"That's the wyvern guard of the Green Dragon Queen!" Anser said in a low voice.
"So this is the Abeir invasion you were talking about?" Lin Qiancheng looked shocked.
He raised his head and looked at the strange sky split into two halves—one side blue with white clouds, the other like an iron curtain.
"Yes. They've occupied Claw Bay, laid siege to Beregost, and they've been conducting reconnaissance over Durlag's Tower quite frequently," Anser said with a grim expression.
He hadn't expected that after being gone for just a few days, the wyvern guard would become this brazen.
"What do we do—engage them directly?" Salian's expression was solemn.
More than a dozen wyverns. Even someone as strong as Anser might not be able to handle them.
The dragonfly ship only had two ballistae, and their firepower was average—probably not enough to pose a real threat to the wyvern guard.
The two sides were flying toward each other, the distance rapidly shrinking to within ten kilometers. Their silhouettes were already distinguishable.
"Descend. Head to Fort Jacqueline," Anser said. He didn't fear battle, but if the dragonfly ship were damaged, it would pain him deeply.
"Got it." Knowing how troublesome wyverns were, Lin Qiancheng immediately steered the ship into a downward dive.
But the moment the ship moved, the wyvern group suddenly turned around as a whole, flying away even faster than before—the beat of their wings noticeably quicker.
"Huh?" Lin Qiancheng decisively aborted the descent and maintained course and speed, unwilling to show weakness.
"They… afraid of you?" he asked, turning to Anser.
"No." Anser shook his head slightly and said thoughtfully, "They've probably seen magic ships before—and suffered losses from them."
The cockpit of the dragonfly ship was one-way transparent. The wyvern guard couldn't see him. Their retreat was most likely due to the ship itself.
Magic ships weren't unique to Toril—Abeir's natives encountering them wasn't surprising.
'Better if they don't fight,' he thought, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Two or three wyverns meant nothing to him, but more than a dozen, plus an unknown number of half-dragon riders, was another matter entirely. They could wear him down.
Moreover, wyverns flew faster than the dragonfly ship. If they chose to flee, they would be difficult to pursue. Back in Bluewater City, he had relied on provocation and setup before counter-killing them.
"Are we just going to let them roam freely in the sky?" Lin Qiancheng frowned slightly. Being watched by a powerful enemy made it hard to even sleep peacefully.
Anser let out a cold laugh and said calmly, "There'll always be stragglers."
The wyvern guard couldn't stay grouped forever. As long as their number dropped below five, he could take the initiative.
He couldn't catch them—but air elementals could.
Besides, he also had an arcane cannon, perfect for mounting on the city walls. Those wyverns wouldn't dare descend easily.
The dragonfly ship slowed slightly and flew toward Fort Jacqueline.
Anser set up his long-range vision device, keeping his eyes on the wyverns. He soon saw them return to the Wood of Sharp Teeth—not retreating west, but heading straight into the northern depths of the forest.
His gaze shifted, and he spotted several more wyverns to the north.
They circled endlessly above the forest, as if watching something.
"These wyverns don't seem to be targeting Durlag's Tower," Anser said in surprise. "Could something major have happened in the Wood of Sharp Teeth?"
He couldn't help but think of that Thayan alchemist, Sosk. Could this be related to him?
"Lady Jacqueline is here. Just ask her," Salian said, lightly tapping the crystal window.
Anser lowered the telescope. Through the one-way crystal, he saw Iris approaching on a flying carpet—but she didn't come too close.
It had only been a few days, yet she looked somewhat haggard. The shimmering lake within her eyes had nearly dried up.
Lin Qiancheng caught the change in Anser's expression and silently brought the ship to a hover above the castle, opening the hatch.
Anser quickly walked to the hatch. The wind roared, making his robes flap violently.
He turned his head and met Iris's gaze. The emotions within it were so complex that, for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"I'm back."
Iris pressed her lips together and stared at him blankly, not speaking for a long time.
Anser cast Fly, leapt out of the hatch, and, like a fish swimming upstream, moved against the wind currents to her side. He reached out, pulled her into his arms, buried his head in the crook of her neck, and took a deep breath.
"You need a bath."
"Heh." Iris pushed him lightly, then fixed her gaze on his eyes. "I thought you… weren't coming back."
"Ran into a bit of trouble." Anser followed the motion and sat down on the flying carpet. "Someone set me up—but I came out on top."
"What happened?" Iris looked him up and down. He was wearing a robe she had never seen before, but he didn't seem injured.
"We'll talk back inside."
"Mm."
The dragonfly ship descended straight down and landed in the square before the keep. Its six metal legs touched the ground lightly, its wings flattening slightly, like a massive metallic dragonfly.
The servants and guards inside the castle gathered around, full of curiosity—even the usually composed old butler came over.
Anser had someone arrange accommodations for Lin Qiancheng to rest, sent Salian and Finn back to Holrewen, and only then brought Iris to tour the dragonfly ship, recounting everything that had happened over the past few days.
From the Traveler's Rest to the Rock of Bral, then to White Stone Island, the dragonfly ship, and the pirates—he left out nothing.
Iris couldn't help but frown slightly and let out a soft sigh. "Even a legendary inn isn't safe. We're not that short on money anymore—there's no need to go again."
Part of it was concern; part of it was simply her being a homebody—she rarely went out to begin with.
"It was just bad luck. You can't stop eating just because you're afraid of choking, right?" Anser reassured her. "This time we got a dragonfly ship, a White Stone Island, and hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Massive profit."
As he spoke, he took out a Traveler's Badge and a platinum card from the Avaricious Dragonhide Pouch and handed them to her. "This is the Traveler's Badge. Next time, we'll go together."
Iris reached out and took them, raising an eyebrow slightly. "I'll keep the badge—but I won't go with you."
"You're even more cautious than I am." Anser immediately understood her concern.
If something happened to both of them at once, it would be a total wipeout—no backup plan at all. If she stayed behind, then even if something happened to Anser again, she might still find a way to help.
"Take this Teleportation Cube—and these potions." He handed over the Teleportation Cube and split the magic potions he had bought, giving her one of each.
"Not bad—you actually remembered me," Iris said with a smile as she put them away.
"Come on, I even brought you an arcane cannon." Anser directly teleported the cannon into the cabin. The dark, heavy barrel rested on a metal mount that could adjust angles freely, exuding a strong sense of pressure.
"Oh?" Iris circled the cannon twice, running her hand along the barrel. "Wouldn't it be better mounted on your magic ship?"
"It's too heavy. And the dragonfly ship isn't suited for combat—repairs would be difficult if it gets damaged." Anser had already considered it. The idea was feasible, but not suitable.
Compared to conventional cannons, an arcane cannon was already relatively lightweight, but with the mount included, it still weighed two tons. The barrel alone was two meters long—unsuitable for a ship with a total load capacity of only five tons.
In space, excess weight wouldn't matter much. But taking off from Faerûn, that extra weight might prevent it from escaping the atmosphere.
"I see." Iris didn't refuse again. A smile bloomed across her face. "I'll have the steward gather fifty guards to help you secure White Stone Island."
"Alright. I'll also notify the association to dispatch a hundred men. That should be enough for now," Anser said after a moment's thought.
He pointed toward the direction of the Wood of Sharp Teeth. "What's going on with those wyverns?"
"I suspect it's related to the alchemist Sosk exploring the ruins of Viheral. These past two days, a lot of beasts, goblins, and other creatures have been pouring out of the forest, frequently attacking nearby villages. Quentin has already come looking for you twice."
"As for those wyverns… they probably discovered something. More than a dozen showed up all at once today…" Iris explained.
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