Alaric let the boat out into the water.
It was beautiful.
Ignatius floated on the water like a fat hippo, except the hippo was gorgeous. The hippo would serve him well for the future.
Alaric slowly got into the boat.
He had some sailing experience from his childhood, some of his relatives were sailors. They were rich enough to have sailboats but not rich enough to give a lot of money to Alaric's family.
But he was determined to make his own money.
He half cursed his sailor uncles and aunts for being so stingy, but also blessed them because they taught him how to sail. All in all, the curses and blessings added up to being perfectly neutral. This was a useless expenditure, the result remained the same if he cursed or blessed them or not.
"It's the thought that counts...." Alaric whispered.
Matilda looked over at him, cigar in mouth, and looked at him like he was insane.
"It's the money that matters... not who I'm selling to.." Matilda whispered under her breath. She had adequate experience selling to people who had questionable goals. You wouldn't believe the kinds of people that buy used boats. They ranged from virtuous merchants looking for a deal who abided by the law regularly, to maniacs that were destined to not even be able to go to normal hell, they had to go to evil boat buyer hell.
Matilda shuddered. Alaric wasn't nearly that bad.
"He does have really weird eyes though... and that rat, I feel like it likes alcohol.... Classic used boat buyer..." Matilda thought, giving a renewed opinion on Alaric and the rat after she had seen them before. She also glanced at the machete at his hip, and the strange looking fishing rod on his back.
But Alaric didn't care. He wanted to get right to fishing. Maybe, just maybe he would start fishing today. He brought his bag that was full of alcohol, gasoline, and snacks.
Alaric stepped in the boat.
Matilda almost wanted to ask what was in the bag, but she decided not to. She had seen some things in peoples bags that weren't pleasant. Such was the life of a used boat seller.
Alaric was happy to use her dock.
His plan was to take it outside of the city and to a neighboring town to stay in.
He just needed to be in the city for shopping. The likely plan was to get a rental house at a nearby village and go into the city when he either needed to buy or sell.
"I need a place that is low-key... If I mess up in the city, then i'll be caught way easier." Alaric thought.
"Alright, I'll be out of here. Thanks for the boat." Alaric said to Matilda.
"Good luck." Matilda responded, puffing out some smoke.
Alaric released the boat from the dock, heading out into the ocean. There was enough wind today to work with, he could navigate pretty smoothly.
He wanted to head outside of the city walls. It would be too obvious if he were to conduct his business in visible range of everyone else.
Alaric was out on the ocean now, he could feel the salt on the breeze.
He was wearing his full outfit, orange overalls, shirt, and hat. He had his cursed fishing rod on his back.
"Fuck.... worm guy has to take another half pound of flesh today..." Alaric remembered.
His plan now changed. He would head outside the city walls, fish for a bit than quickly head back in.
Alaric was now dreading the rest of the day. His usual saliva filled grin was replaced by a neutral expression now. He wasn't upset enough to frown. Alaric had never frowned often. As a kid he would assume complete neutrality and boredom at all times.
But now he was pretty much always smiling now. As long as fishing was in his future he would always be happy. It was unfortunate that he hadn't really fished very much.
As he was thinking, he was heading out to the nearest gate. The store was near the coast, so it wouldn't be super far to get to the exits.
Alaric was about halfway to the gates. He decided that he would start by fishing for the fire fish. Flamethrowers were really cool, so he would want one.
Alaric imagined the possibilities.
He could have a personal flamethrower, immolating anyone who opposed him. He could sell fish-based flamethrowers as a pescatarian arms dealer. He could have a fish in every high end restaurant cooking a fat capitalist merchant's mutton.
He also imagined a plethora of blue collar workers welding together a large building.
This fish would be of such use that it would be earth shattering.
"I just need to fish it up..." He thought.
This was going to be easier said than done. There was never any guarantee that any step of the process would work. And once he fished it up, he would have to figure out a way to tame it quickly, or kill it. Otherwise he would be burnt, and would fall apart into ashes, screaming.
Alaric was now at the city gate, it was a little bit past midday.
He would have to get past the guard to get through to the free ocean.
"Who are you man?"
There was a guard at the gate. He was on a small platform before a gate. There was a lever next to him. The platform was barred, making it look like the guard was in jail.
Alaric laughed a tiny bit.
"I'm heading out to fish." Alaric said, pointing to his fishing guild indicator and his fishing rod.
"Yeah works for me man. Take this." The guard reached out of the bars to give Alaric a coin.
"How long are you going to be out for man?" The guard asked Alaric.
"Like a couple hours." Alaric said.
"Cool man, cool." The guard wrote something down.
"Give the guard you meet on the way in the token man." The guard said before opening the gate.
Alaric was out on the free ocean now, he could finally fish.