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“Danitz! You still running errands?” An annoying voice rang out, and Danitz who was helping transfer intel to the local resistance almost rebuked. But he held back, he was in disguise right now and what did it matter to Dane that Danitz was called out? So he ignored the voice and kept walking.
“Come on! That disguise ain’t fooling anyone. Want to get a drink?” Anderson moves to hold Danitz by the shoulder. Why was this bastard doing this? But Danitz unknowingly had followed Anderson into a bar
“Wait. . . you are trying to get me to pay right?” by the time he realized they were already sitting down and the bartender was asking for orders.
“Why??? You have more money than me!! “ Danitz raises his voice a bit, although he had quite a few properties, he had no money in cash to pay for drinks.
“Yeah, get out your wallet. You owe me.” and Danitz couldn’t make any objections to that, after the whole banquet incident he did owe Anderson quite a lot, he still shudders thinking back to the “incident”. So he hatefully felt around for his wallet.
“Anderson, I hope one day you are found dead in a ditch somewhere.” he gritted out, only to find Anderson’s expression going weird. Danitz thought to himself Wait is Anderson getting scared? It has to be that! His eyes are getting wide with fear! Did I finally get scarier overnight? Finally! The Flaming Danitz will finally get the respect he deserves!! Is my Gehrmann impression exercises finally making me scarier?
Anderson saw a smug smile growing on Danitz face, and chuckled.
“Yeah, ‘dead in a ditch’, real creative” Anderson’s gaze moved to something behind him ” Might as well said fuck you, you would have saved enough brain power to think to look back.” gesturing with his head to look behind him.
Danitz froze on the spot, the smug face falling apart quicker than a pirate hearing Gehrman was in town. If it was some kind of well known demigod pirate, Anderson would have run already. There is only one person where Anderson would be like this. Gehrmann! He really didn’t want to turn back but he still did so with much trepidation, like one of those mechanical dolls. Why is Gehrman here!
Much to his despair Gehrman was sitting across the bar glaring directly at him. He was a being of horror as usual. Slowly as more and more people noticed him, the bar got quieter and quieter. This caused an illusion that Gehrman was dragging into the depths of an abyss, with his scowling expression, the mad eyes shadowed even in the bright bar and the slowly quieting atmosphere, it really made him look like an angel of death.
He routinely tapped the table, one by one his fingers going tap tap tap, his leather gloves causing it to be a bit muffled but it did not take away from the weight he put on everyone here. He was seemingly waiting for him to quickly get him a menu and be a waiter.
Danitz jumped like a dog getting it’s tail stepped on, who cares about his pride. He is happy to even survive, especially when Gehrman was this mad? Is this some kind of a terrifying test? ‘Order the wrong food and the food I will be eating is you’? What made him so mad? He did not do anything! He swears by his deepest and darkest secret, he did not do anything! Why is that madman taking it out on him! Hearing some shuffling behind him, he quickly grabbed Anderson by the arm. His hands tightening he gritted out “No, no you dragged me here, we are in this together” , he did not let him escape. If he suffers, Anderson has to suffer too!
Gehrman gaze swept across him, a cold and cruel feeling swept through Danitz. Seeing Danitz up and moving he curtly nodded with his head, as if saying ‘what are you waiting for?’ and turned back to the person sitting across from him. Wait, sitting across from him? A pale thin hand was the first thing he noticed. Someone who really never seen the sun at sea before. Danitz really didn’t notice there was a person there. And danitz can’t really be blamed, no sheep in front of a wolf would focus on another sheep beside the wolf. The guy was a gentle looking, bookish young man. Danitz felt a twinge of sympathy, as much as he could anyway with Gehrman’s gaze on him. If he, a strong hunter with a bounty of 5000 pounds was put into this state, what kind of torture was this poor student in sitting across from the beast. A kidnapee? Or maybe a client?
Danitz stopped dwelling and Anderson and him both shared a look. He then quickly moved to the bar to order drinks.
“Get me some . . . beers! The good kind! Not the pisswater you give to drunk pirates! We have him in the bar, understand?” He had the want to hold the bartender by the collars, the bartender wouldn’t suffer that much, only having to clean up their blood if they really offended Gehrman.
