TL/N: well hello there i know I haven't uploaded anything in a while thats mostly cause im in my finals also I just want you all to know I about to finish them on the 10 of December.
Very important message guys I need you all to check a new fanfic of Lord of the mysteries is called Lord of the mysteries a slug of time from a new author here on Webnovel it's 10/10 in my opinion, well I won't waste more of your time go read.
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"Respected Teacher Klara, do you still remember the legendary stories you once told me?"
"During the Dragon Hunt War, King Gwyn led the army of Silver Knights to wage war against the ancient, immortal dragons, nearly driving them to extinction. Aside from the Silver Knights, there were also Black Knights specialized in demon hunting."
"When King Gwyn went out to rekindle the Flame, the Black Knights that followed him were burned by the flames that ignited once again, turning them into ashes and roaming the world."
"I have never seen a real 'Silver Knight' or 'Black Knight,' nor have I heard of the legend of 'King Gwyn' from anyone other than you."
"So, I once thought it was just a 'legend,' but today, I met a Black Knight who called himself 'Ash Black.'"
"I can't confirm whether he is truly a Black Knight, but his armor is identical to the legendary Black Knights."
"In addition, he seems to be wearing a large number of rings."
"One of them closely resembles the Silver Cat Ring you once described."
"This allows him to move with the grace of a cat, not making a sound even when landing on the deck."
"I'm becoming more and more curious about his identity, so I will try to investigate further."
"This may be somewhat dangerous, but the allure of knowledge far outweighs the fear of danger."
"Finally, I wish you a swift awakening from your long slumber."
After putting down the pen, Edwina blinked her blue eyes and read the letter twice, gently folding the letter paper.
Soon, she prepared the ritual to summon a messenger, lit a candle, and whispered in ancient Hermes:
"I!" "I summon in my name:" "The lost traveler from the forgotten continent, the chaotic witch who roams the upper realms, the eternal guardian of the witch sisters."
The howling wind roared and echoed, and the candle flame on the altar swelled rapidly.
A figure with a beautiful face and a body that could make any man's blood surge appeared from the candlelight. But it was only the upper half of the body.
Contrary to the stunning upper body, the lower body was a grotesque spider with burning chaotic flames and numerous spikes.
Her massive body almost occupied the entire room.
But because of this, the room couldn't completely contain her, forcing her lower body to stay crouched on the ground.
She leaned her delicate upper body closer to Edwina, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure, aided by the hideous spider body burning with chaotic flames.
But Edwina was not afraid.
She knew the figure would not harm her.
Not just because she was a messenger but also because she was the sister of her teacher.
The delicate body sniffed her for a while and then suddenly gave her a light peck on the cheek.
She then took the letter from Edwina's hand and disappeared.
...
"Fool, not of this era;" "Mysterious ruler above the gray fog;" "King of yellow and black, who wields good fortune."
In the cabin room, Ash rested on the bed for a moment.
It wasn't until nightfall that he softly chanted the secret incantation, informing the Fool of the current situation.
Meanwhile, far away in Backlund, Klein also received the prayer immediately.
The other party requested to communicate with Alger.
"Why do I feel like I'm running a social networking platform?"
Klein suddenly felt a strong urge to complain, but despite his grumbling, his body was still quite honest.
Upon receiving the prayer, he immediately went to the world above the gray fog, pulling both Ash and Alger together.
"Mr. Lover," Alger was the first to find his target and asked, "Any new clues?"
"Yes," Ash nodded slightly and began, "This place is located southeast of Toscat Island, 1,500 nautical miles from the nearest Toscat Island and 3,500 nautical miles from Bayam."
After pausing, Ash asked, "Mr. Hanged Man, do you know where these two places are?"
"Bayam and Toscat Island?" Alger fell into thought upon hearing the coordinates, saying, "Bayam is the capital of the Rhosid Archipelago, and Toscat Island is in the easternmost part of the archipelago."
"I have a rough idea of where you are now, but it would take at least a week for me to reach you from my current position. Moreover," he paused, then asked, "I want to confirm, Mr. Lover, are you currently on another pirate's ship? Who is their captain?"
Ash, with no understanding of the Sunya Sea, was able to accurately name reference points and his location.
