A change of plans

The Palace? Lumian never expected to gain information from Norfie that Lato Giaro had never known.

He considered for a moment and then asked, "What does that Palace look like?"

Is it an ancient treasure, or the dwelling place of some Nature Spirit?

What kind of power does the Sea-Praying Ritual utilize within the Palace?

Norfie shook his head:

"My mother couldn't describe it in detail either, but she told me that the Palace was unlike any other building on land, with a peculiar shape, smooth curves, a metallic sheen, and an overall silver-gray color."

Based on Norfie's description, Lumian sketched out the Palace's appearance in his mind, but lacking detailed form, he could only imagine its general colors.

He chuckled and said, "If that really is Palace of the Sea, do you really think the two of you could destroy it?"

"You can't even handle Lato Giaro and his Subordinate, so how do you expect to break through the Sea Kin's defenses, or escape the Sea's wrath?"

Norfie paused for a few seconds before saying, "I have a way."

She didn't say what the method was.

What method could possibly allow a "Child of the Sea" like yourself, whose strength is most likely below Sequence 7, to destroy the Palace of the Sea? That's an existence that can plunge an entire Sea Area into Gale storms and towering waves... Lumian muttered to himself, when suddenly a guess occurred to him:

Norfie was so confident because she had other collaborators; she didn't return to Santa Port without making any preparations, did she?

As his thoughts raced, Lumian turned his gaze to Batna.

Having unknowingly put two or three steps between himself and Norfie, Batna Comte had just hung his Rapier back on his waist and concealed his Revolver.

Feeling Lumian's gaze, he chuckled awkwardly, "I'm just providing assistance and directing the ship. You might not know, but I was a second mate for a while before becoming an adventurer."

What he meant was, I'm not quite sure what Norfie's method is either, and I don't really care whether she succeeds or not; providing some help is already fulfilling my duty as Lover.

"It's obvious you come from a good family; your clothes and appearance are very refined... But I previously thought you ran away from home to become an adventurer at sea because you were obsessed with Gehrman Sparrow's adventure stories. Now it seems you were originally recommended by your family to work as a second mate on a ship to gain experience, but after a while, you quit to become an adventurer..." Lumian didn't know how to comment on Batna's romanticism, glanced at him, and said, "Do you know how dangerous this is?"

Batna cleared his throat and said, "I didn't think the ' Child of the Sea ' would be too strong. I've sparred with Norfie."

Lumian stared at Batna for two seconds, then looked away and turned to Norfie:

What are your plans after this?

Instead of directly asking if she had any other collaborators hiding in the shadows, he took a roundabout approach to lower Norfie's guard and see if he could find any clues in her words.

Norfie pursed his lips and said, "We've already been discovered and are being watched by the Fishing Guild, so it's impossible to proceed according to the original plan. From now on, I plan to hide until the Sea-Praying Ritual is over."

"Why not just leave?" Batna asked Lumian, somewhat surprised.

He thought that once his purpose and identity were exposed, Norfie would decisively abandon the operation and wait until the subsequent Sea-Praying Ritual to devise another plan.

Norfie remained silent for a moment before saying, "If the Sea-Praying Ritual succeeds, and I am still in Santa Port, then as a ' Child of the Sea ' with relatively pure blood, I should be able to receive certain blessings..."

She paused for a moment, then looked down at the ground:

"While that might allow me to transform into Humanoid Lizard sooner and faster, it could also increase my strength..."

There was a subtle sadness Concealment in her words.

Batna stared blankly, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

Lumian raised a hand to adjust the Golden-yellow Straw Hat on his head, and simply commented with a famous line from the Great Adventurer series. "This is Gift, and Curse."

Seeing Louis Berri turn to leave, Norfie thanked him sincerely again:

"I don't know how to express my gratitude. Please feel free to come to me if you need any help."

"You can also contact me," Batna added.

He hesitated between staying with Norfie or leaving Santa Port directly.

Lumian's gaze swept across their faces, and he suddenly smiled, saying, "Perfect timing, I have something for you to do."

Norfie paused for a moment, then nodded slightly:

"Just give me your orders."

After bidding farewell to Norfie and Batna, Lumian returned to the Solo Hotel from the shadows.

He had just left the darkness in the corner of the Master Bedroom when he saw the "Knight of Swords" standing beside the curtains that let in a faint Crimson Moonlight, silently watching him.

Why do you always appear in scenes like those in ghost stories...? Is this a trait of a "Wraith," or a manifestation of being influenced by Potion? Lumian muttered to himself, then sincerely said, "Thank you for your help."

The "Knight of Swords" didn't respond to that, but looked at Lumian and said, "After controlling Lato Giaro, it seems you changed your original plan?"

Lumian immediately burst into laughter:

"You have a keen sense of things, but I might have changed my mind a little earlier or a little later than you said."