A few beers would be the safest choice right? Everybody drank it and it’s not that cheap so that Gehrman wouldn’t look at him and say ‘How dare you buy me this shit’. Anderson, also moving with the motivation of not being killed, respectfully moved to Gehrman and his guest to ask for their orders, his face looked strained like he never put on this kind of face before.
The person across from Gehrman thought for a few moments, chewing his lips in hesitation before shyly turning to Anderson.
“Do they have sweet iced tea?” he really seemed to regret asking for such a ‘childish’ drink, so he quickly moved on “and one Desi bay pie please!”. Anderson’s face twitched again, much stronger than before, unfortunately he couldn’t help himself and quickly said.
“Desi bay pie and sweet iced tea? Do you also want a pacifier with that-” Gehrman shot him with a glare that was much more vindictive than anything he did before, seems like he really underestimated the guy’s relationship with Gehrman so he wisely shut his mouth, he had a bit of a thousand yard stare on his face.
Gehrman simply nodded, like this was something he expected. But Danitz turned to look at him in horror. Why! You poor innocent soul, at least order something like water if you don’t want to drink alcohol! Ordering before Gehrman, do you want to get killed?
The guy, feeling the 3 stares of the men in front of him, shrank back into his seat. Gehrman simply looked at him and then turned to Anderson.
“Desi bay pie, a beer”
“Yes, anything else . . . sir” Anderson looked like he was chewing on lemon. He turned, and quickly scurried off to the kitchen. Passing by Danitz, he really didn’t pass by the chance and he softly told Danitz
“Don’t forget the baby’s drink” Danitz looked at Anderson in disbelief. Does he really want to die. Even a sailor who had drinken a gallon of Lanti Proof would have noticed Gehrman did care about that guy. Although nobody knew how much that reached, nobody in their right mind would play with that kind of fire.
And eventually much to Danitz’s dismay, they were seated at one table. They really couldn’t escape Gehrman, although they didn’t know why, Gehrman seemed like he wouldn’t let them go at all. Like a king who owned the bar, Gehrman didn’t move an inch and he even stopped the mystery guy who got up to make way for them. So one of them had to bite the bullet and sit beside Gehrman. They formed a quick huddle to decide amongst themselves.
“You. owe. Me. Although it’s fun to insult that guy, I don’t want to sit beside him the entire time” Anderson gritted out while smiling.
“That. is. Not. enough for me to court my death” Danitz answered cheerfully. They eventually decided on the seating arrangement by a game of rock paper and scissors. A game introduced by Emperor Roselle. Danitz couldn’t help but feel a smidge of sympathy for even Anderson who was sitting next to Gehrman with an unreadable expression on his face.
Then the mystery guy smiled with the power of a thousand suns.
“My name is Klein! Are you my brother’s friends? It was such a great opportunity for me to meet you, so I asked my brother to let you guys stay for lunch!” His eyes creased, seemingly unknowing on how the pirate and hunter were cursing him in their heads. Danitz screamed inwardly, What did we ever do to you?! Do you just like torturing people like this? Is it payback for Anderson? Then why am I here?
Klein looked a bit naive. Like someone who really hadn’t dealt with pirates and such before. Looking at his Loen suit, and the bookish air he had, he was probably just a college student. But when did college students get this vindictive!
Not wanting to leave Gehrman’s brother hanging, Danitz answered for them.
“My name is Flaming Danitz, and I am a pirate. That guy is Anderson, self proclaimed strongest hunter below demigod.” that seemed like the right choice as Gehrman nodded.
“Oh! A pirate? But I thought-” Noticing the next words would be considered rude, Klein stopped. But Gehrman frowned a bit.
“Say it, they’re not the demographic to be polite to.” Gehrman seemed to really hate Klein being submissive, as if saying ‘as my brother, do whatever you want, submitting would be considered a personal insult from the other party to me”
“Oh, it’s just that you cash out every pirate you see?” Danitz’s face twitched at that. Don’t say that! What if Gehrman looks at me and says ‘oh i guess i’ll kill him then’!!!
“He is a good servant” Gehrman started explaining to Klein gently and added on “It’s funny seeing him squirm” Klein seemed to have understood something.
