Iron and Blood Cross Order?
That crazy organization that worshipped an Evil God, hoped to change society, and expose Beyonders to the public.
Instantly, Lex looked at the man in front of him with a different gaze.
"Don't look at me like that!"
Raditz said as if he had been greatly insulted, "I'm not like those brainless guys!"
He then let out an 'eh' sound, "It seems you know about the Iron and Blood Cross Order. For a pirate, your knowledge is quite extensive."
Lex smiled, "That's probably because I like to read in my spare time. Besides, news on the Sea isn't that isolated; I know a little about various things."
Raditz said without suspicion, "That's right. After all, you're also a 'Hunter'. We're all keen on collecting all sorts of information."
Lex spread his hands, "So, can I assume that even though you're a member of the Iron and Blood Cross Order, you don't have their crazy beliefs?"
"To be precise, I haven't participated in their secret activities yet. Although they've asked me to join more than once, I've always found various excuses to decline."
Raditz shook his head, "You can't even imagine how fanatical those guys are. It's as if their brains have been gnawed away by Zombies. I find it hard to imagine myself becoming like that, and I don't want to become like that. So I became an obscure materials administrator."
"In fact, they also need someone like me. Those brainless things always randomly stuff and place materials, and when they need them, they'll run around the room like headless flies, then fly into a rage because they can't find the materials they want."
"Ever since I came along, the place has become orderly, and they've also realized my importance, giving up on trying to make me participate in their crazy, twisted prayer activities."
Lex didn't fully believe him, but for now, what Raditz said was logical.
"If that's the case, then why are you on this merchant ship?" Lex threw out another question.
Raditz said helplessly, "Do you think I wanted to leave? Those madmen plan to develop new members in Bayam. They believe that the colonial environment is conducive to them opening a breach there. Therefore, they need to establish a secret stronghold there."
"And I, the calm, self-thinking Mr. Raditz, am the ideal logistics staff. So I could only bid farewell to my life as a materials administrator and prepare to participate in the great logistics cause."
"To cover their tracks, they arranged for me to take this merchant ship. Originally, I would have preferred to take new-era steam-powered ships; they're more comfortable. Unlike here, I get seasick every day."
As he spoke, Mr. Raditz became agitated.
"Damn it, once I save enough money and get promoted to a high enough Sequence, I'll say goodbye to this damn organization!"
"Alright, Mr. Raditz, I'm starting to believe you. If you can give me all the formulas from Pyromaniac to Reaper, then I'll completely trust you."
Lex stood up and easily found a pen and paper in the Captain's room.
"See, I'm ready to be your recorder."
Raditz cleared his throat and said, "I can give them to you, but you have to abide by the agreement. You cannot harm me, not in any way."
"Of course, despite how I look, I am actually a gentleman." Lex placed his hand on his abdomen and bowed slightly.
"For a pirate, your manners are very good, but there's still a big difference from true nobility." Raditz shrugged, "So, I recite, you copy?"
"Yes, you recite, I copy. Also, I want to remind you that I have a way to confirm whether the formulas you provide are problematic. So, you'd best not have any bad ideas. Otherwise, I can only throw you into the Sea to feed the fish." Lex reminded with a smile.
Recalling how this lunatic had made him take off his clothes and put them back on just now, Raditz didn't doubt Lex's words at all.
"Rest assured, I value my life very much and will never do anything foolish that would harm my life."
"So, shall we start with Pyromaniac?"
Lex made himself comfortable, placed the notebook on his lap, and nodded, "You can begin."
"The main materials for the Pyromaniac formula are one Lava Crystal Diamond."
"The main materials for the Conspirer formula are a pair of compound eyes from a Hunting Black Spider and a complete brain from a Human-faced Lion; the auxiliary materials are 100 ml of Human-faced Lion blood, 10 grams of powdered Dark Flower, one gland from a Whisperer, and four scales from a Shadow Lizard."
"The Reaper formula's main materials are one crystallized core from a Rock Giant and one heart from a Blade Killer; the auxiliary materials are 80 ml of Rock Giant blood, a pair of eyes from a Blade Killer, a complete root of a Dark Flower, and 10 grams of fire-shaped gemstone powder."
Swish, swish, swish—
Lex wrote furiously, recording all the formulas Raditz had recited.
Raditz waited until he stopped writing, then said, "Can you let me go now?"
"Wait a moment."
Lex copied another set, then stood up and opened the door, just as Quincy walked over. He was soaking wet, likely having just come up from the lower hold.
"Can you do me a favor?"
Lex pointed to Raditz in the room, "Help me watch him. I'm going to report some things to the Captain."
Quincy neither agreed nor refused. He stood by the door and closed his eyes.
Through their interactions over this period, Lex knew that if he didn't explicitly refuse, it counted as an agreement. So he said 'thank you' to him and left the cabin.
He hid one copy of the formula himself, and the other was sent to the Wavebreaker, into the hands of Captain Ken Angus.
"This is the Hunter Pathway, Sequence 7 to Sequence 5 formulas?"
Ken naturally knew which Pathway those Sequence names belonged to, and looked at Lex in surprise, "Where did you get them?"
"A materials administrator from the Iron and Blood Cross Order. He's on this ship. I also learned from him that the Iron and Blood Cross Order plans to establish a secret stronghold in Bayam, in the colonies, to utilize the colonial environment to recruit new members."
Lex continued, "Captain, I promised him that once I got the formulas, I would let him go. What do you think, should we detain him?"
"No, let him go. We're pirates. What would we do with an administrator from the Iron and Blood Cross Order? But we can report it to our superiors and have them keep an eye on this gentleman in Bayam."
The Captain held the paper full of formulas, "You wait a moment. I'll have someone confirm if these formulas are real."
"Okay."
Lex nodded, thinking to himself, 'Is there a Seer on board? Otherwise, how would the Captain confirm the authenticity of the formulas?'
Ken walked into the cabin, and not long after, he returned, nodding and saying, "It's confirmed. Now you can go back and release him."