Flying Fish Port, a small coastal town in the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom.
For Ivan, Flying Fish Port held another layer of significance, as it was his starting point in this world.
After several days of traveling around the continent, the Lanque had arrived here, concealed high in the sky. Despite the Tidal Empire being composed of four nations, in terms of area, it was far smaller than East Capital East Blade City.
“Boss, you keep staring at that small residence. Is there something special about it?”
“What do you think?”
“Could it be where you used to live?”
Below the airship, not far away, stood the ancestral home of the Marichadon family from before they rose to prominence. The house was well-kept and guarded, so it didn’t look old at all. Every plant and tree appeared almost as they had originally, likely preserved intentionally by the Marichadon family.
Hearing Locke’s guess, Ivan nodded almost imperceptibly.
He flipped his hand and took out a very unassuming black crown, examining it casually.
Helen had given him this crown, which was said to be a hereditary symbol of the Royal Family of the Tidal Empire, yet it was incredibly plain and unadorned, likely made from some sort of keratin. He suspected it was crafted from the hoof of a Centaur King.
He had investigated it many times, but it was just a simple token, seemingly with no other function.
Helen had informed him about the whereabouts of the Centaur Race known to the Royal Family. They had migrated underground from a fissure in the Black Fog Forest and had since vanished without a trace. It was for this reason that the Royal Family of the Tidal Empire finally fled there, only to be halted by magma.
Strength: 20.4, Agility: 20.5, Body Constitution: 20.9, Spirit: 227
These were Ivan’s current attributes. His body, wounded during his promotion, had since recovered, with slight improvements, and he remained at the pinnacle of the Flying Knight stage, having reached a state with no apparent way to advance further.
By logic, his next step would be to ascend to the legendary Level 4 Knight King.
However, he had no clue about how to take this step, whether he started with the Earth Knight’s Earth Breathing or the Flying Knight’s Sky Rhythms, he couldn’t find the right direction.
Ultimately, he lacked the necessary cultivation techniques.
He had previously collected information in East Capital. There was scarce related data in the Vernon Millennium Archive and the Enchanters Guild, and the Tidal Treasure Tome didn’t meet the conditions to activate the last few pages.
If other sorcerers saw this, they’d think it was irresponsible not to study Witchcraft but chase after the Knight’s Path instead.
Ivan naturally didn’t think so, especially since he had made a promise with the Black Scythe Lord to further refine the Insect Breathing Method.
To achieve these things, finding the Centaur Race that brought the Breathing Method to humans had become a key factor; the Centaur Race surely possessed a complete system for cultivating the Breathing Method.
At the very least, get some Royal Blood to unlock the last few pages of the Tidal Treasure Tome.
…
Outside the small town of Flying Fish Port, a train of luxurious carriages and numerous guards made their way along the road, quickly approaching Flying Fish Port.
The leading carriage was the most lavish and exquisite.
At this moment, inside the carriage, six members of the Marichadon family gathered. Among a group of adults, a young man seemed to be the center of attention.
“Ivan, remember when you were not allowed to climb trees as a child, and you sneaked back to climb to the top but were too scared to come down? You fell asleep up there, and everyone searched for you for half a day until they found you in the middle of the night,” recounted Paul, the eldest.
“Really?” the young man played dumb.
“Yes, I remember Aunt Kasey was scared to tears. Later, you were beaten severely by your father, bruising your nose and face, and you dared not go out for several days,” Peggy added fuel to the fire.
“It seems like that did happen, haha,” the young man replied awkwardly with laughter.
“Ivan, do you remember Miss Lisa from Black Pine Forest? She’s quite smitten with you, telling many people that you were her hero at first sight and she hasn’t forgotten you,” Beaman brought up another amusing incident.
“She must be married by now.”
“No, she brought a man into the Church family through marriage. You should know that Baron Church has no sons; she’s in line to become the next Baron Church.”
