Two days later, the sun came out over Misty Bay Harbor.
Sunlight slipped through gaps in the clouds, falling onto the harbor’s dull stone-paved roads, and onto the stained-glass arched windows of the Mage Tower, lighting the tower’s western side in a riot of colors.
Chen Yu squatted on Yano’s shoulder, body curled into a ball, his two round eyes half-closed, as if dozing and as if basking in the sun at the same time.
Yano stood on the steps before the Mage Tower, arms folded across his chest, his back leaning against a stone pillar of the portico, curiously surveying the entire Mage Tower.
The weather was decent today. Samuel had invited him and His Majesty to sit in the Mage Tower and, at the same time, to wait for the remaining Extraordinary professionals from the Merchant Alliance to gather.
Samuel stood beside him, a half-step closer to the tower’s entrance than Yano.
His face looked calm, but his eyes betrayed him, darting back and forth between the end of the stone road and the Mage Tower’s heavy door.
Today was the day the prisoners returned to Misty Bay Harbor, and his apprentice would be coming back along that very stone road.
Chen Yu yawned, and a small bubble popped up in the gel with a soft sound.
Samuel’s lips twitched.
“Ryan is the most talented apprentice I’ve ever seen.”
“He works hard too,” Chen Yu added.
Of course, he referred to doing physical labor after being taken prisoner.
The carriages came from the direction of the docks.
Five carriages in total, forming a line, lumbering along the stone road, hooves clattering on the slabs with a steady clip-clop.
The first carriage stopped in front of the Mage Tower.
The door opened, and Ryan and the other apprentices climbed down.
His hair was a mess and his robe had several creases, as if he’d slept on the carriage the whole way.
He looked up and froze when he saw Samuel waiting at the doorway.
“Teacher, I... we’re back.”
Samuel watched him and nodded.
“Good to have you back.”
The apprentices moved forward, lips trembling as if to speak, their eyes rimmed red.
“Teacher, we—later we realized—you're not a—”
Samuel raised his hand and cut the apprentice off.
“We’ll talk inside.”
They fell silent and nodded.
Ryan turned and waved to the carriages behind him. More apprentices spilled out, some male, some female, some young, some older, each wearing threadbare mage’s robes, faces showing the exhaustion and huge relief of a long journey.
After bowing to Chen Yu and Yano, the apprentices ran up to Samuel, crowding around him and chattering all at once.
Samuel found himself surrounded; his facial expression shifted from calm to something a little awkward, as if he wanted to smile but had to remain stern.
“All right, go inside, don’t stand by the door.”
“Go back to your rooms and change, then come to the third-floor hall; today’s head cook prepared a hearty breakfast.”
Then he bowed to Chen Yu. “Your Majesty, please excuse me; I’ll settle these youngsters first.”
Chen Yu wobbled his gel to indicate agreement, then his gaze drifted back to the road outside the Mage Tower.
A second contingent was coming from a different street in the harbor district.
Nolan rode at the front, and two men in Merchant Alliance standard armor flanked him on his left; their armor still bore the scratches that the Gargoyles had left in the canyon battle.
Following them was a man who appeared to be a ship’s captain—wearing a tricorn hat and a deep-blue captain’s coat, the collar open to reveal a crumpled white shirt and a crooked black neckerchief.
He looked somewhat rugged.
“We’re here.” Nolan halted and called to the three behind him.
The two soldiers in standard armor looked up, then saw Chen Yu perched on Yano’s shoulder and paled; evidently they still remembered the impression Chen Yu had made in his Demon King Form during the canyon battle.
They exchanged a glance, stepped forward, and bowed.
“Hail the Majesty.”
“What are your names?” Chen Yu asked.
“Gareth, Your Majesty, Gareth Wayne.”
“Steven Wayne.”
Nolan explained, “Actually, they are brothers from the same family.”
Brothers who are Extraordinary?
That was rather uncommon.
“And this one.”
His gaze fell on the captain.
The man swaggered forward, glanced at the Slime on Yano’s shoulder, and his eyes brightened.
He hurried over and raised a hand in greeting.
“Your Majesty, finally a pleasure to meet you!”
“Who are you?” Chen Yu sensed that this fellow had a talent for being overly familiar.
The captain straightened, removed his tricorn with his right hand and pressed it to his chest, while his left hand flung out in an exaggerated bow.
“Jack. Jack Sparrow. From the Southern Islands. Profession: captain. Specialties: sailing, gunnery, drinking, and brawling—rankings not in any particular order.”
He straightened up and perched the tricorn back on his head.
Chen Yu studied him. “You’re an Extraordinary professional?”
“Yes.” Jack patted his chest. “Level Ten, just a notch below Lord Nolan.”
Chen Yu’s body wobbled.
“You’re not afraid of me?”
Jack blinked, then grinned, showing a mouthful of uneven teeth.
