Zorro?

Later that day, Evan received his captain's uniform. Though it only had the simplest shoulder insignia added, it was already qualitatively different from the uniforms of warrant officers and ordinary soldiers.

Urged on by Gary and several sailors he knew well aboard the ship, the group went to a fairly decent tavern in Gabreid to celebrate Evan together.

If Gell had not left Gabreid temporarily the day before yesterday, tonight's celebration should have involved the entire crew of the Silver Wing.

"Cheers!"

"Boss can't keep drinking Butter Beer. There's actually no alcohol in that stuff at all—it's for children."

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

"Hahaha..."

Amid clinking glasses and boisterous drinking, they were all young people who had performed well aboard the Silver Wing. Being around the same age, they had no reservations at the table and showed no obvious divide between superiors and subordinates. That also had something to do with Evan never putting on airs.

If Gell or First Mate Perry had been here, there would definitely not have been this sort of atmosphere.

At the same time, a grand reception was also underway in another inland city dozens of kilometers from Gabreid.

The resplendent manor was illuminated by countless oil lamps, making it as bright as day. Fine wines and delicacies from all over the world filled the air with their fragrance, while noble ladies, socialites, and guests swayed across the dance floor in indulgent revelry.

Such a lavish reception was naturally not being held over some trivial matter.

"Colonel, a pleasure doing business with you!" Earl Stuark, the host of the gathering, raised his glass and lightly clinked it against that of the tall, upright gray-haired officer. He was clearly in an excellent mood.

"Earl, a pleasure doing business with you!" The gray-haired officer returned the smile. The transaction had gone smoothly, and both parties had gotten what they wanted. He was equally satisfied.

After dealing with the necessary round of social formalities, Gell stood before the manor's towering floor-to-ceiling windows with a glass in hand, quietly looking in Gabreid's direction.

"The things I ordered from the logistics department should have arrived by now, right? Though the young eagle is still somewhat immature, it has already revealed its fierce spirit in battling the skies. Forman, your son is exceptional. It is time for him to take another step forward on the Extraordinary Path... I hope everything goes smoothly."

Evan's modest but clearly more heartfelt celebration also came to an end. Once they stepped out of the tavern, everyone seemed noticeably closer than before.

Having drunk strong Bacardi, the slightly tipsy sailors slung their arms around one another's shoulders and staggered toward the harbor.

At this moment, whether out of admiration for Evan's abilities or because of his status as an officer, Evan naturally found himself surrounded in the middle.

The crowd's admiration made this guy, who had only ever been a class officer in his previous life, feel somewhat carried away.

"Heh, I guess I'm just an ordinary man too."

"Huh?"

"Boss, are my eyes playing tricks on me? I think I just saw someone jump down from that Supply Ship." The moment the group returned to the naval port, Gary, his drunken eyes unfocused, pointed at a transport ship in the distance and shouted.

The sailors followed the direction he pointed.

There really was a Supply Ship that had only docked when they left. Perhaps because nighttime operations were unsafe, it had simply remained there without unloading its cargo.

A furtive figure carrying a black cloth-wrapped bundle was quietly climbing down the rope tying the transport ship to a mooring bollard on the pier. Perhaps because it was so late, there were few people still moving about on the docks, and even the guards on duty had failed to notice him.

"It's a thief!"

"Get him! L-let's catch him together!"

Someone in the group shouted drunkenly, and seven or eight of them charged over in a dark mass without prior agreement.

When the sneaky figure saw a group of people suddenly rushing toward him, he jumped in fright. No longer caring about staying hidden, he leaped from the rope and ran.

"Don't run!"

"Stop, thief..."

Ignoring the sailors' shouts entirely, the figure was agile and incredibly fast. He swiftly slipped to the edge of the harbor district and plunged into the maze of connected residential buildings. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the twisting alleys.

"What a strange fellow!"

Evan, who had already activated Data Vision, had long seen part of the black figure's attributes. The glaring 0.76 displayed under agility proved that this fellow was also an extraordinary person at the seasoned Apprentice level.

Yet such an Apprentice Knight had not only boarded a Supply Ship to steal things, but had also chosen to flee rather than fight when chased by a group of ordinary sailors. It was truly thought-provoking.

For Evan himself, he was completely confident that he could deal with those drunken sailors before the patrol arrived, then swagger off without a care.

Whoosh—

Now was not the time to ponder the thief's motives. Evan instantly accelerated as well and rushed after him. The low walls and houses among the residences posed no obstacle to him at all.

The chase entered its latter half.

Most of the sailors, physically strong though still fundamentally ordinary people, were gradually left behind. Gary, who had drunk a little too much and was not built for speed to begin with, soon fell behind as well and got lost in the shabby alleys.

