The island is called Cloud Island, and the small castle on the island is also named Cloud Castle.

The real steward of Cloud Castle is not the old steward who went to pick up Ed, but the old steward's wife, Ada. The rounded Ida looked much younger than her husband, always with a smile between her eyebrows, kind and calm, and spoke as briskly and neatly as she acted, even a little girlish and lively.

When Ed asked, she didn't hide that River had indeed disappeared on the way back from Rainbow Bend.

He said he was going to say goodbye to his friends and come back in three or five days. She said, "It's only ten days at most, but it's almost twenty days...... None of the people who went with him came back. I sent a letter to Hongwan Island, but I haven't heard from it yet. ”

Unbeknownst to them, Black Sail had delivered the letter directly to Ed.

“...... 'Friend' of Rainbow Bend Island," Ed asked, holding his breath, "what kind of friend is it?...... Will there be any connection to pirates?"

Ida blinked, also looking slightly embarrassed.

"With pirates...... There shouldn't be any connection. The people of Rainbow Bend Island hate pirates. She avoided the previous question, and Ed didn't need to ask again.

He blackened his face and suppressed that bit of resentment. As a child, he wondered if his father would add a few younger siblings to him somewhere, but River never showed up, and he thought ......

He believed that his father loved his mother, but unfortunately, she was not all he had.

Now that I think about it, it was actually quite strange that he had never been to Neo in the years when he had been learning business with his father, even if it was only a few days away, after all, the Singer's ships had to leave from Neo's port. River always said "it's not time yet," and he never thought much about it...... So, or is he himself too stupid?

Anger is anger, but the father cannot help it.

The people who live in Neo know a little bit about pirates, but most of them are also nonsense legends, after all, since the ** division tower towered in Neo City, no pirate dared to directly attack this harbor.

"If you want to know more, you'll have to ask the Inspector. Ida said, "My lord was robbed by pirates, and this is also the work of the inspector." If something happens to a big businessman like our lord, you can just go directly to the city lord. ”

Ed had no intention of letting go, including the ** division tower. But he had other things to worry about besides his father.

"Is......" he pinched his fingers involuntarily, "I mean, have you heard anything about that dragon?"

Ida looked up at him, a strange glint in her dark eyes.

"Of course!" she said, her irrepressible curiosity and excitement making her look a little younger, "I heard he's your friend, isn't he?

She used the word "he" instead of "it" to address Is, perhaps just to curry favor with Ed, and did succeed in currying favor with him.

"So, he's been to Neo?" he asked.

"Yes. Ida nodded, "He flew around the sky, circled around the ** division tower a few times, and flew away to the sea." ”

Her tone sounded regretful.

Ed breathed a sigh of relief, and was equally sorry if Iss had stayed near Neo City, he flew to sea...... How to find it!

"Maybe he's gone to save the master. Ida said whimsically.

The corners of Ed's mouth twitched.

If he asks Isse for help, Iss will never refuse, but if he does, he will take the initiative to save River...... That's unlikely.

He's a dragon after all...... There are only a handful of people he will put in his heart.

But the black sails have a keel made of the boat.

Ed's eyes lit up. He knew that Iss had an extremely keen sense of the bones of his kind, even the bones of his kind, if he sensed that the ship was in the nearby sea......

He could well freeze the pirates into a lump of ice with River, just like the ship in Winterrest Harbor that dared to attack him.

Ed slumped back in his chair without a figure, a wry smile on his face.

"Don't worry. Probably because he looked so pitiful that even Ida couldn't help but comfort him, "My lord has always been very lucky. ”

Ed rubbed his face weakly.

"Let's ......," he said, "let's prepare the ransom first." ”

At the very least, he had to be honest first, and he didn't want to receive a "gift" from River's fingers or ears at all!

While preparing the ransom, Ed went non-stop to visit Nick Stobel. It is rare to have such an "acquaintance" in the ** division tower, and you can't let it go no matter what.

Stobel smiled bitterly at him, but he didn't hide it.

"**Between the division tower and the black sails...... It is true that there are some shady deals. He said, and hurriedly added, "But this deal definitely does not include kidnapping the merchant for ransom or anything!"

Pirates know the sea better than the merchants who sail and know the various secrets it hides. They would bring all sorts of rare materials and books to the mages, whether they had been dug up from some mysterious island or stolen from them...... The mages didn't care so much.

"If they could, they'd probably prefer to buy the keel ship of the Black Sails, which was really made from the bones of a shadow dragon, and God knows what good things the pirates got along with it...... But Nine Toes, that's a tough guy to deal with, even if it's ...... Even if it is the ** division tower, there is nothing to do about him for the time being, so he can only keep the 'deal'. Stormel narrowly swallowed back the name that had almost blurted out, and realized with some chagrin that he always seemed to be extraordinarily frank in front of this young man.

"Is it his men or his ship that are more difficult to deal with?" Ed asked.

"It's hard. Stobel replied, "The keelship is resistant to magic, and ordinary attacks are difficult for a group of vicious and experienced pirates to defeat unless they have an overwhelming superiority in strength...... As for the Nine Toes, he is cautious and cunning, and will definitely not put himself in a disadvantageous position, and he himself ......"

The mage's fingers tapped lightly on the table, and he seemed to think that such a statement was too unbelievable: "He himself, it is said that he has obtained an extremely powerful magic item, which can prevent him from any harm...... Not even death at all. ”

“...... Do you believe this?"

Stobel shook his head, but hesitated.

"There's a group of self-proclaimed adventurers, led by Bertram, the only one I know of who has survived a head-on confrontation with Ninetoe. "Although most of them rely on their good boats...... But they should know more about Nine Toes. ”

"Where are they?"

"Rainbow Bend Island...... Their ship, the Unicorn, was made by Brie of Rainbow Island. ”

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