Chapter 265: Chapter 252 Identity Exposed (1/3)
Watching Green Tide suddenly lose control of his emotions, Ian was first puzzled, then seemed to grasp something.
He appeared contemplative and didnât say much, only quietly stepping back as if he hadnât witnessed the otherâs outburst.
After retreating, he gathered the other decision-makers in the area to inquire about the current situation.
Due to Ianâs strength, as well as Yisen, Iron Hand, and Blue Sailâs return, the young man quickly gained control over the entire territory.
"So three Sublimators had already died or gone missing before?"
Ianâs brows furrowed, not expecting the situation to be so severe.
Originally, the pirates had four Sublimators, and the fifth, the strongest captain along with Shark, had disappeared without a trace.
On the side of the exploration ship, there were five - two were Yisen Gardâs bodyguards, two were skilled individuals summoned by the Platinum Iridium Workshop which included Blue Sail and Green Tide, and one was the âWave Singerâ from the Platinum Iridium Workshop accompanying the ship.
In terms of Sublimators, the exploration ship held the advantage, but the pirates outnumbered them.
Indeed, both sides were hostile toward each other, but they were all followers.
Without the captain and the boss, as well as the piratesâ target missing, there naturally wasnât much fierce fighting â and not long after, the Aberrant Ape-Beasts and Frost Moths arrived. A hard battle ensued which left one Sublimator dead on the piratesâ side, and the exploration teamâs âWave Singerâ got focused and killed by the Frost Moths due to his inability to summon the tides.
However, it was this difficult fight that dispersed the originally much larger army of Aberrant Beasts, so the intensity of the subsequent attacks wasnât as great as the first one, making defense not so difficult.
Still, merely defending was not a viable option - Wildfire, another bodyguard of Yisen Gard, volunteered to scout ahead but never returned, most likely having fallen into an ice chasm or been killed by monsters.
The remaining few Sublimators gathered to discuss and agreed this was no solution, hence a few Sublimators from both the pirates and the exploration ship went out to check the situation, hoping to find a way.
The pirate group encountered remnants of the monsters and had to retreat to help Green Tide defend the territory, while those from the exploration ship encountered Ian, who broke the siege.
As for Ianâs strength...
Everyone was observing in secret this person who claimed to be a âWave Singerâ appraiser... His power was exceptionally strong!
The previous âWave Singerâ was practically useless in the frosty environment, whereas Ianâs power could even mobilize the frost, clearly not the ability of an ordinary âWave Singerâ... perhaps not a âWave Singerâ at all!
"Indeed, there arenât many cannonballs left."
Without heeding the unusual glances from the others, Ian summarized the cannonball data and found that the remaining two boxes of cannonballs were likely insufficient to withstand the next attack.
"Itâs time to retreat."
He looked up, his eyes shimmering with Spirit Energy Radiance, and addressed everyone present, "Staying here to clash head-on with endless monsters is the most dangerous option. Letâs consolidate our resources and prepare to move northwestward. There should be an exit or a turning point in that direction."
Though Ian didnât offer any reason, everyone decided to follow his lead - not only because of his strength, but also because Ianâs tone and confidence indeed had the power to lead people forward in critical moments.
"Yisen, discuss the details with them. Iâll go see if thereâs anything usable left with the exploration shipâs equipment."
Turning his head, Ian intended to have Yisen coordinate the supplies and manpower - he was quite capable in this regard. But the blond young man gestured for Ian to come closer and then whispered a secret message to him.
"Huh."
Ian raised his eyebrows and immediately followed Yisen out of the center of the territory.
Master Gossay had woken up and was lucid, wanting to speak to him about something very secret.
"The teacher said he only wants to see you, and I have no idea what itâs about."
Although somewhat aggrieved and puzzled, Yisen Gard obediently left at the teacherâs request. Before leaving, he was instructed by Ian to organize the teams and gather tools.
