From a distance, one could see the faint outlines of a fluctuating silhouette, with small black dots seemingly docked at the harbor. Though the colors were indiscernible, the sense of bustling activity was palpable.
"Finally, landfall!"
Rhett exhaled deeply. The long journey had been somewhat monotonous, and now, nearing the shore, returning to the world of humans, he felt an inexplicable sense of relaxation.
It was the same Kraken Dock as when Rhett had first set out. The dock was still crowded with countless ships of various sizes, with many crew members and sailors busying themselves on the decks. As they watched Rhett riding Firegrace in the sky, their eyes filled with envy. A flying beast was the dream of many.
Rhett scanned the harbor below, taking note of every ship and eventually spotting the traces of the Dalton Merchant Guild's vessel.
Last month, before heading to the Stormy Sea to tame the Shock Sprite, Rhett had saved a Dalton Merchant Guild ship from disaster and simultaneously wiped out the Red Moon Pirates. With the knowledge from his simulated vision, he ensured no one was left alive, eliminating the need for further pursuit.
Naturally, Rhett also gained the sincere friendship of the Dalton Merchant Guild's coastal branch.
While Panlong was relatively popular, within the Dalton Merchant Guild, the major profits remained with the headquarters and the branches overseen by Carlton. The other branches received only a small share, so they didn't benefit much and weren't significantly affected.
But now, things were different. This recent experience had helped Rhett establish a good relationship with the Dalton Merchant Guild's coastal branch.
It was equivalent to expanding his network along the Eastern Blue Coast, possibly even creating a reliable source of information. After all, Rhett needed to use the Dalton Merchant Guild to investigate the truth about the Rainbow Shell and uncover the mysterious person who seemed to know about it.
To this day, Rhett still held a grudge against the mysterious person who had tried to kill him over the Rainbow Shell during a past simulation. At that time, the simulation suggested that his friend, the bard Gade, had somehow leaked information about the Rainbow Shell to Cow Island on the Eastern Blue Coast, which ultimately led to Rhett's near demise.
But things were different now. Rhett had reached the peak of Magus status, particularly with the three Mysteries in his arsenal, giving him full confidence in his combat abilities.
Taking advantage of his visit to the Eastern Blue Coast, he decided it was time to investigate the matter further.
As Rhett gazed at the Dalton Merchant Guild's ship, he noticed it was empty, with only a few sailors guarding the vessel, and the cargo had already been unloaded.
"It looks like they've been back for a few days. At this time, the relevant members have probably returned to the guild, so I should go directly to visit them."
With that thought in mind, Rhett commanded Firegrace to head toward the city.
Azure City, the largest main city along the Eastern Blue Coast, was also the territory of Grand Duke Augustus of Blue Diamond. The sight of the ocean-like deep blue city walls was refreshing.
Azure City had a history of over two hundred years, older than any city on the Southwestern Frontier. The walls were not made of natural rock but a mixture of gemstones, crystals, and other colorful minerals, blended and smelted with stone to create semi-transparent, azure walls. Remarkably, the walls did not reflect harsh light but instead emitted a more subdued glow.
It took Rhett most of the day to reach the city. As he flew over the coastal city, he had Firegrace descend, and the pair walked straight into the city.
The gate guards stood tall and vigilant, forming two strict lines. Rhett noticed that among them were even intermediate-level knights, which made him slightly envious.
Currently, his territory had yet to produce knights of such caliber—perhaps Laurence would be the first!
The broad leaves of trees swayed gently, the sun shone brightly, and the breeze carried the scent of the ocean. Just walking through Azure City gave Rhett a unique experience, something he had never felt in any inland city.
In the center of this coastal city's streets, a long row of milk coconut trees was planted. It was said that the juice inside these coconuts was as pure white as milk—a rare and delicious variety!
The sight and atmosphere caused Rhett to slow his pace, savoring the unique charm of the city.
He leisurely walked along the main road to an intersection, where he spotted a circus in an open space a hundred meters away.
