Chapter 414: Deal Struck
Chapter 414: Deal Struck
Will Turner slumped in his chair, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Because of their similar cultural backgrounds, Liam could guess why Will was so nervous.
"Relax, I’m a Wizard, not a devil. You don’t need to sell your soul to me." With that, he handed over a golden contract. "Look closely; this is just an employment contract, nothing evil. You’re overreacting."
Will Turner took the contract and found that it was indeed just an employment contract, as Liam had said. It required him to act as Liam’s agent in his worlds, selling goods and gathering information and items related to extraordinary objects. The only difference from a regular contract was that it stipulated that as long as Will was alive, he would need to fulfill the terms of the contract.
"Help the Shopkeeper sell goods from the shop and assist the Shopkeeper in collecting extraordinary items or knowledge from your worlds—" Will looked up and asked, "I’ve heard of extraordinary items, but what goods can you provide? My hometown is the busiest port in the Caribbean Sea. Ordinary goods—"
He abruptly stopped speaking as Liam opened a dimensional gate, revealing a large collection of exquisite wooden utensils, fine linen, sturdy ironware, stacks of canvas, and barrels of spirits.
"Your goods will sell very well. These items are in high demand in our world", Will said, his tone shifting. He then picked up a quill pen and signed his name on the contract.
"Aren’t you worried about not being able to find extraordinary items and being punished?" Rose Crystal floated up, her voice cold and tinged with soul magic. As an ordinary person, Will couldn’t resist and spoke the truth from his heart.
"With all the supplies and money you’re giving me, I can easily hire enough sailors or pirates to gather information. Besides, some less practical extraordinary items can be bought with money. I might be able to trade a few barrels of spirits or sets of ceramic dishes for them."
"Very good, acquiring extraordinary items peacefully is the best approach", Liam said, pleased with Will’s reasoning. "Now, let’s go to your world. I need to buy a place to settle down."
"You’re right", Will nodded. "Such valuable goods can’t be sold in a blacksmith’s shop. We should have a large storefront in the busiest street of Port Royal."
"32 Deviation Points, the mystical side of this world seems quite strong", Liam thought as he followed Will and Rose Crystal to the busiest port in the Caribbean Sea region: Port Royal.
As soon as they stepped through the dimensional gate, Liam was hit by the smell of ammonia, sea brine, and the stench of rotting and fermenting materials. His senses, more acute than those of ordinary people, made him feel suffocated. He quickly cast a Bubble-Head Charm to alleviate the discomfort, and didn’t forget to cast one for Rose Crystal as well.
"Is this a garbage dump?" the small puppet blurted out, causing Will to look embarrassed. He pretended not to hear and asked Liam, "Where would you like to go now?"
"Let’s buy some land first. I’ve been thinking; I can buy a plot by the sea and build my own pier and warehouse. The city isn’t that large, so even if the shop is by the pier, it won’t be too far away." Liam used his Green Seer ability to communicate with a seabird, which flew around the city to help him make his decision.
"The wasteland is easy to deal with. I remember those lands are unowned. Just go to the governor's office, pay a bit of gold, and it's settled." As he was speaking, a group of Redcoat Lobsters in red clothing suddenly rushed over, glanced at them, and then left, as if they were searching for something or someone.
"This must be the time when Jack Sparrow escaped from Pier and was hiding around", Liam thought to himself. Just then, he looked up and saw the sign of the blacksmith's shop. They had arrived at the blacksmith's shop where Will worked.
"Shouldn't you go back and tell your master first? I think you might not be able to work at the blacksmith's shop anymore." Liam reminded him, as if he had just thought of something. "And I also want to see what this blacksmith's shop is like, whether it's as good as the ones run by Elves or Dwarves."
"Of course, it can't compare to those magical blacksmith's shops." Will relaxed a bit once they entered his world. He pushed open the door with a smile. "Please come in, but the smell inside isn't great."
The smell wasn't just bad; the rusty, smoky, and alcoholic odors mixed together, making the air inside the shop quite murky. Of course, it was still better than the compost pit outside. Will first calmed the donkey that was circling around. Then he walked to the anvil and noticed that the hammer had been moved, and there was an unfamiliar, tattered hat placed there. As he reached for the hat, a sword was placed on his hand.
Liam heard the commotion and turned around, only to see a seemingly deranged pirate holding a sword to Will's neck. He immediately drew his wand and cast a Disarming Charm, sending the pirate's sword flying.
"Nice to meet you, Captain Jack." Liam then stopped Will from trying to grab Jack. "Let him go; he's not a bad guy."
"But, but he's a pirate", Will said, puzzled.
"Not all pirates are bad. Captain Jack used to be the captain of a trading ship under Lord Beckett's British East India Trading Company. Once, he was ordered to transport goods from Africa, but he discovered that the goods were actually African slaves. Out of a sense of justice, Jack freed them all. As a result, Lord Beckett branded him a pirate, and he became one afterward", Liam explained.
"Wait, who are you? I don't seem to know you, and at your age, you shouldn't know about my past", a voice from the side said. Liam and the others realized Jack hadn't left. Just as Liam was about to speak, there was a knock on the door.
"It's probably the Navy searching. What should we do?" Will said nervously, looking at Liam.
"Easy to handle. Don't forget I'm a wizard." Liam cast a Disillusionment Charm on Jack, making him disappear. "Stay quiet; they can't see you", Liam instructed Jack. Sure enough, the Navy searched thoroughly but left empty-handed.
"Truly magical", Jack exclaimed as he emerged from the invisibility. "I've seen plenty of magic before, but nothing as convenient as this."
"Big Brother's magic is the most powerful", the Rose Crystal, which had been pretending to be a puppet, said, startling Jack.
"Alright, Jack, I know you want to reclaim the Black Pearl. I have a feeling it will soon arrive nearby, and its arrival will involve everyone", Liam said, imitating Professor Trelawney's usual style. Clearly, this reassured both Will and Jack. So, after Will used his gold to buy a large piece of wasteland by the sea, the three of them set up a Magic Tent on the new land and gathered for a meal, sharing their experiences.
Will's story was the least exciting, so he spent the whole party listening to Liam and Jack recount their adventures. In this "you have stories, I have wine" setting, Liam and the other two quickly grew closer. Even Liam managed to borrow Jack's compass to examine it closely.
By the time it was completely dark, the other two were sound asleep from drinking too much, while Liam, who hadn't touched a drop, took the opportunity to thoroughly analyze the principles behind the compass, which pointed to the location of what one's heart desired. A cannon blast jolted him out of his concentration.
The Black Pearl had arrived.
(End of Chapter)
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