Chapter 160: The Cleaner

Chapter 160: The Cleaner

Foras... hearing that name, Silas’ expression shifted; that name wasn’t any ordinary name, which he had soon realized. "Tell me more. Where is He?"

The pirate captain gulped and looked at Murphy’s cold expression, then at Silas, who seemed to judge him. "I have never seen Him again after my crew died. I managed to escape somehow... maybe He let me escape to spread His name."

Murphy shut the door, trapping the captain behind, and turned toward Silas. "You have an artifact, right? Can I see it."

Silas blinked and moved his hand inside his pocket, pulling the mid Ordinal artifact out and giving it to Murphy, who examined it for a few moments.

He asked in his mind. ’Divine Serpent, what is this bell?’

The Divine Serpent looked directly at the bell artifact through the spirit world. After taking a long pause, it spoke in its archaic tone. "The Bell of Catalyst. One of the Artifacts that help redirect localized corruption, Great Master."

"What does it do?"

"Traps the sound of cosmic whisper; it’s for the anchor."

Murphy finally looked over his fedora, staring at Silas for a while before finally speaking. "How did you get it, Mr. Silas? It’s the Bell of Catalyst to anchor yourself in rituals."

Silas’ eyes widened at the information; he didn’t anticipate that a Detective would know that much, although his shock remained for only a few moments as he remembered that Murphy was sent by Mr. Mysteries; after all, he couldn’t underestimate him. "Mr. Law, you have a really important amount of knowledge. I stole it from pirates."

"Good job, I suppose. Although as a member of law, stealing is a crime, since those pirates had most likely stolen it too and because you are using it for good, maybe I can let go of this one for now." Murphy pointed a finger before turning toward the main entrance of the ship. "We will leave now."

Silas nodded at his words; he knew that in front of the Detective he had to keep his morals in check, and even if he was manipulated by Mr. Mysteries, that could still cause trouble.

Suddenly, Murphy noticed a movement as a fabric could be seen moving away from behind the wooden walls.

Silas, however, heard the muttering that simply was speaking: "They are going to kill the captain! Oh, my lord, please save me. They’ll kill me too!"

Murphy’s footsteps quickened as he reached toward the wall and looked at the path ahead, where he noticed a man with a red bandana and yellow clothes with a blue scarf wrapped around his waist. He wore grey pants that had been dirty from dust and slightly wet from the cleaning.

Well, unfortunately, Murphy noticed him and looked at the bucket the man was holding and called out. "Oye, stop there. Where do you think you are going?"

The cleaning worker of the pirates, named Dante Oliver, froze as he heard the cold voice. He slowly turned his head to look at them with a nervous grin and hiccuped a low, terrified chuckle. "Me? Oh... no? I wasn’t going anywhere."

Murphy looked at the bucket first in his hand, then at Dante again, before staring at the bucket once more. "You were leaving."

"No?"

"What’s that bucket for then?"

"I enjoy carrying buckets."

Silas came behind Murphy and stared at Dante, who quickly took a few steps back again and spoke. "I’m only a forced cleaner here..."

He explained his situation and how he was caught by the pirates and was forced to work here. "They made me clean the ship, cook, repair ropes, carry supplies, scrub the deck, and occasionally listen to their complaints. I became a servant before a groom."

Silas looked at him from top to bottom. "And you stayed?"

"It’s not like I had other f**king options!"

Murphy tilted his head and asked. "Name?"

"Dante Oliver."

"Occupation?"

"Alive, sir."

Silas pinched the bridge of his nose and turned toward the door of the ship’s control and found it locked. "So where is the key?"

"I have them." He pointed at a nearby table and gestured to open them as Silas took the key.

Murphy glanced at the man again before Dante asked. "Are you a Detective?"

"Yes."

Silas: "He is very good at finding people."

Murphy only stared at Dante with a cold, terrifyingly polite expression, making Dante even more paranoid.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Silas answered with a shrug. "No, we aren’t."

"NOW YOU ARE BOTH STARING AT ME!!"

Murphy turned toward Silas. "Urgh, we are leaving."

"Excellent."

"You are coming with us, actually." Murphy said with the same dangerous, cold, and polite voice.

"I must take my enthusiasm back..." Dante paused and gulped slightly before moving closer and whispering in a low tone, trying to hide his fear. "So where are we going?"

"Bloodborne Sea."

"Cough! WHAT?!" He took a few steps back, dropping his bucket down, before turning toward the exit to run, but before that Murphy caught his collar from behind and dragged him toward the control room as Silas opened it.

"No!! Nooo! I have a family; I have a beautiful wife with six children. Spare me, I beg you not to do it!!!" Dante yelled, frantically waving his hand to escape as Murphy closed the door shut behind and pushed him toward a nearby wall.

"What? You just said that pirates caught you, and you didn’t even get to become a groom."

"I remembered I have a wife now..." Dante murmured as he glanced back at the closed door.

Silas slammed his hand on his face and looked at the ceiling with a fed-up expression. "Oh my god."

The pirate servant groaned, his expression turning horrified as he muttered. "I should have listened to the occult card. I knew it today was going to be terrible."

"Interesting." Murphy took a brief glance at him as he said that, making Dante’s ears perked up.

He quickly jolted his head toward Murphy. "What’s interesting here?"

"Nothing particularly, if you don’t want to go, then I suppose it’s alright."

"Really!?"

"Yes."

Hearing that, Dante’s expression brightened instantly as he quickly tried to stand to move, but just then Murphy turned toward Silas and gestured at him with a finger.

"Mr. Silas, throw him overboard once we are outside."

Dante’s smile vanished instantly. "Wait wait wait. I changed my mind; I’m willing to go!"

"Smart choice. So tell me how much do you know about the Bloodborne Sea?"

Dante: "Enough to know we shouldn’t go there."

Silas: "Useless advice."

"I know that because once a pirate went to get some kind of treasure there... he didn’t return."

"How is that relevant?" Murphy asked quietly as Silas started the ship that moved alongside the waves and he opened the flag.

"He owed me money!"

Silas glanced back with his eyes showing the absurd expression that seemed to be judging.

"I never got it back..." Dante exhaled a long sigh.

Murphy: "Tragic."

"It was a total of twelve copper coins."

"Even more tragic."

Just within a few hours, when they looked ahead, they saw the storm approaching them. It was the entrance to the Bloodborne Sea.