In World of Disorder, at midnight, Gray, who should have been in his mobile fortress, knocked on the castle door.
Of course, he didn't actually knock; that's just a more poetic way of putting it. In reality, Gray found Duolin and asked to pay another visit to the lord of the area.
He soon found Ed in the dimly lit hall of the castle. The one-eyed boy showed no sign of fatigue or anger, and simply invited him to sit down and talk as usual.
"What's the matter that you're in such a hurry to see me about?"
Ed rested his chin on his clasped hands with an air of ease.
"Yes, I have come to bid you farewell."
Gray's expression was slightly anxious, but his determination to leave remained unwavering.
Ed raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat puzzled:
"I remember you said you'd only stay one day, and although it's just a difference between leaving at dawn and leaving overnight, why are you in such a hurry?"
Gray answered earnestly:
"My lord, I meant no offense to our agreement. I was just observing the sky from the fortress and it seems there will be a heavy rain tomorrow. This trip caused some problems with the fortress's core, and its power was already low. Without your people, I'm afraid I would have been stuck in the mud for another half a day..."
That being said, tonight does indeed feel a bit gloomy...
Reminded by the other party, Ed also noticed that there seemed to be an unusually large number of dark clouds in the sky tonight. A few days ago, when that kid named Fasi sneaked in, the moon was bright and the stars were few, so it shouldn't have turned into a waning moon so quickly. The moon phase in this world is at least normal for now.
Since that's the case, there's no need for Ed to forcefully try to keep him.
"Alright, since you insist on leaving, then..."
As he spoke, one of his hands began to Alienation.
This was certainly not a trap or a prelude to imprisonment play. Ed's left hand transformed into unprecedentedly slender vines, which then began to intertwine and weave, quickly forming a small model.
Ed handed the model to Gray:
"Keep it. It's a testament to our established friendship. I hope you continue your journey on this trade route, and that you can use this item to gain the trust of my Soul Returner."
As Ed said this, he was secretly calculating in his mind—he rarely lied, he just liked to embellish the truth.
The 3D model he created was essentially no different from the players' bodies; Ed could sense its location at any time and even manipulate it to some extent.
Although it sounds complicated, it only involves processing a tiny bit more tasks for the powerful Little Green, making it a cost-effective solution.
It wasn't that Ed was wary of or malicious towards Gray; Ed simply wanted to know what the world looked like and where the Graycast Corridor was.
Gray took the item and examined it closely. It was a palm-sized miniature model of the World Tree, with green leaves in the upper half and white roots in the lower half connected by a dark brown trunk in the middle. It looked Vitality yet had the Fragility of a delicate object.
This was a handmade creation by Ed based on Duolin's previous account and the patterns on the robe. Although he didn't know if the Tree Worship Church itself had such tokens or souvenirs similar to those found in tourist attractions, since he had become Son of God, this little thing shouldn't be a problem.
As a traveling merchant, Gray immediately recognized the value of the item. It was exquisite and unique, and should sell much better than junk.
But he would never do something so wasteful. This item was clearly a transaction certificate for a new settlement. Once he returned to Graycast Corridor, all he had to do was report it, and that would be a merit. For Graycast Corridor, which relied on commerce as one of its foundations, the more friends willing to trade, the better.
After carefully putting away the token, he hurriedly pulled a round badge, larger than a gold coin, from inside his coat. The badge, with a zigzag maze engraved in both intaglio and relief on both sides, was handed to Ed.
"My lord, this is proof of the formal establishment of a trading relationship in the Graycast Corridor. Even if I die in the wilderness one day, new merchants will take over this trade route."
Hearing the merchant utter words like "life" and "death" without batting an eye, Ed couldn't help but ask:
What is the mortality rate in your line of work?
"Very high."
Gray spoke casually, as if he were talking about someone else:
"But it's still better than going to the battlefield, after all, this world is already rotten to the core."
This is the second time Gray has mentioned war. The last time, he was just complaining about how the war in the East was causing food prices to keep rising. But now, Gray is saying that the Graycast Corridor is not playing the role of a broker or merchant in the war, but rather one of the parties involved.
Ed, eager to learn more about the world, asked candidly:
"What faction is the Graycast Corridor fighting against?"
Gray wasn't surprised by his question. In the Tree Worship Church, which was characterized by isolation and a refusal to communicate, it was already a blessing to have such an enlightened bishop who also served as a lord. How could one expect more?
His tone was somewhat wistful:
"Before, it was those demons who hadn't all died out, and now there's the [ Eternal Domain ]. I wonder how long the Graycast Corridor can hold out..."
Ed memorized the new place name or power name of the Eternal Domain and prejudicially categorized it as not a friendly party.
As for the demons, both Duolin and Seraphina mentioned them to some extent when introducing the world, so it's not anything new.
However, "demon race" is a general term, and Ed doesn't know exactly how many races it includes.
At that moment, he also didn't know how to comfort the somewhat downcast Gray. They weren't that close, so he simply offered a well-intentioned blessing:
"I hope to see you piloting that mobile fortress for the next few decades."
A rare, genuine smile appeared on Gray's face:
"You are a clergyman, may I take this as a blessing?"
Ed nodded slightly, Gray immediately stood up:
"Alright, it's getting late. If all goes well, see you again in two months."
Ed didn't try to stop him, nor did he ask what powered his mobile fortress. They had only known each other for a short time and still needed time to build trust.
A dozen minutes later, accompanied by a buzzing sound, the mobile fortress began to move north from the flat ground.
Watching the other person's departing figure, Ed's previously relaxed brows furrowed once more.
It looks like someone is trying to hack into his website's backdoor.