Ashen Dragon-Chapter 657 - 74 The Mysterious Sorcerer of Victoria

Chapter 657: Chapter 74: The Mysterious Sorcerer of Victoria Port

Chapter 657 -74: The Mysterious Sorcerer of Victoria Port

Silvermoon Bay, northwest of Victoria Port.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, with a few strands of morning light penetrating the clouds, shining on the bustling wharf where fishing boats of various sizes were docked.

Bare-chested dockworkers bustled about, their skin tanned dark by the sun, while on shore, merchants were engaged in heated haggling.

Seagulls circled in the air, their cries mingling with the occasional sound of a ship’s horn.

Some fishermen were also quietly praying toward the sea, asking the “Sea Queen” Amboli to extinguish her rage so that the sea would be calm and creatures like the Shahua Fishmen would not appear.

This is Victoria Port, a city located at the mouth of the Zeler River, a rare deep-water port, and the largest and most prosperous trade city-state in the Silvermoon Bay area.

The city was named after a hero from hundreds of years ago—Victoria, an adventurer from Grey Port.

Victoria once led her fleet around the vast West Sea, gathering countless treasures over a decade and selflessly building this magnificent port city.

However, some say that their hero was merely a pirate leader who lived off plunder, and the so-called city was merely a hideout for pirates to stash their treasures. Hence, Victoria was also mockingly called the “Pirate Queen” by some skeptics.

Hundreds of years have passed, and now the rulers of Victoria Port are a council of four noble Dukes, led by the most venerable among them as the Governor.

From nobles to commoner thieves, and even notoriously notorious pirates, dozens of followers of different divines mingle here, and in the shadows, various unknown cults lurk.

Today’s Victoria Port is a melting pot that adventurers call the “hotbed of conspirators.” Recently, a group of mysterious “Immortals” has appeared out of nowhere, making the situation in the city even more baffling.

On the mottled walls of Victoria Port, accompanied by ripples in space, a man appeared out of thin air, dressed in a gray robe and holding a bronze scepter.

He looked to be in his fifties, with some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his pale green pupils were deep, adding to his mysteriousness.

The man stroked his chin, overlooking the bustling crowd and a departing merchant convoy on the street, and whispered: ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

“It seems I’ve arrived a bit early, the Sivier family’s convoy has just departed.

According to the original plot, the kidnapping should happen in five days, by which time I should be able to make my appearance.

Tsk tsk, since becoming the emperor, all the miscellaneous tasks have been handed over to the retainers; it’s been a long time since I’ve personally handled matters, and I do miss it.”

He rubbed his chin, lost in thought: “But, what name should I give this persona?”

Suddenly, he saw a fortune teller at a street stall draw a Tarot card depicting an old man in a gray cloak holding a lantern—the Hermit card.

He instantly smiled slightly, clapping his hands and muttering to himself: “Let’s call him ‘The Hermit’.

Hermit Albert, sounds pretty decent, at least it’s got some flair.”

This so-called “Albert” was in fact Cassius’ Dragon Shadow Illusion, also the embodiment of his very will.

At this moment, Cassius had also arrived at Victoria Port, ready to begin his plan and further stir up the already murky waters.

…

On the Faruk Desert, a merchant convoy was heading south, clearly heading for Victoria Port, tens of miles away.

The convoy was quite large, featuring at least fifty horses, hundreds of guards, and several heavily laden wagons, each marked with the exquisite badge of the Golden Sparrow Flower.

— That signifies the owner of the goods, one of the four great families of Victoria Port, the Silver family.

Contrary to the seemingly beautiful, elegant floral badges, the Silver family actually boasts the strongest military force in Victoria Port, controlling the city’s largest mercenary organization, “Secret Silver Hand.”

Among the escorts, in a luxurious carriage in the middle of the convoy, was a young woman in her twenties, dressed in a long gown and donning the Golden Sparrow Flower badge.

Her name was Hilowiz Silver, the most beloved daughter of the current Duke of the Silver family, and regarded as the future heir of the family.

Hilowiz lifted the curtain, looked out at the tranquil wilderness outside the carriage, and said to the Guard Captain beside her, “Marvin, don’t you think it’s overly quiet here?

Since we picked up the goods from Grey Port and traveled south for tens of kilometers, we haven’t encountered even a single merchant convoy, which is… very abnormal.”

The guard, a middle-aged man in his forties with rough stubble and a long scar on his face, dressed in standard armor.

He was Marvin, the seasoned guard who had served the Silver family for decades and was responsible for the convoy’s safety.

However, at this moment, hearing the query from the prestigious young lady, Marvin seemed somewhat distracted.

After all, he had escorted the Silver family’s convoys for decades, while the inexperienced Hilowiz was merely arranged by her father to get exposed to the family business.

“Recently, banditry has been rampant around the Faruk Desert, and it’s said that many convoys have been plundered, opting to divert from the east to Grey Port, but…”

Marvin puffed out his chest, speaking casually: “Miss, we are the Silver family, the rulers of Victoria Port.