Over the following days, Ang hardly saw the man in black again. The man appeared neither in the recreation room nor on the airship's deck, as though he had vanished completely. Though Ang still harbored doubts, since the other party was keeping a low profile, he decided not to pursue the matter for now.
Only two days of travel remained before they reached Akreli.
One evening, as Ang was packing in his room, a gentle knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"My lord, the patient from the common cabin has awakened. The captain requests your presence." A crewman's respectful voice came from outside.
Ang frowned slightly and glanced back at Quintina. She set down her wineglass and smiled. "Go on. See if you can get anything interesting out of him."
Ang nodded, then followed the crewman out of the room toward the common cabin.
The common cabin was cramped and dimly lit, packed with onlookers. On the sickbed, a thin man sat half upright, looking around him with obvious unease.
His face was still somewhat pale, clearly not fully recovered, but his eyes were far clearer than before.
When the captain saw Ang arrive, he gave a slight nod before saying to the others, "Lord Ang has some questions. Everyone else, leave first."
The crowd began to disperse, leaving only one crewman standing guard outside the door.
Ang approached the bed, pulled over a chair, and sat across from the man. He studied him with a calm, low voice. "Do you remember who you are?"
When the man saw Ang sit down, he hurriedly tried to rise, but Ang stopped him with a raised hand.
"No need to get up. Speak while seated."
The man nodded gratefully. He took a deep breath, struggled to calm himself, and slowly said, "My