Zorro?

Later that day, Evan received his Captain's uniform. Although it only had the simplest epaulets added, it was a qualitative leap compared to the uniforms of Ensigns and ordinary soldiers.

At the urging of Gary and a few familiar Sailors on board, the group went to a decent tavern in Gabreid City to celebrate Evan.

If Gell hadn't left Gabreid two days ago, tonight would have been a celebration banquet involving the entire crew of the Silver Wing.

"Cheers!"

"Boss, you can't drink any more Butter Beer. It doesn't have any alcohol in it; it's for kids."

"Right, right, drink this Bacardi. My father said only the strongest Rum is worthy of the bravest men on the sea."

"Hahaha..."

Amidst the clinking of glasses, they were all young men who had performed well on the Silver Wing. Their similar ages allowed them to relax at the table, with no obvious hierarchy. This was also related to Evan always being approachable.

If Gell or the First Mate, Perry, were here, the atmosphere would definitely not be like this.

Meanwhile, dozens of kilometers away from Gabreid, in another inland city, a grand wine party was also being held.

The resplendent manor, illuminated by countless lanterns, was as bright as day. Wines and delicacies from all over the world filled the air with fragrance, while ladies and socialites danced with guests on the dance floor, indulging in pleasure.

Such a luxurious party was, of course, not for trivial matters.

"Colonel, it's been a pleasure doing business with you!" The host, Earl Stuark, raised his wine glass and lightly clinked it with the tall, upright grey-haired officer, clearly in a very good mood.

"Earl, it's been a pleasure doing business with you!" The grey-haired officer returned a smile. The transaction was completed smoothly, with both parties getting what they needed, and he was also very satisfied.

After dealing with a round of necessary social niceties, Gell stood by the tall floor-to-ceiling window of the manor, holding a wine glass, and quietly looked in the direction of Gabreid.

"The items I ordered from the logistics department should have arrived by now, right? Although the Fledgling is still a bit immature, it has already shown its potential to fight the sky. Forman, your son is excellent, and it's time for him to take another step on the Extraordinary Path... I hope everything goes smoothly."

Evan's celebration party, though simple, was clearly more heartfelt and was also coming to an end. As they walked out of the tavern, everyone's relationship had clearly become closer.

Slightly tipsy from the strong Bacardi, the Sailors, with their arms around each other, staggered towards the harbor.

At this moment, whether due to admiration for Evan's own abilities or influenced by his officer status, Evan was naturally surrounded in the center.

The admiration from everyone made this guy, who had only ever been a class monitor in his previous life, feel a bit elated.

"Heh, I guess I'm just a common man."

"Huh?"

"Boss, am I seeing things? I think I just saw someone jump off a Supply Ship." As the group returned to the Naval Port, Gary, somewhat drunk and with unfocused eyes, pointed at a transport ship in the distance and yelled.

The Sailors followed his gaze.

It was indeed a Supply Ship that had just docked when they left. Perhaps it was too unsafe to operate at night, so it was moored there without unloading.

A shadowy figure carrying a black cloth bundle was stealthily sliding down the rope that the transport ship had tied to the mooring bollard. It was likely too late, and there were very few people still active on the dock, and the rotating guards hadn't noticed him at all.

"It's a thief!"

"Charge! I, we'll catch him together!"

Someone in the group, with a slurred voice, shouted, and seven or eight people spontaneously rushed forward in a swarm.

The sneaky figure, startled by the sudden rush of people, abandoned all pretense of stealth, jumped off the rope, and took to his heels.

"Don't run!"

"Thief, stop..."

Ignoring the Sailors' shouts, the figure was agile and extremely fast, quickly slipping to the outer edge of the port area and disappearing into the maze of residential buildings. In an instant, he vanished into the winding alleys.

"Strange fellow!"

Evan, who had already activated his Data Vision, had seen part of the shadow's attributes. The clearly displayed Agility attribute of 0.76 proved that this guy was also an experienced Apprentice-level Extraordinary person.

But it was strange that such an Apprentice Knight would not only steal from a Supply Ship but also choose to flee when pursued by a group of ordinary Sailors instead of fighting.

As for Evan himself, he was confident he could deal with these drunken Sailors before the patrol arrived and leave openly.

Whoosh--

Now was not the time to ponder the thief's thoughts. Evan also accelerated instantly and rushed forward. The low walls and houses in the residential area posed no obstacle to him.

The chase entered its latter half.

Most of the Sailors, strong but essentially ordinary people, had gradually fallen behind. Gary, who was a bit drunk and not a speed-type player, also fell behind and got lost in the narrow alleys.

Only Evan was left to keep up with the "thief."

