Pillars of Ita

There is no immortality in Ataria. Because in the Age of Green Fall, the dragons used this to deceive people and set off a war that lasted for 312 years, until the last dragon king was killed by the sword and the dwarf king Varit Steelbrow disappeared in the mountains of Solania.

That was the aftermath of the Verdant Starfall, a series of events that followed the catastrophe of the Giant War. The long war left only one motto for the world - never forget the enemy of the past. The fire of Venus will one day fall back into dust, and the ancient enemy will return from the shadows.

Centuries after the war, men still remembered the terror of the dark dragons that soared across the sky, and it seemed as if they still lived under the shadow of their wings.

As a result, word of mouth spread and this was regarded as a serious topic, and anyone who mentioned this topic at that time would be severely interrogated.

The activities of the Dragon Cult at that time also came under the public eye, surviving in the shadows. After several centuries of peace and stability, time healed the scars of the world, and people gradually forgot the fear of the past.

Until the return of the Dragon Witch, Corin-Ishurian was plunged into war again, but all of that was too far away from the Giant Tree Hill, thousands of miles away, not to mention the Gulf region.

Fang He suddenly heard someone talking to him about this topic in a serious tone, and he subconsciously looked up at the commander:

There were wrinkles hidden between the shadows of the other person's furrowed brows, and his gray hair showed that he was no longer young. The man was obviously from the Gulf region, but he had a special temperament.

He is dignified and gentle, and there is an awe-inspiring aura in his conversation.

Fang He couldn't tell whether it was due to the other party's identity as a soldier, or his status, but it was not similar to what he had seen in Su Changfeng. It was as if the other party had been to many places, met many people, and seen many things.

Time has left traces in each other's eyes, but it has also brought wisdom and experience. The man can see through the origins and identities of the young people in front of him with just one glance.

However, just like the feeling he gave to Fang He, these young people in front of him gave the man the same extraordinary feeling. Not long ago, his subordinates told him that a small boat had landed on the island.

But the man never thought that there would be such a group of people on the boat.

Their speech and temperament were not like those of children from ordinary families, nor were they like those of the nobles in the House of Representatives. They said they were from the Elf Court in the Autumn Woods, but they did not have pointed ears.

"Are you Kaolins or Oshus?" the man asked after pondering for a moment.

"We are indeed from Corin," Fang He nodded, "But sir, may I ask why you sent someone to send a message to see us?"

"Purpose?" The man was stunned for a moment and couldn't help laughing. These young men landed on the land of the Sons of the Gulf, so it was natural for him to meet them.

However, these young people were neither humble nor arrogant, and seemed to be of extraordinary status. He did not want to use his power to pressure them, so he just shook his head and did not mention the matter anymore. Instead, he asked: "Are you from Eringlan, Baierto or Rogsel, or are you from the bloodline of Silver Lily?"

Catherine was confused, but Fang He understood:

Needless to say, Eringran is one of the three great wizard bloodlines in the southern border of Corin - Ishurien, and the Silver Lily is actually the royal bloodline of the Corin people, but this statement is quite old. The Corin royal power once suffered a change, declined and revived, and the statement of the Silver Lily blood was gradually buried in history.

However, to this day, the silver lily is still on the emblem of the Corin-Ishurian Craftsmen's Guild, and its roots come from this past history.

Bailt was later divided into two, and its legacy was inherited by Groffinger and Elwin. The former was the origin of the current Southern Phoenix bloodline. These three were the origins of the three major families in the southern part of Corin-Ishurian today.

Grosser is also a name buried in history, and Fang Heke is very familiar with this name.

After all, he had met an heir of this family in Dorifen.

Another Avenger from it was seen in Castle Emmaus.

That history has become a whimper in the cold wind of the Scepter Coast this morning, but before the holy sword Moya was broken and before its mistress died, the name may have come from the once-prominent existence of an ancient tower.

But is the information of the Gulf people so outdated? Why do they only mention outdated titles? Fang He couldn't help but feel a little confused.

Moreover, the other party seemed to be quite familiar with the old aristocratic era of Corin-Ishurian. Could it be that he regarded them as descendants of the nobility?
However, he shook his head and did not intend to lie. "I am not a native of Ataria, but a Chosen One. Except for this young lady, she is from the White Tree Society."

"The Chosen One?" However, the man's eyes were more focused on Olivia, and he found the rumors about the society in his memory. "So you are from Silverwind Harbor?"

Fang He nodded, "You can say that."

But the man pointed at Catherine behind the two of them and said, "But this lady is not, right? If I am not mistaken, she is a pirate on the empty sea. If she didn't tell you about this, then you two should be careful of your 'companions'. But if you are in the same group, then you need an explanation."

As he spoke, the two guards behind him had already put their hands on the firearms at their waists, which was a magic pistol. Fang He then noticed that the pistol was also an antique, more like a collection than a weapon.

The commander's taste is truly unique.

However, he did not expect that the other party could see Catherine's identity at a glance. What a sharp eye. Although most pirates on the sky sea had their own habits, Catherine had followed them for so long that she had long since gotten rid of her past identity.

