Chapter 559: Opening Sea Festival

Beikeland, Jianhai County, Kangsidun City.

The weather here is nearly summer, warm sunlight pouring down; people wear light, simple jackets and adorn themselves with many net‑ and hook‑like ornaments, looking like mismatched sailors strolling along the coast, chatting with each other.

Waves of tangled yet pure knowledge surge from the spirit realm, reconstituting Leiketon's body in an unnoticed corner.

After leaving the sea that evolved from the Divine War ruins, he did not return directly to the Southern Continent; instead he planned to first meet Laolunsi to trade for a "Traveler" or "Mystic" attribute, to craft a board to match the dice he obtained from Saixiting.

Jianhai belongs to the Inland Sea; its breezes are milder than elsewhere, a gentle, slightly humid sea wind mingling with warm sunlight, making the touch on one's skin especially pleasant.

Especially for Leiketon, who had spent time in the darkness‑shrouded Divine Abandoned Land, the sunlight has never felt so friendly.

He walked along the coast with the jubilant crowd, sensing the uniquely human bustle; the sense of detachment from his accumulated divinity faded little by little. Though slow, he truly felt the myriad emotions radiating from the people and tried, bit by bit, to blend in.

At that moment, a boy looking about thirteen or fourteen, dressed like a sailor with a soft cap and a long string of sail‑boat models around his neck, approached and, with familiar ease, struck up conversation:

"Sir, are you also coming from the interior to join the Opening Sea Festival?"

Opening Sea Festival today? No wonder it's so lively," Leiketon muttered to himself, then looked around.

He had been quietly feeling the intense emotions radiating from the crowd and hadn't paid much attention to details; now, upon closer observation, he noticed that most people bore some fishing‑boat or ocean‑related motifs.

The Opening Sea Festival originally began as a celebration by fishermen, sailors, and sea‑bound merchants to thank the ocean for its bounty; as more people joined, the festival grew grander, and under the Storm Church's promotion, it became one of the most important holidays in coastal cities.

For followers of the Lord of the Storm, it is equivalent to the Night Church's Winter Gift Day.

Reining in his wandering thoughts, he looked down at the boy walking beside him and chuckled:

"I suppose so. I happened to pass by, saw the festival, and decided to stop and watch."

The boy adopted a composed adult tone, lowered his voice, and said:

"I see. Sir, I recommend you visit the Coastal Shipyard; it's the largest shipyard in all of Lu En, normally closed to the public, but during the Opening Sea Festival they allow outside visitors to tour it."

"They have the world's most advanced steamships there; if you're lucky, you can even get a chance to board one, and you can draw or purchase some small prizes."

As he spoke, he also tugged at the long string of sail‑boat models hanging from his neck.

Leiketon smiled lightly and replied, "Did you draw all these?"

The boy lifted his chin slightly and proudly said, "Of course."

After a two‑second pause, he scratched his head sheepishly and whispered:

"My father was once a priest of the Storm Church; these are the prizes I've saved up from each year's festival."

"They may not be as finely crafted as the models sold in Beikeland's shops, but they carry meaning the others lack; they were made by the Church and blessed by the Lord of the Storm!"

"Of course, if you wish to buy them, it's not impossible."

"You address the Lord of the Storm directly; I see you're not a follower of the Storm. Since that's the case, are you short on money?"

Leiketon asked while raising his hand to pat his head.

The boy quickly bent down, turned his head, and muttered discontentedly:

"Don't pat my head; it won't make me grow taller."

"And whether I'm a Storm follower has nothing to do with whether I'm short of money."

Leiketon ignored the boy's resistance, as if having anticipated his move, and lightly slapped his palm onto the boy's head.

Seeing the boy's sulky yet restrained expression, Leiketon chuckled twice, pointed to the golden sail‑boat model at the bottom of the string, and said, "I'll buy a sail‑boat model then. Does it have a name? It looks a bit like the Iceberg General's 'Golden Dream'."

The boy pursed his lips with mixed feelings and said, "How could the Storm Church make models of pirate ships!"

"That's the 'Great Whale', which sailed between Sunia Island and Lu En's Plitz Port; it was once Lu En's most advanced half‑steam sailship, retired a few years ago."

"If you want to buy it, twenty—no, ten pounds."

Leiketon laughed and asked, "Are you sure you didn't use the wrong currency unit?"