After answering in a somewhat mystical manner, he smiled and explained:

"What plan can be executed to the end without any changes from the Primordial One plan? That's not a ' Conspirer,' that's omniscience and omnipotence."

"During the planning process, one must constantly adjust one's attitude and revise the corresponding direction and details based on feedback received, new intelligence, and changes in the situation, while ensuring that the true objectives remain unchanged."

Therefore, it is very important to Concealment your true purpose.

It's like there can be many paths between the starting point and the destination, but there's usually only one destination, which is the easiest place to be blocked or ambushed.

The "Knight of Swords" listened quietly, then disappeared silently from the window without another word.

Lumian relaxed as she washed up and went to bed, sleeping soundly Six in the Morning.

After having breakfast at the hotel, he instructed Lugano to take Ludwig to the street to buy some snacks.

After watching their figures disappear behind the closed door, Lumian returned to the Master Bedroom, where the curtains were still drawn. In the Gloom light, she pulled out the chair attached to the Desk and sat down.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly noticed tiny, glittering lights in the Gloom Depths.

He immediately felt himself floating in mid-air, with no land beneath his feet and no backrest behind him.

Lumian gazed at the deep void and Starry Sky backdrop without changing his expression, and saw Juan Oro, the president of the Fishing Guild, dressed in a suit and leaning on a cane, walking towards him step by step from a distance.

Lumian looked at That One old man, but remained silent.

He showed no surprise, as if he had expected Juan Oro's arrival.

Once the two sides had closed the distance to a certain extent, Juan Oro, his wrinkles trembling slightly, spoke to himself in the Intis language: "Milo Village was once destroyed, and the Sea Kin that came to land were also destroyed, but today, we still stand here."

"As long as the Sea remains, as long as the Starry Sky remains, as long as Santa Port has not become a forbidden land of death, no matter how great the blow we suffer, or whether we have lost all our Descendants, we can emerge from the Depths of the Sea again, rebuild Milo Village, Reboot the Sea-Praying Ritual."

"This can be proven by the Clergy of the Church of the Earth Mother, as well as their warrior monks and nuns."

"If we, the ' Child of the Sea,' are truly pushed to the edge of a cliff, we absolutely have the Courage and determination to drag the enemy down with us into the Abyss, because we firmly believe that our spirit will never die, and that our village can be rebuilt and will not be wiped out."

So, what you're trying to tell me is that the Fishing Guild and the Sea Kin of Milo Village are unafraid of threats, capable and Courage to destroy powerful enemies together, and that their lineage will not be broken, and they will emerge again from the Depths of the Sea? This is tantamount to warning me not to go too far, otherwise they are not afraid to completely break ties and perish together... Lumian understood Juan Oro's hidden meaning, but did not answer, quietly watching That One old man, waiting for him to continue.

Juan Oro's deep blue Eyes reflected the image of the Great Adventurer Louis Berri, with his black hair and green eyes. He spoke in a low voice, "What exactly are you and those people behind you trying to do? What do you want to gain?"

"We will not allow the Sea-Praying Ritual to be disrupted again, nor will we abandon everything that has been built in Santa Port."

Discovering that the Great Adventurer Louis Berri was not only strong himself, but also had a powerful force behind him with equally formidable allies, Lumian realized he was a tough nut to crack. He figured that forcing his way through might only result in him breaking his own Teeth. Therefore, he came to negotiate, hoping to gain Lumian's sympathy by conceding some benefits. Was he just stating his bottom line and strength to avoid making unreasonable demands and leaving both sides with no room to back down, forcing them into a head-on confrontation? Lumian wasn't surprised at all. He glanced around and said, "Why aren't there any chairs? I prefer to sit while we chat."

After a moment of Oro, the chair that Lumian had just been sitting in appeared behind him, and his posture returned to what it was before.

Lumian looked at Juan Oro, the president of the Fishing Guild, and calmly said, "If I said I never intended to disrupt the Sea-Praying Ritual, would you believe me?"

"I never intended to disrupt the Sea-Praying Ritual..." Juan Oro, his brow furrowed slightly, repeated the sentence.

Lumian continued, "If you're willing to release the innocent, like that fake ' Governor of the Sea,' we're not opposed to cooperation."

"Cooperation?" Juan Oro looked at the Great Adventurer who, upon arriving at Santa Port, had forcibly intervened in the affairs of the Fishing Guild, stormed into the "Governor of the Sea's " mansion, blew up the Fishing Guild's Main Building, and nearly killed his own grandson. He wondered if his ears had become dull like other old men.

A smile gradually appeared on Lumian's face. He leaned back slightly in his chair, snapped his fingers, and a cluster of crimson flames appeared. "Yes, cooperation."