CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: INDIVIDUAL TROUBLES

Handling the smuggler ship didn’t take them much time. According to the planned route, the two military ships arrived on Lighthouse Island precisely three days later.

Vice Admiral Snite and his entourage disembarked onto the island, while most of the combat personnel from the two warships remained on board, forming the security force for the celebration.

Aiven had no interest in this celebration event that was more of a merchants’ carnival. Apart from unavoidable necessary patrols, he stayed on the ship to meditate and train, while also trying to avoid Zorro’s attention.

Currently, his relationship with Zorro was that he knew Zorro, and Zorro also knew him; he was aware of Zorro’s true identity, but Zorro hadn’t connected him with the Navy Captain named Aiven Galliot.

In Aiven’s mind, the two might not have any more interaction in the future, so rather than dealing with unknown consequences from revealing his identity, it was better to avoid it altogether from the start.

"After all... his dad is the Vice Admiral!!!"

It’s not that Aiven was cowardly; it’s just that he’s backed by powerful figures. Better not mess with him, not mess with him, farewell!

...

As time passed.

Various sizes of boats and bustling crowds gradually gathered on this usually quite deserted island, initiating the celebratory warm-up activities under the direction of numerous merchants from across the regions.

Colorful flags fluttered on the island, and temporary theaters were also constructed.

In the grand rehearsal ceremony, brightly dressed dancers, bohemian artists, unkempt poets and reporters sent by various newspapers, all kinds of personnel activities brought new vitality to this remote island.

Due to a large gathering of people with complex identities, the Navy sent by the three major fleets to participate in the event also had their hands full, as they, representing the kingdom’s official stance, were obliged to maintain island order.

A large-scale gathering event can attract the high attention of those in power in any world!

But as one of the rare Tier 2 Official Knights, Aiven’s work wasn’t too much, mainly serving as a mobile force to deal with issues ordinary sailors couldn’t handle.

"Chatter chatter chatter..."

Fluttering——

At this moment, taking leisure time during work, he stood at the bow of the Silver Wings, waved his hand, and scattered a large handful of bird feed mixed with Magic Potion. Dozens of sea birds hovering in the sky rapidly swooped down, agilely devouring the feed before it fell into the sea.

These were precisely the initial research results of Aiven’s Bird Transformation Witchcraft, after all, on the vast ocean, what bird species could be more reliable, varied, and inconspicuous than sea birds?

Furthermore, Aiven put considerable effort into choosing sea bird species.

From the most common "White Seagull" on the Black Coast to the extremely fast "Needle-tailed Swift," from the "Black Feathered Frigatebird," which combines size and speed, to the largest sea bird "Great Albatross," although not many in variety, each are unique in their own way.

With nearly a month’s meticulous nurturing, although progress in Transformation Technique wasn’t significant, those consistently fed with "Bird Language Potion" were already completely qualified as scouts.

Listening to their chirping, Aiven automatically translated the sea birds’ mental "passwords." He directly filtered out ineffective information and collected meaningful data for quick processing.

Just now, two more merchant ships arrived at the port... alcoholic beverages for the celebration have been stored in the warehouse... two opera troupes had a heated fight over who’s more famous, with sailors dispatched to handle it... etc.

With the end of feeding, Aiven’s information gathering concluded as well.

"It’s yet another peaceful day."

The sea birds’ transformations were still primitive. While they could automatically gather intelligence, they functioned much like drones with only Bluetooth transmission, recording data within their significantly limited capacity for Aiven’s analysis.

And they themselves couldn’t distinguish significance or priorities, nor understand the meaning within.

In Aiven’s conception, the future should see the training of a "central processing bird" as a "Base Station," specifically responsible for managing information gathered by the flock and potentially directing combat when the Sea Bird Legion evolves.

Like the Crow Witch’s directed crow flock, which did nothing but swarm for suicidal attacks, it was indeed a shame for such a potentially rich Witchcraft.

Only when those times are reached can this Sea Bird Legion truly become a combat force to bolster Aiven’s arsenal.

Yet, speaking about this now remains premature; the reason Aiven brought along the hundreds of sea birds gathered was precisely to accumulate experience through ongoing practical use, paving the way for continued refinement.

And transforming ideas into reality presents a formidable challenge for Aiven.

While Aiven pondered deeply on his sea bird cultivation plan, Mr. Zorro found himself in a different predicament.

Unlike Aiven dwelling on the battleship, Zorro was accommodated in the island’s finest hotel upon arrival, with a luxurious independent suite.

Sitting behind the cherry-wood carved desk, Zorro’s eyes were fixed on the crystal ball on the desk, emitting a hazy white glow.

As an Apprentice Level Prophetic School Wizard, proficient mastery of Tarot Card Divination and Spiritual Number Divination as part of the first Tier "Divination Master" of the Extraordinary Path was long achieved.

However, another mountain looming ahead was the application of his spirituality in resonance with the crystal ball for divination, namely the "Crystal Ball Divination Skill."

The claimed highest difficulty divination skill at the apprenticeship level, famed for foretelling major events and finding people or objects effectively, had been stalling him for an entire year.

It’s not that he couldn’t utilize this method. During his practice of Divination Art at the "Crow Market" as a Divination Master, he was proficient, even having struck success predicting the whereabouts of the saltwater crocodile for Aiven.

His present dilemma was, as part of the promotion ceremony. Only successful fulfillment of a prophecy influencing an event over hundreds of people’s lives or equivalent significance would qualify him as a Tier 2 Official Wizard "Prophet."

This was the reason behind his change from usual covert conduct (for instance: disguising as Zorro for theft?) to proactively participating in the celebration event to gain exposure for engagement in a significant event.

Presently.

In Zorro’s eyes, the drifting light clouds and color bands in the crystal ball all carry distinct meanings for him. Occasionally, certain image or sound fragments pass through his spiritual resonance with the crystal ball.

Currently, he isn’t focusing on predicting but leveraging the prophetic school’s unique witchcraft to monitor Lighthouse Island for seeds of chaos, potentially granting him an opportunity. Regrettably, like Aiven’s sea birds, he garnered no gains from his island arrival to the present.

"Ah... ah... Could it truly be that I lack the talent of a Prophet?"

After a long fruitless search, Zorro sprawled on the chair disheartened, resembling a discarded cat.

Looking like he’s been toyed with by fate, he felt powerless to resist...