Sister Carmel was considered a good person. In fact, to describe her with a word as mundane as "good" was almost a desecration. She was a saint, a great woman who dedicated her life to saving homeless children, regardless of their identity or race.
However, that was only her public image.
Silas still vividly remembered the first time he met the old woman. It was fifty years ago. He was twenty years old and had only been at sea for two years. He had saved up a small fortune working as a pirate hunter, full of naive hope and dreams for the future.
And then, he was scammed. A con woman, posing as a ship-selling company, had cheated him out of every last one of his one million Belly. That was one million Belly from fifty years ago. The con woman, without a doubt, was the old nun now known as Carmel.
Who could have known? Decades later, the con woman from his past had transformed into the "saint" on everyone's lips, even becoming a crucial bridge of communication between normal humans and giants. When Silas received the news, he was so furious that he nearly sailed straight to Elbaf just to expose her.
For Sister Carmel, Silas was like a stubborn stain she just could not shake off. So what if she had cheated him out of a million Belly when she was younger? She had not forgotten how he had chased her for three solid years, relentlessly hounding her for his money back. She kept telling him that she had turned over a new leaf, but Silas refused to believe her. He even warned her not to get involved with the World Government.
Dammit, she thought. If I don't send those homeless children to the World Government, am I supposed to raise them for the rest of my life? Even doing dirty, tiring work is better than becoming a pirate, isn't it? Not to mention, the World Government pays well.
Upon hearing Silas's warning, Carmel returned his glare with a saccharine smile of her own. "How could I? How would I dare to disappoint the great pirate, Lord Silas, whose name resounds throughout the world? In any case, even if the children and I starve to death due to a lack of funds, I'm sure Lord Silas would not care, would he?"
Hearing Carmel's sarcastic words, the corner of Silas's mouth twitched. "I recall leaving you a considerable amount of money."
"How could that little bit be enough? You do not think these are the only children I have to raise, do you?" Carmel's House of Lambs was not just located in the Land of Giants. She had many other branches in other places. The House of Lambs here was just to conveniently take care of the most troublesome children.
"That is still no reason to be a dog for the Celestial Dragons!"
"The Celestial Dragons pay the most!"
"You rotten old hag!"
"You damned old man!"
The two glared at each other, sparks practically flying in the air between them.
"Gertz, is Mother arguing with that old grandpa?" the chubby little girl asked innocently from the side.
"I do not think so?" The little giant girl with a bandana tilted her head. "My mom and dad argue like this all the time. It is probably a sign that they are close, right?"
"Really?" Hearing the giant girl's explanation, the chubby little girl's eyes lit up. "So they're like mom and dad…"
"NO!" came two voices at once. Silas and Carmel both turned their heads and spoke in perfect unison.
"Eh?" The two little girls were startled into silence.
It was only then that Silas truly noticed the chubby girl, who was quite a bit taller than him and almost the size of a normal giant child.
Charlotte Linlin.
She was a normal human, yet she possessed the stature of a giant. This was true, innate talent, utterly different from Rocks's talent, which could not be realized without hard work. Charlotte Linlin, as long as she grew up normally, was destined to become a future Emperor.
"Tch. You noticed, did you?" Noticing Silas's gaze, Sister Carmel lit a cigarette with a look of annoyance and gestured for Silas to step aside. "What, you have taken a liking to this child?" Carmel looked at Silas and scoffed. "This one is a true genius, unlike an 'ordinary person' like you, who had to climb to your position through sheer hard work. If Linlin joins the Marines, she is a future Admiral candidate."
Carmel had known Silas for many years, practically watching him grow from a weak pirate hunter into the great pirate he was today. So she knew very well that Silas had a little talent, but at best, it was only at an ordinary person's level.
"Silas, you have been on the seas for so many years. You should understand that true geniuses exist in this world. It is not you, and it is not me. You are at this age now. Are you still planning to continue your pirate dream?"
If this had been two months ago, Carmel's words would have left Silas speechless. But now, everything was different.
"And why not?" Silas snorted coldly, looking out toward the sea with his head held high. "If the World Government could not make me submit, if the Marines could not bring me down, and if the sea could not swallow me, then what right does time have to do so?"
