Lord: I can see loyalty.

The speedboat quickly set sail, and Vio stood at the bow, letting the sea breeze fill his robes, his eyes fixed on the distant sea.

Behind him, old Ballow skillfully steered the ship, a homemade pipe dangling from his mouth, occasionally squinting at the distant sea.

"Your Excellency, how long have you known Miss Timothy?" Old Barlow suddenly asked, his tone casual as if he were discussing the weather.

Vio didn't turn around, but he still spoke up. He knew that these sailors wouldn't stay idle.

"Not long."

"That's really strange." Old Ballow chuckled, revealing his few chipped yellow teeth. "That lady is usually indifferent to everyone, but this time she actually asked me to lead the way for you. I've been with her for over ten years, and I've never seen her care about anyone like this before."

Vio didn't reply, but a slight smile played on his face as he turned away.

Old Barlow didn't seem to care and continued talking to himself, "She wasn't like this when she was little."

"When her father was still alive, he was a big merchant in the West and also a pirate. A few of us old hands started working for him back then. At that time, Lord Timothy was just a little girl with a ponytail, running around the docks all day, always smiling at everyone."

"And then?" Vio finally asked.

"And then?" Old Ballow's smile faded slightly. "Then the old Earl of the West died, and several other great pirates began to show themselves. Her father also died in an attack by the other pirates."

"Lady Timothy changed overnight. With the two swords left by her father, she single-handedly stormed into the pirate den where her father had been killed, killed seventeen men, and reclaimed her own fleet."

He exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze somewhat distant. "From then on, she never gave us a kind look again. At least, we old hands haven't seen her in a long time."

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

Vio was silent for a moment, then turned to look at old Ballow. "So, you've been following her for a long time?"

"Thirty years." Old Barlow grinned. "I've been with her since her father's generation. When her father was alive, I sailed the boat for him. After her father died, I sailed the boat for her. I've only ever been loyal to this family for the rest of my life."

He didn't say anything more, but took a deep drag on his pipe, then gestured forward, "My Lord Earl, we've arrived."

Vio turned around and followed his gaze.

On the sea, a small island is slowly emerging from the morning mist.

The island is small, with jagged reefs along its edges. Waves crash against the rocky walls, splashing up bursts of white spray.

Further in is a dense forest, with layers of canopies that block out most of the sunlight. At the very top is a bare rocky hill, where several seabirds are circling on the cliff face, emitting somewhat frightening cries.

"This is Broken Reef Island," Old Barlow explained. "It's about ten nautical miles from the West Coast, not far, but not close either. There's nothing of value on the island. Occasionally, fishermen from the sea come up to rest, but usually very few people come."

Vio nodded, his gaze sweeping across the entire island.

Indeed, an island of this size could not possibly be inhabited by large marine mammals; those behemoths would require deeper waters and more abundant food sources.

"Where are the sea creatures?" he finally asked.

Old Ballow laughed, "There definitely aren't any here. It's too close to the western border, and the resources aren't plentiful enough. Sea creatures wouldn't make their home in a place like this."

He pointed towards the center of the island, "But there are a few of my old friends on this island. They are all veterans who have spent their lives dealing with the sea. They have been active in this area for many years and know the traces of sea monsters better than anyone else. Let's go ask them, and I guarantee we'll find the big one."

Vio looked in the direction he was pointing, and at the edge of the woods in the center of the island, he could vaguely see the outlines of several wooden houses.

The roof was made of thatch and bark, and the walls were made of rough wooden planks; it looked simple but sturdy.

"Let's dock," he said.

Old Barlow responded, adjusted the sails, and the speedboat slowly steered towards a narrow waterway among the reefs. The old sailor's boat handling skills were indeed superb; as it navigated through the jagged reefs, the boat hardly swayed.

The boat docked, Vio jumped onto the rocks, and old Ballow followed closely behind. The two walked along a path half-covered by weeds toward the island.

The island is very quiet.

And it was unusually quiet.

Vio frowned slightly as he noticed several broken branches in the roadside bushes. The cuts were fresh, as if they had been broken by something.

There were some messy marks on the ground, not footprints, but more like ruts left by some heavy object being dragged.

"Old Ballow," he said in a low voice.

Old Barlow also sensed something was wrong. He stopped, his smile vanished, replaced by the wariness characteristic of an old sailor.

"Your Excellency, be careful, it's a bit too quiet." He lowered his voice. "At this hour, they should be out drying nets and repairing boats. Even if they've gone out to sea, someone should stay home."

Vio didn't speak, but simply closed his eyes and began to slowly circulate his breathing.

The enhanced perception he gained from the peak of the second stage of the breathing technique was quite exaggerated.

He heard the cries of seabirds in the distance, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, and the rustling of the wind through the treetops.

But beneath those sounds, he also caught something else.

A heavy, slow breathing sound, still damp with seawater.

It's clearly not human.

"Be careful." He opened his eyes, his hand already gripping the hilt of the Southern Will sword.

Before the words were even finished, a loud bang came from the woods in the center of the island!

"boom--!"

A large tree snapped in half, its crown crashing to the ground, sending up a cloud of broken leaves and dust.

Then, a huge figure burst out of the forest and pounced straight in their direction!

The creature was as tall as two people, covered in dark blue scales that gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light.

Its head was flat, like a squashed snake, and its two eyes gleamed with a ghostly green light, its vertical pupils filled with savagery.

It ran with its strong limbs supporting it on the ground, each step making the ground tremble. Behind it trailed a long tail with a bone spike at the tip, which cut through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Blood still clung to the corner of its mouth, and tattered strips of cloth were stuck between its teeth.

This thing looks just like the lizard Vio knew!

Old Barlow's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"It's a reef dragon!" he hissed. "How did this thing get here?!"

Vio did not answer. His gaze passed over the monster and landed on the ravaged woods behind it.

There, several wooden houses had been reduced to ruins, with broken planks and thatch scattered all over the ground.

Bloodstains stretched from the ruins all the way to the monster's feet, leaving a long, gruesome trail.

His eyes turned cold.

"Old Ballow, you may step back now."

"My Lord Earl..."

"Step back."

Old Ballow gritted his teeth and staggered back towards the sea.

The reef lizard seemed to sense a threat, its eerie green vertical pupils locking onto Vio, and it opened its massive maw full of sharp teeth, letting out a low growl.

A foul stench filled the air, carrying a strong smell of blood.

Vio slowly drew the Southern Will, the blade gleaming with purple patterns of magic ore in the sunlight.

"You've come at the perfect time."

Lords: I Can See Loyalty is full of classic quotes; come find resonance here.