Chapter 326: The King’s Spy
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
At the Holy Sword adventurer team’s office.
“Lady Swordmistress, are you sure you want to leave the Holy Sword adventurer team and return to the royal city?”
Claude, who had bandages wrapped around his face, was kneeling on the ground with a reluctant expression. Many of the Holy Sword adventurer team members stood behind him, and they all had the same expression.
“Yes, I have already packed my belongings. I will depart the city first thing tomorrow morning. You will be Holy Sword’s Captain, and it is a huge burden on your shoulders. You can’t act foolishly like previously and tarnish the Holy Sword adventurer team’s reputation.”
Christina sat behind a desk with a package beside her. There were not many things in that package. There was only a bag of money and a few sets of clothes. The only thing that attracted attention was a broken sword, which was shining brightly. Even though it was broken, it still gave off an extraordinary aura. It was the Sky Severing Blade.
As she spoke, Christina subconsciously turned her head. Her gaze fell on the Sky Severing Blade beside her, and her eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
That was the second time that her platinum-tier weapon had been broken.
The Sky Severing Blade, known as the kingdom’s strongest offensive weapon, had always been her symbol. She thought that the sword would accompany her to achieve supreme glory, but she finally understood how shallow her thoughts were. A true elite would not rely on weapons. The fact that her sword had been broken twice was proof of that. After she explored the underground city, she understood something important.
‘The strength of an expert does not lie in external objects, but in their body and soul! From now on, I will work hard to become a true expert.’
She did not plan to reforge that sword. Instead, she chose to keep it by her side to alert herself constantly.
“Lady Swordmistress, according to the rumors, the underground maze has begun to evolve after they cleared it. The monster guarding the maze seems to be the black dragon, and some people even saw traces of an angel inside! Many people in the city believed that the legend originated from the ancient godly ruins. It had regained its vitality because someone had cleared it. Danger also means opportunity, but it is too bad that you are leaving, Lady Swordmistress. What a pity! What would the Holy Sword adventurer team do without you?”
“Opportunity is different for everyone. That new maze is meaningless to me! As for the Holy Sword adventurer team, I believe in your ability, Claude. I know you will never tarnish the team’s reputation.”
Christina comforted Claude softly as she looked at the other members behind him. Some of them averted their eyes guiltily.
They knew that Christina did not leave because she wanted to study at the Royal Academy. It was because they knew that Watson had created the new Tower of Babel. Those angels were not from the ruins, they were Watson’s subordinates, and the black dragon guarding the maze was his pet. They could not tell anyone about it due to the confidentiality agreement.
In fact, many rumors in the city were created by those who had signed the confidentiality agreement. To prevent information from being leaked, they had deliberately spread it to make everyone think the Tower of Babel was evil. One of the most widely spread versions said that the Tower of Babel was once the residence of the gods, but it had been sealed by a mysterious power, so it had been created as an underground city by the late king.
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With the passage of the sword of Saint and Watson decades ago, the seal on the Tower of Babel had been lifted, and it had finally returned to its original appearance. The souls of the gods roamed in it, and they would choose the fated person to leave their inheritance. As long as one entered, they would receive the blessings of the gods.
Perhaps it was out of her pride, or perhaps she felt the pressure from Watson. In short, those who had seen Watson’s terrifying power could understand the decision that she had made at that moment.
“Lady Swordmistress, if you insist on leaving the City of Steel for the Royal City, I will go with you.”
Claude suddenly stood. His face was bruised and swollen, but it was filled with determination.
“Claude, I hope that you will stay here. It is not just my personal request, but also my order as the leader! I am really happy to be in this adventurer team with everyone and have gotten along with everyone for so many years. I don’t want this adventurer team to fall apart because of me. The only person who is qualified to be their leader is you, Claude. I know my request is very selfish, but I still hope that you can accept it.”
Christina was still trying to comfort Claude. Her sincere words made him bite his lips, and his eyes were wet with tears.
Claude knew that he was not a good person; he was originally a thug in the city. Due to his lack of strength and bad character, he did not do well in the City of Steel, and very few adventurers were willing to hire him.
Everything had changed with Christina’s arrival.
He still remembered the first time he met Christina. He was trying to trick a group of new adventurers into paying protection fees. At that time, Christina said to him, “Don’t you think it’s a pity to have such a talent but do such a shady job? Follow me. I’m going to build an adventurer team in this city to clear the dungeon that no one has cleared in decades. And now, I lack an assistant.”
It was Christina who had given him glory and status. Every time Claude saw the respectful gazes of the people around him, he felt the same way. Christina was her light, his goddess. For the sake of Christina, he would not care even if his hands were stained with blood and he fell into hell. However, now that Christina was going to leave, he did not know if he would have the chance to see her again in the future; the love buried deep in his heart would probably stay there forever.
“Lady Swordmistress, there is another person who is qualified to be the captain other than me. That person is the captain of the guards, Blake. That d*mned b*stard! After deceiving me, I don’t know where he has run off to! Lady Swordmistress is leaving, and yet he is not here?”
At the mention of Blake, Claude felt a faint pain on his face, and his tone became fierce.
If Blake had given him all the information, he would not have been beaten so badly. No matter what kind of mood Blake had played him in, he would beat him up when he came back to vent his anger.
“Claude, have you sent people to find Blake?”
“Yes, he disappeared when you led our people into the underground maze city. I have sent people to the restaurants and taverns to look for him for a long time, but they haven’t found him! Maybe he is hiding with his mistress, which is why we can’t find him. Let’s hope he dies in the belly of a woman as soon as possible.”
Christina only shook her head after hearing Claude’s vicious curse. A hint of melancholy appeared on her face. “If only it were as you said.”
....
In the City of Steel, in a place called the Clear Spring Shop.
