Chapter 159: Transformation Potion
Although the Wendell Empire was at war with the Velmoria Empire, it still found the time to chase and attack General Soul Reaper in the Starlight Sea, this was astonishing.
After all, the Imperial Navy had once defeated the Pirate King. Now, seriously clashing with General Soul Reaper, they ultimately overwhelmed her. Defeated, General Soul Reaper fled southward.
"General Soul Reaper has run into the Swan Sea."
The woman shrugged.
Carlotta was speechless. No wonder passenger liners to the Bass archipelago had suspended all operations, no one knew if they might encounter General Soul Reaper at sea. If they did, it meant certain death. Naturally, no one dared to take the risk, and so a large number of people became stranded here in Swan Bay.
She felt truly helpless. Why did she keep running into this General Soul Reaper again and again? She met her in the Starlight Sea, she appeared again on Sky Island, and now she’s showing up in the Swan Sea too.
She just won’t go away!
Carlotta could only ask, "What’s the current solution? We can’t let General Soul Reaper block everyone forever, right? This hinders the development of the Bass archipelago. Many people won’t accept this."
The woman replied, "It’s said the Wendell Imperial Navy has arrived and briefly cooperated with the Sun Moon Federation’s navy, specifically targeting General Soul Reaper. Let’s hope they succeed."
She herself was also heading to the Bass archipelago and had already been stranded here for many days.
Then she introduced herself, saying her name was Jessica Gray, a manager of the Swan Guild, currently waiting to transport a shipment to the Bass archipelago. She was growing increasingly anxious.
Learning the woman’s identity, Carlotta wore an odd expression.
Back in Bor City, the guild that informed her about the auction was the Swan Guild. The manager there was named Jaelina Gray, could she be related to this person?
However, Carlotta didn’t press further. After all, her current appearance was completely different from her old one. That former face had even been placed on a wanted poster.
After Shepard and the others’ bodies were discovered, Farrel Kingdom’s investigation naturally led suspicion towards her. Her previous identity was now wanted.
But Carlotta didn’t care. That appearance might never appear again in her life. Let the Farrel Kingdom chase empty air.
Soon after, Carlotta’s subordinates returned and informed them that tickets could still be purchased, but departure times weren’t guaranteed. Ships will only sail when ready, and boarding is first-come, first-served based on ticket possession. Even with a ticket, if the ship is full, you’d have to wait for the next voyage.
Carlotta was speechless. If they couldn’t even sail, why were the Swan Port authorities still selling tickets? Honestly... they just couldn’t resist making money.
"Looks like we’ll have to settle down here for now."
Carlotta said to Amelia.
"Shouldn’t we be in a hurry to reach the Bass archipelago?"
Amelia knew Carlotta’s goal was to find the follow-up Chapters of the Elven Knight Path.
"Indeed, there’s no rush."
Carlotta was still a middle tier listener. Becoming a Resonator would likely take quite some time. There was no need to hurry.
Having decided to stay, the two immediately toured Swan Bay looking for a hotel or inn, only to find every place completely full.
With no choice, they could only stay in their carriage.
By now, it was nearly noon. They found a quiet corner, slept in the carriage, and when Carlotta awoke with Amelia in her arms, night had already fallen, and midnight had arrived.
Holding Amelia close, Carlotta felt inner peace, a sense of happiness lingering in her heart.
Waking up naturally while holding the girl she loved, how joyful was that? And she could do this every single day.
Thinking of this, Carlotta couldn’t help but smile, her mood wonderfully bright.
While tenderly holding Amelia, she silently activated her Intelligence Log to check today’s reports.
Along this journey, useful intelligence hadn’t been abundant, perhaps because her environment had grown more relaxed. But regardless, checking intelligence every midnight remains an essential routine.
[ 1: General Soul Reaper has entered the Swan Sea, fleeing pursuit by the Wendell Imperial Navy. She is currently facing severe trouble and does not intend to stay long in the Swan Sea. She is heading toward the Misty Sea.]
Carlotta pondered.
South of the Swan Sea lay the Misty Sea, a region perpetually shrouded in fog. Without following the few established safe routes, there was a ninety percent chance of becoming lost and never escaping.
