vncnus Chapter 317 Arms Smuggling and Debts of Kindness
Chapter 317 Arms Smuggling and Debts of Kindness
Chapter 317 Arms Smuggling and Debts of Kindness
At sea, on the island of Dirynius.
Tirynius is the first important island on the southbound shipping route from the Rothschild Islands. If ships wish to reach the southern continent but do not stop in Bayam, then its port, Tirynius, is the last resupply point on the route.
Otherwise, apart from returning, there would be no other supply ports to be found on the route to the Southern Continent.
At this moment, Edwina, along with Danitz and several reliable sailors, was anchored on the sea not far from the port of Delineus in an inconspicuous little cargo ship. Today, they were there to collect a special shipment.
A shipment of goods sent from Backlund by Brando.
"Damn it! Coming to this godforsaken place in the middle of the night!" Danitz yawned widely. The salty, damp sea breeze had completely banished his sleepiness, leaving him only with annoyance.
"Sigh—think about money! Think about money!" He shook his head vigorously, trying to cheer himself up.
To be honest, Danitz was somewhat taken aback when Brando wrote in his letter offering him a way to make money. He thought that, given their relationship, the most direct approach would be for Brando to lend him money directly. However, he quickly dismissed this idea.
Brando is now a businessman and needs funds for various purposes. Moreover, borrowed money must eventually be repaid, and with his current income, it will probably take him several years to save up that huge sum of money before the "Golden Dream" finds the next treasure.
In comparison, helping the other party sell weapons and then taking a cut is indeed a more reasonable and profitable way.
Just as the other party had guessed in the letter, the fire of the Backlunds stock market crash quickly spread to these overseas colonies.
Now, chaos reigns everywhere, and the value of all kinds of assets is plummeting, except for arms prices, which are soaring. In this chaotic situation, rebel groups, pirates, bounty hunters, and local security forces all need better weapons.
If Brando's estimate is accurate, I can pay off all my debts after just two or three rounds! Brando, though a bit sarcastic at times, is actually quite loyal in his actions.
"Danitz." A calm, unwavering voice sounded behind him.
"Captain?!" Just as Danitz was pondering his debt problems, Edwina had already silently walked up to him.
"Have you contacted all the buyers for this batch of weapons?" Edwina nodded slightly.
"Of course!" Danitz immediately straightened his back, patting his chest to assure them, "I've already reached an agreement with Bloodaxe" Lak; he'll be buying the entire shipment."
"Lark? The one from the Roside Islands resistance?" Edwina asked.
"That's him! Our middleman introduced him, there's absolutely no problem!"
Selling weapons to the rebels was indeed a good choice—it would not only allow them to sell a large quantity of goods at once, but also create some minor trouble for the colonial authorities of the Kingdom of Rune, and even the Storm Church behind them. This was in line with the interests of themselves and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
However, she also had concerns. This action was quite risky, and if investigated further, it could cause trouble for Brando, who was far away in Backlund. Although he had said in his letter that the weapons could be disposed of at will, he himself was still within the Kingdom of Rune.
"I'd better keep an eye on things. If necessary, I can terminate this deal—" Edwina sighed inwardly. Then, she thought of something even more important.
The potion recipe of the "Disaster Priest".
To this day, she still doesn't understand where Brando got his hands on such a high-sequence formula. And what's more, he even offered to give it to her for free.
As a demigod recipe from an adjacent pathway, she was naturally very interested. Furthermore, the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom behind her would undoubtedly value this precious high-sequence recipe highly. If possible, she could even use this recipe, along with her accumulated merits, to exchange for the opportunity to become a demigod from the Church—
However, accepting this "gift" would mean owing Brando an immense favor. Demigod-level formulas are always incredibly rare and highly sought after. Moreover, he had refused her offer to buy it with money, saying it was both a "gift" and a "repayment."
"Is this Brando's value?" In that instant, she thought of many things. She pursed her lips slightly, feeling a complex mix of emotions.
Favors are the hardest things to repay.
"captain?"
Danitz's shout brought Edwina back to reality.
"Get ready, the cargo ship will be here soon," Edwina instructed.
"Oh, by the way," she looked at Danitz, then suddenly remembered something, "Danitz, are you short of money lately?"
"This—" Danitz's expression instantly froze. How did the captain know? Could it be that "Ironhide," that big mouth, went around spreading rumors?
"Brando's letter said that you seem to be short of money lately, and asked me to keep an eye on this matter," Edwina said calmly.
"Didn't you get a share of the 'Blood General' bounty? Why are you short of money?"
In fact, Lorne also mentioned in the letter that she was worried Danitz might not be able to handle these arms trades on his own, so she asked for her help. However, considering Danitz's pride, she didn't say these words aloud.
However, she was also curious: what stupid thing had Danitz recently done that made Brando doubt his intelligence? Otherwise, Brando wouldn't have bothered to mention it in his letter. She speculated that it all probably had something to do with money.
"I—I—" Danitz lowered his head, not daring to look the captain in the eye.
"Damn it! Why did Brando tell the captain about my lack of money?! I wrote to you because I didn't want the captain to know!" He wailed inwardly. The only saving grace was that Brando didn't seem to have mentioned his embarrassing stock market losses.
No, I need to think of a reason right away—brain, brain, brain!
Just then, a long, drawn-out whistle came from afar, saving Danitz.
Danitz abruptly raised his head, pointed at the cargo ship slowly approaching in the distance, and shouted, "Captain! The cargo ship has arrived!"
"So much weaponry!"
Inside the port, Danitz stared blankly at the boxes of weapons and ammunition being unloaded from the cargo ship.
"Most of it is bullets, and some gun parts," Edwina said calmly after inspecting the cargo.
Lorne transported most of the factory's previously stockpiled, unsold inventory over. These scattered parts and standard-caliber bullets, whose exact origins were difficult to trace, were ideal for conducting shady transactions.
"What's that?" Danitz noticed a strangely shaped, more sturdy and exquisitely crafted crate not far away. Curious, he walked over and opened it with a crowbar.
"It's Brando's gun!"
-
Inside the box, rows of brand-new "Ripper" shotguns were neatly stacked.
He excitedly picked up a gun, weighed it in his hand, and then, mimicking Lorne's style, performed a cool one-handed reload. The crisp "click" echoed in the empty warehouse.
I've made up my mind! After this transaction, I'm keeping one for myself! Let those ignorant guys from "Iron Skin" see what's what!
"This kind of gun has already been sold to the Southern Continent. It has also been found in some high-end weapon shops in Bayam. So, Brando also sent over a batch, but not many," Edwina explained from the side.
Because it was a unique weapon, Lorne didn't send many. Although this peculiar weapon was already circulating in some colonial areas, its appearance in large quantities would be too suspicious.
"Get ready, load these weapons onto the ship, we're taking them with us."
"Yes, Captain!" Danitz and the other sailors responded in unison and began to get to work.
In fact, Lorne, far away in Backlund, would soon realize that letting this weapon circulate on the market was not a good idea. Because besides the people on the "Golden Dream," there was another person who had also seen him use this weapon.
Furthermore, the other party still possesses the original version of this gun.