When Edward woke up, it was already close to ten o'clock. By habit, he called out to Lilith to get up and wash, only to find her side of the bed empty. That was when he remembered what had happened last night.
"Ah—"
He hadn't expected this at all. He had been fine when she decided to stay over, but by the time he woke up…he had somehow become a "lonely old man."
After a quick wash and a hasty breakfast outside, Edward headed to the docks, where he paid for a small wooden boat. Under the combined effect of his Exploit and Distortion abilities, the vessel sped toward a nearby island called Eshim.
This small island was home to many Rorsted natives—mostly those driven out of Bayam by the Loen authorities. These scattered islanders were the backbone of both the Church of the Sea God and the resistance forces.
Today, Edward was visiting in the capacity of the Sea God's messenger, to personally give a lecture to the natives of Eshim Island.
Half an hour later, his small fishing boat pulled up in a reef-laden area along the island's coast. With a single flicker, he appeared on shore, and—using dowsing with his divining rod—made his way to a nearby town.
Compared to Symeem Island, the settlement here looked even more primitive. The streets were lined exclusively with dark-skinned Rorsted natives.
Edward wore a lightweight dark trench coat and a gentleman's hat, holding in hand the Sea God's sceptre—formerly just a wooden stick, transformed by his power. He stood out sharply from the townsfolk, enough that the moment he entered the settlement, anyone observant immediately noticed him.
He had barely stopped in front of a fruit stall, intending to buy a coconut to quench his thirst, when a man with a scarred face strode toward him.
"You are…the Messenger, sir?"
Edward nodded. "I am."
"Please, follow me."
Scarface walked ahead with reverent deference, leading Edward out of the town and into the undeveloped forest.
Driven into hiding by Loen and the Church of the Storm, both the Sea God's followers and the resistance made their bases deep in the forest—or even underground—much like the one Edward had seen on Tiana Island.
Before long, they reached a lakeside. Scarface gave a slightly apologetic smile.
"Messenger, for security reasons, we must verify your identity. Please don't take offence."
Edward shrugged. "No problem."
Scarface hurried to a nearby tree, pushed aside the bushes at its base, and retrieved a wooden box. Bringing it before Edward, he said, "I need you to touch…what's inside."
Edward lifted the lid. Inside lay a short sword fashioned from a slender bone—slightly longer than a forearm. Its surface was milky white, patterned with several deep, dark-red markings.
His brows lifted slightly in recognition. He vaguely recalled that in the original history, Klein had encountered a similar bone sword in the hands of the resistance, and had been cursed by the sea serpent connected to it.
But that serpent was long dead now. This thing was little more than a prop.
He casually picked up the bone sword and gave it a few experimental swings. The sharp blade whistled through the air, and when he tested it on a nearby shrub, it sliced through with ease—cutting wood as though it were mud.
Yes, even without the serpent's power, it was still a fine weapon.
Seeing Edward wield the sword so naturally, Scarface's eyes lit with fervour. As a trusted mid-level member of the resistance, he had naturally heard the prophecy: "When an outsider lifts the holy sword, the god shall walk the earth once more." And now, it was happening before his very eyes—how could a devout believer not feel near-delirious excitement?
He had to fight the urge to kneel and kiss the Messenger's shoes. Instead, he said breathlessly, "Messenger, I…I will take you to our base right away."
"This sword—may I keep it?"
"Of course. This holy sword was granted to us by the great Sea God "Himself". It is not only hard and sharp, but can drain the blood of anyone it pierces. It is a Beyonder item."
Edward tucked the bone sword away. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Lead the way. After delivering the Sea God's will here, I have other islands to visit."
"Y-yes!"
They moved forward, Scarface hacking through the undergrowth with his blade, cutting an entirely new path through the forest.
——
An hour later, they reached a cave choked with thorny brambles.
"This is it, Messenger."
Ignoring the sharp spikes, Scarface pushed through with his bare hands, creating an opening just big enough for a bent-over man to pass. He slipped inside, and moments later emerged again with a torch in hand.
"Please, come in, Messenger."
Edward stepped forward. An invisible hand parted the brambles wide enough for him to walk upright. With a snap of his fingers, the stones scattered on the ground reshaped into floating lanterns, lighting the cave in warm glow.
The cavern, however, was empty.
Edward turned his head slightly toward Scarface. The man hurried over, crouched, and groped around the ground until he found a hidden catch. With his knife, he dug for a moment, then pried up a wooden plank to reveal a pitch-black hole.
"As expected…another underground hideout."
These Rorsted natives really are born civil engineers…
Seeing Edward's expression, Scarface grew a little embarrassed.
"Messenger, in recent years the pressure from Loen and the Church of the Storm has only gotten worse. We…we have no choice but to hide in places like this."
"That's fine."
Edward assumed the solemn air of a mystic. "With the Sea God watching over you, such days will soon end."
"Yes! The Sea God will help us drive out those vile colonisers!"
"No."
Edward shook his head. "The Sea God will not directly intervene on your behalf. If "He" were to act personally, the Seven would take notice. That would lead to a war of gods—and when that happens, it will be you, the believers, who suffer most."
Scarface froze. "Then…then what should we do?"
"That is why I have come. I will bring you new knowledge and new ideas. You must use them to arm yourselves—to gain the power to resist the colonisers."
