Fantasy Realm – Infinite Worlds Adventure-Chapter 493: Bounty Hunters

Alex looks through the bounties in his hand.

Capone Bege, bounty of 138 million Belly.

Caribou and Coribou, bounties of 210 million and 190 million Belly, respectively.

Urouge, the Mad Monk, bounty of 108 million Belly.

Scratchmen Apoo, the Roar of the Sea, bounty of 198 million Belly.

“Why these five in particular?” Alex asks, his brow slightly furrowed.

“There are quite a few more rookies who’ve shown up recently—Fire Fist Ace, Eustass Kid, Basil Hawkins. They have all been seen in Paradise, on Islands close to Water 7, but these five, in particular, have been a real blight on the people. They’ve been active in nearby waters, and that’s directly affecting my city. The others’ whereabouts are unknown, or I simply don’t want to get involved with them,” Iceburg replies, voice firm.

He continues, “Some pirates—like yourself—don’t deserve the bounties placed on them. However, I can assure you, these five are all seasoned criminals. They’ve committed truly terrible crimes. According to certain rumours, some of them may have even been spotted here in Water 7. I can’t confirm that, but it’s something to watch out for. If you're in need of money, this would be the fastest path I can think of. I’m willing to pay you the full bounty. Don’t worry about handing their heads over to the Marines—I’ll take care of that myself.”

“I see,” Alex murmurs, eyes lingering on the names in front of him.

Iceburg adds, “There are a few more who’ve been sighted recently, but I don’t even want to mention them. Challenging them would be suicidal... even for a group as strong as yours.”

He doesn’t think we can take on the strongest ones. That pisses me off a little, but whatever... These targets are already more than enough to handle.

“Of course,” Iceburg says, “even going after these five would be suicidal for most. Please be cautious. On a more personal note, I still need you to protect me, so don’t risk dying!”

Heh, I like this guy.

He walks over to a nearby drawer in his office, opens it, and takes out another thick stack of bounties.

“Other confirmed targets who’ve been seen in the city over the past few months.”

Alex takes the new stack and flips through them. Most of the pirates listed are unfamiliar names, carrying bounties ranging from 1 million to 95 million Belly.

Honestly, the smarter move would probably be to just focus on these unknown pirates and steer clear of the bigger names. The cash rewards are still good. The only downside is that the system drops—specifically the treasure chests—would be a bit worse, with more generic items instead of rare ones.

“Thanks for the advice,” Tereza says, leaning in close against Alex as she checks out the bounties over his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Alex nods at him, “We’ll be close. Please contact us if you spot anything suspicious. We’ll be doing the same.”

With nothing left to discuss, the group finally gets up and leaves Iceburg’s manor.

“That went okay,” Alex says as they head back toward their bulls.

“Could definitely have gone worse,” Tereza agrees, “though we didn’t really gain anything.”

“That couldn’t be more wrong,” Benezia says at once. “We’ve been tolerated by the Mayor, meaning we can now move freely and even enjoy some privileges. We can openly hunt all of these bounties, seize ships, collect supplies, and sell everything without any issue. In fact, we’re actively supported by the Mayor. These privileges are incredibly beneficial to us, especially when there was a very real chance of being hunted ourselves.”

“What do we do now?” Alex asks, then turns toward Menchi. “Besides shopping,” he mutters, before finally looking up towards his pet, “and fishing.”

“This is exactly what we should be doing,” Benezia replies. “We’ve already fulfilled the minimum requirements to satisfy our mission from Baroque Works. Now is the time to slowly but steadily make progress. Initially, I was considering leaving to search for better opportunities elsewhere... but we should just stay here, hunt bounties, and earn steady money. I think Water 7 is shaping up to be the center of this entire mission, which is quite the surprise. The proper finale may take place in Alubarna, but the coming events here will decide our fates, and we can’t risk leaving at this point.”

“I’m a little interested in protecting Iceburg... but that’s going to carry its own set of risks,” Alex admits. “However, I agree. Let’s do our best, right here, right now!”

“Let’s talk more about it later...” he says eventually, yawning. “Let’s go home.”

