Lord of Mysteries : The Undead Do Not Die from Kindling the Fire

September 16th, Sunday.

After a week-long journey, the Golden Dream finally arrived at Toskat Island that morning.

Ashes stood by the ship's side, gazing out toward the horizon. The sparkling waves expanded along the island's outline, shifting with the wind.

Shortly after, the ship docked at Toskat Island's private harbor, and Ashes disembarked. Edwina stood silently by the ship's side, watching him depart.

"Captain," the first mate, Bruce, approached and whispered, "Shall we set sail now?"

"Yes, set sail," Edwina nodded slightly.

Without hesitation, Bruce gave the order to hoist the sails and leave the private harbor. They were heading north.

"And the pirate gathering? Are we not attending?" Second mate Orpheus hesitated.

"Next time," Edwina shook her head, clearly uninterested.

"Captain," Yordson, the bow-tied crewman, leaned forward and whispered, "We didn't kill him, and we've cleaned up the traces. There's no need to be so worried, is there?"

He understood why Edwina was acting so cautiously—after all, they had just killed a demigod of the Loen Kingdom. But Orpheus thought differently.

For one, if Tunas Kolger had acted alone, no one knew where he was headed, nor how long his mission would take. It would be at least a month before anyone noticed something was amiss. And by then, it would be too late to trace anything.

Moreover, they had taken precautions against divination. Even if the Loen Kingdom's demigods tried, they wouldn't trace it back to the Golden Dream—there was no spiritual medium or clue to follow.

"You're foolish," Orpheus sneered. "Have you forgotten about Admiral of the Deep? If he betrays us to the Loen Kingdom, do you think we can escape the Royal Navy?"

"Would he betray us?" Yordson retorted, "As Emperor Roselle said, we're all in the same boat."

"Emperor Roselle also said, 'When disaster strikes, even married couples go their separate ways.'" Orpheus countered, earning a glare from Yordson.

"This isn't simple," Edwina softly spoke, "We can't be sure the Admiral of the Deep won't betray us, nor can we guarantee all the crew will stay loyal. Whether or not this gets exposed, it's safer for us to go to Sonia Island. As for Ashes... I wish him luck."

Edwina sighed inwardly. She had advised Ashes to go with them to Sonia Island, but he clearly didn't care, so he had declined. All she could do was wish him well.

Both Orpheus and Yordson had mixed reactions. They knew there were spies on board from other factions—it was common knowledge at sea. Every pirate ship had a few, and it was a matter of luck whether you caught them or not.

"What luck he's headed to Toskat Island," Bruce joked as he returned. "If he were going to Bayam, things would be far more dangerous."

Toskat Island was on the eastern edge of the Roste Archipelago, marking the eastern boundary of Sonia Sea and the Loen Kingdom's maritime colonies. Just to the north were the Gargas Islands, colonies of the Feysac Empire, only three days' sailing away. Once they reached those islands, they'd be beyond Loen's reach.

"Captain!" A sailor in the crow's nest called out in alarm. "Look at the ship ahead!"

Edwina instinctively raised her telescope and quickly recognized the ship—it was the flagship of Admiral of the Deep!

"He's heading for the Gargas Islands too," Edwina observed, her expression complicated.

...

Clack

Ashes stood at Toskat Island's private dock, watching the Golden Dream disappear over the horizon. He remained there for a long while, even after the ship was out of sight.

Then, a young man approached.

As he neared, Ashes took in his appearance: sharp features, rugged complexion, bronzed skin, and a head of slightly curly blue hair. He looked like the kind of guy who got into trouble often.

The man spoke, his tone that of a devout believer, "Excuse me, sir, may I take a moment to introduce you to our Father and Savior?"

But his delivery felt somewhat stiff, as if it were more routine than sincere.

"If your Savior is a goddess, I might be interested," Ashes chuckled, extending his hand. "Ash Black."

"Alger Wilson," the man replied, shaking Ash's hand while observing him closely. Despite his youth—barely twenty—Ash looked the part of a proper Loen gentleman in his black double-breasted coat and silk top hat. Yet his sharp, handsome face made him seem more like a wealthy tourist.

"Is that your ship?" Ash pointed at a three-masted vessel docked nearby, its design slightly outdated.

"Yes," Alger nodded. "Though it looks old, it's actually a ghost ship. Its performance surpasses 90% of the ships out there."

Ash nodded thoughtfully, but once aboard, he noticed the ship was remarkably clean, with almost no odor. The only odd thing—there was no one else on board.

"I gave my crew a week off," Alger explained. "The ghost ship doesn't need many hands, and I only have about ten crew members. Since we're staying on the island for about a week, I gave them some time off to avoid suspicion."

"That makes sense," Ash nodded, but quickly asked, "When are we departing?"

"..." Alger paused for a moment. "It takes at least half a month to sail from Toskat Island to Pritz Harbor. But I may take a detour, adding about three more days."

