The mere mention of Armand struck a chord deep within Klee, shaking him profoundly. Though he fought to mask it, a raw avarice and envy bled through his expression, his eyes instantly beginning to dart around as he tentatively probed:

“We’ve already scouted the Bell and Cup, along with the Siren’s Wail—they are among the only three large pirate vessels… I heard that crew members on a large pirate ship receive extra benefits?”

Fang Senyan readily confirmed:

“That’s right. You get a side quest, and its final destination points toward those three legendary pirate ships.”

Klee swallowed greedily:

“So, you mean you’re going to take me aboard the Bell and Cup?”

Fang Senyan nodded:

“Precisely. The entire Port of Tortuga is currently a cauldron of hidden currents. Even if the port guards had the courage of lions, they wouldn’t dare forcibly board a vessel; it could easily give the greedy pirates grounds for a mutiny. You’ll be perfectly safe aboard. Once the search is over, you can slip away easily.”

Klee suddenly looked skeptical:

“Pirates are notoriously suspicious. You’ve only just joined them—how could they possibly allow you to bring a stranger aboard?”

Fang Senyan stated coolly:

“That’s why you and I must have an extremely close relationship… Get that damned lecherous look out of your eyes. I have zero interest in men’s backsides or anything else. You can be my relative, or someone who once saved my life—the point is, those cursed pirates must believe you are vital to my existence.”

Klee visibly relaxed, satisfied:

“I think your idea is excellent, but not quite enough. If we combine the two suggestions, it will be absolutely perfect. The status of a cousin, coupled with that of a savior—that carries undeniable weight. Dear Yan, you certainly squeezed me hard initially, but it’s settled then.”

As they spoke, Fang Senyan supported Klee, leading him toward the docks outside the port. He hid the man in the seaside thicket, then signaled for the Bell and Cup in the harbor to send a small boat to fetch him. (In that era, thorough underwater dredging in ports was often neglected, meaning large pirate ships, due to their deep drafts, often couldn't berth fully. In ports used for a long time, severe silting could mean they were a hundred meters from the shore, necessitating the use of tenders or small boats for ferrying.)

Soon, Fang Senyan stood before Armand, who was currently in the captain’s cabin. The man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, examining a faded sea chart. His slightly gaunt frame was held rigidly upright, involuntarily bringing to mind the sight of a bayonet fixed to a rifle muzzle.

“What is it?”

Armand’s hawk-like gaze swept over Fang Senyan once, then returned to the map.

Fang Senyan replied, maintaining his poise:

“I am deeply grateful for the appreciation shown to me by Lord Ganjī, but I must now confess that I cannot keep pace with that generosity. I am about to become embroiled in some seriously thorny trouble, and to avoid implicating everyone aboard the Bell and Cup, I must tender my resignation here, sir.”

Armand still had his back to Fang Senyan, but the pupils observing the map narrowed slightly:

“You are now one of my crew. Your first duty should be to explain everything to me, not attempt to face it alone!”

A flicker of unreadable cunning crossed Fang Senyan’s eyes before he stated gravely:

“Lord, you must have heard about the explosion at the Port of Tortuga Castle a few hours ago?”

The hand Armand kept behind his back suddenly tightened its grip, then relaxed, though his tone remained level:

“It seems everyone knows about that affair.”

Fang Senyan spoke with studied sincerity:

“My unfortunate cousin, Klee, was caught up in that dreadful incident—very unluckily, he seems to have been one of the direct participants in the plan. When I found him on the western hillside overlooking the port, a port guard was about to take his head; so, I intervened and killed that guard, saving his life—just as he did for me two years ago in Manila, Southeast Asia.”

Armand seemed to ponder for a moment before replying with weighty solemnity:

“And what are your plans after leaving the Bell and Cup?”

Fang Senyan’s expression clouded with a touch of confusion as he shook his head:

“I don’t know yet. I plan to hide for a while, then find a ship to sail away.”

“Nonsense! Foolish!” Armand suddenly raised his voice and turned around: “Do you know how big the island of Port Tortuga is? It’s less than a third the size of Dyke County! Even a child wouldn’t take two days to walk from east to west!”

“And the Folk family has been entrenched here for a full century. How long can you and your brother hide? Two days? Three? By then, even if you deny everything vehemently, it will inevitably drag us into it. Don't forget, Scar-Faced Henry took you away in clear sight of dozens of men, Rock from the East!”

