On the wide main street, a group of people came forward to welcome them. Sea God Hawke spread his arms and shouted, "Welcome!"

THUD!

The sound of horse hooves suddenly came to a halt. Hundreds of steeds stopped in unison, their perfectly synchronized movement chilling to behold.

"Hawke?"

"It is I." Sea God Hawke bowed his head, a cold sweat forming on his brow. "May I inquire how the respected Knight wishes to be addressed?"

"John." A rider on horseback, wearing a bronze mask of a legendary imp, slowly emerged from the ranks. He looked down and said, "Jiliu City will send five hundred people to accompany us to Freedom Port. We need those among them familiar with its terrain. A Great Knight is to be left behind."

Hawke looked up.

「Dragon King Chamber of Commerce.」

When Jiliu City was being rebuilt, the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce established its headquarters there. At this moment, all the top figures of the chamber had gathered to discuss matters related to the trip to Freedom Port.

"Hawke means for me to stay behind," Lula said. "Everyone else will go. He will instruct the members of the Sea God's Guild to follow my arrangements during this time."

This was undoubtedly a sign of trust.

"President," someone asked, "the Knights who've come this time are only from Lord Mevia's retinue, not an army sent by the Duke. Can they really solve the problems in Freedom Port?"

"They are not responsible for solving problems," Lula said, shaking her head. "Instead, their task is to investigate exactly what happened in Freedom Port and, incidentally, to check if the Lord of Sodan is still alive. Investigation is the priority!"

"Do not underestimate these Knights," Quincy said with a shrug. "The Death Knights are Lord Mevia's personal troops. Even the weakest among them is a Peak Knight, and many possess the strength of a Great Knight. Furthermore, their bodies have been modified, making them stronger than a normal Great Knight. At night, they can even confront a Legendary Knight. Their leader, the Ghost-faced Knight, possesses Divine Blood and is a true Legendary Knight."

"Correct," Conni nodded. "Three hundred Death Knights represent a very powerful force. For an investigation alone, it shouldn't be a problem."

"So..." Lula leaned forward. "Do we truly all need to go?"

The faces of the others shifted subtly. Freedom Port was now home to hundreds of thousands of Merfolk, each no weaker than a Knight's Attendant, and among them were some bizarre and powerful variants. Plus various other odd and ancient Legendary Creatures...

Those who lived through that calamity and witnessed countless deaths—none of them truly wished to return.

"Trouble!" Carl rubbed his forehead, his face showing distress. He was sitting on the edge of the crowd and spoke softly, so his words went unnoticed by all but a few nearby.

Why now, of all times? he wondered. He was supposed to head to the Magic Forest in a month, and during this period, it was inconvenient to travel between the two worlds. Still... he was definitely going to Freedom Port. Hawke had once provided Carl with a map from the Sea God's Guild, which also detailed the Scythe Brotherhood and several other major powers, indicating where each organization stored its important items. According to Hawke, when the catastrophe struck so suddenly, there was no time to retrieve anything. The various powers should have left about twenty to thirty Great Divine Graces in Freedom Port. Therefore, even without the Death Knights, he would still have to make the trip. Carl had originally thought he would return years later, after becoming a Legendary Knight or an Official Wizard, once he had attained a certain level of power. Now... with Desecration Knight Yana and a host of Death Knights accompanying him, it might be worth a try. This was an opportunity!

"Guardian, please rest assured," Yana whispered from behind him, once again cloaked in black. "Even if we go to Freedom Port, I will ensure your safety with my life."

"It's not for that reason," Carl shook his head.

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