Pillar of Yita

Fang Hong felt confused.

He shook his head and said, ”I still don’t understand what you mean.”

Hilveld smiled patiently, ”Lord Captain hasn’t forgotten my purpose, has he?”

”To build the Seven Seas Traveler... No, it should be to find your father...”

Hilveld nodded slightly:

”My father disappeared while searching for the entrance to the Third World, so I studied the notes he left behind to find clues related to it. From the notes and documents, I found that the Holy Relic left by the Numelin Elves might be related to the Third World, so I embarked on the path to find the seven obelisks.”

She looked at Fang Hong with a flowing glance, answering, ”After that, I hired some people—one of whom happened to be Miss Atira’s brother. The rest, you already know, Lord Captain.”

Fang Hong finally began to understand, ”Are you saying... that you lured Miss Atira’s brother to the Traveler’s Swamp, but the murderer who killed them might also be someone from the Descendants of Flo?”

But he had already believed that the mastermind was the Wanderer, and couldn’t help but find it hard to believe: ”But Miss Atira’s brother was deprived of Starlight before his death, which is an ability only that Wanderer has, right?”

”Simply using ’capable of stealing Starlight’ as evidence may not be so reliable,” Hilveld shook her head, ”unless Lord Captain can confirm that it is his unique ability, but is that really the case? I remember the Dark Giant Dragon has such an ability too—”

Fang Hong was rendered speechless.

Or rather, the Wanderer’s ability originally came from Dragon King Lifgard. But in this world, besides Dragon King Lifgard, there is another Dark Giant Dragon.

Nikopolas.

He looked at Hilveld and subconsciously asked, ”Hilveld, are you sure?”

But Miss Ship’s Officer smiled and didn’t dwell on the question, ”Of course, I can’t be sure, but I’m only providing a possibility for you, Lord Captain.”

Fang Hong listened and looked at her suspiciously. In his impression, Hilveld wasn’t one to speak without purpose, so she must have an intention for bringing this up.

He thought for a moment, then asked, ”... Is there any other reason?”

Hilveld’s eyes reflected a faint, penetrating light, ”Does Lord Captain truly believe that those Sand Bandits trading with Slave Traders are related to the Dragon Worship Sect?”

Fang Hong couldn’t help but widen his eyes slightly.

…

The road to the dark cellar was paved with gray stones.

It was like a drooping gray-white tongue, hanging into the abyss. Then, it clung to the circular stone wall, spiraling down, with the torchlight revealing the uneven exterior of the stone walls.

Every certain distance, there was a rusty iron base for inserting torches, but they were bare, unused for who knows how long.

Fang Hong frowned slightly, looking at this place.

The middle-aged craftsman saw his expression and whispered to him:

”Placing him here is mainly for safety. During the escort, an attack occurred, and now the Grand Princess doesn’t trust anyone, even those by her side.”

He looked around, ”But here, unless someone forces their way in, no one can approach. Delivering food is mainly alternated between Abed and me, even the Princess’s trusted aides can’t come close without a hand order.”

Fang Hong realized but harbored other doubts internally.

The eldest daughter of the King of Sand, Barbaltan, going to such lengths to protect a runaway slave, seemed rather unusual.

He couldn’t help but glance back at the Noble Lady behind him.

A day ago, she had just analyzed this mission for him.

And now, it seemed indeed to carry such implications—

Following them were Atira and Reed.

Before they came here, they had mentioned their earlier speculations to the other two; the Big Catfolk remained indifferent. The Elf Miss, upon hearing about her brother, understandably hesitated.

After all, things that were once certain had now become confusing again, leaving one feeling at a loss.

However, he reassured her that the unjustly deceased in the Traveler’s Swamp that day—including her brother—needed a true revelation, not just naming a culprit.

Though the Wanderer was not a kind person, he might not truly be the murderer.

Atira accepted his reasoning.

But Fang Hong understood that the Elf Miss might not truly be convinced; she merely trusted him unconditionally.

Yet what Hilveld said made some sense—

The Wanderer, under the circumstances he was in at Idus, would he really let the Blood Shark Sky Pirates know his whereabouts?

Given his selfish and suspicious nature, not easily trusting outsiders, even if not concerned about the Blood Shark Sky Pirates’ ulterior motives, he would at least consider:

Would they sell him out to those aligned with Pudra?

Judging by the Wanderer’s usual habits, he would likely wait until he regained some strength before reaching out to his subordinates again.

He has almost endless time—an ’Immortal’—would he really rush to regroup right after a defeat?

Probably not.

And he was well aware of Kalatu and Tang De’s presence in Istania.

Would he really expose his intentions and whereabouts so easily?