They slowly ride their bulls back to Calli’s office and step inside. She immediately hands them a key to the connected building next door and leads them outside again.

They quickly enter their new home and find a relatively cozy place—simple but spacious—with a ground floor, a basement, and an upper floor which contains a few bedrooms.

Calli gives them a quick tour, pointing things out as they go, until they reach the door leading to the basement. She opens the door and they step onto the stairs, but come to a swift halt. Calli points downwards and reveals the basement, which is completely flooded.

Princess Jewel is not interested in a basement pool!

“Can you even swim?” Alex wonders aloud.

Princess Jewel is so graceful, she’ll simply float on top of the water, like a goddess.

“X,” Alex mutters, shaking his head.

Tell you what, I’ll practice with you over the next few days, okay?

Soulmate does not need to teach Princess Jewel!

Fine... then let’s just swim for fun then...

Princess Jewel won’t swim in the murky basement water!

Then outside, alright? You’re just making excuses at this point.

No...! Princess Jewel ... No.

“Are you okay there? Are you talking with your spider or what?” Calli asks, clearly confused as she watches Alex argue with the spider on top of his head. “Anyway, after the next Aqua Laguna, we probably won’t even be able to go down there anymore. I just hope the upper floors stay dry...” she adds, sounding more than a little worried.

“Well, the other two floors are more than enough for us. Thank you for hosting us,” Alex replies, satisfied.

With Calli gone, the group gathers on the ground floor.

“Can I go shopping now?” Menchi asks, smiling wildly, her eyes already sparkling.

“You can,” Alex says. “However, as for the rest of us... as much as I’d like to relax a little, with potential players nearby, splitting up might be a bad idea—don’t you think? Especially since Benezia is still recovering. Jewel and I have recovered somewhat, but we’re still not completely fine either. Also, we risk getting hunted ourselves, not only by pirates but also by bounty hunters. Our bounties are quite tempting, especially since we don’t even have a crew to back us up.”

“I agree,” Benezia nods. “Which is exactly why you, Menchi, instead of going shopping, need to act as our spy and eyes. You’ll scout the city daily, and you’ve got important work to do. Your position as a Supporter keeps you safe—that’s a huge advantage, one I plan to capitalize on.”

She grabs the stacks of bounty posters and hands them over to her.

“Find as many targets as possible, and keep an eye out for any players. They should be easy enough to recognize,” she orders firmly.

Menchi, hearing Benezia’s words, looks as though her entire world just collapsed.

“You can still go shopping and cook...” Alex says, his tone softening a bit. “But we really need you. Time to step up.”

“Fine,” Menchi sighs. “It’s just that you indeed didn’t promise me too much when you recruited me, Alex. I didn’t expect to find places like this one. I’m so happy I did, though. It’s a place where I can actually learn and broaden my horizon. Rainbase, Alubarna—I’ve already met so many skilled cooks and learned so many local specialties. Every single day is a new experience, and I’m growing more than I ever thought possible.”

“You can still do those things,” Alex reassures her. “In fact, it’s the perfect cover. Keep doing what you love... just keep your eyes open for wanted pirates and players while you’re at it. Find a balance, okay? Slack off a little, but also do the work.”

“I have to agree with you, Alex,” Benezia says, before shooting a sharp look in Menchi’s direction. “It’s a convincing cover. But in her case, we need to be careful... she might forget what her real assignment is. What I can’t accept, however, is your attitude. I already realize that you yourself like to do things half heartedly, but this is neither the time nor the place for that. Everyone has a role to play, and Menchi needs to focus on the important things. Is that clear, Menchi?”

“I won’t let you down,” Menchi replies, doing her best to stay calm and serious, even as she keeps sneaking nervous glances at Benezia.

Why is she taking Benezia so seriously? That’s kinda unfair... maybe I should start acting more authoritative too....

Princess Jewel agrees! Menchi should first consult Jewel’s opinion before considering the views of the peasants.

On second thought... if Jewel’s thinking like that, maybe I shouldn’t be as petty after all....

Let’s do this! Time to conquer this city, deal with the remaining players, take out CP9, and get rich. We can... no, we need to do it!