Above The Sky
Chapter 458 - 458 428 Master Oak 13

458: Chapter 428: Master Oak (1/3) 458: Chapter 428: Master Oak (1/3) The Emissary had barely left when he vanished into the crowd almost instantly.

Mr.

Silver Workshop visibly sighed in relief, but Ian reminded him, “He hasn’t gone far—he was watching us from behind that noodle stall…

Oh, now he’s gone.”

The youth watched Mr.

Silver Workshop, noticing how his expression went from relaxed to terrified and back to relaxed again, and couldn’t help but find it amusing, “Sir, why are you so scared of him?

The Marquis is indeed a person of high status, and his emissary deserves respect…

but there’s no need to be that fearful, right?”

“What’s more, I remember, weren’t you quite favored by Marquis Barton?

It was he who personally awarded you the title of Honorary Citizen.”

“Sigh, you have no idea what Marquis Barton was in charge of back then…

and how he dealt with the South Ridge nobility and those troublemakers.”

Patting his chest, Mr.

Silver Workshop let out a long sigh, “Me?

An Honorary Citizen?

All the other candidates are dead…

hung next to the square.

Sigh, I was young then, indeed obedient and sensible, but you know…

people like me, no matter how rich, can only be afraid.”

“Because I’m not a Sublimator, I can only live in fear.”

The old man’s words carried regret, but he didn’t truly feel any resentment for not being a ‘Sublimator’ himself.

With a thoughtful nod, Ian seemed to understand.

Mr.

Silver Workshop, as a South Ridge tycoon backed by the Dragon Worship Cult, hadn’t gone out of his way to acquire a legitimate Sublimator Heritage for himself.

Aside from being too old to adapt to the transformation by Origin Quality, it was probably also because ‘he couldn’t’ become a Sublimator.

Because after becoming a Sublimator…

he would no longer be compliant, no longer ‘sensible.’

And thus, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy his current life of luxury.

“Being able to fear is always better than not being able to.”

So the youth shook his head lightly, “Tomorrow afternoon, then…

By the way, it seems Marquis Barton prefers to be addressed as General, huh.”

“Of course, he’s never taken to the role of a noble.

The days when he fought and defended the land alongside His Majesty, those were the most glorious and nostalgic times for him.”

The old man still tried to spot any clues on the street, truly afraid of Marquis Barton’s spies, who could appear and disappear without a trace, but ultimately to no avail.

Mr.

Silver Workshop was somewhat helpless, “Can you really sense them?

Back then, there were quite a few Sublimators who thought they had high perception, not afraid of the Empire’s secret agents, but they either found a warning letter under their pillows or lost their heads.”

“It’s probably because of the fairy bloodline being more sensitive.”

Ian scanned the street before him, his eyes shimmering with aqua halos, as if he had seen something, swinging his hand dismissively with some distaste, “Honestly, I don’t want to be this sensitive; I can see things I’d rather not…

Geez, this is really twisted.”

“Wait a minute.” Mr.

Silver Workshop’s brow furrowed, as he realized something important, “If you’re so sensitive, why did you still chase after him earlier?”

“Haha…” At this point, Ian could only feign ignorance, “I just felt like I could turn the tables…”

Mr.

Silver Workshop gave Ian a deep look, then shook his head slightly, “Alright then, I’m bound to find out eventually.”

“Should I take you into the city tomorrow morning?”

“No rush.” Ian stepped out of the Company’s main gate and stood at the mouth of the street, looking in the direction of Nauman City.

As he eyed the ever-lit great city in the distance, a slight smile played on his lips, “This is the Marquis taking care of me.”

“I’ll go over tomorrow afternoon.”

The following afternoon.

With all his belongings packed, Ian left the bustling, charming little town that had made quite an impression on him, under Mr.

Silver Workshop’s send-off.

The streets were full of vendors and shops; adventurers and travelers of all races; and numerous merchants passing by—the noisy hawking in the streets and the singing of ballad poets, the clanging of blacksmith shops, and the laughter of children in residential areas.

And of course, the delicious Twin Trees bread was the most important.

“If I were just an ordinary adventurer, living here, adventuring, exploring the mysteries of the Southern Ridge Mountains…

it might also be a good life.”

Riding a camel beast and traveling along with other merchant caravans on the road to Nauman City, Ian couldn’t help feeling some regret, “A peaceful life, leisurely passing the days, slowly enjoying the pleasure of exploration and study, who wouldn’t like that?

