Hank flashed a fawning smile as he pushed open the office door.
"Boss, it's me, Hank."
Vale followed closely behind, a faint fishy odor mingling with the scent of hormones in the air.
"Is that you, Hank? I trust you won't interrupt my pleasure. Go ahead, what's up?"
In the office sat a burly man with exposed shoulders and a shiny bald head, exuding a ferocious aura that made it clear he was not to be trifled with.
"This is the newcomer, White Night, introduced by 'that one.' Here's the introduction letter."
The burly man glanced at Martin, took the letter, and casually flipped through it before tearing it to shreds while continuing to caress a demonic young woman by his side.
"The original price was 200,000 beli, but with a big event coming up, the price has increased to at least 400,000 beli."
Martin maintained a smile, though his true emotions simmered beneath the surface. He wanted to confront the burly man, demanding to know the true cost, but he kept silent and handed over 400,000 beli without a word.
The man raised an eyebrow at Martin's dry demeanor. "Worthy of being from 'over there,' you're generous. From now on, you'll be a member of the guards. Remember to call me Boss or Lord."
Martin kept smiling, though the expression felt eerie. "Okay, Boss."
Joining the guards was a success, marking a significant step forward in his mission to assassinate the king.
Meanwhile, Hank lowered his head, staring at the ground as if something fascinating lay before him. In truth, he was adopting a demeanor that suggested he did not see his superior accepting a bribe. This incident highlighted the chaotic atmosphere of the pirate world, where everything could be bought with money or higher positions. However, this was good news for Martin.
Beli had little value to him; what he lacked most was time, and money could solve that issue.
[Alert: The Hunters have joined the Squire's camp, a minor plot change has occurred, and they have gained 2.1% of the World's Source.]
Once outside the office, Martin received the standard equipment for the Squire's team: a uniform and a fire-rope gun.
In the warehouse, Martin examined the simple fire-rope gun in his hand, feeling somewhat breathless as his gaze shifted to Hank.
"Hank, can we change weapons?"
Hank displayed a conflicted expression. "This... it's all designated supplies, and I also..."
Hank revealed a difficult expression.
"This~, it's all designated supplies, I also ......."
That stammering tone made Martin understand that the guy in front of him was asking for favors.
Without moving, he stuffed twenty thousand beli into Hank's pocket, and the expression on Hank's face changed, full of smiles.
"We are all fellow officers, we can discuss any difficulties, you can choose your own weapon, but you can only choose one, this is a rule that no one can change."
Martin put down the fire rope gun in his hand and searched in the warehouse, there were all kinds of weapons here, soon, his eyes locked on a long knife.
The knife was about a meter long, the blade was about three centimeters wide, and the curve of the blade was very small, although it was not as good as Martin's matching knife, it was still a good weapon.
"This is it."
Martin picked up the knife and sheathed it, as he touched the long knife, a prompt immediately appeared in the mysterious place.
"Hey, hey, you can take the other weapons, not this knife."
The expression on Hank's face went cold, as if he hadn't even received the thirty thousand berries.
"What did you say?"
Martin held the long knife and inclined his head towards Hank, a cold aura flickered in his eyes, holding back would only make the others feel nothing more than weakness.
After Hank noticed Martin's gaze, his complexion was shocked and a coldness welled up in his heart.
This guy had killed people, and more than one person.
Hank revealed a troubled expression.
"This... it's all designated supplies, and I also..."
His stammer made Martin realize that the man in front of him was asking for favors. Without hesitation, Martin slipped twenty thousand beli into Hank's pocket, causing Hank's expression to shift to one of delight.
"We're all fellow officers," Hank said, beaming. "We can discuss any difficulties. You can choose your own weapon, but you can only select one. That's a rule that no one can change."
Martin set down the fire rope gun he had been holding and began searching through the warehouse, which was filled with various weapons. Soon, his gaze landed on a long knife.
The knife was about a meter long, with a blade roughly three centimeters wide and a subtle curve. While it wasn't as good as Martin's preferred knife, it was still a decent weapon.
"This is it," Martin said as he picked up the knife and sheathed it. The moment he touched the long knife, a prompt appeared in a mysterious place.
"Hey! You can take other weapons, but not this knife!"
Hank's expression soured, as if he had completely forgotten about the thirty thousand beli Martin had given him.
"What did you say?" Martin asked, still holding the long knife and tilting his head toward Hank. A cold aura flickered in his eyes; he knew that holding back would only make others view him as weak.
When Hank noticed Martin's gaze, he felt a shock run through him, and a chill coursed through his heart. This man had killed before, and not just once.
