Chapter 559

Sanford dropped the parchment he was holding as he stared blankly at Ian, his mouth still agape.

Hashim, perched on the edge of a nearby bed, stammered out, "Th... that means..."

Shock was spreading across his face like paint as he looked at Ian.

"You, sir... are you...

that

person?"

"That’s right," answered the silver-haired Elder, Thesaya. "The sole official agent of the great Platinum Dragon, the superhuman of the North, the savior of Erenos, and now also the Great Warrior of the southern jungles—he is that very man."

Unlike the others, a smile, proud, almost arrogant, played on her lips.

She glanced between Hasim and Sanford as she added, "So, consider it the honor of a lifetime. You will be escorting the Saint’s Agent, who has returned from beyond the Black Wall, to the mainland."

"By Lu Solar..." Sanford finally let out a gasp.

Hashim fell to his knees as if tumbling from the bed. "Glory to the Radiant Light—"

"Halt." Ian, who was bringing the wine bottle to his lips, cut him off.

Not only Hashim, who was about to bow, but also Sanford, who had slid down from his chair, froze.

"From now on, stick to calling me

sir

. I will continue to be, as I am now, the escort knight of the Elder of Erenos. Understood?" said Ian.

"As you wish. Saint— no, sir." Sanford nodded blankly.

Hashim also shot up and nodded, staring at Ian with an expression of disbelief.

Why is he looking at me like that?

Ian clicked his tongue and brought the bottle to his lips again.

"Why didn't you reveal your esteemed name sooner? If you had... what happened yesterday..." Sanford added, picking up the parchment from the floor.

The trembling in his voice didn't seem to be just from surprise. That he had backstabbed Ian yesterday must have flashed through his mind.

Ian, taking the bottle from his lips, curled one corner of his mouth. "Can you really swear that nothing like that would’ve happened?"

"...No, I can’t." Sanford, after a moment's hesitation, answered as he carefully sat back down in the chair. He looked down, as if the situation of sitting opposite Ian had become even more uncomfortable.

"Is there another reason you must keep your identity hidden?" Hashim asked then.

His thick Vantruian lips moved as he spoke, his eyes still blazing with devotion. "If they knew you were here, sir, everyone in the city would welcome you with open arms and flock to you like clouds—"

"That’s exactly why I’m not revealing it," Ian said with a hollow laugh.

Just imagining the crowds swarming to see him was already making him feel dizzy. Of course, it was also because he wanted the fact that he had returned to the mainland to be known as late as possible. The moment it was known he was on the mainland, both the royal family and the Order would try to capture or summon him.

"Is Ian popular even in places close to the archipelago?" Thesaya, who had been smiling with amusement, asked.

Hashim immediately nodded. "Of course. There’s a rumor that you were a mercenary, sir. A living legend was born from the bottom, so it’s only natural for people like us to revere you even more."

"It’s not a rumor, it’s a fact. And not

was

, I’m still active." Ian corrected him nonchalantly.

Awe spread across Hashim’s face. "Really? I knew it! Then, could the rumor that you’re from the frontiers also be true? There’s been so much debate, whether it was the North or the frontiers."

"If you really want to be precise... I’m closer to the frontier."

"

Ah

! As expected, I knew it. I was on the side that believed it was the frontiers!"

Ian, clicking his tongue with a reluctant expression, added, "Anyway, keep your mouths shut. I don’t want to deal with any trouble."

"Do not worry. I won’t even breathe a word."

Hashim answered with a firm nod. Averting his gaze from the man’s burdensome stare, Ian opened his mouth.

"So, what does that letter say?"

"It’s not much different from what you said, sir. However, it says to return after escorting you to the mainland and report in detail what happened. But I think I’ll have to postpone the report. After this is over, I plan to hide out on the frontier for a while. As you know, I’ve made an enemy. Until that memory fades—" Sanford, letting out a quick sigh, added with a sidelong glance at Ian, who had the bottle to his lips.

"You don’t need to make excuses to me." Ian, taking the bottle from his lips, shrugged one shoulder. "I have no intention of meddling in what happens after you drop us off."

"Yes, sir," Sanford answered with a sigh of relief.

A faint smile also touched Ian’s lips. It wasn’t intentional, but it was a welcome development for him as well. Thanks to this, Duke Jihandar would also be unable to know his exact whereabouts.

Watching Sanford neatly fold the parchment and put it in his coat, Ian added, "Either way, I’d like to leave quickly. What’s keeping us from setting sail right now?"

Sanford, after a moment’s pause, finally pushed the parchment the rest of the way in and began. "There is a strait at the passage that separates the inner sea and the Black Sea."

"I know. The archipelago’s fleet is gathering nearby."

Sanford nodded. "Then you’re already aware. The Black Fleet is scheduled to advance into the inland sea once the gathering is complete."

"

Hmm

? Isn’t it illegal for the archipelago’s fleet to advance without the royal family’s permission?" The one who tilted her head was Thesaya.

