Chapter 499 Departure and Review

"Thud."

The heavy wooden door swung slowly shut. With the stiff groan of grating hinges, the tall figure with two swords on his back disappeared behind it.

The tower returned to its usual quiet, its countless collectibles resting on their wooden shelves as they always did.

Having seen Xia Nan out, Auriel slowly turned and made his way toward the stairs.

Perhaps it was a habit ingrained since childhood, but even when completely alone, he moved with refined elegance.

His spotless leather boots stepped lightly onto the carpeted stairs, his right hand resting on the banister.

His silver-gray eyes—a legacy of his elven blood—flickered, swimming with thoughts so heavy they seemed almost tangible.

Xia Nan—"Sea Fang"—"Greysword".

Thanks to the information network and cautious habits he had cultivated in Barracuda Bay over the years, Auriel had gathered the latest intelligence on this adventurer squad long before he met with the Blade of Vengeance Fleet to appraise their marble workbench.

He knew two temporary members had recently joined their ranks, apparently introduced through the Three-Legged Sea Dog.

One was a halfling inextricably tied to that legendary "Arlene," and the other was a young adventurer from the inland region. Though he looked like a greenhorn, he was actually a formidable powerhouse who had carved out the titles "Greysword" and "Sea Fang" across two different territories.

Before today, he hadn't harbored any particular interest in the duo, or more accurately, in Xia Nan.

Prying into their background had merely been a matter of habit.

That was until Auriel laid eyes on him in a meeting room at the Adventurers' Association.

He had to admit, his appraiser's eye for Fine equipment left him deeply impressed by the fully armed Xia Nan.

Then, quite unexpectedly, Ellison's private introduction offered the perfect opportunity to build a relationship with the young man.

Giving face to the scion of Lyle Morton, and driven by a dash of his own curiosity, he invited Xia Nan to his gallery.

Though he appeared to be endlessly rambling about his collection, Auriel had been quietly observing his guest from the moment they stepped through the oak doors.

During his many years in Barracuda Bay, he had certainly invited other outsiders into this tower before.

Nobles, merchants, and even adventurers—every single one of their reactions had fallen entirely within Auriel's expectations.

The nobles living in the White Cliff District, raised in luxury since childhood, always wore layers of masks.

They kept polite, dignified smiles on their lips. Even if they were astonished by his collection, they would never lose their composure enough to show it.

Maintaining their elegant facade, the most outrageous thing they might do was casually follow his conversational lead to subtly hint at the items that caught their eye.

In contrast, the merchants didn't bother to hide as much, but their professional habits ensured every conversation ultimately circled back to profit.

"How much did you pay for this piece?"

"What a steal! Just letting it sit here will net you two hundred gold a year in appreciation, right?"

"And the one on the cabinet? Any plans to part with it?"

...

Auriel's chats with them generally proceeded exactly like that.

As for the adventurers, their behavior had been even more unbearable.

It wasn't that he held any particular prejudice against the profession, but the adventurer crowd—especially those who had clawed their way up from the bottom—often lacked a proper upbringing. It was perfectly normal for them to be somewhat uncultured.

In most cases, their rich mission experience might allow them to roughly gauge the value of his collection, but the gleam in their eyes would almost always be thick with greed and raw desire.

If this place weren't located in the very heart of the White Cliff District, with guards patrolling every street, and if he didn't have a bit of a background himself...

He could well imagine what those adventurers, bound only by the law of the jungle, might try to pull.

On the way here, Auriel had tried to predict how the black-haired young man trailing behind him would react upon entering the gallery.

Would he be just as crass as the other adventurers? Would he deliberately feign indifference to show off some supposed sophistication? Or would he be so blinded by greed that he'd attempt something extreme?

The result, however, was entirely unexpected.

The young man named Xia Nan displayed a composure that was difficult to describe in words.

He didn't ask a single question about the collection, yet his gaze swept over the surrounding items openly, without any attempt to hide his interest.