The circus featured magical beasts, as well as three beastmen—a minotaur, a pigman, and a nightcat. A large crowd had gathered around, their excitement and shouts echoing through the air.
Rhett smiled to himself, watching from a distance for a while before continuing on his way alone.
At the crossroads, he saw a signpost, with one of the red arrows pointing westward, marked with the words "Dalton Merchant Guild." It was understandable that a well-established, powerful merchant guild that contributed significant tax revenue would receive such preferential treatment.
Seeing this, Rhett's thoughts began to wander. He should have realized earlier the importance of advertising—perhaps when he returned, he could arrange something similar for Dark Eagle City!
He soon arrived at the entrance of the Dalton Merchant Guild. The four-story building had an outer wall made of black crystal, about ten meters high, which absorbed all light, exuding an aura of understated luxury and prestige.
Rhett knew that the Dalton Merchant Guild's décor did not need to be uniform across the country, so each branch had its unique features.
As Rhett approached the steps leading to the entrance, he noticed a familiar figure descending the stairs inside the lobby.
It was Darsil, whose office was upstairs. Having seen Rhett's arrival through the black crystal glass, he hurried down to greet him.
Darsil enthusiastically approached, remembering that just a short while ago, in the Eastern Blue Sea, their merchant fleet had been intercepted by the Red Moon Pirates. It was this very Earl Rhett who had heroically intervened, decisively wiping out the entire pirate crew. That display of strength had left Darsil deeply impressed.
"Oh, the refreshing sea breeze brings an important guest—Earl Rhett, it's a pleasure to see you again," Darsil said, wearing a well-fitting suit and sporting a bald head, his face beaming with a warm smile as he welcomed Rhett.
"Vice President Darsil, you look well. It seems you've mostly recovered from your injuries," Rhett remarked, glancing at Darsil. During the small skirmish where Rhett had helped Darsil against the Red Moon Pirates before taming the Shock Sprite, Darsil had indeed been injured.
"Thanks to you, we managed to return safely with a full cargo after taking down the second and third commanders of the Red Moon Pirate Group. This little injury is nothing," Darsil shrugged, casually touching the now-scarred, ten-centimeter-long wound on his arm.
"Oh? You discovered that those two were the second and third commanders of the Red Moon Pirate Group?" Rhett asked casually, not particularly concerned, as his main reason for this visit was to inquire about other matters.
"That's right. The Red Moon Pirate Group was founded just two years ago, and initially, it only had a leader. The original second-in-command was a Level 5 Earth Knight. However, according to the latest intelligence, the former second-in-command died unexpectedly. The ones we encountered that day were two intermediate-level transcendents who had just joined three months ago. Unfortunately for them, their pirating career ended abruptly when they met you," Darsil said, his eyes brightening as he recalled the battle. He then considered that Rhett, only in his forties, had already reached the level of a Level 6 Magus—a true genius with the potential to become a Great Magus in the future! Darsil secretly decided to foster a close relationship with Earl Rhett.
Rhett nodded as Darsil continued in an even more enthusiastic tone, "Since you're here, Earl Rhett, why don't you take a look around? During our recent voyage, we visited multiple ports in the Graylu Kingdom and brought back some interesting items. Perhaps you'll find something of interest."
"Oh?" Rhett's expression changed slightly at the mention of the Graylu Kingdom, and he agreed, following Darsil into the hall.
The Graylu Kingdom was located northeast of the Reem Kingdom, but its southeastern corner extended into a long peninsula, making it one of the coastal cities with the closest trade ties to the Kinlun Kingdom, leading to its prosperity.
The coastal branch had a special section for exotic goods, with décor distinct from other sections. Darsil led Rhett there, introducing the items fluently:
"This is an Echo Conch from the Graylu Kingdom. It can store sound for up to a week—an interesting little trinket..."
"This is Numbing Seaweed, a popular item among the local nobles, used for certain pleasures. It's harmless to the body and can have quite a few delightful effects..."