“——“
Upon first seeing the young Ivan, Peggy, Beaman, and the others were full of surprise. But thinking of his identity, they all understood and came to terms with it.
Soon, they found the young man as familiar as their mischievous brother who grew up with them in Flying Fish Port. The sense of intimacy stirred up many memories and reflections, giving rise to endless topics of conversation.
The warmth between siblings was overflowing and unmistakable.
As the patriarch, Leider maintained his fatherly authority and did not join in the idle chatter, merely watching the scene with a faint smile until the party arrived at Flying Fish Port.
“Lord Marquis, we have arrived at Flying Fish Port.”
“Let’s enter the city.”
Upon hearing his subordinate’s report, Leider heaved a sigh, parted the curtain, and gave an instruction to someone outside.
The convoy slowly passed through the city gate and made its way to the Marichadon family’s ancestral home.
A few people alighted from the carriage and, familiar with the route, headed for the backyard. Meanwhile, the other younger members of the entourage stood some distance away, all inevitably turning their gazes toward the handsome young man.
“Well, Father, older brother, younger sister, younger brother, take care from now on.” Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire
The young man smiled at them and as he spoke, his entire being turned into a beam of light. The light, heralding gusts of refreshing wind, carried them aloft, and in the blink of an eye, they reached high above.
Amid the exclamations from those on the ground, Leider and his four companions abruptly vanished.
The five of them, carried by the wind, ascended to a higher altitude where an imposing and peculiar ancient vessel appeared within sight, resembling a fierce, predatory great bird.
Before they could react, the breeze adroitly deposited them onto the deck.
There were many figures standing on the deck, among them a man in his twenties who was particularly familiar to them.
However, the indescribable supreme aura emanating from him, his starry eyes that seemed to see through everything, exerted a substantial pressure on them. They found themselves unable to speak a word.
“Father, my brothers and sisters, we meet again,” Ivan greeted them with a light smile.
“Iv— Ivan, it’s been a long time. Welcome back,” Leider was the first to recover, suppressing the discomfort throughout his body and responding reluctantly.
He knew that the person in front of him was truly his third son, but he felt entirely different from the young man he remembered.
His son’s strength had reached an unfathomable level; merely standing in front of him caused his body to tremble involuntarily, as if urging him to flee, suggesting that staying any longer could be a life-threatening danger.
At this moment, Leider’s heart was filled with both pride and trepidation.
The other members of the Marichadon family felt the same, only managing to nervously echo their father’s words, then stood awkwardly, looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar young man.
“Don’t just stand there; come and sit inside the airship.”
Ivan remained unconcerned, the force fields unintentionally emitted by sorcerers were always like this—the stronger the sorcerer, the more horrifying the force field. Purification potions and the Purification Tower were designed for this purpose.
But they only purified the body, not the soul.
“Okay— okay.”
“This airship is called ‘Lanque’; it was provided to me when I took a position in a large city, it’s what I use for regular travel.”
“It’s big, it’s nice.”
“——“
“——“
“Justine, Pearney, help me send them off.”
In the presence of Ivan, the five members of the Leider family could never relax. The conversation was far from easy and light-hearted. After a short time, he signaled Justine and Pearney to take them back.
On hearing his word, the expressions of Leider’s group were a bit unnatural, but they also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching the group vanish from the deck, Ivan’s expression remained largely unchanged.
In regard to the Marichadon family, Ivan believed he had done more than enough, even sending gifts through Justine on his behalf, exactly what they needed to hopefully improve their lives.
From now on, it would be best not to meet.
As Ivan’s power grew, the enemies he faced became increasingly formidable. Among these enemies were members of Alien Races and powerful individuals from alien worlds—who could guarantee that none of them were crazed and vengeful, set on exacting revenge?
If such enemies took notice of Leider and the others, it could spell disaster in the turn of a hand.
Therefore, for the sake of health and safety, it was best not to have direct contact with them too frequently. Knowing that they were enjoying life was enough.