Chapter 12: The Truth Is the Sharpest Blade

"How's that? Impressive, right?"

A voice suddenly teased from beside Ian.

"Definitely impressive. What is it?" Ian turned to look at the young man who had appeared. He was tall, with two short pistols hanging from his waist, a triangular hat perched on his head, and a small goatee. His black hair, blue eyes, and deep features gave him a naturally melancholic aura.

"It's one of the guild's extraordinary artifacts: the Eye of Insight. As long as you sign a contract with it, anything you see or hear can be projected through the contract directly to this place," the young man explained with a grin.

"An incredible creation. Hello, I'm Trist, from Stormpoint," he introduced himself.

"Ah, I see. A lot of people come here from the mainland every month. I'm Moro, an officer at the Extraordinary Profession Guild's Heavenport branch. You're here for the New Continent expedition, right?"

"The New Continent? What's going on with that?" Ian asked, his interest piqued.

"Looks like you're a little behind on the news. If you want to stay up to date with the latest information from the guild, you'll need to be a registered member. And, aside from public news, you'll also have to pay for certain info."

Ian wasn't sure how Moro figured out that he wasn't a member, but he didn't press the matter.

Following Moro's instructions, Ian completed his registration. It was a simple process—he had to demonstrate his supernatural abilities, register his name and address, and pay a 10-gold fee. Surprisingly, no verification of identity was required.

Once registered, Ian received a purple circular badge, adorned with a symbol of crossed wands and a longsword.

"This badge proves your membership and has basic information storage capabilities. Try not to lose it—though if you do, it can be replaced, but the points inside will be gone," Moro explained.

"The first floor is for the task hall, rest area, and projection zone. You can grab a drink, take on missions, or check for updates. The second floor is the trading area. The third floor is off-limits unless you have permission…"

Moro had a casual demeanor but gave a thorough rundown of the guild's facilities before departing.

Eager to gather more information, Ian wasted no time heading to the projection zone. This area was reserved for members and offered information access without additional fees.

"Over 1,300 nautical miles southwest of Devil's Island, a new landmass has been discovered. Reliable sources confirm that the Western Continent's Silverstar Trade Alliance has already landed, but they were ambushed by indigenous tribes, suffering near-total losses. The natives have many extraordinary professionals," a projection announced.

A hologram appeared, showing a strange sailing ship with a massive chimney in the center of its hull. In the distance, a vast stretch of land came into view. A fleet of peculiar ships, resembling flying scissor boats, quickly surrounded them.

'Wait, are those steamships?' Ian thought, confirming the image. It was indeed a wooden steamship.

Steam engines had only recently been adapted to ships on the Eastern Continent, and they had faced numerous technical difficulties. But in the Western Continent, steamships were already capable of long-range voyages.

And there were no paddlewheels visible on the ship, meaning they had mastered the propeller technology.

"The Whale Hunter Guild has captured a 56-meter-long Sequence 5 extraordinary creature, the Fear-Blind Whale. Its materials have been collected by the Royal Niger Company and the Alchemist's Association. It's expected that Sequence 5 potion ingredients for wizards will appear at next month's Podaria Royal Auction," the projection continued.

"…."

"The Royal Auction, held every six months, will take place on December 1st. Official sources from the Kingdom of Podaria have confirmed that the Crown Prince will attend and provide a large quantity of Awakening potions," the message added.

"…."

"The Blackbeard Pirate Crew has been active in the Storm Sea and recently attacked a Royal Niger Company merchant ship," another line read.

"Stormport was attacked by a group of pirate ships, including the Blackbeard Pirates. Fortunately, the Kingdom's Second Fleet arrived in time, and the damage to the port was minimal. The port is now back to normal operations, and the Podaria Royal Navy has issued a large bounty for the Blackbeard Pirate Crew's whereabouts."

"Stormport has temporarily entered a military lockdown," another message read.

A projection showed pirate ships surrounding Stormport. The Kingdom's Second Fleet appeared just behind the pirates, and after a single round of cannonfire, several pirate ships were sunk. The pirates fled in disarray.

The footage was taken from the commercial district of Stormport and didn't capture the Windward Cliffs. From the footage, it seemed the pirates had barely made it past their initial assault before retreating, with the port almost untouched.

'Hmm…'

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Just because there's a picture, doesn't mean it's the truth. If I hadn't been there myself, I might have believed this nonsense."

Ian thought for a moment. He didn't think the Extraordinary Profession Guild was directly involved. After all, information had to come from somewhere, and those providing or sharing it could have their own agenda.

The guild must have other sources for this information.

Ian then made his way to the second floor, where instead of a large hall, there were several small rooms. At the foot of the stairs, he came to a counter, where a graying man sat behind it.

"I'd like to purchase some information," Ian said.

"Please proceed to Room Six," the man replied, handing Ian a blue tag.

As Ian approached Room Six, the blue tag emitted a magical pulse, and the door automatically opened. Inside, the room was pitch dark except for a single candle burning on a small table.

The room was divided in half by a black curtain, with only a small window through which no light could be seen.

'Is this for my privacy or theirs?' Ian thought, feeling slightly awkward about the setup.

A deep voice came from behind the curtain, "This room is warded with an anti-astrology array. Any information exchanged here will be kept confidential. You can feel safe."

"What information are you looking for?" the voice asked.

"All the details about the Stormpoint attack," Ian requested.

"Hmm… That'll be 150 gold. No negotiations," came the response.

Without hesitation, Ian handed over the gold.

The voice began to recount the details of the attack on Stormpoint.

On the evening of November 8th, 2635, in the Fifth Era, forty-two pirate ships gathered and launched a surprise attack on Stormpoint. Among them were fourteen ships from the Blackbeard Pirates, five from the Drunken Sailor Pirates, and three from the Giant Whale Pirates, totaling forty-two vessels.

Their targets were clear: the Calvin family castle on Windward Cliffs and the slums.

After over an hour of fierce fighting, the castle was breached. Baron Arnold Calvin, his wife Natalie, eldest son Anqi Calvin, and second son Ian Calvin were confirmed dead in battle. Only the youngest daughter, Rebecca Calvin, was rescued by knights from the Church of Truth and Justice.

The rest of the family's servants and knights were mostly killed, and the castle's wealth and treasure vaults were looted.

The slums suffered heavily as well, with over a thousand civilians taken captive.

Initially, the pirates did not target the port's merchant ships, warehouses, or commercial district. However, as the battle spread, the fighting eventually reached the port and city.

By then, the Kingdom's Second Fleet, returning from patrol, engaged the pirates in a prolonged battle. Three of the fleet's five-level warships were damaged, but over thirty pirate ships were sunk or captured during the retreat. Much of the stolen population and some of the wealth was recovered.

Blackbeard, along with some of the other pirate leaders, managed to escape.

After the battle, the Kingdom held a grand funeral for the Calvin family.

Since Rebecca Calvin was too young and had not yet awakened her spiritual abilities, Stormpoint was temporarily placed under the direct rule of the Podaria Royal Family, with a new position of governor established.

The current governor of Stormpoint is the second prince of the Royal Family: Diallo Podaria.