The Clear Spring Shop was a small shop in the City of Steel. The main business of the shop was the sale of medicinal herbs and potions. Since most of the people in the City of Steel were adventurers, and the owner had a brilliant way of making potions. As a result, that small shop had always been doing well. However, the door of the shop that was usually full of people was closed today.
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“Sir, we have used a magic device to contact His Majesty for you. You can talk to him now.”
The owner with a handlebar mustache said that to the handsome man in golden armor in front of him. Then, he turned around, closed the black soundproof curtain, and left the room obediently.
If Claude were there at that moment and saw the man standing in the middle of the room, he would definitely throw his fist and pounce on him without caring about his own safety.
That person was none other than Blake.
At that moment, Blake did not have the warm aura of a guard like when he was with Christina. Instead, his face was ice-cold, and his eyes revealed the sharpness of a falcon.
“Blake, you are a pawn I placed with the Sword Saint family, but you have not contacted me for a long time. Is there any reason for you to contact me now?”
A crystal ball was placed on the table in front of Blake. At that moment, the crystal ball reflected a gorgeous palace. In it, a man in a long robe was enjoying a shoulder massage service from two beautiful maids with his back facing him.
“Your Majesty, I have something to report. I’m afraid that the swordmistress has uncovered my identity.”
Blake knelt in front of the crystal ball respectfully. His cold face was a little pale. “I hope you won’t blame me, Your Majesty.”
“Oh? You were discovered?”
The voice of the man in the crystal ball paused; Blake had started to sweat. “A youth named Watson suddenly appeared in the City of Steel. He withstood Lady Swordmistress’ sword attack in the Adventurers’ Association and remained unscathed. I thought that this type of matter was very common. After that, Lady Swordmistress told me that that youth had at least platinum-tier strength, and was stronger than her. At that time, I did not believe it, so I sent people to investigate. In the end, I discovered that the youth was from the border. I thought of your relationship with the border count, and I formulated a series of plans to target him. In the end—”
The plan included not letting Watson and the swordswoman clear the dungeon together, as well as deliberately concealing Watson’s platinum-tier strength, and letting Claude go and find trouble with the people around Watson. All of that was to test the waters with the youth.
Then, he managed to obtain the information he wanted—Watson was Antonio’s disciple.
“In the end? Continue. ”
“In the end, I found out that that youth was Antonio’s disciple. He seemed to be inextricably linked to the border count.”
There was a long silence in the crystal ball. The man whose back had faced him turned around at that moment. His eyes stared at him through the crystal ball, bringing him heavy pressure. Even a crack appeared in the crystal ball.
“Antonio has been in seclusion in the Temple of the Stars for so many years. Royalties and ministers went to him to assist their children. He had refused them, and even I had wanted him to teach the princes. I wonder what Sylvan has given him for that benefit? Watson? That’s not the first time I’ve heard of the name. I did not expect him to leave the border. I’m afraid he’s here for me. This is great.”
“I had thought that it would be inconvenient for my forces to infiltrate from the border from afar. Since he took the initiative to come to me, then I won’t need to hold back. I might even be able to use this opportunity to catch a big fish!”
Halfway through his words, the man in the crystal ball suddenly changed the topic. “Blake, there is only death when an intelligence officer’s identity is exposed. Since you’ve brought me good information this time, I’ll let you off this time. Come back to the royal city. I’ll arrange another job for you! However, this is only a once-in-a-lifetime thing. If there’s a next time, you should kill yourself.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I am extremely grateful for your mercy.”
Blake bowed his head respectfully and let out a slight sigh of relief. Even though there was no sound from the crystal ball for a long time, he still did not dare to raise his head.
Chapter 327: Fiery Tower of Babel
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“My Lord, are you leaving now? Aren’t you going to have a meal with me before you leave? I’ve received a lot of care and attention from you over the years. I have a batch of gold-tier herbs, and I’ve made them into medicinal wine. It can help to increase one’s strength.”
The pharmacy owner escorted Blake to the back door and urged him to stay.
“Maybe next time.”
Blake looked up into the sky and was ready to push the door open and leave. A hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes. Perhaps there would not be a next time.
He had been in the City of Steel for a few years. He was a captain who adored Christina. He often had conflicts with Claude, who also liked Christina, but that was to help his disguise. His real identity was the kingdom’s assassin. There were many other assassins like him. Most of them were placed with various dukes and noblemen. They did not know each other, and each only had a few subordinates and a set of methods to contact the king.
The shop owner was his subordinate. He was responsible for gathering intelligence and passing it to him. After that, he would carry out the mission. Usually, an assassin would have one or two secret informants working for him, and people would only answer to him. If the identity of the assassin were exposed, the informants would also be eliminated. That was also the reason why the shop owner was so respectful toward him.
Blake admired the King for coming up with such an idea. None of the assassins would recognize each other, so they would not be able to form cliques for personal gain. At the same time, if there were any problems, they would be eradicated. They would not leave any clues, and none could affect the work of other assassins.
Of course, occasionally, a few assassins might work together. In that case, then the King would arrange for them to meet. He had met a female assassin named Adele. At that time, he was carrying out a mission to infiltrate a noble’s territory. Initially, he planned to have passers-by pretend to be his parents and let the bandits kill his parents in front of that noble to arouse their sympathy. Then, he would sneak in as a refugee.
However, before his plan could be carried out, the nobleman was dead. When he arrived at the scene, he discovered that the man had died in Adele’s arms in the bedroom. There was a stack of documents that proved his collusion with other countries. A few maids had also died in the same bedroom. Their deaths were very tragic. Their stomachs had been cut open, and their intestines and blood were scattered all over the floor.
The strange thing was that the eyes of those dead people were wide open, and there was a hint of a happy smile on their lips.
That was the first time he had seen another assassin, and they had left a deep impression on him. He did not know if the name of the female assassin named Adele was real or even if her appearance was genuine. At that time, he had been assigned to the City of Steel. He was in charge of infiltrating the Holy Sword adventurer team to monitor Christina. He did not know if it was because he did not complete the mission first, which led to that punishment.
