Aiden jumped down from the platform and came to his captain, and his expression immediately became serious after noticing the captain's extremely solemn expression.

"Captain, what's going on?"

"An invitation, I can't refuse," Tirion looked around before sighing, "I might have to leave here tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." ”

Aiden's eyes widened suddenly: "There is news sent to the island?" Just now? And...... How can there be an invitation on this cold sea that you can't refuse? ”

Tirion sighed again, "...... It's my father. ”

Aiden blinked and held back for a long time: "...... How long have you been away? ”

"I should be back soon, a day or two," Tirion didn't care about the subtle change in the first mate's tone, his mind was full of thoughts now, and he really didn't have the energy to say anything else, "There will be a messenger coming to the port area to pick me up and take me to the Lost Country, don't announce this matter to the public for the time being, you can take care of everything during the time I 'disappear'." ”

Aiden immediately bowed his head and took orders: "Yes, Captain." ”

Then the first mate paused for two seconds, seeming to hesitate slightly, before he couldn't help but look around, leaned closer and muttered to Tirian, "He's ...... Is it around here? ”

Tirion thought for a moment and patted Aiden on the shoulder, "The Lost is hidden in the fog around us. ”

Visible to the naked eye, he could see the muscles on Aiden's body tense a little bit.

“…… Captain, after so many years of stopping breathing, I finally feel what 'cold' means again today," First Officer Aiden's voice was visibly cautious, "Do you confirm the old captain...... Just looking for a meeting? ”

"I don't know, I don't want to know, but my gut tells me that this trip should be safe," Tirion whispered, then glanced back in the direction of the plaza at the sailors who were still reluctant to disperse and were ready to meet until sunrise, before turning to look at the first mate, "But the other sailors don't necessarily think so, you know what I mean." ”

Listening to the captain's solemn words, Aiden nodded slowly.

He knew what his captain was worried about.

The Sea Mist Fleet is huge, and except for a few ordinary people who have been bribed or hired by contract as peripheral members, most of the members of this fleet are "undead" like themselves, and these undead sailors can actually be divided into two groups strictly speaking-

A large part of them are members of the former Frost Navy, and these soldiers who were once loyal to the Frost Queen were originally ordinary people, but it was only after the Frost Rebellion that these loyalists who still insisted on staying in the ranks were gradually transformed into what they are now.

After half a century of endless battles and constant battles with the rebels, the cursed power of the Death and Sea Mist itself transformed them into the "undead sailors" they are today, and became part of the Sea Mist fleet.

The other small group of sailors are the real "primordial backbone" of "Vice Admiral Steel" Tirion: they are members of the former lost fleet.

Duncan Abnomar was their "old captain", who had witnessed the transformation and fall of the Lost Land, who had lived through the ups and downs of the century, who had followed Tirien to Frost and watched it turn upside down in the upheaval—the sailors who had been loyal for a century were called the "First Phase", and those who had been loyal for half a century were called the "Second Phase".

Aiden himself, as well as the half-witted old pastor "Will" with his head deflated, are all members of the "first phase".

A century of experience has allowed Aiden to see a lot of things hidden under the surface.

The meaning of the Lost Country and "Captain Duncan" in the eyes of the two groups of sailors is different, and the reaction to the same news in front of them is also complex and uncontrollable.

And now even Captain Tirion himself is not sure what the true state of the Lost Country and the "Old Captain" is, let alone whether this state is really stable for a long time.

So until things are clear and the situation is under control, the news of the captain's trip to the Lost Country cannot be released - otherwise the island will definitely be in chaos.

Just then, Tirien's voice came again, interrupting Aiden's thoughts, "...... Early tomorrow morning, let's send the dancers back to Cold Harbor. ”

"Send it back tomorrow?" Aiden didn't know why the captain suddenly brought this up, "Are you unhappy with them?" ”

"The Lost Country is nearby, don't let ordinary people get near this island these days," Tirion shook his head, and made a casual excuse, after all, he was embarrassed to say the reason of "Daddy was shocked", and then he paused, and added, "But the latter sentence of yours reminded me, just send it back like this, that mean 'Machete Martin' might be harsh on those girls...... I wrote a letter and gave it to the dancer's maître d'être. ”

Aiden immediately bowed his head: "Yes, Captain. ”

"Well," Tirien nodded, and then seemed to remember something again, "By the way, when I came here I saw a dancer stop and say something to you, look at you at a loss...... What did she tell you? ”

Aiden was a little embarrassed for a while: "She said my head shape is very sexy......"

