Chapter 824
Sanford finally snapped back to himself and looked up at Ian, his lone eye trembling as though an earthquake had struck it.
When Ian casually tilted his chin, Sanford stammered, "T-The payment! Without settling the payment first... I was going to say I can’t accept any new requests!"
He had even started rubbing his hands together again, confirming it was a hastily fabricated excuse.
Of course, he probably just wanted to get his hands on at least a portion of what was inside the case.
Elia glanced back at him as if dumbfounded, while Hashim, still half-stunned, stared at the back of Sanford’s head like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
"Is that so? Well, that’s unfortunate. I need at least some safeguards on my end, too." Ian shrugged, feigning indifference.
He had no intention of showing disappointment or playing along with such a transparent trick.
"I trust you, but not the other smugglers. One ship won’t be enough to carry that many people, so I suppose the additional request is off the table—"
"But how could I dare— Dare to defy the will of a demigod over something as trivial as a petty principle!" Sanford cut in hurriedly, eyes wide, clearly convinced that once Ian finished speaking, there would be no turning back.
"I’ll do it, Agent of the Saint!" said Sanford.
"Captain! What are you—" Hashim interjected in a strained voice, unable to hold back any longer.
Sanford raised a hand without even looking at him, silencing him, then lowered his voice with grave determination. "I’ll handle persuading the other captains myself. Please don’t worry."
"Lu Solar... dear heavens..." Hashim squeezed his eyes shut, pressing a hand to his forehead.
Ian, who had been listening with a faint twitch in his eye, finally said as if conceding, "You think you can manage? There’ll be pushback."
"Yes. As you said, there are safeguards. And since this is a request guaranteed by you, Agent of the Saint, it should be entirely possible." Sanford nodded immediately.
That alone was enough to make Ian stifle another chuckle.
So he plans to keep the gold and jewels hidden from the other captains.
Instead of using the simplest method of persuasion, Sanford intended to rely on Ian’s name alone. The reason why was obvious—just recalling that vacant, entranced look in his eye said enough.
—To be so obsessed over things that merely shine... humans...
Yog’s mocking whisper brushed through his mind as Ian gave a slight nod. As long as Sanford handled the troublesome parts, his greedy intentions didn’t matter.
At last, a relieved smile spread across Sanford’s face as he added, "Then may I escort you to the ship for a moment? We should discuss the details of the request, shouldn’t we?"
He kept his voice low, clearly mindful of the other captains watching from behind, ears pricked. He likely wanted to monopolize the information as much as possible.
"I’d rather not disturb the crew while they’re resting," Ian said, glancing at the ship, then gesturing behind him. "Let’s head further inside the dock."
Sanford nodded eagerly. "Of course. A conversation with the sound of waves as our companion sounds perfect. Hashim? Go fetch a bottle. The best one."
His brow furrowed when Hashim merely dragged a hand down his face instead of responding. "Why aren’t you answering?"
"Captain, may I have a word?"
At Hashim’s sigh-laced tone, Sanford frowned deeper—then cast a cautious glance back at Ian. "My apologies, but may I be excused for a moment?"
"Of course," Ian shrugged, giving Mukapa and Elia a glance before turning away.
As he strolled off at an easy pace, feeling the smugglers’ gazes trailing after him, Hashim spoke at last, covering his mouth. "Blind to money or not, do you even realize how irresponsible that sounded just now?"
Though his voice was a whisper, Ian had no trouble hearing it.
Sanford snorted in response. "Tch. I’ve been too lenient with you. You’re getting bold with your captain."
"And what else am I supposed to do? You just promised to transport that many people, to the archipelago, no less!"
"Lower your voice, you idiot. The others will hear. This is the Agent of the Saint’s request. It’s confidential."
"Ha... no, that’s not—" Hashim trailed off with a frustrated sigh.
Elia let out a soft laugh, glancing back at Ian. She had clearly been listening in as well.
Ian simply shrugged and kept walking as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
"Have you already forgotten how we got out of there? Or what kind of place that is?" Hashim said, this time almost pleading. "Think about it, Captain. Why would the Agent of the Saint be heading to the archipelago at a time like this? And with heavily armed beastfolk and even fairies in tow? Clearly—"
"And so we’re supposed to pass up an opportunity like this?" Sanford cut him off, still sounding utterly confident.
Clicking his tongue in irritation, he went on, "Think about it. Even after splitting it with those wannabe pirates, that money’s enough to pay off all our debts and then some. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the promise you made to that stingy old bastard in Rune Catis."
