My sister is Luna

"Look! The governor is recruiting heroes to go to the Eastern Continent."

"I feel like so much has happened in the past year. First, the temple was attacked, and then a young man named Arthur drew the sword of kings—Excalibur."

"Arthur? Isn't that the same name as the ancient King Arthur? Is this some kind of mysterious destiny? Now we're going to explore the Eastern Continent again. I feel like something is stirring in the Sunset Sea. Is it just my imagination? Is the world about to change?"

"The world is constantly changing, you're too slow to catch on."

"Exactly, I have the same feeling. Recently, the coast of Haidu has been getting crystal fragments and dead fish washed up by the waves, and there's also some wastewater that keeps appearing inexplicably. Has something changed in Sunset Sea?"

"I don't know, but don't worry. I believe that the technology of our Haidu can solve everything, and don't forget that our ruling family still has the power of miracles!"

People in the crowd were constantly talking about it.

Marco Polo, having just finished selling his goods, walked down the street and saw the announcement on the billboard.

The above is a message from the governor hiring warriors to go to the Eastern Continent, supposedly to search for something. Although it is very dangerous, the reward is very high, enough for a person to live a carefree and extravagant life.

I'll get out of here someday!

Marco Polo thought to himself that this was not only his passion for adventure, but also his desire to follow in his father's footsteps.

Although it had been a long time since he had seen him, and the image in his memory had gradually become blurred, he still longed for his father, who had once seemed so great and noble in his eyes. He wanted to travel all over the world like his father and complete the work that his father had not finished.

"Marco Polo, judging from your appearance, you wouldn't be thinking of going to the East, would you?" a young man teased Marco Polo.

"Hahaha, you're overthinking it. His uncle is notoriously strict with him and never lets him travel far. How could he possibly let him go to the East?" another person mocked.

Marco Polo's face darkened. This touched a nerve. His uncle was good to him in every way, but he never allowed him to travel far, especially to sea, not even under the guise of doing business. This puzzled him greatly. Marco Polo straightened his hat, looked at them without a word, and left.

One day I will go far away, just like my father.

Marco Polo was resolute in his decision.

……

"I'm back." Marco Polo said as he entered his luxurious and spacious home and went into his room.

"Marco, why are you back so early? Aren't you going to continue learning your mechanism?" Matteo Polo, with his gray hair, said from upstairs, leaning on the railing.

"I'm looking for something else."

"Sigh, you're becoming more and more like him," Matteo sighed softly.

Then he narrowed his eyes, his tone firm and unwavering:

"I really don't want you to follow the same path as your brother!"

Marco Polo searched the room thoroughly, but he found nothing.

Uncle once told me that you had been to many places, and I would record every trace you left on a map. You also seemed to have mentioned going to the East to search for something, Father...

Marco Polo was deep in thought.

He went through every piece of information in his mind, carefully recalling every story his uncle had told him.

However, I know nothing about your past, Father…

Finding no clues, he became dejected, sat on the floor, leaned against the cabinet, and looked worried.

He picked up a stone-like object next to him, with strange blue patterns carved on it. It was a gift his father had given him before he left, and now it was considered a keepsake.

"Are you really dead..." Marco Polo said softly, toying with the stone.

Suddenly, he seemed to notice something was wrong, and his brows furrowed deeply.

“Wait, why did I mention death? The messenger’s message never said he was dead, only that he ‘never returned.’... Father, what is it about the Eastern Continent that makes you so disregard your own life?”

Marco Polo gripped the stone tightly in his hand, his heart filled with endless doubts and questions.

Suddenly, his clenched hand seemed to press some switch on the stone, which instantly burst out with a dazzling blue light.

"Whoa!" Marco Polo was startled, and the stone in his hand fell to the ground. A familiar figure floated in the air.

"This is... Father!" Marco Polo's pupils shrank sharply. Wasn't this the father he had always longed for?

"Son, by the time you find this message, the world of Kings will no longer exist."

"Don't be sad, this is the fate that every seeker of knowledge will accept with equanimity."

"But having to part with you is a painful regret for me."

