The black sun hangs high

Chapter 306 Blue Algae Harbor

Early in the morning.

The Dawn Society's vehicles quietly drove out of the town and began their journey towards Blue Algae Harbor in the Duchy of Bult.

Hugh sat quietly in the back seat of one of the cars, his eyes tightly closed, his body trembling occasionally as the car moved.

"You don't seem to be feeling well?"

In the darkness, Vera turned her head slightly and looked in Hugh's direction.

As a spellcaster, even without light, she could easily detect the abnormality in Hugh's body. At this moment, in Verin's perception, although the magic power in Hugh's body was abundant, it also seemed extremely unstable, just like several extremely exaggerated turbulent currents suddenly appearing in a calm lake.

"It's okay, it's just that my head is... a bit of a mess."

"chaos?"

"Yeah, it's like a pack of dogs fighting a pack of spiders."

Hugh's answer made Violet frown. Although she was used to the strange metaphors that Hugh would occasionally use, this was the first time she had heard such an outrageous description.

So she carefully inquired about Hugh's condition, and after confirming that he had no magical powers or physical abnormalities, she took a rather small water bottle from the side and placed it next to Hugh: "Before we set off, I asked Gerald to help me prepare some 'alchemy drinks.' Although the taste is so-so, drinking a moderate amount can help stabilize your mind... I've left it here; use it if you need it."

"thank you, I know now."

Hugh nodded in response, then closed his eyes again and leaned back against the corner of the back seat.

Weilin would never have imagined that Hugh's description of his state was not an exaggeration, nor was he using any strange metaphors... He was truthfully describing his current state of mind.

Yes, a dog and a spider are fighting inside his head.

As Theseus had said before, the Dark Abyss Spider and the Palace Hounds were natural rivals and enemies.

As ancient creations belonging to the same Dark Abyss Palace power system, the grooves they inhabit are naturally linked together. However, past factors have made it impossible for the two to reconcile.

Hugh had thought he could forcefully mediate by virtue of his status as "master," or that the two would restrain themselves out of consideration for him.

However, it backfired.

The conflict between the court hounds and the Dark Abyss Spiders was far more intense than Hugh had imagined. Even the Mirror Messenger, who usually liked to adopt an "it's none of my business" attitude, hurriedly closed the "door" to his room when the two met.

The battle between them was far too intense. It was not a simple "contradiction" but a true life-or-death struggle. Inside the two interconnected grooves, they engaged in round after round of maneuvering and tearing. The dense fog churned and even slightly affected the operation of the massive metal disc.

When Hugh tried to forcefully stop the conflict with his own will and power, the Mirror Messenger, who had been hiding in his "room," suddenly jumped out and urgently conveyed a clear "negation" message to Hugh.

Clearly, this member from the Dark Abyss Court did not think it was a good idea to interrupt the fight between the two Dark Abyss beasts.

Moreover, the messenger in the mirror believed that the battle between the two was not a bad thing; they should be decided, even if it might lead to the complete annihilation of one of them...

This clear statement put Hugh in a difficult position.

To be honest, he did not want these ancient creations that he had incorporated into his spiritual world to suffer any loss. However, as the most special of the many creations and the one most closely related to Theseus, the advice given by the Messenger in the Mirror was always extremely important. Hugh had to take this clear statement seriously.

After much deliberation and consideration, Hugh made a difficult decision—he used the Dark Abyss Mist to completely separate the battlefield belonging to the Palace Hounds and Dark Abyss Spiders from the other slots, so that their battle would no longer affect the other disc residents.

Even so, as the owner of the metal disc, Hugh could still feel the turbulence caused by the collision between the two at all times, which made it impossible for him to relax. Moreover, the terrifying roars of the hound and the spider would always appear in his mind.

Even more strangely, when either of these two suffers definite damage, Hugh will capture a large amount of complex information and fragmented, bizarre images from the escaping Dark Abyss Mist.

When the hound's body is pierced by the spider's sharp legs, Hugh will see large shadows running through a dark abyss, and behind these shadows, a terrifying wolf with an exceptionally large body and scarlet eyes roaring incessantly.

As the hounds successfully cleaved open the metallic body of the Dark Abyss Spider, Hughes glimpsed various multi-legged figures of different sizes crawling out of the deep darkness through the mist. To some extremely chaotic and absurd "music," they danced wildly and attacked everything they touched.

Sometimes, Hughes could see strange things in these scattered images. They seemed to be some kind of architecture, but the style and the principle of their existence defied common sense.

Their structures were so twisted and grotesque that the concept of "direction" seemed to have completely lost its meaning in such places. In addition, Hugh could see many dark, chaotic humanoid figures moving through these buildings...

Hugh knew that these strange images most likely belonged to the core of the Dark Abyss.

That is, the so-called "Dark Abyss Palace".

This was the first time Hugh had truly glimpsed the "Dark Abyss Palace," but it didn't help him form a complete understanding; instead, it intensified Hugh's confusion and curiosity about the Dark Abyss Palace...

"Oh!"

The violent impact reverberated once more within the mist-shrouded recess, causing the metal disc to tremble again. This stirred up ripples in Hugh's mental sea once more, followed by a slight headache.

Helpless, Hugh sighed and then reached for the exquisite water bottle that Verine had handed him earlier.

The things Verine always carried with her were very unique. This water bottle looked small, but it was actually covered with a simple yet stable magical ritual, so the water bottle and the special drink inside always remained at a comfortable temperature.

Hughes unscrewed the cap and slowly took a sip.