After a pause he added, "It's not impossible, but you'll need to be my guide for two days, showing me around the festival." "No problem!"

The boy, Xiaoen, nodded repeatedly, untied the sail‑boat model at the end of his string, and introduced himself:

"My name is Xiaoen Ke'erte; you can just call me Xiaoen."

"Where would you like to go first? The Coastal Shipyard, Arrowfish Wharf, or the Fountain Plaza are all fine."

"Considering we'll need a place for lunch around noon, I'd recommend the Fountain Plaza; it has many good restaurants and is popular with visitors to Jianhai County."

Xiaoen, looking like a little expert, gradually mapped out a route for Leiketon while handing over the golden sail‑boat model he had just removed.

Leiketon smiled, took the model, and with his other hand rummaged in his pocket; when he withdrew it, he was holding a handful of gold coins.

Xiaoen, a bit stunned, cupped his hands, took the coins, pressed them to his chest and counted carefully: "No problem, exactly ten gold coins."

"But why carry so many coins? Aren't paper notes more convenient?"

"As a mysticism enthusiast, tossing coins is a good divination method."

Leiketon gave a casual reply, his gaze following the moving crowd until he spotted Laolunsi, dressed in a dark coat, a semi‑high black hat, and holding a black cane.

Sensing the stare upon him, Laolunsi's azure eyes turned toward Leiketon, a flash of surprise crossing them before he hurried over.

Leiketon turned his head to the Xiaoen beside him, who had already stowed the coins and was helping plan the route and order for the Opening Sea Festival, patted his shoulder and said, "Wait for me at the Fountain Plaza this afternoon; I need to finish some business here first before I have time to tour."

Having said that, he stepped forward to meet the approaching Laolunsi.

"Huh," Xiaoen raised his hand, froze mid‑air for a moment, then lowered it slowly, his face full of doubt as he muttered, "What a strange person. Could he be a child‑trafficking swindler? Hmm. Someone willing to spend ten gold coins on an ordinary sail‑boat model doesn't seem like a swindler either."

He clasped the left pocket of his coat that held the ten coins, feeling the heavy, solid weight, and thought the recent events felt somewhat unreal.

Across the bustling street, Leiketon gave Laolunsi a light nod and said:

"Good morning, Mr. Laolunsi; you look much healthier than the last time we met, seems you've been living a full life lately."

Laolunsi removed his semi‑high black hat, placed it against his chest, and bowed slightly in a formal salute.

"Good morning, Mr. Thains; I didn't expect to meet you at the Opening Sea Festival."

"You don't seem like the type to appear suddenly at such festivals, so are you looking for me?"

Leiketon gave a slight nod, then shook his head and said:

"I originally came just to find you, but now I think I can stay two days here and soak in the festive bustle."

Laolunsi lifted his hand, placed the semi‑high black hat back on his head, and smiled, "Would you like me to be your guide? I've lived in Jianhai County for decades and know the area quite well."

No need, I've already found a guide.

While speaking, Leiketon pointed with his gaze to the other side of the street, amidst the crowd curiously scrutinizing Sean here.

Laurence followed Leiketon's gaze, his eyes lingering on Sean for two seconds; his azure pupils flashed a hint of silver-white, appearing somewhat profound, vast and endless.

After a moment, he suddenly spoke with some feeling:

His future fate seems not to be peaceful?

Leiketon looked at Laurence with slight surprise; although having gone through the 'Astrologer' stage of the 'Traveler', which counts as a master skilled in divination, but just now, merely a simple glance to reach a conclusion already belongs to the realm of prophecy.

Seeing Leiketon's doubt, Laurence chuckled and explained: 'During my travels, I once encountered a 'Chaos Walker' of fate's path, from whom I recorded many extraordinary abilities related to fate.'

Although such mystical knowledge concerning fate is profoundly obscure, relying on the accumulation of the 'Astrologer' stage, having recorded and used it much, I have also interpreted some information, which has improved my abilities in 'divination' and 'prophecy' somewhat.

Leiketon lightly nodded, no longer paying attention to this topic, turning to look at Sean and said: 'His fate will intersect with mine at some point in the future, but to run from the Intersea Coast to the Southern Continent, for a child, no matter how you look at it, is not an easy thing.'

(End of chapter)