It was undoubtedly with someone's help, and the biggest possibility was a passing pirate.
As for why he was sure it was a pirate? It was simple.
Because Ash's location was already deep within the Sunya Sea, the paradise of pirates.
Although the Loen Navy was powerful, they would never venture into such distant areas beyond the kingdom's control.
"The captain is a lady who calls herself Edwina Edwards."
Ash thought for a moment and described the characteristics of the people on board.
"That should be 'Iceberg Admiral.' No doubt," Alger matched the descriptions with the people in his memory and let out a sigh of relief, explaining, "Among the seven pirate Admirals, 'Iceberg Admiral' is the kindest. As long as there are no conflicts along the way, she should deliver you safely to your destination."
"Of course," Alger paused and cautioned, "No matter how kind, she's still a pirate. Mr. Lover, it's best to avoid any conflict with them."
Klein's mouth twitched slightly. Mr. Hanged Man, just how little faith do you have in Mr. Lover?
You've warned him multiple times, are you that afraid they'll start a fight?
But if they do, it would be quite troublesome for Ash—after all, once everyone is dead, no one will be left to help him sail, and he'll be stuck at sea again.
"Don't worry," Ash nodded slightly. "We're getting along well...so far."
Although the crew's gazes were rather cautious, at least they hadn't made any direct moves, so the atmosphere was fairly harmonious.
"That's good," Alger sighed in relief and continued, "From your location to Toscat Island, 1,500 nautical miles would take about five days. I can leave from Balam and reach Toscat Island in less than a week. We can meet there."
"So my suggestion is that Mr. Lover can ask Iceberg Admiral to take you to Toscat Island and then make an excuse to send a telegram to notify your friends."
Alger glanced at Ash's expression, and the other was nodding in agreement.
"I have no more questions," Ash said softly, suggesting to end the conversation.
But Alger thought for a moment, and while it was best to avoid conflict, you never know.
Just in case there was a conflict, at least Mr. Lover shouldn't be at a disadvantage in terms of information.
After a brief pause, he spoke again, "Mr. Lover, I must remind you. Iceberg Admiral strength is at Sequence 5, and some speculate that she is a Beyonder of the 'Reader' Pathway."
"Because of her pathway, her strength is probably among the weakest of the seven pirate Admirals."
"Of course, since there has never been any intense conflict among the seven pirate Admirals, this is still open to debate."
"Also, her first mate, second mate, and third mate are all Sequence 6 Beyonders, and there are about ten bosuns who are Sequence 7 beyonders. Every sailor outside of these ranks is also a beyonders, which is rare even among pirates."
"However, because Iceberg Admiral has only one ship, the Golden Dream, although all the sailors are beyonders, the total number is still smaller compared to other pirate Admiral."
"So," after saying all this, Alger solemnly warned, "Try to avoid conflict with them."
"Okay." Ash nodded slightly, his tone calm and indifferent, making it impossible to read his true thoughts.
"..."
Klein listened with a twitching expression. Mr. Hanged Man, do you want them to avoid conflict or hope they get into one?
You've practically spilled all the information you know about Iceberg Admiral.
Rather than warning Ash not to fight, it sounds more like you're encouraging him to strike first!
Although Klein found it a bit exasperating, since both sides had already finalized the details, he couldn't intervene.
After all, he is now the all-powerful Mr. Fool, and he must avoid lowering his standards.
Even though playing matchmaker for social networking and acting as a telephone might be lowering the bar.
While Klein was sending the two away, he couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
...
"Knock, knock~"
In the morning, under the disbelieving gazes of the crew, their captain, the beautiful woman with a delicate face, stood before Ash's door and knocked.
"Click!"
Not long after, Ash opened the door, revealing the lady's pretty face.
"Mr. Ash," Edwina smiled slightly, "I didn't want to disturb your rest yesterday, so I couldn't properly welcome you. A hearty breakfast has been prepared in the dining room. Would you like to join me?"
"Okay," Ash looked at the lady's fair face and nodded lightly.
Without any hesitation, he closed the door and walked alongside Edwina through the corridor towards the dining room.
Along the way, they were unsurprisingly watched by a crowd of pirate sailors.
