Pirate Island Croix is located near Ipia Island! Small fishing boats which consisted of hunting parties full of warriors and priests floated around, completing quests.
“I hope ye didn’t run into too much trouble”
“Not at all. I enjoyed talking to you.”
“Shank’s, here’s the three gold ye were promised.”
Croix was a very dangerous hunting ground because the first half, it was a pirate base with various defenses that had been built around the fort. And the other half, it was filled with monsters!
Only users of level 340 or higher could enter and come out alive. On a narrow but safe strip of land, users were standing around gathering parties to carefully hunt and explore Croix!
However, seven ships sailing decrepit sailboats with an imposing presence arrived from the sea. It was the ghost fleet of pirate Deoreol. A one eyed, one armed, one-legged pirate held out a money bag in one hand and a great flag in the other.
“Tweeeeet! Pwap pwap pwap pwap. Sha! Invasion of the enemy!”
The pirates of the island promptly responded. Shouts of alarm and the sound of a bull horn cried out a state of emergency. Users attempting to hunt sat down in amazement.
“What should I do?”
“What else, just wait till those idiots die.”
No users were usually crazy enough to attack Croix Island. Croix was the gathering place for some of the most notorious pirate gangs. Even so much to hunt on this island that it would make users feel proud. (T/N It took a lot of guts to hunt there.)
“Foolish bastards.”
The users were laughing as the pirates lined up one after another to protect their waterfront home. The decrepit ship sailed straight on without changing directions. Geomchi3 was sitting in the captain’s seat while the first mate Nickey was steering the ship. Nickey humbly bowed at the waist and said.
“Temporary Captain! At this speed, we will hit the coast. Do you want to slow down?”
Geomchi3 shook his head.
“Go straight at full speed.”
“Aye, sir.”
Going straight ahead without changing direction! Anchored on a sandbar. At Croix Island, raiders carrying scimitars and ropes with hooks were waiting as the ghost ship approached.
"Uwaaah!"
Emerging from a hole leading to the hull of the Ghost Ship, Geomchi came out.
A landing operation on the famous Pirate Island Croix was being carried out.
***
There were over 20 bars in the Ipia Island port. There were also many big name resorts, but for sailors who came back from a long voyage, they wanted to relax and wash away their tiredness with beer at their usual hangouts. It was classified as a cozy pub near the harbor and beach that allowed casual swimwear. Sailors usually went there for its quiet atmosphere. Hwaryeong had told him to meet at the bar because of its good atmosphere and the bar’s name “Girl Waiting at the Harbor”.
“Here is your glass of beer and dried seaweed snacks. Please tip over here.”
Weed finished ordering and sat down at the bar where gentle music was flowing.
“Not a bad atmosphere. Zephyr and the others haven’t arrived yet.”
Weed firmly put a piece of seaweed in his rotten teeth with bony fingers. Even after turning into an undead it was still possible to taste the fragrant flavor. Normally a skeleton wouldn’t have much of a sense of taste, but thanks to the effects of Sculpture Shapeshifting, he was effectively masking his real body. So he still had some advantages of a human body.
When he learned Sculpture Shapeshifting, it was unknown to him if those masking traits would disappear, but for now taste and aroma were meant to be enjoyed. While drinking beer, Weed listened to the circulating stories.
“I’m glad we came to Ipia Island. I am going to try to come again next year.”
“Then invite Oze and all the other guys to come on New Year.”
“Palowin’s team followed the Berwick fleet into this dungeon. There they revealed they were doing a really big quest, and the fame was amazing.”
“You know that you can transport cheese to the kingdom of Brent for big money.”
“… Do you really think so?”
“Information was from a minor source, but I think it could be a big draw.”
Users with multiple jobs and merchants talked freely and shared stories. You could benefit by listening, and they might receive help too. If there were no secrets to share, one could listen to the band. It was customary to pay for drinking expenses while gathering information. Weed eavesdropped on many other people’s conversations at the heart of the tavern while wearing a heavy robe. After about 10 minutes of spying, he heard.
“But every time I go to Morata, the lord is busy. I would have liked to see his face before I left.”
Every ear within the place must have heard and started talking.
“Where do you go to get in on a sculpture quest?”
“God of War Weed, Matallost quest… do you think he is only sharing with the users who helped him rescue the church?”
