Pillars of Ita

The outer wall of the office on the upper floor of the fortress was simply made of stone slabs with a layer of wooden boards in the middle. As people came and went, dust inevitably rose in the air. The sunlight passed through the dust, as if countless tiny luminous creatures were floating up and down in it.

Ser Gios withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at a star tracker on the pine table. The second copper track returned to its original position after the fourth flip, and the cycle repeated again and again.

Until someone else pushed the door open and replied to him:
"Commander, the things have been delivered as you ordered."

Saier nodded and asked calmly: "Have you told them the time?"

"I have already warned Will that he would not make such a mistake," the man hesitated. "It's just the ship in the bay. If they lie, that female pirate..."

"Don't worry," Sayre said with a look of expectation, "They are not from Corin, I can tell that, but that little girl——"

He smiled and said, "It's interesting."

……

Shortly after the Plover returned, a clerk found them, left them a wooden box, and told them that the tide would recede in Pacus Island in half a day.

"Then," the other party began, "the commander hopes to meet with you again."

Fang He just nodded: "Tell Mr. Sayle that we will be there on time."

"Is the other party reliable?" Luo Yu asked in a low voice.

Fang He nodded silently. Although the Bronze Bell Council put this great explorer on trial, history has mostly given him positive reviews, often crowning him with the titles of integrity and fairness.

Only Elisa, who looked as if she had been seriously ill, was still pale and watched the scene warily. Although she had analyzed Sayre's intentions, she was skeptical about all events that she had not personally participated in.

The two sailors used a crowbar to open the wooden box, and found that it was full of topographic maps of the island, ecological and vegetation distribution, and hydrological data.

"This commander is quite generous." Olivia came over. The bachelor lady did not need permission and took the initiative to read the information page by page.

Fang He glanced at her and shook his head. She was still very interested in these historical documents, just like she was in Kapka.

But he didn't care.

There are also ocean currents, tides, and wind directions on the sea of ​​clouds in Ataria, and there are floating reefs under the clouds. Although the sailors on the sea of ​​clouds have their own names for these materials, the Chosen Ones do not care about so much and only use the terms from Earth.

The information provided by Sayre was indeed very detailed, even including dynamic sea charts, barometers and element gradient distribution maps. However, these things were of little use to Fang He. Two or three centuries were enough for the ether flow near Pacus to change several cycles. The reefs recorded on the map had long disappeared in this era and appeared in other places.

This means that a waterway that was once safe may become fraught with danger hundreds of years later, while a waterway that was fraught with danger in the past may become a thoroughfare again.

Olivia pulled out a page and handed it over. Fang He took a look and found that it was what he needed - the early exploration record of the Salt Bone Fleet in the Drakilim Islands.

"It seems that the commander is quite sincere about this cooperation." Olivia smiled slightly as she looked at the information and said.

Fang He nodded. This record not only contained the accurate date, but also a topographic map of several nearby islands, and even marked the ruins, secret places and even the direction of the streams on the islands.

He took the information, pulled down one side of his goggles, and took out a clockwork fairy from his pocket. Although he agreed to cooperate with Ser Gios, he suddenly thought of another thing:
Ser Gios didn't seem too surprised at their landing on the island.

At this time in history, not many people knew much about the sea area behind the great fault, and most residents in the Gulf region viewed the southern waters as taboo.

In this era, there were only two routes across the continent to reach the eastern region. Either go north and bypass the entire continent, or go through the mountains in the center of the continent.

But both routes were not perfect. The detour route was safe but long, while the route across the continent was blocked by the wild elves of Heimwol. The relationship between the elves guarding the holy land and the Autumn Woods and humans in this era was far from as harmonious as it was later.

Under such circumstances, the Bronze Bell Council had to send fleets again and again to find a safe route to the south.

But this also means that there won't be many ships other than the bay residents in this sea area, unless Sayre has seen other people long before that.

Is it the Imperial?

Fang He released the clockwork fairy to fly around the island. This circular island was not very large. Except for some places in the north, almost all of it was within the flying radius of the clockwork fairy.

According to the depiction on the topographic map, the northern part of the island is almost entirely made up of long cliffs, which is not suitable for ship anchoring. It is not without reason that the Sons of the Bay chose this place for resupply.

The clockwork fairy spent about an hour patrolling the south of the island, but found nothing extra. Fang He even saw the fortress of the Sons of the Bay, which was located on the gentle slope of the foothills.

Only then did he understand why the other party chose to build a fortress there. It seemed that it was to block the road leading to the forest behind. There might be some secret in the mountain. Fang He suspected that it was related to the cooperation between the other party and himself.

After taking back the Clockwork Fairy, he ultimately found no Imperials, or even other outsiders, but flying further north was beyond his control. This was not the first time he felt the inconvenience of not having the Seven Seas Traveler with him.