At this moment, only Master Gossay and Ian were in the cabin.
"Youâre finally awake, Master." The youth walked into the cabin, immediately closing the door behind him to keep out the chill wind.
He turned his head, looked at the white-haired old man, and smiled faintly, "Without your help, our journey would have truly been difficult."
"Had you not awoken, you might have frozen to death."
In the cabin, converted from a scouting vessel, the old man warmed himself by the fire, weakly surveying his surroundings.
Then he said to Ian with a smile, "Youâve done quite well, lad. Your abilities, even those true noblesâ scions, or the attendants of well-known Knight Orders might not possess, canât simply be explained by talent or as a Chosen Oneâyou must have had a good teacher."
"When you dealt with those people from Fiery Flame Land, I saw your sword... let me guess..."
Having said that, the older man closed his mouth, just quietly staring at Ian.
It seemed he wanted to see some shadow of bygone days in the youth, who was just calmly smiling.
The shadow of that glorious era which he himself had once been proud of and dedicated to.
To this, Ian was not surprised in the least, he nodded slightly and said softly, "Is that so? Even in your old age, you donât dare speak their names."
"Even here in the distant South Ridge, far removed from the Imperial Capital, even in this ancient relic isolated from the world."
"...Hiliard Lesi. That man was your teacher," he stated, not provoked but simply convinced of this fact, Master Gossay said the name and then fell silent for a long time.
His expression was indescribably complex, but in the end, he let out a relieved smile, "I didnât let down the Black King or him back then, and itâs not my place to feel guiltâI couldnât do anything else anyway."
Raising his head, Master Gossay gazed at the person before him: "Ian, arenât you planning to kill me?"
Ian was noncommittal, merely humming lightly, then he walked over to the old man and raised his sword.
The sword was not aimed at the old manâs neck or heart, but positioned to allow the other to see the material of the blade more clearly.
"How can I conceal the material of this sword?"
He asked, "This is the weapon left to me by my teacher. Ordinary people are fine, but for elders like you, itâs probably a bit conspicuous... How can I hide this fact? I donât have another weapon thatâs good enough to use, but I donât want to reveal my identity so easily either."
Without any fear, Master Gossay reached out and took the Heavy Abyss Iron Sword from Ianâs hands.
He pondered for a while and then said slowly, "...Indeed, the side sword of the previous generation of the Knight Order of Inspectorate. Since the First Knight had his own weapon, this ceremonial side sword wasnât specially treatedâitâs just an ordinary side sword for a Great Knight."
"A whole batch of longswords was supervised and forged under orders by me and my teacher. Others might not recognize it, but I certainly can."
Raising his head, the old man looked at Ian again, his expression somewhat dim, "It seems the legend has come to an end, but it has left you behind."
Ian did not ask Master Gossay how he knew his teacher had passed away. These older generations might have worked closely together for a long time, or even have enjoyed private drinks and camaraderieâhe would not understand what details gave it away.
So he simply said, "Tell me how to conceal my swordsmanship as well. I believe my swordsmanship has become quite unique and shouldnât reveal traces of my teacher."
"Indeed very good," said Master Gossay without hesitation, offering his advice: "But itâs the details you do too well that give you away. The swordsmanship is seamless and solid yet not without weight; your offense is quite fierce, but your defense appears too simple and direct, just protecting the vital partsâhow is that possible? At least not for a âWave Singer.â It was because of this I became suspicious."
"Moreover, when you piloted the Armor Suit, the fact that Yisen couldnât integrate the data cables with you... First Energy Level. Such physical strength is scarcely found in any Inheritance."
Speaking of this, the old manâs expression became complicated, as if feeling slightly embarrassed.
But after a short pause, knowing the urgency of their situation, he sighed and continued, "And that swordâhonestly, I didnât faint from the shock of the battle or because of parasites."
"I purely fainted from the shock of your identity, overcome by turbulent emotions, I passed out."