“I heard that everyone who did the original was included but they don’t have exclusive rights, so anyone can join.”
“That’s nice experience for the combat professions, such easy experience from one quest can’t be seen that often in large organizations.”
“Hundreds of people cooperating together for a quest… sound like fun.”
Weed suddenly stretched his shoulders wide even though they were only narrow bones. Users that completed the Matallost quest were resolved to beat the next request. In Royal Road it was not such an easy thing to take part in a big quest, it would also be a fun experience.
“Morata’s Lord’s obsession with earning money is certainly unique. He has done a lot more business than most traders.”
“Oh, by the way have you heard about this evening’s performance of Hairen Benti?”
They had quickly changed topics. When drinking there is no reason to talk too deeply of the lords from other regions.
“Do you mean that show that is going on in the central square?”
“Has it finally arrived at the central square? At this rate there’s gonna be a lot of people attending.”
“It is a great show.”
Hairen Benti was a female bard. Singing and dancing from Morata, she had gained sensational popularity. Thanks to the ongoing investment in culture, the bards were vigorously working. Many songs with a Morata theme were showing up all over the Versailles continent. Morata was full of fun adventures and included a robust commerce centre.
The fact that stories about Morata had spread into the far northern island of Ipia was an evidence that Morata was growing. Whenever Weed's quests are being broadcast, each bar always blossomed with conversations about it.
“Over here, waitress!”
Weed called out to one of the employees.
“Yes, sir?”
Soon after a waitress with pigtails came running.
"Rather, the bards at that table seem to be calling for me… can I just give you the bill now?"
“No no. Please send me two more strands of seaweed. I’ll calculate the bill later.”
“Sheesh! Okay, sir.”
He was ignoring the waitresses bad attitude. This is what happens when you have bad intimacy. Weed was an unknown and a skeleton, not even four drinks were enough protection for Weed.
“Thank you.”
Weed thanked the waitress with the bad attitude when he received seaweed with a gentle wave of his hand. And soon he walked up to the hostess with a swish of his mantle. The stretched lobes immediately crumpled.
“Do you girls like sculptures?”
Working to build intimacy! Weed talked to the female employees under the watchful eyes of the users. It was a bar by the sea, retaining a friendly relationship with the waitress could lead to the necessary information for a quest. The others sympathized as they kept watch wondering what sort of information the female employees would give out.
“My name is Delia, not “you”, and I hate sculptures!”
A sharp rejection! He didn’t even have to put this much effort into carving a masterpiece. If he had to build intimacy like this, it could take a long time to earn the information he needed for his quest. Weed was not going to give up because it was hard, how else was he be able to share the lunch with the instructor, and take away the elder of Morata’s precious sweet potatoes with only a resigned look left on the elder’s face?
Weed tapped his bony finger on the table and said lightly.
“You are beautiful.”
“Hearing such praise from a skeleton does not make me happy.”
“What kind of man do you like?”
“I like a man with a short head of hair. I hate a man with no hair.”
The sorrow of a skeleton! The one eyed, pierced appearance was met with severe antipathy from Delia.
‘A skeleton is not beautiful?’
It was not cool? How the hell was his outfit not wonderful? He could never understand the taste of women. Okay, the cracked part of the skull naturally gave off the inelegant appearance of a gaping skull. Since his appearance had escaped the Orc Karichwi charming effects with women, Weed decided to switch directions. (T/N Weed has great talent in making hideous ugly things.)
Assuming one cannot gain familiarity from talking there was another special way one could gain favors.
‘Gifts.’
The fastest way to buy the favor of the female employees! However, intimacy gained from gifts did not last long. If the gift you give is not up to par, then the intimacy immediately dropped.
‘And then you regret the gift.’
Weed decided to ask directly instead.
“What kind of stories do you like?”
“Hmmm… I’m fond of adventure stories, especially adventure stories from the sea! However I probably wouldn’t have any interest in ones from a skeleton.”
Weed thought of an adventure that went with the sea and the surrounding regions.
“I’ve had many great adventures from around the sea.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you an interesting story.”
“It seems like a waste of time.”
“Once I’ve heard a certain adventurer from the kingdom of Rosenheim….”
The start of an adventure story to buy the female employee’s favor, impress the employees, and make the bar become more jubilant.
*Kkiruru!*
Just as he was about to unveil