Starting on October 4, the waters off Saint Hena Island began to bustle with activity. Not only did the great clans and noble families of the Ewindara Archipelago converge on Saint Hena Island, but everyone across the archipelago with even a little status or capability came as well. Some traveled by airship, others by steamship; wave after wave of people from every walk of life flocked to Saint Hena Island to witness this once-in-an-age wagered battle with their own eyes.
The Ewindara Archipelago had always had a tradition of duels. Whether born of hatred or love, duels were not prohibited there. So long as both parties agreed, signed a duel contract before a notary and the witnesses of their relatives and friends, such duels were often regarded as acts of honor and courage, sometimes even winning praise.
Whether the barbarians of Sinela Island or the old-established noble families of Akray Island, all would respect such duels and their outcomes.
In the Ewindara Archipelago, even a duel between two people could become local headline news. Let alone a duel between two fleets—the sensation it caused was like a super tsunami unleashed by a magnitude-ten earthquake, sweeping across the entire Ewindara Archipelago in an instant.
One side of the duel represented the strongest force in the Ice and Snow Wilderness, while the other represented the power of the Ewindara Archipelago's local clans and noble families. Victory or defeat would directly determine who the entire Ewindara Archipelago belonged to, along with the fates of countless people; it would decide the future of the entire northern seas. A duel on this scale could hardly fail to cause a sensation.
Beginning on October 4, the influx of outsiders filled every inn and hotel on Saint Hena Island to capacity. Even after room rates rose tenfold,