2 Gorgo

Relieved by his advantage, Seb began to take a quick look inside Bastian's head in order to see what he had to know in order to better pretend to be this person.

Seb had a way of making mental notes as he visualized a list of attributes in front of him. The beautiful woman in the black dress was still eyeing him suspiciously, but right now he couldn't do anything about it.

He found that he could access almost all of the memories this man had in his head.

Name: Captain Bastian Black

Age: 23

Ship: the Maiden's Mercy

Skills: adequate swordfighting skills, good swimmer, bad at fistfights, good visual memory, healthy when compared to old body

Drawbacks: not very strong compared to the other pirates, poor for a captain, formerly illiterate, hereditary heart condition that might be dangerous

At this point, the young man who was now Bastian knew that he was dealing with the contents of the latest novel he had been reading. He had only started the book before his death, but he did have some crucial information that he could use to his advantage.

Most people in the world of Maranthan were illiterate. Bastian had been, too, but due to the transmigration, he could now easily read the sign POISONED GROG over the room. He knew that Bastian had suffered from something concerning his heart just before the transmigration. It was likely, then, that the character's death had caused Seb to be sucked into this body, which felt weird but good. Bastian was a handsome guy, even if he was poor and a mere beginner in the pirate business.

Bastian did not remember anything after this scene. He had dropped his phone right after the heart problem scene.

But there was a villain in this story, too.

He glanced around, looking for Captain Gorgo. While he had apparently talked with Gorgo shortly before this mess had happened, he had only a foggy memory of his face. But Gorgo was the bad guy. He was pretty big in the scene and he could cause a lot more problems than just a mere feeling of unease.

Bastian had to admit that the tavern was a great place to start his new life.

Here, near the door, were the poor pirates, the newcomers. They were loosely grouped so that the alliances became apparent. A skinny black guy talked with a man in a red coat, about playing cards or something. There were almost no women here because these men were not rich. They didn't quite yield the same kind of profits. But there was this black-haired beauty whose eyes were almost painfully sharp. From the distressed look of her black dress that bared both her shoulders and a considerable amount of cleavage, it was apparent that she had not been able to afford a new party dress in years.

She had a lithe, very petite body, but her assets were a clear marker of outstanding beauty. Her large, round eyes searched for anyone who could put a coin into her pocket.

She pretended that she wasn't looking at Bastian whenever he looked away, that much was also clear.

Then there were the middle income pirates. Bastian could see it from the way the men in the middle of the room were dressed. Nice clothes, but nothing extra. These men looked less drunk than their poor colleagues near the door. But that group was not the most interesting one.

In the furthest corner sat a man who matched the description of Captain Gorgo, word to word.

He had a long, black beard and earrings so huge that the gold in them had to count towards his personal savings. He had a stern, angular face and blue eyes that reminded Bastian of his brother. Drinking, but only taking small sips, the man kept on observing the tavern and everything about his surroundings.

Many-headed snakes were embroidered on his dark green jacket. He was surrounded by women yet was paying them no attention.

As the pale blue eyes met another pair just as pale, Bastian swallowed nervously.

Captain Gorgo stared at him.

The last remnants of doubt cleared the path in Bastian's head for the realization to roll in. That was his brother, he had recognized him. They were staring at each other with a burning hatred and trying to outdo the other with a sheer, expressionless show of animosity.

Then someone rang a bell and all the pirates started to gather around the table in the middle of the room. All except for Captain Roy Gorgo.

Bastian, seeing that he was supposed to act normally, followed his colleagues. The black-haired woman followed him in return. He kept his focus on Gorgo while making a mental note to have a talk with the lady later. As for Roy...or Gorgo, Bastian knew that his brother had always had some pretty strange hobbies, but why exist in two worlds at the same time? Was he always a multidimensional wizard or had the punch killed him?

"This is the second council this year," Gorgo said from his own table. "I didn't call you people here for nothing. I know we dealt with the trade crisis and the collapse of Amethyst Port earlier, but I have some new information."

His voice bellowed through the room, deep, raspy and serious. His intelligent eyes glimmered from under his wide-brimmed hat.

"What is it, Captain?" a poor pirate captain next to Bastian asked.

Bastian took a mental note of this man as he happened to know the name from reading the book.

Name: Captain Vicarious

Traits: wears a red coat, asskisser, annoying, admires Gorgo, poor as shit

Gorgo didn't even bother to chastise Vicarious. He simply rolled a map open onto the table and slammed his palm on it.

Almost everyone in the room shivered with anticipation.

"There has been a theft of property that goes under the Pirate Insurance Policy. As you all know, Captain Gorgo is not the man to need such policies…except for one thing. We all swore we would protect each other and our insured property."

"Aye," someone said, causing an approving echo in the room.

"Now mine has been stolen. The Book of Peridot. I want it back, and I know where the thief is."

Bastian drew in a sharp breath through his teeth.

He knew what that book was.