Chapter 894: Meeting

Danitz turned agape as he subconsciously said in Intis, "Hotel."

The air seemed to instantly freeze as Danitz looked at the carriage

driver's dark-brown skin, coarse and messy black hair, rather soft

facial contours, and blank expression. He exhaled silently and blamed it

on his bad luck before silently carrying his luggage to walk down the

street.

"Dogsh\*t! I actually encountered a carriage driver who doesn't know

Intis! Shouldn't someone who picks up passengers near the harbor know a

few Northern Continent languages? There are so many people from Intis,

Loen, and Feysac around here!" As Danitz grumbled, he looked ahead to

look for pedestrians who looked to be from the Northern Continent or had

similar heritages in a bid to smoothen his process of checking into a

hotel and filling his stomach.

According to what he knew, Behrens Harbor had quite a number of people

from Intis, Loen, Feynapotter, and Feysac who had migrated here. As long

as he met one, communication wouldn't be a problem.

However, Danitz felt that all of this was built on a premise: he had to

ensure that he didn't collapse from heatstroke.

"This dogsh\*t weather!" He looked up at the azure-blue sky, white

clouds, and the sun which wasn't too glaring. Cursing with a warped

expression, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Despite his cursing, Danitz actually knew that the temperature in the

Southern Continent was considered mild to the point that even calling it

slightly cool wasn't an exaggeration. The reason why he was feeling so

hot was because he was wearing the Sun Brooch. However, having just

arrived and having not figured out the situation in his surroundings, he

didn't dare remove the brooch to stuff it into his luggage bag. If he

were to lose the item, he could imagine the cold and crazy look Gehrman

Sparrow would give him.

*Come on, give me a few people from the Northern Continent. Any country

would do. I'm a famous pirate who knows several languages after

all...* Danitz kept muttering under his breath as all he could

think of was iced beer and icebergs that floated in the ocean.

As he muttered, he suddenly rubbed his eyes.

He had finally seen someone who was clearly of Northern Continent

descent!

Furthermore, it seemed to be someone familiar!

Diagonally ahead of Danitz, at a street illuminated by bright sunlight,

a young man with blond short hair that was split seventy-thirty was

leaning against a wall, blowing into a silver harmonica.

He had emerald-green eyes, and he wore a white shirt that didn't have

the top two buttons buttoned up. He wore a completely unbuttoned black

vest, dark-colored trousers, and a single black glove. He was none other

than the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea, Anderson Hood!

What a coincidence? This fellow actually came to West Balam...

Danitz felt delighted deep down, feeling that he had finally grabbed a

floating plank in the sea of people. Ignoring Anderson's actions on the

Golden Dream, he approached him and greeted in standard hunter speech.

"What happened? Treasure hunting hasn't been working out for you, so

you've begun busking on the streets?"

He noticed that Anderson had an overturned hat in front of him. In it

were about twenty to thirty brass coins. A few of them were Intis

Coppets, with the majority being local Delexi.

In Intis, Delexi meant copper coins.

Anderson stopped playing the harmonica as he shot Danitz a glance.

"That's not my hat.

"I happened to walk past and saw a hat on the ground. Seeing how no one

discovered it, I felt a little wistful and took out my harmonica to play

it. To my surprise, quite a number of people gathered around to listen

and threw money in it.

"A boorish pirate like you probably doesn't understand the beauty of

music and how it has no borders. I'm telling you, your captain

especially likes..."

"Stop!" Danitz's forehead throbbed as he stopped Anderson from diverting

the topic of conversation. He asked, "Why are you here?"

Anderson held the harmonica and thought about it seriously.

"That's a good question.

"I have no idea why I'm here in West Balam either. I don't remember a

thing that has happened over the past two months."

Danitz originally wanted him to cut it out, but Anderson's serious

expression convinced him. He deliberated and asked, "You don't remember

a thing?"

Anderson put away the silver harmonica, bent down, picked up the hat

with quite a number of coins, and dusted it.

"My last memory was of me in Bayam with Gehrman Sparrow. After going our

separate ways, I had apparently gone somewhere to meet someone. When I

woke up, I was already here in West Bayam...

"Haha, don't be concerned over such matters. As long as I'm still alive.

Ah, it's almost noon. Let's go have a meal. I heard that Behrens is

famous for its pork knuckles."

While saying that, Anderson placed the hat along with the coins beside a

tramp to his side.

Already hot, hungry, and exhausted, Danitz was invigorated upon hearing

that.

"You know Dutanese?"

Anderson chuckled.

"Haven't you heard of my numerous adventures as a treasure hunter in

West Balam?"

*That's right. I had thought of seeking you out to get information on

West Balam... The situation here is chaotic, and it's rather dangerous.

