Chapter 182: Oh my~ What a coincidence!
After parting ways with that woman, Luo En deliberately took several detours, making sure no one was following him, before cautiously returning to the building where the cheap hotel was located.
He gently knocked on the door, using the rhythmic signal he had agreed upon with Danitz earlier.
Soon, the Door was opened from the inside.
"Brando! You're finally back!" Danitz let out a sigh of relief when he saw the familiar figure wearing a top hat and trench coat at the doorway, and complained.
However, before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze.
He looked closely at the face outside the Door and realized—that wasn't Brando at all!
"Shit! Who are you?!"
Danitz's body instantly tensed, and he quickly jumped backward, creating distance, while simultaneously, a small, orange-red fireball, radiating scorching heat, formed in his palm with a "whoosh."
"It's me," Luo En said helplessly, using his original voice.
Upon hearing this, Danitz's hand, which was still holding the fireball, paused slightly.
Luo En glanced around, confirmed it was safe, then immediately slipped into the room and closed the Door behind him.
"Meow?!"
Lachi, who had been sleeping on the bed, was also startled awake by the commotion. It jumped off the bed, but the moment it saw Luo En, it also showed obvious confusion, even arching its back warily.
In front of both of them, Luo En raised his hand and took off the "Disguise Cufflink" from his cuff.
As he withdrew his spirituality, the slightly adjusted muscles and bones on his face underwent a subtle twisting sensation, and soon, he successfully reverted to his original appearance.
"Brando?! It really is you—" Danitz finally saw clearly, and while sighing in relief, he also extinguished the fireball in his hand.
"Meow." Lachi also recognized its owner's scent and walked forward, rubbing its head against his pant leg.
Luo En briefly explained to Danitz that he had purchased and used the "Disguise Cufflink."
Even Danitz and Lachi, the two people most familiar with him, didn't recognize him immediately—so was that woman on the street earlier really just a coincidence?
He temporarily suppressed this thought and told Danitz about the team of Storm Church Punishers he had seen on the street earlier.
"I have a premonition that their deployment this time is very likely related to us," Luo En's expression became extremely solemn.
"But why?" Luo En was also a bit puzzled, "Our tricking Tracy out of the bounty can at most be considered infighting among pirates. Why would the Storm Church get involved?"
Just then, Danitz seemed to suddenly remember something and slapped himself on the head.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, "I remember now! That guy named Alger—he seems to have some Official background!"
"What?!" Luo En's pupils suddenly contracted, "Why didn't you say something so important earlier?!"
"I—" Danitz's expression was a bit awkward, and he explained guiltily, "At sea, there are quite a few pirates who have a somewhat unclear relationship with the Storm Church. I, I thought at the time that he was at most a high-level informant and shouldn't be too much of a problem, so—I didn't say anything—"
Luo En looked at him like that, seething with anger, and said in a cold tone:
"I think you've been blinded by that ten thousand pounds!"
After the two of them nervously hid in that cheap hotel for another two days, Luo En finally decided to go out again and personally investigate the situation outside.
To be honest, he had considered giving the "Disguise Cufflink" to Danitz and letting him go out to gather information.
But considering that the effect of the "Disguise Cufflink" was only "micro-plastic surgery," it might not deceive those experienced Punishers, and Danitz's face was too recognizable in the pirate circle. After much deliberation, it was still less risky for him, a "new face," to go personally.
This time, Luo En's goal was very clear.
He first cautiously arrived near the civilian house that he himself had blown into ruins with a "Burst" rune.
His former hiding place was now just a charred wreckage. He didn't get close, only observed from a distance.
He soon discovered that there were indeed many traces of human exploration around the ruins.
After confirming that Punishers had indeed been there, he didn't dare to linger and immediately turned to leave.
On his way back to the hotel, Luo En's steps hesitated when passing a certain area.
He came to the street where Roy King's house was located.
He had left in a hurry last time and forgotten to ask. Perhaps—Roy King would have a way to safely leave Bayam.
This time, I'm not looking for him because of the potion; I'm just simply seeking help, so it should—be fine—right? Luo En thought.
Thanks to Roy King's house being in a relatively secluded location with few people around, Luo En turned into an empty alley, took off the "Disguise Cufflink" that was continuously consuming his spirituality, restored his original appearance, and then walked forward to Roy King's front Door.
He collected his thoughts, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the Door.
"Thump… thump-thump."
However, after knocking for a while, there was still no response from inside the room.
Not home—
Luo En sighed, a little disappointed. He looked at the closed Door and finally chose to turn and leave.
Behind that closed Door.
In the living room, Roy King was holding his breath, standing motionless in the shadows of the curtains, until he watched Luo En's figure with his own eyes.
Completely disappear at the end of the street.
He could clearly feel that the faint aura of Calamity that had been lingering in his heart was slowly dissipating as that person moved further away.
He let out a long sigh of relief.
"Hoo—"
"Finally gone—"
By noon, Luo En, who had put on the "Disguise Cufflink" again, was walking aimlessly on the street, pondering his next move.
Just then, a restaurant that looked quite luxuriously decorated appeared in his sight.
The clean glass Door, the greeters in crisp uniforms at the entrance, and the faint, melodious violin music emanating from inside all highlighted the "high-end" nature of the place.
Luo En's footsteps stopped.
Restaurants like this are rarely frequented by adventurers and pirates, who usually solve their food problems in noisy taverns.
So, it should be relatively safe here.
And, speaking of which, I haven't really been to such a high-class place to eat since I transmigrated to this world.
Just to relieve some of the recent stress. So, Luo En tidied his trench coat, pushed open the heavy glass Door, and walked in.
"Good day, sir, do you have a reservation?" a waiter in a tailcoat immediately greeted him with a smile.
Luo En shook his head.
The waiter subtly sized up Luo En's attire.
Trench coat, top hat—both his demeanor and his dress were out of place with the regular clientele here.
His smile remained unchanged as he led Luo En to a slightly darker, more secluded corner.
Luo En didn't say anything about this, took the exquisite menu printed with gilded lettering from the waiter, and began to look through it.
With just one glance, his eye twitched uncontrollably.
What the hell?! This is too expensive!
A seemingly ordinary bottle of wine actually cost over a hundred pounds!
And a set meal including steak, side dishes, and dessert was twenty pounds!
Has the cost of living in the colonies reached this level—even high-end restaurants in Backlund probably aren't much different—
Luo En looked at the menu, trying his best to control his facial expression, not wanting to appear like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
Finally, after a "difficult" choice, Luo En ordered a relatively "cheap" set meal worth ten pounds: a Dagaya short rib, an ice cream dessert, and a glass of champagne.
While waiting for his food, Luo En, bored, made a joke to himself.
"Perhaps, later I can act like a true bully, pick faults with a few dishes, and then eat a free meal?"
Just then, a familiar, alluring, unique fragrance drifted from behind him without warning.
Immediately after, a soft, charming voice, laced with a smile, sounded in his ear.
"Oh my~ What a coincidence!"
"Sir, if you don't mind, would you be willing to share a table?"