The mission was boring.
‘With Lady Swordmistress’ strength, I’m afraid that she might not be able to clear the dungeon in ten or twenty years. His Majesty sent me to monitor her to clarify their clan’s movements. However, I feel like I might have to spend the rest of my life in the City of Steel.’
At first, he was somewhat dissatisfied with staying in that small city. After all, that place was not as prosperous as the royal city. The women were not as beautiful, and the alcohol was not as good. However, after a long time, he had gotten used to it. It was just like how he had fallen in love with that woman after playing the role of Christina’s suitor for a few years.
Unfortunately, all of that would end on that day. He had used the person he liked to obtain information. Presumably, Christina had already discovered it.
With a deep sigh, Blake pushed the shop’s backyard door open. Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly froze; a familiar face had appeared in front of him outside the door.
“Blake, I’m not in a good mood right now. You’re the only person I can confide in the entire adventurer team. Do you want to go for a drink?”
As he looked at the familiar face in front of him and heard the familiar tone, Blake’s face twitched a few times before he calmed and smiled. “In that case, I’ll do as you say, Lady Swordmistress.”
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....
“Are you leaving, Young Master Watson?”
Annie’s face was hesitant as she looked at Watson, who was gathering his belongings, inside the Golden Quill Pavilion.
“Yes, you know that my original intention was to go to the Royal Academy to study. “I am merely traveling through the City of Steel,” Watson explained as he tidied his clothes.
“Young Master Watson, can’t you stay? Why don’t you bring us with you?” Clyde said.
Even though he knew such a day would come eventually, he was also hesitant to part with them when he heard that. They had yet to conduct a proper excursion since forming an adventurer team with Watson and achieving gold-tier. Plus, Watson had explored the underground maze by himself. Watson had clearly done so much for them, yet they had little to give him in return. That made them feel a little ashamed.
“You don’t have to bring us along, Young Master Watson. I can be your servant, but your subordinates are angels, so I’m not sure—ouch!”
Arthur was the one who spoke. Leon smacked him on the head before he could complete his sentence. “Great Master Watson, your humble servant, has just helped you administer a lesson to a disrespectful person,” Leon said as he approached Watson and knelt respectfully with his arms wide open.
“As your servant, I don’t expect you to always keep me by your side. As long as I see your face and hear your voice occasionally, I will be satisfied. Now, may I kiss your toes?”
“Leon, you fraud, you are too disgusting.”
Arthur rubbed his head in embarrassment. Then, Annie said, “Even though Leon’s actions are too exaggerated, he is right! And Arthur, you’re too shameless. Young Master Watson has done so much for us, and you’re still not satisfied. I know that you want to become Young Master Watson’s subordinate not to serve him but to become an angel. With your behavior, if you become an angel, it would be a complete disgrace to that race.”
“There’s no need to go that far.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
Watson, who had already tidied his clothes, showed a helpless expression as he heard the two quarrel. “Okay, everyone, please stop arguing. Not only are you reluctant to part with me, but I am also hesitant to leave you. After all, I have to go to school. It is not appropriate for me to bring too many people! While I am gone, why don’t you challenge the Tower of Babel? I will grant you the ability to become platinum-tier angels if you complete the Tower of Babel challenge before I graduate.”
“Really, Young Master Watson? Don’t lie to us.”
When they heard that, the four of them, including Leon, grew thrilled and moved in front of Watson.
“I am not looking to become an angel. But if I’m from a different race, I can better propagate the faith and Young Master Watson’s teachings.” Leon elaborated.
“I mean it. The requirement is that you must clear the levels. If you can’t do it, then what I said will be invalid.”
“Don’t worry, Young Master Watson. We heard that the Royal Academy is a four-year program. We’ve obtained a lot of knowledge from you. After we absorb it, it won’t be difficult for us to clear the Tower of Babel in four years.”
The four of them began to study the Tower of Babel early in the morning as if they were on stimulants, striving to get a good result on the first day.
Watson looked at them knowingly. He had confidence in them. After all, the knowledge he had imparted to them was enough for them to reach the peak of platinum-tier. As long as they continued to fight the Blackmoon Knights, they would be able to improve rapidly in a short period.
“The Royal Academy is a four-year study. Four years is not enough to return home. Thinking about it, it’s quite a long time,” Watson muttered to himself.
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At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind him. “Four years is a long time, but I will always be by your side.”
When Watson turned around, he discovered that Nightingale and Globe had appeared behind him. She ran forward to take his hand and said coquettishly, “And then there is me, Honorable Master. The rest of the world will be there for you as well.”
Turning around, Watson found that Nightingale had appeared behind him at some point, and the world had also appeared. Globe rushed forward to hold his hand and said coquettishly, “And me, Honorable Master. I will also be with you.”
“Didn’t you two go back to Mount Creation to train the Blackmoon Knights? Why are you back so soon?”
“Globe had cloned all of the Blackmoon Knights. Since none of them could defect their clone in a short time, we decided to come back here,” Nightingale explained. Globe shook Watson’s arm and said, “The clones I created can work without me around. Aren’t I great? I’ve told your subordinates that whoever defeats me will get the chance to meet you through me. Now they’re very energetic.”
Watson was speechless. The Blackmoon Iron Knights might be full of energy, but he felt terrible. His head hurt when he thought how the Blackmoon Knights would line up to meet him in the future.
“What’s wrong with Annie and the other three? Why are they so happy? What happened when I returned to the mountain?”
After talking with Watson for a while, Nightingale realized that Annie and the other three were so happy that they almost jumped up and down. She was confused.
“Nothing. They just found their target.” Watson said with a smile.
Time passed quickly. The next morning, Watson, Antonio, Nightingale, and Denise put their luggage on the carriage. The Heaven-devouring Rat King had been disguised as an ordinary horse to pull the carriage. Then, they left the City of Steel. Their second stop to the royal city was the Floating City of Stanley, which was a famous and prosperous city in the kingdom.
