"It's you?"
Colin was instantly recognized by Liam.
Although he hadn't seen the assassin's face that day, Liam was a soldier with strict military training — he could easily recall the injuries he'd inflicted on his target back then.
The shadow assassin admitted it openly. "Yes, it was me."
Come on, you were beaten like a punching bag, what's there for me to be afraid of? The assassin stared calmly at Liam's swollen, red face from behind Aldric, utterly indifferent.
Liam sighed dejectedly. "So, you guys are together after all. Turns out Antoine wasn't trying to shift the blame."
Aldric glanced briefly at the shadow assassin. The assassin immediately shut his mouth and abandoned the idea of mocking the man further.
"Antoine suspects that the treasury theft has something to do with me now, doesn't he?" Aldric raised a brow. He found Antoine quite daring though the suspicion wasn't unjustified, Aldric had believed that as long as he was protected by his Witcher identity, and without any solid evidence, Antoine would keep such thoughts to himself.
"I don't know if he suspects you," Liam replied, shaking his head. "In fact, this operation was carried out privately by that goblin, Razel Poisonblade. It had nothing to do with Antoine."
"Sounds like your situation is quite complicated." Aldric shot him a sidelong glance. "Soldier, tell me in detail about the organization you were part of before."
When Liam had first entered the game, he woke up aboard a massive sea vessel — a spice-laden ship bound for the Far South from the New World, with each voyage earning profits of around 4,000 gold coins.
The journey was nearing its end. The captain and first mate had begun to relax, the sailors were idling in the corners, and everyone aboard from the crew to the traveling passengers looked forward eagerly to their imminent arrival at the Port Anthony. Many had even come up to the deck to enjoy the sea breeze.
Liam was among them. After nearly two days aboard, he had managed with his natural playboy instincts to charm a naive young noblewoman.
Unlike her father, who was a knight, the girl named Carla Rosetti found herself utterly captivated by the man's exotic features and refined mannerisms that far surpassed the norms of their age. She felt as though Cupid's arrow had struck her squarely in the heart and that heart now belonged wholly to Liam.
Her father, Bart Rosetti, was a knight of extraordinary rank. But as the years passed, his thirst for adventure had long waned, and the old wounds from his youth continued to torment him.
After his wife's death, Bart sold off his estate and decided to travel to the southern colonies, hoping to carve out his own land, find a good match for his daughter, and live out the rest of his days in peace.
That Cerysian lad doesn't look half bad, Bart thought, watching the two young people chatting near the stern. He could tell at a glance that the young man came from a good background and, more importantly, was a born transcendent. It wouldn't take long for him to become a true professional.
A little down on his luck now, perhaps but the southern colonies had plenty of opportunities for a man to rise. Bart tapped his pipe against the ship's rail, dumping the damp tobacco into the sea before refilling it, lighting it, and taking a long, contented puff.
Through the haze of smoke, he suddenly noticed a black speck on the horizon. Frowning, he brushed away the smoke and, focusing with his transcendent vision, saw the speck rapidly growing larger.
Pirates.
"Damn it!" Bart cursed, drawing in a sharp breath before shouting in a thunderous voice, "All hands, attention! Starboard side — pirates incoming!"
Having once served in the military, Bart knew full well that their heavily laden merchant ship would never outrun a pirate vessel. The only hope was that the raiders weren't too greedy.
He'd heard that the pirates of this region were relatively mild and they usually lived off "tolls" rather than slaughtering and looting but one could never be too sure.
Pushing through the panicking crowd, Bart charged straight to where his daughter had been, only to find that she was already hidden inside an empty barrel in the cargo hold, thanks to the quick thinking of that Cerysian youth.
"Well done, young man!" Bart clapped Liam on the shoulder approvingly. The more he looked at the youth, the more he liked him. Calm in the face of danger, a fine trait for a warrior.
"Listen," Bart said gravely. "I don't know if the captain can handle those pirates. But if the worst comes to pass, we'll have to fight back. Come with me!"
After comforting his daughter and warning her not to come out no matter what happened, Bart led Liam to his cabin.
At that moment, Liam received his first quest notification since entering the game:
[Quest: True Feelings in Adversity]
All your actions have been under the watchful eyes of Carla's father. Fortunately, you've left a good impression on him. Unfortunately, danger now looms. Will you rise like a true man, take up arms, and defend the weak?
Difficulty: Dangerous
Reward: Advanced Background Class
Liam had seen it all in his years of real-life glory, trained for over two years in one of the best military academies. There was no way he would cower now. But that unclely "my future son-in-law" expression on Bart's face? That was… something else entirely.
From his trunk, Bart Rosetti retrieved a full set of knight's armor. The front of the breastplate was scarred and battered, yet it had been meticulously maintained.
He then set down a menacing shield and a gleaming longsword beside the armor. Finally, he handed Liam a smaller shortsword and a rough wooden shield, clearly the gear of a former squire.
"These were my weapons when I was still a squire," Bart said solemnly. "Now, you'll play that role for me. Help me don my armor!"
At that moment, Bart Rosetti felt a fire rekindling within his chest — the old longing for battle that had lain dormant for so long. His eyes burned with renewed spirit.
The pirates, as expected, refused the captain's offer of payment. The poor man was still cursing them when they tossed him overboard, screaming about how he'd already paid protection money to Captain Cersei of the (Pirate) Inspection Fleet.
Of course, every trade had its rogues — and this particular band of pirates was one such unruly group operating under the nose of a greater pirate overlord.
Thus began a brutal battle. Under Bart's command, Liam held the line on the deck, guarding the cabin door. Ten or more pirates fell where they stood, their blood pooling on the deck and seeping into the cracks, dripping down into the passenger quarters below — where terrified screams echoed. The cries only drove the pirates into greater frenzy.
Bart held his position deliberately. Both to protect the majority of the passengers, and because he knew that until the pirates wiped out all resistance, they wouldn't waste time searching the cargo hold. His daughter Carla would remain safe.
(End of Chapter)