Chapter 66: 65. Pale Guard

65. Pale Guard

Once the key issues were laid out on the table, the casual, chat-like discussion came to a temporary halt.

Lancelot’s view was the same as Li Ang’s—the Black Knights had arrived deliberately because they had cleared the shipping lanes, and the Empire believed that the benefits gained from blockading the Ignis airspace far outweighed the drawbacks of violating guild laws.

"Do you have any idea what the Empire is trying to do?" Li Ang looked at Dorothy.

The lady shook her head: "I only know that a little over a year ago, some people in the City Hall began to mention a name, Kaikulus, and then they mentioned the 'current Emperor'."

Her surname, Campbell, was the ruler of another floating island in the Ignis airspace.

An air knight like Li Ang did not know the foundations of the many floating islands here, but as a noble from one of them, Dorothy was well aware.

"Many of our islands are members of the Empire; we learned about this in tutoring lessons when we were children, but it was only briefly mentioned, and there was no concrete feeling to it—everyone just minded their own business."

According to Dorothy, it was the suddenly appearing "Emperor" who began to reunite the islands that nominally belonged to the Empire, and many people truly accepted the call.

"It was also half a year ago, when Hofu told me, that I learned my father and Count Finat had both decided to respond to the Emperor’s call and return to the Empire's command, so the matter between me and Winders had to be settled even more urgently."

Dorothy turned her face away, gazing at the dark corners of the secret passage.

"There was no warning at all before the shipping lanes were blockaded; the Count simply issued an order for the city’s administration to cooperate, and the officials had no choice but to comply. I don't know anything else."

The girl only knew so much, so Li Ang shifted the topic to the matter of leaving the island.

"Lancelot, have you made contact with the Flame Group?"

Lancelot held his communicator and shook his head: "No. I suspect the Empire figured out our garrison and patrol locations. Everyone was attacked, even our base, just to prevent us from uniting."

In the relatively calm four major airspaces, as long as it did not involve dangerous areas, an elite member of Tier 7 professional rank combined with a few ordinary members was enough to maintain order. But this kind of strength would fall into a bitter struggle when facing an Annihilation Knight.

"They definitely had a premeditated plan. They attacked the base just as the young lady left; she doesn't know if she has received the news yet."

"So, if we want to leave, we have to find a ship ourselves," Li Ang said. "Under these circumstances, is it legal to seize one of the Count's ships?"

"In an emergency, yes," Lancelot nodded. "But they will definitely have guards there."

"I have one," Dorothy said.

The two men looked at her. The girl pursed her lips and said softly: "My family provided me with a private small airship. It isn't parked at the trade port, but in the noble-exclusive port on the other side of Spark Island. However..."

"However?"

"I ran away, so Hofu might have people looking for me everywhere, which means there are guards there too."

"The Black Knights can only guard one side," Lancelot said. "It is most likely they are guarding the large port, so the guards at the small port can be easily broken through by me and Li Ang, it’s just that we won't be able to drag Winders back."

Seeing that Dorothy was also somewhat disappointed, Li Ang said: "If you leave the island with me, you don't have to care about Winders anymore."

"So, you are willing to let me officially join?"

Li Ang did not nod, and Dorothy continued: "But if I just leave like this, and Winders isn't caught, it will leave a troublesome mess for my father and brother."

She added: "Ah, I’m not saying you didn't do your best; it's just that I’m being selfish. I’m determined to choose the life I want to live, but I don't want to be blamed by them, so I just want to minimize the trouble left behind after I go."

"Worrying for others is a good quality, don't let it weigh on you. Besides, your life is your own, so you don't have to carry too much of a burden."

Li Ang said: "In adventures, one often encounters situations that require trade-offs."

Dorothy lowered her eyes, but a smile hung on the corners of her mouth.

Watching the two of them, Lancelot was a bit dumbfounded. He sighed and said: "Then it's settled. We'll go to the noble-exclusive port to take Ms. Dorothy's ship and leave. We have to get there before sunrise, and we still need to plan the route."

"This secret passage probably leads to a spot quite a distance from there."

"Really? I thought this was only inside the Count's mansion?" The young man was stunned by the scale of the secret passage.

The three eventually decided to rest and recharge for a while before breaking out during the time when people were soundest asleep.

"You rest for a while first; you've been hiding and dodging for a long time while injured," Li Ang said to Lancelot.

The young man said that the seemingly most dangerous place was actually better for avoiding the Black Knights' pursuit. He chose to hide inside the Count's mansion, keeping mobile at all times to avoid the guards' patrols and the servants' routes.

Coupled with the fight after being activated by Li Ang's spirituality in the morning, and then having to escape from the Annihilation Knight, his energy had indeed been heavily drained today.

He let Lancelot rest in the secret passage, while Li Ang intended to finish exploring the Count's mansion. If he was efficient, he might still have two or three hours left for rest.

He also really needed to catch up on sleep; once things here were over, he definitely had to sleep like the dead.

"You go ahead, be careful. I won't participate."

Lancelot sent Li Ang off temporarily with a "I'm a good brother" expression.

There were three exits in total from the wall cavity on the third floor to the outside.

The first was an observation deck on the outer wall of the mansion; there were ropes and crude climbing iron rings here, which should have been built for emergency evacuation.

Outside the second exit, he finally discovered something crucial.

This was a spacious stone chamber. At the end of the stone chamber was a metal door locked with a magic lock. Since it was built on the top floor of the mansion, this was likely the most important place for the Finat family, and the monster lying in front of the metal door proved this point.

[Pale Hound]

[A hunter wandering in ice and snow]

[Species: Wolf-type]

[Combat Intelligence: Tier 2]

[Servant: None]

[Energy Source: None]

[Body Strength: Ice Beast Claws, Tier 4. Frost-covered Hide, Tier 4.]

[Special Attack: None]

[Skills: Snow Adaptation, Cold Resistance]

[Combat Power Boost: 5%]

It was not a very strong monster, and since it was captured by a Mind Suppression Scroll, its combat intelligence had suffered a loss. But from the surface, it still looked quite majestic.

Even while sleeping, the texture of its sharp claws—which looked like they could tear through steel—the scent of the beast's sweat glands, and the low-growl-like snoring still gave it a sense of power.

Dorothy took a light breath: "Do, do we have to fight it?"

When she used to adventure with Li Ang, the whole team consisted of the most ordinary adventurers. In the Aomori Archipelago, they only dealt with low-tier monsters like Wasteland Beasts, Green Vine Snakes, and Colorful-Clawed Birds; they had only encountered a Wyvern once.

For her, facing a Tier 4 monster directly made her a bit nervous.

"Go on, let me see the power of your Magic Life Flower."

Dorothy's charming eyes took on a hint of moist wateriness, but Li Ang crossed his arms and did not intend to make a move.