"Eleusis," Fang He released the duchess. She was much more obedient now, probably because she was afraid that Fang He would lock her up in something again.

But this does not mean that the Duke's attitude is friendly. She just doesn't say a word, which is unusual for her, and no one knows what she is thinking.

"Miss Eleusis," Fang He asked again, not wanting to pursue the previous matter, "You said that the Empire came to hunt you down. What do you know about them?"

"Those are two different groups of people. Didn't you see that?" Eleusis snorted coldly, "That was also a fleet he sent out. He has his own ideas—"

"But who knows what that old man is thinking? Even those close ministers who are with him every day may not be able to guess his thoughts, so how can I know?"

Fang He knew that she was talking about the Emperor.

But this young lady seemed to have no respect for her father at all. Indeed, both father and daughter were thinking about how to get rid of each other. This kind of relationship was really hard to understand for an ordinary person like him.

However, Eleusis said she didn't know, and regardless of whether this lady really didn't know, she could only put aside her suspicion for the time being. Fortunately, Fang He was not a person who would drag his feet, so he just asked again:
"Was there anything that looked like the target where we just flew over?"

Eleusis shook her head. Fang He had just shared the vision of the clockwork fairy with her. She was half a shadow person and was naturally good at it. With Nini here, she was not afraid of any unnecessary intentions from this lady.

"No?" Fang He was not too disappointed. This was pretty much what he expected. "Does that mean it's in the valley guarded by the Son of the Bay?"

That forest was also located below the foothills, and two undulating ridges formed a valley that stretched to the north of the island. His clockwork goblin passed by in that direction and could not get close to see it.

"Probably," Eleusis replied, "but don't worry, as long as I get close to the place, I will be able to recognize it. But don't forget what you promised me."

Fang He did not comment.

……

The clouds soon began to recede, and the people sent by Seer arrived in time to take them to the fortress again.

This time, not only Luo Yu was included in the group, but Elisa also managed to support herself and join them. However, when the great explorer saw them, his eyes did not linger on Luo Yu for long, but instead glanced at Miss Nightingale.

Sayre asked his men to gather in the square. He himself rode on a wingless dragon and spoke to everyone from a high position:
"I don't intend to beat around the bush with you guys."

"I know your goal is the Fountain of Youth, and that spring is indeed on this island. I also happen to know where it is, but not everyone can get close to it. There is a seal on the outside, and I need your help to open this door." Fang He nodded when he heard this. These words were not surprising. It was more like what they expected.

However, his reaction surprised Ser Gios. His eyes moved back and forth between Fang He and the others, and finally stopped on Olivia. He couldn't help but shook his head.

He attributed it to the naivety of youth and took the initiative to explain:

"After opening the seal, I actually had another purpose, but you can rest assured that the Fountain of Youth will be inexhaustible for a period of time, and no one can monopolize it. Therefore, you can take away any share you need, as long as your ship can hold it--"

This explanation was quite straightforward, but Fang He didn't really mind it.

In fact, they were not worried that the Sons of the Gulf had ulterior motives, because it was impossible for them to take anything away from the time turbulence. The cooperation was only to determine the location where the Fountain of Youth had appeared.

Even if Sergios wanted to monopolize everything behind the seal, it wouldn't conflict with them. It would be enough to open the seal and confirm that the fountain of youth was behind it.

They could even leave the time turbulence and return to reality to explore the area themselves, but why bother with someone leading the way?
What's more, the Sons of the Gulf have complete information, even if some of it is outdated, it is much better than knowing nothing at all.

Fang He actually had another purpose, which was to learn from this great explorer about the past of the mysterious floating port and the proof of overlord - Sa-Volastier. After all, that was their original purpose.

He turned to look at Alyssa, and Miss Nightingale nodded slightly to him.

Seeing everyone's agreement, Ser Gios was not a talkative person, so he waved his hand and ordered the team to set off. He didn't bring many people, only about ten people. After all, he was a dragon knight, so he couldn't worry about the threat from Fang He and his group.

These people were actually there for digging, and they all carried a variety of tools, including ropes, shovels and drafts. Fang He guessed that there might be a relic there.

The facts were pretty much as he had imagined. The team walked along the road to the north into the valley and into the forest. After walking for about half an hour, they saw traces of man-made buildings around them.

What surprised Fang He was that the architectural ruins did not look like the common style of the Xinsas snakeman era, but were similar to those he had seen in the north of Egonn Forest.

He recognized them at a glance. These were the remains of the Numelin elves. Tall arcades and broken stone corridors formed walls scattered in the forest. Plant roots grew on them in patches. They were exactly the same as the ruins he had seen in the moonlight.

Dense roots prop up the cracks in the rocks, and ancient time has already left traces of the passing of time.

