Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 82 Aunt? Aunt! (8k)

In Raine's plan, the High Elves' Gem Islands were a must-visit destination.

In the short term, establishing trade links with the Gem Islands could bring substantial revenue to the resource-poor Salt Island.

In the long run, the power of the high elf mages is also an indispensable and important part of uniting the world against the White Walkers.

Of course, this did not prevent him from displaying a loyal stance of "I am willing to go to sea for my family" and ruthlessly fleecing the old Marquis Fahre.

Inside the cabin, Renn gazed at the blue sky and sea outside the porthole, toying with the Faher family's seal ring in his hand.

If he remembered correctly, the old Marquis had a total of three signet rings. One for daily use, one to be given to his heir, and one for emergencies.

The ring he gave himself was most likely a "spare" one—no one would believe that the old marquis had already decided to pass the position of heir to Renn.

It's important to know that Dolores, the family's cheapskate, is stationed at Eagle Keep year-round. Eagle Keep is the gateway to the Fahre region from the Land of Abundance and the ancestral territory of the family's successors. Not only is its tax revenue substantial, but the family's Eagle Knights are also stationed there year-round; they have both money and manpower.

If Raine were to become the "young master of the family," what would Dolores do? It would force him to take desperate measures... Whether the rebellion would succeed is another matter, but the old Marquis Fahl would absolutely not allow Dolores to rebel. Therefore, this ring does not symbolize the identity of the heir; it is most likely just a tool to appease himself and buy time.

Ryan tossed the signet ring high into the air and caught it accurately with his hand.

In that case, don't blame me for being rude.

He left the cabin, went up to the deck, and watched the family sailors bustling about.

Ellina and Bersalia stood near the bow, talking to each other. Dia was probably catching up on sleep in her cabin. Aurora... had already climbed to the lookout tower on the mainmast, keeping a watchful eye on the surrounding sea.

The disappearance of the smuggling fleet was a devastating blow to the Fahre family.

The ship that is now taking everyone to the Gem Islands was transferred from Darryl's trading fleet. The navigator on board is an old sailor who retired from the smuggling fleet a few years ago because he is too old and in poor health. His breathing sounds like he is working a bellows, and he gives people the feeling that he could die suddenly at any moment.

If the ship ultimately fails to return, the old marquis will probably be so angry he'll vomit blood.

“Sir,” the old navigator, leaning on his cane, caught up from behind and reported to Rein, “If the wind direction doesn’t change, we should be able to reach Drill Island before midnight tonight.”

“Naval vessels patrol and defend the area around the island all day long. After nightfall, the patrol frequency decreases to once every four hours. Therefore, our fleet used to secretly anchor at Zircon Island at night, where they would arrange for the cargo to be placed in advance, and we could leave after loading the cargo. But…”

The rest is self-evident. The fact that the smuggling fleet has now completely disappeared indicates that something is definitely wrong with this route.

"I understand." Ryan gestured to the sailors beside him to help the old navigator back into the cabin, and then had someone call Diamond over.

Diamond was also in a tough spot. He had originally taken on the job of training sailors, but before he could even start planning the program, he was pulled in by Ryan to be a local guide.

“Zircon Island?” He was surprised for a while. “Now I know why you chose Zircon Island for the handover. The royal warehouse is located there, and the smuggled goods sold to you were probably pulled directly from the warehouse.”

After Diamond explained it to him, Ryan immediately understood.

Like other feudal kingdoms, the High Elf kingdom required its lords and nobles to regularly pay taxes to the royal family as a sign of loyalty. This tax was divided into "gold tax" and "tribute tax"—simply put, those with money paid money, and those without used local products from their territories as a substitute.

For example, if your territory produces jade, the royal treasurer will set a quota for you each year, specifying how many high-quality jade pieces you need to provide to offset taxes.

These tribute goods were stored in the royal warehouse on Zircon Island, and were sold by special personnel dispatched by the Minister of Finance, with the proceeds converted into currency and deposited into the public account.

