SURVIVORS
Chaptre 263. Swamp Town
The ship docked to the port city of Rawa in the afternoon. The captain was busy taking care of things. So the guide in question, not to mention contacted.
Dean's team was asked to stay on the ship until tomorrow morning, for their safety. And they can't do anything.
At night, a crew member knocks on the cabin door and delivers the Captain's message. Dean followed him to the Captain's cabin.
There was a man with the captain. His skin is full of keloids due to scars. The man returned Dean's gaze sharply. Dean scrunched his brows slightly.
Captain Smith told Dean to sit down. "This is the guide I'm talking about. His name is Linch."
"Oh, okay. My name is Dean" said Dean, extending a hand to shake his hand.
But the guy threw away his face.
"How much can you pay?" ask without hesitation.
Dean was silent for a moment.
'Huft, his pretentious fellow feels this important', Dean growled in his heart.
Dean looked at the Captain sharply as he tilted his head and his forehead furrowed.
"Your condition is also not good. Your wife is giving birth. Do not sell expensive. Tell me a fair price. I recommend you to him. Don't embarrass me. I won't have face to face with his family!"
Captain Smith's words worked to remove the haughty hue on Linch's face. The tension on his face began to loosen. His eyes protested towards Captain Smith. But the Captain shook his head. The man finally gave up.
"We're helping each other here. So let's talk good, " Dean said.
"Alan, call Leon to our cabin. I'm discussing the cost of the guide. Later ask him if he has any money to ask for."
Dean sent a transmission message.
"Okay" answered Alan.
"So how?" dean asked again towards Linch who was silent. It was like he was counting the cost of travel.
"How many people are you?" tanyakanya.
"What connection?" ask Dean to know.
"Is related. The more, the safer. If it's only 2 or 3 people, then I have to find an alternative way for you to be safe" he replied.
"Are we going through a lot of checkpoints?" ask Dean.
Linch nodded.
"If you go through the checkpoint, you have to pay?" ask Dean again.
Linch nodded back. "If you have a lot of members, we're going to go through a common path, which means you don't have to pay a lot for my services."
"But out a lot for checkpoints!" cut Captain Smith.
Linch nodded.
"We're 12 people. Can I go through an alternative route?" ask Dean.
Linch was a little surprised.
"Twelve people?" he said he assured his hearing.
Dean nodded. "Twelve people!"
"I think I'm going to need one more guide to guard the back" he said hesitantly.
"Tell me first, is your secret passage safe for my party to go through!" insist Dean.
"As long as you follow my lead and don't complain, it's safe. I've brought some people through that road safely" he said with confidence.
"How much do you ask?" ask Dean.
"1000 silver coins!" said quickly.
"What?" Captain Smith jumped.
"The path is strictly secret Captain. If it leaks to others, I'll be chased after them. I risked my safety and that of my family. They look pretty rich anyway." Linch no longer covered the greedy look in his eyes.
"Hehee.... Your eyes are troubled!" jeered the Captain while chuckling.
"They boarded this ship by selling grain and cheese. They don't have any money!" captain Smith said with a funny expression.
"Well, I thought I could have enough money to give birth to my wife...."
Linch ruffled his hair in annoyance.
"When is your wife's delivery time?" dean asked softly.
"In this week," Linch replied as he looked down in despair.
Dean hesitates.
"Alan, ask Leon. Does he have 1000 silver coins? But don't let the money run out either."
Dean sent a transmission message. And wait a while.
"Said Leon, there's. He had sold 2 carts of goods, one carriage and a horse before boarding the ship." Alan answered from his cabin.
"What if 700 silver coins?" dean asked Linch.
The man jolted from his daydream. He asked through his eyes towards the Captain.
"He's bidding 700 silver coins!" said Captain sebal. He felt he had lied to Dean, who looked like he had no money and paid him with the grain.
"That's Leon's money, Captain!"
Captain Smith was shocked to death. His ears patted. How could Dean's voice sound so close as if whispered? Dean was sitting across the table!
The captain turned to Dean for an explanation. But Dean looked at him sharply.
