Pillar of Yita

”Plan?”

”I heard the lady say,” it looked at Elisa: ”You plan to build a ship? Hmm... It sounds somewhat exaggerated, but with my and Kalatu’s involvement, it’s not that far-fetched. I think—”

Tianlan stared at this boastful guy from the side.

Fang Hong looked at it in surprise and couldn’t help but interrupt: ”...Wait, you plan to help us build the ship?”

”No, no, no,” Tang De shook his head vigorously: ”I said, we will only give you some guidance. Regarding these opinions, I think—”

”Ade,” Kalatu also spoke at this time: ”We won’t intervene much in your developmental process, especially since Gita is my student, it’s not beneficial for your future.”

Fang Hong nodded understandingly.

He was naturally familiar with the saying of helping seedlings grow taller.

”Wait,” only the Sorcerer-Ghoul was dissatisfied, tapping the table with his staff: ”Can you not interrupt when others are speaking, Kalatu, after all these years have you not progressed at all in manners?”

”Tang De, you also said, it’s ’people’.”

Kalatu replied calmly without turning his head.

Tang De opened his mouth but couldn’t say a word for a long while.

Fang Hong found the interaction between the two somewhat interesting, an Archmage over a hundred years old and an immortal Sorcerer-Ghoul. As old friends and familiar people faded away with time, they were likely each other’s only companions in this century.

He thought for a while and returned to the main topic: ”Then Kalatu and Mr. Tang De, what is the plan you mentioned?”

”Simple,” Tang De immediately said: ”It’s about telling you where is suitable for shipbuilding, how to build, where to find what you want, how to get them—”

Kalatu also replied: ”Ade, as a novice, you probably lack understanding of the profound industry of shipbuilding, right?”

Fang Hong nodded.

”Tang De and I, though not experts, can at least tell you how to avoid some mistakes, where to find reliable people, so as not to waste our limited time.”

Tang De snorted: ”Despite the myriad of scholars in Eteliria, when it comes to knowledge and understanding, this guy and myself—mainly myself—consider ourselves to be among the top. With us—especially me, you will naturally avoid many detours—”

”That would be greatly helpful, Mr. Tang De,” Hilveld said with a smile: ”You have always been the most esteemed guest of the Albert family.”

”I have no ties with your crazy family,” Tang De replied: ”The Rogsel family is historically renowned.”

”But the Rogsel family is now extinct.”

Tianlan took the opportunity to add.”

The Sorcerer-Ghoul said nothing, just glared at the young girl with red fire flickering in his hollow eye sockets.

...

After Tang De and Kalatu left, Fang Hong carefully asked Elisa what had really happened at the time—how she and Parker encountered the legendary Archmage and the Sorcerer-Ghoul whom they had met briefly at Aimumu Fortress.

Elisa thought for a while and then replied:

”Mr. Tang De has actually been following us—”

”Captain, do you remember the strange corpse you and Parker saw underground?”

Fang Hong nodded.

”That was actually Garcia.”

”What!?” Fang Hong couldn’t help but be shocked. He never expected that the ordinary skeleton would be the undead form of Praetor Garcia.

”The Blood Shark Sky Pirates captured an important figure, who turned out to be Garcia. As for the Praetor, he met a dire end—he was the first victim of the Dragon’s Witch, not only was the Wanderer calculating Eve, but also him—and of course, the Great Elder of the Oathkeeper Clan.”

Elisa sighed.

Over the days, she naturally had heard the story from Atira: ”The Oathkeeper Clan was freed in a sense. I wonder if that Great Elder found any peace before his dying breath—”

She muttered to herself, softly: ”But I think he must have died without peace. Parker and I saw him underground, trapped by twisted hatred within the shell of the undead. Ironically, everyone found peace in this story, except for the instigator... ”

Fang Hong listened, silently replying: ”But he wasn’t really the instigator, at most a victim preyed upon by his own fears.”

”I know,” Elisa’s eyes glittered: ”Just a bit of a reflective thought.”

She continued: ”Since Garcia became undead, he’s been wandering in Idus, until found by the Dragon Worshipper. By the way, Captain, do you remember the experience in Fanric?”

”The experience in Fanric?”

Fang Hong thought hard, and suddenly a flash crossed his mind—having just awakened not fully aware, but Elisa’s reminder made him realize: ”That Bone Dragon—!”

He finally remembered why he felt familiarity when seeing the Bone Dragon in the ruins of Idus.

Because not long ago, he had seen the dragon in Fanric—even if it was from afar.

Elisa smiled: ”So, does the Captain understand?”

”I see,” Fang Hong suddenly realized: ”The Dragon Worship official we missed was forcibly taken by Mr. Tang De. He got to the place before us and attracted everyone’s attention with the Bone Dragon while taking away the official.”