"Commander," Fang He replied, "She has lost her ship and is no longer a pirate. She is merely employed by us."

"Hire a pirate," the man couldn't help but shake his head, not knowing whether he was commenting on Fang He's boldness or heartlessness. "Pirates are all fickle guys. Aren't you really worried that she has other intentions?"

Catherine was indifferent because the man's evaluation was quite accurate and she thought she was the same kind of person.

However, Fang He's words "she lost her ship" still convinced the other party. A pirate who lost his ship is no different from a stray dog.

The hatred between pirates is often greater than that between them and the local navy. Pirates who have lost their ships often have to guard against being hunted down by their enemies.

Although they are all pirates, the relationship between pirates is not harmonious.

His judgment of Catherine was quite accurate, because the latter was also seeking shelter in the Seven Seas Brigade itself, and only in this way would they temporarily lose their minions.

Although he didn't trust the pirates who had lost their minions, he didn't intend to interfere too much among these young people. It was a personal choice and he had no right to interfere.

"But I can't allow a pirate to explore my territory," the man said. "Although I don't know who told you that the Fountain of Youth is here, as a guest, I can allow you to move freely on the island."

He pointed to Catherine, "But this lady must remain in this place."

"I can stay." Catherine didn't care. She and the Salt Bone Fleet were old rivals. Although they were active in different areas, they had fought more than once.

"That's not what I meant," but the commander shook his head. "As a pirate, she must be punished accordingly, so this lady must stay here until she receives a fair trial."

"This is impossible."

Fang He and Catherine spoke at the same time.

Catherine was like a cat with its fur standing on end, with one hand already reaching for her weapon. Before entering this place, the guards did not collect their weapons, as if they were unnecessary.

But Fang Yu stretched out his hand to stop her first, "She is my employee, sir, you have no right to keep her."

The situation was tense. Two guards had already drawn their magic pistols and pointed them at them. But before the commander could speak, a sharp voice came from the ceiling:

"Haha, now you guys have to wait for a 'fair trial' too. It's really tit-for-tat. I thought you were so righteous?"

Fang He broke out in a cold sweat.

That voice was obviously that of Eleusis - this woman, he now deeply hated himself for not getting rid of her in the first place. This arrogant woman was indeed a fool.

She really didn't consider the occasion at all. He knew when this time bomb would explode, but he didn't expect it to be in such a situation.

"Who is there?"

The man raised his head and looked in that direction very seriously. His aura became astonishing and his eyes became sharp. He had never acted so solemn when he pointed out Catherine's identity before.

"That's my dragon soul."

Olivia coughed lightly, "Sir, she has not yet fully awakened, so she seems a little... jumpy." The man retracted his momentum and withdrew his hand on the hilt of the sword, his eyes moving back and forth between her and Catherine.

"But I smell the breath of darkness," he said. "Who asked you to find the Fountain of Eternal Life? You don't look like their believers, but what you say is not entirely true."

Fang Plover couldn't move.

Catherine behind him was like a kitten with its fur smoothed out. She didn't dare to get angry at all and was looking at the man in front of her with a look of doubt and surprise.

They were all too familiar with the aura that just erupted from the commander—he was actually a genuine dragon knight.

But the two of them looked at each other in bewilderment. When did the Bay Area have a dragon knight? The power balance of the entire Giant Tree Hill would be rewritten.

What kind of existence is a dragon knight? There are only three dragon knights in the Elven Court in the First World, and one of them does not obey the orders of the Autumn Forest.

Before the fall of the former Silverwind Harbor Council, there were only four dragon knights in the First World, including the Guild Alliance. That's why they had to dispatch troops from the First and Fourth Divisions when dealing with the Sea Witch.

But only Olivia didn't seem surprised by this. Instead, she took the initiative to answer, "Most dragons have been tainted by the aura of darkness, but you should be able to tell that this is not a dark dragon."

"The Fountain of Youth is related to the curse in the dragon's blood. We are not here to find it in order to gain eternal life. As far as I know, the spring water does not have such magical power."

The young lady replied softly, "We intend to use the power of that spring water to purify this dark aura, if it really exists in this place."

Fang He was confused. Was this their purpose? To purify the dark aura from Eleusis?

Does the dark aura still need to be purified? The shadow man itself comes from the world of withering, so the dark aura on it is of course different from that of the dark dragon, because the two are completely different things.

But what would be left after the dark power in the shadow person was purified? Wouldn't purification be almost like torture? If that were the case, it would be better to just kill the lady.

Eleusis was obviously also planning to express her opinion, but Fang He suddenly thought of something and immediately ordered Fang Nini to take action and tie up the lady.

Fortunately, this lightning-fast transformation occurred in the spiritual world. Even though the commander was a real dragon knight, he could not detect what Fang He was thinking.

This arrogant duchess was like a mouse seeing a cat when she saw Fang Nini, "You, you, you..." She looked like she saw a ghost, her eyes widened.

Eleusis almost screamed - isn't this a giant dark dragon! ?

