Chapter 455: Arrival in Nathaniell
The rest of the journey passed without any further incidents; everything went smoothly.
Toot! A loud whistle sounded.
On January 4th, Tuesday night at 8:42 p.m., under a violent downpour, the Wings of Freedom sailed smoothly into port, arriving at the final destination of this voyage: Nathaniell, the "City of Law," capital of the Sepharic Kingdom.
This was the stronghold of the War God Church, whose culture revered law. Rigid rules and regulations could be seen everywhere. It was also one of the five most famous metropolises on the entire Apocalypse Continent, renowned for its ingenious structure.
District One was the area where King Augustine XIV of Sepharic lived and conducted government work. It contained the world-famous royal palace, the Falric Palace where laws were drafted, the Dutooli Gardens, government offices, and more. It was closed to residents and tourists. District Two was centered around the War God Church, Church Square, and other religious facilities; District Three focused on commercial institutions such as the national chamber of commerce, library, stock exchange, banks, and so on. The districts were arranged clockwise in order of importance, seventeen in total.
This corresponded exactly to the phrase "Falric Law," Hamtronre nore Furic in the Falric language—eighteen letters in all. Eighteen, being greater than seventeen, symbolized that Falric law superseded everything.
Zhou Ning picked up his suitcase, left his cabin, and walked into the passage leading to the deck. In the room diagonally across, Richie Burke and Ignatius Woods each carried their own suitcase, following the crowd toward the deck.
In the corridor, he saw Redhead Robinson standing there. The man looked hesitant, clearly wanting to say something.
Most likely the next line would be a question on behalf of the force behind him: Will you be staying in Nathaniell for a while?
Right then, the red-haired Robinson hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and asked:
"Mr. Sturwell, will you be staying in Nathaniell for a while?"
"If so, the Sepharic government may want to speak with you. I can guarantee they mean no harm—only cooperation, never hostility."
As expected…
Zhou Ning had anticipated this. A retired great pirate like Robinson, still able to serve as a passenger ship captain, definitely had a powerful force behind him, though which one remained unknown.
Compared to other groups, the official Sepharic Kingdom counted as both powerful and neutral toward him.
And Zhou Ning didn't mind dealing with the authorities. After all, he was on their turf. As long as he didn't expose his secrets, having a big tree to lean on wouldn't hurt.
He smiled. "Yes, but I haven't decided where to stay yet. As long as I have time, they're welcome to come find me."
"Good." Robinson exhaled in relief, smiling as he watched Zhou Ning tip his hat lightly, lift his suitcase, and head toward the gangway leading to the port.
"What are we doing next?" Only after stepping onto the bustling, crowded pier did Richie Burke visibly relax, smiling as he asked.
Zhou Ning shook his head, signaling him to wait, then turned to look at Ignatius Woods, who had been trailing behind them. His gaze settled on the man as he smiled and said, "We've reached our destination. Do you want to come with us for now?"
It was almost funny—Ignatius Woods had been so paranoid that he paid 7,000 Vecktas to have Zhou Ning escort him to Bantuen Harbor on Nathaniell's west side. Yet they hadn't encountered a single enemy on the way, making Zhou Ning feel like the payment was burning a hole in his pocket.
However, the escort mission hadn't been marked complete. Instead, the mission objective had quietly shifted—from escorting Ignatius Woods to Bantuen Harbor, to:
[Mission Requirement Updated]
[Repel one wave of attackers: (0/4)]
Right at that moment, Zhou Ning felt several pairs of eyes watching them. Perhaps this was the trap built into the mission—the real test was just beginning.
Seemingly surprised by Zhou Ning's invitation, Ignatius Woods' expression softened slightly. After a brief hesitation, he nodded. "I'll go with you for now. I'll give you the payment shortly."
Zhou Ning responded with a faint, noncommittal smile and opened his umbrella. "Let's go."
This dock was located in District Nine. According to his plan, Zhou Ning would first find a nearby inn, then rent or buy a place closer to the center—much more convenient for him to "harvest" with his exceptional mobility.
Every street in Nathaniell was plastered with legal notices—no fighting among supernaturals, no firearms, no striking another person in any way.
Violators would face corresponding punishment, and might even draw the attention of the War God Church's professional squads.
Zhou Ning could only think that it was a blessing he wasn't born in the Sepharic Kingdom. Otherwise, he'd probably have spent half his life in prison.
Thanks to Zhou Ning's subtle warning glance, Ignatius Woods and Richie Burke had also realized something was off and stayed close to him, moving cautiously.
When they passed a relatively secluded alley, Zhou Ning closed his umbrella and abruptly grabbed Ignatius Woods by the collar, dragging him backward. A dense row of alchemy-engraved bolts suddenly appeared where he had been standing, their penetrating power immense—embedding an inch deep into the ground.
Startled, Ignatius Woods hurriedly looked upward just in time to see Wayne Sturwell launching himself skyward. A revolver appeared in his right hand, but he discarded it almost instantly. With a casual grasp through the rain, a slender sword formed entirely from water droplets took shape. One effortless swing unleashed a silent arc of sword-qi that flew toward a distant wall.
Screams erupted one after another. Four hidden attackers appeared, their forms exposed. In a blur of speed, Zhou Ning linked raindrops into spears that pinned all four of them to the wall.
Exhaling, Zhou Ning found himself astonished by the sheer power of this substitute ability. He had barely lifted a finger, yet four level-60-plus boss-tier enemies had been obliterated like weeds.
A mission completion chime rang in his mind:
[You have completed the B-rank mission: Escort. Because Ignatius Woods witnessed your strength firsthand, the reward has increased to 8,000 Vecktas.]
[You have triggered a new mission: Escort II. Accept? Yes/No]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Zhou Ning twitched the corner of his mouth. He had only intended to take the easy route and drop Woods off in Nathaniell—who would've thought he'd trigger a chain quest instead?
Just then, Ignatius Woods walked over to check the corpses. Zhou Ning immediately noticed him retrieving an emblem marked with a hammer and wrench, his frown deepening. Woods then drew a dagger and stabbed each of the four enemies in turn.
A hammer and wrench…
If his guess was correct, this was the insignia of the Alchemy and Craftsman Church. In the Apocalypse game lore, the Craftsman God Edgeworth had been designated an evil god. After the god's fall, the church became a clandestine organization, deeply intertwined with the Life Alchemy Society. Did that mean Ignatius Woods was involved with them?
After finishing, Ignatius Woods handed a thick stack of bills to Zhou Ning. His voice was hoarse. "This is the agreed payment—settled in full. I have another request: escort me to Bantuen. Interested?"