Chapter 86: Division (4)
Chapter 86: Division (4)
The Eastern port was a place where a huge number of ships usually docked at. Ironically, a pier at Maricca Port, the busiest port in the East, was abandoned. The place had already turned half-abandoned when large ships started to move to newly built piers. But the biggest contributor to its abandonment was the bare minimum fee and the lack of management that it had received. And because of that, it turned into a place that had been frequented by smugglers and criminals.
“Did you arrive?”
A blue-haired man looked at another man covered in a robe.
“What the hell? What’s with the get-up? Are you an assassin?”
The man had his mouth covered by a mask under the robe. But perhaps the man was still not content with his cover that he even wore some glasses. The fully-covered man then approached the blue-haired man.
“Why don’t you take that robe off? Are you going to talk like that?”
“Just tell me your business.”
“So cranky.”
The blue-haired man frowned. He could clearly feel the hostility from the man wearing the robe.
“I’m not even doing this because we want to do this with you.”
“…I know that.”
“Hoo… Fine. Right now, you won’t even believe whatever I say anyway. I’ll tell you what we’re going to do from now on.”
The blue-haired man sighed as he took something out.
“These are our future plans.”
The man remained silent as he accepted the paper. The blue-haired man continued to talk as if he knew that this would happen.
“Just like you see, the territorialisation in the Ghost Island is over.”
“Then…”
“That’s right. The dimensional crack would explode soon.”
The man kept his silence once more upon hearing the blue-haired man’s words.
“We’ll be busy from now on. You have to report to us what happens in the Eastern Command in real time.”
“I understand.”
“Don’t forget. The bastards in Maricca Port are your father’s enemies.”
“I know.”
The blue-haired man nodded with a sigh when he heard the man under the robe answer him with clenched teeth.
“If you do as we promised, we will give you the mermaid tears. Our operation needs to succeed for you to save your mother. We don’t want anything more than that.”
“…Yes.”
The man under the robe stared at the blue-haired man before quietly turning around.
He would only gain more doubts if they talked even further so he decided that it was better to make things as simple as possible and disappear.
The blue-haired man sighed as he watched the man under the robe disappear.
“I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do… using that child that is.”
Even if they had lived their whole lives for the sake of revenge, they did not expect that they would even use their own children for their plans. However, the blue-haired man was pressured by his comrades when they found out about the existence of his friend’s child. And in the end, he came here using the mermaid’s tears as bait. But he still didn’t feel comfortable with this fact.
“For the Sea Kingdom…”
The blue-haired man took a small bottle out and drank a sip before holding it high in toast towards the man who had disappeared.
After a while, only the fishy smell of the sea remained where the blue-haired man was before. No trace of him could be seen anywhere.
While the shady encounter for their own interest took place at Maricca Port, the people that the commander had been waiting for finally began to arrive one by one at the Commander’s Office.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Richard Burton, the commander of the East.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Santos from the Central Wizard Tower.”
“Southern Wizard Tower’s Sierra Leonar.”
The two tower masters shook hands with the Eastern Commander before turning to look at the young man sitting down.
“This is the Fourth Prince.”
“Greetings, Prince.”
“Greetings, Prince.”
The two tower masters said hello to the prince after Richard Burton’s introduction. Then, the two tower masters turned to look at Iron, who was currently standing up.
“Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.”
The two tower masters remained silent after Iron’s brief introduction. They felt uncomfortable receiving the introduction of the person who had pummeled their disciples. However, they were masters of the Wizard Tower so they couldn’t completely abandon their curiosity as they stared at Iron’s body from top to bottom.
Richard Burton smiled bitterly when he saw the two tower masters’ actions.
“Have a seat first.”
The two tower masters reluctantly sat down after hearing Richard Burton’s suggestion.
“I believe it’s only right that I apologize to you two first. I apologize for my lack of management and negligence as the Eastern Commander.”
“I should be the one to apologize. Forgive me for not teaching my disciple properly.”
“I should also apologize to the Commander. I have pampered my student too much that he failed to mature properly.”
The two tower masters bowed towards the commander as they apologized.
“I’ve already heard everything from my student. It was their side that picked a fight and got beaten afterwards.”
Santos, the Central Wizard Tower master, looked at Richard Burton as he spoke. His words seemed to contain the question of why he made things big and even forced them to come here. The same was true for the Southern Wizard Tower master.
These two tower masters seemed to be asking him why they had gathered here together. After all, they have already heard the circumstances from their students and have fully understood the situation.
However, the Southern Wizard Tower master stood up. It was as if there was something that needed to be solved first before they got to that point.
“On behalf of the Southern Wizard Tower, I apologize to you, Lieutenant Colonel Iron Carter.”
“I also ask for your forgiveness on behalf of the Central Wizard Tower.”
The two tower masters bowed slightly as they looked at Iron Carter.
Iron did not expect that these two tower masters would bow their heads to him. He immediately lowered his head and followed suit.
Richard Burton smiled and turned towards Iron.
“I also want to say sorry to you again. I’m sorry for my failure and negligence in managing my subordinates.”
“Not at all.”
After Iron bowed his head to accept their apology, the two tower masters hurriedly turned to Richard Burton. Their gazes were saying that their urgent work was over so he had to spill it now.