The carriage did not go fast because Watson wanted to see the Tower of Babel before he left.
It was the first day of opening for the Tower of Babel. Hundreds of thousands of adventurers surrounded the new dungeon early in the morning. They had gathered in the street below, and everyone was looking upward eagerly.
At a particular moment, the Tower of Babel let out a loud rumble. An illusory staircase fell and landed in front of everyone.
Swoosh!
Hundreds of thousands of people swarmed forward. Those who were at silver and gold-tier used their combat aura wings to fly into the sky. At the same time, those bronze or iron-tier elites hugged each other and climbed up the ladder. It had felt like a lollipop had been plopped into the ground vertically, and countless ants were climbing it.
Many people were stepped on before they could enter the Tower of Babel. Some climbers had walked over other people’s heads instead of the ladders.
“Don’t squeeze, one at a time.”
“Aiyo, who stepped on me?”
“I’m going to fall, help!”
Even if he fell, he would be fine because there were paddings all over the ground.
The people who rushed up the Tower of Babel were not much better because there was only one gatekeeper at each level, leading to thousands of adventurers fighting for the first level.
“I came first. I should be the one to go first.”
“Stop lying. Everyone rushed in like a swarm of bees. Who knows who came in first? If you want to count, I think you’re still behind me. If you’re not convinced, let’s compete. Whoever wins gets to go.”
When Watson saw that, he pulled down the curtain and covered his face. Then, he said to Nightingale, who was driving the carriage, “I didn’t expect the Tower of Babel to be so popular. I only brought 100 Blackmoon Knights. That is insufficient! Nightingale, please contact Allen later via Globe. Tell him not to battle his clone and to send the first legion of Blackmoon Knights to assist those at the tower.”
Chapter 328: Arriving At The City Of Stanley
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Early in the morning, at the City of Steel entrance gate.
“It’s so lively this morning. It is as expected of the evolved underground city. Oh, no, I should call it the Tower of Babel now! I wonder what kind of changes that ruin has undergone since it rose to the surface. If it’s possible, I’d like to go in and take a look.”
Blake’s body had a rich and mellow scent of someone who had just come out of the tavern. He asked the person in front of him, “Lady Swordmistress, do you think so too?”
He and Christina had been drinking all night. The two of them had confessed many things to each other. However, when it came to core secrets, such as the origin of the Tower of Babel and who Blake was working for, they had a tacit understanding and did not mention anything about that.
Christina nodded as she looked at the tower that rose into the clouds in the distance. “If it were as before, I would want to go explore it as the team’s captain, and you as the captain of my guards, and with everyone else. But neither you nor I can go back, right?”
Blake was silent. After a long while, he smiled bitterly. “Don’t say such sad words, Lady Swordmistress. It makes me want to cry.”
“Can I trust your words? Speaking of which, I don’t even know if you really think of me as your Lady Swordmistress.”
“My feelings for you are genuine. There’s no doubt about that. The time I spend with everyone is also very interesting. It’s just that we always have some sort of unavoidable difficulties.”
“Since you’re sincere in saying that, I won’t mind what you’ve done before. Next, I’m going to the royal city to participate in the Royal Academy’s entrance exam. Will we meet again?”
“Lady Swordmistress, it’s better if you don’t see me again.”
“Is that so? Then I wish you good luck in advance. Don’t die.”
As she waved her hand at Blake, Christina tightened the luggage on her back. Finally, she took a glance at the bustling Tower of Babel before turning around and walking out of the city. As she knew the tower’s structure, she could understand why it was so lively. In the future, that place would be even more vibrant. However, the liveliness belonged to other people and had nothing to do with her.
Blake watched the graceful figure leave the city with a complicated expression. He did not leave until her back disappeared from his sight.
That day was a day of departure for many people. Many people set off on their journey that day, and Watson was also on his journey at the moment.
....
“That is Stanley, the largest port in the Holy Dragon Kingdom. It looks really good.”
After a seven-day journey, Watson and the others finally arrived at the gate of their second stop, the City of Stanley.
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There was an endless lake in front of them. The lake’s water was glistening, and it was shrouded in faint clouds. Four bridges extended more than ten kilometers over the lake, linking to a floating castle.
That fortress was Stanley. It was located on Lake Priestly, the largest lake in the Holy Dragon Kingdom. Lake Priestly was connected to the sea, and one could see huge or crude ships sailing on the water everywhere. They gathered at the four gates in the north, south, east, and west of Stanley.
“As the largest port city in the kingdom, Stanley belongs to the Ptolemy family, one of the kingdom’s three archdukes.”
As Watson poked his head out of the carriage and looked outside, Denise, who was also sitting in the carriage, continued to explain. “That is the Ptolemy family’s main source of income. The family is best at ship manufacturing and transportation. More than half of the ships in the kingdom are controlled by their family.”
“The Ptolemy family, why does it sound so familiar?”
Watson thought for a moment before he suddenly remembered. Was that Gerant’s family?
“Other than the Ptolemy family, which other family is there in the kingdom? Denise, please explain it to me.”
That city was not far from the royal city. They were about to arrive at the royal city, so Watson decided to learn more about it.
“In addition to the Ptolemy family, who are in charge of water transportation, there’s also the Campbell family, who are responsible for researching and improving magical tools, and then, the Saint Laurent family, who specializes in training warriors. The heads of those three families are the only three archdukes in the kingdom! In addition to those three families, there are also the civil groups led by Prime Minister Macrotov and the general forces led by General Hoen, who is famous for the kingdom’s walls. In addition, there are only six primary forces in the kingdom. The six forces are mutually restraining each other and attempting to maintain a relative balance.”
“I didn’t expect that my father’s family would be one of the three archdukes in the kingdom.” Watson clicked his tongue.