“I see! But isn’t it quite rude to call him a servant if they are your friends?” Please shut up Klein, the brother of Gehrman Sparrow. You might really kill us. But Gehrman didn’t continue to answer Klein simply, chuckling a bit. Swirling the beer in his hands a bit, he turned to Klein again.
“Hmm, I have to go prepare the learning materials. Stay here” He was much gentler with Klein but it turned much colder when he turned to the other two “Have a single strand of hair astray and your heads will be used as payment”. They watched as Gehrman swiftly disappeared from the bar.
“Sorry for my brother, he is a bit intense” Klein smiled a bit awkwardly at the two hunter men. A bit intense??? They both wanted to beat up Klein, but stopped knowing the older brother would be there to use their heads to console Klein.
“Intense huh??” Anderson smiled, the plotting expression on that smug face of his scared Danitz. This fearless idiot!
“Hey, Klein, do you know what your brother does?” Anderson asked smugly. Either Klein would know and they could point out how his cruel brother can’t be considered only intense or Klein wouldn’t know and he would drive a wedge between the brothers.
“Well . . . doesn’t he hunt pirates and get their bounties? He puts away dangerous people behind bars! He is a good person” Klein held his fist over his heart, he was so proud of the ‘good’ brother of his. Anderson’s smile got deeper.
“Wow! Gehrman I really didn’t think you would be this kind of guy!” He chuckled, if he broke this little fantasy of Klein. Gehrman can’t keep on playing the kind older brother to him can he?
“He kills people. Haven’t you seen how much everyone fears him? He hunts them in a more literal way than what you’re imagining. Don’t you know your brother gets drenched in blood everyday? You can ask Danitz here, he washes the blood off from his clothes” Danitz looked as if he wanted to run away but unfortunately, he didn’t trust Anderson. Even if he ran, he would also be held responsible.
“Oh, I guess I was a bit naive. With how fearsome pirates are, there isn’t any reason to keep them alive right? It was also like this with wild- anyways, I should go comfort Gehrman then! It really shook me to the core when I killed the first time. I can’t imagine how hard it would be for Gehrman! “ Anderson froze, and Danitz took in a cold breath of air. They were fooled! Nobody that was related to that madman would be normal! Even this kind looking college student killed someone before. And talking about it in such a cold way too, ‘any reason to keep them alive’? Danitz was foolish for thinking Klein was a fellow sufferer, he was an another devil!
Danitz couldn’t help but shudder, wondering what kind of family nurtured these kinds of mad killers. The youngest was so mad that he held a broken scale of judgement and found no problem being the judge, jury and executioner, the older was a mad man who danced on the edge of death and life, killing for his personal pleasure and a sense of challenge. Who was their father? Their mother? Was their father also a serial killer, finding pleasure in killing, so that he passed it onto their oldest? Was he a lunatic who killed in the name of justice, killing anything that broke the unknown rules of compliance?
“Klein” All of a sudden Gehrman materialized from somewhere. Causing both Anderson and Danitz to jump almost a foot up in the air. Danitz quickly hid behind Klein, hoping that Anderson’s scheme was not found.
Klein jumped up and like an obedient child quickly ran to his side. Uncaring if this gentle brother of his was so drenched in blood that he would never be clean again in this lifetime. Klein looked up with polite expression, but in the eyes of Gehrman it was like a cat asking for attention, so he moved his hand to pat his head expressionlessly.
Gehrman holding Klein’s hand moved out of the bar, wordlessly telling Anderson and Danitz along the way to follow them or else. Moving through twisting alleyways, it felt like walking to their own execution. If he really survives this Danitz will never meet up with Anderson again! To think he would be held for a crime he didn’t do, he shed invisible tears.
They finally came to a warehouse, a quiet one, far out of the way. The door opened with a loud creak, and the rusted doors opened with a little difficulty. There was someone tied up in there, with his head in a rucksack. A poor pirate. And a bunch of ritual materials.
“Gehrman?” Klein looked a bit confused. And Danitz and Anderson was even more so. Is Gehrman teaching his younger brother to sacrifice a blood sacrifice to the god he believes in? Gehrman took a gun from his inner pocket and gave it to Klein.