"That's fine," Ash agreed, unconcerned.

Satisfied with Ash's response, Alger relaxed and said, "By the way, I'll need a favor from you during the journey. As for payment—"

"Sure, what do you need me to do?" Ash agreed without hesitation.

"...You don't even want to hear the payment first?" Alger asked, surprised.

"Consider it my fare," Ash replied calmly. "But tell me what you need first, as long as it's not too troublesome."

"Of course," Alger smiled, explaining, "It shouldn't be too much trouble for you. The danger we'll face likely won't exceed Sequence 5."

"A Sequence 5 threat? That's not much trouble," Ash nodded. "When do we set sail? When is your crew coming back?"

"No need."

Alger smiled and said, "This is a ghost ship, no sailors required. I gave them a two-week leave, as long as they return by then, it's fine. As for setting off, we can go anytime!"

Since Ashes wanted to depart quickly, Alger had no objections.

Soon enough, the sails of the Azure Avenger moved without wind, automatically unfurling without anyone controlling them.

Under Ashes slightly surprised gaze, the Azure Avenger silently sailed away from the port, heading into the distant ocean.

"Here's the situation."

Once the ship was underway, Alger organized his thoughts and explained, "Ash, you probably know that many Beyonder creatures are on the brink of extinction, and in the Northern Continent, they're nearly gone. Only on remote, rarely visited islands at sea do such creatures still exist."

"And I happen to have the coordinates of such a primitive island, where there's a Beyonder creature I need. However, due to certain dangers on the island, I hope to hire you to explore it together."

After a brief pause, Alger solemnly added, "The coordinates of this primitive island are my payment."

Alger didn't really want to use the island's coordinates to secure Ashes help, but unfortunately, he had nothing else of value to offer. While he was tempted when Ashes suggested using a 'ticket' as compensation, after thinking it over, he decided against it.

Even though it might bring short-term gain, in the long run, it would be detrimental. Ashes might not ask for compensation, but he couldn't afford not to offer any.

"A primitive island?" Ashes raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Are there many Beyonder creatures there?"

"Yes."

Alger nodded decisively. "There are numerous Beyonder creatures on that island, many of which are extinct or only exist in myths. If you ever need certain key materials in the future, you might find them on this island."

"Of course."

Alger added, "I have one condition: you cannot disclose the coordinates of this island to others."

"Of course. And if you ever need to explore the island again and can't find anyone suitable to sail with, you can always come to me. As long as I'm available, I'd be happy to take you there for exploration."

"That's a reasonable request."

Ashes nodded slightly. Alger's request wasn't excessive, so he had no reason to refuse.

Seeing that Ashes had no objections, Alger breathed a sigh of relief and reminded, "The island is located on the edge of the Rhosid Sea. It'll take about a day and a half to sail from here, so I suggest you rest in advance and prepare thoroughly."

"Understood."

Ashes pondered for a moment and then asked, "One more thing, last week's gathering was canceled. Do you know why?"

Alger was taken aback and hesitated for a while before answering, "Last Wednesday, on September 5th, Qilangos attempted to assassinate Duke Negan but was killed by one of the Fool's blessed. As a result, I asked for leave from the Fool the day before the gathering, and I missed it. But I didn't expect the Fool to cancel the gathering entirely because of this."

The two exchanged glances and both saw the odd expressions in each other's eyes.

"If I were the only one absent, the Fool wouldn't have canceled the gathering."

Alger thought for a moment and analyzed, "Qilangos failed the assassination because Miss Justice identified him. So, Miss Justice might have been affected by this incident and, like me, asked for leave from the gathering. That likely led the Fool to cancel it."

"Miss Justice, huh?"

Ashes thought for a while and said, "She's probably been placed under strict protection by her father due to this incident, but it's more of a restriction for her, which made it difficult for her to attend the gathering."

"However, Qilangos died in Backlund. Why were you affected?"

Ashes paused mid-sentence, realizing his mistake, and apologized, "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked that. You don't have to answer."

"No, there's nothing to hide."

Alger shook his head, speaking frankly. "In fact, I've known Qilangos for a long time. We even discovered the coordinates of this primitive island together."

"So after his death, I had to deal with some matters that could have significantly impacted me."

Ashes looked slightly surprised at Alger's candor.

But Alger just smiled calmly.

Having already revealed the coordinates of the primitive island, this minor detail wasn't worth hiding. Keeping it secret might create distance, while sharing it could foster trust from Ashes. Alger clearly understood the weight of these options.

Of course, he was willing to share the island's coordinates with Ashes because Ashes had the strength, and he needed Ashes help. If it had been the sailors on his ship, Alger would likely be contemplating how to get rid of the bodies without arousing suspicion.

Naturally, there was no need to mention this to Ashes.

(End of chapter)

i do have a P@treon 😉