Chapter 12 - 12 – Sister Carmel and the House of Lambs

Sister Carmel was a good person. In fact, calling her a "good person" might even be considered an insult. She was a saint—a woman who dedicated her entire life to rescuing homeless children, regardless of race or background. ...Or so it seemed. Magnus still remembered the first time he met that old hag. Fifty years ago. He was twenty, had only been at sea for two years. As a bounty hunter, he'd scraped together some savings and was filled with dreams and expectations for the future. Then—he got scammed. A female con artist posing as a ship merchant swindled him out of his entire one million Beli. That was one million Beli fifty years ago! That con artist? None other than the now "holy" Sister Carmel. Who would've thought? A few decades later, that same scammer had become the so-called Saint of the People, a bridge between ordinary humans and the giants. When Magnus got the news, he almost stormed into Elbaf just to expose her. To Sister Carmel, Magnus was like a leech she couldn't get rid of. So what if she conned him out of a million when she was young? He chased her for three years, relentlessly demanding repayment—she hadn't forgotten that. People said she had reformed. Magnus didn't believe a word of it. He even warned her not to get involved with the World Government. Damn it. If she didn't send these homeless kids to the World Government, was she supposed to feed and raise them all herself? Even if the work was dirty, wasn't it better than becoming pirates? Besides, the World Government paid well. So, in response to Magnus's accusations, Carmel merely smiled sweetly. "How could I possibly disappoint the world-renowned pirate, Lord Magnus? Even if I and the children starve from lack of funds, surely you wouldn't care, right?" Magnus's mouth twitched at her passive-aggressive tone. "I'm pretty sure I left you a lot of money." "That little bit? Don't tell me you thought I only had these kids to feed?" Carmel's House of Lambs didn't exist only in Elbaf. She had branches in other regions too. This place just happened to be where she kept the most troublesome children. "You still can't justify selling them to the Celestial Dragons!" "The Celestial Dragons pay the most!" "You old hag!" "You damn geezer!" They glared at each other—lightning practically crackling between them. "Geltz, is Mother fighting with that old man?" The chubby little girl looked confused. "Probably not?" The giant girl with a headscarf tilted her head. "My mom and dad argue like that sometimes too. It usually means they're close." "Really?" Hearing that, the chubby girl's eyes sparkled. "So it's like... mom and dad?" "NO!" ×2 Magnus and Carmel turned around at the same time, voices overlapping. "Eh?" The two little girls jumped in fright. It was only then Magnus really noticed the plump girl in front of him—taller than him, nearly the size of a young giant. Charlotte Linlin! A normal human with the size and build of a giant. This... was true innate talent. Different from someone like Rocks, whose potential required grueling effort to realize. Charlotte Linlin... If raised properly, she would undoubtedly become an emperor in the future! "Tch. You noticed her too?" Noticing Magnus's gaze, Sister Carmel frowned and lit a cigarette, gesturing for him to walk aside. "What's wrong? You interested in this one?" Carmel sneered. "She's a real genius. Unlike you—a 'normal' person who only climbed up through hard work. If Linlin joins the Navy, she's bound to be an admiral candidate." She had watched Magnus grow from a weak bounty hunter into a renowned pirate. So she knew—Magnus had some talent, yes, but at best he was just above average. "Magnus, you've sailed the seas for decades. You should understand by now—true geniuses exist." "Not you, not me." "You're already this old. Are you seriously still chasing your pirate dream?" Two months ago, her words might've shaken him. But now? "Why the hell not?" Magnus snorted, chest high, eyes turned to the sea. "If the World Government couldn't break me... If the Navy couldn't crush me... If the sea couldn't drown me... Then why the hell should time be able to?" "Then go die out there, old man." Carmel scoffed. She had no intention of convincing him. Old bastards like him were stubborn as mules. If he died, he died—why should she care? Magnus knew that too, so he cut to the chase. "Give that girl to me. You can't raise her right." "Not a chance!" Carmel didn't hesitate. She sneered, "I can't raise Linlin? And you can? You're a pirate! You want Linlin to live a dangerous, cutthroat life as a pirate?" "One million Beli." "Two million." "Deal." The words left her mouth before she could think—and then she realized... She'd just sold Linlin for two million Beli. "MAGNUS!!!" "Shut up. I'll give you three million as a donation. After that, I'll pay you one million annually. That's all you're getting." Magnus gritted his teeth, thinking about how he'd already spent a fifth of Farrell's bounty before he'd even cashed it in. He shot Carmel a dark look. "You'd better not be working with the Celestial Dragons. You know how much trouble I went through to get your last handler replaced?" "Tch. Maybe I should've reported you to Sengoku when I had the chance. He's practically a Navy admiral now—and you're still a lowly pirate." Carmel exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Relax. Every child I've sent to the Navy is documented. Normal kids—I've tried to find good foster families for them. But I can't do miracles." Carmel got angry just thinking about it. She'd partnered with the World Government hoping to benefit from its protection. But they weren't exactly saints either. She'd had to lower herself and call Magnus—for the first time in her life. And that call... turned Magnus from a respectable adventurer into a notorious pirate overnight. That was when the name "White Wolf" truly made its mark. What Carmel didn't know was—if it weren't for Magnus, she would've descended from con artist to human trafficker. She still worked with the Government—but now through the Navy, specifically one of the current admirals. And to be fair—being in the Navy is still better than becoming a pirate, right? "...Fine. You can take Linlin." Funding at the House of Lambs was tight lately anyway. And for all his faults, Magnus had more integrity than her. A pirate who paid money to send talent to the Navy—what a weirdo. 'As long as he doesn't send her to the Celestial Dragons, it's fine.' That was Magnus's one rule. Simple, and eventually easy to accept. Freak. That was how Carmel saw Magnus. "Even if I said yes, Linlin has to agree to go with you. That's your problem now." Carmel's wrinkled face curled into a sinister grin. "If you fail to win her over, I'll just sell her to the Navy instead. I'm sure Sengoku would love an admiral candidate like her." "Hmph. Don't underestimate me!" Magnus smirked. "Don't forget—when our ship sank all those years ago, who cooked for you on that deserted island?" "You mean who smashed that ship in the first place?!" Carmel growled. All that over a single million Beli? Seriously? Magnus ignored her. They were the type to bicker constantly, and it was better to just stay away unless absolutely necessary. Charlotte Linlin... As Magnus approached her, preparing to build trust and slowly bring her aboard his ship— The system popped up again. Sea Calendar Year 1480, June 3rd. This is your 65th day as a pirate. Unfortunately, you've just run into a future Yonko: Charlotte Linlin. At 25, she is the most beautiful woman on the seas, a celebrated pirate empress. You can't beat her. But maybe... just maybe, a grand romantic tale can unfold between you? Beautiful? Pirate Empress? Magnus glanced at the system's description—then back at the five-year-old, snot-nosed, dumb-looking, chubby little girl in front of him. System... You're goddamn ridiculous. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]