Veraine's food preferences differed from her usual calm and aloof demeanor. She had a distinct, even obsessive, fondness for desserts. As a scholar who wasn't particularly concerned with personal enjoyment, she always carried some sugar or sweet snacks with her. This bottle of "alchemical beverage" was no exception.

For Hugh, it tasted a little too... too sweet, almost like pouring highly concentrated sugar water down his throat. Hugh could almost picture Vera insisting that Gerald add sugar cubes to it.

Perhaps it was due to consuming enough sugar, or perhaps the beverage itself gradually took effect.

A few minutes later, Hugh felt his mind was much more relaxed, and the drowsiness that had been driven away by the noise finally returned to his body.

The roads within the Duchy of Burt were in fairly good condition, so the vehicles shook very little.

Because she had gotten up early, Virin, who was sitting next to him, had already started to doze off. With his keen senses, Hugh could clearly hear her soft breathing and the rustling sound of her fingers tracing the cover of the magic book.

This sound gave Hugh a strange sense of security.

Thus, his mind gradually calmed down under the effects of the alchemical beverage and the slight sounds around him, while the agonizing tearing sounds that kept coming from the depths of his mind were gradually drowned out by the tides of his mental ocean.

Hugh drifted off to sleep.

This sleep lasted until the afternoon, and when Hugh opened his eyes, the streets of Blue Algae Town were already in front of him.

……

Blue Algae Harbor—the origin of this port's name is quite intriguing.

This place is indeed rich in seaweed, but the seaweed here is not blue. Like most of the seaweed in Vain, it is a deep green. The port is named "Blue Algae" to commemorate a historical event that happened hundreds of years ago.

In the past, this place was a very famous dye exporting area. The surrounding towns and villages were known for manufacturing and selling dyes, with blue and purple dyes being the most popular. However, in the plains, the profits from these dyes were always monopolized by many goblin merchant groups, and the ordinary residents of the Duchy of Burt could only earn a meager income from them.

As the contradictions accumulated, the conflict inevitably broke out.

What's frustrating is that the conflict was actually caused by two groups of merchants trying to monopolize these dyes. One group was naturally composed of the Plains Giant-Eared Goblin Merchant Guild, and the other group was a caravan from the Kingdom of Delan.

The dye market was so large that merchants quickly became greedy, and the conflict escalated rapidly from simple rumors and market pressure to actual exclusion and expulsion, and eventually evolved into a bloody conflict.

In this small-scale "war," which was not small in scale but was entirely supported by caravans, more than a dozen merchant ships that were anchored near the port and preparing to transport dyes to various parts of Vaan tragically sank, resulting in a large amount of dye flowing directly into the ocean...

"Thanks to these seaweeds, their vitality is strong enough to continuously filter out the dyes that sink into the sea..."

An official from Blue Algae Harbor led the visitors forward, explaining with a smile, "The residents near the port call these algae 'the long hair of the goddess Mel,' believing that they are what made the seawater clear again."

"How interesting... So, besides the seaweed being temporarily dyed blue, what else did this 'dye war' bring?"

Upon hearing the question, the official turned his head and glanced awkwardly at the yawning young man walking beside him. He then unconsciously rubbed his stomach and said, "Well, of course there's also the name 'Blue Algae Harbor,' sir... You should have seen it on your way here; many of our workshops, inns, and taverns are named after 'blue algae'!"

"Oh...I see."

Hughes smiled and looked up. He glanced at the workshop next to him, where there were indeed words like "blue algae" written on it. However, on the door of this dye workshop, there was also the symbol of the "god of commerce" worshipped by the giant-eared goblins.

Similar signs can also be seen on other shops and buildings.

Clearly, the fierce bloodshed did not bring any significant changes to the port and the surrounding towns. The goblin merchant groups had a deep-rooted influence here, and the residents still maintained their past way of life and pace.

“Well, Mr. Ernst… these are just minor things, you don’t have to worry about them.”

The official forced a smile: "Let me tell you a secret, many prominent figures in the area already know about you and the Dawn Society. They heard you're boarding the ship here today, and they're all waiting by the harbor to meet you!"

Hearing this, Hughes frowned slightly. He took out his pocket watch, glanced at the time, and then asked, "Who exactly are you referring to as an outstanding person?"

"There are several famous writers and painters, local caravan leaders, the mayor of our Blue Algae Town... Ha, he's the nephew of Grand Duke Burt, and there are quite a few viscounts and barons as well."

Hearing these titles, Hugh's expression became quite subtle.

While the rise of the black sun had a considerable impact on Vaan, its effect was very weak for some people who were far removed from magic, crystal mines, and basic production activities... so they continued to act according to their old habits.

Needless to say, Hugh knew that this so-called meeting of prominent figures was most likely an exchange based on the "Ernst family," and Hugh did not believe that these guys would care about the situation of the Dawn Society or the threat posed by the Black Sun Society.

The sound of fighting echoed in his head again, and Hugh couldn't help but rub his temples.

He suddenly felt that these people were even more troublesome than his hunting dogs and spiders.

Just as Hugh was about to find an excuse to refuse these invitations, a special team of several mages suddenly appeared in front of them. These spellcasters, dressed in the uniforms of the Law Committee, walked quickly toward Hugh and the others, pressed the spellbooks they carried to their chests, and nodded to Hugh and the others.

"The Blue Algae Harbor branch of the Legal Committee, on behalf of Mellinger, welcomes everyone from the Dawn Society..."

A smile appeared on Hugh's face.

Compared to the invitations he had just received, the Legislative Affairs Commission's "dry" greeting was much more comforting.

(End of this chapter)