Chapter 553: Coming One After Another (Third update, requesting guaranteed monthly votes)

Lumian watched Noelia's back disappear into the corridor, feeling that he should add a catchphrase—"You Feynapot people..."

However, Noelia's kindness also reminded him that investigating the Sea-Praying Ritual was definitely not an easy or simple matter; the risks hidden within were enough for the Church of Mother Earth to take it seriously.

But for Lumian, many dangers could be avoided and were things he wouldn't actively seek to touch.

Because his real purpose wasn't to investigate the truth of the Sea-Praying Ritual, end the impact of this folk custom on Santa Harbor, or stop many humans here from hovering on the edge of becoming monsters. All he wanted to do was figure out the details of that prank on "April Fools' Day," use that to track down "Ultraman" and "Bard," and execute them one by one. Santa Harbor had many problems and many festering sores; he had no need to poke them and could withdraw in time.

Hiding his true purpose was one of the rules for Lumian to play the role of a "Conspirator"!

This allowed others to misjudge his choices at critical moments and make wrong responses.

After closing the door, Lumian took his golden straw hat, sat in the armchair, looked toward the corridor with a smile, and whispered to himself with great interest:

"Who will be the next to provide information?

"Rubio Paco, who clearly dislikes the 'Maidens of the Sea' and hates this kind of thing, or those families who lost their positions as commissioners of the Fishermen's Guild years ago?"

Under the bright sunlight outside the window, Lumian took advantage of his state of being proficient in the Highland language to quickly flip through the textbooks he had bought, hoping to remember and master a bit more relevant knowledge. He couldn't wait until the effect of the charm ended and find that his brain hadn't retained any traces.

About an hour passed, and he heard unfamiliar footsteps in the corridor.

Knock, knock, knock. His door was knocked on again.

"Who is it?" Lumian asked using very simple Highland words.

"The books you bought have arrived." The person who answered was the hotel owner, Ota Guillaume, who used Intis.

The books I bought? When did I buy books? Lumian stood up thoughtfully, opened the door, and took from the old man a book with cheap packaging but quite vibrant colors.

The title was "Touring Feynapot."

Lumian pretended not to understand the title written in Highland and laughed at himself:

"I have to wait for my translator to come back and tell me. If I rely purely on a dictionary, I might not finish reading it by the time I leave Feynapot."

Old Ota expressed understanding:

"When I first came to Santa Harbor, seven or eight of us clerks shared one Intis-Highland dictionary. No one dared to go out alone, but after staying for a while and forcing ourselves to communicate with the locals, we were slowly able to communicate simply. Honestly, Highland and Intis are actually quite similar."

Lumian chatted with Old Ota for a few sentences, took the copy of "Touring Feynapot," turned back to the room, and sat back in the armchair.

He immediately turned the book over, facing the side that could be flipped downward, held the spine, and shook it continuously.

A folded piece of white paper fell out from inside.

Lumian reached out to catch it, flicked his wrist, and unfolded the white paper.

What was written on it was in Intis:

"'Maidens of the Sea' are also not allowed to leave Santa Harbor and must not marry outsiders, but over so many years, there have always been exceptions.

"Feynapot women love romance and chase love before marriage, and those in Santa Harbor are no exception. In these thousand-plus years, many 'Maidens of the Sea' have chosen to flee to defend their love or freedom. Among them, thirty or forty have succeeded. The most recent one occurred over twenty years ago. That 'Maiden of the Sea' married an Intis man and had a child. It is currently unknown if she is still alive because the Fishermen's Guild has been hunting her down.

"Her child is named Nolphi. You should know her; she has returned to Santa Harbor."

Nolphi? That lover of Bartner Kong Tai? She was actually the child of a "Maiden of the Sea" and had brought her "companion" back to Santa Harbor to witness the Sea-Praying Ritual... When Lumian was on the "Flying Bird," he occasionally felt that Nolphi had something on her mind, but he never thought she would have such a close connection to the Sea-Praying Ritual.

This made him suspicious of Nolphi's true purpose in returning to Santa Harbor, and that guy Bartner Kong Tai might fall into an indescribable nightmare for the sake of a romantic encounter.

Lumian moved his gaze down and read the last paragraph:

"Once outside this sea area and Santa Harbor, the magic brought by the Sea-Praying Ritual weakens significantly. Against targets in other regions, the Fishermen's Guild can often only solve things by hiring adventurers, bounty hunters, and professional assassins."

Was this sentence telling him that as long as he could escape Santa Harbor and stay away from this sea area, the commissioners of the Fishermen's Guild couldn't do anything to him, no matter how much trouble he caused or how much he investigated the Sea-Praying Ritual? Lumian didn't know who had passed this piece of paper and the corresponding intelligence, as he hadn't seen many people's handwriting in Santa Harbor yet, but he clearly felt the other party's longing and anticipation.

