Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 1296: Section 1297 Rolando

Angel’s movements paused.

Gold One laughed, “It seems, I didn’t guess wrong. The person you’re looking for is indeed him.”

How did Gold One know his purpose? Angel looked at him, and a suspicion suddenly emerged in his heart: could it be that this Gold One was connected to the master of the Crimson Authority? Or could it be that the incident at Pat Manor was actually caused by two people?

If that was the case, would it not be better to capture Gold One now and then hand him over to Suise for interrogation?

“Your gaze looks very dangerous,” Gold One said softly, “I can probably guess what you’re thinking, but I have no connection whatsoever with the person you’re looking for. I simply came to know some information about him by chance.”

Angel did not believe Gold One; he just quietly watched him.

...
Gold One raised his palms in a gesture of innocence, “Alright, it seems I must explain. It’s quite simple, why do you think I told Feline and Henry to go to Gru Town, haven’t you thought about that?”

“Because I detected that the redhead was there.” Gold One continued, “Red-haired Suise was among those who came with us to the Old Earth Continent. I was very curious about what he was doing here, so after several months of investigation, I roughly pinpointed his location.”

“Then, I let Feline and Henry scout ahead.”

Angel, “Just by this, you could guess the person I’m looking for?”

A faint glint flashed in Gold One’s eyes, “I once inadvertently received some news that there was a person aboard the ‘White Bear’ who has a close connection to the Gumman royal family. Red-haired Suise’s background is not a secret in the Southern Domain; he is actually working for King Gumman.”

“I even probed Red-haired Suise once; he didn’t know about the other person on the ‘White Bear’. I became very curious, what is the matter with these two persons?”

“Although I do not know why your excellency would be connected to Red-haired Suise, now that you’ve come to find me and inquire about the Transcendent on the ‘White Bear’, naturally, he was the first person I thought of.”

Angel believed Gold One’s words. Not because his gaze never wavered and the cause and effect were clearly explained, but purely because, within the bounds of Trick’s magic, Gold One’s physiological reactions, including pupil dilation, blood flow speed, heartbeat… and so on, were all normal.

At the very least, Angel did not detect any trace of lies.

“Who exactly is the ‘he’ you’re speaking of?” Angel asked.

Seeing that Angel’s gaze shifted from threatening to calm, Gold One knew he had probably passed this hurdle. He hadn’t planned on showing weakness to Angel initially, and even when he received the task to find Angel, he had not considered handling this mission peacefully.

However, just before, although Gold One was conducting experiments in the underground cavern, he had not neglected the Silver Star in the warehouse on the ground.

He had witnessed Angel’s confrontation with the Silver Star and also taken note of the aura emanating from Angel. That oppressive sensation, even through the thick earthen walls, made Gold One feel a panic that welled up from deep within, a kind of panic he had never even felt in the presence of his master—which meant that Angel’s strength might have already surpassed the limit!

It also meant one thing—should he openly oppose Angel, he would undoubtedly lose.

In this situation, Gold One naturally adjusted his speech and demeanor, trying to avoid conflict with Angel as much as possible.

Gold One, “I can tell you, but according to the principle of equivalent exchange, I hope to make a deal with this information and you, Your Excellency.”

“What deal?”

“Although Your Excellency may already know of my background, I still need to introduce myself before revealing the content of the deal.” Gold One stood up, bowed lightly to Angel, “You may call me Gold One, from ‘Song of the Deep Sea’, my master is known as ‘Son of the Ocean’, Jiebo.”

Jiebo? Hearing the familiar name, Angel’s eyebrows twitched.

Initially, Angel was indifferent towards Jiebo, harboring neither good nor ill feelings. However, since the incident in Saint Sem City where he almost got killed by Seliu, his attitude had changed. Although he wasn’t directly opposed to Jiebo, they certainly weren’t comrades either.

When Gold One stated he was Jiebo’s man, Angel had almost guessed the trade he wanted to propose.

“If you are hoping to trade for the Ocean’s Rhythm, I’m afraid you don’t have enough to bargain with,” Angel paused, “And you should know, it concerns Suise, not me; I am merely running an errand on behalf of Suise.”

Gold One, “I understand that my information is not enough to trade for such a precious treasure. However, I would like to use this information in exchange for the right to experience the Ocean’s Rhythm once. As for the energy required to initiate the Ocean’s Rhythm, I can provide it myself.”

Angel did not answer immediately.

It seemed he was contemplating, but in fact, he had already made up his mind. The trade was not at a loss for him; it was just that agreeing too easily might make the initiation of the Ocean’s Rhythm seem too cheap.

As for the worry of potentially cultivating a future enemy… he had even dealt with Demons, so why worry about humans?

Moreover, excessive caution, while necessary, could also be a sign of self-doubt.

After approximately two minutes, as if weighing his decision for a long time, Angel finally nodded, “Alright. But there’s no need for the initiation energy; you cannot afford it.”

A light gleamed in Gold One’s eyes, “Aside from this, I have one more condition.”

