Caine slowly turned his head, glancing at Daniz. The pirate with a bounty of 5,500 gold pounds immediately closed his mouth, settled into a serious expression, as though nothing had happened at all. Once he was certain that Ilean had not unexpectedly boarded the passenger ship, Caine turned and walked back to the carriage, asking casually, "Did you catch everything I just said?" "No, no, just a little bit, a little bit..." Daniz chuckled nervously, shaking his head. Caine nodded gently. "You have to remember it clearly; otherwise, people will easily notice you're not genuine." "Notice me as fake? Me?" Daniz raised his hand in bewilderment, pointing at his nose. Caine maintained his composed expression. "She's from the Solon family, renowned for her exceptional ability to evade tracking. Combined with the subtle gestures and behaviors I just observed, she clearly fits the profile of a Sequence 7 'Hunter' of the 'Brazier' path—exactly what you're meant to embody. You can convincingly play the part." "Me? I can't do it!" "I simply can't manage to look presentable at all! As soon as you glance at me, I'll be recognized!" Daniz was startled. Kline suppressed a smile and said in a low voice, "I'll lend you the 'craving hunger.'" "No, no—I haven't any experience in this at all, I'm certain the staff of the 'Disease-Stricken General' will catch me out!" Daniz pushed back with intense anxiety and fear. To him, this was utterly humiliating, something only a neurotic or a madman could handle without hesitation. Kline nodded in agreement, expression neutral, saying, "Indeed, you're rather foolish." Daniz forced a smile. "Yes, I am quite foolish." Kline said nothing further, stepped past Daniz, and opened the door of the carriage. Daniz's gaze followed instinctively, and suddenly noticed that Germán Sparo's temples had turned red. He blinked呆ly, and saw the contours of the other's profile now softened, his eyes deep and emerald, his lips gently pressed together—slightly weak, wavering, exuding a neutral, refined beauty that mirrored exactly that of Elain, who had just left not long before. "..." As he watched Garmen Sparrow's figure fade into the carriage, Daniz turned back, his lips twitching twice. He remained silent for several seconds, murmuring to himself without sound: "Such a madman—says she'll become a woman, and she does, without hesitation! I must admit, Elain's masculine appearance is quite appealing. This extraordinary ability is truly practical. If I could acquire similar items and understand what the captain envisions as the ideal type, I could make the necessary adjustments and have her fall in love with me. But then—would she still fall in love with *me*?" Daniz found himself plunged into a philosophical dilemma, until a cough sounded from within the carriage behind him. He regained consciousness, took control of the carriage, and left the port, intending to take a long detour before returning. Inside the carriage, Caine was far from as composed as his outward appearance suggested. Though Elain was currently dressed in men's attire, which temporarily spared him the most humiliating aspect, the process of transforming his face into a womanly one and expanding his chest still left him feeling heavy-hearted and awkward. "Ah, the transformation of the 'Faceless Man' is straightforward—what proves difficult lies within. To truly embody the 'Faceless Man,' one must overcome numerous psychological barriers. Without doing so, it would take considerable time—years of genuinely living as a person, being recognized and accepted by everyone associated with that identity, until one fully integrates into the role and begins to see oneself as authentic. For me, this represents a deeper challenge, a more profound distortion, even a kind of madness. To accelerate the process, certain obstacles must be surmounted." Caine pulled a suitcase from beneath the seat, sorted out strips of cloth and garments, and meticulously replicated Elain's transformation. — Indeed, he could have arranged for Daniz to assume a disguise, simply borrowing from "Justice" for a few days the magical item crafted using the extraordinary qualities of the "Faceless" — no issue at all. However, this would mean that Daniz would likely face "Tracy, the One Suffering from Illness," one-on-one, and without the "Clown's" abilities, he would hardly be able to conceal himself for long, facing significant life risks. Caine would not, and could not, allow anyone else to bear such a substantial risk for his own matters. Thus, he had to step up and face the challenge himself. Soon, he began to resemble exactly what Ilean had just shown — beneath his black silk hat, a handsome, neutral-faced countenance, with both soft and defined contours, his emerald eyes as brilliant and gem-like as jewels. He adjusted his posture, growing several centimeters shorter, his shoulders narrower and his frame smaller, appearing noticeably lighter. In his mind, Caine instantly visualized his current appearance — the very embodiment of the "Clown's" power. "It's not bad, really—nothing special, really... Perhaps because I haven't been wearing women's clothes, I'm not much different from Gérard Manalo, Daniz, or any of the others. Just a bit more attractive, though a bit heavier on the chest. If I'd looked like this back on Earth, I'd have had no trouble finding a girlfriend by now." He gave his嘴角一个半自嘲、半安慰的抽动. What was a perfectly ordinary gesture when applied to Gérard Manalo now seemed somewhat pitiful and plaintive. Damn it! Klein muttered under his breath, quickly adjusting his mindset and gradually immersing himself into the authentic performance. As time passed, he realized his psychological barriers were truly fading—replaced by a sense of ease, calm, and a deeper alignment with the magic potion. This meant his digestion would speed up. Indeed useful... Klein murmured silently, quietly rose, and took four steps backward, stepping into the gray mist