A clever person would immediately see the loophole for profit here: after all, the High Elf royal family cannot monitor every transaction, so I can sell the goods privately to the black market or even smugglers who offer higher prices, but on the surface, I can record the transaction at the average market price and pocket the profit from the price difference.

"Therefore, the disappearance of the family fleet is most likely due to a problem with the royal treasury," Renn speculated.

“Not necessarily,” Diamond said cautiously. “Many high-ranking nobles are involved in profiting from the sale of tribute, and even the royal family turns a blind eye, as long as it can be disposed of and converted into gold. But selling directly to smugglers would ultimately be a stain on their reputation, so…”

“So they’ll hand over the tribute to the black market to handle.” Renn immediately sneered. “As for whether the black market sells it to smugglers or someone else, they’ll turn a blind eye. Even if the matter comes to light, they won’t be held responsible.”

“Your insight is remarkable, my lord,” Diamond said cautiously. “In truth, rat lairs in any country all undertake the task of handling stolen goods and laundering money for the powerful; otherwise, they wouldn’t tolerate our existence. As for the disappearance of your family’s fleet, rather than suspecting a problem with the royal treasury, I’m more inclined to believe something happened in the black market, the intermediary. After all, you remember what I told you…”

“Of course I remember,” Renn said. “In the black market under your jurisdiction, people frequently suffer from mental breakdowns, isn’t that right?”

“Your memory is equally superb, my lord.” Diamond showed a look of sincere admiration. “In my humble opinion, smuggling is a mutually beneficial business, and there are quite a few high elf nobles and imperial nobles involved. It is unlikely that any fool would suddenly jump out to destroy a little secret that so many people are aware of.”

If we rule out the possibility of the High Elves betraying us, it might really be caused by this curse. Referring to the example of the Nightshade Legion, since the White Walkers began to return, there has been a noticeable increase in all sorts of monsters and demons worldwide.

Raine quickly considered the matter and gave the order:
"Let's go to Zircon Island first!"

--------------

Many of the city-states in the Gem Islands are named after dazzling gemstones.

The kingdom's capital, Diamond City, is built on Diamond Island in the middle of the sea, surrounded by five major island groups: Ruby Island, Emerald Island, Topaz Island, Aquamarine Island, and Amethyst Island. The High Elves, passionate about art, have even planted large areas of flowers and plants in corresponding colors on these islands as a key project for municipal landscaping, funded by public funds from all citizens.

Zircon Island is an exception. This small island has very little soil; it's all bare rock and can't grow flowers, so it's disliked by the aesthetically-minded high elves. That's why it's used as a warehouse.

According to Diamond, the original Zircon Island had nothing at all, and even food had to be transported from Diamond Island. The warehouse managers' daily work consisted of sitting on the top of the rocky mountain and staring at the sea, so they jokingly called themselves "prisoners."

They continued until they discovered a hidden and spacious cave beneath a cape at the base of the rocky mountain.

Whether it's a den of rats for smuggling and money laundering, or a lair of snakes for murder and murder-for-hire, they all have a strong preference for such shady, shadowy places. Another unexpected bonus is that the bottom of this cave connects to a natural underwater tunnel, leading all the way to the base of Mount St. Platinum, northwest of Drill Island…

Thus, the black market of the Rat's Nest on the island was born.

Guided by the veteran navigator and Diamond, the ship precisely cut into the central waterway between the Emerald Islands and the Ruby Islands, avoiding outposts on both islands and the naval fleets patrolling nearby.

“There’s a magic lighthouse on the north side of the summit of Zircon Island,” the old navigator warned. “If we are spotted by the lighthouse’s beams, the lighthouse keeper will note that an unfamiliar vessel has entered the waters around Zircon Island. So we’d better approach from the south side of the island and use the mountain as cover to avoid the lighthouse’s beams.”

Before Renn could speak, Aurora said:
"No need. I saw it; the lighthouse is off."

"You saw it?" the old navigator exclaimed in surprise. "Impossible! We're still quite a distance from Zircon Island..."

