Mystery: The Last Shepherd.

Chapter 729 Colonel Hall's Perilous Encounter

Sea of ​​Sunia.

"Waaah"

The armored steamship roared forward. Its sharp bow cleaved the water, creating white spray. Many white waterbirds circled the ship, swooping and tumbling, using the rising air currents to save energy.

On the railing beside the deck, a handsome young officer was gazing into the distance.

He wore a crisp non-commissioned officer's uniform of the Rune Army, his blond hair shone brightly, and his deep blue eyes were the same color as the sea. He was quite handsome. Several brand-new medals were pinned to his chest, telling the story of the young colonel's achievements.

The officer stood motionless, his hand resting on the railing. His azure eyes clearly reflected the scene before him: four or five steel warships were arrayed in an orderly fashion on the sea, like a herd of giant beasts, guarding the transport ship at the center. The entire fleet was heading north without stopping. The waves crashed, the iron armor gleamed in the sunlight, and the countless dark cannon barrels were so intimidating that anyone who saw them would not dare to confront them.

"Are you happy, Alfred?"

A cheerful voice came from behind the officer, "In a few hours, we'll be back in Backlund, and you'll be able to see your family again."

"As long as we haven't reached the shore, we're still on a mission."

Alfred Hall turned around and calmly replied, "As long as we are on a mission, we should not be distracted by unnecessary emotions."

"Heh, as expected of Colonel Hall, even at this point, he still holds himself to such high standards."

The man opposite him smiled and expressed his approval after hearing this.

He was dressed in a black clergy robe, and judging from the color of the robe's sash, he was probably an acolyte of the Church of the Night.

This position is equivalent to an assistant to a bishop, and after certain assessments and training, one can be promoted to bishop.

The man looked to be about the same age as Alfred, but it was quite an achievement for someone his age to become a deacon... Of course, he was still a bit lacking compared to a colonel in his twenties.

Most notably, the man was wearing a holy emblem on his chest.

The emblem looked exquisite and beautiful, inlaid with a variety of expensive gemstones, and pieced together with exquisite craftsmanship to form the shape of the emblem of the goddess of the night—the delicate and deep black jadeite represents the night, the dazzling diamonds are the embellishing stars, and the bright red pigeon blood ruby ​​is the peaceful red moon... The value of the gemstones on this pendant alone is incalculable!

The fact that this person could piece together these expensive gems into a holy emblem is enough to prove two things: first, that this person is very wealthy; and second, that he has a very deep faith in the goddess.

"Stop joking around, Nelson Sharp."

Alfred Hall said calmly, without showing any anger. It seemed the two had a good relationship. "Don't forget, my father, Earl Hall, is a prominent member of the Church of the Goddess. If he dares to mock me again, I'll invite him to meet Lord Anthony at St. Samuel's Cathedral and ensure your performance review fails."

"What? They actually used their connections!"

Sharp exaggeratedly clutched his chest. "Do you want to ruin my dream of becoming a bishop? The believers in the Southern Continent are waiting for me to save them!"

That's right, Nelson Sharp's day job is as a missionary for the Church of the Night.

He and Alfred Hall were both nobles from Rune, having chosen different paths but both coincidentally ending up in the Southern Continent. Now, their return to the North was for different reasons. Alfred was on leave from the army, while he was reporting to his parish.

Generally, those who go to remote areas to preach receive preferential treatment and can be promoted after their performance review.

"

Alfred glanced at Sharp speechlessly.

Seemingly because he didn't want to talk to the other person anymore, he turned around and looked at the transport ship again.

"I heard that you also contributed to the collection on that ship, and that was rewarded with a medal on your chest."

Sharp also leaned closer to the railing and said something.

"That's a military secret; I can't tell you."

"Using that excuse again... Okay, let's change the subject. You've been away for so long, did you bring any gifts home for your family?"

"It's all prepared."

"What gift?"

"I prepared fine Byron cigars for my father, and gemstones, a specialty of the Southern Continent, for my mother. As for Hilbert, well, that's..."

My brother prepared antique gold bookmarks and some occult books from the Southern Continent for my sister.

"Audrey still likes the occult."

Sharp laughed and said, "Be careful not to slip in any dangerous knowledge."

"No, I've already had tests done."

Alfred said calmly, then frowned slightly as if he had remembered something.

As Sharp mentioned, his sister Audrey Hall was passionate about the occult. According to their parents, she even drank a potion and became an extraordinary being...

This is utter nonsense!

The extraordinary world is so dangerous, can a little girl like her handle it?

Fortunately, low-sequence potions aren't that deadly, so it's fine since she drank them... But no matter what, I need to have a good talk with her when I get back and make her give up the idea of ​​continuing to advance!

While our Colonel Alfred Hall was worrying about his family, he suddenly noticed something unusual.

Ahead of the fleet, on the sea surface, a black dot appeared.

Furthermore, it's still several hours away from the nearest port, "Prydz Harbour," so what's in front of us right now is definitely not land. It can't be reefs either, because this is a safe shipping lane.

Could it be a problem with your eyes?

Alfred didn't think so. He reached into his pocket, took out a telescope, and held it up to his eyes.

With the help of the optical lens, he quickly found the black dot and saw what it was.

That was a person.

A person standing on the sea.

His robes were as crimson as blood, and his shadow as dark as an abyss. His handsome face was expressionless, and his azure eyes held madness and indifference, as if he were staring at Alfred through glasses.

[Blood Monk], [King of Blood], Alexander Gascoigne!

Alfred's eyes narrowed suddenly, and his spirituality instantly issued a warning!

The ship's horn sounded again, this time with a noticeably more urgent tone, as the command bridge alerted the entire fleet. The sailors scrambled about, preparing their guns in a flurry.

Meanwhile, the fleet continued to sail forward, getting closer and closer to that figure.

Meanwhile, Alfred was still watching the other person through his binoculars.

He saw that the terrifying blood cultivator suddenly move, pulling out a... jewelry box from somewhere?