The sound of the horn rose, and the wooden iron-clad ship pulled up its anchor, heading towards the Canglan Sea Area.
More than fifty sailors, three navigators, two cooks, one ship doctor, one repairman, all stepped onto the Knight’s Path, with robust physiques.
The first officer, named Sailer Migaron, one of Titan’s confidants, is a Third Ring wizard specializing in Water Witchcraft.
Graduate of the Tower of Knowledge, Andrew Bennett, a newly minted First Rank young wizard with extremely rich theoretical knowledge, is a talent cultivated by a top neutral power.
Also accompanied by ten advanced apprentices.
Add Lin Suo the captain, and that’s pretty much everyone for this expedition.
The Migaron family, as newcomers to power, had yet to produce a being above the Ninth Ring; the family only had one Nine Ring Wizard.
Lacking Upper Grade wizards, they had plenty of core strength instead.
But this voyage is somewhat of a private matter for Titan; he seems to be tracking something down and needs the lost Curse Scythe to verify something...
Therefore, everyone chosen for this mission was "idle" from Titan’s side, Lin Suo’s linguistic abilities would be greatly utilized, and along with prior interactions, he was considered capable.
He would take the lead, and there would be substantial rewards afterwards.
Of course, Lin Suo isn’t sure about the truth of this.
After all, the mission’s goal is secondary; the main objective is to find the Curse Country and strengthen the power of the Demon Spirit Shark, promoting his rank’s growth.
With half of the reward provided in advance by Titan, and the Third Ring materials secured, it’s better for his cultivation to progress quickly.
Staying too long underground, one can get a bit disturbed; it was about time to come out for a walk.
Lin Suo stood on the deck, gazing at the azure sea, breathing in the fresh sea breeze, his mood buoyant, as if all displeasure and gloom had vanished.
From an overhead perspective, beneath the shadow of the ship, there appeared to be a large number of giant fish following~
"Captain, the Wind Riding Skill has been activated, initial sailing speed is five knots; once we’re out of the harbor, we should be able to increase to about fifteen to twenty knots."
"Mm, Mr. Sailer, please call Mr. Bennett and the navigators over, we’re going to have a brief meeting."
There was no disdain, insubordination, or humiliation for being Third Ring under First Rank.
Firstly, it was an order from Titan.
Secondly, Lin Suo was also a Viscount, on the same side as Titan; antagonizing him leading to mission failure would bear no good fruit.
Moreover, his task was merely to protect Lin Suo’s safety.
There was no need to stir up unnecessary trouble or internal strife...
The three navigators and Andrew Bennett came over.
Lin Suo himself possessed Level Max Navigation Skill; he called them over to understand the Canglan Sea Area, and to memorize sea charts, to prevent getting separated or in case the ship was wrecked.
So they wouldn’t lose track of the correct path.
The ship had not yet left port; it was enough to adjust the direction and there was no need for the helmsman to steer. Taking advantage of everybody being present, a meeting was held.
"Everyone, please take a seat. Navigators, bring out the map and discuss the normal weather conditions in this sea area, as well as sailing routes, both private and fixed."
The three navigators were old sea dogs, masters in Sea Navigation Skill, able to recognize directions even without sea charts, and extremely experienced.
"Captain, heading to the Canglan Sea Area we’ll need to pass through the old capital of the Mermaid Kingdom, the territory of the sea wolf pirates, the Land of Eternal Night, and finally reach the legendary Crow Court..."
"The old capital of the Mermaids is now deserted, the sea wolf pirates are not in their territory recently, and only the Land of Eternal Night requires extra caution."
"The next peak of the storm is three months away, enough time for us to reach our destination."
Lin Suo nodded in understanding.
Mermaid Kingdom, that is, mermaids, are different from evil Naga and fish people, not only possessing outstanding spellcasting talents but also each one being handsome men and beautiful women, also known as the Sea’s Daughters or Sea Elves.
And the sea wolves pirates.
They’re basically a dog raised by the Purple Bauhinia Family, just like their family motto: seizing is better than toiling!
A dog can’t change its nature of eating filth.
In addition to that, the nearby Dan Dong navy is controlled by them. Everyone belonging to the same Upper Grade, it’s clear what the situation is.
Migaron and Purple Bauhinia Family are sworn enemies.
Titan waiting three months before setting out is meant to avoid the Sea wolves pirates. Insider information has revealed, they have big business and will be leaving their activity area for a while.
Enough time for Lin Suo and others to make a round trip.
As for the Land of Eternal Night, it was established by exiled nobles from the Silver Star Alliance.
Its history is no longer traceable.
But the Land of Eternal Night is the domain of vampires.
These creatures, who hide by day and roam by night, have turned this region into eternal darkness.
A place where the sun cannot reach.
It is the origin of the world’s Blood Clan.
Its power is hard to say.
But the team has prepared a large number of Sunlight Stones, which are commonly used for illumination but essentially absorb the power of the sun to emit light.
Using them to escort can reliably navigate through this sea area.
However, they also need to be careful to prevent the sailors from being charmed and causing internal sabotage.
The road ahead is clear.
Only the Crow Court, this legendary Crow-man nation, Titan did not reveal how he got the information to Lin Suo, only told him to be careful.
"Lord Sailer, I entrust the safety of this journey to you."
"Don’t worry, Sir. With me here, there will absolutely be no problems on the way."
Sailer stood straight, his promise was full of vigor.
It was irresistibly convincing.
"Just call me Andrew, Captain."
"Alright, you are in charge of logistics, ensuring that there is an adequate supply of food and vegetables."
"Let’s leave it at that for now, once we get out of the Land of Eternal Night, we’ll discuss the Crow Court matter."
The brief meeting was over.
Lin Suo stood back on the deck, showing a thoughtful look.
The Crow Court is a place that ordinary people don’t know about, and he too only learned of it when he stumbled upon a Crow-man Swordsman statue in the black market, reacting to the presence of the Demon Spirit Shark.
This object is a Curse Medium.
Human beings who consume a certain amount of crows will receive a "blessing," transforming into Crow-men.
It was almost a year ago.
Recently, there have been no disturbances in the Empire, nor any wars of suppression.
The evidence Titan needs may leave him exposed to the hidden masters behind the scenes, so clearing the path ahead is only part of it.
The Space Teleportation Scroll is what truly saves his life.
Looking at it this way.
What can be said has been said, and what can be given has been given. Titan is quite generous; of course, when Lin Suo initially intended to join him, he saw that the new nobility class lacked people, had courage, and dared to employ them.
The hardest part is the beginning. Migaron has made it through the toughest times, and now is the time to absorb new blood.
If handled well, Lin Suo feels that his title as Viscount of the Bertos Kingdom might even rise.
Even if he can’t ascend to a higher rank, shifting to the name of the Empire would also elevate his status.