Pushing open the window, the biting cold wind rushed in, causing the room’s temperature to plumt. The drowsy Palr glanced at Bologue, wrapped the blanket around himself silently, and turned over, sticking to the wall like a caterpillar.
Bologue didn’t bother with Palr, braving the cold wind, leaning out to look toward the horizon of the sea.
He rembered when he arrived at Free Port two days ago, that dark cloud was still at the sea’s horizon. Now it had approached Free Port.
Wave after wave crashed against the dike, the rising seawater almost engulfing the dock’s planks. This weather made it impossible to go to sea. All ships were docked, dropping heavy anchors, and the bulky ships swayed with the waves.
The sky brought a gentle drizzle, with wild winds rampaging through the streets. The districts close to the sea were paralyzed, too close to the ocean, that even with excellent drainage facilities, rainwater still accumulated on the streets. So vehicles stalled in the water, piling up like drowned giants’ corpses.
The trees were blown to the east and west, so knocking down utility poles, as dense sparks flashed, followed by a fire sparked off, Bologue could hear the police sirens from afar and people’s low grumbles.
The atmospheric pressure was a bit low, making Bologue feel a bit chest-tight with every breath. Many people were extrely displeased by the terrible scene, but Bologue sowhat liked such harsh weather.
The air was humid and cold, as if the whole person was soaked in cold water, with an unprecedented clarity of consciousness, like wiping away the fog from the lenses, most wonderfully, the odd sll hanging over the city had finally disappeared.
Whether it was the sll of fish, or the scent of blood, they evaporated under the howling wind, as if a cleaner had ticulously scrubbed the city inside and out.
"Five more minutes, you wouldn’t want the team leader to co in and rush you, would you?"
Bologue glanced at his watch and said to Palr on the bed, then left the room without looking back.
Just before Bologue closed the door, he heard thumping sounds from inside.
When Bologue reached the hotel waiting area, the others had already been in place, thanks to the sudden change in weather. Yesterday everyone was wearing light short sleeves, fantasizing about sunbathing on the beach, today they were back in black uniforms, ready for action.
They exchanged glances with one another, the plan for today had long been prepared, now only action was needed.
Hert Motley.
He and his brother, Nolen Motley, were the most outstanding Condensers among the people of Tidesea in recent years, so both were once candidates for Navigator.
Originally, the people of Tidesea decided for Hert to assu this position, but on the eve of succession, Hert fell in love with a woman from the land and had a child with her.
Although the people of Tidesea have made many changes in recent tis, their core power structure remains conservative and stubborn. In their plan, as Navigator, Hert should marry a woman from another tribe, but he chose a woman from the land.
This act made the power structure extrely angry, and Hert’s brother, Nolen, took the opportunity to seize the Navigator position.
After Nolen took over the position, under his protection, Hert was not punished, and his marriage went ahead as usual.
Until an offshore voyage a few years ago...
The record of that voyage was hidden by the people of Tidesea, even the Order Bureau doesn’t know the inside story. What can be known is that on that voyage, Hert seed to have committed so kind of mistake, hence he was exiled from the people of Tidesea, living on land, hunting Demons, ensuring the stability of Free Port.
After eting Hert, Bologue was extrely curious about him. From Geoffrey and Lebius, he learned about their past and the information related to Hert.
In earlier years, Lebius and Geoffrey had carried out missions in Free Port for a period. At that ti, the secret war had not yet erupted, and they t Hert, spending a period of peaceful ti together.
"Hello everyone!"
Palr ca hurriedly, tidying his clothes as he walked. Bologue glanced at his watch; Palr was faster than he had imagined.
"Then let’s go."
Seeing everyone was ready, Lebius gave the order.
The Wrecked Ship Shore pointed out by Hert was several kiloters away from Free Port, unlike the Golden Coast, it wasn’t so holiday paradise, but a wreck yard.