"Of course it is, but..." Sanford, after a moment’s hesitation, glanced at Ian and continued, "Monsters are running rampant in the inland sea right now. Not to mention smuggling ships, several of the archipelago’s galleons have also been sunk."

Ian hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly. It wasn’t just because Yog’s words flashed through his mind.

Sanford, licking his dry lips and glancing around, quickly added, "If the sea routes are blocked, the archipelago is effectively isolated. So it seems they’ve made an independent decision this time before seeking permission."

"So, you’re waiting for the fleet to pass?" Thesaya asked with an interested smile on her lips.

Sanford nodded. "Yes. They’ve issued a stern warning that they won't forgive anyone who interferes with the fleet’s movement in the slightest. If you’re unlucky enough to get caught, you’ll be captured on the spot and have everything you own taken. Of course, you could also be killed."

"So that’s the pretext," Ian said bluntly.

Sanford’s eyebrow twitched.

As he once again cautiously glanced at Ian, Thesaya murmured, "What a shame. It was a chance to watch the infamous Black Fleet of the archipelago fight the minions of an archdemon."

"An archdemon, you say?" Sanford, looking back at Thesaya, asked a beat later.

Hashim, who had been staring only at Ian the whole time, also looked at her. Thesaya, covering her mouth with her hand as if in a slip, looked back at Ian with a subtle gaze.

"It’s better not to say, right?"

"You’ve already said it, so what’s the point?" Ian, letting out a hollow laugh, added as he looked at Sanford. "He’s the captain of the ship we’ll be on. He should at least know exactly what’s happening out at sea."

"Right?" Thesaya, smiling, stood up with a theatrical stretch.

As Sanford and Hasim’s gazes followed her face, Thesaya turned and strolled leisurely toward the window. "The monsters running rampant in the inner sea right now are the minions of the archdemon, Bukikia."

"Buki... kiah?" Sanford’s one eye contorted.

Staring at Thesaya, who was approaching Ian, he said, "Are you saying that ancient archdemon was still alive beyond the Black Wall?"

"Yes, completely consumed by the madness of the Black Wall," Ian, handing the wine bottle to Thesaya’s outstretched hand, added nonchalantly. He was getting tired of these explanations.

"Damn. To have survived all that time, only to return...."

Sanford let out a hollow laugh, his hand drifting unconsciously to his coat. His eyes flickered uneasily while his fingers fumbled inside.

"Doesn’t seem like you’re all that worried," Ian added bluntly.

After a moment’s pause, Sanford looked back at him. "Excuse me?"

As Thesaya nonchalantly chugged the wine straight from the bottle, Ian tilted his head.

"You’re only shocked. You don’t seem the least bit concerned this voyage might turn into a death march, or that the fleet could be wiped out."

"Of course I am! I was simply stunned, that’s all." Sanford shook his head with a forced smile, but Ian didn’t return it.

Accepting the bottle back from Thesaya, he added, "Think carefully. I’m giving you a chance to tell the truth."

Sanford froze as if at a loss for words. Ian, his gaze fixed on him, brought the bottle to his lips.

"Come to think of it, it is strange. No matter how expert the archipelago’s fleet is at hunting sea beasts, there’s no need for them to move alone in the inner sea. Their lives should matter to them just as much."

Thesaya, who had glanced at Sanford with a strange look and turned away, walked toward the window.

"There’s no reason for them to make a choice that could get them branded as traitors instead of urging the Empire to intervene, right?"

Stopping in front of the window, she turned back to Ian and Sanford and smiled. "Unless there’s something they don’t want the Empire and the Order to see."

She hopped up and sat on the windowsill.

As a faint, hollow laugh crossed Ian’s lips as he drank, Thesaya looked back at Sanford and Hashim and added, "Struck a nerve, did I? What, are you in league with them too?"

"N-no, of course not! You have no idea how terrifying the archipelago men are—" Hasim burst out in panic, practically springing from his seat.

"Hashim!" Sanford said, turning around urgently.

Hashim, after a moment’s pause, glanced at Ian and said, "You and the Elder already seem to know, but no matter how scared I am, I can’t bear the stigma of being in league with those people!"

"

Urgh...

" Sanford, who seemed to be at a loss for words again, finally wiped his swollen face with his palm.

"It seems there’s another reason you’re reluctant to mention it," said Ian.

Sanford, after finishing his dry face wash, said, "That is, well, the fact that most of the archipelago's men worship a strange ancient god is, in fact, no great secret around here. I haven’t seen it myself, but I hear there are many who tame and lead sea beasts."

"Sea beasts? Can they be tamed?" Thesaya asked with wide eyes.

Sanford shrugged. "I don’t know how they do it, but I heard they tame them and use them for hunting sea beasts. And for piracy, of course. But the reason sailors are reluctant to mention it is..."

Sanford, after a moment’s pause, whispered, "Because there’s a story that if you reveal that fact to outsiders, the sea beasts will attack and sink your ship."

"So it was because of a superstition." A hollow laugh touched Ian’s lips. Then again, sailors were said to be even bigger believers in superstition than mercenaries.

