"As light as a swallow!"
The Gunpowder Artist recited the "Inscription of Severance," and the Boots of Wonder: Seagull’s Wings she wore sprouted two pairs of small wings.
She fluttered through the city’s streets and alleys like a seagull, swiftly inspecting every crime scene reported by the Sheriffs.
But whenever she arrived, all those sinister things vanished without a trace, as if they were shadows fleeing from bonfire light.
Unless they appeared on their own, even with her power as a proud Third Order Artisan, she could do nothing to catch those entities.
For a moment, she almost felt the same frustration and helplessness as Byron did when he lost all his family members.
If only my uncle Dennis, already in poor health, hadn’t suddenly passed away ten days ago, we wouldn’t be in such a passive position in this election. According to the principle of whoever benefits is the mastermind, Red Beard, the deputy speaker with the highest support yet deepest concealment, is the prime suspect!
The more the Gunpowder Artist thought, the more she felt that all clues seemed to be pointing simultaneously to that Number Two person in the Pirate Council.
Her own elder’s death was also shrouded in doubt.
The current Military Governor, named Dennis, was a Third Order Bayfolk Berserker of the Lighthouse Sequence!
He had inherited the title "Child Guardian," passed down for generations among the Bayfolk.
No one could say how long the title had existed. They only knew it originated from a character in ancient legend who earned his name by refusing to pierce children through with a spear or slice open their bellies during raids. .com
The reasoning behind the title’s origin could only be described as utterly perplexing to modern sensibilities.
But once a legend exceeded a rating of [20], the additional abilities that emerged were immensely powerful.
It was called "Indomitable Body": "When protecting children and younger members of the clan, one would receive the blessings of all previous Child Guardians, greatly enhancing strength, endurance, and defense. Furthermore, one would absolutely not be taken down by enemies! Even if one were to fall in battle, the body would continue fighting until it was completely shattered and could no longer stand. As long as one didn’t fall, one could continuously unleash terrifyingly destructive power. It complemented the Berserker class perfectly."
Before leaving Iron Anchor Bay, the North Sea Pirate King, Whale Hunter, entrusted Iron Anchor Bay and his daughter Violet to his care.
Although he was very old and suffering from the chronic pain caused by the long-term overdraw of the Berserker profession, he had more than enough strength to protect a younger family member.
But ten days ago, this pillar-like Transcendent suddenly deteriorated in health and passed away unexpectedly.
Violet was unclear about what had exactly happened to Child Guardian Dennis.
She was even less aware that on the day he died, October 22, it was also the same day that Byron made his breakthrough as a Storm Knight.
Byron personally witnessed the entire process of a lighthouse, representing another Transcendent of the Lighthouse Sequence, being violently dragged into the Sea of Origin Matter.
Now it is November 2 of the Silver Era 1471. Unless we brave the stormy seas to cross the North Sea, the pirates meeting in Iron Anchor Bay will be trapped here for the next two to three months. Unable to flee, nor to seek help, if we don’t resolve this trouble, Iron Anchor Bay might become a giant slaughterhouse.
Without realizing it, Violet had walked back to the jurisdiction of Sheriff Weber and found the old man had obviously been waiting for a long time, pacing left and right in agitation.
Upon seeing the Gunpowder Artist, the Sheriff immediately approached her, forgoing etiquette to hand over a letter.
"Princess, someone silently put an anonymous tip in my pocket, saying it was for the Bayfolk higher-ups. I think you should have a look."
After ensuring there was nothing abnormal with the letter, Violet unfolded it with some confusion.
Is this... Hightins? White Rose? Black Mass?...
Her pupils suddenly constricted, as the content of the letter set off a storm of shock in her heart. .com
Because it detailed that the real enemy facing Iron Anchor Bay was not Red Beard, but the White Rose York Family standing behind him!
It clarified Red Beard’s plan with the Privateering Alliance, the role of the octopus silver coins, the Black Mass blood sacrifice ritual, speculations about the "Calamity," and more. It laid out the grave dangers that Iron Anchor Bay and the North Bay Folks were about to face.
