Chapter 1293 Fellow Passenger <TOC> Chapter 1295 Gold
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Translator: SumTLMan
A fleeting image of a round figure immediately danced across Suis’s mind at the mention of Gold. Aboard the ship named White Headed Gull, Suis had a rather vivid memory of this individual.
However, instead of delving further into Gold right away, Suis pivoted to the primary concern, querying about the apprentices who were present on the White Headed Gull.
Feilin, still slightly dazed, began listing names. Yet, he could only recall four or five primary individuals before pausing.
“That’s it? What about the other apprentices?” Suis questioned, a crease forming on his brow.
Seemingly lost in his memories, Feilin hesitated before answering, “I can’t remember. I spent most of my time on the ship in deep meditation.”
The names Feilin mentioned were primarily from renowned wizard organizations and had no strong ties to the Kingdom of Guman. Suis found it hard to believe that the master of the Scarlet Sovereignty would be among them.
Yet, Feilin knew only so much, leaving Suis feeling somewhat frustrated.
“Who, in your opinion, might be aware of the apprentices on the ship and their current whereabouts?” Angel interjected suddenly.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Feilin replied, “Gold. He most definitely would.”
According to Feilin, this apprentice named Gold seemed to be privy to many concealed tidbits and appeared to have connections with every apprentice aboard the “White Headed Gull.”
“Who exactly is this Gold?” Angel queried, intrigued by the mysteriously powerful aura of this individual.
“I do have some knowledge about this Gold,” Suis began, pausing momentarily. A rippling water mirror materialized before him, within which an image of a chubby youth wearing a wide-brimmed hat emerged.
This corpulent youth had facial features buried under a layer of flesh, making them appear smaller than average. With an apparent penchant for smiling, his eyes seemed to narrow almost into mere slits.
Owing to the obscurity of his gaze, discerning the genuineness of his smile proved elusive — was it sincere mirth or mere pretense? Yet, invariably, his laughter evoked an unsettling sensation, as if underlying malevolence lurked beneath.
“He is Gold, a third level apprentice from Song of the Deep Sea,” recalled Suis, his impression of the man particularly vivid. This was largely because Gold once initiated a conversation with him, and in between the lines, Suis sensed a probing curiosity.
“An apprentice of Song of the Deep Sea?” Sanders queried with a skeptical look. “What would lead him to Edge Island?”
Suis replied, “According to him, he’s seeking those with innate talents. But I too find it odd; the Song of the Deep Sea’s usual routes never traverse these waters. Nonetheless, I didn’t press the matter at the time.”
As Suis elaborated, he glanced towards Feilin, hoping she might shed light on Gold’s intentions. But Feilin, equally in the dark, ventured a guess, “It seems like Gold is searching for something. He’s shown considerable interest in locations on Edge Island emanating energy fluctuations.”
Reflecting upon Feilin’s previous remarks, their decision to investigate Pat Manor was, in part, influenced by Gold. This reinforced the notion of him stealthily orchestrating various schemes behind the scenes.
“Could it be that Gold is the hidden puppeteer?” White Bear pondered aloud.
While Gold hails from a strong wizard organization like Song of the Deep Sea, considering the organization’s internal erosion by otherworldly entities leaving vast power vacuums, they couldn’t ascertain whether King Guman might share some clandestine connection with him.
“To truly discern his motives, we must find Gold,” remarked Suis, a shadowy glint flashing in his eyes before inquiring about Gold’s whereabouts from Feilin.
As it turned out, Gold wasn’t far from Grud Town at all, he resided in——Conia, the largest city in the Elegant Plum Province.
With the revelation of Gold’s location, it appeared Suis was immediately preparing to embark.
In that moment, Sanders interjected, “Eureka resides within your Exile Space. She is temporarily restrained by the Sealing Circle, but should she break free beyond these bounds, the magnitude of disaster that would ensue is something you ought to be acutely aware of.”
“Allow me to handle this matter,” Angel offered proactively. According to what Suis had mentioned, if Gold is merely an apprentice, Angel surmised he could easily best him. Furthermore, the situation had ramifications for the servants affected by the Scarlet Sovereignty, and he hoped for a swift resolution.
Suis cast a thoughtful glance at Angel, recalling the power Angel had exhibited during his earlier battle with Eureka and nodded in agreement, “Then, I’m entrusting this task to you.”
After accepting the responsibility, Angel didn’t promptly depart. Instead, he approached Feilin and inquired, “What brings you and Henry to Pat Manor?”
Earlier, they had questioned Feilin about her purpose for being there. She had replied about sensing energy fluctuations and had identified the presence of Gold.
But beyond that, what Angel yearned to understand was why they were tracking these energy fluctuations. More critically, what was their overarching objective?
Because, if Angel’s memory served him right, Feilin and Henry had been on the Old Land Continent for nearly half a year. Even if their intent was to guide the gifted, it seemed implausible they’d linger in one location for such a duration.
Feilin responded, “Our organization instructed us to stay here temporarily. As for the specifics, we’re in the dark.”
According to her, the wizard organization backing her, Hurricane Tower, had directed her to remain on the Old Land Continent, but the particulars weren’t disclosed to them. Their pursuit of the energy fluctuations was primarily at the behest of Gold, and they were also curious about potential opportunities that might arise from it.
