Hello, the author here! I hope you enjoy this fanfiction. This is just a warning and a disclaimer. English is not my first language, go easy on me.
WARNING: This is a slight AU fanfic, meaning that some things from cannon will be changed. Right here I can tell that the law that states that can only have 3 Sequence 1 Angels or Beyonder Characteristics doesn't exist, for the convenience of the plot.
SUPPORT: If you would like to support me, my P-atreon is: In the future!
DISCLAIMER: Lord of the Mysteries does not belong to me, everything besides characters and some original plot belongs to Cuttlefish That Loves Diving.
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After leaving the island, Arthur spent his time with Sabrina teaching the basics of living in a ship to the siblings. He also consulted the Obscure Tome and found out that the flowers he had collected were one of the supplementary ingredients for his Sequence 8 potion, Melee Scholar.
He also asked the siblings what was the date, and counting the two weeks they had stayed together on the island, Arthur came to the conclusion that it was around January 15th, 1349. Almost exactly six months before Zhou Mingrui transmigrated into the body of Klein Moretti.
Arthur was happy with that news since with that time he was confident to achieve at least Sequence 6. That way he could intervene in the events to come, like the death of Dunn Smith. He had contemplated if he should do so, considering without dying Klein wouldn't leave to Backlund.
In the end, it didn't matter. Arthur didn't think of himself as a Saint, but when you knew something bad was going to happen and had the power to stop it, but didn't, then it was on you the consequences. This was his world now, and cannon didn't matter.
If he had to convince Klein to move to Backlund, he would just say he was a transmigrator like him and knew things he didn't.
Who knows? Klein might move on his own since the easiest way to obtain the formula for Sequence 7, 6, and 5 - disregarding asking Arthur or praying to the Goddess - was in Backlund.
Arthur also didn't stop studying, if he wasn't helping the sibling or listening to Sabrina, he was in the helm reading the tome. He spent so much time studying ritual, history of the world, Beyonder organizations, that his potion was rapidly digesting.
It was a week after welcoming the siblings aboard that they saw land again.
By the night they had arrived, and this time the island wasn't uninhabited. It didn't have a name, but the pirates that frequent the place called the island Moonshine. It had a harbor, with ships of all sizes docked. Along the coastline, buildings could be seen and even though it was late in the night, men and women walked the illuminated streets.
Arthur anchored the Pearl, and after telling the siblings to stay on the ship, went on his way.
Besides the occasional glance, no one paid much attention to the young men. He strolled towards the first building that took his attention, the Sunken Ship - for it looked like a ship upside down - where people could be seen drinking ale and rum.
Buccaneers, swashbucklers, cutthroats, and what looked like prostitutes. It seemed that everyone on the other side of the law could be found inside. Between the shouting and music, the noise from the tavern could probably be heard half-mile away.
Through the laughs and shouts, a chanty could be heard. The whole place smelled of alcohol, sweat, tar and salt, and seaweed and fish. Tankards were clashed together for toast, clapped on the tables for a refill, and thrown at other people's heads.
There was even a brawn taking place!
Arthur strolled to the bar counter, where a man wearing ragged breeches and a faded waistcoat waited for a customer.
"What ye want?" The man asked while cleaning a tankard.
"I need to find someone that deals with the extraordinary," Arthur said, capturing the man's attention with his eyes narrowed. "I just want to sell some things, and if you help me out, I guarantee a recompense."
The bartender took a second to glance Arthur up and down. He seemed satisfied with what he found because, with a gesture to follow him, he walked towards the door at the back of the tavern.
Arthur followed the man to behind the building, and through a dark alley illuminated only by the lamp on the bartender's hand. He stopped in front of a black door which he knocked. Two heavy knocks, one long pause, two light knocks, one brief pause, one heavy knock.
A small window appeared on the door from a sliding wood board, a pair of eyes behind it. A second later it disappeared and the door was opened.
Arthur, now following two people, found himself in a dimly lit room with a central table and chairs distributed around it. On one of them, a woman of small stature with bold hair sat.
"Good evening," Arthur greeted.
"Good evening, gentlemen," she answered. "Please, take a seat. I'm Calico, and to what do I own the pleasure of this meeting?"
"I'm Arthur, and I would like to sell a few things," Arthur said, raising a small sack from his waist. From it, he took a glass jar where flower petals could be seen and pink-colored crystal. "These are the petals of a Rainbow Flower and a Makdenia crystal."
Calico was now intrigued. Rainbow Flowers weren't rare, but the conditions for them to grow made them difficult to obtain. It was great material for potions and rituals, besides the flowers being beautiful on their own. As for Makdenia crystals, she had never seen a raw one like this. Every other time was in some noble's jewelry. She wanted to ask how did had he obtained the crystal but decided not to pry.
The man in front of her was someone she didn't want to mess with. Usually, she would try and discreetly check the other person's aura in search of clues of how strong they were, but she couldn't find anything from him. In fact, her spirituality was warning her that doing so was a bad idea. That was enough to tell her to not do anything she might regret later.
Arthur had no idea of Calico's thought process, but if he did, he would be praising Harion with all his heart.
"For the petals, considering how fresh they seem, I can give you 150 pounds," said Calico, before deliberating for a second on the crystal. "For a crystal of this size, I would say 800 pounds."
From what Harion about the flower petals and the crystal, that was a fair deal.
"And if I have more of these?"
Calico narrowed her eyes, "How much more?"
"I have two more crystals, and a small sack of petals."
Truly, Arthur had an entire sack of crystals but he didn't want to sell all now. No matter how reasonable Calico seemed, humans changed in front of profit. He didn't want the trouble of people trying to find where he got the crystals and petals from.
The room was silent for a moment, only the sound of Calico's finger tapping on the wood chair could be heard.
"I'll pay 2200 pounds for the crystals, and 900 for most of the petals," said Calico. "A total of 3100 pounds total."
'If I resell at different places, I can make a profit,' Calico thought.
"Deal," said Arthur with a smile.
This time, it was Arthur leading the way and people following him. They made their way through the busy streets till the Black Pearl, where Arthur invited them to board.
Calico, waiting inside Arthur's cabin while said man went retrieve the good, was impressed with the ship. It looked brand new with its shining black hull, the graceful angel figurehead, and sails. It was also well equipped from what she could see. She just didn't know why it looked as if there was no one there.
"Here they are, two Makdenia crystals and a small sack of rainbow flowers petals," Arthur said entering the cabin.
They complete the transaction easy enough and chatted for a while. It was during that chat that Calico asked.
"Arthur, do you have a crew?"