Ashes Of Deep Sea
Chapter 440 - Chapter 440 Chapter 441 Another Possibility

Chapter 440: Chapter 441 Another Possibility Chapter 440: Chapter 441 Another Possibility Terrian walked into the meeting area.

There was no light music symbolizing high society, nor was it in a fancy banquet hall. It was merely a reception room under the port authority, and the receiving personnel were representatives from the military–several faces were vaguely familiar to him.

He had dealt with them in recent years.

Lister rose to greet the “great pirate” who entered the room.

“I’m sorry, our conditions are limited at this time,” the defense commander extended his hand, his tone apologetic, “On such short notice, this is the best we can offer in terms of reception.”

Terrian did not immediately respond to the handshake but instead lifted his head to look around–several representatives dressed in Frost Navy uniforms stood behind Lister, their facial expressions quite natural, but the other attendants and servants were clearly not so relaxed. Some were secretly sizing up the few Undead who walked into the room; others were forcibly diverting their gaze elsewhere. But one thing was common: beneath their eyes lay undeniable tension and fatigue, impossible to conceal.

Terrian smiled and shook hands with Lister.

“This is fine–if you had really prepared a grand dinner for me at this time, even hiring some violinists to make a ruckus, then we would have no need for conversation.”

Feeling the firm pressure from the “Iron Marshal” before him, Lister’s facial expression twitched slightly. He then withdrew his hand, his tone slightly awkward, “You hold prejudices against us, but as you know–our stances are different. However, as soldiers, today’s Frost Navy is still as committed as your forces were in the past to staunchly defending our city-state.”

“Yes, I know, and I’ve witnessed it myself. Otherwise, I would not have accepted your invitation, General,” Terrian smiled, scanning the badge on Lister’s chest. He paused briefly after saying “General,” then shook his head and spoke while walking to the center of the room, “Let’s end the pleasantries here. We both know what time it is. We can talk about this city, about the future, or–if you have the courage–about my father.”

“Your father…” Lister sat down on the sofa. Upon hearing the last sentence, his body stiffened. The next second, a scene unforgettable to all Frostfolk surfaced in his mind–the giant reflecting from the Endless Sea, eyes opening like two suns among the clouds, and the mirror image of a city-state being torn from the city and burnt to ashes in the giant’s hands.

A shiver deep from his soul surged, and Lister forcefully suppressed his flashback, his expression uneasy as he looked at the great pirate sitting opposite him.

“So, that really was your father, the entity that returned from the Subspace…” He hesitated before speaking, each word seeming to heighten his nervousness as if merely discussing it could draw an indescribable gaze upon him, “He really intervened at the last moment… but that posture has never been…”

“It will be recorded from now on,” Terrian shrugged, “Congratulations, General Lister, Frost will be the first city-state to witness and record this event.”

He paused, then asked thoughtfully, “I’m curious, what’s the atmosphere in the city like now, especially among your people? How do they view this matter?”

“The city is still permeated with tension and fear. I must admit, it was a difficult night for everyone–the calamity ended, but in a way that most couldn’t understand and found deeply unsettling. Many are guessing what the being that descended upon the sea was, but I think… if they knew, the panic might be even worse,” Lister sighed, “The city hall also took a while to sift through many documents and clues before daring to guess it was your father–don’t blame our slowness. The impact of that scene made anyone hesitate for a long time.”

“I understand,” Terrian sighed, his expression subtle, “He didn’t tell me about it either. I was as startled as you were at the time.”

Lister looked at the great pirate before him, a strange feeling welling up inside–a mixture of irrepressible curiosity and the instinctual nervousness one feels in the face of the unknown. He couldn’t help but wonder how this “Son of Duncan” would communicate with his terrifying father and how they had decided to intervene in the matter of Frost. What did the shadow returned from the Subspace think of the mortal world now?

“I want to ask,” the newly promoted general couldn’t help but say, “Your father… has he really regained his humanity, as the rumors say?”