"Remember this: gods are not omnipotent. They can only show you the right path. The rest…is up to you."
Scarface still looked dazed. "But…but we can't possibly fight the Loen army…"
Edward smiled, and without further explanation, jumped down into the dark hole, repeating what he had said before:
"That's why I'm here."
———
Bansy Island
After Alfred sent a telegram to Bayam exposing the conspiracy between the Church of the Sea God and the Numinous Episcopate, it was not until the next day that he received a reply—only a few terse words:
"The matter was resolved two days ago without any disaster. Rest assured, Major."
Resolved?
Alfred walked out of the telegraph office in a daze. His instincts told him this had something to do with Gehrman Sparrow—he just didn't know what role he had played or how much of an impact he had had.
If…it really was him, that means that, despite his eccentric and revolting personality…overall, he's not exactly some heinous villain.
Alfred sank into thought. That so-called 'attack on the Governor's Mansion'…it was either some sort of misunderstanding, or…he was acting out a role. Tsk, to come up with such a method for roleplay…he really is a lunatic!
But just for that, to slap such a high bounty on him and force him into Loen's enemy camp—isn't that a bit excessive? Then again…I still can't swallow this insult.
Gritting his teeth, Alfred strode toward the docks.
Since the matter was over, he would return to Backlund according to his original plan. He wondered what the situation was like there now—hopefully Hibbert had been dealt such a blow from that incident that he would never recover.
Right, I heard that Audrey has fallen in love. I'll have to keep a close eye on her when I get back—wouldn't want her to get tricked by some scoundrel.
Just as he stepped onto the gangway, he suddenly heard a voice coming from a small passenger boat nearby:
"Thank you, Mr. Sparrow. Truly, thank you for everything this time!"
Sparrow?
That surname instantly lit up the keywords in Alfred's mind. He immediately turned his head—only to see an unfamiliar face.
"Phew…Sparrow isn't exactly a rare surname. I'm just being too jumpy."
Taking a deep breath, Alfred muttered under his breath:
"Gehrman…one day, I'll make you pay."
———
Aboard the Nameless
Aldrich was effusively thanking Klein. Half an hour earlier, in the waters behind Bansy Harbour, the pirate general had indeed returned Olivia and the others.
When Vice Admiral of Ailment, Tracy, appeared on deck, Aldrich had clearly felt the man beside him—Gehrman—itching to make a move, as if ready to strike at any moment.
Fortunately, Gehrman restrained himself in the end. Throughout the process, Tracy hadn't said a single word. She delivered the people, turned on her heel, and left immediately, allowing Aldrich to breathe a sigh of relief.
If those two had fought, he had no idea who would win or lose, but the people nearby would certainly have been caught up in it—and there would have been nowhere to hide.
The girls who were returned were merely frightened, without any actual harm done—except for Sophia and a girl named Ella. One was dead, the other missing—apparently disappearing shortly after setting foot on Bansy Island.
Olivia was heartbroken over the loss of her close friend. This trip to Bansy had been made precisely because Sophia's hometown was here.
Now that she was gone, both Olivia and the other girls seemed lost, unsure where to go next.
"Mr. Sparrow, do you have any suggestions?"
"Me?"
Klein recalled Edward's earlier words. "My advice is to turn around and head for the Feynapotter Kingdom. Up to now, two are dead and one missing. Surely they're not still naïve enough to think they can change their lives just by 'sticking it out'?"
He gave a cold laugh. "If they remain that foolish, no one can help them. They'll be dead sooner or later."
"…"
Aldrich nodded. "You're right."
"All right, I've found your people. Now, my payment."
"Uh…all my money's deposited in a Loen bank. If you give me an account, I'll transfer it to you once I'm back."
"Fine."
Klein wrote down an anonymous Backlund bank account for him. "Make it quick."
After a brief pause, he added, "Hurry and decide where you're going. If you keep heading for Bayam, I'll come with you. If you turn toward Feynapotter, I'll take another ship."
At that, a thought struck him—perhaps he wouldn't need another ship. He could simply use the Sea God's Sceptre to summon a large sea creature, just as before, and have it take him to Bayam.
"All right, give me a moment."
Aldrich walked over to Olivia, whispered something, then took her by the wrist and led her into the cabin. A little while later, Olivia came back out and called the other girls inside.
Soon after, Klein heard muffled sobs and hushed discussion from within.
"Mr. Sparrow, they've decided—we'll go to Feynapotter Kingdom."
Olivia gave a deep bow. "Thank you, Mr. Sparrow."
Klein replied flatly, "I'm just doing my job. Mutual benefit, nothing more."
Waving his hand, he stepped down the gangway. "Safe travels."
The two watched Klein's figure recede into the distance. Olivia spoke softly, "Aldrich, I'm a little tired. I'd like to rest."
"All right."
Aldrich gestured to the helmsman. The Nameless gave a slight shudder and began slowly pulling away from the dock.
Olivia returned to her room, sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly brought her hands together and knelt on the floor. With her eyes closed, her face was filled with pious devotion.
"Great Ancestor, the mission you entrusted to me has been fulfilled."
Moments later, a faint voice sounded in her ear:
"Very good. Go to Feynapotter. You may choose any of the major families there to join, and you will be granted immediate promotion to Sequence 6."
"Thank you, Ancestor."
———
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