"That guy didn't lie," Eleusis's voice suddenly sounded beside Fang He's ears, a little excited, "The Fountain of Youth is probably in this place, and these ruins..."

Fang He originally wanted to ask her what happened to these relics, but after thinking about it, he suddenly understood.

It is rumored that Vol-Salastir is related to the technology of the Numerin elves, and the Fountain of Youth is closely related to the floating port, so it is reasonable for the remains of the ancient elves to appear here.

"There is indeed a seal nearby," Eleusis changed the subject, "and it is the work of the real Numelin elves. No wonder they can't unlock it. But it doesn't matter. We can work together. Do you want me to teach you--"

Fang He was too lazy to pay attention to her, and he didn't know who gave this Duke's lady the confidence.

Eleusis smiled mysteriously, "Haha, it seems like you don't take it seriously. I know you know some ancient alchemy, but that is different from sealing after all."

"And I just saw you controlling the clockwork fairy. To be honest, although it's okay, it's full of wild tricks. It seems that you have never received systematic training. I am a mid-level alchemist who has received training in the imperial system."

Fang He finally couldn't help but interrupt the woman: "Intermediate alchemist?"

Eleusis couldn't help but look at Fang He's collar, choking, and said angrily, "Is Hailin Morning Star so great? You Chosen Ones grow fast. If you have the ability, come back and compete in 20 years. At my age, I am considered a genius among geniuses in Attalia."

This is true. Fang He himself knows that he is a self-taught person. Although his basic knowledge of alchemy is solid, he has to rely on himself to explore the direction of combat craftsman.

Although he later studied hard with Ms. Ming for a while, it was just a last-minute cram session after all. Moreover, it was a training camp, and the Queen of Constructs could not possibly give him special training.

Eleusis was born in the Oshur Empire, where magic technology was at its peak. At her age, she was a mid-level alchemist, which made her a genius among geniuses. In addition, she was born into a royal family, so she must know more than the average person.

But Fang He did not believe in Eleusis's identity, and she did not behave in a friendly manner. If it were not for Olivia, this lady would probably still be plotting how to deal with them.

"Are you wary of me? Just because I am on 'their' side now?" Eleusis read something from his eyes and couldn't help feeling a little dissatisfied.

She suddenly sneered, and in a cloud of black mist, she transformed into a girl in a black dress, walking beside Fang He.

Fang He was surprised when he saw this, and subconsciously looked around, only to find that no one except himself seemed to be able to see the Duchess, not even Ser Gios.

Fang He's heart sank. That was a real dragon knight. The shadow people's abilities were really peculiar. No wonder they could control so many people silently.

However, he was surprised in his heart, but did not show it on his face. He just glanced at the other person without making any comment.

"How is it, are you moved? In terms of human appearance, that young lady is far inferior to me," Eleusis said proudly, "What she can give you, I can also give you. Besides, do you really think that her words can be trusted? Even I can't see through her thoughts. She said that she never lies, but what about the truth?"

Fang He shook his head, not knowing where the other party's inexplicable desire to win came from. "At least he is more trustworthy than you, Miss Eleusis."

To be fair, this young duchess is indeed a rare beauty. Among all the people Fang He has seen, only Sylvie can be compared with her.

She had beautiful black hair, a mature charm, and her every move was like that of an imperial lady. But Eleusis had misunderstood, and the relationship between Fang He and Olivia was not what she had imagined.

"You..." Eleusis gritted her teeth, "You don't have to do this. I haven't completely become one of them yet. I dealt with you before just to gain benefits, but now we have common interests."

"You think too much, Miss Eleusis. I just think you are not qualified."

Fang He shook his head, stretched out his hand, and drew a few symbols in the air. Those symbols were derived from a branch of elven alchemy - the method of creation.

Eleusis's face changed, and she was actually stuck for a moment. In fact, Fang He had already seen the quality of the so-called seal below. This seal was indeed huge and complicated, but it was not completely incomprehensible to him.

It was in fact the same seal—he had seen it once before in the moonlit forest.

The sealed ancient colossus and the elven ruins beneath it.

"You are so self-righteous, you will regret it--" Eleusis suddenly became a little exasperated. After all, she really didn't have any ulterior motives this time, she just wanted to get the fountain of youth.

"Do you really think that woman has good intentions? Don't forget who passed the news about the Seven Seas Brigade to the Pivot Flame Oath Court. I can't reveal my whereabouts, so is she not a suspect?"

"And the statue you found on that ship not long ago. I know what that statue means—"

But Fang He suddenly interrupted her.

He looked ahead and saw that the great explorer Ser Gios had stopped in that direction. He pulled the reins to stop the pterosaur under him.

The others also stopped and looked in that direction.

Right in front of the pterosaur, a huge pit that was almost bottomless appeared in front of everyone.

...(End of chapter)