Gun of Ashes

Just as Lorenzo thought, there are deeper forces in this world influencing its course, namely the Nation-Builders, who have always controlled the flow of information. As long as they don’t want the world to know, this intelligence will never leak out.

”Autonomy?”

”Yes, they have the relationship with the King of the Ice Sea as a lord who pledges allegiance to the king, so the place we are going to visit is not only Willerte, but most importantly Ice Bay.”

Selyu’s fingers glided across the nautical chart.

Lorenzo had heard of Willerte, a large island occupied by the King of the Ice Sea after the civil war, turning it into the capital of various countries and the main diplomatic city of the Viking nations. But Lorenzo had never heard of Ice Bay that Selyu mentioned.

”What is Ice Bay?”

Lorenzo asked. He had also briefly understood the Viking nations, but there wasn’t much useful information; they were long trapped in civil war, and news was severely blocked.

”An inner harbor city of the Viking nations, you can understand it as their main port for internal trade. Willerte is responsible for external circulation, while Ice Bay ensures the trade cycle within the Viking nations.

Our negotiations with the King of the Ice Sea are almost complete, and the Stuart family’s trade has been integrated into the alliance between Ingwig and the Viking nations, but the internal docking issue at Ice Bay hasn’t been resolved yet.”

”The king agrees, but the lords disagree? So the Viking nations aren’t exactly united.” Lorenzo listened, feeling slightly helpless.

”There’s no way around it, isn’t politics all about compromising interests on all sides? It’s already challenging to make the lords lay down their axes,” Selyu also felt helpless, ”but the problem isn’t that; it’s mainly about those pirates.”

”Most of the Viking nations’ ships originate from Ice Bay’s shipyard. With the cessation of the civil war, some of the rebellious lords were crushed by the King of the Ice Sea’s army, but still, some fled and turned into roaming pirates, harassing various territories internally, with Ice Bay being among the most affected.”

Selyu pointed to the archipelago of the Viking nations, where most islands were uninhabited due to harsh environments, becoming shelters for those pirates.

”Ending the civil war has consumed a lot of the Viking nations’ strength. They’ve recovered somewhat in recent years but now face a war with Gaulunaro, leaving the King of the Ice Sea with little strength to encircle those pirates, hence delegating the task to the lords, allowing them to expand their private armed forces to a certain extent.”

”Did the lord at Ice Bay rise in rebellion then?”

Lorenzo began his whimsical thoughts.

”How could that be? He indeed used his forces against the pirates, which caused Ice Bay to be in constant warfare. That lord often participated in battles, leaving for months and being impossible to find!”

Selyu couldn’t help but shout, the inability to find him delaying collaborations.

”Ah... this...”

Lorenzo didn’t know what to say.

”That lord himself is quite eccentric, obsessed with sailing to the point where someone said he rarely touches land throughout the year. While other Vikings prefer building camps to expand military power, only he loves the sea overly much, establishing the Viking nations’ first large shipyard, with Ingwig’s technological support planned to be implemented at Ice Bay. Compared to other impoverished territories, it has more industrial development potential.”

Selyu reminisced about her yet unseen partner, the words of Viking envoys swirling in her mind.

”He also shows keen interest in mysterious legends concerning taboos. It’s said that for this reason, he joined some secret society, making other lords who believe in Odin dislike him more, gradually distancing themselves, resulting in fewer and fewer related intelligence.

It’s also because he’s not often at Ice Bay that Ice Bay gradually turned into a chaotic and complex place... You can perceive it as a slightly more regulated Lower City District of Old Dunling.”

With Selyu’s words, Lorenzo understood.

”The Lower City District!”

Lorenzo chuckled; he had been around the Lower City District for many years, a seasoned player; not to mention, there was someone on this ship who once was a boss in the Lower City District.

”The lord returned to Ice Bay after disappearing for almost half a year; we have to dock at Willerte first, then hurry to that ghostly place.”

