Chapter 103: The Musician Amadeus

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"Wait, what? The person Captain Drominarin told us to be wary about when he might visit Arcadia has arrived at the Base?"

"Shhh, lower your voice Commander. I told him that you'll welcome him inside so we can sort out the bounties he claims."

"Don't sushhh me, brat. You are only a Lieutenant."

"Okay, but what should we do with Dracul?"

"Of course we welcome him inside. I am not an idiot to close my door to a person who killed such notorious pirates. If news reach Captain that I've done something so stupid, I am sure he would break my ribs again."

"Got it."

Vlad, who had to wait a little bit before the officers sorted out their plan, was welcomed inside by Lieutenant Gabelf who acted cordially with the unexpected guests, later on introducing him to the second in command when the Captain of the Base wasn't at the station, Commander Nurionn.

"Mister Dracul, a pleasure to meet you after hearing so much about you." called the Commander who got up from his comfortable chair, giving a welcoming vibe to Vlad, while also beginning his observation of the Bounty Hunter.

The descriptions he received from the Sorbet Kingdom matched with what he saw, a man with a handsome appearance, that could make even the Royals of Kingdoms feel inferior by his dignified appearance, far higher than he actually expected, standing tall at 222 centimetres, a giant among men.

Similarly to what the Commander was doing, Vlad didn't let go of the free chances of reading what this man was about using his astute Haki and senses.

A man wearing a grey suit with the marine coat of the officer being hanged on the chair, with the distinctive stripes of a Commander. He was far taller than the Lieutenant, but lacked in comparison with Vlad, standing tall at 195 centimeters, which reminded the Bounty Hunter about the times not far in the past where he was about the same size.

"Also, greetings to the beautiful ladies." said the marine officer who shifted his attention to Eleine and Bonney, followed by Titania who was standing on Bonney's shoulder watching back with her golden eyes.

With such an entourage, it clicked in the Commander's mind that the rumours that spread from Bulge to Sorbet then from Kaysang, that this "Doctor" was an eccentric person of many talents, where the one that took the Marine's attention being "Bounty Hunting".

One required power to face the swamp created by the Pirates in this Golden Age of Piracy, where raiding, pillaging and killing become something trivial for many of the bloodthirsty brutes. And for this, the importance of the Marines and individuals like Vlad who contributed to the peace and order of the World amounted.

Nevertheless, Nurionn kept his ideals about Justice and Order to himself, because he had no idea what to expect from Vlad, even if they received instructions from officials higher in rank than they believed to approach the individual Vlad Dracul with respect, and extend various forms of invitations to their ranks.

"Gabelf arranged two more seats for the ladies. It would bring shame knowing I leave the ladies on their feet."

"Right away, Commander."

The Lieutenant was swift and took some chairs lying around in the office and placed them beside the seat Vlad walked to sit on, being followed by Eleine and Bonney.

"I am humbled by the warm welcome. It's nice to see that in those parts of the World, people conduct themselves with dignity, instead of being subjected to disgust."

Vlad placed the chase he was carrying containing the heads of the pirates he saw some worth in, leaving it out for the Commander to open it and remain silent, just like the Lieutenant who withdrew himself at the door, instructing other marines to take over the job of watching over the entrance desk.

Nurionn got up and took out many bounty posters which he was matching one by one with the perfectly preserved heads of the dead pirates.

"..."

The guests didn't say much, only looked at the Marine Officers doing their job to identify the pirates, and minutes later after the Commander finished his inspection, he opened up.

"Truly a brave feat, mister Dracul. Both of those notorious pirates were wielders of the Devil Powers. Can I presume you are also a wielder of Devil Powers?"

"No comment."

"It will help us the Marine in giving you commissions, akin to a private contractor that works for us."

Silence washed over the room, with Vlad who wasn't wearing his glasses appearing chilling, and his tacit silence was enough to tell the Commander he wasn't interested, or the reasons given by him for revealing his Devil Fruit Powers was too insignificant.

"Your Excellency. I am here to claim the bounties over those Pirates. Not to discuss future endeavors where I offer my services."

"Still, give it a thought, mister Dracul. We Marines are never shy from rewarding people striving for a better world."

"185.650.000 𝔅."

"Pardon?"

"The Worth of this Chase."

"Seems that Mister Dracul has other priorities right now. We still appreciate your contribution. With this signature of mine, you can go to the Central Bank of Arcadia and claim your reward."

