Chapter 25: 25 Pichi Pochi

Chapter 25: 25. Pichi Pochi

Darcus had Kallen take out his bow and arrows; he wanted to test them out in a bit, as he had never shot at a moving target before.

The treasure ship opposite them saw them turn around directly and began fleeing with the monsoon. The three-masted square-rigged privateer, heavily laden with cargo, did not manage to catch up until noon.

As Darcus watched the treasure ship drawing closer, that strange sensation crept into his heart again.

Dustan Cold-Eye did not choose to engage in a broadside duel, because the treasure ship was equipped with cannons.

Under his command, the privateer began to veer to the right. The Reaper Ballista fired first, a single volley that directly crippled the treasure ship's rudder. Then, the ship veered to the left to continue attacking the stern. The privateer maneuvered back and forth, finally clinging to the treasure ship's stern.

Professional!

Subsequently, flintlock muskets and repeating crossbows began to exchange fire, and Darcus claimed two kills. These Black Ark pirates began leaping onto the deck using shields to protect themselves, as Sea Dragon hide was somewhat vulnerable to musket fire.

A group of Druchi then climbed up using grappling hooks and ropes. There was nothing much to say—it was another round of slaughter. By the time Darcus climbed aboard, not a single soul had been left alive.

This time, Dustan Cold-Eye did not join the combat but instead commanded the ship, pulling alongside the treasure ship's flank to facilitate the transfer of treasure.

Accompanied by the two siblings, Darcus began inspecting the spoils. The cargo holds were filled with dazzling gold, gemstones, and several gold-inlaid stone tablets.

One look at the style of these treasures, and he knew exactly where this ship had come from.

"Sigh, so close, yet so far. A pity, a pity. Forgive me, everyone, but I shall accept these."

Opening another hold, he found no treasure here, only a single Skink chained up, lying on the ground listlessly. Darcus felt as though the creature might pass away to meet the Old Ones at any second. Seeing this Skink, he understood why he had felt that bizarre sense of destiny just now.

Darcus turned to the siblings and said, "Quick, go find fresh water."

A moment later, Rain returned carrying two buckets of water, pouring one directly over the Skink and placing the other beside it.

"You two, get out. Guard the door."

The moistened Skink reacted immediately, struggling to crawl up and gulping greedily from the bucket.

Darcus spoke in Batonian: "Thirsty?"

Hearing the movement, the Skink turned its eyes toward him, then tilted its head to continue watching him. Its pupils moved irregularly within its sockets, appearing very spirited.

Darcus spoke again in Imperial: "Can you understand what I am saying?"

The Skink watched him for a moment, then nodded.

Darcus then spoke in the language of the Southern City-States: "Are you a brother? Or a sister?"

The Skink made a series of clicking, chattering sounds. Darcus didn't know what language it was—perhaps the language of the Lizardmen—but miraculously, he understood it. A mental imprint? Automatic translation? He couldn't figure it out.

Darcus wondered to himself, *Am I regressing? What kind of strange ability is this?* Then, in Chinese, he said, "My name is Darcus Hell-Bane."

"Chupacabra, nice to meet you. Thanks for the water; I felt like I was dying just now."

Watching the Skink's head bobbing back and forth, Darcus mimicked the movement. In Druchi, he asked, "Pichi Pochi?"

The Skink let out another series of clicks and chattering: "Pichi Pochi? He is my good brother. We were hatched in the same batch. How do you know him?"

Darcus finally realized what kind of entity he was dealing with. These were the "Two Generals" of Master Ma—they were the Skink officials of Hesut, notorious and prone to theft—they held several infamies, including being "thieving scoundrels"!

Skinks like this were also very rare in Lusutha in South America. Skinks were hatched. Sometimes, a hatching would not result in a standard Skink unit, but only a single individual. These individuals were blessed by the Old Ones, destined to become divinely appointed leaders or the elite among their kind. Such Skinks could harmonize with the energies of nature, possessing magical talent to become Skink Priests and sages of the race. Their mission was to serve as attendants to powerful Slann Mage-Priests and as prophets for the Lizardmen, acting as the sole interpreters and spokespeople for the Slann. The daily affairs of Lizardman society were managed by Skink Priests. Their mission was to act as agents of their masters to ensure the realization of the "Great Plan."

In short: Skinks were thin, bipedal lizards capable of using weapons and tools, and some blessed ones possessed high intelligence and magic. Within Lizardman society, they were the bureaucrats, astrologers, and prophets responsible for managing and coordinating the workings of their entire civilization.

"Rain! Go get Kallen! Now! Alisha, you come in!"

"Alisha, try to communicate with him."

The Beastmaster specialty overlapped somewhat with animal trainers.

Alisha and Chupacabra stared at each other for a long time before Alisha shook her head.

"Fine, you go out first. Let Kallen in."

Kallen entered as well, but after trying for a long time, he felt the same way.

Darcus thought, *This is damn weird. What the hell is this?*

Shaking his head, he stepped out of the hold. Dustan Cold-Eye had appeared at some unknown point.