"Is it normal for the lighthouse to go out?" Ryan interrupted the old navigator's question and turned to ask Diamond.

“This is not normal,” Diamond said, frowning. “This lighthouse is used to guide cargo ships to dock at the port on the north side. According to regulations, the lighthouse must not be turned off even if the lighthouse keeper is not present.”

“Hmm.” Renn pondered for a moment, then instructed, “Don’t dock on the south side of Zircon Island. Launch the small boat a certain distance from the shore.”

The ship quietly circled around to the south side of Zircon Island. The island ahead was shrouded in darkness and deathly silence, giving rise to an eerie and inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Raine, Ellina, Bersalia, Dia, and Aurora, a group of five, boarded a small boat hanging from the stern of the ship, with Diamond as their guide, and had the sailors lower the boat into the sea.

This time, it was Diamond who was rowing. He rowed vigorously, maneuvering the small boat through the waves, saying:
"My lord, you must be careful. In the many years I've been away from the Gem Islands, the curse may have spread from the black market beneath Diamond Island along the underwater tunnel to Zircon Island, causing the strange signs we see today."

"What about the mage guild on Diamond Island?" Ellina asked. "If it's a curse that's spreading secretly, even if the court mages are unaware of it, the spellcasters' guilds in the common people should have noticed it, right?"

“I don’t know about that.” Diamond laughed heartily. “I once hired those old men from the Spellcasters’ Guild to take a look around the underground black market for a hefty sum, and the conclusion was that there was nothing unusual. It’s as if those mentally unstable guys had gone mad because they were having a bad time.”

“If it were truly a curse, even an ordinary mage might not be able to detect it,” Bersalia said. “In terms of secrecy, curses are the most silent and stealthy of all spells; even illusions cannot compare.”

To put it bluntly, it's about specialization. Asking an ordinary mage who knows nothing about witchcraft to identify the curses of the necromancy branch is like asking a professional carpenter to check an electrical circuit—they probably wouldn't even be able to understand a multimeter.

Of course, besides curses, other possible causes include sorcery, ritual spells, certain magical artifacts tampered with by demons, and even alchemical poisons with hallucinogenic effects, all of which can easily achieve this by simply adding them to the drinking water source in the black market.

Raine did not join in the speculation, but simply gazed quietly ahead as the outline of Zircon Island emerged from the shadows.

“Raine,” Aurora suddenly said, “I see the fleet! It’s anchored on the shore!”

Everyone's spirits immediately lifted. As the small boat approached the south shore of Zircon Island, they indeed saw many ships anchored in the waters near the south shore, quietly resting on the sea.

Although there were no patterns on the sails, having been with the Faher family for a long time, everyone could recognize it at a glance as the smuggling fleet of the Rennes family.

For some reason, the deck was empty; not a single sailor could be seen.

Raine and his companions reached the shore at a nearby beach and found many corpses lying there. Some were human, and some were high elves; it seemed that a battle had taken place between the two groups.

"The fleet was anchored at the shore, and the human sailors disembarked and waded across to unload the cargo." Elrina looked at the scene and described the scene based on the traces. "However, the elven workers who were supposed to unload the cargo suddenly drew their weapons and attacked the human sailors."

“Indeed.” Berthalia looked at the human corpses. “Many human sailors didn’t even have time to draw their weapons, which means they were caught off guard and killed in a sneak attack.”

"So who won in the end?" Dia asked worriedly.

“There are no winners.” Aurora looked at the footprints stretching into the distance. “The humans quickly drew their weapons and fought back, killing some of the high elves, but there were too many of them, forcing them to flee westwards, without even a chance to retreat back to their ships.”

“If that’s the case, some sailors should still be on board,” Diamond asked doubtfully. “Didn’t they send anyone to help when they saw their companions being attacked by the High Elves?”

“Aurora,” Renn instructed, “go climb onto the ship and take a look.”

The answer was soon revealed: all the human sailors on the ship were dead, killed by killing each other.