Auriel had watched him very closely. The young man's attention was intensely focused, and he showed absolutely no confusion or bewilderment when looking at unfamiliar artifacts.

He seemed to be scrutinizing every single piece, searching for something specific among them.

This unusual behavior made the half-elf collector increasingly curious about Xia Nan, steadily piquing his interest.

It was in the small gallery on the second floor, upon keenly noticing Xia Nan's interest in the bracelet resting on the display cabinet, that Auriel decided to test him.

He hadn't lied.

The story about the bracelet's origins was entirely true.

However, he had deliberately omitted some details about its specific effects and subtly adjusted his tone when speaking of them.

He spoke in a way that made it easy to conclude the stamina recovery boost was the only effect he had managed to appraise.

It was meant to provoke the thought, 'Can I score a bargain?'

At the time, Auriel had already quietly plotted out how to guide the conversation to test the young man even further.

But to his surprise, the young adventurer had refused to play along with the usual routine. Instead, he had cut straight to the chase, clearly and unambiguously stating his interest in the piece.

He even pointed out himself that the bracelet likely possessed other effects.

Once again, he had completely defied Auriel's expectations.

With things reaching that point, there was no longer any need to keep up the charade.

As a professional appraiser, Auriel knew the exact effects of the bracelet he had snatched up for less than a thousand gold.

Aside from the stamina recovery boost he had openly mentioned, it could also reduce physical fatigue during training to a certain degree, and it made it much easier for the wearer to enter a state of deep focus.

Without a doubt, this was not an item that could be bought for a mere few hundred gold.

Truth be told, an accessory like this held little practical value for someone in his line of work; keeping it here was purely for the sake of his collection.

And since he was by no means short on money, he wouldn't normally entertain the idea of selling it, no matter the offer.

But if the buyer was that exceptionally straightforward young adventurer with impressive strength, things were a bit different...

Auriel did indeed have a shipment of collectibles that had been hijacked by a group of pirates tied to the Ebb Tide Gang, and he had already hired an adventurer squad to handle it two days prior.

Bringing Xia Nan in was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

It added another layer of insurance to guarantee the return of his goods, and this commission would give him a perfect opportunity to test the young man further.

If the young man displayed sufficient strength during the mission and proved himself trustworthy...

With over two months remaining until the Lunar Tide Banquet, there was more than enough time.

And compared to his ultimate goal, parting with one bracelet was an entirely acceptable loss.

Auriel stepped onto the final stair.

His right hand subconsciously tightened, gripping the banister he had been lightly resting against.

His eyes flickered with shifting thoughts.

...

...

Night fell.

Barracuda Bay, Three-Legged Sea Dog Tavern.

The main hall was as lively as ever, the warm air thick with the rich aromas of food and ale.

But tonight, the people clinking glasses around the tables were all deeply familiar faces.

Having barely escaped a total wipeout and returned from an incredibly dangerous mission, the Blade of Vengeance Fleet had rented out the tavern's entire main hall for the night. They were celebrating their successful commission, and the sheer miracle that they had weathered brutal storms and monstrous enemies without losing a single soul.

Every member of the crew—even the greenest sailors who had just joined the ship—was treated to unlimited free drinks and enough roasted meat to make them burst. Lorraine was footing the entire bill.

Even Sasha, the usually reserved Tabaxi, had loosened up under the influence of the alcohol and the roaring atmosphere. Swishing his long, furry tail, he was currently deep in a raucous drinking game with Aken the Barbarian and several ordinary crew members.

Xia Nan sat alone at the bar. Resting on the counter in front of him was an empty bowl of cream of mushroom soup and a half-finished mug of chilled butter rye ale.

His dark eyes were out of focus as he reviewed the day's events in his mind.

Looking back on it closely, he realized that while they had been discussing the [Proof of Diligence], Auriel had been subtly guiding the conversation.

Although the thought hadn't fully formed in his head at the time, his body's sharp Perception had triggered an instinctual resistance the moment the thought 'Can I score a bargain?' popped up.

