Chapter 908: Chapter 453: Mysterious Past (Part 2)

The room was very quiet. Apart from the gradually receding footsteps of Hai Yin outside the door, only the faint noises from the distant pier and the sharp sound of pointed leather boots hitting the floor could be heard.

Captain Lorin of the adventure team "Sword of Vengeance" sat on the leather sofa directly facing the door. Her long legs were crossed, as they were when Xia Nan first met her, lounging one over the other.

The table in front was wide and cluttered.

In the center, taking up the most space, was a spread-out sheepskin nautical chart marked with routes and complex symbols of unknown meaning. To the right lay a tin cup with tea that had already gone cold; on the left was a shell-made ashtray with over a dozen cigarette butts collected inside.

"You’re here?"

"Have a seat."

With a freshly lit cigarette held between the index and middle finger of her left hand, Lorin, her reddish-brown eyes fixed on the map before her, invited without looking up.

Pulling along Alton, who had been curiously inspecting the room’s furnishings since entering the captain’s quarters, Xia Nan sat opposite Lorin.

"Have you met everyone?"

After a brief response and realizing Lorin was referring to the Spotted Cat race and the burly man named "Akken," Xia Nan nodded slightly.

"I greeted them on the way over."

"What’s your impression?"

Unconsciously recalling the curled furry tail of the Spotted Cat and Akken’s body covered in flamboyant tattoos, Xia Nan paused to choose his words carefully before replying:

"Uh... they’re both quite authentic."

"Heh." Clearly understanding Xia Nan’s meaning, Lorin chuckled gently, tapped some ash from her cigarette with her left hand, and glanced at the black-haired young man in front of her. "To become a member of ’Sword of Vengeance,’ they can’t really be called bad people in the strictest sense."

"Once you get familiar, even Sasha is quite easygoing. Generally, there’s nothing too sensitive."

"If you ever feel offended, just say it, and they’ll take note, or you can come directly to me. I’ll deal with them."

"Besides..." Lorin paused briefly, her gaze sweeping over the dual swords placed at Xia Nan’s side as he sat down. "Hai Yin should have briefed you on the specifics of this task earlier. Don’t worry, it’s just an ordinary mission, no distant travels required. Be cautious, and there won’t be any danger."

"There are over three months until the festival, so consider this a chance to gel."

All are experienced adventurers. Perhaps limited by their understanding of their teammates’ specific abilities and fighting styles, they can’t perform any precise cooperation, but Xia Nan and the rest are aware of the basic coordination required in team combat.

Alton naturally has his role: staying near Hai Yin in the back row and playing his lute to boost teammates, fulfilling his function.

As for Xia Nan... he also doesn’t need to disrupt the original formation of Sword of Vengeance, using his speed and mobility to weave through battles, fitting the role of a "Free Man."

He had already discussed this with Hai Yin a few days ago, who also expressed that it was okay.

Their destination, mentioned earlier, is a sea area known as "Twin Ocean."

It’s not too far from Suo Yu Bay, and a successful one-way trip should take about seven days.

The specific objective of this journey for Sword of Vengeance is the "Twin Canyon" located at the heart of Twin Ocean.

The islanders living there seem to have encountered some troubles and need adventurers to investigate and assist.

"Hai Yin should have arranged your room. She’ll take you there in a bit."

"If anything happens on the ship, you can always come to the captain’s quarters to find me."

"I called you over mainly to brief you on the general situation of the upcoming voyage."

"Anything else? If not, I won’t keep you."

It was right before departure, and as captain, Lorin seemed very busy, speaking even faster than when Xia Nan first met her.

Hearing this, Xia Nan intended to follow her lead and bid farewell, planning to head to the deck to find the Druid.

Suddenly recalling something, he instinctively glanced at Alton sitting beside him, who was curiously examining the paintings on the wall. Seeing no reaction,

he turned back to face Lorin.

"When I was on Cliff Island for a task recently, I met someone who piqued my interest."

"Do you know Edson?"

The reason Xia Nan was interested in Twin Ocean was that he had discovered exotic items from there.

Both Edson and Lorin had heard rumors on the black market in Suo Yu Bay, sparking their interest.

Edson suspected there might be ancient treasures there, while Lorin thought of checking it out en route during a mission.

Edson’s treasure theory might not be entirely off-base, but sitting opposite at the time, Xia Nan, relying on his Perception, clearly sensed that Edson was lying;

While Lorin... if she really intended to simply "drop by" during a mission, cutting the crew’s vacation short like this and leaving Suo Yu Bay hastily after a week, seemed a bit suspicious.

During the preparation days, Xia Nan even visited various taverns in Suo Yu Bay to inquire, finding out that Twin Ocean didn’t have much buzz among adventurers, hardly indicating any treasure discovery.

In such a scenario, it was peculiar that Lorin and Edson, two seemingly unrelated individuals, were both drawn to the same area, making one ponder further.

Previously, Xia Nan had asked Edson if he knew Lorin, but Edson denied it, though Xia Nan could tell he was holding something back in his response.

Today, finding a chance, he asked Lorin before parting ways.

Unexpectedly, he indeed struck gold.

As soon as the name "Edson" left his lips, Lorin, who was sitting and studying the chart, visibly shivered.

Instinctively lifting her head, she looked at Xia Nan with a stiff expression, her eyes wandering as if pondering something.

The atmosphere in the room froze in an instant.

After a long pause, with a vague and prolonged sigh, Lorin lifted her left hand, taking a deep drag from the cigarette.

No longer deliberately restraining herself, the professional’s impressive lung capacity allowed her to finish the remaining half of the cigarette in one drag, leaving only a butt.

Casually crushing it into the shell ashtray, pale smoke flowed from her nose and mouth.

"He’s my brother."

What!?

Xia Nan hadn’t anticipated Lorin’s response.

He’d thought at most it might have been some ex-lover quarrel, not a blood relation.

But they don’t even look alike...

No, wait!

Perhaps it was a trick of the mind, but upon Lorin’s mention, examining her features closely and comparing them with Edson’s in his memory, there were indeed some similarities.

Yet one exuded a careless and decadent aura, while the other was vibrant and aggressive, making it hard to notice their semblance.

Much like Edson’s demeanor, the siblings seemed to both avoid discussing the other’s existence.

When faced with Xia Nan’s question, Lorin offered just that response and refused to elaborate further, clearly not intending to explain their relationship.

Despite his growing curiosity about what led them to their current circumstances — one a secluded angler, the other a flamboyant adventurer — and what Twin Ocean meant to them, prompting simultaneous interest in the sea area,

sensing that the current room atmosphere was not suited for probing into personal histories, Xia Nan wisely chose to hold his tongue.

Pulling along the small fellow beside him who hadn’t much participated, he bid Lorin farewell and left the captain’s quarters.

There’s plenty of time, and once they reach Twin Ocean, surely something will come to light.