"Voriti ......" Ed narrowed his eyes and found the name from distant memories: "'Scorpion'?"

Gavin looked at him with some surprise: "Have you heard? That guy isn't very famous. ”

Ed's gaze fell on the long note, but he didn't look into a few lines: "My father...... Told me his story. ”

"Scorpion" Voriti is indeed not the most famous of the many pirates who emerged nearly a hundred years ago with the opening of shipping routes to the east to another continent. Ed remembers him purely because of River's description of the pirate who was born in the Southwest Desert, skilled in traps and thieves, and said to not even know how to swim, but ended up at sea...... He has a "fairy-like appearance".

More than ten years ago, in the face of little Ed, who was inexplicably obsessed with elves but had almost forgotten what his father looked like, River returned from a voyage and easily won back his son's attention - he is really good at this.

Those times he had forgotten for a long time now reveal endless bitterness in the warmth.

Ed put the note aside. If Gavin was sure that Héctor Caro had boarded the Dragonbone and gone to the tomb of Voletti with Ninetoe, there must have been a reason for him, and he really didn't have the energy to ask for it.

"Is there anything special in Voriti's tomb?"

He wanted to know this more. With the current status and strength of Nine Toes, it is not something that can be impressed by any "pirate's treasure".

"We can't be sure of ......," replied Gavin, "and in the last few months the Black Sails have robbed two caravans, a port, and it seems as random and irregular. A few days ago, someone accidentally discovered that there are legends about the heart of the deep near these places...... And the tomb of Voriti is also a place where the legend may hide the heart of the deep sea. ”

Ed's eyes flashed, "You mean...... Nine Toes is looking for the heart of the deep sea. ”

"It's just possible. Gavin replied cautiously.

Ed lowered his eyes to hide his expression: "You said the heart of the deep...... It's the deep blue gem that is said to be 'made of starlight falling into the sea,' right?"

Gavin nodded: "It is said that it is the size of a heart and can grant all your wishes." ”

“...... Do you think Nine Toes would believe that? I heard he doesn't believe in magic. ”

"Don't believe in magic?" Gavin chuckled, "Who told you that? The Dragonbone is a magical ship in its own right...... What he didn't believe in was probably magic that wasn't under his control. ”

Ed fell silent. Come to think of it, Nine Toes is quite good at using magic—maybe even better than he is.

"I heard you just came back from the Archmage Tower?" Gavin actually waited until Ed came back because of this, after all, the news he brought was not very urgent.

"Maybe you don't need me to remind ......," he said, "you should be more careful of the mages. It is true that Héctor Kahlo had dealings with the followers of Nesses, but it is difficult to say whether this was due to his own beliefs and choices, or whether it was deliberately arranged. ”

Ed nodded silently.

"Goodire......" he said, "the death of that mage has something to do with the Archmage Tower, isn't it?"

“...... We could not find any evidence. Gavin replied.

"I'll ......"

"Save your father first. Gavin interrupted him, but his tone was soft, "Do one thing at a time." ”

When he left, he gave Ed a more convenient way to get in touch. Watching him sail away, Ed couldn't help but feel guilty.

Even for Alan's sake, Gavin, and many more people he may not have even met, did his best to help him, but he didn't tell Gavin in the end that the Heart of the Deep was embedded in the bottom of the three-storied tower.

Not many people knew about it, and apparently, no one revealed it. That seemed to make his concealment all the more excusable...... What's more, who knows if the gem is the heart of the deep or not? Even Rosa, who originally called it out, probably can't be sure.

- Before embedding it at the bottom of the three-storied tower, you might have made a wish to it.

...... I wonder if it's too late?

.

That night, Ed received an "invitation" that Tumbs had promised.

The lord of Neo, Salz Auman, was a chubby, middle-aged man, of medium stature, who did not look much of the majesty of a ruler and more like a sleek and amiable merchant - he was a merchant in the first place.

He was rightfully shocked and angry that Black Sail had dared to kidnap a big businessman like River Singhal, and even implicitly blamed Ed for not telling him about it in the first place, so that they couldn't rescue River as soon as possible.

"I know you're worried about your father's well-being, and it's hard to trust anyone else at this time...... But I'm an old friend of Rivers. He patted Ed on the shoulder, his tone sincere, his kind eyes filled with understanding, sympathy, and a fitting hint of regret and resentment.

Ed couldn't tell the truth was fake. Even if it was acting, Auman acted much more seriously than Tumus. However, his assurances were no more reliable to Ed than Clay Gavin's phrase "come to me when you need me."

On his way home, he refused to be escorted and walked alone to the docks—if someone did attack him at such a time, it would be exactly what he expected.

He desperately needed some kind of vent. The sea breeze of early autumn in the south still brings a moist warmth, and the streets are still noisy, and the crowd is steaming with a mixture of smells. He could feel everything...... However, everything seems to have nothing to do with him. He bowed his head through the crowd, as if wrapped in a thick, transparent cocoon, and walked in silence and solitude.

The long and short trestle stretches out to sea. The dhow that had brought him here from Cloud Castle stopped a little farther away, and the cacophony of people was gradually left behind, and even if he deliberately slowed down, he didn't feel that anyone was following.

He smiled self-deprecatingly, and was about to reach the side of the boat when he suddenly stopped.

He still didn't hear footsteps...... Only the waves washed over the wooden stakes under the trestle, but there was a chill that slowly swam up the back like a snake.

He took a breath and calmly turned back. In the moonlight, the people standing not far away looked at him quietly, their blond hair almost silvery-white, and their light blue eyes covered with broken gold, like hard and fragile gems.

For a moment Ed thought it was just his hallucination - he did secretly make several wishes to the gem in Stonebuch, but he never expected it to come true......

“...... Is?" He called in a low voice, a little doubt growing in his heart. There was a look of strangeness to that familiar face...... An almost eerie coldness.

No matter how cold Is's expression is, there will be no such gloomy owl.

.