The crew carried Redford to his chamber with carefully, supporting his weight as he grimaced with each step. Once inside, they laid him on the bed, his injured leg elevated on a stack of folded blankets.
Redford's voice was strained but clear. "Ro, tell the captain to travel toward the Edge of the World."
Ro's eyes widened in alarm. "But, my lord, we don't know what will happen if we go too close to the Abyss. The waters there—"
"No buts." Redford cut him off with a raised hand. "If he does it carefully and doesn't venture too close, it won't be a problem. I believe he can manage it." His voice hardened. "Remember, if we encounter anything like that creature again out in open waters, we'll all be dead."
Ro swallowed hard. "As you wish, sir."
Before they could continue their conversation, a sharp knock interrupted them.
"Come in," Redford said, his voice muffled by pain as he adjusted his position.
The door swung open to admit a rotund man whose body was draped in excessive jewelry and thick silk garments. Gold chains hung around his neck in layers, rings adorned every finger, and his robes were embroidered with golden thread that caught the lamplight. Just looking at him in the middle of summer made Ro feel uncomfortably hot. He truly could not understand rich people and their lifestyle choices.
"Lord Redford, I will be conveying your command to the captain," Ro said quickly, eager to escape. "I'll take my leave now."
"Good. Tell everyone to remain alert."
Ro left swiftly, closing the door behind him and leaving the two men alone.
Looking at the fake smile plastered across the merchant's face, Redford felt his discomfort deepen. If this were any other person in the Empire, he would gladly kick the bastard off his ship and watch him swim back to shore. But he couldn't do that—this was Ald, the eldest son of the Fiar family.
Even though the Fiar family didn't have any Hero-class warriors among their ranks, their wealth was enough to place them among the top-ranking families of the Empire. Especially now, with the new Empress caring little for politics and focusing solely on her own pursuits, families like the Fiars had grasped quite a lot of power in recent times. Money spoke louder than swords in the current court.
"Lord Redford," Ald began, his smile never wavering, "I just want to know the true details of what happened there. You understand I have to report this to my father with complete accuracy."
This stupid bastard, Redford cursed inwardly.
But regardless of how embarrassed he felt about the matter, he definitely had to tell the truth. The Fiar family was the financial backing of this entire expedition. Without their gold, this voyage would never have left port.
"As you've heard from the rumors circulating the ship," Redford began carefully, "we encountered a very strong knight, and we lost badly. The rumors are completely true—if anything, they're understated."
Ald's expression shifted to one of carefully maintained surprise, though his eyes remained calculating. It wasn't as if he didn't already know about the incident. He simply wanted to confirm how true the matter was, to hear it from Redford's own lips.
It seems we'll have to change our plans for that small kingdom, Ald thought.
"My lord, can you explain in a little more detail?" he pressed.
Redford let out a long sigh, the weight of defeat heavy in his chest. "It was the Head Knight. You met him too—Ronga."
Hearing the name, an image flashed through Ald's mind: a burly man with blonde hair, broad shoulders, and a surprisingly gentle demeanor. He'd seemed calm and cheerful during their brief diplomatic meeting, offering refreshments and pleasantries like any gracious host.
It was very difficult to associate that kind person with someone who could beat Lord Redford to this degree. And most importantly, this information would change every plan they'd made about that place.
Ald settled into a chair.
To understand why this mattered so much, one had to know the legend that had shaped their entire world.
There was an ancient tale told across all lands, passed down through generations like a sacred text. It spoke of an ancient temple in the middle of the world, older than any civilization, older than recorded history itself. This temple was said to be the Pillar of the World, and according to legend, if you possessed the courage and strength to enter and conquer it, your every wish would come true. You would gain enough power that the entire world would be forced to bow before you, and acquire knowledge beyond normal human comprehension.
For the past thousand years—as long as written records existed—people had tried. Kings had sent their finest warriors. Wizards had attempted to breach its defenses with magic. Adventurers had given their lives seeking glory. But no one had even come close to conquering the temple.
So it remained just a legend, a story told to inspire children and fool the ambitious.
Until five years ago.
Their Empress—the strongest warrior their nation had ever produced—led a five-year-long expedition into the temple's depths. Where thousands had failed, she succeeded. She conquered the temple and emerged alive.