He knew that the Saint Laurent family was very powerful, but he did not expect them to be so influential. The other two families did not look weak either. They could even send their own men to the border. One could tell that they were extraordinary by that single point.
“Gerant said that I should look him up when I go to the royal city. I wonder if he’s there now? Perhaps I’ll meet his siblings.”
Watson was a little excited when he thought of that. He gestured for the carriage to stop at a sparsely populated corner. He slowly got off the carriage and cast a spell on the carriage in front of him. The carriage immediately turned into a medium-sized ship. The Heaven-devouring Rat King, who was in charge of pulling the carriage, had also transformed into a magical beast with the body of a tortoise and a dragon-shaped head.
That magical beast was called the water dragon. It was closely related to the earth dragon, which contained the Dragon Clan’s bloodline. Its strength ranged from silver to gold-tier. Watson and the others did not look too embarrassed or conspicuous with that magical beast pulling the ship.
“Everyone, come on up.”
Everyone went onto the boat. Nightingale, who had been in charge of controlling the carriage, was free. The ship finally moved as the water dragon started to swim.
Everyone sat on the boat and enjoyed the scenery on the lake. The moist air caressed their faces comfortably.
In about half an hour, they were at Stanley’s East Gate with the surrounding ships. The gate was more like a huge sluice gate. A row of soldiers in sky-blue armor stood on both sides of the gate. Those soldiers held long spears in their hands and emitted a silver-tier aura as they inspected the passing ships. After examining each ship, they would pull the levers on the left and right sides of the water lock to raise the gate and let the vessels move into the city.
When it was Watson’s turn, there were already hundreds of ships in front of them.
“Please show your identification papers!”
The two city guards went to Watson’s boat. They looked at the water dragon in front of the ship, turned their heads away, and stretched their hands outward.
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“We are merchants from the border. Here are our papers.”
Watson retrieved two documents from his bag and handed them to the soldiers in front of him. Those papers were what he had used for his forces at the border. No one would be able to find anything wrong with them.
As expected, after seeing his papers, the two soldiers said, “Let them pass.” Just as they were about to open the city gates, something changed. A heavy horn blared from behind Watson. Following that, a giant golden ship that was more than ten meters tall sailed forward. A few men dressed in yellow stood on the deck; they had wave symbols on their chests. They were shouting in all directions.
“The Ptolemy family’s Second Young Master has returned. Those who are idle should retreat.”
“It’s the Ptolemy family’s prodigy. Why does he have to come at this time?”
“Move aside, quickly! Don’t let that ship touch you. It’s not a joke! I heard that a few small ships did not have time to dodge it and were hit. We can’t even find their bodies.”
Many of the boats behind Watson cried out in alarm as they slid to the sides, hearing the sounds emanating from the enormous ship behind them.
Watson frowned. It sounded like the Ptolemy family’s Young Master was not a good person. Even though he was not willing to tolerate such a person, it was better to avoid trouble. Watson ordered the Heaven-devouring Rat King to increase the distance between the ships.
“The young master is back? Quickly, open the city gate!”
The soldiers did not bother to check the passages of the ships around them. They began to shake the levers to raise the city gate. Then, they knelt on one knee and bowed their heads toward the ship about to enter the city gate.
Everyone was watching that scene, including Watson. As the ship got closer, he saw a rocking chair on the bow. A skinny young man was leaning against the chair. Behind him stood four scantily dressed young girls who were fanning themselves with feather fans. As they fanned themselves, they asked, “Young Master Casey, is this okay?”
“Not bad. It would be even better if you used a little more strength.”
Young Master Casey seemed to be in a good mood. He reached out and pinched the girl behind him, causing the girl to call out shyly.
“The weather in Stanley is like my grandmother’s temper. It changes so easily. One moment it’s cloudy, and the next moment it’s sunny. The weather has tanned my skin! Fortunately, the harvest this time it’s quite good. I got a few high-quality goods. Otherwise, I would have to see my big brother’s ugly face when I go home.”
Casey gently swayed in the rocking chair. His palm rubbed the girl’s smooth thigh, and his eyes glanced around her figure.
The Ptolemy family’s Second Young Master was only 16 years old that year, and he had an elder brother who was close to 30 years old. The main branch of the Ptolemy family had three young masters and a young miss, and one of them would be named head of the family. Since his younger sister, Lana, was only 14 years old and was a girl, the main competitors were him and his eldest brother.
‘If I can sell this batch of goods, I can earn at least 100,000 gold coins. This way, my profit this quarter will surpass his. I really want to see him blow his beard.’ Casey muttered inwardly.
His gaze swept across the small boats, admiring the reverence that everyone showed him. That made him very happy. He enjoyed the feeling of power. As long as he had power, he could enjoy it unscrupulously. Many people in the city called him a playboy or the Ptolemy family’s prodigal son because he had done many bad things over the years. However, he would never be punished—that was the benefit of power.
While he indulged in self-satisfaction, his gaze suddenly stopped at a medium-sized boat. A water dragon was pulling that ship, and there were men, women, youths, and children on it.
None of those attracted his gaze, except for the two beautiful women sitting in the middle of the ship. One of them was in tight clothes, and her short black hair fell on her shoulders, swaying in the breeze. The other was in a long robe. There were fine scales on her face that symbolized the flame elves, and her pupils were golden. The two women looked different, but they were both extremely beautiful. Furthermore, there was no fear in their eyes when they looked at him. Instead, there was a hint of disapproval that made Casey lick his lips involuntarily.
‘You’re not afraid of me? You must be a merchant from another city. Interesting.’
He seemed to have thought of something, and a playful look appeared in his eyes. He waved his hand to the people below. “Men, stop the boat and invite those two beauties to come up here.”
Chapter 329: Cries For Help
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“My dear beautiful ladies, our young master invites you to our ship. Please come with me.”