Thinking about the unknown Ice Bay and the elusive pirates, Selyu felt a headache.

”That’s probably it, do you understand now?”

Lorenzo nodded, then reached for a Winchester, loading the chamber with a crisp sound, looking excited.

This was truly worth celebrating; besides slashing demons, there’s something else to slash, providing a change of scenery even for Lorenzo, who occasionally felt tired and needed to slash something else to ease his mood.

”Maintaining justice, protecting clients, I understand, I understand.”

Selyu glanced at Lorenzo, unsure of what to say; she knows everyone extracts joy from different places. For Selyu, it was reading a book; for that lord, it was sailing; but for Lorenzo... he was somewhat unusual, and Selyu was uncertain how to advise him.

Fortunately, Lorenzo is irreplaceable; otherwise, Selyu truly felt he might end up at Black Mountain Hospital for some proper treatment. No, Lorenzo had already been there once, only to emerge seemingly worse.

Selyu couldn’t help but cover her face, peeking at Lorenzo through her fingers’ gaps; Lorenzo, looking puzzled, stared at Selyu, not understanding why she was acting this way.

”Perhaps... Lorenzo really is incorrigible,” Selyu thought.

”By the way, there’s something else I want to ask you.”

Selyu lowered her hand, glancing at the tightly shut cabin door; hopefully, no one would overhear their conversation here.

”When I passed below today, it should be around the cargo hold layer. I don’t know why, but I felt something odd.”

Selyu recalled, though sea time was boring, it kindled her curiosity, often wandering around the Morning Glow Advance, closely examining the advanced ironclad ship, and today she stepped into the dark cargo hold, tightly guarded by soldiers, with a huge circular cabin door isolating Selyu from its contents.

She remembered the feeling then, as if something spread from the steel crevices, softly approaching her, using the eerie blades to cut her.

Looking at that cabin door, Selyu’s heart raced, dark thoughts spawn creeping evils inside her heart.

This was a familiar feeling, similar to encountering a demon, but not just that, Selyu sensed familiar erosion, as if shackling a demon she once witnessed behind that cabin door.

”This voyage isn’t just about establishing trade, is it?”

Selyu astutely sensed more: not just what lay beyond the cabin door, but also the numerous soldiers aboard, Bola, and Blue Jade, and underfoot, this advanced ironclad ship.

If assigned as my protector, ensuring trade establishment, Lorenzo alone would suffice. Yet, this Purification Mechanism was deployed like sending a thousand troops.

Lorenzo was dumbfounded, remaining silent for a moment before speaking with slight exaggeration.

”Don’t pry into adults’ affairs, child.”

”I am a Duke, you might bow and kiss my hand upon meeting me.”

Lorenzo’s cheeky grin clearly didn’t work on Selyu, as she was too familiar with Lorenzo. Through his gray-blue eyes, Lorenzo usually couldn’t hide much from her unless he buried it deeper into the dark, filthy recesses of his heart.

”Fine if you don’t want to say.”

Selyu chose not to press Lorenzo further. She knew even asking again would yield only Lorenzo’s nonsensical rhetoric, leaving them in awkward silence for a long time.

Eyes unrestfully shifting, the cramped space made Lorenzo feel uneasy, surprised by Selyu’s rapid growth, suddenly embodying a Duke’s demeanor; small though she was, her presence was formidable. He dared not meet Selyu’s eyes, fearing she might uncover something.

Until Lorenzo saw that nautical chart, he suddenly realized Ice Bay’s position seemed off, nestled deep within the Viking nations, extremely close to the chart’s blank area.

Something struck Lorenzo; he grew serious, asking.

”Who is Ice Bay’s lord?”

”The lord?” Seeing Lorenzo’s sudden change in demeanor, Selyu was accustomed; she answered.

”Vikings call him the Shipbuilder.”

Recalling that complicated name.

”Froki Willgardson.”