Chapter 152: 149 Bella

Silver Shawan.

The territory of Glosa, one of the three giants of the Western Archipelago, and the center of the archipelago's slave trade.

A large ship with no clear markings was currently anchored in the port of Silver Shawan, though this was not particularly unusual.

Many people coming and going here were unwilling to reveal their identities, so hiding marks on the ship that might expose them was hardly a unique operation.

It was just that no one else knew that a human hero actually existed inside this ship.

In a room on the second floor of the ship's superstructure, the golden-haired hero Sophia gazed out the window through the gap in the curtains.

"I thought you wouldn't stop at such a large island."

The priest Samuel nearby replied respectfully, "My lord Sophia, the next destination is an underground city located beneath the sea; some necessary items can only be purchased on such large islands."

Sophia nodded, understanding his meaning.

She needed to level up quietly, trying not to draw attention.

Previously, shooting some Soulless Ones at the edge of the Mist had already pushed her to her current level 22 limit.

There were indeed more high-level, difficult monsters within the Mist, but entering the Mist was too dangerous and was not even under consideration.

The new destination was chosen to be the underground city named Tidal Sanctuary; as Samuel said, this underground city is located beneath the sea.

Its special location caused this underground city's awkward situation.

Although it contained abundant resources, the extremely difficult entry conditions directly blocked the vast majority of adventurers.

Calling it the most uninhabited underground city would not be wrong.

And this was precisely what they needed; Sophia had no objection to this.

Sophia's gaze swept over the pier outside.

The scorching sun baked the ground; groups of slaves, clad in tattered rags and wrapped only in worn coarse linen, carried heavy cargo under the whips wielded by overseers.

The piercing sound of whips cracking rang out from time to time, faintly audible even from her location.

Another group of slaves was being driven, iron chains dragging on the ground making a dull sound, boarding a slave ship moored at the shore, destined for who knows where.

Gazing at this scene, Sophia suddenly spoke, her voice devoid of emotion: "Is the master of this island also one of the humans I need to protect?"

This time, Samuel rarely failed to answer her question immediately.

After a long while, the priest's voice finally came from behind her:

"My lord Sophia, I understand what you mean.

But unfortunately, yes.

At least for now.

The Church also opposes the slave trade.

But even if the powers on the archipelago are as vicious as they are, at least for now, they stand on the side of humanity as a whole.

Facing the powerful Empire, we have no choice but to unite all forces."

At least for now.

Sophia understood Samuel's meaning and could comprehend the reasons he gave.

It was just that the scene below still made it hard for her to bear.

When the guards who had gone out returned with the purchased items and the ship prepared to set sail, an unexpected event occurred.

"Blockade the pier! No one is allowed to move! All ships are forbidden to leave port!"

A roar like a thunderclap instantly tore through the port's noise! Accompanied by heavy footsteps and the clanging of armor, a massive figure like a mountain of flesh, the Gold-rank Warden of Silver Shawan, arrived at the pier with a large contingent of fully armed soldiers, radiating a fierce momentum.

The entire pier fell into a dead silence; porters froze in place, merchants showed panic, and the slaves huddled together in terror.

"Listen up, all of you! I am Oruk, the Warden of Silver Shawan! By order of my lord Glosa, I am hunting the assassin of my lord Horn! That damn bastard is hiding on the pier or on some ship!"

The Horn he mentioned was precisely Glosa's top confidant and secretary, the number two figure of Silver Shawan!

The news of this man's death was like a bomb dropped on the pier, causing a wave of suppressed gasps.

"From now on!" Oruk waved that terrifying giant mace, smashing it heavily onto the stone slab, sending fragments flying, "All ships must immediately stop loading and unloading and are forbidden to leave port! Submit to a thorough search; anyone daring to resist will be executed on the spot! Not a single fly is allowed to escape!"

The soldiers pounced on the moored ships like hungry wolves, rudely driving away crowds and forcibly boarding to inspect. Ship owners and sailors dared not speak out against their anger; facing Glosa's wrath and Oruk's ferocity, no one dared to cause trouble at this moment.

Amidst the chaos, Sophia's unmarked large ship, however, slowly retracted its anchor chain at this moment, while the sailors began to untie the mooring ropes in an orderly fashion, preparing to set sail.

"Stop! Didn't you hear me?! Forbidden to leave port! Submit to inspection!" Oruk's roar stopped the "sailor" who was retracting the gangplank.

That "sailor" stopped moving, his hand silently resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist, his cold gaze piercing straight into Oruk.

An invisible, suffocating pressure instantly enveloped the Warden, causing his obese body to instinctively tense for a moment.

A master!

Alarm bells rang loudly in Oruk's heart.

He forced himself to maintain his momentum and cited his patron: "My lord Glosa is thoroughly investigating a wanted criminal! Do you dare to defy my lord's orders?"

The "sailor" on the deck gave no response, his eyes merely growing sharper, his hand on the sword hilt steady as a rock.

What made Oruk's heart sink even more was that seven or eight figures had silently appeared by the ship's railing, their gazes calmly resting upon him.

Oruk's intuition screamed wildly—the sense of threat emanating from these people was not one bit weaker than that of that "sailor"!

What exactly is going on with this ship!?

Just as he found himself in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat, a middle-aged man dressed in dark casual clothes with a demeanor as steady as a mountain appeared at the edge of the ship's superstructure deck.

He did not look at Oruk even once, but simply made a concise and powerful gesture to the "sailor" on the deck.

That "sailor" immediately understood, completely ignoring Oruk, who stood in front of the ship with a face ashen as iron, and cleanly and decisively pulled the gangplank back entirely.

The sails filled with wind, and the massive hull began to move slowly, calmly and irresistibly pushing aside the seawater ahead.

"Damn it! Stop for me!" Oruk roared, raising his mace, his arm muscles bulging.

But in the end, that heavy weapon did not strike down.

The middle-aged man at the ship's edge—the Sergeant Major—though not deliberately releasing his aura, made Oakes, a Gold-Rank warrior, instinctively scream warnings in his gut:

If you strike down, you'll die!

Absolutely die!

Oakes's face turned ashen; his fat body froze in place, helplessly watching the mysterious great ship crush through his blockade order with an almost dismissive, unquestionable posture, slowly sailing away from the chaotic dock of Silver Shawan.

When he came to his senses, all he could do was roar helplessly at the receding ship's silhouette, unleashing his fury upon his subordinates and other unlucky souls on the dock:

"Search! Keep searching! Every inch of deck! Every crate! Dig up the earth three feet deep—find the killer! Seal off the entire port zone! Anyone who disobeys—kill them!"

…

About half an hour after leaving the port, the ship had sailed deep into the glittering sea.

A hand clawed onto the ship's edge; soon, a drenched girl climbed aboard.

If Dillan were here, he would rush forward and embrace the girl—his longed-for daughter, Bella.

But before Bella now stood only the Sergeant Major, who had been waiting, and Sophia, standing at the ship's edge, studying her.

Bella seemed unsurprised by her discovery; her pupils shimmered with silver light as she asked tentatively: "You… are from the Church, aren't you?"

(End of Chapter)