"Please remember that I love you, and I will always be watching you from the other side of the source of knowledge."

After saying a few words, his figure suddenly disappeared.

“Father…” Marco Polo felt conflicted.

……

the next day.

Marco Polo publicly tore down the governor's notice inviting heroes, signifying his acceptance of the task, and the crowd cheered for him.

After thinking about it all night, he finally understood what he should do.

Following in his father's footsteps, he traveled eastward to take over the unfinished work he had left behind!

"Great!" The onlookers clapped and cheered.

But no one had high hopes for Marco Polo. After all, although the reward for this mission was tempting, no one had ever returned alive; they all seemed to have vanished into thin air. A rich young master like him would not accept such missions.

The cheers were just them egging him on to satisfy their wicked desires; of course, there were also people who genuinely admired his courage.

Matteo rushed over as soon as he received the news; the thing he had been worried about had finally come to pass.

"Don't go, don't... don't lose you like I lost your father. Is our family destined for such a fate?" Matteo pleaded desperately.

He suddenly realized that Marco Polo had grown into a handsome young man, carrying his beloved twin pistols at his waist, just like his brother in his youth.

He always treated Marco Polo like his own son, so he didn't want "his own child" to follow in his brother's footsteps. No one knew better than him how dangerous and arduous the path to the source of knowledge was.

That's why, at the height of his life, he didn't continue traveling the world, but instead decided to take care of Marco Polo and maintain the merchant guild.

In his eyes, the path ahead was nothing but darkness and death, and his nephew, whom he treated like his own son, would suffer the same fate. The thought of this made him feel dizzy and disoriented.

This great man, who single-handedly supported the entire chamber of commerce and family, was hunched over, as if he had collapsed in an instant, like a down-and-out loser.

“I finally understand you, Uncle, but…” Marco Polo smiled firmly and bowed deeply, offering him the highest respect and thanking him for his selfless nurturing.

"In the end, I am just like you and Father."

"The world is so big, I want to see it."

Matteo gave up. The fledglings had grown up eventually, their wings were fully grown, and the free sky was where they belonged. Seeing Marco Polo's determined look, he knew he couldn't stop him. Now, all he could do was pray in his heart that he would return safely.

The young man named Marco Polo was finally about to embark on his journey.

……

The top of the ruler's tower.

Milady met Marco Polo.

"Are you sure you've decided to go to the East? It's not too late to back out now." The haughty ruling queen asked, her short mechanical servants surrounding her like stars around the moon, her aura beginning to press down on Marco Polo.

"Yes." Marco Polo replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, unmoved by Milady's imposing aura.

“Very good.” Milady nodded in satisfaction.

"Go to the East to find the Dead Sea Scrolls, and then come back as soon as possible. That's your mission. Your first stop is Chang'an. Good luck."

Milady may no longer care about the Dead Sea Scrolls, but the Tower family still does. The ethereal scrolls have the same value as miracles, and some of the old folks are exceptionally stubborn about them.

"Understood." With that, Marco Polo left.

Milady stared blankly ahead, her eyes unfocused, a familiar figure flashing before her eyes.

"The East... Are you there now too..." The murmured words seemed to echo softly in the empty room.

……

This was a huge merchant ship, the very vessel Marco Polo used to sail eastward.

The surrounding workers kept carrying boxes up, and he wanted to enter the Eastern Empire—the Great Tang Dynasty—under the guise of doing business in the East.

Looking at the busy workers around him and the vast blue sea, Marco Polo was filled with excitement. He was finally about to begin his journey.

Just then, a small, mechanical figure ran past his feet, following behind a worker, and helped him push a heavy box that seemed to contain some kind of metal.

"Strange, can such a small mechanical contraption be used to move things?" Marco Polo wondered, but he didn't pay much attention to it. It wasn't uncommon to use mechanical contraptions to replace manual labor.

Marco Polo turned to look at the sunset over the sea. The sun shone in the sky, the sea shimmered, and the dreamlike colorful light dazzled his eyes. The city at the center of the world seemed to be right in front of him, standing majestically.

……