The so-called "Stone Platform" was a term used for the deep waters along the western coast of Damir, named after a naturally flat slab of rock nearby. Its depth, lack of reefs, and secluded position made it an ideal spot, often used by adventurers as a private harbor.
Ebner and Xio hadn't waited long before spotting a twin-masted brig around twenty meters long coming into view. At the bow, Miss Gwyn stood waving at them.
Without waiting for the ship's dinghy to pick them up, Ebner adjusted his cap, conjured a gale beneath him, and brought Xio onto the deck with him, both of them landing gracefully.
"So, you're a Wind Blessed," Gwyn observed in awe, now even more respectful. Although she'd seen Ebner fight during the previous night's assault, it had been too dark to discern much. Now, witnessing him "flying" made things much clearer.
Ebner didn't correct her misconception—he was happy for the crew to think that. After all, showcasing this skill was as much to deter any trouble from the ship's crew as it was to impress Gwyn.
Today, Miss Gwyn was dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers with a black waistcoat, exuding a certain androgynous charm. It was only practical; as a female captain without the strength to command like a "future Admiral of Ailment," she couldn't afford to stand out too much.
After exchanging simple greetings with her, Ebner made his way to a guest cabin, leaving Xio behind to chat with Gwyn. He preferred to have a quiet place to think, as he'd come across a few subtle clues during his investigation after the assault on the port town.
"So it was the Aurora Order who breached the seal in the northern forest of Damir to search for something important… yet they seem to have found nothing. This all reeks of a setup—a trap to pin the blame on Aurora. And, if my suspicions are correct, Admiral of Dusk's people were present in Damir that very night…"
As he mused over this, memories of the novel's brief descriptions of the Admiral of Dusk came to mind. Apart from an unexpected conflict with the Blood Admiral's fleet, this pirate admiral's presence in the story was fleeting, almost like a mere backdrop.
"Admiral of Dusk… Dusk… Is this the 'Dusk' of the Twilight Giant, or something tied to certain indescribable organizations? Or maybe, both… It wouldn't be shocking if such groups have insiders among the top ranks of the churches."
Just then, Ebner noticed his Student of Ratiocination digestion progressing in leaps and bounds.
"What's going on? Could it be that reasoning related to higher entities has boosted the feedback?"
Ebner stood up in surprise. Having advanced to Sequence 8 via a characteristic, he had an entire Sequence 9's worth of digestion to work through. Yet now, he estimated he might fully digest within a week.
"It's not about just involving high entities—it's the reasoned speculation backed by clues. This feedback… Without my Pure White Eye, I probably wouldn't see traces of these higher powers. And it's only under its concealment that I can safely consider certain leads."
Having realized this, Ebner sat back down with a smile. This was indeed a perk of his golden finger. Compared to Klein, who'd been using divination on the Eternal Blazing Sun in his Sequence 9 days, his approach was fairly conservative.
---
To the northwest of Damir Island, on a hidden isle, the Aurora Order's Messenger, Mr. D, glared coldly at the pirate before him. His expression remained calm, but his voice carried a deadly chill. "So, you made a mistake?"
The pirate trembled uncontrollably, holding his ground with great difficulty. "We… made a mistake… It's not on Damir… It's on a smaller island southeast of it. I know the exact coordinates…"
"I'll give that little Einhorn whelp the benefit of the doubt this time. But if she's deceived me again, not even her noble Angel family or the Demigod behind her will prevent the Aurora Order's retaliation!" After throwing this warning out, Mr. D turned to his companions.
"Take him with us. We're heading for this small island he mentioned. Relay this to Emmat Port. If we fail to report back, it's Admiral of Dusk's doing!"
"Yes, Messenger!" chorused the members in unison.
---
On the afternoon of July 8, Gwyn's Aarunheim had unfurled its sails, fleeing desperately as it sped across the waves. About an hour earlier, a large three-masted steam-and-sail pirate ship had begun tailing them.
Being an old-fashioned sailing ship, the Aarunheim couldn't hope to outpace the steam-powered vessel. Only the presence of a rumored Wind Blessed on board prevented the crew from giving up.
"Who are these pirates? With so many Mandated Punishers patrolling near Damir recently, aren't they afraid of being caught?" Ebner asked from his place on the deck, frowning. He wasn't too worried; even if their ship were sunk, he could still use his Sea Breeze Hat to escape underwater.
Still, with the pirate ship beyond his spell range, there wasn't much he could do for now.
"Steam ships like that are likely supported by some trading company. Only such firms would invest in pirates to take out competitors," Gwyn replied, feeling her luck was rotten lately—nothing seemed to go right.
"Should we let them get closer and engage in a boarding fight?" Xio asked.
"I don't dare risk it… If they open fire when they get close, Aarunheim is finished!" Gwyn shook her head, disheartened. "Our only hope is for a church ship to pass by…"
But before she could finish speaking, Ebner's sharp eyes noticed that the pirate ship was slowing down.
"What's going on?"
Using a gust of wind to lift himself higher, Ebner peered into the distance. He saw a vast, brilliant, and pure beam of light shooting up from the horizon, piercing through the pirate ship and leaving a hole nearly five meters wide.
In the next moment, as Gwyn, Xio, and Ebner looked on in awe, a clean, golden-sailed ship, glinting under the sun and over thirty meters long, approached with remarkable speed.
"The Golden Dream…" Gwyn murmured, mesmerized, gazing at the ship as if it had sailed out of a dream. Vice Admiral Iceberg was her goal, her ideal.
"The Golden Dream? And that was a Purification Cannon shot? The novel said it could only be used ten times before needing six Light Priests to perform a ritual and recharge it… For Vice Admiral Iceberg to expend a shot just to save us?" Ebner's thoughts whirled, and he had a sudden inkling: perhaps he had truly found favor with the Knowledge Church after all.
However, the Golden Dream didn't stop for them. It sailed right past the Aarunheim, heading north.
Ebner could only make out a fleeting glance of curiosity cast his way before the ship sped out of sight.
---
On the Golden Dream, Danitz, puzzled, asked the captain, "Why go out of our way to destroy a pirate ship?"
Vice Admiral Iceberg didn't answer directly but replied with a knowing smile, "This is the true purpose of our return. And besides, there's an Aurora Order ship not far ahead."
---
Meanwhile, back in Tingen City, Klein was sitting in the divination room of the Seer Association, preparing a reading for a woman in a pale blue dress, her demeanor somber and pensive.
"Hello, Mr. Moretti," she said as she sat down.
"Good afternoon. May I ask your name?" Klein inquired politely, though not particularly expecting an answer.
"You may call me Anna." Setting her veiled hat aside, the woman looked at Klein with a mixture of hope and doubt. "I want a reading on the condition of my fiancé. He went to the Southern Continent on business in March and sent a telegram to me and his family on the 3rd of last month, saying he was about to set sail back. But twenty days have passed, and he still hasn't returned. At first, I thought it was because of the weather in the Furious Sea. But now, over a month has passed, and though his ship, Clover, docked in Emmat Port, no word has come from any of its passengers."
Klein regarded his first proper client as a diviner with cautious anticipation.
"What type of divination would you like to use?"