Combined with his naturally direct personality, he had flipped the script from passive to active, openly declaring his interest in the [Proof of Diligence] bracelet.

The outcome, of course, had been a positive one.

Even though the half-elf hadn't sold him the bracelet outright, he had set the terms for a transaction, giving Xia Nan a legitimate avenue to obtain the [Proof of Diligence].

He had a vague feeling the collector was hiding something and harboring some ulterior motive.

But to Xia Nan, the only thing that mattered was the [Proof of Diligence].

As long as he secured the item, whatever the man was plotting was utterly irrelevant. He would be leaving Barracuda Bay in two months anyway.

For now, the Blade of Vengeance Squad would be resting in Barracuda Bay. He guessed they wouldn't be making any major moves before the banquet.

He could use this free time to handle his own affairs.

As for the details of this new commission, Auriel had promised to brief him within the next two days. Xia Nan needed to hurry and make his preparations for the mission.

In the midst of his thoughts, the crisp "clack-clack" of leather boots suddenly approached.

A fiery red blur flashed in the corner of his eye. Riding on the scent of tobacco and ale that drifted through the warm air, Lorraine slid into the seat right beside him.

"Get me a 'Volcanic Lava'!"

She called out to Hera, the tavern owner behind the bar.

Only then did she turn her head to look at Xia Nan, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"What's with you? Everyone else is celebrating, and you're sitting here nursing a drink all by yourself?"

Knowing she was just teasing him, Xia Nan simply smiled and shook his head instead of answering.

He shifted his gaze toward a card table across the room.

There, the halfling Alton was standing on a chair, chatting excitedly with a massive stack of chips piled up in front of him.

Yet the sailors beside him who had supposedly lost all that money were grinning from ear to ear. They all knew that, per tradition, that mountain of chips would soon find its way right back into their pockets.

"If you need a hand, just say the word."

"I doubt Aken and the others would pass up a chance to make some extra coin."

Xia Nan hadn't hidden his upcoming plans from her. Knowing he'd be heading out on a mission soon, Lorraine had offered the help directly.

"Of course," Xia Nan nodded, appreciating her goodwill. "But I should be getting a few temporary teammates for this run. They're all Class Holders, so we'll have more than enough firepower to deal with the Ebb Tide Gang."

Even if things went south, Xia Nan's current combination of combat techniques guaranteed he could retreat whenever he wanted.

The underwater mobility boost from his [Abyssal Current] armor covered his only remaining weakness.

Not to mention the survival supplies stored inside his [White Flask] pocket watch. With his current physical fitness, surviving on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean wouldn't be much of an issue.

On the contrary, having close teammates who required his protection would actually be a liability in a truly dangerous situation.

"So... Ellison told you everything?"

Taking the mug Hera handed her, Lorraine took a massive gulp, revealing the real reason she had come over.

Xia Nan had previously shared the details of his conversation with Ellison with his captain.

That included their Morton surname, the root of the siblings' estrangement, and the origins behind the name "Blade of Vengeance."

To some extent, Xia Nan and Lorraine shared a common target—Dodd, also known as "Algae Scale."

Xia Nan wanted to pry the encryption keys for the [Dream Weaving Corridor] from him, while Lorraine wanted him dead for revenge.

He had briefly mentioned this to Lorraine a few days ago.

"So you wanted to get into the Lunar Tide Banquet because of him. You should have just had Hera tell me from the start. We could have skipped all that testing and wasted effort, and I'd have just brought you along."

Lorraine said that, but Xia Nan knew better. Given her personality, there was no way she would have trusted some guy who just popped out of nowhere without having spent all these recent days fighting together.

It was only by a twist of fate that things had worked out so perfectly. They had solidified their mutual trust and established a shared goal. Now they could pool their strength to deal with the enemy, fully trusting each other with their backs.

"Clink."

He raised his mug, lightly clinking it against hers.

Xia Nan downed the last few gulps of his ale. His mind was already turning toward the Ebb Tide Gang mission coming up in the next few days, and the Lunar Tide Banquet waiting for them in two months.