Carefree Path of Dreams

Panda Novel

Malan Port.

This was a common port in Ettoman, with thousands of tons of shipments entering and exiting it every day.

The blue sky was cloudless. On the dock, a tax collector responsible for registration yawned in boredom and rubbed his eyes.

Although it was an ordinary dock, he could collect a considerable amount of mooring and maintenance fees every day. Even the officers of city hall felt envious about it.

It evidently took a lot of effort for him to reach this position.

But it was not yet the peak trading period. The warm afternoon sun dispersed the morning fog and made him feel sleepy.

Suddenly, he stared wide-eyed in a direction.

At the end of the blue ocean, a black dot suddenly appeared.

The black dot was too small. It took a long time for it to drift near the dock, and it turned out to be a crude—wooden raft?

“What the hell!”

The tax collector rubbed his face in a daze and blinked hard, only to confirm that it was indeed an ordinary wooden raft, even inferior to a fishing boat. Furthermore, there was a figure with green hair on the raft.

Thump!

The raft slowly drew near the shore, and a man with a savage appearance stepped onto the dock with a confident and proud expression.

“Hello, sir!”

The tax collector looked at the patrolling soldiers around him and gained some confidence, taking out a pen and paper while approaching him. “By the king’s decree, any ship stopping at the port must be registered. May I know your name, please?”

The laws in Ettoman were still somewhat unreasonable at this time. For instance, in the inland territories, any goods dropped on the road would automatically become the local nobility’s possessions!

Thus, some of the nobles intentionally built roads full of pits in order to increase their income.

Of course, such feudal lords had gradually become irrelevant as society developed. They were on the decline compared to the new powers in the ever-changing Ettoman.

And according to the king’s laws, any ship that stopped at an Ettoman port had to pay port dues!

To a tax collector who tried to maximize income, was a wooden raft counted as well? Of course it was!

“No problem… My name is Donald!” Donald made a gentleman’s bow. Although he looked like a savage now, his aura was incomparable. He added, “The navigator of Flame and Beauty!”

“Oh! God!” The quill pen in the tax collector’s hand dropped onto the ground. “Goddess bless you! You’re still alive?”

“Hmm…” Donald’s voice was low. “Has everyone heard that we encountered pirates?”

“In our port, yes, because your captain chose this port as the final destination and applied for a warehouse in advance. One month after he breached the contract, we learned from the shareholders and creditors who unsuccessfully invested that Flame and Beauty had encountered pirates and all the sailors had died… By the way, the ship was sold for three thousand gold coins at an auction in a pirate port…” the tax collector said everything he knew and appeared to be sorry. “And… sir, because of your declaration, I’m sorry to inform you that you will need to proceed to the port’s security office to be investigated by the security officer and the navy department!”

Based on Donald’s clothes and vehicle, the tax collector deduced that he was only a survivor, but he had to go through the necessary procedures.

Deep down, he was sympathetic toward Donald.

It was already incredible to survive the pirates’ attack, flee to a deserted island, and make a raft to save himself.

It was a miracle to travel across the ocean on a wooden raft despite the currents and waves!

But unfortunately, the creator of this miracle would receive debts rather than flowers and acclaim after reaching Ettoman.

He clearly remembered that some of the creditors were looking for Donald to get him to pay the debt.

As long as the news spread out, they would not miss it.

And by then, the impoverished Donald would definitely be in an extremely poor situation. Bankruptcy was already the best possible outcome.

“I understand. Thank you for your reminder!” Donald smiled and took out a pearl. “This is my entry fee and mooring fee. The rest is your tip.”

“Uh… Thank you, sir!”

The tax collector stared at the pearl in his hand.

Even with the advent of the Great Voyage Era, precious items like pearls and agates were still highly valuable.

Furthermore, the tax collector had glanced at Donald’s pocket when he opened it and estimated that there were about a hundred pearls inside, each of them with a higher quality than the one in his hand!

“Now, before bringing me to the security office, help me find a hotel. I need to sleep, shower, and have a sumptuous feast!”

Donald smiled confidently, revealing his white teeth.

After becoming an Ocean Warlock, he could obtain any treasure in the ocean. Thus, these debts were nothing to him.

