Above The Sky
Chapter 767 - 767 21 Old Friends Reunite_2

767: Chapter 21 Old Friends Reunite_2 767: Chapter 21 Old Friends Reunite_2 Adalbert sent a pleading look toward Ian—clearly, the customs of Whale Song Cliff were all too intimate for someone from the Western Frontier of the Empire, making him quite uncomfortable with Green Tide’s familiar demeanor.

But this wasn’t friendliness; it was surveillance.

Green Tide might have appeared rough and straightforward, but in reality, he was quite perceptive.

He still harbored doubts about Adalbert’s identity, so he kept a close watch on him, while Adalbert, completely oblivious to this, thought it was a local tradition and never dared to refuse.

But he didn’t dwell on it too much.

Ian glanced at the blue-haired swordsman who was clasping the shoulder of a Third Energy Level Deceased Monarch and wearing the expression of a great brother, and couldn’t help but sigh, “You did well—not just well, but very well; however, don’t do it again next time.”

“You didn’t see…”

At this point, Ian hesitated, and Adalbert quickly shrugged off Green Tide’s hand, coughed lightly, and spoke in a soft voice, “You can call me ‘Gu Ying.’

Yes, Gu Ying.” Ian knew this was the codename Adalbert had given himself.

He had to conceal his identity, and with his mind filled with the Lost Souls of the Avak Domain, he chose that name.

Ian reprimanded righteously, “Green Tide, didn’t you see that Gu Ying is uncomfortable?

Keep your distance from him—he gets hot easily.”

“Alright, alright, alright.”

Now that Gu Ying’s safety had been confirmed, Green Tide laughed and let go, granting him some space.

Adalbert’s face showed a look of relief.

The group returned to the interior of the old castle.

And Ian also took the opportunity to ask about Adalbert’s recent activities.

After following Pansha to South Ridge, Adalbert had been staying in the territories of the Dragon Worship Cult, where the cult had disguised him as a villager among the White Folks.

Coincidentally, the Deceased Monarch’s white hair made the disguise quite convincing.

Recently, he had been focusing on mental recovery and emotional regulation, since the events in the Avak Domain were world-class major incidents that most people couldn’t encounter in a lifetime.

It was very difficult to overcome the psychological trauma.

Only someone like Ian, accustomed to grand scenes, could easily free himself from such an impact,

Just when Adalbert was about to settle down, the Naling Mountain People rebelled.

Fiery Flame Land, in alliance with the Iron Wing Dragon Flock, directly destroyed all communication nodes within the domain of the Dragon Worship Cult and used the ‘Magnetic Field Flight’ derived talent, unique to the Ironwing Dragons, to disrupt all communication channels around the cult.

Even carrier pigeons, because of the magnetic field changes, would need to wander for a while before reaching the correct destination.

Without revealing his Deceased Monarch powers, to others, Adalbert was nothing more than an ordinary Sublimator of Water Series Ice Series.

Moreover, as Ian’s guest, Elder Mantle, the crafty old fox, would certainly not allow him to get hurt—thus, upon learning that Green Tide was leading a team to the Leyan Territory to assist Ian against the Rebel Highlanders, he had him take Adalbert with them.

“That’s why I couldn’t make contact with the Dragon Worship Cult—they’ve been completely blocked from all-channel communications.”

Ian suddenly understood.

As for Adalbert himself, the Deceased Monarch Researcher spoke with some restraint, “In the recent period, I’ve received much care from Ian and your friends…”

“You are currently engaged in a war, but I don’t know what I could do.

Without revealing the Deceased Monarch’s powers, I am just an ordinary First-Level Sublimator with no combat ability.”

Clearly, Adalbert felt a strong sense of duty and was somewhat embarrassed to see Ian busy, wanting to offer his help.

“You don’t need to do anything else.”

Ian waved his hand, resolutely saying, “Just manage the Alchemy Laboratory for me—that’s enough.

I have to handle state affairs lately, manage the progress of the experiments, and study my cultivation; there’s just too much to do.”