In the end, Evan was the only one still able to keep up with the "thief."

Perhaps after noticing that only Evan remained behind him, the black figure gradually slowed to a stop. As he passed a small stone bridge, he lightly leaped down onto the dry riverbed below, which had dried up in the low-water season.

Tap—

"Are Navy benefits this good now? Was it worth chasing me across half the city, young Captain?"

When Evan followed him down from the stone bridge, he found the black figure already standing there at ease, utterly calm and without the slightest awareness that he was a thief.

Only then did Evan get a chance to see the fellow from the front.

He wore a black cloak, a black broad-brimmed round hat, and a black eye mask that covered his eyes. A Swift Sword hung at his waist, giving him the distinct air of a living Zorro.

"Since Mr. Thief understands my hard work, that couldn't be better. Please return the item. It's late; everyone can go home, wash up, and sleep. Wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

Evan did not think this concealed fellow was a match for him, so his tone was relaxed. Since the man had shown restraint toward the ordinary sailors despite his considerable skill, Evan could let him go as long as he returned the stolen goods.

"Hahaha, interesting! Since when did the Navy produce someone as interesting as you?" Unexpectedly hearing such words from Evan, "Zorro" paused slightly before an intrigued smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"You want it? Simple! This thing is useless to me, but very precious to certain people.

As long as you can beat me, I'll give it to you. You can do whatever you want with it. How about it?"

The moment he finished speaking, he tossed the bundle from his body onto the ground. The Swift Sword at his waist flew from its sheath like lightning as he lunged at Evan.

His black cloak billowed up, and in the night, he looked like a giant bat swooping down from the sky. His moves were fierce and swift; his swordsmanship was clearly formidable!

Evan's physical fitness had been thoroughly tempered and solidified through consecutive battles. It could be said that he only lacked a bottle of potion to have complete confidence in advancing successfully to Formal Knight.

Before advancing, Evan did not mind playing with a seasoned Apprentice Knight who also specialized in agility.

Facing the lunging "Zorro," a cold glint flashed at Evan's waist, and his finely crafted Bastard Sword was already in his hand.

For ordinary people, Bastard Swords and Swift Swords were vastly different, whether in weight, purpose, or the swordsmanship suited to using them. Bastard Swords were sturdy and commonly used on battlefields, while Swift Swords were light and nimble, more often seen in duels and contests.

But in the hands of people like them, who were practically half inhuman already, the type of longsword had little effect on the execution of their swordsmanship.

Sword Light turned into a streak of silver lightning as Evan met him head-on without yielding an inch.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

The two seemed to merge into the night wind, turning into afterimages almost simultaneously as they chased and clashed beneath the bridge arch.

The battle entered its fiercest stage in an instant, yet amid the intense exchange, the blades of their two longswords miraculously failed to touch even once. Like a waltz being danced on the dance floor, they seemed to possess astonishing synchronization.

"Esoteric Art: Round Step!"

"Sword Form: Drifting Skiff!"

The next moment, both men used the Secret Esoteric Truth of their respective swordsmanship at the same time. Attacking and defending at high speed, they became nothing but two blurred figures to any observer. No one could follow even their footwork, much less the Sword Light that crossed and whistled into a sheet of pure white.

The intense sword duel had already lasted a full minute. Evan had more or less figured out this Mr. "Zorro's" methods, and the stalemate was broken in an instant.

"Clang—!"

At the cost of stepping half a pace forward into the dangerous range beneath his opponent's sword, Evan used the strong of his blade to bind "Zorro's" weak, then twisted his sword and thrust!

A hundred years ago, Sword Saint Denair had created a new concept of swordsmanship. Swordsmen no longer alternated between offense and defense move by move; instead, a single sword form could both attack and defend. While receiving an attack, they would cleverly counter it and kill their opponent in one move.

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

"Rip—!"

In the flash of a hare's rise and a falcon's fall, when their figures became clear again, they had already separated to opposite sides. Unlike Evan, who stood calmly and at ease, "Zorro" turned around and accelerated away, rapidly vanishing into the darkness.

"I'll remember you! The thing is yours. We'll spar again next time..."

"Zorro's" forcedly composed farewell drifted from afar, but Evan merely curled his lips and ignored it.

How was that any different from the standard villain line, "I'll be back!"?

He sheathed his sword and picked up the bundle "Zorro" had thrown aside earlier. Since he had recovered the stolen "goods," Evan had no interest in chasing after him.

It was not only because the man had initially shown "mercy" to the Navy Soldiers, but also because after crossing swords, Evan had discovered that this fellow used a rather impressive Rose Swordsmanship.

Ahem, Rose Swordsmanship might not sound like much, but in the Faletis Kingdom, it had another, far more resounding name—the famous... Court Swordsmanship!