Above The Sky
Chapter 199 - 199 188 Ian's Regulars 24

199: Chapter 188: Ian’s Regulars (2/4) 199: Chapter 188: Ian’s Regulars (2/4) After seeing off Yisen Gard, Ian sat in the private room for a while longer.

His eyes were tightly closed as he pondered.

“Natives…

yes, Natives.”

Ian murmured to himself, “That’s right, I almost forgot—the Natives must have detected the presence of the Deep Sea Crystal Dragon earlier than us.

Their Totem Master is probably still nursing the injury inflicted by my teacher back then, so faced with a dragon species at the peak of the First Power Level, they had to step back, even risking losing their own lair.”

“The Natives couldn’t be unaware of this, they wouldn’t just watch the exploration team’s movements.”

“And where on earth did they get those fiery weapons from Fiery Flame Land?

Although those guards did not specify, I could tell that there’s something extraordinary about it, the implications behind it might be even more significant than the Ellen Family’s mission!”

After all, for the Ellen Family and their mission, capturing the Deep Sea Crystal Dragon was just a happy bonus, an embellishment to their joy.

But the Natives’ unusual movements and the possible hidden threats from Fiery Flame Land are truly capable of threatening the safety of Harrison Port and Ian’s everyday life!

—No one knew whether Fiery Flame Land, silent for four to five years, had already dispatched a special elite team behind enemy lines, planning some secret agenda unknown to others?

This was truly hard to say.

“The current priority is to finalize my own plans and report this information to the Elder and the Viscount—they are the ones in charge.”

The Ellen Family, Patrick and the pirates, Viscount Grant, the Natives, and the possible operatives from Fiery Flame Land hiding behind them.

Multiple powers were converging upon the Southern Sea due to the Deep Sea Crystal Dragon and some hidden objectives.

Their goals varied, their plans intertwined, forming a complex web.

Yet Ian was able to find in this intricate network a path that was the best possibility for himself.

“I indeed need to make some plans.”

Opening his eyes, the young man stood up and left the Long Gull Tavern.

The direction he headed was not towards the workshop in the New City District, nor the Viscount’s Mansion.

But towards the guard station located in the Northwest City District, near the city wall.

The guard station was essentially a small castle rooted by the banks of the Ivoke River within the city, a frontline fortress built during the war with the Natives.

It was permanently stationed with a large number of soldiers, engaging in 24-hour crossfire with the Native troops wanting to attack the city.

As time passed, the attacking force of the Natives gradually weakened, and the guard station slowly transitioned from a fortress to a central point for the rotation of stationed soldiers, mainly serving as a deployment hub for supplies and a command center for military officers.

Nowadays, with the Natives completely losing the power to mount attacks, not even being able to leave the Northern Great Redwood Forest outside Ivorybone Mountain, the guard station had become a full-fledged watchtower, its role similar to a city police station.

Ian, with his hood on, walked towards the western part of the city.

The streets of the West City District, which had been mostly destroyed in the war years ago, had long been rebuilt.

Compared to the bustling other districts, the West City District, which had to face the pressure from the Natives, was somewhat deserted.

The complicated streets were laid out like a net, clearly in preparation for possible street battles.

The guard station was located at the focal point where all the streets converged.

This hexagonal grey castle featured towering spires and was equipped with six alchemical cannons, its defensive capabilities even surpassing those of the Viscount’s own mansion by a wide margin.

This was also a common defensive fortification style that Humans would construct when expanding into forests and wilderness.

Upon arriving at the guard station, Ian took off his hood, and the guards who had originally wanted to stop him let him pass.

One even stepped forward to guide him, asking which renowned alchemist of the port he wished to meet.

If he was looking for Captain Reilly of the White Folks, he should be on a patrol in the Inner Wilds now.

“I would like to meet with Captain Scott and inquire about the situation in the Northern Redwood Forest and with the Natives,” Ian said with a smile.

The guiding guard immediately understood and had no further doubts, “Captain Scott has just returned from his shift and should now be in the armory…

should I send a message to have the captain come and see you?”

The young man shook his head, “No need, I’ll go to him myself.”

Now the whole of Harrison Port knew that this young appraiser had identified a Longevity Magic Plant…

Undoubtedly, where there was one, there could be a second, and even though Ian was still young, as an alchemist, researching the Longevity Elixir was an excellent way to improve his own skills.

The other party looking for Captain Scott, who was responsible for the Outer Wilds, was nothing out of the ordinary.