Commander Nurionn wrote down a cheque with the sum of money the whole bounties of those pirates were worth, and this shift in procedure made Vlad to ponder a bit, showing on his emotionless expression his confusion.

"We don't deal with money ourselves, afterall, giving a Military Man money is asking for problems. Instead, our Base has a direct contract with the Central Bank of Arcadia where we have our Bounty Hunters claim their rewards after receiving the cheque with signature."

"I see, smart."

"Anything else that you might need from us, mister Dracul?"

"Not now, and I doubt I will need to bother killing any bandit or pirate inside Arcadia." responded Vlad coldly after taking his eyes off the cheque with Nurionn's signature.

"This is Arcadia, the Capital of the Briss Kingdom. It would be shameful to us if we can't even bring down some pirates or bandits trying their luck in saintly places."

Vlad got up on his feet, a gesture that was quickie done by Eleine and Bonney, signalling that business with the Marines got settled, and with the Commander and Lieutenant guiding the group until the exit of the Marine Base, it made many of the Chore Boys and Seaman stationed at the camp to be questioning the situation.

"Mister Dracul, this is the Base dial number. If you encounter any problems and need assistance, just call us. It will be a pleasure for us to assist you."

"Then I will not reject your kindness." responded Vlad who took the small guest card where the Base identification was placed (Marine Base SB-002) with the dial number scribed down (286-421-043).

「Marine Base SB-002 - 286-421-043」

Placing it in his coat pocket, continuing on his towards the Central Bank after getting directions from the Lieutenant and the addition of a guiding map with each land markers of the City.

As he distances himself away from the Base, the girls keep their quiet, until they felt no one staring at them, and Eleine who didn't like the way the marines approached Vlad, their attempt at hiring him as a Bounty Hunter Contractor.

"Surprisingly, they tried quite hard to make you stay around."

"I don't have time for people like this. What I want is information towards the second key."

"Well, it seems we will be challenged because Caves can be everywhere in the entire Kingdom, meanwhile the highest mountain in South Blue is right in front of you, it will not run away." commented Eleine peeking at the map Vlad was researching.

"Preaching truths now, young lady? Does the word "FOOL" got tattooed on my forehead? I know what I am doing. Now let's get my money, and I'll let you girls enjoy yourself, it's better we split around to gather information about this Cave I am trying to find."

"Aye, aye, Captain." replied Eleine still beside Vlad, below his chin, then feeling a jolt when a large hand grabbed tightly her buttcheck.

"Ahh, not here in broadlight. What will those people who look so conservative say? Degenerates, dirty people?"

"Madam, your acting talents will not flourish anytime soon if you make a scene. Now, follow me."

Vlad strolled his way to the Central Bank while observing the City of Arcadia and taking its pulse. From the manner, the people behaved to their culture, their discussions, whispers, and negotiations in broad daylight, it was truly vibrant and might be even overwhelming if it was Vlad who first set sails of his Caravel.

Thankfully for his perception, he scaled up from Calmaria Island where it was a small rural town, to Bulge's Swampy Streets, to the Clean, forested paths of the Jade Town. Followed by the snowy white Everfall, to the laidback Baterilla and to the rustic and fragrant Rosande, to now reaching a state of a High City, one of the Capitals of the South Blue.

"Titania, what do you think of this place?"

"Decent enough, maybe too many people."

"I get the same feeling from Arcadia. But it's all about adjusting yourself to the new environments."

"I can bet with all of you, this Arcadia has a lot of shops, not only on clothes, but various expensive goods."

"Vlad, should we … look also for a Hotel Room?" asked the pink-haired girl who was by Vlad's left side, having his shoulder touched by his large hand the moment she spoke, getting closer to his side.

"Haha, I think someone got tired of the waves and sea travel."

*Cough* "Only if we can afford it." whispered Bonney not knowing if she did something smart or stupid, however, she spoke out her mind exactly like Vlad taught her to do with him.

"Of course. Is not as if I sprouted roots on that ship. It will be an eye opener for us "peasants" to experience some luxury. Right, Princess?"

"I'll turn you into a child, if you continue teasing me, you jerk."

Vlad only smiled as caressed the girl's shoulder, making some of the guys who spent their precious time staring at this passing group that was moving toward the City Center, where a large square opened up Arcadia in various sections.

"Hmmm, let's see… Center, then right toward the Royal Palace."