Perhaps realizing that only Evan was following, the shadow also slowed down. As they passed a small stone bridge, it leaped down lightly, landing on the dry riverbed during the dry season.

Clatter--

"Is the Navy's treatment so good now? That it's worth you chasing me halfway across the city, young Captain?"

When Evan followed him down the stone bridge, he found the shadow standing there leisurely, with a composed demeanor, showing no signs of being a thief.

It was only then that Evan had a chance to see the figure's face.

He was wearing a black cloak, a black-brimmed round hat, and a black eye covering covered his eyes. A Swift Sword was sheathed at his waist, giving him the appearance of the legendary rogue "Zorro."

"It would be great if you, Mr. Thief, could understand my hard work. Please return the items. It's so late, and everyone should go home and get some sleep. Wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?"

Evan didn't think this sneaky fellow was his opponent, and his tone was very relaxed. Considering he had decent combat skills and didn't harm the ordinary sailors, Evan figured he could let him go if the stolen goods were returned.

"Hahaha, interesting! When did the Navy get such an interesting fellow like you?" Zorro was slightly taken aback to hear such words from Evan. Then, a smile of great interest appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"You want it? Very simple! This item isn't very useful to me, but it's very precious to some people.

If you can beat me, I'll give it to you. You can do whatever you want with it, how about it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw the package he was carrying onto the ground. The Swift Sword at his waist was unsheathed like lightning, and he lunged at Evan.

His black cloak flew up, looking like a giant bat swooping down in the night. His moves were sharp and swift, clearly indicating he was skilled in swordsmanship!

Evan's physical condition had been thoroughly honed to its peak through continuous battles. It could be said that with just one more potion, Evan would have a hundred percent certainty of successfully advancing to Formal Knight.

Before advancing, encountering a veteran Apprentice Knight who also focused on agility was something Evan didn't mind playing along with.

Facing Zorro's pounce, a cold glint flashed at Evan's waist as his fine Bastard Sword was drawn.

To ordinary people, the difference between a Bastard Sword and a Swift Sword was huge, in terms of weight, purpose, and the swordsmanship suitable for them. Bastard Swords were heavier and more common on the battlefield, while Swift Swords were lighter and more often seen in duels.

However, in the hands of beings like them, who were already halfway to being non-human, the type of longsword had little impact on the execution of their swordsmanship.

The sword light turned into a silver streak of lightning, and Evan met him head-on without backing down.

Whoosh--

Whoosh--

The two figures seemed to merge into the night wind, almost simultaneously turning into blurs as they chased and clashed under the bridge.

The battle immediately entered a white-hot stage. Yet, amidst the intense fighting, the blades of their longswords miraculously never touched. It was like a waltz on a dance floor, as if they possessed an astonishing synchronization.

"Secret Esoteric Truth: Round Step!"

"Sword Form: Drifting Skiff!"

In the next moment, both of them simultaneously used a Secret Esoteric Truth from their respective swordsmanship styles. They attacked and defended rapidly. To onlookers, only two figures could be seen; their footsteps couldn't even be followed, let alone the crisscrossing, whistling sword light that had turned into a pure white blur.

The high-intensity sword fight had lasted for a minute. Evan had roughly figured out this "Mr. Zorro's" patterns, and the stalemate was instantly broken.

"Clang--!"

Evan, at the cost of taking a dangerous half-step forward into the opponent's sword range, used his strong sword body to block Zorro's weaker sword body. He twisted his longsword and thrust!

A hundred years ago, the Sword Saint Denair created a new concept in swordsmanship. Swordsmen no longer attacked and defended in separate moves; instead, they combined offense and defense within a single move. While receiving an attack, they would cleverly counter the opponent's move, delivering a fatal blow.

This was also the concept absorbed by "White Sail Swordsmanship."

"Screech--!"

In a flash, when they could see the two figures clearly again, they had already separated. Unlike Evan, who stood calmly and composed, Zorro directly turned and accelerated, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

"I'll remember you! The item is yours, I'll come back to spar again next time..."

Evan heard Zorro's forced calm message from afar and curled his lip, ignoring it directly.

What was the difference between this and the standard villain's line, "I'll be back!"?

Sheathing his sword, he picked up the package Zorro had dropped earlier. Since the stolen "loot" had been recovered, Evan lost any interest in pursuing further.

It wasn't just because of Zorro's "mercy" towards the Navy sailors at the beginning, but also because after their exchange, Evan discovered that this guy actually used a rather impressive "Rose Swordsmanship."

Cough, "Rose Swordsmanship" might not sound like much, but in the Faletis Kingdom, it had a more resounding name, which was the famous... Court Swordsmanship!