Terrian appeared surprised, “What about him doesn’t resemble a human?”

Lister’s mind immediately conjured the image of the giant standing in the sky, a city-state burning to ashes and ground to dust in the giant’s hands. He opened his mouth, a slew of offensive words brewing, but he didn’t dare utter a single one.

After struggling for a while, the Frost general managed only a strained statement: “I believe, he indeed has a human heart now…”

Terrian laughed, “I believe your words are sincere.”

With that, the great pirate of the Chill Sea picked up the wine glass from the coffee table and solemnly raised it toward Lister, “Let us toast to this mutual trust.”

Lister: “…”

The Frost General raised his goblet, clinked glasses with Tyrion with a stiff smile, and after taking a sip, he set it down, “Then, may I ask what you and your father plan to do next?”

Tyrion appeared unusually calm, “I do not know.”

Lister’s eyes widened in surprise, “You do not know?”

“He hasn’t told me yet,” Tyrion spread his hands, his eyes gleaming with an irrepressible mirth. He had been outwitting the Frost Navy for half a century, yet it was this evening’s “friendly conversation” that pleased him the most, “I came here only because of my father’s orders in the first place, and joined the battle just to protect the cities once shielded by Queen Lei Nora, but I’ve never thought about the plans beyond this. It all depends on my father’s mood.”

Lister spoke without thinking, “Then how can we get in touch with your father?”

Tyrion lifted his gaze half-amusingly, “… You really want to contact him? Then let me tell you a ritual…”

“Oh, no need,” Lister immediately felt a tightness on his back and quickly waved his hand, “It was just a casual mention.”

“When you speak of ‘him,’ it is best not to have such a casual habit, because you never know when ‘he’ might actually set his sights on you,” Tyrion said, his expression suddenly shifting subtly as if he recalled some unpleasant memory, shook his head, looked at Lister with a lighter tone, “Relax, young man. I was just joking with you. You all are too tense. This is the first time the Mist Fleet has ‘come home’ in fifty years, shouldn’t we have a more relaxed atmosphere, like a family reunion?”

Young man…

Lister’s lips seemed to twitch, but he quickly concealed his embarrassment. Then, his expression turned serious, “General Tyrion, then I will speak frankly… Frost is currently in trouble.”

“I know, we just solved it,” Tyrion replied.

“No, I’m not talking about that anomaly invasion… that was not a trouble but a disaster. Now that the disaster has ended, the subsequent troubles are about to follow. Frost’s order is faltering, and even if we survive this night, we still have to address problems like public safety, supplies, and maritime security…”

“How is that my concern?” Tyrian leaned back in the sofa, looking calmly into Lister’s eyes, “I am a rebel–I don’t deal with these issues.”

Lister was about to say more, but Tyrion’s attitude struck him into silence.

However, after a few awkward seconds, he quickly composed himself and seemed to be about to say something else.

But a rhythmic knocking sound suddenly interrupted him.

The drawing-room door opened, and in came a well-dressed gentleman with meticulously combed hair and gold-rimmed glasses.

“I hope it’s not too abrupt,” the man with the gold-rimmed glasses greeted the room’s master and guest with a gentle smile, and walked straight to the conference table, “May I join?”

“Oh, the confidential secretary, sir,” Tyrion looked at the young man who entered the room, recognizing him, his face broke into a smile, “I recognize your glasses–and your hairstyle.”

Lister then quickly turned to the confidential secretary and asked, “Is there any news from the city hall?”

The confidential secretary nodded, softly replying, “It’s from the city hall.”

Tyrion intervened, “Let me state upfront, I have no interest in your city hall resolutions–we are rebels after all…”

He hadn’t finished speaking, when the impeccably dressed confidential secretary suddenly turned his face, and while putting a document on the coffee table, looked into Tyrion’s eyes, “Then could there be another possibility?”

He paused, pushed the document forward, and softly spoke–

“Governor Tyrion has arrived at his loyal Frost.”