The looks they gave Edwina were filled with disbelief, as if their faith had suddenly crumbled.
But the looks they gave Ash were even more undisguisedly filled with naked killing intent.
"Bastard! That bastard!" 'Bowtie' Jordison glared at Ash's back, his eyes almost spewing flames.
He wanted to kill this bastard who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
This was the first time in over a decade he had seen Captain Edwina so proactive towards someone, and it was a man, no less.
Moreover, she had smiled so warmly.
From the time he was rescued by Captain Edwina and brought onto the Golden Dream, he had never seen such a scene.
Even Edwina's subordinates, the first mate and second mate, showed surprised expressions.
Not only that, but just now, they saw a scene that completely shattered their three views.
Their captain had personally cooked for this man and made breakfast.
Captain Edwina had never cooked before, let alone for a man. Even they, her subordinates, never received such treatment.
But that person didn't seem to realize anything was wrong and walked away with the captain calmly, not noticing the knife-like gazes behind him.
"..."
Only Ash remained calm and composed, seemingly unaware of the silent tension.
A moment later, the two entered the dining room.
There was a long table in the dining room, and two empty seats were in the middle, with a rich breakfast already prepared.
An exquisite tablecloth, beautiful flowers, and a variety of foods filled the dining table.
Of course, Edwina wasn't a professional chef, so the food she prepared was mostly basic items that could be found on pirate ships, such as bread, fruits, and the like.
But to be fair, this breakfast was considered lavish.
"Please, sit," Edwina smiled slightly, gesturing for Ash to sit down.
Although her every move remained graceful, those who knew her would find her unusually enthusiastic.
Ash had no objections. He nodded slightly and took a seat.
Seeing him sit down, Edwina also smiled and took a seat opposite him.
But her hands under the table suddenly clasped tightly together, and the palms quickly became moist with sweat.
However, at that moment, Edwina forced herself to remain calm and composed, her tone gentle, and she said with a soft smile, "Please, help yourself."
Ash picked up the bread and took a small bite, showing a rare faint smile. "Not bad."
Although it was just an ordinary piece of bread, it had a slight hint of sweetness, which was not found in the bread distributed on the ship.
This made Ash's lips curl up slightly, as he politely complimented, "It's delicious."
Seeing Ash's subtle smile, Edwina's mood seemed to brighten instantly, and she quickly smiled back.
The two engaged in a simple conversation as they ate.
Throughout the meal, they only exchanged a few words, and the atmosphere seemed exceptionally harmonious.
But what Ash didn't know was that outside the door, someone was silently peeking at him.
"Smiling? The captain actually smiled?!"
The pirate who happened to witness this scene was so shocked that his eyes almost fell out.
Just as he was about to say something, a hand suddenly appeared and covered his mouth, pulling him away forcefully.
"How dare you secretly peek at the captain's private affairs?"
Turning his head, he saw Jordison, who had an icy expression and eyes filled with intense killing intent.
He forcefully pulled the pirate away, and after taking him to a place where no one was around, he covered his mouth and quietly pulled out a dagger from his waist.
"Shh, if you don't want to die, forget everything you just saw."
He slowly lowered the dagger to the pirate's abdomen, silently threatening him.
"Mm! Mm!" The pirate nodded vigorously.
Upon seeing this, Jordison sneered in disdain and released him.
"You should know what to do, right?"
"Of course, of course!" The pirate's entire body was trembling with fear, and after nervously wiping the cold sweat off his face, he quickly slipped away.
"Hmph," Jordison snorted coldly as he watched the pirate leave, then looked at the dining room door with gritted teeth. "You bastard..."
Finally, he sheathed the dagger and returned to his post.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.
In the captain's cabin, Edwina was sitting at her desk, writing something on parchment.
Soon after, Ash walked in.
"Mr. Ash," Edwina looked up and smiled at him. "I have an urgent matter to attend to, so I must leave the ship for a few days. But don't worry; we'll meet again soon."
Ash, after a brief moment of surprise, responded with a faint smile. "Alright, I'll be waiting."
A moment later, Edwina finished the letter, sealed it, and handed it to Ash. "Please take care of this letter. It contains important information."