Walking at a pace that wouldn't disturb the rest of the citizens, they even followed along some of the passersby who took the same route as they did, and if the City Center was aesthetically pleasing, when the view of the Royal Palace, Bonney and Eleine got stirred up, joking around.

"Do you see that, Bonney? That's a Palace, not what hogsty you got back home in Everfall, frozen to cubes."

"At least, we have a Castle back home. Having a Temple where all sorts of monkeys and stinking monks climb down to spend their time in the city, sure must be an interesting view."

"Wait … Little girl, who told you that? I am sure Vlad wouldn't bother to talk about Jade Town and the monks from Skyfruit Temple. Stupid Fairy, are you by chance trying to take me down with Bonney?"

"Are you embarrassed, harlot?"

*Hiss* "If I get the chance, I'll pluck your Fairy Wings and place them on the dolls in the ship."

Eleine hissed exactly like a cat, annoyed by the fact she was getting bullied by Titania and Bonney who made fun of Athkatla and the circumstances of their protection which was assured by Buddhist Monks.

On the other hand, Vlad looked oblivious, not even caring about the bickering the girls were having, and just continued on his way toward the Central Bank, followed around by the beautiful women who were like celestial bodies engulfed by the Abyss.

"We got to the Bank. Now, can you please … keep quiet? Thank you."

Not waiting for the girl's response, he sized up the building of the Bank which was far bigger than what Picodras had, and in the same street, there was also some shops and a large hotel that looked pristine, with people wearing High-Class clothes going in and out, butlers and maids following their tailcoats.

Ignoring for the moment this hotel, he stepped inside the Central Bank where he was welcomed by a servant, who acted professionally from the get-go, asking Vlad what services they might require from the Bank.

"Welcome to Arcadia Central Bank, where we look after your coin as if it were our own and the customer's always right. How might I be of service?"

"Young sir, I want to claim this cheque. What are the procedures?"

"Can I take a look?" asked the servant who was wearing butler attire, talking with a calm tone and watching the guests with a professional smile, even managing to escape from the invisible claws of Eleine as she remained with a leg forward revealing her tights and glorious legs.

"... Sure."

Being handed the cheque the servant who was a man in his late 20s quickly skimmed the contents of the piece of paper, even ignoring that it was being sent by the Marines, but when he reached the amount of money he took a step, saying with amazement.

"Woah, that's some money right there, Your Excellency. With such amount only Master Olhaarpi can authorize the fund withdrawal as Governor of the Bank."

"Young sir, I'll leave it to you." said Vlad who stepped toward the servant, placing a banknote of 5000 𝔅 which brought the spirits of the young man high up, resulting in the man bringing his group to the second floor of the building.

There was no delay in his act, reminding him of how quick the people at Picodras moved when he requested something out of them, and while climbing the stairs he couldn't help but glance at the pictures and decorations on the wall, granting another breath of air for the guests of the establishment.

Still, the servant slowed down when he appeared at the second floor, lowering his head as he took Vlad and the girls toward a hallway where other three men were wearing aristocratic clothes that didn't match with Vlad's style.

"Your Excellencies … If I may, enter the office of the Master."

The three aristocrats blocked the access to the room at the end of the hallway as if they were waging a silent war on who would be next to enter, all turning their heads at the servant and then at Vlad and his women, scoffing at the young man.

"Do we seem to block you? Go on. Ahh, and if you are at that, tell Sir Cianfanelli that Baron Dameston wants an audience with him, it concerns some important business that my family can't miss."

The other two also had something similar to say, implying they wanted to get in front of the line, even standing above Baron Dameston, with names and titles that made Vlad glance at those baffons flaunting their status.

'Baron Dameston … Viscount Vartràs … Baron Balgarionn.'

Waiting calmly for the servant to return with an answer after stepping inside the room, it only required some minutes for the young man to return, calling out a name that made all three nobles frown.

"Mister Dracul, the Governor is inviting you inside the office."

"What?? We've been waiting here for 20 minutes, this is humiliating!"

He could feel their minds getting engulfed by emotions, and from the bench he was seated with Eleine and Bonney at his side, he remarked calmly.

"Your Excellencies, I only have to withdraw some money. The simple bankers don't have full attributes. A couple of minutes and I'll be away."

Hearing his calm collected voice, it left the nobles conflicted because he put their worries at ease, considering they had to wait an additional time. No one in their right mind would enjoy wasting their time at a line, and with a conduct that resembled a King, he stepped forward, bowing his head again at the nobles who made way.