According to the legend, she should have gained immense power and knowledge. The truth was more complicated.
She didn't gain godlike abilities or world-shattering magic. But the legend wasn't entirely false either.
What she found was a map. A map of the entire world.
Before this discovery, everyone believed there was only one landmass—three sides surrounded by sea and one side bordered by the Abyss, that mysterious edge where the world seemed to end in eternal darkness.
The sea was safe enough if you stayed close to land. Fish swam in normal sizes, the waters were navigable, and merchants could trade along the coasts without fear.
But venture a hundred kilometres out, and everything changed.
The fish that were no bigger than dogs near shore began to grow larger. Two hundred kilometres out, and they were as big as horses. Three hundred kilometres, and they dwarfed ships.
Most people didn't have the ability to venture that far out and survive. And those who did have the power had no reason to risk their lives exploring an empty ocean. So until the Empress's discovery, the sea remained an undiscovered frontier, a barrier that defined the limits of their world.
But the map changed everything.
It showed other landmasses across the ocean. Continents are separated by vast stretches of dangerous waters, but landmasses nonetheless. Other places where civilisations might exist.
This expedition's main purpose stemmed directly from that discovery: establish a base to explore the other landmasses. If they were uninhabited, claim them. If they had no intelligent life, colonize them. If intelligent beings lived there, establish friendly relationships.
At least, that had been the plan.
"Lord Redford," Ald said slowly, his mind catching up to the implications, "they didn't seem too hostile toward us initially. The prince was especially warm during our meetings. Did something happen in the middle to change that?"
Truthfully, Ald didn't particularly care whether the expedition succeeded or failed in its mission. He'd already fulfilled the goal his father had set for him.
According to his father's instructions, the Fiar family supported this expedition and even sent their eldest son primarily to show the Empress that they would do everything to support her reign. It was political theatre, a display of loyalty performed on the grandest stage available.
So the moment the expedition proposal was presented to the Empress, their true goal was already achieved. Getting her approval was just honey on bread—a sweet bonus to an already successful venture.
If they found something interesting and valuable in the new lands, wonderful. If not, the Fiar family didn't particularly care. The real prize was the Empress's favor.
But still, the family name was attached to this expedition. He had to take care that nothing damaged their reputation.
The reason Ald hadn't paid much attention to the new landmass wasn't disinterest—he'd simply focused all his manpower and attention on watching Redford. The knight was the key to this entire operation. If the diplomatic mission succeeded, excellent. But if it failed, the Fiar family's name absolutely could not be involved in that failure.
They didn't hold absolute power like Redford and the other Ten Knights. Their strength was wealth, and wealth could be seized, redistributed, or destroyed by those with swords if the political winds shifted.
So Ald had made it his business to know absolutely everything Redford did in that foreign land. He had informants among the crew, servants who watched and reported, merchants who traded gossip like coin.
He just wanted to hear the reason directly from Redford's mouth now.
If Redford denied what happened or changed the story when they returned, and then told a different version to the Empress, that would be very troublesome. It might even prove deadly for the Fiar family, caught between conflicting accounts and accused of complicity in deception.
So Ald had decided to sort this out before they landed. If there were disagreements about what to report, maybe they could be resolved with money. Gold had a way of making inconvenient truths more palatable.
Whatever the case, he needed to ensure Redford would tell the truth to the Empress, even if it cost the Fiar family a considerable sum to guarantee his honesty.
Fortunately, Redford didn't seem keen to shift the blame or hide behind excuses.
"I was just too greedy for my own good," Redford admitted, his voice bitter with self-recrimination. "I truly didn't expect that someone this powerful might exist in that place. I underestimated them completely."
He paused, then added with a grim smile, "Hopefully Skia will do his job."
"Skia?" Ald gasped, his carefully maintained composure cracking. "Did he not come back with us?"
Redford's smile turned cold. "That knight's power seems to be related to the prince. While Ronga is chasing us across the ocean, we might as well eliminate the source of his power."
If anyone can handle an assassination in enemy territory, it's him."
He shifted his injured leg, wincing. "Hopefully, he will understand.