Is there no one to take care of it? A dark dragon has resurrected from the dead! The fire of Venus fell into dust, and the old enemy has returned. She finally understood what she had encountered in Fang He's spiritual world before.

But what about people?
Someone, help! But Fang Nini didn't care about that. She just grabbed the lady's skirt and pulled her down, stuffing her into a clockwork fairy.

The Duchess didn't even have time to let out a scream.

After the commander heard what Olivia said, there was indeed a thoughtful look in his eyes, but his gaze shifted to the side and subconsciously fell on the clockwork fairy in Fang He's hand that was holding Eleusis.

The man was startled. "Wait a minute," he stopped Fang He from taking back the clockwork fairy and pointed at the little thing and said, "I know this thing. Is it called a clockwork fairy?"

He looked at Fang He, "Are you an alchemist?"

Fang He subconsciously glanced at his blue-gray coat and the Hailin Morning Star on his collar. Wasn't his identity obvious? Was there any need to ask?
But Olivia spoke before him: "Yes, he is an alchemist from the Erwin family, and his research topic is exactly the direction of combat craftsman."

The man shook his head. "You didn't tell the truth completely, especially you, a bachelor from the academy." He pointed at Fang He, "This boy is much more honest than you. It's not good for a girl to lie."

Olivia blushed, but the commander continued, "It doesn't matter. Everyone has some secrets, and I don't care where you come from. You're right. You should have nothing to do with them. That's enough."

He looked at Fang He again, and Fang He was a little confused - what were 'they'? He had already come to his senses, and this conversation was obviously a little abnormal:
Especially the conversation between Olivia and the other party - why did she say that she was from the Erwin family? This was an obvious lie, and the other party saw it at a glance.

And what does it mean that the research topic is in the direction of combat craftsmen?

Considering all the strange things in the other party's words and actions that had struck him as strange, a bold hypothesis was already emerging.

However, this idea was a bit too far-fetched, so he didn't dare to confirm it at the first time.

At this time, the man continued: "But even if you are not from Erwin, you should have some relationship with Kingfisher Workshop. After all, they are the only ones who have gone the furthest on this road." He looked at the clockwork fairy in Fang He's hand, "You can use this thing, maybe we can talk about it-"

Fang He looked at the other party in confusion. Can the Riddler get out of Etalia?
Fortunately, the man didn't seem to be planning to play dumb with them. Instead, he looked at Catherine on the side and said, "Aren't you going to save this lady? It's not that I can't make a compromise. Besides, you plan to look for the Fountain of Youth on this island. I can make it easier for you."

"But what is the price?" Fang He asked.

"Every secret of this island cannot escape my eyes," the man replied, "I guess the spring you are looking for, if it really exists, can only be behind that place. And that - that happens to be our goal, so if you agree to cooperate with me, I will take you to that place."

He shook his head. "Otherwise, even if you search every inch of land on this island, you probably won't find what you want. And if you agree, I will also pardon this lady."

Catherine moved her lips, wanting to retort, but considering the other party's status, she didn't say anything at the last minute. She was not like Eleusis, who would hit her head against an iron wall.

"Sir," Fang He said. Although the other party's proposal was very convincing, he knew that there was often a huge trap hidden under such proposals. "What I want to know is why you suddenly changed your mind, just because I have the ability of an alchemist?"

But as far as he knew, even three or four centuries ago, alchemists or craftsmen were not rare in the Gulf region.

There couldn't possibly be not a single alchemist in the Saltbone Fleet.

What he needed to confirm was whether the other party's proposal was consistent with his idea. The man looked at him carefully and nodded, "You are very smart. There are many craftsmen here, but not many have studied the fairy route."

"I have a guess," he said, "opening the door to that place may be related to the technical route of Kingfisher Workshop. After all, it is derived from their craftsmanship."

"It's a pity that I never had the chance to verify my guess. I didn't expect that the goddess of fate would bring you all to me. It's hard to say that this isn't a coincidence."

"So I think opening that door might be an opportunity for both of us to find what we each want."

The man paused for a moment, "So this is not a trap, but an invitation. So don't you want to find the legendary fountain of eternal life that can lift the dragon blood curse?"

Fang He fell silent.

He no longer cared about what the door the other party was referring to. He turned around and looked at Olivia, and the bachelor lady was smiling at him.

She obviously understood that Fang He had guessed it. His previous words and the question he asked had actually verified his guess.

"I agree," Fang He nodded and said, "Sir, my name is Ed, and as a collaborator -"

"Ser Gios," the commander interrupted him, "I will not hide my identity from my collaborators. Besides, I thought you should have known my identity long ago, otherwise you would not have gone to this place."

Sure enough.

Fang He took a deep breath. He never thought that he would encounter such a situation. He was Ser Gios, an explorer who was active three hundred years ago.

According to the records of the Bronze Bell Council, he had indeed led the council's fleet and took the Salt Bone warship to the fault sea in the turbulent zone.

With only one purpose in mind, to find another route to Silver Wind Harbor.

This is a story that happened in the year 784, and it should be the summer of that year.

...(End of chapter)