5 Trouble

The Di Family Merchant Association is a very large business set up by Di Zuxian[1] long time ago, it owns a large number merchant ships, including galeons that are used for trading, in addition, they also have a lot of family-owned trading posts throughout the empire and sells a wide variety of items.

Two figures were walking towards a trading post of the said merchant association outside the Hong Harbor, they're none other than Di Yi and Lewis.

"What's with that dead face of yours?", asked Di Yi to Lewis, but the latter gave no answer.

"Hmph!", Di Yi snorted in dissatisfaction.

Lewis thought, "I only came with you for the baguettes."

If Di Yi heard what Lewis said in his mind, she would have been stunned on the spot, thinking to herself that the latter is extremely poor to the point you could make him do anything for a baguette or two.

When they reached the trading post, they were welcomed by an old man with his face full of wrinkles.

"Di Yi, what brings you here?", smiled the old man and gave a cup full of tea to Di Yi. The old man is obviously an employee from the merchant association.

"I'm just here to take this guy to tour out.", replied Di Yi.

"Does the miss has a liking to people with dead faces?", pondered the old man in his mind.

Of course, Lewis could hear what the old man just said in his mind.

Lewis: "..."

"Ohhh... is he your boyfriend?", asked the old man.

"Oof...", Di Yi suddenly spat out the tea she was drinking.

"No, no, nope.", Di Yi said immediately.

When Lewis heard what the old man said, he was stunned right on the spot. What boyfriend?! I'm only here for the baguette!

"Alright then, though you should be careful, you're the daughter of our big shot boss, there ought to be some people who has ill intentions towards you.", said the old man.

Di Yi and Lewis then continued walking towards the trading post.

"Wait a minute... what if that kid suddenly do something horrible to the miss?! Like... like... oh c'mon, I should stop imagining things, they're too young to become yin and yang fishes.", the old man thought.

Lewis, of course, heard what the old man thought: "..."

What yin and yang fishes?! We're indeed too young!

"Uncle Xu has a wide imagination. Don't mind him.", Di Yi said as if she knows what is Lewis was thinking.

"To be honest, I'm going to be straightforward. How did you beat the kraken? I don't believe it's laser eyes or something, less likely eyes that could make you commit suicide.", Di Yi turned around towards Lewis.

Lewis, as always, gave no answer.

"I'll give you a hundred baguettes for you to tell the truth.", Di Yi said.

Lewis gave no respond.

"Are you dead? Hmm, how about two hundred and fifty baguettes, how does that sound?", said Di Yi.

Lewis, again, gave no respond, but internally, he was shaken.

That was two hundred and fifty baguettes! How many sandwiches or meals could be made from that?! However, he must not tell the truth, that the kraken was just scared of him.

"Five hundred baguettes?", Di Yi said, but with a trace of hesitation. Even though the Di Family Merchant Association is huge, it can't pull out so many baguettes at once, it would be a large loss for them.

Five hundred baguettes?! Now, Lewis' heart was shaken to the core. It was also a large loss for him. Imagine every soft baguette stuffed with juicy, tender and hot ham that would give a savory, meaty flavor, in addition to that, was fresh cut tomatoes, that would give a watery yet a bit of sour flavor, lettuce too which make every bite crunchy.

"I must endure... endure.", Lewis thought.

He had never suffered like this for once in his life.

"No? Well then, I have a lot of methods to force you into saying it.", Di Yi grinned maliciously.

Lewis thought: "Phew... wait what?"

***

The trading post was like a small town, but the lands were almost entirely owned by the merchant association.

Inside a restaurant...

There was man sitting and eating his ordered hot Minced Salted Fish Meat and dipping it into a gravy like sauce. The aroma of the gravy was very appetizing, the said dish could be eaten alone, but with the gravy, the salty and sweet flavors combined in one mouthful.

Suddenly, another man sat on the opposite of the eating man, the latter was not surprised, he seems to have been waiting for the former.

"What took you so long?", asked the man who was eating.

"What can you expect? I was hungry on the way so I had to eat, now I'm hungry again because of the aroma this restaurant emits!", the newcomer said.

"I got a client that wants you to take care of something.", the man who was eating immediately said, he obviously had no intentions talking for a long time.

"What is it?", asked the newcomer.

"The little daughter of the owner of the Di Family Merchant Association is here right now in this trading post."

"So?"

"A pirate wants you take her somewhere near the Southern Hong Coves and the pirate would make an exchange for her with something very precious."

"Mhm.", the newcomer nodded.

"Remember, she must not be touched, plus, don't let your men see the treasure that would be exchanged for her, alright?"

"Alright."

"Good, now go get ready."

The newcomer left the restaurant, after the newcomer just left, a man and a woman, both teenagers, walked in the restaurant.

"The food here would surely make you water!", Di Yi said.

Lewis just then looked towards the menu and was suddenly stupefied.

The food cooked in the restaurant was expensive! Sold only for enhanced, pure Loranic Gold.

Actually, it wasn't expensive for Lewis, as he had a lot of treasures back at the ship, though for mortals, it would be ridiculously high-priced, plus, he's not carrying any money onto him, even if Di Yi would be the one paying.

"The menu might look like expensive, but the owner has his reasons to do so, and that's why it's worth it, the only thing missing now is a white robot and a dog.", Di Yi said.

Lewis: "..."

What damn white robot and dog? So the owner of this store is black hearted?

***

Few hours later, almost sunset...

After travelling nearly to every places in the trading post, Di Yi was extremely unsatisfied, because she hadn't been able to make Lewis speak!

"Hmph, I'll send you the 50 baguettes tomorrow at Hong Harbor.", Di Yi said.

The both of them separated ways.

"Finally, the torment is over, now where is that Derek?", Lewis muttered.

"AHHHHH...", a screaming was suddenly heard by Lewis, he recognized that it belonged to Di Yi.

"Now what happened to that girl.", Lewis muttered as he teleported in a mangrove of trees near the seashore.

There, he saw a small boat rowing towards a galeon.

As he was watching the boat, a man armed with two magic enhanced daggers jumped from behind him, before a second even passed, the man disintegrated into dust.

He didn't know how he died.

"I could still save her, but it would be noticed by the whole province.", muttered Lewis.

Why would it be noticed by the whole province? It's because the seas have a special suppression effect on everyone who uses magic, rendering anyone flying or even teleporting on the sea, but for Lewis, he's powerful enough to ignore the suppression effect, it's just that the magical fluctuations he will emit would be noticed. If there was no suppression, why would ships still be needed?

Lewis again teleported and this time, to the villa he was living. As soon as he finished teleporting, he saw Derek, who was running like a mad man.

"I... almost got... conned.", Derek said while panting.

"Inform the crew I'm coming, we're going to save someone.", Lewis said.

Derek didn't ask anymore questions nor even answered as he immediately went inside the villa and pulled out a glass rose from the drawers and crushed it.

After he did so, he pulled out two suitcases under his bed and brought it.

"The ship would be near Hong Harbor after sunset, captain.", reported Derek, this time, there wasn't a trace of friendliness to him, but coldness and seriousness.

"Mhm.", Lewis nodded, he opened a suitcase, in it was a coat, a duftwolke rose and a box.

He wore the coat and pinned the rose on the left of his chest. After he did so, he opened the box, in it, was a golden flintlock.

"Hais, I can't let her go yet, she still owes me fifty baguettes.", thought Lewis.