An elegant old man in a tuxedo spread his combat aura wings on his back and had flown easily from their ship to Watson and the others. He reached his hand out toward Nightingale and Denise.
“Invite us?”
“Who’s your young master?”
Nightingale and Denise frowned. The old man was dressed as a butler; he seemed to be a gold-tier warrior. He released some pressure in front of them unscrupulously as if he wanted to threaten them. However, the gold-tier pressure was nothing to them. They did not feel anything at all. However, they were disgusted with the other party.
“Our young master is—”
The old man seemed to be a little surprised. Why were those two women still unmoved in the presence of an elite like him? Just as he was about to explain, a young man with light yellow hair popped out of the large ship docked behind him. The young man was in a gorgeous blue robe. The cuffs of the robe and its hem were decorated with a pendant in the shape of a water droplet. With one look, one could tell that it was high-quality jade.
“Hey, Beauties. It looks like you’ve arrived in the Floating City of Stanley from somewhere else.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Casey Ptolemy. As the city’s owner, I sincerely invite you to come onto my ship and taste some fine wine with me. At the same time, I will give you a proper introduction to the city. What do you think?”
“Oh, no! Those two beauties have caught Casey’s eye.”
“The Ptolemy family’s Second Young Master likes to play with women. Furthermore, he has some special fetishes. Very few women could survive his boat. Even if they did, they would have still suffered some kind of physical injury! He has his family’s backing, so no one dared to do anything to him. It seems that those two young ladies will also face the same fate. What a pity! Those two young ladies are gorgeous.”
They could hear faint discussions from the nearby ships; everyone looked at Casey with a strange expression.
“That so-called Young Master is a b*stard who likes to toy with girls.”
“Miss, our young master is sincere in his invitation. If you refuse, it means that you don’t respect him, which means you are disrespecting the Ptolemy family. This is the Floating City of Stanley. If you offend the Ptolemy family, it will be difficult for you to walk out of that gate. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”
The old man’s aura grew stronger, and his voice gradually became low.
The sea shifted in time with the old man’s words, creating tremendous waves several meters high that threatened to capsize Watson’s boat at any minute.
“Paul, don’t be disrespectful to my guests.”
Casey had unknowingly walked down the stairs that hung from the big ship. The four girls behind him quickly caught up and laid a red carpet under Casey’s feet, allowing him to step on the red carpet steadily. Then, they reached Watson’s ship.
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“Everyone, I sincerely invite you to board my ship. There aren’t many people that I can invite onto my ship in the entire city. You should feel proud! Have you seen the wine glass in my hand?”
Casey shook the goblet in his hand—scarlet wine swirled in it. “This is a high-tier 12-year-old wine from the kingdom’s Raphael Winery. There are also some delicious snacks on my ship. Looking at your travel-worn appearance, you must have been exhausted. You probably have not eaten for the entire morning either. Let me do my part as a host and bring you something good to eat. How about that? Especially since you have a child on board. I’m a kind-hearted person, and I don’t like to see children suffering.”
Nightingale and Denise did not speak but secretly clenched their fists and looked at Watson.
That noble young master in front of them was too reckless. He had dared to speak to Watson like that. If he knew Watson’s true strength, he would probably be so scared that he would wet his pants. They were waiting for Watson’s order, and as soon as he gave it, they would immediately push the annoying man into the water.
“You are too kind. Sister Nightingale, Sister Denise, let’s go to his ship.”
Watson turned around with a shy expression and smiled.
“If that is what you wish, Young Master Watson.”
Denise and Nightingale unclenched their fists. They chose to cooperate since they knew Watson only pretended to be young; he did not want to expose his real strength. After all, they were all platinum and diamond-tier elites. Casey would be the unlucky one in such circumstances, no matter what he did.
Casey’s eyes fluttered when he saw Watson’s cooperation. He stroked the young man’s head. “He is such a good kid. Let’s not waste time, then. Let’s go!”
Casey turned around and stretched his hand outward. A young girl handed him a handkerchief and wiped his hands. Her eyes were filled with pity as she looked at Watson and the others.
Watson narrowed his eyes when he saw Casey’s actions. However, he pretended nothing had happened and brought the three people beside him onto the ship. Their own ship was stopped at the side.
“Oh, no! Those foreigners don’t know about Casey’s reputation. They dared to go up to him.”
“I hope that Casey will be merciful this time and let them go.”
After Casey left, the people on the surrounding ships shook their heads. The discussion had become louder, and their words were filled with an unbearable tone.
....
On the ship.
“Take the child and the man to a room in the middle of the ship, give him some fruits and snacks! As for those two ladies, give them a bath and change their clothes first, then bring them to my room later.”
After they were on the ship, Casey no longer maintained his pleasant expression. Instead, he appeared a little impatient. After he swept his eyes over Nightingale and Denise greedily, he licked his lips and returned to the cabin with a smile.
“Ladies, please follow me.”
A young girl gestured to the young women.
“Young Master Watson, wait for us—”
“You can do whatever you want later. Just don’t kill him! After all, he’s a member of the Ptolemy family. A young master’s death could cause too much sensation.” Watson’s face was beaming with a brilliant smile, but his words made people shudder.
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The Ptolemy family’s second young master had dared to attack his family members, which offended him. It was already merciful of him not to kill him on the spot. As long as they did not kill him, he did not care about anything else.
“Master, let’s take a walk on the ship.”
He had said those words in a low voice, so the servants who took Nightingale and Denise could not hear him. Then, the old man appeared again. He said, “Let me take you around the ship.
“This ship is a magical ship produced by the Ptolemy family. It is gold-tier. It has a magical protective shield and also six wings. Usually, those wings are hidden at the bottom of the ship. When there is a storm, the wings will extend outward and turn into bird-like wings, allowing the ship to fly freely in the air—”
“Master, if we want to avoid the storm, don’t you think it’s not safe to grow wings and fly in the sky? Since there are still storms and lightning in the sky, we might as well draw a layer of diving magic on the hull to allow it to sail underwater.”