“It seems my guess was right.” Diamond’s voice was somewhat dazed, and an indescribable fear appeared on his face. “It’s that maddening curse, and its power is far greater than before…”

He had an instinctive urge to jump into the sea and escape immediately, but Raine quickly gave him a calming spell.

"Boss?" Bersalia asked with a smile, "Did you notice anything?"

“Let’s follow the footprints on the beach,” Ryan said calmly. “Let’s go take a look.”

“Alright,” Bersalia shrugged. “If I go crazy, remember to stab me in time.”

She was obviously joking. Because the three elves, Ellina, Bersalia, and Aurora, all possessed the soul attribute of undead, and undead are immune to any spells that affect willpower.

The dragon bloodline within Dia also grants her extremely strong resistance to curses and evil magic. As for Raine, needless to say, he is proficient in more curses than anyone else has ever seen combined… Therefore, the only truly dangerous one is Diamond, this ordinary high elf.

The group followed the trail left by the sailors. Some areas were footprints, others bloodstains, and occasionally they would find a body or two by the roadside, mostly abandoned by their companions to die from their grievous wounds. "This direction should lead to that cave," Diamond said anxiously. "They're lucky. If they can hide in the cave, with the network of underwater tunnels below, they might actually escape the madmen's pursuit. As for us… haha, haha…"

His voice grew increasingly like meaningless babbling, so much so that Raine had to cast a powerful calming spell on him, plunging Diamond back into a strange, emotionless, ethereal state, where he simply walked stiffly ahead to lead the way.

The group finally arrived at the cave. The entrance was hidden in a ravine at the bottom of the cape, and several huge rocks blocked the way, making it difficult to see from the outside.

Raine secretly harbored doubts, because the human sailors had never landed on the island to explore before, and should not know that there were caves here where they could hide.

In other words, at least one High Elf who knew the location of this cave was guiding these human sailors.

This is good news, because according to Diamond, the underwater caves here are interconnected, and without a local guide to hide, they would probably be found and killed by the enemy before long.

The group began to enter the cave. Diamond led the way, followed by Ellina and Bersalia, with Dia in the middle and Renn and Aurora bringing up the rear.

The passage was long, and the air was filled with the salty and fishy smell of the sea. At intervals along the rock face, there were simple torch stands nailed with iron plates, with torches inserted on them to provide light, indicating that this section of the passage was still being maintained and used recently.

Continuing along the passage, one can see many traces of excavation around it, suggesting that the originally narrow passage was widened through construction to facilitate the transport of goods.

After passing through a long and flat passage, and following a linear staircase down a cliff about 100 meters high, and then walking through another long tunnel, you finally arrive at a natural stone hall where you can see passageways in front and to the left.

“Going forward from here leads to Drill Island,” Diamond explained to the group, his mood seemingly improving. “Going left leads to a very complex network of caves. We used to build many warehouses down there to store waste, but later, due to an undersea earthquake, some passages collapsed, and those warehouses were abandoned.”

“The key now is, which way did they go?” Ellina said.

“They must have had a guide in their group to get this far,” Diamond sighed. “Going to Drill Island is impossible, because smuggling is a serious crime; if caught by the guards, they’ll have their fingers chopped off. I guess they went to the left.”

“Someone’s coming,” Aurora suddenly said.

Everyone quickly prepared for battle, and then they saw several figures suddenly emerge from the end of the passage ahead.

Leading the group was a handsome young high elf nobleman, guarded by two mages and armored soldiers. Each of them was covered in blood, clearly having endured numerous fierce battles, and their faces showed exhaustion and vigilance.

"Who goes there!" The person on the other side clearly noticed the figure and shouted, "Come out!"

"Wait, don't do it!" Diamond shouted immediately. "We're not those lunatics!"

Raine did not speak up to stop him, because he recognized the high elf nobleman's identity.

Fernando Fladsica, the third prince of the High Elf royal family.