Hashim fell silent.
At that, the corner of Ian’s mouth twitched faintly. The gambling den he had wrecked briefly flickered through his mind.
So that’s how he managed to survive in Rune Katis. He made another reckless deal. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.
Shaking his head slightly, Ian turned his gaze toward the encampment beyond the pier. The fairies had begun gathering along the edges, likely at Thesaya’s signal as she led the beastfolk.
That side’s getting started too.
Sanford’s coaxing voice continued, "Don’t scare yourself over nothing. Nothing’s certain yet. We’re just transporters, that’s all."
"But—"
"I’ve got a plan. We’ll talk about the details later. For now, just go get the drink. Now."
With a long sigh, Hashim’s footsteps faded as he headed back to the ship.
Elia, who had been openly glancing back the whole time, said, "What were they talking about just now? I couldn’t hear over the waves."
"Nothing important," Ian answered without turning around.
His eyes remained fixed on the beastfolk and fairies forming a loose circle around the camp. Charlotte and Thesaya were stepping forward to face them.
"By the way, it seems you brought not only relics, but quite a lot of gold and jewels as well," Elia whispered carefully once they turned along the shoreline.
Ian glanced at her worried expression and let out a chuckle. "I didn’t strip the place completely, so don’t worry. Though I did bring plenty."
It was obvious she was concerned about what the Platinum Dragon might say.
As Yog snickered, Elia nodded slowly. "...Right. Not that it’s any place for me to interfere."
Stopping with a small shrug, Ian said, "Let’s wait here. Mukapa, set the container down so Elia can sit."
Two ships were lined up to their right, and beyond them, the dark ocean stretched wide under the night sky, waves rolling endlessly.
"Yes," Mukapa answered and carefully set the metal case down.
Elia readily sat on top of it, which served perfectly as a seat. Mukapa stepped back and stood behind her like a guard.
Sanford came rushing out onto the dock, skidding to a stop. "My apologies for keeping you waiting!"
His voice was noticeably louder now, as he no longer worried about the other captains hearing; the sound of the waves would drown him out anyway.
Ian simply nodded and turned, opening a cigarette case he had pulled from his pocket dimension.
Sanford glanced at the container, then offered a slight bow to Elia, who was sitting on it.
"Now that I think about it, I see there’s someone I haven’t met before. My apologies. As you’ve seen, I run a smuggling ship. My name is Sanford Plum."
"I’m Elia Meyer. An assistant professor at the Imperial Academy." Elia rose at once and greeted him politely.
Sanford smiled, briefly eyeing the case beneath her. "A scholar? That’s quite rare. May I ask what field you study?"
"Primarily ancient civilizations and heretical cultures. I also compile records on dark magic and ancient gods."
"Ah, I see..." Sanford’s smile wavered slightly at her answer.
After glancing at Ian, who was drawing on his freshly lit cigarette, he quickly shifted the topic. "Shall we move on to the main matter, then?"
"By all means." Ian shrugged.
Sanford immediately clasped his hands together in front of his chest. "So then... where in the archipelago would you like to be taken?"
"Can you go anywhere?" Ian asked back, exhaling smoke.
Sanford nodded. "That depends somewhat on the destination, but in general, yes. Not just me, but all the captains here know the archipelago and the surrounding waters like the back of their hands."
"I see..." A faint smile touched Ian’s lips as he shifted the cigarette between his fingers.
"From the look of it, you probably already have a good idea why I’m heading there."
Sanford hesitated, then forced an awkward smile. "Hah, haha. How could I possibly guess the grand intentions of the Agent of the Saint?"
Ian let out a quiet snort and said, "It seems there are quite a few in the archipelago who worship an ancient god sealed in the depths. As you’ve experienced yourself, their fleet is already completely corrupted."
Whether it was the memory of crossing the inner sea while fighting the archdemon of the deep sea or simply the mention of the archipelago, it was impossible to tell. Perhaps it was both.
"Back then, you acted like you knew quite a bit about the situation there. You weren’t even that surprised when they revealed their true nature."
At Ian’s words, Sanford swallowed hard, lips pressed tightly shut as though even speaking of it might bring trouble.
"So I think this is something I should be asking you," Ian added, bringing the cigarette back to his lips.
He tilted his head slightly toward Sanford with a faint smile. "Where exactly in the archipelago is the stronghold of those corrupted heretics?"