Soon, Ian met with Scott,

Six years ago, when the Native Elder and the Swamp Crocodile Dragon invaded Harrison Port and tangled with Viscount Grant, several heroes stepped forward.

At the most critical moment, they fired the Alchemical Cannon and accurately struck the Crocodile Dragon’s old wound, causing it to flee in a hurry, thus laying the foundation for the peaceful development of Harrison Port as it is known today.

Unfortunately, the few heroes all died in the subsequent desperate attacks by the Natives, only the youngest two survived – Scott, the cannon loader, and the Inscription prodigy Ian, who was only eight years old at the time.

The fallen tower soldiers even had their own statues at the ruins of the east tower of Harrison Port, and their families received compensation.

The surviving Ian had both his alchemy and Inscription talents discovered, and now he is the only alchemist in the whole Harrison Port who is close to the official standards and can look forward to a master title in the future.

As for Scott, he also became the youngest captain in the Harrison Port guard squad.

Despite being young, whenever Scott faced danger, he always stepped forward bravely, showed a great sense of responsibility in his interactions with others, and several times when his team was ambushed by Native Hunters and members were poisoned, it was always he who commanded the defense and counterattack to repel the enemies, saving lives with the antidote he carried with him.

Scott was highly respected among the younger generation of the guard squad, and if there had to be a fault pointed out, it would be his inflexibility, his too-by-the-book approach.

If he made a mistake, he would really punish himself.

In this regard, he didn’t resemble a young man at all, but rather a stiff middle-aged person in his forties or fifties.

Ian met with Scott in the armory, where there originally had been two soldiers inspecting and checking the weapons.

Seeing Ian come in, they discreetly left, and the warehouse filled with armored clothing and crossbows became quiet.

“It’s been a while, Ian.

I was wondering when I would be able to help you.”

Scott had a quite handsome appearance, with deep brown hair and eyes like dim amber, and a small silver stripe on his face that looked like metal.

Just like the gem-like eyes, this was a symbol of the Iron Folk.

He had just removed his armored clothing, having returned from a patrol near the territories of the Natives in the Outer Wilds, and it seemed he was fearful that his own body might carry miasma that could affect Ian, so he even took a few steps back before starting to converse with the young man.

Scott’s attitude towards Ian had always been one of respect and enthusiasm.

After all, he was the only one who knew the true story of what happened that year — he was merely a survivor protected by his teammates, and it was Ian who was the true hero who saved Harrison Port.

It was only to avoid attracting too much attention that Ian had shared the credit with him, the assistant who carried the cannonballs, so that the families of the deceased comrades could receive enough compensation.

This was a favor…

a great kindness he would remember for the rest of his life.

He was also one of the few people who knew part of Ian’s talents…

at least he knew Ian’s strength and knowledge were much greater than others imagined.

Ian exchanged pleasantries with him for a while, talking about their recent work and situations, to which Scott responded seriously as if he was reporting to a superior.

Ian had once wondered if Scott was just trying to please him, but later realized this was simply his character — a straightforward nature, and he held a great deal of respect and admiration for Ian, his benefactor.

Even…

one could say loyalty.

Perhaps most of the Iron Folk were like this?

At least, the few Iron Folk Ian had seen, such as the guards of Mr.

Silver Workshop, all had such a character.

They did not necessarily need to obey others’ commands and be subservient, but once they recognized someone stronger and kinder than themselves, they would be willing to become a part of the ‘benefactor’s’ strength.

Right up until the end of their life, or until the end of the grace and righteousness.

“I indeed have something I need your help with.”

While Scott seemed to regard himself as his superior and a loyal subject, Ian always considered Scott a friend: “I will be going to sea for a while soon, and it will be a considerably long time before I return.”

“Elan has Elder Prude to look after it, so I’m not worried, but according to my calculations, there will be a storm in the Southern Sea within the next week.

At that time, I need you to help me crush this wooden box and throw it into the sea…”

Listening to Ian’s words, Scott stood very straight and serious, his posture much like a soldier attentively listening to a leader’s instruction, causing the young man to exhale with a sigh: “Relax, this isn’t hard to do, you can manage it easily when you’re patrolling by the seaside in the Outer Wilds.”

“I cannot just do it casually.”

Hearing Ian’s words, the young soldier looked up, his expression solemn: “I firmly believe there is a deeper purpose behind your seemingly simple orders.”

“I don’t need to know those details, but I must ensure I don’t commit any mistakes in these ‘casual’ tasks.”