Angel’s brow furrowed, about to say “don’t be greedy,” but Gold One spoke first, “Because my mission is to trade the Ocean’s Rhythm from you, it’s now apparent that I cannot accomplish this. Since my trade with Your Excellency is private, in order to avoid trouble, I hope Your Excellency won’t tell anyone else that I have experienced the Ocean’s Rhythm.”

To Angel, this demand seemed reasonable, and he did not think anyone would come to inquire about it. But Gold One, to be on the safe side, still made this request, which showed his cautious approach to matters.

“Yes.”

Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t worried that Angel would break his promise. With a slight movement at the corner of his mouth, he took the initiative to reveal the information about that person.

After listening to Jin’s account, Angel’s brow furrowed. He had no recollection of the person Jin described, but given Jin’s certainty, he presumed it must be accurate.

Once Jin had finished speaking, Angel took out the Song of the Deep Sea in front of him.

Under Jin’s nearly greedy gaze, Angel activated the Song of the Deep Sea.

It should be mentioned that Jin was, aside from Duru, the first Sea Lineage Apprentice to experience the Song of the Deep Sea. It was uncertain what subsequent effects it might produce…

By the time Jin regained consciousness, it was already five minutes later.

The first thing he did upon awakening was to look opposite him, but to his surprise, Angel was nowhere to be seen.

Yinxing spoke in a low voice, “Our guest had already left by the time you were enveloped by the blue light, sir.”

Jin’s expression flickered with a hint of regret, but more than this brief disappointment, his eyes shone with excitement and an indescribable thrill.

He turned to Yinxing and said, “I need to meditate quietly for a while. You look after the laboratory for me and make sure no one enters. Also, later on, find the dark stream veins beneath the pool and send a message to White Bear on my behalf, saying I’m in retreat. If she asks about Angel’s whereabouts, just say you don’t know, and I will deal with it when I wake.”

…

Angel had left the farm and was now heading back to Gondola amidst the swirling snow.

White Bear looked at him anxiously, wanting to get answers from him, while Sanders, leaning against the ship’s rail, said softly to Angel, “Actually, you didn’t need to trade with him. There are many ways to get answers out of him.”

Angel knew he couldn’t keep what happened downstairs from Sanders. As for what Sanders just said, Angel had also considered it, but in the end, he chose to trade. It was purely because Jin was adept at managing the extent of their conversation, with all content falling within Angel’s tolerance.

Moreover, from his words and actions, as well as many other details, it was clear that Jin was not only clever but also shrewd. Such a cunning guy, if not instantly subdued, might have plans in store for later.

Angel wasn’t afraid of any retaliation from Jin, but after all, behind Jin stood the Song of the Deep Sea, a vast organization that could clash with the Barbarian Cave! Who knows if Jin had something like a ‘Soul Bound by Blood’ trick to contact the members of the Song of the Deep Sea? So, if it could be done simply, why complicate the situation?

“He was telling the truth, wasn’t he?” Angel asked.

Sanders nodded, “Yes, he was.”

“Good, otherwise I would have made a bad deal.”

Listening to the conversation between Sanders and his apprentice, White Bear looked confused, “You found Jin? Did he reveal who the Transcendent on the Crimson Authority was?”

“Not only did he mention it, but Jin also knew who we were looking for.” Angel briefly recounted the process and did not conceal the trade they had made.

“The person he mentioned, I have never heard of before. He’s called Rolando.”

Angel looked toward Sanders, who shook his head, signaling he also didn’t know who Rolando was.

White Bear also looked puzzled, muttering the name Rolando over and over, but was at a loss.

“According to Jin, this Rolando has a very low profile on the Crimson Authority, always wearing a black cloak, and he has never seen the person’s face. And this name was revealed only after Jin cozied up to him, so it could also be a fake name.”

The reason Jin knew about Rolando’s connection with the Gumman Kingdom was because of a minor incident.

At that time on the Crimson Authority, Rolando was provoked by a Talented One who thought Rolando was just like him, a designated Talented One, and after a little friction, the Talented One started to boast arrogantly.

Such behavior is quite normal. Ordinary people who discover they have the Talent for cultivation suddenly feel a heightened sense of superiority, as if they were the center of the world. This conceit begins to grow within them. During this period, the proportion of inappropriate actions significantly increases.

Rolando encountered just such an incident, but that Talented One really picked the wrong fight.

Rolando, as a Transcendent, did not retaliate at first after being challenged, only acting when the other party attempted to become physical.

It was because of this that Jin realized another Transcendent was hidden on board.

Initially, even Jin thought Rolando was just an ordinary person!

Rolando being a Transcendent did not cause much of a stir because his handling of the provocateur was very discreet, almost unnoticed by anyone.

But Jin noticed. Not only that, he also saw a fleeting glimpse of half an insignia when Rolando made his move.

Even though only half of the insignia was exposed, it was very distinctive. After some comparison, Jin was certain that it was an insignia of the Gumman royal family.