Treasure Hunting System： The Ocean Conquerer-Chapter 520 - 256 Southern Cross Island_3

If there was a war, they would still have to share the spoils, just like pirates.

Alka turned and looked at the rows of Ghost Ships.

Conservatively estimated, there are at least over twenty Treasure Controllers on this island. That’s truly extravagant, he thought. This was just an estimate based on the number of ships; the actual count was surely much higher. There would definitely be ships with more than one Treasure Controller. For example, Alka and his companions—one ship, yet several people who controlled Treasures.

Is this the Endless Sea?

Alka was unsure about Landmark Island’s overall status within the Endless Sea. However, based on descriptions in the "Land of Dreams," he could tell something from the port’s infrastructure. While it looked quite good, it surely didn’t qualify for any significant ranking.

Even so, Landmark Island had a multitude of Treasure Controllers docked there. They’re practically everywhere, Alka mused.

As Alka left the dock square and entered the town’s interior, he saw many residents. Besides the salty sea breeze, the surroundings were fairly clean, not littered with debris as he had imagined a medieval town might be. The street he walked on was unusually spacious, wide enough for at least two large carriages to pass. Both sides were lined with what looked like street lamps, though he didn’t know what powered them.

The houses on either side weren’t primarily wooden. Most were brick-and-tile structures, three to six stories high, with a few wooden houses interspersed among them. The walls of most houses were painted grey-white and reddish-brown, and he could see workers touching up the paint. The salty coastal air caused significant erosion to the houses’ surfaces.

At the street corner was a tavern. Its sign depicted a harpoon impaling a giant sea fish, with the image of a glass next to it. The sign read "Fisherman’s Bar." A glance inside showed it wasn’t very crowded, and Alka had no intention of entering anyway.

He wanted to find Balazs’s commerce guild first, so he glanced at a nearby street sign. It read "White Sail Street." So, not Mast Street yet, he thought. The corner was lined with shops, mostly selling ship-related supplies. There were various shops selling ship components, but aside from the tavern, he couldn’t see a single place to eat.

Alka continued deeper into the town. Finally, at a crossroads, he spotted the sign for Mast Street. He immediately turned onto Mast Street. As he entered, the atmosphere felt distinctly different; the density of Magic Power was subtly higher here. This wasn’t due to anything inherently peculiar about the street itself, but rather because many of the items sold here possessed Magic Power. A concentration of such items naturally raised the ambient Magic Power.

Alka glanced at the shops on both sides. He saw a few decent-looking restaurants, followed by shops selling Spell Materials and various weapons. From the doorways, he could see the magical sheen on some weapons. Many people in varied attire were browsing the wares. These people mostly moved in groups. This area evidently specialized in items for Touchers or combat personnel.

Number 28... Number 28... There it is, Alka thought, spotting the number on a building and looking closer.

However, it wasn’t what he had expected. The shop’s merchandise had been taken down, seemingly not long ago. The shop’s door was open, and workers were clearing out the empty interior. A man stood with his back to Alka, directing them, his posture suggesting weariness and experience.

That silhouette... it looks like Balazs, Alka thought. He walked over and patted the man’s shoulder.

Balazs turned. Upon seeing Alka, his weary face brightened, and a smile appeared. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Alka? Long time no see!" Balazs said, opening his arms for a brief hug.

After all, Alka and his companions had stayed on the Broken Islands for a considerable time and had met Balazs several times. As a result, they could be considered fairly well-acquainted.

"My friend, I was just wondering if you’d be coming by! Congratulations," Balazs said.

"Thank you," Alka replied. Then, looking at the shop being cleared out and noticing Balazs’s troubled expression, he asked, "But what’s this... Are you facing some difficulties? Your current state doesn’t seem too good."

It clearly doesn’t look like he’s moving to a better place, Alka observed silently.

Hearing Alka’s question, Balazs showed a hint of helplessness. He waved his hand, sighed, and said, "Let’s not talk about that. Business competition is always ruthless, isn’t it?"

Seeing the shop emptied, Alka couldn’t help but ask, "You’re not planning to quit this line of work, are you?" Balazs’s dejected appearance was worrying.

"No, certainly not," Balazs shook his head. "It’s just a small setback. I lost the shop, but my ship is still intact. Some of my crew still believe in me. It’ll take some time, but I can make a comeback."

Hearing this, Alka nodded. That’s much better than I feared, he thought. Alka knew a bit about Balazs’s commerce guild. Their operations primarily relied on their seventy-meter-long ship. As long as that vessel was safe, this truly was just a minor setback.

"Besides," Balazs added, perhaps trying to console himself, "this situation allowed me to weed out the disloyal members of my team. So, it wasn’t entirely without gain."

Though Alka didn’t know the full story, he nodded in understanding.

"In that case, why don’t we get a drink? I’ve only just arrived on this island myself," Alka suggested.

At this, Balazs clearly showed some interest. "Sounds good. Give me a moment," he replied. He then spoke to the workers moving things inside.

He came back out and said, "Alright, let’s go." He then led Alka to a tavern in a small alley not far from Mast Street. The tavern was tucked away in an alley; an unfamiliar person would definitely miss it.

"The Old Alley Bar, my favorite," Balazs said with a wink at Alka. "Don’t worry. Even though it’s tucked away in this little hole-in-the-wall, it’s actually a good place. Trust me, this bar is important, and it’s very safe too."

Hearing this, Alka’s interest was piqued. Clearly, this was some kind of special local establishment. They climbed the stairs. Balazs opened an iron door, and they ascended a spiral staircase to the second floor of the building. The bar was unusually located on the second floor, rather than the ground floor or in a basement.

Quite unusual, Alka thought. Once inside, the difference was palpable. It wasn’t dark; surrounding windows filled the space with light. Nor was it noisy or chaotic.

It was very much to Alka’s liking.