“I need to see your level, you wanted to kill a demigod right? You need to start from somewhere.” He stated nonchalantly, Klein nodded and held the gun. He seemed familiar with guns twisting it and inspecting it
“And the ritual materials?” Klein asked while busily trying the gun’s weight out.
“A birthday gift. You wanted to contact that parasite host right? the ritual materials are for summoning a personal messenger for you.” Gehrman sounded a bit annoyed and had a tone of resignation, which was a first to Dantiz and Anderson who thought Gehrman would never hold this tone with his precious baby brother. “If only to keep that flirt out of my messenger system. . . “ he muttered under his breath. Flirt? Danitz and Anderson had the same thought. Poor guy, got seduced by the innocent face of Gehrman’s brother and thought it was an easy mark only to get himself unknowingly trapped in the maws of a tiger . Anderson also had a thought to laugh at Gehrman for having to deal with dog food in his letters, only to be stopped by Danitz
Klein blushed hearing the insult to that ‘Flirt’
“Leonard is not a flirt! We are only friends” He huffed out, but nonetheless he moved to stand in the middle of the warehouse. And Gehrman moved to release the ‘exam’ pirate. Anderson smiled, wow what a lucky guy! To get this kind of treatment. To fight a real battle, and have your overpowered brother to be your safety net.
Klein’s eyes narrowed, looking at his opponent carefully. The pirate, wanting to leave here alive, the last desperate light shone bright in the pirate’s eyes. But Klein, knowing the crimes this person had committed, could only think of if the pirate’s victims had that same glow.
This truly let Klein harden his heart and he dodged out of the way, letting him get far away for him to focus his gun on the pirate. The pirate knowing he can’t reach klein, cast a fireball, the burning fireball swished by Klein’s head. And using the time the pirate used to cast that fireball, he took a shot. It hit his shoulder. Klein frowned, seemingly not having planned on hitting that part. But he moved along shooting another bullet, this time hitting the pirate’s head.
Only after the pirate stop moving did the exam end. But Klein frowned even more.
“Gehrman, you know my skill level, isn’t this a bit too . . . “ Gehrman nodded.
“I only wanted to see if you would be able to kill even if you technically had nothing against him. You only fought obvious cultists and beyonders who had lost control before” that seemed to make Klein feel better, but Danitz could still see a bit of unwillingness on his face.
“No matter, let us continue on your gift.”
Anderson moved to run away. Not willing to continue on being a witness. But a gaze from Gehrman quickly extinguished that thought, Danitz and Anderson both had the same thought, why the hell were they here!”
“You are here to be a guide for Klein afterwards, he really wanted to visit the island” he grabbed a paper with written words. Giving it to Klein, who took the paper and raised a brow.
"The spirit that wanders about the unfounded,
The friendly creature that can be subordinated,
A unique creature that is willing to be my messenger? Is this how you summon a messenger?” Gehrman only nodded in response. So Klein repeated the incantation with ancient hermes this time.
The area in front of him filled with grey fog and a hound jumped out of it. The hound had slick black fur and glowing red eyes. The one thing that made it clear that it was a spirit was the horrifying split mouth it had.
“A hound of fulgrim? It seems like father is looking out for me” Klein smiled, then moved to complete the contract.
“Mm, a great contract. Just make sure to remind that boy to no longer send messages to me” Gehrman said to Klein before turning to the two hunters who had been awkwardly sitting there the entire time. “Clean this place up.”
Both understood the command and as they all left there was only a smoldering warehouse left behind. Then as usual Gehrman disappeared, and the two men were left with Klein.
The sightseeing journey was pretty uneventful, they pretty much took a walk around the island, stopping at the stores Klein found interesting, of course Danitz paid for the souvenirs. If Gehrman learned Klein had to pay for anything, he would say ‘really? Then I will refund Klein with your bounty!’ Anderson with his ever loudmouth made the perfect tour guide, although Klein looked as if he wanted to hit him a few times.
Although they did meet an unlucky pirate during the trip. The pirate attempted to start trouble, looking at the terrified strongest hunter below demigods and flame danitz , and the young college student. He was a bit stupefied, he only ran when Danitz started gesturing at him, he will die if he tried anything .
They only let out a sigh of relief when they gave Klein back to Gehrman at the end of the day at their hotel.