A burst of crimson flames emerged, igniting the white paper covered in words. Lumian leaned back, drinking the most famous Manzan wine in the Feynapot Kingdom—a white wine produced in a specific region without added water—while idly flipping through the copy of "Touring Feynapot" written in Highland.

The author of the book praised the various staple foods and beef, mutton, and pork of the Feynapot Kingdom but was dismissive of the tobacco here, believing it was no different from smoking chili peppers directly.

After a while, Lu Lu Jianuo returned to the suite with Ludwig, carrying a pile of street snacks such as grilled baby octopus, grilled lamb kidneys, fried small fish, fried potatoes, corn pancakes, and grilled pork rolls.

Lumian had already put down the book "Touring Feynapot," stood up, and said to Lu Lu Jianuo:

"Don't forget to change your appearance tomorrow to get our new identification documents. Also, find out where Bartner Kong Tai is in the next two days; I want to find him for a drink."

"Okay, okay." Lu Lu Jianuo didn't understand why his employer suddenly wanted to find that exquisitely dressed adventurer, but he believed it definitely wasn't as simple as just drinking.

After giving these instructions, Lumian took the sun straw hat, walked toward the door, and said casually:

"I'm going out for a stroll; I'll be back before dinner."

"Do, do you need a translator?" Lu Lu Jianuo asked instinctively.

Lumian smiled:

"Just a stroll to figure out the surrounding terrain. No need to communicate with anyone.

"Don't worry, I won't get lost."

Lu Lu Jianuo said "Mm" and didn't ask further.

He believed that with his employer's level of body language, simple communication with others wouldn't be a problem.

After leaving the Solo Hotel, Lumian walked on the street with the posture of a stroll.

He was actively creating opportunities for those trying to contact him, and he also wanted to see if the people from the Fishermen's Guild would take the opportunity to attack him.

Solo Hotel, fifth-floor suite.

After Ludwig drank the grape juice with a slight fermented taste, he jumped off the chair and stomped toward the washroom.

Lu Lu Jianuo continued to sprawl on the sofa, not wanting to move at all.

Having taken the child out for nearly two hours, he felt it was necessary to rest and save his energy for going to bars and other places at night to find out Bartner Kong Tai's whereabouts and see the enthusiastic Feynapot ladies.

Ludwig entered the washroom, lifted the toilet lid, and half-closed his eyes.

As he was earnestly urinating, a thin black shadow quietly crawled out from the shadows in the corner.

The main body of the shadow was a finger-thick insect with long, stiff hairs on its surface, like some kind of moldy food.

Its stiff hairs fluttered, extending toward the surroundings like tentacles, wanting to grab everything it touched.

While twisting, the black shadow silently darted behind Ludwig. It suddenly stood up, its head drilling toward the other party's cervical spine.

Just then, it saw the little boy's brown eyes.

It suddenly froze there, maintaining the posture of a snake raising its upper body.

Ludwig had finished urinating at some point and turned halfway around.

He reached out his right palm and grabbed the black shadow.

The black shadow didn't put up any resistance.

The next second, Ludwig, the little boy with baby fat on his face, stuffed the black shadow into his mouth.

Amidst the obvious chewing sounds, the lower half of the black shadow twitched upward, joining the blurry flesh and blood in front.

In the time it took to blink twice, Ludwig ate the black shadow just like eating Feynapot noodles.

He licked his lips, revealing an expression that he wanted another serving.

Outside Aquinas Street, in the cafe that liked to place a bouquet of flowers on every table.

Lumian, who had walked all the way here, encountered two street fights and bought a skewer of Santa Harbor-style grilled baby octopus to eat, but no one approached him quietly to stuff him with something or whisper a few words to him, nor was there any attack from the shadows.

Looking at the still-bright sky and the brilliant sun, he chose the most secluded corner position in the cafe, ordered a cup of Tolier coffee with milk, and patiently tasted the bitterness within the rich aroma.

Time passed second by second. A woman wearing a blue veil to cover her face and a vibrant long dress suddenly sat opposite Lumian as she passed by.

She looked left and right, then quickly lifted the layer of blue veil hanging from the edge of her hat.

She was not a she; he was a he.

This was a man dressed in women's clothing, with clear-cut features, gray-blue eyes, and an irrepressible tension in his expression.

Lumian's pupils instantly dilated.

He recognized this cross-dressing man.

He was the current "Governor of the Sea"!

The "Governor of the Sea" who accepted Marta's kneeling and was served by multiple maids in that church-style building!

He came to find me? It was actually him who came to find me? Lumian felt both surprised and inexplicably felt that it made sense.

Seeing that the great adventurer Louis Berry recognized him, the "Governor of the Sea" lowered the blue veil, letting it cover his face again.

Immediately after, he lowered his voice, full of longing and worry, and said in Highland:

"Save me! Save me!"

PS: Third update sent, requesting guaranteed double monthly votes~ Wishing everyone health and peace in 2024!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 554 =====