Even prophets needn’t always be in a rush to act.”

Ian loved the thrill of exploring the unknown, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed relentless activity.

On the contrary, his nature was more laid-back than it appeared; when necessary, he didn’t mind patiently waiting.

Always the patient one, fond of gazing at the starry sky, of course he was willing to watch the firmament quietly, to wait for clouds to drift by, for a gentle breeze to blow.

But…

He couldn’t wait.

The youth still remembered the prophecy he had witnessed six years ago, directed at the entirety of Terra.

A land filled with dark deathly energy and a firmament where all stars had been extinguished…

It was true that prophecies didn’t have to be fully believed—because no matter which prophet it was, their prophecies couldn’t foresee the changes that might be caused by other prophets.

The simplest example…

Ian’s prophecy would definitely be a future that prophets of the Huai Guang Church could never reach if they didn’t exist.

He could have convinced himself to slow down.

But he ultimately chose to move forward.

Nauman City was getting closer.

The core area of the capital of South Ridge was actually a bastion surrounded by canals, which had then expanded continuously to fend off the magical beasts and native attacks that had emerged countless times hundreds of years ago in South Ridge.

But as technology developed continuously, and vast expanses of primeval forest around the city were chopped down and developed, they had become the open plains and satellite towns that one sees today.

As a result, the city walls had lost their meaning, and indeed, many parts of Nauman City’s walls had been dismantled, replaced by streets and numerous watchtowers and small fortresses around the town—once all-out war began, the entire surroundings of Nauman City would turn into the most terrifying flesh and blood mills.

The Twin Trees Boulevard that Ian was walking down now led straight to the West City District of Nauman City; just past this orchard field, one could directly see Firmiana Square in the distance, surrounded by inns for merchants and adventurers to stay in, a kind of crowded liveliness visible from afar.

Lifting his gaze slightly, he could see the ‘Central District’ located in the middle of the city, that is, where the original Bastion District was, higher in terrain, where firepower could dominate all the surrounding areas from a high position and thus also referred to as the Upper City District.

A pale canal encircled the Bastion District, like a white line drawing a circle, and then extending out from the east side, leading directly to the sea, like a white straight line.

Ian was heading for this line.

It was already the afternoon, but the sunlight remained searing and brilliant.

Following the westward slant of the daylight, the youth intended to enter the city with the merchant convoy, then go to the Silver Bazaar Company to settle down the camel beast and luggage; after that, he would be able to head to the Governor’s Mansion in the Upper City District with his badge.

But, perhaps by coincidence or inevitability,

As he was about to enter the city, Ian saw a bright and harmonious bluish light coming toward him.

For a moment, the sunlight around him seemed to dim.

The afternoon sun was still bright, even carrying a kind of scorching heat, but when Ian saw the bluish light, it suddenly became gentle, like the twilight of evening…

no, like the shade in a dense jungle.

Ian made the camel beast stop.

—Third Power Level.

The Third Power Level within Nauman City now, aside from Marquis Barton, should only be that ‘Master Oak’ from Canaan Moore.

He analyzed the situation quite calmly and saw that the other was not coming specifically for him but was simply exiting the south gate.

This analysis wasn’t incorrect; in fact, the entourage following Master Oak was sizable, including one Second Energy Level and one First Energy Level elf, presumably the ‘Torchbearers’ mentioned in intelligence reports.

As for the ordinary people behind them, Ian glanced over and deduced that they must be part of the team from Canaan Moore.

“It’s better to keep a distance.”

Ian gently patted the camel beast, and it shook its head before turning left—Ian planned to enter from the west gate instead.

But to his silence, as he changed direction, the bluish light from the distant team simply broke away and came directly toward him in broad daylight.

—What is this about?

Ian was a bit stunned; he hadn’t seen any danger before coming to Nauman City, had he?

There was no anomaly with the Frost Butterfly, so why would Master Oak come directly toward him in broad daylight?

Or was he being too presumptuous, and Master Oak was looking for other people in the same direction?

Ian looked around and noticed that his surroundings were all merchant caravans, with no particularly conspicuous targets.

Even he himself was wearing a hood, so his face would not be visible to the average person.

“No need to look around, young fae…

perhaps a touch of Shark?”