Thesaya also let out a scoff. "How would they know? They’re not gods."

"More than one or two have disappeared with their ships after running their mouths. Only the wreckage of the broken ship washes ashore."

"Oh my. Really? Then we’ll be attacked too. Since we’ve already talked about it." Thesaya, who asked back in a tone that was not at all surprised, smiled as she leaned her head against the windowsill.

"That’s what I’m saying..." Even though he couldn’t have missed the sarcasm, Sanford sighed as if the ground would collapse. The relaxed demeanor he had when he first met Ian in the gambling den was nowhere to be found.

"That must be why they blocked the departure. Even if everyone knows it, they wouldn’t want outsiders to find out," Ian added calmly.

Sanford nodded his head as if in resignation. "That’s probably it. Or, conversely, to prevent us from being eaten by the sea beasts. No matter how tamed they are, their evil instincts wouldn’t have completely disappeared."

"We may make a living through illegal activities, but we have no connection with the archipelago men," Hashim quickly added.

He held his hands together in front of his chest, looking at Ian with a pleading gaze. "My captain is a coward. He doesn’t even go near the archipelago. He doesn’t even set sail on days when the fog is thick. That’s why he can’t leave this area, even with all his gambling debts!"

"That’s the most sincere thing you’ve said so far." Ian burst out laughing.

In fact, he had known from the beginning that these guys weren’t corrupt. He had been watching them closely for a long time, but neither Yog nor the bead of chaos essence had shown any reaction.

Hashim and Sanford let out sighs of what could be either resignation or relief.

"Hearing the story makes it even more of a shame. A fleet of corrupted ones with sea beasts in tow, fighting the minions of an archdemon. It would have been quite a spectacle." Thesaya, leaning on the windowsill, said, tapping her foot.

Hashim shook his head. "The fleet is said to travel with a water mist. Unless you’re close, it will be difficult to grasp its true form."

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Sea beasts and water mist, I see," Ian murmured, gently swirling the wine bottle in his hand.

They’d need some way to blind the gods’ gaze, perhaps even conceal themselves from prying mortal eyes. With the sea surrounding them, it wouldn’t be so hard.

He took another sip before adding, "Anyway, it won’t take long for them to pass Rune Catis. It looked like the gathering was almost complete."

"Then we must hurry with the preparations. If the Elder’s proposal comes through, I’ll have to find jobs for the remaining crewmen as well." Sanford answered with a nod.

Ian looked at him. "You do that too?"

"It’s a captain’s duty. They have to make a living, too. If those guys join, the share for everyone else will be reduced, so it's best to spread them among the captains instead."

So he really does look after his crew.

Ian studied the one-eyed captain with a new perspective. Then again, sailing was a difficult and dangerous job. Captains who could not manage their crews would have long since become fish food somewhere. Perhaps he was more careful because he himself had a history of staging a mutiny.

"If that happens, I’ll go with you."

"I have no intention of running away or blabbing my mouth off, sir."

"I know. That’s not the reason. Did you forget what you did? If the two of you go alone, you never know where you might get stabbed."

"If that’s the case, then, sir—"

Just as Sanford, who had nodded as if in agreement, was about to add something, Thesaya, who had been leaning on the windowsill, let out a delighted exclamation, "Oh my. They’re already coming."

As Sanford paused, she continued, "Ian. Want to come and see? I think they took the bait."

"Really?"

Ian rose with a calm air, passed the bottle back to Thesaya, and glanced out the window. Slowly, a smile curved his lips.

"So they did. To come so quickly."

Beyond the increasingly darkening street, a familiar carriage and two riders were approaching. They must have set out immediately after hearing the story. But the reason Ian's mouth curled up wasn’t because of them.

I didn’t expect that picture.

Lucia, wearing a mask and a hood, was walking ahead as if leading the way. Walking alongside her, surprisingly, was the beggar boy, sitting on Mukapa’s shoulders as if getting a piggyback ride.

Even though he was sitting with his legs wrapped around the neck of the fierce-looking orc, the boy didn’t look scared at all. In fact, he was smiling with great delight and chattering with Lucia beside him.

Ian’s smile sharpened.

"I’d have to make the proposal anyway. But I’ll deliver it myself. Preferably directly with the person in the carriage, not that knight." Thesaya whispered, moistening her lips with wine.

Receiving Ian’s gaze, she added with a fairy-like smile on her lips. "That seems like it would be easier."

"I’ll go out to meet them. That’s the role of an escort knight." Ian, who had answered readily, turned around.

"Watch your mouths. They’re nobles from the capital." He didn’t forget to add the warning as he glanced back at Sanford—rummaging awkwardly inside his coat—and Hasim, who still sat stiffly upright.

Sanford, who had been patting down every corner of his body with a frown, looked back at Ian as he approached.

"

Uh

, sir. Could we have some of that wine too?"

"No," Ian, who had answered as he passed them, opened the door. "Wait sober. So you don’t misspeak."