Richard Burton just smiled. He did not lose his relaxed smile as he stared at them who were openly asking for an explanation.
“There seems to be a spy in the Eastern Command.”
The two tower masters frowned at the commander’s abrupt words. This was because they couldn’t figure out why they were being told something like this.
“Based on my own deductions, they would immediately move and fight here as soon as we departed to prevent the dimensional crack.”
“So, you need our help?”
Richard Burton nodded at Santos’ question.
“Yes.”
“What will we get in return?”
Richard Burton smiled at Sierra’s question.
“Didn’t the Northeast make you drink water?”
Richard Burton immediately poked the two tower masters’ sore spot. He knew that they couldn’t approach even one of the two mana cores in the Northeast.
The Central Wizard Tower master flinched. It seemed like he was uncomfortable with this topic. But Sierra just tilted her head in confusion.
“Didn’t you say that the dimensional crack is related to a divine beast?”
“That’s right.”
“But… what does that have to do with us?”
Richard Burton’s smile grew deeper when they asked him why he was bothering them.
“Because there might be something similar to a mana core in there.”
“Something similar?”
Sierra looked at him curiously.
“We suspect that the mermaid race is the force behind the dimensional crack.”
“Mermaid race!”
“Did they survive?”
The two tower masters looked at Richard Burton in surprise when they heard the mermaid race from his mouth.
“The mermaid race has the Sea Orb. I’m guessing that they created the crack by using the Sea Orb and the divine beast.”
“Then, that means…”
“Erring on the side of caution, I can guess that the dimensional crack in the Ghost Island is on a much larger scale than the dimensional cracks in the Northeast.”
Richard Burton spoke solemnly to answer Sierra.
It was not only the two tower masters, even the Fourth Prince had a serious expression on his face.
If a huge dimensional crack really occurred as Richard Burton had guessed, all of the plans that he had envisioned would all become useless.
“Do you have any evidence, Commander?”
“Yes. But… I’ll show you the information that I have collected later.”
Richard Burton smiled leisurely at the Fourth Prince’s question as he stared at the two tower masters.
“Assuming that the Sea Orb is really there… I have considered copying the Northeast and renting it out after we blocked the dimensional crack.”
The two tower masters gulped.
“Are you saying that it will only be to either one of us?”
Richard Burton shook his head regretfully at Santos’ question.
“It’s very unfortunate but there are two more places. Ah! Three more places.”
“What… Did you contact other Wizard Towers?”
“No.”
Just in time, an officer knocked on the door and announced someone’s arrival.
“Northeastern Commander Crimson Halo and Northern Commander Jayden Wicks have arrived.”
“Let them in.”
The door opened and the two commanders entered as soon as Richard Burton’s words fell.
The expressions of the two tower masters hardened upon their entry. Even the Fourth Prince, who was already aware that they would arrive, turned stiff.
“Thank you for willingly accepting my request.”
“We’re both in the military so we should help each other.”
“Hoho. I’m a bit late but I’m still happy that I will be able to help the East like this.”
Jaiden Wicks and Crimson Halo happily and kindly greeted Richard Burton as they emphasized that they were all in the military.
“I already explained it to the two commanders before… But I’ll have to explain it to the two Wizard Tower masters now.”
Richard Burton smiled as he spoke.
“If the Sea Orb is found, I will give a long-term lease to the force that contributed the most in the dimensional crack defense operation.”
“Ah…”
“This…”
The two tower masters sighed as they looked at Richard Burton. No matter how strong they were, as long as the two Commands in front of them united together, they would have no chance of winning.
“You can rest assured. The North and the Northeast will move separately on this matter. Ah! If the two tower masters want you can ask for additional support.”
“Can the Imperial Family intervene?”
The expressions of the tower masters and the commanders all hardened upon hearing the Fourth Prince’s question. This was because not only the Military Commands but even the Wizard Towers fell short when compared to the Imperial Authority. But Richard Burton nodded as if it was only natural.
“If the Imperial Family is willing to lend us their strength then we’ll have to take it.”
Everyone frowned at Richard Burton’s words.
Just then, another person entered through the open door.
“Sorry for being late.”
“Y… You!”
Crimson Halo looked at the man that was giving off a sharp momentum in shock.
“The Lion… Family?”
The Fourth Prince looked blankly at the person who entered. Even the two tower masters were looking at the Lion Family Head blankly. He was someone that they never expected to come here.
“Why the hell…”
Sierra muttered blankly as she stared at the Lion Family Head.
Even if the Eastern Commander had a lot of connections, they never expected him to have a connection with the Lion Family.
“I believe everyone has already heard about it but… can I also participate in this competition?”
Richard Burton smiled widely as he nodded in answer to Lioner’s question.
“Of course. Welcome to the Eastern Dimensional Crack Defense.”
Richard Burton welcomed Lioner’s participation with open arms. He looked like he was responding to a customer who came to buy something from him.
***
Notes
[Make you drink water 물먹다] – Literally drinking water. An idiom that means failure. Since water doesn’t have any taste they use it as a word to describe failure. Afaik there’s a story in the olden times about how this idiom came to be but it’s too long so we will skip it. However, don’t forget that the word 물 can be used in both negative and positive connotations. In this case, it’s used as a negative.