Tirion silently looked at the first mate's shiny skull.

“…… The dancers in Cold Harbor are really enthusiastic and unrestrained - their personalities are very enthusiastic and their aesthetics are quite unrestrained. ”

……

Darkness, loneliness, coldness, silence.

The endless barren wilderness stretched out in the darkness, and there was no vegetation or animals in the wilderness, except for the craggy rocks and strange ruins that had been weathered and decayed for an unknown number of years, crumbling and crumbling, eternally silent in the bleak atmosphere, and from time to time the strange phantom light that flashed through the sky fluttered in the darkness, occasionally illuminating the wilderness, occasionally casting mottled and twisted shadows on the earth.

A hollow dark shadow trudged through the wilderness.

He didn't know how long he had been on the trek, nor the name of his departure, but he remembered that he had set out a long, long time ago, and the superficial impression of that time told him that he should have reached the end a long time ago, that he should have rested in some peaceful place.

What is delaying your journey? Leaving yourself to trek through this wilderness?

The hazy, empty shadow pondered, but soon the staccato thought was swallowed up by an even larger void, leaving him to move on instinctively.

But suddenly, he stumbled on his feet.

What do you seem to have stumbled? Or was it hit by something intangible?

The hollow black shadow looked down at himself, and saw that some color seemed to appear on his hazy body.

He lifted his head and continued to walk forward.

More colors appeared on him, and more solid details appeared on his otherwise foggy, uneventful and undulating surface.

A suit of clothing appeared on the humanoid black mist, which was the navigator's uniform.

He gradually got a face, and it was a middle-aged man with black hair.

His steps slowly became steady and light, and the craggy gravel beneath his feet somehow became much smoother.

More and more memories began to surface in the depths of this soul.

First the name, then the dying moment, then the sunny youth, the vague childhood memories of immaturity, and the small and warm glimpses of the swaddling clothes.

He trudged towards the end of the wilderness, and in the darkness every now and then shadows, large and small, emerged, merging with him silently.

It seemed that the individuals who had been torn and separated from him were now back in their rightful places.

Suddenly, the figure stopped at the end of the road.

Christo Barberi looked up in amazement, and saw that he had come on an avenue lined with ancient stone pillars that stood silently, and at the end of the road, a gate of great magnificence and intricate patterns stood out of thin air.

The door was open, but the interior was always hazy, and it was impossible to see the slightest detail on the other side of the door.

There was only a strong urge to come out of the soul - to go through that door, to rest on the other side of that door.

The middle-aged man in the captain's uniform subconsciously walked forward, his front and back were empty, but he seemed to feel that at the same time, countless souls were also walking on this road, and they were also walking towards that gate - there are dead people on the road every minute and every second in the world, but in front of this lonely gate of life and death, souls do not seem to see each other.

But just as he was about to touch the door, Christo stopped.

A tall figure suddenly appeared in front of the door, blocking his way.

It was a caretaker wrapped in bandages, dressed in a gloomy robe, with a hood on his head and a long staff in his hand.

It's the gatekeeper here.

Christo looked at the almost three-meter-tall "giant" with some trepidation, and the memories of his time as a living man flooded back, allowing him to regain the ability to talk to people: "You...... Is it the Lord of Death? ”

"No," the gatekeeper began, a hoarse, low voice coming from under the bandage, "I'm just His messenger. ”

Christo's tone was somewhat sad: "I'm not qualified to step through this door, am I?" ”

He recalled something more.

Include details of your own death.

However, the majestic gatekeeper only looked down at the soul at the door for a moment, and then moved away slightly: "Please come in, your debt has been paid." ”

(End of chapter)