“Afraid? Your Majesty, why would I fear you?”
“Because I’m the Slime King, the kind that eats people.”
Jack’s laughter grew louder, and he waved a hand dismissively.
“Your Majesty, that’s a dull thing to say. I’ve been in the Southern Islands for thirty years; I’ve seen more things than you’ve eaten—er, I mean, seen.”
“The pirate lords there look uglier than demons, and when they go feral they’ll scare a child into tears. Someone like you...” He eyeballed Chen Yu up and down. “To be frank, the cat my neighbor keeps is scarier than you.”
Nolan coughed lightly and introduced him. “Captain Jack Sparrow here was recently hired by the Merchant Alliance, from the Southern Islands. He was supposed to join the Storm Fleet as a captain, but before he could integrate, that whole affair happened.”
He glanced at Jack. “When the Storm Fleet defected, his crew and ships followed Simon. He was left alone.”
Jack shrugged.
“That’s the story. My crew left, the ships ran off. I was the only one left standing on the quay, feeling the sea breeze as my boats disappeared.”
“Why didn’t you flee?” Chen Yu asked, curious.
To be honest, after that internal strife, most Extraordinary professionals in the Merchant Alliance had already left early—everyone but him.
Jack stretched lazily.
“Flee? Your Majesty, where would I go?”
“Back to that damned Southern Islands? No way. That place doesn’t compare to Misty Bay Harbor. It’s full of pirates and terrifying Extraordinary who live to push themselves.”
“Their training is to drift at sea for three months, find an uninhabited island, lock themselves in and practice. When they’re done, they come out, find someone to fight, beat them up, then go back to practice.”
“Run into those folks and you’re bound to have bad luck.”
He produced a brass flask, unscrewed the cap and took a sip, using broad gestures as he talked.
“And then there are the legends—one after another—diving to the deep sea to seek some ocean secret, surfacing occasionally to catch their breath, and accidentally capsizing passing isles.”
“You know what that’s like? It’s like lying on the sand, soaking up the sun, and suddenly the sea splits open, a mountain sprouts from the water, and that mountain opens its mouth and asks you, ‘What day is it?’”
“Coral city-states are tolerable; at least they have houses, streets, taverns, and merchants willing to pay for captains. But how can I put it...” He searched for a word. “Fake. So fake. Nobles sit on ivory chairs, eat from silver plates and drink from gold cups, preaching ‘order’ and ‘civilization,’ then turn and haggle you down until you’ve sold your trousers.”
He spread his arms and looked around with satisfaction.
“Haha, Your Majesty, your place is different. You have the rules, order, sunshine, and real land.”
“I’ve been thinking when I can get away from the fish stench and tour the mainland.”
“So I’m not going back.”
Chen Yu was intrigued. “You seem very familiar with the Southern Islands.”
Jack puffed up with pride. “You asked the right man, Your Majesty. Nobody knows that rotten, stinking fish of a place better than I do.”
He took a parchment map from his pocket and brought it close for Chen Yu to see.
“Your Majesty, see here—starting from the mouth of the Jade River and heading southeast, keep going about the distance from Misty Bay Harbor to Gold Lionheart Fortress, and you’ll reach the first island.”
“But that’s nothing; those are the hors d’oeuvres. The real archipelago lies much farther, with islands too numerous to count; every kingdom, big or small, has hundreds.”
“Some kingdoms are a single island, some are archipelagos, and others are landlocked—those are the most boring. They hide in ravines, call themselves kings, command a few hundred peasants, farm, keep chickens, and have lives comfier than pigs.”
He pointed toward the southwest of the archipelago.
“Coral City-States are here. They control this area and that one. All order-keeping lands fall under their jurisdiction.”
“What do you mean by order-keeping lands? Places with walls, guards, courts, and tax officers. In those places you can’t kill or rob at will; outside them, do as you please.”
Looking at the map, Chen Yu suddenly remembered something.
“Yano,” he said, turning his head, “your Stone Descendant ancestors originally came from overseas, right? Maybe you can find relatives out there.”
Yano froze and scratched his head.
“That might be true, but it’s too long ago—older than even the Stone Giant city of Gore. Even the old timers in the Belmont Family don’t know that history.”
Jack slapped Yano on the shoulder like an old friend.
“Brother, I almost forgot. When I was in the Southern Islands I heard rumors—some stone folk showed up in the Coral City-States a few years back and even roughed up a noble.”
“Maybe they’re related to you.”
Yano calmly removed Jack’s hand from his shoulder.
“Maybe.”
He didn’t take it to heart and treated it as Jack’s joke.
Jack didn’t care either; he slipped his hand back into his pocket.
“One day when I’m bored, I’ll take you all to see.”
At that moment Nolan bowed slightly. “Your Majesty, we still need to arrange the prisoners. We won’t linger here.”
The two brothers quickly followed and saluted as they left.