The High Elf kingdom in the game is very special; only High Elf players can enter the Gem Isles. However, since all players can upload and post on the forum, Renn recognized this High Elf prince, who was known as the "most approachable," as an ambitious fellow.

Fernando's indifferent gaze swept across the faces of the people in the distance, finally landing on Ellina's face.

Humans, dark elves, wood elves, and high elves... wait, that's them!

Aunt Eileen?

"Eileen?" Fernando exclaimed in shock, "You... how did you get here?"

"Who are you?" Ellina was baffled. What's with that long-lost look on your face? Do I know you?

“It’s me! I’m your nephew, Feli!” Fernando pushed aside the elven soldiers guarding him, trying to make his face clearer. “Don’t you remember me? I…”

His voice suddenly stopped.

The torchlight in the passageway wasn't very bright, providing only a meager illumination. At first glance, Fernando mistook the white-haired elven woman opposite him for his aunt, Irene Vladsica, who had disappeared in the shipwreck years ago. But upon closer inspection in the torchlight, he realized that while the two shared many similarities, they also had many differences.

For example, Eileen's lips are slightly upturned, seemingly containing a gentle smile, while the woman opposite her has thinner, more delicate lips, carrying a certain unapproachable aloofness and majesty. This is the most obvious difference.

Besides, there are subtle differences in details such as eyebrows, eyes, and nose. It is probably safe to say that they are not the same High Elf, but only have similar appearances.

Most importantly, although her body was not found that year, considering the conditions of the surrounding sea, it was basically certain that she had died.

Is it just a coincidence that they look alike?

Fernand quickly calmed down, reason returning to his mind temporarily clouded by emotion, and asked loudly:

"Who are you all? And why are you here on Zircon Island?"

Everyone opposite looked at Renn, making Fernando immediately realize that this human male was the leader.

“The Faher family of the Reach,” Renn pondered for a moment before replying, “Ren Faher.”

never heard of that.

The High Elves have long been secluded from the world, and the Third Prince Fernando had never heard of the Faher family on the continent. However, he was good at judging people and quickly deduced from his demeanor, expression, and tone of voice that Renn was not lying and that he was indeed a human noble from the continent.

"Why would it appear on Zircon Island?" he repeated his question.

"Find someone?"

"who?"

“Sailors from our family’s fleet,” Ryan had already prepared his answer. “Our family’s fleet encountered a storm a few days ago and was forced to seek help at your country’s island port, but we have not received any news since. We have come here to find them.”

Here to seek help? I think they're here to smuggle goods!

Fernando didn't expose the other party's argument, but simply said:

"You're very unlucky. This passage connects to the underground black market of Diamond City. Some time ago, the Mad God's plague broke out there, turning most of the people into madmen who could only mutter, scream, and attack indiscriminately. The sailors you're looking for may have come into contact with the madmen who passed through this underground passage, causing them to be infected by the plague."

"The Mad God?" Renn was silent for a moment. "You mean the great devil who controls madness and chaos?"

“Our customs as high elves are different from yours as humans,” Fernando replied. “We call these infernal beings evil gods. While they mostly spread destruction and evil, they can occasionally bestow useful things.”

“I have no interest in discussing religion with you here,” Raine said bluntly, drawing angry glares from the high elf soldiers and mages opposite him. “I came here only to find those human sailors. Once I find them, I will leave, whether they live or die.”

“That’s wonderful.” Fernando didn’t show any sign of being offended. Instead, he smiled and said, “The High Elf Kingdom doesn’t have a tradition of welcoming uninvited guests. If you’re not going to stay here for long, we don’t necessarily have to resort to violence.”

"Humans, you are looking for those sailors, while we are hunting down the madmen who are hunting them. Perhaps we can travel together."

Raine certainly wouldn't refuse, because this was an excellent opportunity to establish a connection with the High Elf royal family. He would need to find a way to bring the High Elf kingdom into the fight against the White Walkers in the future!

So the two sides met up.

As Diamond blended into the royal guard, his breathing became rapid, fearing that the third prince would recognize him as the bastard son of the Delacroix family.