Fang Senyan showed a calculated hesitation, biting back further words. Armand spoke with the exasperated tone of one disappointed by a protégé:

“Involve us? Hey! When you act without thinking, that is what implicates people. I’ll tell you one more time: since you have become a crew member of the Bell and Cup, every action and every thought must proceed from that perspective! Where is your brother? Go call him over to the ship immediately.”

“Lord!” Fang Senyan exclaimed, his voice thick with feigned gratitude and guilt.

Armand sighed, waving a weary hand:

“Go on. The Folk family is in complete disarray right now; they won't dare to cause trouble aboard the Bell and Cup.”

Fang Senyan nodded, bowed deeply in salute, and retreated. In Armand’s eyes, however, two sparks of intense excitement suddenly flashed. The news Fang Senyan brought was a massive, heaven-sent surprise! For Port Tortuga, which was already declining, these bandits who dared to launch such a brazen attack were objects that must be ruthlessly eliminated. But for ambitious pirate captains like Armand, these bandits represented an invaluable asset!

Even if the group had been alerted and seemed relatively ordinary in strength, the mere fact that they had successfully assaulted the Folk fortress provided direct, tangible intelligence regarding the current state of the Folk family—a vital assessment of that wealthy but weakened power. This information was worth its weight in gold!

From a deeper perspective, while Armand was well-known, he was merely the captain of a large pirate ship, still a step below the captains of the three legendary vessels. Although the Folk family's weakness was obvious to all, even a starving camel is larger than a horse; one pirate crew could never take them down.

If the grand plan to sack Port Tortuga were to occur, several pirate fleets would necessarily have to form an alliance and work in unison. Under normal circumstances, Armand would only occupy a subordinate or junior position within such an alliance. However, if he possessed the huge bargaining chip of being the 'first survivor to strike the Tortuga Castle,' he could naturally ascend from a follower to one of the principal leaders.

Fang Senyan had recognized and capitalized precisely on this point. By acting like he was withdrawing—adopting a posture of deep loyalty—he compelled Armand to issue the order to keep his relative aboard. This strategy was ten, even a hundred, times more effective than simple begging.

As Fang Senyan was about to board the small tender to retrieve the man, Scar-Faced Henry rushed over with three fully armed pirates, claiming the Captain had ordered them to escort him for his safety, fearing trouble. Fang Senyan outwardly expressed great gratitude, but inwardly he sneered—Armand was still not composed enough, clearly afraid the cooked goose might fly away, hence the overly eager escort.

Klee, hidden on the shore, had been waiting with agony, like an ant on a hot griddle. Thus, when he saw Fang Senyan rowing toward him, accompanied by four pirates who looked fiercely capable and provided a palpable sense of security, he was so moved that tears nearly sprang to his eyes.

Once safely aboard the Bell and Cup, a wave of relief washed over him, and he immediately noticed how agonizingly painful his leg wound had become, letting out an involuntary groan—Klee’s inherent low Stamina stat meant poor recovery. Furthermore, the stab wound on his leg was serious, compounded by excessive blood loss from rolling and crawling desperately during his escape; even a minor injury had likely escalated into a severe one. Shaer, who served as the ship’s part-time medic, examined him, reapplied a simple bandage, sterilized the wound with strong liquor, and ordered him to bed rest.

(Author’s Note: A brief aside on the level of hygiene in Medieval Europe: doctors were often part-time specialists. Therefore, if any of you are unfortunate enough to time-travel to the Middle Ages, do not be surprised to encounter a fellow who is Monk Level 5/Doctor Level 1, or Priest Level 3/Doctor Level 2. Their treatment methods were distressingly simple: for any perceived mental discomfort, including but not limited to headaches or dizziness, the treatment involved cutting open an arm vein to bleed you; for digestive issues, inducing vomiting... and for all other ailments, they employed both methods simultaneously...)

Although Armand desperately wanted to grab Klee by the neck right then and shake out every secret with a roar, rudely disturbing a patient was considered highly impolite in that era. More crucially, however, Armand already considered Klee a prize he possessed—and so Klee was granted a period of blessed rest. Just as Klee was congratulating himself on escaping doom, Fang Senyan pushed open the cabin door and walked in, stating coldly:

“I have kept my promise. What about yours?”

(To be continued. For the latest chapters, please visit: .)