“You don’t have to do much, just keep an eye on the progress of experiments from time to time…

And if you have any thoughts, feel free to speak up.

I welcome academic discussions.”

“Yes!”

Upon hearing he could be of help, Adalbert cheered up.

But undoubtedly, the one who was most pleased was Ian—for Adalbert was a top-tier technical talent in this world, a genius researcher whom even the Duke of Solin regarded as a successor.

Ian had been considering how he might get Adalbert to work for him—with such a powerful figure overseeing the laboratory, many of his technologies could be realized sooner…

But what he hadn’t expected was that before he even broached the subject, Adalbert took the initiative to come to him.

And it seemed as if Ian had done him a great favor.

Ian felt a bit embarrassed by the win-win situation.

To welcome the reunion of old friends, everyone enjoyed lunch in the ancient castle.

The specialty foods of Leyan City were mostly sweets, and during times of grain shortage, Ian, leading by example, never indulged in those overly refined treats.

However, the castle’s chef could tell that these guests were old acquaintances of the lord, so he showed off his skills, specially preparing a pot of flower-infused sweet wine broth for them.

This delicacy used a portion of non-Magic Potion grade Radiance Grass as the main ingredient, complemented with a fragrant flower similar to osmanthus to make the sweet wine, which was then stewed with rice cakes, nuts, and some berries into a creamy soup.

As it simmered, the scent pervaded the dining room, and upon tasting, everyone, including Ian, raved about it—the creamy soup practically melted in their mouths, and the sweetness and aroma were just right, not overly rich but leaving one wanting another spoonful.

The nuts in the soup had softened to perfection, and, paired with the mainstay of hard bread and roasted venison, were enough to leave all present thoroughly satisfied.

Ian himself thought it was quite good; although he preferred stronger flavors that were salty and spicy, this delicate and sweet broth was just right to balance out his palate.

“It feels a bit light, but the floral scent is very fresh, it really smells wonderful.”

Green Tide’s evaluation was also positive, though the taste of Whale Song Cliff tended toward extreme sweetness—the Descendants of the Sea there were all crazy about sweet things, even their roasted meat was sweet, and their pan-fried fish had to be doused with a layer of sweet sauce.

“It has a…

familiar taste of mother.”

Adalbert seemed to be reminded of his home in the Western Territory, where the flavors were similar to those of Leyan Territory.

As for Scott…

He had just set down his seventh bowl.

—This burly man was the one who ate the most!

After lunch, Ian, along with Scott and Green Tide, reorganized the current Leyan City troops and the incoming mercenaries.

The mercenaries from Harrison Port were a full squad of fifty people, some of whom were familiar faces to Ian, former subordinates of Red Blade Lubeck.

This proved that the reinforcements sent by Viscount Grant were all elite and quite a commitment.

Offering a silent word of thanks to the viscount in his heart, Ian roughly counted and realized that he had about one hundred and ten people who could serve as the core fighting force.

Eighty of them were disguised as mercenaries, Nobles’ private soldiers from Harrison Port and Nauman City.

They were trustworthy and would not turn tail in battle, willing and accustomed to following orders as professional military personnel.

The militia recruited in the past week did not exceed two hundred people—during times of war, there were not many who were willing to join the army for more food and money, even if it was to defend their homes.

Ian could offer more incentives to sway them, but he did not believe the people of Leyan City were worth such efforts at present.

Until Ian decisively defeated the Highlanders, the Domain Residents would not see him as a ‘lord capable of long-term rule.’

Although they wouldn’t say so overtly, this belief would subconsciously guide their actions.

But this also indicated the reliability of the hundred or so who had joined the militia—whether motivated by opportunism or simply seeking sustenance, those who chose to support Ian’s rule in times of peril would be favored after the war.

But at the end of the day, such a force was slightly anxious even for defending the city.

Therefore, to decide their next tactical move, Ian decided to lead a team to reconnoiter the area reported by the Scout once more.