"Don't act weird, Captain. We're negotiating the guide fee!"
Dean's sniffling voice went straight into the Captain's head. That made the captain instantly silent.
'The 'Port city Chairman's family is indeed really strange' inwardly.
"800 silver coins. Not less. I couldn't bring another guide. So you must take care of your own entourage!" says firmly.
Dean was grumpy for a moment.
"alright. We agreed to 800 silver coins and only use your services. Don't worry about our safety. Just show me the right way!" said Dean. He extended his hand again towards Linch.
Linch looked at Dean's hand in doubt. But then he returned Dean's greeting.
"Thank you for helping me" said Dean Warmly.
"I'll take the money. I'll pay half the upfront fee. The rest is after the trip is over" Dean said.
"No! Pay everything before we leave. I complain about my life on this trip. So my wife has to have enough money to survive for a while, if I can't go back."
Dean was shocked to hear Linch's words. 'Is this journey so dangerous?' thought.
"good. So when do we leave?" ask Dean again.
"Now!" answer Linch for sure.
Although not expecting, but Dean finally nodded. He agreed that the darkness of the night would obscure their existence from the many eyes that lurk in the town of Rawa.
"We'll be ready soon."
Dean went straight back to his cabin.
"Alan, we're leaving tonight. Get ready!" dean said via transmission.
"Huh?! Ok!"
Dean could hear a slight noise from their cabin. It must have been reported by Alan. Dean smiled thinly.
"Any, Dean!"
Leon met Dean while out of the room.
"Do you need that 1000 now?" tanyakanya.
"I've bargained. So you only have to spend 800. Are you ready?" ask Dean.
"of course. What is this money for? We don't need it in Indonesia. hahahaa...." Leon laughs.
"You told your wife to clean up. We're leaving soon" Dean said.
"okay!" Leon's back in his cabin.
Dean opened the cabin door. They're putting some stuff in the backpack.
"Is everything in order?" ask Dean.
"Yes. They just put personal items in the bag" replied Sunil.
Dean nodded.
"Have you eaten, Cloudy? We'll walk a long way. So you can't be hungry."
Dean hugged and stroked Cloudy's fine feathers.
"He's been eating 3 fish tonight. Eat more and more. Look at him getting rounder now!" said Niken.
"Cloudy, if you get rounder, you're more like a bear than a tiger!" niken's taunts on Cloudy. Cloudy growled spoiled hearing his voice.
"Well, I'm insinuating you, not praising you!" Niken laughed at Cloudy, who was becoming adorable.
"We're ready!" marianne.
"Don't carry anything too heavy, Marianne. Let me bring you some of it" said Michael Worry.
Marianne smiled and shook her head.
"Come on!"
Dean took Cloudy out with him.
Leon and Jane were raising their things on horseback.
"Your horses are so good!" exclaim Robert.
Leon smile. "I know you understand horses. I remember when we were in the flower fields and had a lot of horses because you were good at taming them. That's also a very nice horse."
"Well, more dashing than a pony in the land of blue dwarves. Haha...." Niken laughing.
Leon hands the 800 silver coins into Dean's hand. Dean nodded. They're ready to go.
Captain's cabin is open. The captain and Linch came out. And as expected, he took a step back when he saw Cloudy who was showing off his teeth.
"Is he harmless?" Linch felt a great horror.
"He's dangerous to bad people" replied Dean.
"Trust me. They are more dangerous than the tiger" the Captain said, chuckling.
"alright. I'll remember your advice" said Linch.
"Captain, thank you for your kindness all along." Dean cheers on Captain Smith.
"Hmmm... I've always been kind to everyone" Captain Smith said, trying to be authoritative.
Dean hugged her warmly.
"Goodbye Captain!"
Everyone waved at him. Captain Smith felt a little moved and sad. No one else can give him good cheese at a cheap price. He had tried to sell one to the city lord Levin. And get a big profit.
Captain Smith watched the party from above the deck. Good and simple people. I don't know if I can meet again.
"Well, the temptation of the wall of light is so great. Even the good people were pulled over as well" he lamented sadly.
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1 Chapter Yes 🙏