After they departed, Jack rubbed his hands together and asked, “Your Majesty, what do you think of me?”
“You mean?”
“What can I do? My ship’s gone, my crew’s gone, I’m left alone. You’ll have to find me something to do, right?”
Chen Yu thought for a moment.
“What can you do?”
Jack puffed out his chest.
“Sailing, gunnery, brawling, drinking—rankings not in any order.”
At that, Chen Yu suddenly remembered that the Floating Fortress might indeed need a captain.
But now was not the time, and he didn’t yet trust Captain Jack much.
He could let him train for now.
Failing to get work from Chen Yu, Jack muttered a few words, strolled toward the docks to look at the ships, and then swaggered away.
“He’s an interesting one,” Chen Yu said, watching his departing figure.
Yano nodded. “Boss, Samuel should be waiting inside for us.”
“Let’s go.”
Chen Yu hopped down from Yano’s shoulder and bounced twice, landing at the Mage Tower’s door.
He hopped inside with Yano following.
The Mage Tower’s first floor was a large circular room with a very high ceiling. The walls were lined with bookshelves that ran from floor to ceiling, crammed with books and scrolls.
A large circular table occupied the center, with several parchments spread across its surface.
Samuel stood beside the table, dusting off books. His apprentices had dispersed—some ascending the stairs, some searching the shelves, others crouched by the hearth warming themselves.
Ryan stood behind Samuel, holding a rag and polishing a chair until the seat shone.
Samuel saw Chen Yu hop in and placed the book he held onto the table.
“Your Majesty.”
Chen Yu hopped onto the table.
“Are your apprentices settled?”
“They are.” Samuel nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Chen Yu swayed slightly, his gaze lingering on the apprentices nearby.
“No need to thank me. They’re your people—take care of them.”
Although Samuel was busy guessing at the identity of the Slime King before him, since the other party hadn’t revealed him as a legendary mage’s magical pet he couldn’t directly ask. He was more concerned about another matter.
Once the apprentices had been sent upstairs and the parlor was left with only the two of them for a moment, Samuel spoke.
“Your Majesty, there is something... I would like to consult you about.”
“I heard the Kingdom supports any pioneering research project?”
Chen Yu’s body twitched slightly.
“Of course. If it benefits the Kingdom, we support it.”
Samuel’s eyes brightened.
He picked up a folded blueprint from the table, unfolded it, and laid it before Chen Yu.
The blueprint was large—bigger than the other papers on the table—dense with lines, numbers, and symbols.
“Your Majesty, please look.”
Chen Yu leaned in and examined it slowly.
The drawing depicted a humanoid construct.
It was finely detailed with balanced proportions, joints labeled with gears and runic details, the chest cavity showing a complex energy core, and several concentric rings of magic formations annotated around the core.
Beside the construct stood a human figure for scale; the little figure only reached the construct’s waist.
In other words, the construct was at least five meters tall.
But that wasn’t the most important part.
Samuel, who was usually composed, now spoke with barely restrained excitement.
“Yes, Your Majesty. What you are looking at is the masterpiece of my life—the Giant Automaton.”
His finger moved across the blueprint, pointing out the dense annotations.
“Gold-Rank, five meters tall, a full mithril skeleton, outer layers covered by three layers of enchanted steel plating, the core uses a high-grade elemental crystal I brought back from the Dawnlands. Its energy output is twenty times that of an ordinary automaton. It can smash anything on a field of battle—cavalry, infantry, walls, gates—any obstacle.”
His voice rose, becoming faster, as if delivering a lecture at last aimed at an audience.
“I have spent fifteen years on preliminary research, created three scaled models—the final model can now run stably for over a hundred hours. Now only the last step remains.”
Chen Yu’s gaze moved from the blueprint to the budget listed in the lower right corner. He shook his gel and objected.
“I’m sorry, Master Samuel, this project won’t do.”
Samuel’s voice choked.
His finger still hovered on the blueprint, his lips parted slightly, his face changing from excitement to bewilderment.
“Your Majesty?”
“Too expensive,” Chen Yu said.
Samuel fell silent for a moment.
“Your Majesty, I want to know—what is the real reason you refuse?”
Chen Yu: “Master Samuel, I’ll ask you a question.”
“Please, Your Majesty.”
“Can your Giant Automaton fly?”
Samuel was momentarily stunned.
“No, but its ground combat ability—”
“Can it go underwater?”
“No, but—”
“Can it teleport? Can it become invisible? Can it simultaneously handle more than ten Extraordinary professionals?”
Samuel fell silent.
Chen Yu wobbled his body.
“You see, you spend one hundred sixty thousand gold coins to build a five-meter-tall thing that cannot fly, cannot go underwater, cannot teleport, and cannot become invisible.”
“It fights well, true, but it can only fight on the ground and only against things standing in front of it.”
Chen Yu hopped once.
“Besides, we have better options.”