once again, reaffirming the peril of this mission. Back in the real world, he adopted Eileen's voice, deliberately lowering it: "Go to Port Dock Six." Daniuz didn't notice anything unusual at first, but only realized what was happening once he changed direction, and involuntarily shivered: "It's exactly like him... If one day he transforms into a captain and tries to fool me, I might not even be able to tell the difference." A while later, the carriage reentered the port and headed toward the passenger ship Eileen had originally scheduled, yet didn't draw close—instead, it circled around and arrived at a nearby warehouse. Daniuz stepped down from the carriage and knocked on the warehouse door according to agreement. First, a group of dock workers clearly of local origin emerged and dispersed around the area. Only after confirming no further issues did the bald rebel leader Karat emerge in his wheelchair. "Where are they?" he asked Daniuz. Through Eileen's involvement, Daniuz had successfully established contact with the rebel forces. Daniuz chuckled: "They're in the carriage." "She drank a potion that weakened her, and the effects would last for ten hours. 'Remember, I'll take seventy percent of the one-thousand-pound reward.' Karat raised her right arm and waved—it was at once at two slender rebels who boarded the carriage. 'Head, it's that woman,' they quickly said, speaking in the local mob dialect. 'Bring her down; our job is to protect her.' Karat reiterated this point. The two rebels immediately took either side and carried the dressed-up Elen down from the carriage. Using the control of the Clown, Caine feigned unsteady steps, swaying slightly. He was soon transferred to a room in the Bayam civilian district, while Karat instructed a local mob member who worshipped the 'Sea God' to go find 'The Mighty One,' Ozel, and inform him that the target had been located, asking him to send one thousand pounds to secure her release. As for Daniz, he had already returned to the hotel to await further news." By noon, Ozler sent a message stating it was uncertain whether the news was true or false, and wished to send someone to verify it. Karat agreed to his request. Near dusk, a figure appeared at the door of the house. He was a Luin man dressed in local style—wide-legged pants and a brown jacket—short-featured with eyebrows only half the usual length, deep-set eyes of a brownish hue, and a well-defined, sharp facial structure. Karat pushed his wheelchair to the door, glanced at the man, and asked in a steady voice: "Misoel Kin?" "I must be honored that you know me," the man replied with a smile. Originally the captain of a pirate ship under the command of the "Wind Commander" Zilings, he had been taken under the wing of the "Disease Maiden" Tracie and appointed third officer of her flagship, the *Black Death*, earning the nickname "The Diplomat" with a reward of 5,400 pounds. Karat said nothing, simply turned the wheelchair aside to make way. Misoel entered the inner room, guided by a mob member, and saw Elean seated by the bed in a gentleman's attire, her eyes darting away and then glaring back, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip—angry, fearful, desperate, yet resolute. "It's definitely her, though I'm not entirely certain, because she's heavily made up. Once a woman is heavily adorned, it's hard to see her true features. I'll wipe her face clean and check again. Oh, why haven't you put her in handcuffs? Do you know how dangerous she is?" Misoel examined her carefully and then stepped back two paces with cautious vigilance. "She's been given a potion and is weak now; she's not resisting at all. Since you've requested it..." Karat nodded toward a rebel. The rebel searched for the handcuffs and approached, then secured Kline's hands behind his back and fastened them. Klein struggled, yet felt powerless—just as he had when expressing those complex emotions before. Then, other members of the gang brought fresh water and wiped his face with a rough towel. Fortunately, many cosmetics in this era aren't particularly water-resistant… Taking advantage of the towel's coverage, Klein began adjusting the contours and lines of his face. Not long after, Misor saw Elain's face glistening with moisture, and found her unexpectedly delicate and beautiful—her emerald eyes blazing with intense resentment and persistent confusion. Yet, she belonged to the captain… Misor's throat moved slightly. As a man and a pirate, he often imagined himself cradling both the ailing Tracie and the red-haired Elain in his arms, but such a vision remained only a dream. What a repulsive sight… Klein nearly retched. Though he knew the threat was aimed at the red-haired Eileen, not at himself personally, he could still feel a shiver run down his spine. At this moment, his understanding of his true self deepened further—he now realized there were certain things he simply could not endure. "It's indeed her," Misool replied, turning to Karat. "This is your reward." He tossed the small leather bundle he was carrying toward her. Karat examined it briefly, handed it to a subordinate, and after a moment's pause added, "We still need your assistance." "No problem," Misool said, pointing to the red-haired Eileen in the room. "I can take her with me, can I?" "Certainly," Karat stepped aside again. Kline didn't want to be supported by Misool; he feigned a bit of regained mobility, wobbling outward. Misool, fearing the "sickly" Tracie, had to hold onto her shoulders and led her up to the carriage waiting outside. The carriage departed the city and arrived at the private port. Misor, accompanied by Caine, disguised as the red-haired Eileen, boarded a fishing boat that had been prepared in advance and set out from Bayam under the cover of night. After nearly an hour of sailing, they spotted a vessel moored in the shadow of a cliff on an island, its mast bearing a large banner adorned with white bones. The Black Death!