The envelope even contained two octopus silver coins that could allow one to join the ritual!
The only signature at the end, besides an urgent contact method, was one: Good Citizen of Iron Anchor Bay.
Is this message true or false?
The intensely stirred Violet was only a Third Order Artisan; she had not mastered high-level Divination.
But she had no problem judging the veracity of the information on a letter. From a seemingly ordinary cowhide waist bag at her side—which was actually a spatial marvel called "Traveler’s Pouch"—she took out a die.
There are many types of dice in the world, generally categorized as tetrahedrons, hexahedrons, octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and icosahedrons... But this die was different; it was the smallest and most magical "Two-Sided Die." Thrown, it would only yield two outcomes.
Well, the "Artifact: Two-Sided Die" was actually just a... coin. One side was engraved with the runic "Yes," and the other with "No."
"Is the information in this letter true?"
After posing the question, Violet tossed the two-sided die. The die landed with the "Yes" face up. The information was true.
When she tried to divine the letter writer’s identity, merely wishing to know whether the person was male or female, the coin instead stood upright on the ground. The divination failed.
Seeing this, Violet pondered for only a moment before making up her mind.
Absorb the elements? Aggregation effect? Is the target the entire Bay National Group?
She dropped a drop of her blood on each of the two silver coins, pocketing them. It meant she had chosen to actively participate in the "Black Mass" ritual.
Such an act was deemed mad, yet incredibly efficient. In times of crisis, she, as the Bay Citizen Princess, was always the first to be affected.
If the mountain won’t come to me, then I will go to the mountain. Those Evil Spirits and Bizarre entities, seeking the silver coins, would inevitably present themselves before her sooner or later.
Moreover, Violet’s method of disrupting the ritual coincided with Byron’s plan.
Who says the ritual elements must come exclusively from us Bayfolk? If we’re going to play, let’s make it a big game, and not a single ’good friend’ can be absent!
Her smile cold, she shook her cloak and her whole body slowly melded into the night breeze.
Byron and his party, having quietly returned to Iron Anchor Bay, were like a band of rookie pirates, completely disassociated from the Man-Eating Shark of yore.
Gus had already learned that "Badger" Harvey, the first mate of the Goddess of Vengeance, was recruiting independent pirates.
Byron immediately sent Bruh as the first mate of the Golden Deer to pledge allegiance to Red Beard’s command on behalf of the entire crew.
After writing a denunciation letter, he had Phantom Blade Gus secretly deliver it to the Sheriff. Then he changed his clothes and slipped away from the Golden Deer alone.
Let me face such a perilous situation by myself? That’s a joke, my countermove is a denunciation!
As for the silver coin he kept, he likewise dripped a drop of blood on it and put it in his pocket. As someone recognized as a Heartfelt Trouble, joining if he couldn’t beat them had become his instinct. free we\bnove(l).com
Why give away two and keep one for himself? Of course, because ’I am the vanguard’ also requires strategy. The Bayfolk are larger figures; naturally, they should bear the brunt.
But, in others’ eyes, they were nothing but two complete madmen.
Byron detested that sort of scenario in stories where, due to misunderstandings and conflicts, those akin to riddle-talkers stubbornly refuse to speak up. Make friends aplenty, keep enemies few; when there’s trouble, everyone should stand together. Otherwise, the first to die would be the lone hero!
I have the intelligence, you have the fists; it’s mutually beneficial, so why not? Clearing away much of the fog of war lets the Bayfolk know the enemy’s location, plans, and trump cards, so they can strike back with precision.
A starving camel is still bigger than a horse. The effort the York Family has exerted proves that the Bayfolk’s strength is far from weak. There must also be a considerable number of allies among those free pirates. Perhaps in the face of that unknown entity, they are as powerless to resist as Lancaster, but against conventional enemies, there’s absolutely no problem.
What about Byron himself? With Cognitive Revision activated quietly, he boldly boarded Red Beard’s Goddess of Vengeance.
He was destined to become the man standing behind the big boss...!