"It will not be long, gentlemen's."

Saying that Vlad opened the door and stepped inside along with Eleine, Titania and Bonney, later on encountering a man in his late 40s who had a mix of black and white short hair a sign of his ageing. His appearance was akin to a scholar, wearing luxurious attire while his environment was clean, demanding respect from whoever stepped in his audience.

Apart from the Governor who Vlad presumed to be the one at the desk, there was another man in his 30s at another small desk opposite the room, closer to the entrance, wearing the attire of a banker.

"Greetings, your Excellencies. Thank you for the invite." called out Vlad who bowed respectfully to the man, showing his noble etiquette that made the man who studied his appearance to nod, pleased.

"Hmm, for a Bounty Hunter, your etiquette would put even those nobles waiting to get inside. Please, have a seat, the ladies too."

Not rejecting the invitation, he and the girls took a seat beside the desk, and with the Governor holding the cheque the servant brought to him, he listened to him say calmly.

"The procedure for withdrawal is rather simple. I will have you sign some paper where you confirm that you received your money, and afterward you can take your leave."

"Hadrian prepare the paperwork, with the Bank's Template. While the Gentleman reads the paper, also go to the deposit and take from the storage of the MARINE the sum in the cheque."

"Right away, Governor." responded the man, who got up from his seat while holding some sheets of paper that he placed before Vlad.

"Here is the pen and inkwell. You only need to fill in this form with your name, and the data of the Marines matches, such as the one who authorized the cheque, the sum of money, and what the money's for."

Giving a look to the man who looked more with an assistant, he then shifted to the sheets of paper, beginning to read them carefully so he wouldn't get screwed by some legal terms while the middle-aged man walked toward another room of the office, a location where the deposits were situated.

The paperwork he had to fill in was genuine, and with perfect calligraphy where he wrote his name, also confirmed in writing each information placed on, before signing himself with a smooth, elegant and prideful signature that had the Governor to ponder about who this black-haired man was.

[Wladislaus Dragwlya]

"..."

Vlad passed the paperwork to the assistant who returned with two black briefcases, so he could analyze that he didn't miss anything, making the scholar surprised by the elegant handwriting of his tall man, who was just a Bounty Hunter. Afterwards, the Governor checked the papers and had the same feeling as his assistant, bringing a layer of mystery over the tall man.

"Everything is in check. Mister Dracul, you are welcome to our establishment if you are ever thinking of conducting business. Our loans are at a low interest rate of 5.5%."

"Thank you, but I will pass on taking any loan." remarked Vlad who got on his feet with two of the briefcases he verified, all containing banknotes of 1000 𝔅."

"I wish you a pleasant day."

"Likewise, your Excellency." replied back Vlad while departing from the office, encountering the nobles who had mixed feelings.

"Hmph, you kept to your word. You are excused."

Vlad gave off a small smile which morphed into a twisted one after passing those guys, while the aura around him started shapeshifting, taking a break by the time he left the Bank with his briefcases full of money.

"We'll settle in that hotel, since it is positioned perfectly in the City Center. We got all of the important places around, and for some reason I feel generous."

The group soon settled down at the Hotel [Briss Royal] a building constructed by one of the Princes of the Kingdom, with a 5 * standard and accommodation that costed Vlad 100.000 𝔅 per night, with room being bought for 10 days.

The size of the room pleasantly surprised Vlad who was shown around by the manager herself, a gorgeous woman in her late 30s that was fitting perfectly to his desires in a mature woman.

Spacious, was an understatement for the room, just this "Grand Deluxe" Room he paid upfront one million was equivalent to a house, a penthouse of sorts which granted him a perfect view of the whole Arcadia, being able to watch the Royal Palace who was slightly taller than the [Royal Briss] and the other landmarks of Arcadia.

Nonetheless, the group didn't linger for long inside the Hotel Rooms, taking off on split ways to search for information on various caves that might have something special about them.

The girls didn't even bother to first search for information and instead with a decent chunk of money that Vlad landed to Eleine, 5.000.000 𝔅 they went about exploring the shops with accessories and clothes, while Vlad took on another part of the city.

A man wearing the clothes of an aristocrat that would be of higher standing in the Pyramid of Society appeared in the periphery of Arcadia standing in front of a gate guarded intensively by the Royal Guards which separated the Slums, the Dark World of Arcadia with the "Normal World".