"And here, we have an earth-element wand—exquisitely crafted and of mid-tier quality. If it catches your eye, Earl Rhett, please feel free to take it!"
Rhett glanced at the colorful wand inside the display case, uninterested. Instead, he asked, "Is the wand considered a specialty from there?"
"Haha, of course not. But in addition to local specialties, we purchase other low-cost items as long as the profits are sufficient—we never turn them away," Darsil replied with a smile. "Earl Rhett may not know, but those coastal cities in the Graylu Kingdom often deal in unsavory goods, which they sell to us at low prices..."
"I see..." Rhett immediately understood—essentially, they were dealing with fencing stolen goods, which was common…
Darsil led Rhett around the brightly lit crystal displays, showing him various unique and interesting items, which expanded Rhett's horizons. But overall, there was nothing that truly stood out or could be of much help to Rhett.
Feeling he had seen enough, Rhett, after inspecting a stone that could change into seven colors depending on the temperature, casually asked, "Vice President Darsil, is the President not at the guild today?"
"That's right. The headquarters held an emergency meeting recently, and it seemed quite urgent, so the President went to the capital to attend," Darsil replied.
Rhett's mind stirred at this news. Went to the capital for a meeting? Could it be related to the royal family's upcoming announcement of his promotion to marquis?
It was a distinct possibility. Although the official announcement date had not yet arrived, such significant decisions would not be made at the last minute—they would have been discussed in advance.
Given the Dalton Merchant Guild's century-long operations, they likely had special connections and channels within the royal family, making it plausible that they had caught wind of this news.
Outwardly, Rhett remained calm as he asked, "Did they mention what it was about?"
"No, and there's no set date for his return either. If you need to speak with him, I can relay the message when he returns," Darsil replied, shaking his head.
Darsil then looked at Rhett curiously and asked, "What brings you here, Earl Rhett? Perhaps I can assist you?"
Rhett looked at Darsil, pondered for a moment, then said, "It's nothing major. I just wanted to gather some information."
Hearing this, Darsil suddenly smiled with confidence, placing a hand on his chest. "Earl Rhett, if you're looking for information, you've come to the right person. Although I'm the Vice President, I handle most of the external supervision, liaison, negotiations, and other interactions, so I'm quite knowledgeable about matters along the Eastern Blue Coast. What would you like to know?"
Rhett's eyes flickered with interest as he lowered his voice and asked, "How much do you know about Cow Island?"
"Cow Island?" Darsil paused, surprised by the question. He furrowed his brow, then led Rhett to a quiet room. Once they were seated, he said, "Cow Island is a chaotic place. I do have some connections there, but… given the island's nature, it's impossible to know everything. What specific information are you looking for?"
"Is there someone in charge on Cow Island? Or is it just a spontaneous gathering place?" Rhett asked after a moment of thought.
"Hmm, I'm not familiar with the island's early history, but these days, its black market is controlled by Quentin Monroe, one of the four major pirates of the Eastern Blue Sea. Many of the island's industries are also managed by his subordinates," Darsil explained slowly. "I've also heard that Quentin has secret dealings with some factions in the Graylu Kingdom, handling people or goods they don't want to deal with openly."
So, slave trading, assassinations, and fencing stolen goods… Rhett wondered aloud, "Doesn't the kingdom intervene? Or what's Grand Duke Blue Diamond's stance on it?"
"I'd say it's tolerated. Quentin is clever—he knows who to provoke and who not to, and he never targets royal or Blue Diamond's merchant ships. There are also rumors that Cow Island sends a large tribute to Grand Duke Blue Diamond every year," Darsil shrugged.
As Rhett fell silent, Darsil took a sip of tea and asked, "Earl Rhett, do you have an enemy on Cow Island?"
It wasn't an unreasonable assumption, given the island's chaotic nature and the many hidden secrets it held. Inquiring about Cow Island typically meant an interest in a specific person or object.
And since they were at the Dalton Merchant Guild, if it were about a particular item, asking them directly would be the better option. That left only one other possibility—Rhett was looking for someone.