His Einherjar’s body had a lot of knowledge, and it included information about shipbuilding. So, Watson had asked that after he heard the old man’s explanation.
“Watson, your idea is not bad. Letting the ship go underwater is something that no shipbuilding family has ever thought of! However, there is a problem. How do you ensure that the ship will not leak when it is submerged?? Furthermore, there will be all kinds of aquatic monsters underwater.”
“We can strengthen the hull, such as using steel and other things.”
Watson did not know how to use the information in the Einherjar’s body, but he knew of something similar in his previous life—a submarine.
“Hey, you two—”
The old man’s mouth was dry as he explained to them. He had wanted to see Watson and Watson’s surprised and amazed gazes, but he realized that they did not listen to him. He was a little angry.
“Go ahead, we’re listening,” Watson replied casually. The old man cleared his throat. “This ship is a magical ship produced by the Ptolemy family. It is gold-tier. It has a magical protective shield and also six wings.”
“Master, you said that you brought me to the floating city for the next trial, but I don’t feel like there’s anything here that can increase my strength?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You should know that the floating city can sit on the surface of the water without any source of magic power. Do you know why? Because the floating city has one of the best platinum-tier tools in the kingdoms. It’s called the Sea God’s Trident. It was rumored to be from ancient times, and it has the power to control the sea, including its creatures. The next trial has something to do with that; I’ll tell you the details when the time comes.”
“Hey, you two! Are you listening to me?”
Veins appeared on the old man’s forehead. Watson kept saying that he wanted him to continue, but he was not clearly not listening.
“Sorry, I was distracted. Why don’t you tell us again what happened to that ship?”
‘Are they still talking? F*ck them!’
The old butler was so angry that his white beard fluttered in the wind. He turned around and left. “The two of you can continue to chat here. I’ll go prepare some snacks for you.”
Even though he was polite, the old man had already thought of Watson and Antonio as two dead people. Young Master Casey would trample those two idiots soon, and they were still chatting leisurely about underwater ships. What a joke! After the young master had enjoyed those two girls, he would kill those two idiots and throw them into the lake.
When the old man left, Watson’s expression changed from innocence to calmness. He said, “Master, I heard a faint cry for help coming from the bottom of the ship. It seems that someone is being held there! Please keep an eye out for me. I’ll go down and take a look.”
He boarded the ship because he did not want to expose his strength and because he heard someone screaming for help. However, the cry for help was too faint for him to hear clearly, even with his strength. To be safe, he decided to go there and take a look.
Chapter 330: I’ll Give You A Hand
“You go ahead. I can handle it here.”
Antonio chuckled and walked to the rocking chair that Casey had laid on the deck. He laid down and hummed a song comfortably.
Watson nodded. He teleported and disappeared from the deck. When he appeared, he was at the cabin below the deck. As soon as he entered it, he choked on the smell of blood. It seemed to be an interrogation room. The room was filled with torture instruments such as shackles. Besides those instruments, he also saw a large iron bed that seemed to have some wet blood stains on it.
Just as he was about to explore further, he heard a crew member from outside.
As he pressed against the crack in the doorway, Watson saw two crew members in blue clothes carrying a large bucket passed by the room.
“Every time we go out to sea, Young Master Casey always arranges for me to be in the lower cabin. How many times has that been this week? Doing this kind of work every day, I can’t even eat anymore.”
“Be grateful. Even though the work in the lower cabin is revolting, there’s also an advantage. The young master was too lazy to deal with the bodies of the girls that he had raped to death, so he left them to us. The valuable things on their bodies also fell into our pockets! It’s not only that, but they also feed the mermaids flesh from those girls’ bodies. They even saved money on groceries. I wonder if the mermaids can eat human flesh?”
The two crew members walked past Watson, and Watson’s eyes widened subconsciously. He realized that the barrels in their arms were broken limbs. He thought of the bloodstains on the instruments of torture in the room; he felt nauseous.
‘What is wrong with that young master? How can he have such a perverted hobby? If I had known earlier, I would have told Nightingale and Denise to be more careful!’
Watson felt murderous, but he did not leave. He was intrigued by those two crew members’ words. They had imprisoned a mermaid in the lower cabin. He had only heard of such creatures in fairy tales; he did not expect that such creatures had existed in the world. He decided to take a look.
After the two crew members left, Watson teleported to the position they had revealed. He instantly arrived at the deepest part of the cabin.
He saw a locked iron door, but that did not stop him at all. He flicked the lock lightly, and the lock shattered. The door slowly opened, and then he saw a water tank that emitted a sky-blue glow.
A few beautiful mermaids were swimming in the water tank. They were quite different from what Watson had seen in the fairy tale books. The mermaids’ upper bodies were human. Their sky-blue hair was like seaweed, and shells covered their pale breasts. The bottom half of their body consisted of a fishtail, and their blue scales had a rainbow-colored glow.
There were four mermaids. Three of them were adults, and one of them was a youngling. She looked like she was only 12 or 13 years old. Other than the shell on her chest, she also wore a small crystal crown on her head. The other three mermaids surrounded her; she did not look ordinary.
[Gold-tier Sea Folks: Mermaids]
[Abilities: Water Elemental Control, Seductive Dinging (can use beautiful singing to seduce the enemy, causing the enemy to fall into a state of confusion), Tide Calling Song (a gold-tier spell that summons a water pillar to attack the enemy, causing large-scale damage), Foam (turns the body into foam, to a certain extent immune to physical damage), Fire Resistance Aura (resists fire-elemental spells, immune to fire-elemental magic).]
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[Additional ability: Anthropomorphization (turns the fishtail into legs and can walk on land for a short period).]
When he saw the mermaids, the information appeared in Watson’s eyes. He paid attention to the information because he realized that the mermaids were not magical creatures. They were part of the sea tribe.