"Sir, what brings you to the Slums? Has any of those worms caused any displeasure to you?" asked one of the Royal Guards who couldn't help but size the tall nobleman from head to toe, noticing his elegance and dignity.

"Curious about what lives those worms have. Open the gate for me."

"Ahh, we need to gather some guards for you, sir. Those degenerates and defects of society will for sure target you."

"No need, I can protect myself." mentioned Vlad to the Royal Guard while from his black cane, a black sword was drawn.

"... Understood. We will open the gates, however, we are not responsible for any mishap that might happen to you."

"I appreciate the worry." said Vlad who entered inside the Slums of Arcadia, a place that people detested and wished the King would burn it to the ground, but for various reasons, this idea only reached the levels of the wealthy.

Vlad, who looked left and right at the chaotic and messy architecture of the city, which reminded of the times he visited the slums of Targoviste, continued on his observations about this place, unbothered by the long looks he was gaining from the people of the Slums.

With the black cane in his hand, his presence was totally foreign to some of the people who never saw a Noble in their entire sorry lives, creating a barrier that brought some fear into the kids who were pushed to pickpocket Vlad.

Yet, no one dared to approach this black-clothed noble who towered over all of them, with a lean body that didn't belong to some foolish, inexperienced noble child who wanted to see the darker parts of Society.

He didn't expect much from this place, as he walked the "Main Street" of the Slum, intent on going to a tavern in this place if there was any in an attempt to find information about the true face of Arcadia and what interested him the most a Cave leading to his 2nd Mausoleum Key.

"DIMWITS OF ARCADIA SLUM! YOURS TRULY, THE GREAT AMADEUS WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER CONCERTO! I HOPE YOU PLEBS DON'T BREAK MY VIOLIN AGAIN BECAUSE IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO BUILD IT!"

Only the loud voice of a youngster that sounded powerful and energetic, made him shift his attention from his initial plan, making him walk toward something akin to a "Square" where he saw the source of the powerful voice …

A boy with dirty, curly golden hair, matted from the long periods of not cleaning it, with some clothes that looked dirty, full of patches, but it gave the impression of an Austrian Gentleman of the 18th Century.

Many other people looked with angry looks and started cursing this loud "crazy brat" with his stupid screeching coming from his wooden boxes.

"Piss off from there you motherfucker! You want to bleed our ears again?! I'd rather let the frogs sign for me if I want to hear "music"."

They approached him with the intent of beating him up, but this blonde youngster who had a pair of intense large green eyes, who had a small, slim frame, visible not faring so well with nutrition, noticed the black-haired man who towered over everyone gathered at his calls.

Shock appeared in his eyes before hope started brewing in him as he loudly declared something that attracted Vlad's interest.

"How can uncultured shits like you know what music is? I spent my entire life perfecting my craft, that I couldn't even finish my Requiem before kicking the bucket! I don't even have a Piano in this shitstained place, but I managed to get this version of the violin working!"

"THIS ONE IS FOR THE NOBLE IN THE AUDIENCE!"

"I call it 'Wacky Dream Music N.0'!"

This insulting naming of his music made the people even more eager to jump the blonde youngster, who was about 16 years old, only to be stopped frozen in place with the discovery of the "Aristocrat" who was watching the young musician.

Then the sound of the violin that he could notice wasn't built of great materials started spreading in the air, reaching his keen ears with a melody that took over his mind as he gazed at the slim hands of the youngster who was playing with such great elegance.

If a person from Vlad's first world, someone who many descendants later would be now transmigrated in this current time next to the black-haired man, could recognise this music piece as Mozart's "Alla Turca".

Closing his eye when the youngster got to the second minute of his concerto, he let the music envelop his eardrums and this spellbound was broken in the fourth minute when, the one named Amadeus, ended the song.

"What do you say, Your Excellency? Good stuff, right?"

"Decent, but quite short."

"I can try something else, from my repertoire, like that long Violin piece that kept playing in my dream, but is missing that instrument with the keys … Lord, as long as those dimwits don't attack me, I'll entertain you."

"Don't worry, you just continue playing with that instrument of yours." said Vlad who approached the musician whose appearance was akin to a beggar, which intrigued him even more.

'I have never heard such music before, which makes me wonder how much this boy can play that instrument. Even back home in Picodras there was no such music…'

The man wearing a high noble attire, brought from nowhere akin to magic a black chair that he positioned in front of the improvised platform created by the young musician, creating an invisible barrier of uncertainty, which stopped the people of the slum from attacking "Amadeus".