Growing Patterns

Angel looked out in puzzlement. It was the first time he had heard such a tremendous horn since coming to Sea Moon City. Had some emergency occurred?

The bookstore owner also walked to the window, pinching his neatly groomed handlebar mustache as he squinted toward Vichy Harbor. "Oh? So merchant ships from the outer continent have arrived.

Heh heh, it seems the sea route through Whisker Whale Sea has completely thawed. Once those cargo ships finish unloading, things will get lively."

Having said that, the owner instructed his clerk to hurry to Vichy Harbor and keep watch. His was not the only bookstore in the city; whoever wanted to secure finer sources of goods would have to rely on their own abilities.

"The sea route through Whisker Whale Sea has opened? Then... ships from the Prosperous Continent will be coming? Or rather, they've already come." Angel gazed silently into the distance, carrying a sliver of hope in his heart, along with a touch of melancholy.

After a while, a smile returned to Angel's face. He set aside those unnecessary thoughts and began looking through the books in the crates.

What made Angel raise his brows was that most of the books in the three crates were rare parchment-roll editions. Although the parchment was clearly of poor quality at a glance, most mainstream parchment-roll rarities were kept by noble families. It was only natural for privately made parchment among commoners to be somewhat inferior.

The bookstore owner had wrapped every book tightly, just as he had said, leaving no concern of mold stains. Seeing that it was still early, Angel simply sat down and leafed through them one by one.

The sands of time continued to fall. When the floating clouds at the meeting of sea and sky were dyed sunset-red, and gray-white seagulls returned to the reefs, dusk descended over all of Sea Moon City. Only then did Angel rise, patting the fine dust from his trouser legs before pointing at one of the wooden crates and saying to the bookstore owner, "Please send the books in this crate to the Glory Crown of the Bounty Guild."

The most luxurious inn on the entire northern coast was none other than the Glory Crown. How could the bookstore owner not have heard of it? He immediately ordered his clerk to carry the crate and follow Angel.

Books were expensive to begin with, and Angel had bought so many this time that he had spent a full thirty gold coins—almost equivalent to ten years of income for a family of four. Even Angel felt the sting, but when he thought that books were knowledge, and knowledge could be turned into money, he felt relieved... though he knew himself that it was merely an excuse to comfort himself.

Along the way, Angel clearly sensed the excitement of the crowds around him. Every face bore an expression of joy. The reopening of Whisker Whale Sea officially marked an auspicious beginning for this year's sea trade.

By the time he returned to the inn, the sun had completely sunk beyond the end of the sea. A faint rosy glow still lingered along the coastline, while Sea Moon City had already fallen beneath the curtain of night.

Before Angel could even enter, the door directly opposite opened, and Moro and the Alan siblings walked toward him.

"I've just received word that cargo ships from the Prosperous Continent have reached Sea Moon Strait. They'll arrive at Vichy Harbor tomorrow morning. Sort out what you plan to take tonight. We'll board the ship at noon tomorrow." Moro glanced at the bookstore clerk following Angel, then at the entire crate of books, and said with a smile, "You were prepared. Buying some books is good. We'll be on the ship for nearly half a year, and reading can help pass the time along the way."

After saying that, Moro turned to his two grandchildren. "You two should go back and pack your luggage as well. Starting tomorrow, your comfortable lives will bid you farewell."

Beneath the bright moonlight, Sea Moon City gradually quieted, gently soothed by the tender glow. Angel stood before the balcony and looked southward, his thoughts twisting through countless turns. In the end, he merely shook his head, bidding farewell to his carefree past.

A night bird sliced across the sky. Vichy Harbor, bustling for an entire day, finally fell completely silent after midnight.

The tranquil harbor was black as pitch. Only a few wooden posts held two or three oil lamps that were nearly burnt out.

Then, from a small boat tucked away in a corner, a shadow suddenly passed through the faint lamplight. In that fleeting flash, it could be seen that the figure was dressed all in black, their entire body concealed.

The figure in black ran swiftly and soon left Vichy Harbor. Along the way, they kept to roads untouched by lamplight. By the moonlight, one could see only a pair of gleaming green eyes; beyond that, there were no other distinguishing features.

The figure in black was like a lone wolf running through the night—silent and soundless, untouched by the smoke and fire of the mortal world, yet possessing speed comparable to a cheetah.

Just as the figure in black reached Sea Moon City's central district, she suddenly gave a soft "Eh?" and halted her swift steps.

That quiet exclamation carried a pleasant cadence. It was unmistakably a woman's voice!

"Strange. Why do I sense a trace of the Phantom Demon's aura? Could it be that the Guman King has reached an agreement with the people of Savage Cave?" Fear flickered in the black-clad woman's eyes. If the Phantom Demon had truly arrived, then the moment they came face-to-face, she would surely be doomed beyond redemption. "Damn it, it's just a lousy hat, yet he's chased me for two whole years!... Could that crown have some other special quality beyond symbolizing imperial authority?"

The black-clad woman did not dare think further. She looked in the direction of the Phantom Demon's aura, shuddered all over, then fled in the opposite direction without looking back.

The direction she had looked toward was precisely where the Bounty Guild stood.

Under the gentle moonlight, Angel closed his eyes in sleep. His hand unconsciously scratched at his back, and his sleeping expression was filled with pain.

No one saw the glowing green pattern slowly spread from a tiny point near Angel's shoulder blade. Like a vine, it extended bit by bit...

Angel was awakened by Moro's knocking.

Still carrying a trace of fatigue, Angel opened the door and saw Moro in a black robe, with the neatly dressed Alan siblings behind him.

Angel froze for a moment. Why were they up so early?

Irene's answer in the next moment dispelled his confusion. "Brother Pat, we've already eaten lunch. Why are you still not up?"

They had already eaten lunch? Angel's mind went blank for a moment. If he remembered correctly, Moro had said yesterday that they were to board the ship at noon today?

A flash of embarrassment crossed Angel's face. His thoughts turned, and after coughing twice, he said, "Sorry, I packed my luggage too late last night, so... please wait a moment. I'll be out right away."

After saying that, Angel shut the door before they could react.

Looking at the tightly closed door, Moro said nothing. He led the puzzled Irene and the indifferent Alan downstairs.

Seeing the bustling scene outside the window, Angel finally realized that he had truly overslept. Without time to ponder why, he hurriedly washed up.

It was only after he had dressed properly and had a servant carry his luggage away that Angel began to ponder in confusion.

Yesterday, he had gone to bed at his usual time, so why had he slept until broad daylight before someone woke him? For Angel, who had always placed great importance on time, this was an unprecedented occurrence.

Angel thought it over for a long time, only vaguely feeling that he seemed not to have slept peacefully last night. His back had felt terribly itchy, as though ants were crawling through the blood vessels beneath his skin, bringing a torturous itch and an indescribable burning pain.

Could his failure to wake up be related to that?

Angel unconsciously reached back and scratched, but felt nothing unusual at all.

Was it an illusion?

Even after meeting up with Moro and the others, Angel reached no conclusion. He could only let it go and attribute everything to mental exhaustion.