Adalric took the bait. Three weeks later, his flagship, The Proud Thorn , found the passage. The fog lifted to reveal a tableau of impossible generosity.

"There is no perfect map," he said, dipping his quill. "Every island lacks stone. Every river delta is too shallow. The Orient always demands more spices than the desert can grow."

Serafine just smiled, sliding a worn piece of goatskin across the table. "Then this is just a legend. But if you find the coordinates… the island chain called Die Drei Brücken —The Three Bridges—you will never start another game without it."

He let the pirates watch.