Darcus stood there in hesitation for a long time, agonizing over the changes this might bring. As he always said, he disliked things outside of his plans, and he especially disliked uncontrollable risks. Darcus felt like slaughtering this Skink immediately, letting the other Druchi chop it up or simply tossing it into the sea.

However, he still didn't quite grasp the mechanics of fate, astrology, and prophecy. What if the prophecy in Lusutha stated that Chupacabra would die at the hands of a Druchi? If he went to Lusutha one day, wouldn't he run straight into that? Without an introduction, if you are Druchi, then you are the one who killed Chupacabra, and you become the enemy. That is the strange nature of Chaotic Neutral.

Dustan Cold-Eye and the other Druchi did not owe their loyalty to him, but to the Hell-Bane family—to the Young Lord, Nuker. They weren't fools; Darcus had been inside for quite a while, and bringing Chupacabra back to Krakald, they would certainly be able to guess something. Besides, where would he put him once they returned? In his own tower? In his own bed?

Nuker would eventually find out. That old bastard who had lived for five thousand years was temperamental; the previous Darcus had avoided him at all costs. Who knew what he would make Darcus do?

The core of the Druchi high command, quite simply, consisted of the Witch King Malekith and the elder generations like the Hell-Bane family who had been driven out of Naggaroth.

The high command followed Machiavellian principles. To them, the Druchi commoner class—including newly minted Dreadlords and Admirals who had earned new titles—were merely cannon fodder and tools. These old bastards had only one goal: the counter-offensive against Ulthuan!

Malekith would reign over Ulthuan as the Phoenix King, and the Hell-Bane family would return to Naggaroth to continue being their lords.

Indecision leads to chaos. To hell with it!

Darcus looked at the siblings, Dustan Cold-Eye, and Kallen, and said solemnly, "You owe your loyalty either to me or to the Hell-Bane family. Now, you must prove your loyalty!"

Upon hearing this, the Druchi knelt.

Darcus waved his hand and continued, "I don't want you to say anything, nor do I need you to swear any oaths. I need you to prove it through action. That Skink in there is very important to me and to the Hell-Bane family."

"This Skink needs to be transported. He is currently listless. Kallen! I need you to take good care of him on the journey until we return to Krakald!"

Kallen prostrated himself and said, "My Lord, rest assured. Not a single mistake will occur."

"Dustan Cold-Eye, keep your crew in line!"

"Yes, my Lord!"

"Do not speak of this to anyone else. Everyone, rise. It is time to head back."

The men used a small cage to secure Chupacabra, covered it with a black cloth, and carried it back to an empty guest cabin.

Sailors and soldiers were busy collecting and moving the treasure. On the soldier's side, captains set up checkpoints to prevent theft, while on the sailors' side, the First Mate and Boatswain managed the process.

Two days later, Dustan Cold-Eye reported the statistics to Darcus. In short, it was a massive amount. The combined value of the treasure and slaves was staggering, nearly equaling a year's worth of raids by a Black Ark.

Sometimes, having too much sovereignty was a headache. Darcus didn't even dare to imagine what would happen if he brought all this treasure and these slaves back to Krakald.

Make a name for himself in the Druchi lands? That was too big a target; Darcus couldn't handle it. He couldn't afford to be too conspicuous.

Malekith and the Druchi nobility of the six cities would all know of a man named Darcus. Famous Dreadlords and Black Ark Admirals couldn't raid this much at the age of sixteen. How would the Druchi nobility view him? Darcus had no desire to deal with Malekith.

And what would follow? Breaking the record for the Rite of Coming-of-Age? What use was that?

The Rite of Coming-of-Age was essentially a game with a set of default rules. Darcus's actions would break those rules, and things would inevitably become hyper-competitive. No matter how much he raided, if someone could say, "He's not as good as Darcus," wouldn't that breed resentment?

The nobles in Krakald would constantly whisper in his cousin's ear, "Your brother is better than you in this regard, and that in that." Over time, even a healthy person would fall ill from such talk.

The Hell-Bane family was already a great vassal house; the core of the family was the Matriarch and the Young Lord.

Darcus didn't need this fame. He could communicate with Chupacabra, and by being able to talk to this Skink, he could eventually talk to other Skinks—and even communicate with the Slann sitting in their gaming chairs. If he could do that, would he ever lack money?

Having made his decision, Darcus summoned Dustan Cold-Eye.

"Captain, do you know of any hidden treasure locations?"

Dustan Cold-Eye looked stunned, then said calmly, "My Lord, I know of a few places suitable for hiding treasure."

"Beyond the Frozen Sea, are there any trading ports?"

Dustan Cold-Eye understood immediately. He said, "My Lord, there is one."

"How about we go take a look? Will we make it back in time, Captain?"

"No problem, my Lord. We can reach Krakald before the seas are closed."

"Then let us go take a look."

Darcus asked again, "How are your math skills?"

"Eh?"

(Pichi Pochi and Chupacabra appear in the 5th edition of the Lizardmen army books.)

(They are Lizardmen attendants in the Total War games.)

(There is a bug: these two brothers appear in the year 888 of the Imperial Calendar, meaning they should be long dead by now.)

(End of Chapter)