I'll definitely be safer with Anderson around. Also, I'll have an

interpreter! I can't say I'm hiring him, as I can't afford

him...* Danitz slowly revealed a smile.

"That puts me at ease. Let's go."

Holding his luggage, he and Anderson circled to a nearby main street and

found a restaurant.

Upon hearing the waiter speak in his native tongue, and seeing the menu

filled with indecipherable text, Danitz felt a headache as he hurriedly

said to Anderson, "I'll leave it to you."

As he spoke, he handed the menu to the Strongest Hunter of the Fog Sea.

Anderson didn't reach out his hand as he replied with a composed

expression, "I can't read it either."

"...Didn't you say you know Dutanese?" Danitz blurted out in surprise.

Anderson threw up his hands.

"I didn't say that.

"What has my repeated visits to West Balam in search of treasure have to

do with knowing Dutanese?"

"Without knowing Dutanese, how are you able to understand those texts in

the ancient temples and castle ruins? How do you seek out treasure?"

Danitz's expression contorted bit by bit as his tone sped up without him

realizing it.

Anderson picked up the cup served by the waiter and gulped it down.

"Problems that can be solved with a dictionary aren't problems.

"Besides, does not knowing Dutanese mean that you can't communicate with

the people from the Southern Continent?"

WIth that said, he turned to look at the waiter. Speaking in the Intis

language, he said, "Two specialty pork knuckles."

The waiter obviously gave him a blank look as he kept pointing at the

menu.

Anderson didn't fluster at all as he unhurriedly pressed his right hand

to his nose and mimicked the grunting of a pig.

The waiter was first taken aback before revealing a look of

enlightenment. Then, Anderson pointed at his knuckles and pointed at the

Behrens label on the menu before using his fingers to show two.

"%\$#" As the waiter spoke in an accented Dutanese, he repeatedly nodded

to show his comprehension. By the side, Danitz was dumbfounded by what

he saw.

After a series of gestures, mixed with a few basic Dutanese words, he

finally finished ordering the meal. Turning his head to Danitz, he

smiled.

"Get it? In this world, there's a common language---body language!"

Danitz watched with a frozen expression as he curled the corners of his

lips as a response.

A carriage drove out of West Borough, and it headed south at an

intersection. Soon, it arrived at a military base.

With Colonel Calvin's letter and a junior officer escorting him, Klein

successfully entered the base and arrived at a square paved with rammed

earth. Berthed on it was a dark-blue and white behemoth.

This airship was dozens of meters long, and its truss had solid and

light composite metal frames extended from it. They were intercrossed

with one another as they held up an impermeable cloth used as cushions.

Beneath it were openings mounted with machine guns, projectile

launchers, and cannons.

At this moment, the ignition steam engine had yet to hum, and the

corresponding propellers were still static. Everything appeared

extremely silent.

Klein handed his documents and proof of identity to the officer on guard

by the gangway. After receiving permission, he walked up onto the

airship with his suitcase in hand.

It was like a ship with three sections. The uppermost section had

complicated machinery and a cargo haul. The middle section had a hall

for buffets and balls. Surrounding the hall were hallways that led to

the upper and lower sections. These hallways included lounges. As for

the lowest section, they were the rooms for the machine guns, projectile

launchers, and cannons, as well as the soldiers' cabins.

Walking by the guards equipped with rifles, Klein followed the

instructions he received from the officer and found the lounge reserved

for him. He placed his luggage beside a sofa-like chair.

Then, he picked up a cup of water on the table, walked to the window,

and took in the scenery outside.

To be frank, although he knew a little of everything, it was really only

a little. Therefore, he didn't understand the design principles used for

this new airship model. He didn't know how high it could go or how

stable it was in midair.

This left him a little uneasy. Before setting off, he had even done a

divination above the gray fog. He received a revelation that he would

arrive at his destination rather smoothly.

*There seems to be a safety belt. This world's airship industry has

plenty of years of history. They have quite a bit of experience

accumulated in all aspects...* Klein was just about to retract

his gaze and admire the decorations inside the room and the candlelight

when he noticed a group of people approaching Airship 1345.

They were men and women, all of them wearing thin, black trench coats

and red gloves. They were carrying leather suitcases of varying sizes.

Only one of them wore a mysterious medium's robe. She had blue eyeshadow

and blush, and she was none other than Daly Simone.

And behind the lady was the black-haired, green-eyed Leonard Mitchell.

While no one noticed it, Leonard's footsteps suddenly slowed down. Then,

he looked up at the midsection of the airship.

His eyes reflected the gray-sideburned and blue-eyed Dwayne Dantès who

was wearing a suit and bow tie.

This gentleman was standing behind a window, revealing a genial smile as

he raised the cup in his hand.