Many scrapped ships would wash ashore there, and over ti, the steel wrecks piled up like mountains. Sotis old ships salvaged from the sea would be discarded there too; it’s said that you could even find relics of warships from the Scorched Earth Wrath period there.
Today, it’s beco Free Port’s largest underground trading market, with hundreds of gray transactions concluded here daily, brewing deep-seated evil in the shadows.
Yesterday Bologue and Lebius did not act imdiately, instead, they spent another day collecting intelligence within Free Port. They wandered throughout the city, finally stepping into the coverage area of Yuriel’s Secret Power.
Subsequent intelligence from the Order Bureau gradually ca into their hands, with a few points worth noting.
The United Company was aware of the Wrecked Ship Shore, and had been trying to strike there, but no action had been taken.
Lebius understood that Nolen was just an agent, the real power holder still lay in the heart of power, the board of directors of the United Company.
For so reason, the board of directors wanted to remove Hert, but Nolen, the brother who took away Hert’s Navigator position, was vehently hated by Hert, yet he had been persistently protecting Hert.
It could be said that Nolen, in all these years, had been stationed at Free Port, never leaving, just to prevent Hert from being killed by the board’s troops in an alleyway once he left.
Lebius murmured to himself, "The matter of the people of Tidesea is more complicated than we thought."
Bologue thought Lebius wanted to intervene, but Lebius imdiately said.
"We must act quickly, find the tenth team, then leave here, the priority of the Pri Matter overrides everything."
Back to the present, as Hert had already t Bologue and Lebius, the two were ready to act together, heading to the Wrecked Ship Shore, while Geoffrey led Palr, Aimou, and Duwa to the Paradise.
Today on the Paradise there was a banquet, an event hosted by the United Company, even this bad weather couldn’t stop the event. That massive Paradise, even in the face of storms, remained unmoved.
"I never thought you could actually be of use."
Bologue glanced at Duwa, the ardent mber of the Order of Truth now looked full of spirit.
The banquet was rely a facade for outsiders, as what actually took place on Paradise was a trade fair. These Condensers living on the sea always dredged up interesting items from the ocean, profiting from it.
"The Order Bureau isn’t suitable to appear at this mont, but the Order of Truth can," Bologue said, "To be precise, it won’t be surprising to anyone if you Seekers show up anywhere."
"Rest assured, leave the rest to , just rember our agreent."
Duwa had already assud a sense of being part of the group. The action group was split into two, with the rest, using Duwa’s identity as a cover, infiltrating the Paradise to see what the people of Tidesea knew.
According to the tiline, the tenth team had arrived at Free Port for so ti. They either were completely wiped out or captured, otherwise, in this city, Bologue couldn’t find not a single clue.
Just before setting off, Lebius suddenly called out to Aimou.
Lebius said, "Aimou, you co with us."
"Aimou’s secret power is well-suited for hiding, it might co in handy," Lebius explained to Bologue.
Neither Bologue nor Aimou had any objections; Lebius, as the team leader, had the final say regarding actions. The only thing that made Bologue feel uneasy was that such an arrangent completely broke up the team’s partnerships.
Picking up an umbrella, Bologue was about to leave when he caught sothing out of the corner of his eye.
A figure that looked incredibly familiar to him.
"Ah..."
Bologue quickly turned his head, just as he was about to call out that na, the figure vanished from view, as if everything was just a hallucination.
Aimou asked, "Bologue, what’s wrong?"
"Nothing... nothing," Bologue paused for a mont and replied, "It seed like I saw an old acquaintance."
An old acquaintance who wasn’t supposed to exist.
"It’s nothing, let’s go."
The black umbrellas opened one by one, shielding against the wind and rain, they walked onto the gusty streets.
A few minutes later, Cinderella and Ewen staggered out, Ewen with a gloomy face, while Cinderella, chirping endlessly like a parrot by his side.
Ewen said to the receptionist, "Hello, checking out."
The receptionist nodded and smiled upon noticing Cinderella.
"You look a lot like a friend of mine."
Cinderella said nothing, maintaining a smile.
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