…

Merely three days later, a piece of shocking news spread in Malan Port.

A voyager of Flame and Beauty, who everyone believed to have died at sea, returned to Ettoman half a year after the event!

Moreover, not only did he survive the pirates’ attack, but he had also miraculously found a treasure trove of pearls, paying off all his debts at once and becoming a slightly famous plutocrat!

The officers were happy with Donald’s fame.

First, they confirmed through their investigation that Donald was not associated with the Octopus Marauder Team.

Moreover, the port needed to have an exemplar that could motivate others to start marine trading and accumulating wealth.

Most importantly, Mr. Donald was extremely generous with his money, and Ettoman made an effort to protect private property. They did not want to do anything that might do more harm than good to themselves.

News could always become rumor as it spread.

In the end, drunk customers in the taverns swore that Donald had found the previous Pirate King’s treasure and prepared to purchase a noble title using part of it!

While others were still gossiping about whether Donald would buy the position of a baron or a viscount, this legendary figure was on a black carriage bound for the countryside.

Ettoman was a coastal country with perfect port construction, but the inland scenery was completely different.

Above the horizon, paths intersected with one another on the farmland. The giant wheel on the windmill rotated slowly in the air with the fragrance of wheat.

The carriage continued forward, finally stopping in front of a row of cabins.

With a cane in his hand, Donald wore a black tailcoat, a top hat, and a pair of buckskin boots, looking like a successful man in the upper class.

He gazed at the cabin and tears welled up in his eyes. He knocked on the door.

The door creaked open, and a little boy with blond hair and eyes as blue as the ocean looked out from behind the door.

Donald felt as if his heart was melting when he saw the child.

But the clever boy yelled loudly straightaway, “Mom… there’s a stranger!”

“Creditors again? How many times do I have to tell you that Donald didn’t die, and that his debts…”

The door opened wider, revealing a countrywoman over thirty years old.

She was dressed in simple and worn-out clothes. Her expression was apparently angry, but her eyes betrayed her fear.

Obviously, the rumor at the port had not yet reached the countryside.

She froze when she saw Donald, the bread basket in her hand dropping onto the floor.

Although Donald’s hair was green, his facial features had not changed at all, and she recognized him immediately.

“Villain! Don’t bully Mom!”

The little boy spread out his arms in front of his mother like a hen protecting its chicks.

“Sorry… I’m late!” Donald took off his hat and hugged both of them, his eyes full of tears. “Nia, don’t worry… There aren’t any more debts. Our life will be better in the future!”

When Nia heard his words, she could not speak at all as tears fell from her eyes.

…

This dinner was very sumptuous for people living in the countryside.

There was fragrant white bread, a large bowl of vegetable soup, and a plate of sausages.

In the seasoning bottles, there was even olive oil, fine salt, and spice from the New World.

The little guy’s eyes were glistening when he saw this.

“Nia… You’ve been working so hard all these years. Rest assured. Although I encountered pirates, it was a blessing in disguise. I obtained a large sum of money, sufficient for us to move into the city. Little Arthur will go to the best school and enter the upper class in the future! He’ll become a graceful gentleman!”

Donald held his wife’s hands tightly to show his determination.

“I believe in you!”

Nia was delighted, cutting the biggest loaf of bread and putting it in Donald’s plate.

“Before dinner, I want to pray first!”

When they were about to start eating, Donald took out the pendant he treasured like his life. “This time… I almost lost my life at sea. I only made it back home because of the blessings from this Master of Dreams and Armaments… The great Master of Dreams and Armaments is a righteous god who I can trust with my faith and my life!”

“Since that’s the case…”

Nia was only a countrywoman without much knowledge. She said to little Arthur, “This is your father’s belief, so we must respect the god as well. Put down the knife and fork first!”

“Oh!”

The little guy put down his eating utensils as he was told to and watched his father’s actions.

“Thank you, my Lord, for giving me food…”

There was not any stipulated ceremony, so the prayer was simple. After saying a few words, Donald took up his knife and fork again. “Let’s start!”

In his mind, however, he was determined to introduce this great Dream and Armament Master to the both of them after dinner.