Watson searched the memories of the Einherjar’s body and found a wise man who specialized in studying those creatures. He obtained information about the sea tribe. The sea tribe was the collective name of all the humanoid creatures that lived underwater, and they were different from magical beasts. The sea tribe possessed a high level of intelligence and their own civilization. Their city was called Atlantis, and they believed in the Sea God. The sea tribe warriors were born with a beautiful singing voice and affinity with the water element.
Other than the sea tribe, there were many other races in that world. Other than the humans, elves, and angels that Watson already knew, there were at least hundreds of different races in the world. Some of those races were extinct, but some were still active in some corners of the world.
After learning about the marine race, Watson slowly approached the enormous blue water tank in front of him. He was about to greet the mermaids, but before he could make a sound, the mermaids looked at him warily.
The little mermaid backed off weakly while the three adult mermaids swam over and made a strange sound.
Those words seemed to be the sea tribe’s unique language, and Watson could not understand them at all. Fortunately, the Einherjar’s memories also contained experts who often roamed the sea and were proficient in the same language. Watson immediately understood what they were saying.
The mermaids asked, “Who are you? What are you doing?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not a bad person. I heard a cry for help, and I’m here to save you.” Watson used the same language to explain to them.
The adult mermaids were a little surprised that Watson, a human, had mastered the sea tribe’s language. However, they quickly reacted, and the leading mermaid sneered at him. “Don’t try to deceive us. The hateful human who captured us had tried his best to get close to us. However, he doesn’t speak our language, so we can only rely on our guesses. This time, he actually sent a human who mastered the language of the sea tribe. Do you think that we will compromise? To us, you humans are executioners covered in blood. Go back and tell your master that he has captured the pearl of the sea, the mother of the sea’s youngest daughter, Princess Alice. Sooner or later, he will receive the punishment he deserves.”
“You’ve misunderstood me. I have nothing to do with the owner of this ship. In fact, he had captured me.”
Watson raised his hands to show that he was not hostile as he approached the tank slowly.
“Stop, don’t come any closer! Otherwise, don’t blame us for not being polite.”
One of the adult mermaids was angered by Watson’s actions. A sharp song came out of her mouth, and the entire water tank and the room shook. The ear-piercing sound was meant to lead people into the violent sea. The water in the water tank immediately boiled. A thick water arrow shot out from all directions toward Watson.
That was the mermaid’s song of summoning the tide. Faced with that gold-tier spell, Watson put his hand down helplessly and blew in front of him. “Platinum-tier spell, Absolute Zero.”
Crack, crack, crack!
The water arrow immediately froze in mid-air. Pure white ice spread along the water arrow and instantly arrived above the water tank. It formed a layer of ice on top and sealed the entire water tank inside. The surface became extremely cold, and it caused the mermaids to shiver uncontrollably. They stared at the water with their beautiful eyes.
“A platinum-tier spell? You’re a platinum-tier mage. How could that hateful human invite such a powerful existence?”
The sea folks were beautiful creatures with a unique fishtail. Some of the noblemen had special fetishes about them.
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Therefore, the sea folk girls were often sold as slaves in the human community. Just like how humans loved the sea folks, the marine creatures also had a certain understanding of humans. They were very clear about the position of platinum-tier elites in the human community.
“I’ve already said that I’m not on the same side as the people on this ship. Otherwise, with my strength, if I wanted to do anything to you, you would not be able to resist me.”
“Perhaps you’re deliberately using your powerful strength to lure us and force us to yield? If you continue to approach us, we’ll protect Princess Alice with our lives.”
The three adult mermaids were still in disbelief. Just as they were about to attack Watson again, the youngest mermaid they had been protecting behind them suddenly swam forward. “Everyone, don’t be nervous. I sense that the human in front of us does not mean us harm.”
“Princess Alice, why are you swimming forward? Get back. If that human casts another terrifying spell, we might not be able to protect you.”
“That’s right. We can’t trust humans. Some of our compatriots believe their words easily. That’s why they were captured and sold, becoming those detestable people’s playthings.”
The mermaids spoke, one after another, but the little mermaid ignored them.
She swam to the edge of the water tank and stuck her face to the transparent wall. Her big blue round eyes were filled with curiosity. “My name is Alice. What’s your name? You said you wanted to save us. What are you going to do? This water tank is special. It’s engraved with a powerful imprisonment spell. Even if you’re a platinum-tier mage, you might not be able to let us out.”
That water tank was a peak gold-tier magic item. It had a special defense, and it was no weaker than some platinum-tier tools. With such a powerful defense, it prevented the mermaids from escaping.
“A platinum-tier imprisonment spell?”
Watson looked calm. He walked to the water tank and gently knocked on it. “Is it very hard?”
Crack!
A deep pit appeared where he knocked on the water tank. Then, a few cracks spread along the pit and quickly extended to the entire water tank. The water tank cracked with a crisp sound, and the water flowed out rapidly. The mermaids swayed their tails in disbelief, riding on the water toward the ground.
Did he really break that water tank?
“Princess Alice, hurry up and leave. We’ll cover you.”
It was not easy for them to come out. After a short moment of shock, the mermaids reacted and rushed out with the little mermaid in their arms. In the end, Watson stopped them.
“What are you doing? Didn’t you want to save us? As expected, you’re in cahoots with the people on this ship. Letting us out is to make it easier for you to torture us.” The leading mermaid immediately cast a hateful gaze at him.
“There are many elites on this ship. There are more than ten gold-tier warriors. All of you are very weak now. You won’t be able to escape in your current state. I’d better help you out.”
As Watson spoke, he opened his right hand and released a series of divine blessings.
“The God of Strength’s blessing! The God of Spring’s blessing! The God of Wind’s blessing! The God of Light’s blessing...”
The mermaids were no longer weak. Instead, the scales on their tails began to glow with divine radiance, becoming even stronger than when they were at their peak.