"
His eyes then turned to Lia, the doll-like girl, and he spoke with passion, "And your daughter, don't you want to stay by her side, ensuring she never fears enslavement by demons?"
The Captain's heart quivered. He looked at his daughter, Lia, who gently grasped his hand and held it to her chest, her eyes full of hope.
"Perhaps you're right," the Captain conceded after a long pause, looking earnestly into Grayson's eyes. "It's a gamble, but sometimes, not daring to bet is failure itself."
He ushered Grayson and the others into the upper cabin's dining hall, ordering his men to clear a table. Seated around the circular table, they listened as the Captain described the isle.
"We still don't know what they truly are, only that they've made the entire isle lifeless. We call it Death Isle because everything there is in a state of death, even the soil is charred black."
The Captain stroked his beard, scanning his guests, and revealed, "There's an entrance on that island that leads to a hellish lair. It's sealed with layers of enchantments. No one can enter without breaking the seal from the inside."
"Perhaps we can break through the barrier directly," Grayson suggested, drumming his fingers on the table and exchanging a glance with Seraphine. "We're prepared for that."
"I advise against a forceful entry. Awakening it prematurely does you no favors—it holds enough power to engulf you all, akin to a tsunami!" Jaxton warned seriously.
Grayson leaned forward, "I'm keen to heed your counsel, Captain."
The Captain peered intently into Grayson's eyes and uttered with grave significance, "Being a thief..."
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット