Captain – Chapter 63 – Recruiting Sailors

News spread from somewhere that two young nobles had come to the marketplace in Frans Island’s port, which was originally used for vegetable stalls, and were now recruiting sailors. Anyone willing to go to sea with them once would receive fifteen Auran silver coins as payment!

What concept was fifteen silver coins?

It should be known that the attendants of ordinary noble masters earned only six silver coins per month, and on this barren island, hardworking artisans might not save up fifteen silver coins in an entire year.

The payment for going to sea was already attractive enough, but that wasn’t all. The young lady who called herself captain also guaranteed that this journey would be under the dual protection of the Empire and the Southern Islands, safe and stable, and the time required would absolutely not exceed three months.

High pay, short duration, and a guarantee of safety—this drove the idle loafers who spent their days lingering in taverns, or the recently arrived fellows on the island, into a frenzy. They all rushed toward the rumored location.

In no time, the port marketplace was packed to capacity. Even residents shopping for daily necessities were squeezed dizzy, their noses filled with the smell of cheap alcohol and tobacco, and they had to find gaps to escape this chaotic area first.

“I told you, when dealing with these fellows full of muscles and minds occupied only with tobacco, alcohol, and women, you just need to slightly exaggerate the profit, minimize the risk, and they’ll be unable to think clearly, flocking like ducks.”

At a certain spot in the marketplace.

Roy propped up her head, sitting behind a poor-quality black wooden table with a stack of yellowed contracts beside her. The original names on them had all been crossed out with black lines, recycled by this unscrupulous captain.

At this moment, the young woman was lazily looking at the densely packed crowd behind the dividing line drawn in front of the wooden table, boasting to her first mate with a smile.

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Looking at the captain who clearly hadn’t fully awakened, Caine rubbed his temples with a headache and sighed lightly: “But this is simply fraud.”

The news that spread throughout the island was naturally disseminated by people Roy had paid to spread it, and in that news that triggered a tidal wave, the only truthful information was the fifteen silver coins. The rest had no accuracy whatsoever.

Safety guarantee?

Perhaps with the passage document given by the Governor, the imperial navy indeed wouldn’t trouble them, but to say the Southern Islands had also given a promise was absolutely a huge joke.

Any merchant ship heading to the Southern Islands, unless possessing enough military strength to protect itself, should pray not to encounter greedy pirates who didn’t follow the rules. Otherwise, losing cargo would be minor; losing lives would be major.

As for the three-month journey, even the most experienced captain would find it difficult to guarantee the exact time needed for a sea voyage, because on this vast ocean, any unexpected event could occur, which might lead to an extension of the journey or make it impossible to proceed.

For these reasons, Caine said Roy was committing fraud.

“Oh come on, how else could we recruit enough people in one day? Besides, we’re pirates, we don’t need to care about these little details.”

As she spoke, Roy sat up straight and smiled, waving at those eagerly waiting people. Very obviously, such a beautiful captain was like throwing a match into a powder keg formed by these people, instantly igniting their emotions.

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Voyages at sea are very boring and monotonous. If there could be an attractive captain, it would seem more able to while away the time.

Some even began to set their sights on the young woman, seeing that this pair of man and woman were really too young, and without any sense of ferocity. Going to sea with them might allow for more gains.

“Good fellows, let’s begin. Come up one by one for the interview. I’ll say in advance, this time we’re only recruiting thirty people. The competition is fierce, so don’t hide any talents you might have, I mean… those kinds of talents.”

A burst of laughter rose in the marketplace, and after a brief moment of chaos, a burly figure squeezed out from the crowd, bringing a shadow as he sat down before the wooden table.

He was a scarred man, with a knife scar running diagonally from his right eyebrow to the left corner of his mouth, looking quite fierce.

Faced with such a murderous-looking man, unlike her first mate who frowned instinctively, Roy’s dark golden pupils brightened slightly, revealing an interested expression: “Name?”

“Ben Adams,” the big man answered expressionlessly.

This name was almost household knowledge on Frans Island, as he was the most ferocious ruffian here. It was said he was once a bandit who occupied a mountain as his territory, but later, to escape the Empire’s pursuit, he fled to this most remote island of Auran, seeking an opportunity to leave the Empire and head to that pirate paradise.

Obviously, this opportunity now lay before him.

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But he, who originally held great hopes, couldn’t help feeling deeply disappointed when he saw this young couple. It should be known that ships recruiting sailors on Frans Island were already rare, and those willing to recruit fierce men like him were non-existent.

When he heard someone was recruiting sailors for a journey to the Southern Islands, he originally thought he would meet two pirates as fierce and arrogant as himself, but unexpectedly found these two seemingly frail individuals.

But what he never expected was that this exquisitely beautiful and noble young lady before him, after learning his name, would ask such a direct and explicit question.

“How many people have you killed?”

Looking at the pleasant-faced captain, seeing those slightly narrowed dark golden pupils without any trace of a smile, Ben suddenly felt a chill rush to his head. That indifference to life made even a tough character like him shiver involuntarily.

This was definitely not some noble!

Ben was secretly shocked. Being able to ask such a question in such a nonchalant tone could only mean that the young woman before him was extremely familiar with killing, to the point where it was as natural as eating and drinking. Such a person could certainly not be a delicate noble lady.

“I can’t remember clearly, Captain.”

With hope rekindled in his heart, Ben honestly confessed: “But I think it’s definitely not less than fifty.”

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“Not bad.” Roy took a contract from beside her and handed it to Ben: “Can you write your name? If not, a handprint will do.”

Finding literate people among these knife-edge lickers would be more difficult than finding a needle in the sea, and on pirate ships, people who were educated and could write were enshrined like deities.

“I’m not literate, but I can write my name.” Ben chuckled and smoothly signed his name on the contract.

“First one! First one!”

The raven standing on the wooden frame of the temporarily set up shed saw this scene and called out loudly with its neck raised, announcing this news to the people, which also made their hearts tighten.

Thirty positions, and now one less!

After finishing the interview, Ben naturally stood beside the captain, looking at those people who began to make a commotion, competing for the next interview position, and said: “I know most of these people and can give you some reference opinions.”

“Very sensible. When we reach Yadris, if you’re willing, you can also work under me.” Roy nodded with satisfaction, watching those who had already started to get physical, and called out with a smile: “Next!”