Translator: CinderTL
"Alright, Galvis..."
Seeing the bard's exaggerated performance, Roland stepped forward with a helpless sigh, interrupting him.
"Hoby is still young and lacks discernment. What if he takes everything you say at face value?"
He glanced at the halfling, who was completely absorbed in the story.
"I don't want to see him someday encounter a troll and his first instinct isn't to run, but to pull out garlic from his pocket and throw it..."
"Impossible..."
Galvis, embarrassed by Roland's interruption, nervously strummed his lute strings before turning to the halfling, who was now cupping his cheeks in his hands.
"Little one, everything I just said... was... was..."
"Was it all made up, Mr. Galvis?"
Seeing his only listener's disappointed expression, the bard immediately jumped to his feet to protest.
"Of course not! But you must understand that all art requires embellishment, and stories are no different..."
"Alright, alright..."
Roland waved his hand, cutting off the bard's clumsy defense. He turned to the halfling, who had risen to his feet.
"Hoby, let's go. We don't want your brother to wait too long."
"Yes, Mr. Roland!"
Hoby bowed respectfully to Galvis, then skipped ahead, occasionally glancing back to chat with Roland, who followed behind.
Before long, they arrived near the port.
"Uh... Hoby..."
As massive ships gradually came into view, Roland raised an eyebrow and spoke slowly.
"Weren't we supposed to be eating?"
"That's right!"
Seeing Roland's confused expression, the halfling quickly explained.
"Mr. Roland, fish fresh from the sea is the freshest you can get! Trust me, it's way better than anything you'll find in the city taverns! Every time my brother comes back, he invites me to his ship to eat freshly caught fish! Different cooking methods make..."
Listening to Hoby's detailed description, Roland couldn't help but anticipate the feast to come.
After all, since becoming a fisherman, he hadn't eaten fish in a long time due to Galvis's objections.
Hoby's vivid descriptions brought back memories of the delicious taste of fish, making his mouth water.
As the two men chatted and walked, they reached the port just as a crowd of passengers poured off a ship.
They had to step aside to avoid the throng.
As Roland's gaze idly scanned the crowd, his brow furrowed.
In a small group nearby, he spotted a familiar face.
After a moment's thought, he recognized the noble youth who had argued with the guards at Far Ocean Port.
Once he recognized the youth, Roland immediately recalled the mysterious young man with a body brimming with dense negative energy who had stood beside him.
Without a word, he subtly shifted his position, slowly approaching the group.
"Taril, what in the world have you gotten yourself into?"
After a roar of anger, the middle-aged noble lowered his voice, but his tone remained resentful as he looked at his son's gaunt figure and pale face.
"How could you get involved with remnants of the Church of Truth? Do you know how worried your mother and I were when we heard the news? If Lord Colin hadn't shown leniency, you'd be spending the rest of your life in prison!"
"I... I'm sorry, Father, but..."
Recalling his recent experiences, the noble youth Taril lowered his head obediently and mumbled in defense, "Didn't you tell me to cultivate good relations with the nobles of the Golden Valley Kingdom? And I thought Lyon..."
"How dare you argue back!"
Bob slammed his cane heavily on the ground.
Though the surroundings were bustling with noise, the sound of the cane striking the ground was still crystal clear to Taril, sending a shiver down his spine.
"What Lyon! You didn't even bother to investigate his background before..."
Realizing his voice had grown too loud, the middle-aged noble quickly lowered his tone.
"That young man named Lyon is the lord of Dawn Territory in the Golden Valley Kingdom—the son of Gavin, the traitor who colluded with the Church of Truth and betrayed King Monen!"
"Wha... what?"
Seeing his son's stunned expression, the veins on Bob's neck bulged. He was about to erupt in another tirade, but then deflated like a punctured balloon, simply waving his hand in resignation.
"Forget it... we'll discuss this at home. Though the Knight Academy has already started its term, I've pulled some strings..."
As he spoke, the father and son, surrounded by their retainers, gradually walked away.
Though their conversation had been nearly drowned out by the clamor of the crowd, Roland, thanks to his increasingly refined Knight's Breathing Technique, had heard every word clearly.
"Baron Gavin's son?"
This crucial piece of information instantly jolted Roland's memory.
"That's the Mason Darco mentioned... But Darco said Mason had been frail since childhood, even near death. Yet..."
Recalling their encounter at Far Ocean Port, Roland was certain the young man had possessed extraordinary vitality, nothing like someone sickly and weak.
"Could it be the dense negative energy within him at work?"
As Roland pondered this, Hoby's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Mr. Roland, let's keep moving. It's over there..."
The halfling raised his hand, pointing toward a massive ship.
A flag bearing a seashell emblem snapped in the sea wind atop its towering mast.
"Hoby's brother works for the Black Shell Trading Company? He never mentioned that..."
Roland mused inwardly, following Hoby toward the vessel.
Their path was unimpeded.
Upon seeing Hoby, the guards offered no resistance, allowing them to board the deck directly.
Roland glanced around, raising an eyebrow.
This ship was completely different from the one he had taken to the River Domain Nations.
Though equally massive, the deck was bustling not with elegant waiters but with well-equipped sailors.
Even more striking, cannons resembling those from his past life were mounted on both sides of the hull. Their pristine appearance suggested they had been installed recently.
"Yo! Hoby!"
As Roland observed, a slightly raspy voice called out.
Turning, he saw a figure approaching—a halfling of Hoby's height but with an exceptionally muscular build.
The halfling threw an arm around Hoby's shoulders and began vigorously ruffling the halfling's hair.
"Big brother!"
Hoby protested fiercely, but his efforts were futile.
Hearing this, Roland was momentarily taken aback.
Judging by his appearance, he had assumed the halfling was a dwarf.
"You must be Mr. Roland!"
The muscular halfling, with Hoby pinned under his arm, extended a broad hand and grinned heartily.
"Pleased to meet you! My name's Trevor!"
"Hello, Trevor."
Seeing the halfling's friendly demeanor, Roland returned a warm smile and shook his hand.
"You wouldn't believe..."
Seeing Roland's casual demeanor, Trevor immediately released the hobie from his waist and playfully complained, "In the two weeks I was at sea, this little guy sent me over a dozen letters, and your name appeared in them at least a hundred times!"
"Big brother!" Hoby's face flushed crimson as his elder brother revealed this in public.
But Trevor ignored him, continuing, "However, the first time I heard your name wasn't from this kid's letters..."
Before Roland could ask, the cheerful halfling interjected, "Mr. Colin originally assigned me to escort you to the River Domain Nations. But halfway through the voyage, something went wrong at sea, and..."
Trevor burst into laughter. "But it's all for the best! We still got to meet! Maybe it was fate! Now then..."
After a few more casual remarks, Trevor spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. "To thank you for looking after my brother, I've prepared a feast fit for a king! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
"Thank you very much, Mr. Trevor."
"Just call me Trevor!"
As they chatted and laughed, Roland followed the burly halfling toward the ship's cabin. But as they passed a section of the deck, his gaze was riveted by a figure.
"That's..."
Roland narrowed his eyes as he spotted a slender figure among the burly sailors, their striking silver hair shimmering in the sunlight.
"Theresa?"
(End of the Chapter)
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