"Then you can just die out there," Carmel sneered. She had never intended to persuade Silas. An old man of his age was as stubborn as a mule. If he died, he died. Her relationship with Silas was not good anyway, so why would she bother with such a thankless task?
Silas knew this too, so he got straight to the point. "Give me that child. You cannot take proper care of her."
"Impossible!" Carmel refused without a second thought. She looked at Silas with a mocking expression. "I cannot take care of Linlin, so can you? Do not forget, you are a pirate. Are you going to have Linlin follow you and become a pirate, living a life of constant uncertainty?"
"Ten million Belly!"
"Twenty million!"
"Deal!"
Only after the words left her mouth did Carmel realize what had happened. She had habitually started bidding and had actually sold Linlin for twenty million Belly?
"SILAS!!!"
"Shut up. The most you will get is a sponsorship of thirty million Belly, with another ten million every year after that. That is all there is." The thought of spending one-fifth of Farrell's bounty before he had even cashed it in made Silas's heart ache with pain. His gaze toward Carmel turned hostile. "You had better not let me find out you are really involved with the Celestial Dragons. Do you know how much trouble I went through to get your previous superior replaced?"
"Tsk. I should have just reported you to that brat Kong. He is about to become a Marine Admiral now, and you are still a useless pirate," Carmel said, blowing out a puff of smoke. "Do not worry, I keep records of all the children sent to the Marines. For the ordinary ones, I do my best to find them proper parents, but it is impossible to be perfect."
Carmel got angry just thinking about it. She had initially thought it would be good to have the backing of a powerful organization, which was why she had cooperated with the World Government. But it turned out the World Government was no good either, forcing her to contact Silas and bow her head to him for the first time in her life. However, it had also caused Silas to go from being a legitimate adventurer to the infamous captain of a pirate crew, branded by the World Government as a most heinous villain. The name "White Wolf" was forged during that time.
Carmel did not know that if it were not for Silas, she would have gone from being a con woman to a scumbag who trafficked children for a living. Now, Carmel was still making deals with the World Government, but her contact was with the Marines, specifically one of the current Marine Admirals. Carmel was not wrong about one thing. Being a Marine was better than being a pirate, right?
"Linlin is yours."
The House of Lambs was tight on funds recently. Silas was a pirate, but when it came to character, Carmel felt that her own was inferior to his. He was a pirate, yet he spent his money to supply talent to the Marines.
As long as they do not become dogs for the Celestial Dragons, it is fine. That was Silas's bottom line. It was simple and clear, and once you got used to it, it was not so bad. A freak. That was Carmel's assessment of Silas.
"Although I have agreed to let you take Linlin, whether she is willing to go with you or not will depend on your own abilities." A sinister smile appeared on Carmel's aged face. "If you fail to take her with you, then I will sell her to the Marines. I am sure that brat Kong would be more than willing to take on an Admiral-candidate-in-training as his apprentice."
"Hmph, do not underestimate me!" A cold smile appeared on Silas's face. "Do not forget who cooked for you on that deserted island when our ship was wrecked."
"And whose fault do you think it was that my ship got wrecked in the first place?" Carmel got furious just thinking about it. It was only one million Belly. Was it really necessary to go that far?
Silas could not be bothered to argue with Carmel. They were the type to start fighting the moment they saw each other. If it was not necessary, it was better for them to never see each other again.
Charlotte Linlin.
Just as Silas was walking toward Charlotte Linlin, planning to slowly build a good relationship with her and then trick her onto his ship, the system appeared as expected.
Sea Calendar 1480, June 3rd. This is your 65th day as a pirate. Unfortunately, not long after your debut, you have encountered a future Emperor, Charlotte Linlin.
At twenty-five years old, she possesses a beauty that surpasses all others on the seas and is celebrated as the Pirate Empress.
Winning against her is impossible. Perhaps you could develop a magnificent romance with her?
Beauty? Pirate Empress? Silas looked at the system's description of a twenty-five-year-old Charlotte Linlin, the "Pirate Empress of unparalleled beauty," and then looked at the five-year-old, snot-nosed, chubby girl staring blankly at him.
System… you really deserve to die!
[Chapter Complete]
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