Henry, the Silent Treant, found himself in a situation mirroring Feilin’s.
Does this imply that both Hurricane Tower and Gravity Forest have a vested interest in the Old Land Continent?
Frustrated by the limited answers, Angel had no choice but to relent. Perhaps with Gold, he could unearth some insights.
With that thought, Angel did not linger in the mansion. He cautioned Leon about certain prohibitions of the —Star Frost Mediation Method—. In Leon’s somewhat concerned gaze, he took his leave from the estate.
Accompanying Angel were Sanders and White Bear.
Given Angel’s current power, dealing with a wizard apprentice should pose no significant challenge. In truth, there was no pressing need for Sanders to accompany him. However, Sanders’ presence was mainly due to the shadowy individual lurking in the background.
If Gold indeed held the true power behind the Scarlet Sovereignty, then the nature of this matter would drastically shift.
King Guman would never allow such an essential figure to venture forth unhindered and alone. There must be some backup plan in play; it wouldn’t be out of the question for King Guman to make a personal appearance for this matter.
Hence, as a precaution, Sanders felt compelled to join.
As for White Bear, although his divination skills might not rival Totoro’s brilliance, knowing that their destination was Conia meant he could potentially locate Gold. Moreover, having acquired the blood information of the true master of the Scarlet Sovereignty, he might very well pinpoint the individual in hiding.
…
Conia is the largest city in the Elegant Plum Province. Angel had visited Conia in his younger days, back when they’d set off from Grud Town and endured a bumpy ten-day carriage ride to reach their destination.
However, times have changed. Now, traveling by Gondola, even without employing its acceleration mode, it would likely only take an hour or two — even closer than the journey to Sea Moon City.
Throughout the journey, a cloud of melancholy clung to Angel, his brow perpetually furrowed with unresolved sorrow.
After much contemplation, White Bear, unable to hold back his curiosity, whispered, “Angel… do you harbor deep resentment towards Eureka?”
After a long pause, Angel finally looked up at White Bear.
Regarding Eureka, his emotions were a labyrinth of sentiments. Yes, there was resentment, intense resentment. Even though he was aware that Eureka herself was a victim, the fact remains that she indirectly harmed the servants of Pat Manor.
Furthermore, if Eureka hadn’t stayed at Pat Manor, the subsequent events wouldn’t have occurred.
However, Angel was not a man who saw the world in black and white. While he harbored resentment towards Eureka, he also understood that if it weren’t for her presence at the manor, and her detection of Jon’s abnormal condition, followed by her application of the Three-State Balance, Jon might have perished long ago. Angel wouldn’t have been able to keep his five-year promise to Jon.
If Jon had indeed passed away in such a manner, it might have haunted Angel for a long time, potentially becoming an indelible scar on his heart, difficult to mend.
Therefore, from this perspective, Angel couldn’t help but feel a begrudging gratitude towards Eureka.
A tapestry of resentment and gratitude interwove within him. While the resentment was more pronounced, the gratitude hadn’t diminished. Hence, the intricate tapestry of Angel’s emotions.
“Hatred and gratitude are relative,” Angel said calmly. “I cannot give a definitive answer now. But you are you, and Eureka is Eureka. I won’t conflate the two.”
Angel’s response was ambivalent, leaving White Bear with no grounds to press further, resigning to a silent sigh.
White Bear knew that the actions of Eureka were hard for Angel to forgive. Yet, Eureka was still his sister. From his perspective, he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Moreover, given Eureka’s current maddened state, even if he wanted to discuss right and wrong with her, it was impossible at the moment.
To truly untangle this complex web of emotions was beyond White Bear’s capacity. This conversation had reached its natural end.
As dawn’s light still painted the horizon, they reached their destination.
Gazing from a bird’s-eye view, Conia appeared diminutive when contrasted against the vast majority of cities Angel had seen. However, within this relatively compact city, almost six hundred thousand souls resided. Within the entire Elegant Plum Province, only the maritime trade city of Sea Moon had a populace to rival that of Conia.
Moreover, when juxtaposed against other cities within the Goldfinch Empire, Conia truly shone with vibrancy.
“A city should indeed have such a distinguished appearance,” Sanders remarked out of the blue.
White Bear was left bemused. Aren’t all cities supposed to look like this? Furthermore, when held up against the cities of the Vast Continent, Conia appeared rather unimpressive.
Angel, on the other hand, deciphered Sanders’s sentiment. The overview of Conia probably stirred memories of their recent experience overlooking Initial Heart City from Azure Tower.
“Urban planning is an art of precision and meticulousness. It indeed merits diligent study,” Angel replied, feigning ignorance. Yet, under Sanders’s gaze, laden with hidden meaning, Angel found it difficult to maintain composure. With a subtle cough, he averted his gaze.
“White Bear, now that we’ve arrived in Conia, the task of finding our target falls on you,” Angel said, shifting his gaze towards White Bear.
White Bear, oblivious to the cryptic exchange between Angel and Sanders, knew his role well. Nodding, he affirmed, “I understand. Destiny shall guide me to our answers.”