Pillar of Yita

”Battle of Bain?”

Upon hearing this term.

Fang Hong’s gaze quietly shifted downward, and he couldn’t help but glance at the sleeve of his Alchemist’s Coat, where the cuff was frayed and lined with thin copper rings, set with three dark bronze gears.

The battle of Fenris was still vivid in his memory, the power of spells seemed to leave scorch marks there, seeping into the intertwined weave of the fabric. Of course, he knew well that this was already an unknown number of coats prepared for him by Hilveld, and it couldn’t possibly be the one he wore underground during Fenris.

But mentioning the Battle of Bain, he instinctively thought of that battle, the most difficult one he experienced in Eteliria.

The old man’s voice pulled him back to reality: ”Yes, have you heard about the origins of that war?”

Fang Hong withdrew his gaze from the cuff and answered seriously: ”I’ve heard some, Mr. Alvan.”

”I thought so,” the old man raised his gray-white eyebrows, each curved wrinkle seemingly brimming with inexhaustible wisdom, his brown eyes filled with spirited energy: ”But you certainly don’t know more.”

”Oh?” Fang Hong asked a bit defiantly: ”How can one be considered to know enough?”

”Look,” the old man’s eyes curved up too, ”it’s good to be spirited and youthful, I once had such a time, but you must understand, knowledge is like various fragments, held by different people. Even a conversation with a farmer often yields great benefits.”

Fang Hong calmed a little and asked with a humble tone: ”So Mr. Alvan, what kind of different story do you intend to tell us?”

The old man narrowed his eyes slightly, satisfied and gave him a glance. ”It seems you’re different from others,” he said, but didn’t dwell on this issue further, instead speaking to himself.

”Since you’ve already understood some, I won’t repeat the whole backstory. When an island rises from the Abyssal Sea, filled with treasures from the Xinsas Era, besides the most vulgar gold and silver, jewels, agates, and emeralds, the truly valuable treasures are countless artifacts and scrolls, ancient stone tablets, naturally including the Abyssal Sea Scroll.”

”You might not be aware, but this was the most recorded and complete Abyssal Sea Scroll obtained in the last two centuries. The scholars of the Silver Tower even named them the ’Nogness Tablets’, guess who first saw those tablets, Colin Ishurian or the Osh Empire?”

Fang Hong listened calmly, scenes from Fenris underground involuntarily flowing through his mind, he replied flatly: ”I guess neither, it was an Independent Adventure Group.”

The old man looked at him surprised.

Then he laughed heartily and lightly patted the armrest of the chair, saying: ”It seems you weren’t lying, you do know much more than an average person. It was an Independent Adventure Group, but few people remember their name now—was it ’Morning Dawn Star’ or ’Morning Star’, well, old age— but roughly it should be correct, I still have some confidence in my memory. By the way, they were also your Holy Choosers.”

”But this isn’t important at all,” the old man shifted his focus, like an excellent storyteller clinging to the heart of an event and suspense: ”They were the first to discover the island, and the first to set foot on it, indeed acquiring the ’Nogness Tablets’, because among them was an alchemist who recognized the value of these tablets. He traced the tablets, those are what you see today—”

But after he finished that segment, unexpectedly, he found that the attention of the group seemed to be not on his ’story’. Except for the middle-aged craftsman, almost everyone turned around to look at Fang Hong.

Fang Hong pressed his hands on his knees, staring at the old man without showing the slightest hint of peculiarity on his face. He strived to ask in a very casual tone: ”Morning Dawn Star?”

The old man looked at them meaningfully, rubbed his chin, and answered leisurely: ”Perhaps not quite right, should be ’Morning Star’.”

”But I’ve heard of that Adventure Group, seems not this name.”

”Then what is its name?” the old man countered.

Fang Hong pondered for a moment, unexpectedly unable to answer immediately.

”You are unsure,” the old man’s wise eyes looked at him: ”Because this is an answer buried within history, it’s inconsequential, so few people know it—a lot of people remember ’Divine Body’, not anything else. This is normal, people are quite forgetful.”

But he smiled slightly: ”Yet I can clearly tell you this answer, they were indeed the first Adventure Group to set foot on that island, a team of Holy Choosers, accidentally involved in this historical event, fascinating isn’t it?”

Fang Hong lowered his eyelids, replying in the same leisurely, and restrained manner: ”But Morning Star—I seem to have heard that name somewhere.”

The old man didn’t affirm nor deny this: ”This is just a very common name. Whether ’Morning Star’ or ’Morning Dawn Star’, both imply hope, in mercenary groups and Adventure Groups, it’s quite a pleasing name. It wouldn’t be surprising to encounter the same one.”

”...Mr. Alvan, you mean to say it was disbanded.”