"Understood." Ash took the letter and carefully stored it in his pocket.
After a brief pause, he asked again, "Captain, may I ask, where are we going next?"
"Toscat Island," Edwina smiled slightly and explained, "We need to resupply there before continuing on to the Sunya Sea."
"Toscat Island?" Ash fell into thought upon hearing this.
In his communication with Alger, they had agreed to meet on Toscat Island, so he had to find a way to stall for time.
After a moment's thought, he nodded and smiled faintly, "Understood, Captain."
Edwina smiled back and gently nodded. "Thank you."
A moment later, she stood up from her seat, picked up her coat, and put it on.
"I'm leaving now. Please take care of yourself, Mr. Ash."
Ash quietly nodded. "You too."
After speaking, Edwina pushed open the door and left the cabin.
Ash stood in place, thinking for a moment, before turning to leave the cabin as well.
...
Another week passed.
Under the night sky, Toscat Island, a small island in the easternmost part of the Rhosid Archipelago, had already come into view.
There was a small port on the island, which looked deserted and uninhabited, with only a few scattered fishing boats on the sea.
"Arriving soon," the lookout on the observation deck shouted.
Standing on the deck, Ash nodded slightly and returned to his cabin.
After confirming the route to Toscat Island with Alger, he asked Edwina for permission to leave the ship.
After a brief pause, she agreed.
...
A few hours later, the Golden Dream smoothly docked at the port of Toscat Island.
Once the crew had disembarked, Ash also left the ship, walking towards the beach on the island.
After a short walk, he noticed a figure in the distance.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Alger, who had been waiting for him for a long time.
"Mr. Hanged Man." Ash walked up and greeted him.
"Lover," Alger nodded slightly. "You made it on time."
Ash smiled faintly. "Indeed."
"Shall we?" Alger turned and pointed towards the direction of the meeting place.
Ash nodded, and the two walked together towards the agreed-upon location.
Before long, they reached a small cave on the beach.
There was no one else inside the cave, but a simple wooden table and two chairs were placed in the middle.
Ash walked over and took a seat.
"So," Alger glanced at him and asked, "What's your next move?"
Ash thought for a moment and said, "Continue to explore the Sunya Sea."
Alger raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Of course," Ash smiled faintly, his gaze resolute. "This is a journey to uncover the truth of the world."
"..."
Alger fell silent for a moment before finally sighing and nodding.
"Alright, then I wish you good luck."
After a moment's pause, he added, "However, you should be careful. The Sunya Sea is vast and full of dangers."
Ash smiled calmly and nodded. "I will."
After the conversation ended, the two left the cave and went their separate ways.
Ash soon returned to the Golden Dream.
A few days later, the ship set sail once again, heading deeper into the Sunya Sea.
...
Somewhere in the Sunya Sea, far from Toscat Island.
In the silent night, Ash stood on the deck, gazing at the endless sea.
The night breeze brushed against his face, bringing a hint of coolness, and the sound of waves echoed in his ears.
It was a tranquil and peaceful moment, a stark contrast to the chaotic world beneath the surface.
As he stood there, he couldn't help but reflect on the journey so far—the battles, the mysteries, the encounters.
And the road ahead was still long and full of uncertainties.
But no matter what, he would continue forward, driven by the pursuit of truth.
After a while, he turned and walked back towards his cabin, his mind focused and determined.
The journey continued, and so did the search for answers.
...
On Toscat Island, in the small cave, a figure quietly appeared.
It was Edwina.
She had returned to retrieve the letter she had entrusted to Ash.
Upon entering the cave, she found the letter still safely hidden in the designated spot.
Relieved, she carefully picked it up and examined it.
After ensuring its contents were intact, she let out a soft sigh and carefully stored the letter away.
Standing alone in the dimly lit cave, Edwina couldn't help but recall the past weeks.
The unexpected encounter with Ash, the mysterious events, the secrets yet to be uncovered.
Everything felt surreal, like a fleeting dream.
But now, it was time to wake up and face reality.
With one last glance at the cave, Edwina turned and left, her footsteps light and steady.
The journey continued, and the pursuit of truth remained unyielding.
(End of the Chapter)