I've Become the King of Villains in the Game

[Task B Completed: Specialty of the Mist Sea!]

[You assisted Captain Hayden in fending off the attackers and earned the following rewards: 70,000 Experience Points, 500 Gold Pounds, and increased Affection from Captain Hayden.]

[(Captain Hayden's affection towards you has increased! Currently Friendly!]

'The task is settled... Well, the requirement was only to repel the enemies, not to save the goods, so taking their Fog Pearls didn't affect anything.'

Chen Lun smiled slightly.

For him, the reward for this mission wasn't substantial; 70,000 Experience Points were insignificant at this point... Even if the mission explicitly required him to help Captain Hayden save the cargo, he would have taken it anyway, as compared to those hundreds of "Fog Pearls," the experience was trivial.

The weather today was pleasant, with a slight increase in temperature.

The entire sea area was uniformly blue, offering a vision that was soothing to the soul.

The Pearl Barmogo sailed slowly through the sea, with a comfortable sea breeze blowing in its face.

Chen Lun and the Circus members strolled on the deck, observing many gentlemen and ladies who had recovered from the previous night's chaos, laughing and enjoying the bright sunlight.

The deck had been cleaned by the sailors; the remnants and bloodstains of the monsters were nowhere to be seen. If it weren't for some remaining large holes and bent and deformed metal railings, last night's events would seem like a collective hallucination.

Seeing Chen Lun's figure, many gentlemen and ladies saluted him respectfully.

"Good day, Father Jack."

The aristocrats, keenly aware of how noble Chen Lun's status was, especially since he had saved their lives last night, greeted him with genuine respect.

"Good day."

Chen Lun tugged at the brim of his hat and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Soon after, Captain Hayden, accompanied by the first officer, came up to the deck and gathered the gentlemen and ladies, expressing his sorrow over the events of the previous night.

"This storm and attack unexpectedly led to the deaths of four gentlemen and one lady. Although it was against our will, there is also the responsibility of the Pearl Barmogo... So once we dock, I will immediately contact the headquarters of Moses Far Voyage to arrange compensation for the families of the deceased," Captain Hayden explained.

He also described the general damage to the ship, noting it could barely sail now after emergency repairs but would require a week-long maintenance at the next port. If any passengers did not wish to wait, they could disembark at that time and transfer to another vessel.

In the end, he specifically thanked Chen Lun.

"This mishap, thanks to the vital intervention by Lord Jack, the Governing Officer of the Generous Council, who helped us repel the malicious supernatural bandits… Here, I, Hayden, on behalf of all the crew of the Pearl Barmogo, would like to express my sincere thanks and respect to Lord Jack," he said.

Hayden, taking off his Beret Cap, along with the crew, bowed to Chen Lun.

The security guards of Moses Far Voyage hiding among the crowd also placed their hands on their chests and bowed their heads. Their gesture was half gratitude and half reverence towards the powerful.

However, Chen Lun had little appreciation for such formalities and merely nodded indifferently.

Captain Hayden made no mention of the casualties in the lower storage areas, where the ordinary passengers had suffered terribly, with over fifty people killed in last night's attack. However, the Pearl Barmogo showed clear disregard for those lower-class citizens, unceremoniously throwing their bodies into the sea.

The gentlemen and ladies in the upper cabins cared even less about those people; not only did they not inquire of their own accord, even if Captain Hayden had informed them of the real situation, they would probably have treated it as mere gossip over dinner.

The two groups were worlds apart, and an indifferent attitude was inevitable.

*

*

*

Due to the damage to the ship, its speed had decreased, and the next port, which would have ordinarily taken half a day to reach, was only reached by the evening of the following day.

This port belonged to Flower State's Velvet Chrysanthemum City, named Anastasia Port.

The Pearl Barmogo directly entered the shipyard for repairs, and a few gentlemen and ladies disembarked here, planning to transfer to other passenger ships to continue their journey.

Finding it bothersome, Chen Lun decided to wait a few days with his team.

While the ship was in the yard for repairs, some passengers disembarked to explore and shop in Velvet Chrysanthemum City. Chen Lun did not want to overly restrict his team members' freedom and told them they could move about as they pleased.

However, Floey, Maggie, and Connie, three of the ladies, had little interest in going out—one preferred the quiet and the night, while the other two were avid scholars and researchers. Among the men, Noah and Alec were eager to go out for a walk and get some fresh air, so Chen Lun allowed them to go together.

Antonio did not like the urban environment, stating he would rather stay in his cabin and sleep. Golov and his two companions also stayed on the ship, recently captivated by a card game popular among the upper-class, preferring to play rather than wander about aimlessly.

According to Golov, this arrangement also allowed them to respond promptly to Chen Lun's commands, should the need arise. Chen Lun appreciated this and casually gave each person a hundred Gold Pounds as "gambling funds" to enjoy their time on the ship.

Afterward, he disembarked alone, walking from the port to the bustling center of Velvet Chrysanthemum City, exploring the unfamiliar yet intriguing unknown, much like a solo traveler in his previous life.

Velvet Chrysanthemum City was similar to Peacock City, being a port city where seafood was prevalent; even in the restaurants in the bustling district, the signature dishes were almost all some sort of fish or shellfish.