But he was clearly overthinking it, because Fernando simply observed Ellina discreetly and even tried to strike up a conversation with her:
"Excuse me, and this may be a bit presumptuous, but have we met somewhere before?"

“No,” Ellina said coldly. “We have never met.”

“But you look familiar,” Fernando persisted.

The hair and eye colors of the High Elves are not very different, but white hair and golden eyes are standard royal bloodline features, and there is absolutely no other possibility. After so many years of isolation, the bloodline of each family could be written into a thick book. How could they not know which family has produced which hair and eye colors?
Only royalty has white hair and golden eyes; white hair and golden eyes must belong to royalty. Unless they use some kind of hair dye or alchemical potion, but Fernando could tell that the other person hadn't disguised it in any way; her hair and eye colors were natural.

In addition, each family has its own etiquette training, including walking and standing postures, speech and behavior during social interactions, and even the pronunciation of certain words, which are all subtly different—the main point is to be more elegant than others in order to show the family's heritage and accumulation.

The royal family has its own etiquette courses. If she can perfectly follow even this aspect without making a mistake, then no matter how impossible it seems, after eliminating all other possibilities...

Fernando no longer cared about the Mad God Plague; he only wanted to find out if the seemingly familiar yet strange High Elf woman before him was Irene Fladsica, who had been presumed dead in the shipwreck but whose body had never been found.

"Hey, hey." Bersalia smiled and stepped in front of Ellina, blocking Fernando who was about to continue the conversation. "Harassing a lady who isn't interested in you like this isn't exactly proper royal etiquette, you know."

"I haven't asked your name yet?" Fernando asked politely.

“Besalia,” Besalia said with a playful smile, “She is Ellina. Are you sure you’ve seen her before? Are you sure?”

“Besalia? Ellina?” Fernando couldn’t help but laugh.

Using the name of an ancient hero who fought against the White Walkers a thousand years ago as a pseudonym to conceal one's identity... is a joke that suits the tastes of the High Elves, because ordinary people who lack historical knowledge cannot appreciate the fun in it.

“And who is this?” He turned to Aurora and asked with a smile, “Quinn… Oh, the Hand of Nature is male, then you must be the Eye of Nature, Aurora Florella, who is female.”

"Hello, I'm Aurora." Aurora nodded.

Fernando became even more certain of his judgment. As for the two humans, Dia and Rein, he had little interest in talking to them; at most, he just wanted to know why they were traveling with his aunt.

"After this trip, if you still have the time, please take the time to visit the Royal Palace in Diamond City," Fernando said with an air of elegance, extending a royal invitation.

“Excuse me,” Bersalia said sarcastically, “didn’t I just hear someone say that ‘the High Elf Kingdom has no tradition of welcoming uninvited guests’?”

“Yes,” Fernando said without changing his expression, “but if we extend an invitation now, it wouldn’t be considered ‘uninvited.’ Now, in the fight against the Mad God’s Plague, we are fighting side by side, and we have forged a bond of camaraderie. I am willing to acknowledge your status as guests on behalf of the royal family. After this matter is over and you leave the cave, we will conduct the proper guest ceremony outside. I will also fully guarantee that you will receive the treatment due to royal guests within the High Elf Kingdom. What do you say?”

“You’re asking me? I don’t have the final say,” Bersalia said with a grin. “Go ask Raine, he’s Eileen’s husband.”

My aunt is already married? Fernando was taken aback at first, then his heart trembled violently!
What name did she just call, Eileen? Eileen is a nickname for "Ellina"... No! It's a hint at her aunt's true identity, and it's also a word game with double entendres that we high elves love!

Thinking of this, Fernando couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes. He looked at Ellina with great emotion and was speechless for a moment.

Ellina was bewildered and unconsciously slowed her pace, retreating to Rein's side.

This prince... he seems quite ill. Are all high elf royalty this eccentric these days? Where has all the court etiquette gone?

(End of this chapter)