Chapter 26: A Birthright Reclaimed

Of course Julian had cooked the books.

A lack of good fortune was one thing. A lack of decent people was quite another.

Having worked his way into a crucial position, Mr. Julian could do far more than falsify accounts. He knew exactly what the ship’s repairs and the crew’s compensation would cost. He also held the storeroom keys and had personally visited Captain Oswald’s cabin. He knew precisely how much wealth both Maneater Shark and her captain possessed.

Not a single copper could escape him.

For all their glittering appearances, practitioners of the Golden Coin Sequence generally had appalling finances.

Julian had a firm grip on both income and expenses. Once he had allowed enough for the repairs, inventing a perfectly plausible shortfall was child’s play.

Many of the pirates might not care whether the ship was repaired on time, but no one cared more than they did about receiving every penny of their share.

Don’t talk to me about ideals when I’m broke. My ideal is to have plenty of money and never work.

Julian seized his opportunity and put that understanding of human nature to excellent use. Oswald, a Rank 2 Gourmand whom he could never overcome by force, fell straight into his trap.

After counting his assets over and over, Oswald had no choice. Scowling, he removed the ten rings he wore to conceal his gouty deposits, fetched several more valuables from the captain’s cabin, and told Julian to hurry ashore and sell them for the missing compensation money.

Nothing could be allowed to go wrong with his veteran crew at this critical juncture. They had already drunk the [Blood of Transmutation] and begun turning into lesser ghouls.

In just a few more days, they would lose such utterly vulgar desires as a love of money.

Then everything he had paid them would be his again.

“The previous cooks weren’t good enough. But this one will certainly let Agnes the Crimson’s Gourmet Cookbook brew the finest [Blood of Transmutation]. With that for the rite, I can cure my ‘curse,’ complete my transformation, and gain a guard force of ghouls into the bargain. I might even qualify for Iron Anchor Bay’s Captains’ Council and hold my own against those pirate lords!”

While Redgaze Oswald indulged his fantasies, Julian had already politely declined everyone else’s company and set foot on Iron Anchor Bay with only Two-Short, the cook’s assistant whose Loyalty was nearly at its maximum.

The moment they were out of sight of the others, Julian could no longer contain his excitement. He slipped the gold ring onto his left index finger. Apart from its oversized face, it looked thoroughly unremarkable.

Azure spiritual radiance flashed and vanished.

Silently, he recited House Ravenshaw’s Maxim, which was also the wondrous ring’s [Judgment Inscription].

“I Am the Vanguard!”

A circle of blue-green runic characters lit up inside the gold band. As their light flowed over it, the ring changed dramatically.