It was said that before these safe routes were established, the Misty Sea had buried countless ships and sailors. Its danger once rivaled that of the Forbidden Sea.
Fortunately, after the safe routes were opened, the Misty Sea became far less unpredictable, even connecting the northern and southern continents, enabling much communication and trade between them.
Is General Soul Reaper heading toward the Misty Sea? Or, perhaps, toward the Southern Continent?
Either way, she wouldn’t linger in the Swan Sea for long. That was good news for Carlotta. Perhaps passenger liners from Swan Port will resume operations soon.
[ 2: Because the Soren Family haven’t found Carlotta for so long, the Carlisle family has grown very dissatisfied. Achilles Carlisle mentioned this to Selene Vire, a practitioner of Seer magic. In response, Selene provided Achilles with a seer tracking artifact. Achilles immediately dispatched someone to deliver the artifact to Alistair Carlisle, who is now leading a group southward.]
Carlotta’s expression turned serious.
She occasionally received intelligence about Alistair and his group, but this report carries unusually grave implications.
A seer tracking artifact?
She felt uneasy about such artifacts. She didn’t know how effective they were, could they directly lock onto her?
"The people Carlisle have sent out, including Alistair, are mostly Resonators. They won’t be easy to deal with..."
Carlotta frowned, feeling this was becoming troublesome.
But... if tracking artifacts exist, shouldn’t counter-tracking alchemical artifacts also exist?
She thought she should look into this. Even if Swan Bay wasn’t the Bass archipelago, it still had abundant trade. If she could find one, even a low-quality alchemical item, it wouldn’t matter. As long as she gave it to Stellar Workshop as a blueprint, they could provide an upgraded version.
[ 3: On the Bass archipelago, the Tower of Babel has begun showing signs of activation. Although the official opening is still far off, it is already drawing converging attention, attracting numerous individuals capable of making waves at the world’s center. This is an opportunity worth serious attention. Recommendation: Participate.]
Carlotta’s eyes lit up. The Tower of Babel? She seemed to recall hearing about it before. It was a unique event exclusive to the Bass archipelago, occurring only once every many years.
Carlotta still intended to participate in this event if appropriate, especially since the intelligence had recommended it.
[ 4: Visit Again Ice Drink Shop, their beverage named "Dreamy Blue Sea" is extremely delicious and worth trying. Located at 171 Nearshore Street.]
Carlotta silently memorized the information, thinking she could buy more later to take away.
[ 5: Swan Merchant Guild also operates a workshop called Swan Workshop, employing numerous alchemists who conduct research in equipment and potions. Their alchemical potion, Swan Potion, can temporarily transform a person into a swan. This is a proprietary method exclusive to the Swan Merchant Guild.]
Carlotta’s expression turned odd. A potion that temporarily turns people into swans? What... could that possibly be used for?
She felt somewhat puzzled, but since it was a proprietary alchemical potion, she figured she might as well purchase a dose to use it in Stellar Workshop. The price probably wouldn’t be too high.
Having finished reviewing the five pieces of intelligence, Carlotta pushed herself upright.
The movement caused Amelia to wake up as well, similarly pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes.
"You’re awake, Carlotta."
Amelia spoke softly, offering a greeting.
"Yeah, it’s already past midnight. Let’s get up."
Carlotta took out a cleaning card, quickly completing hygiene routines for both herself and Amelia.
Soon, the two arrived on the outer streets, solving their breakfast issue at a small restaurant.
Swan Bay had many lingering individuals, so even after midnight, numerous people still roamed around various places. The bustling atmosphere seemed barely diminished compared to daytime.
Carlotta held Amelia’s hand as they walked along the streets, enjoying the scenery of Swan Port.
They strolled along Nearshore Street, very close to the ocean, turning their heads, they could see it clearly.
"The difference from Starlight Sea is still quite significant."
Carlotta sighed slightly.
The nighttime Starlight Sea was undoubtedly extremely beautiful. But the Swan Sea lacked that uniqueness. This ocean was an ordinary sea, appearing at night as an endless expanse of black waves. Staring at it too long actually made one feel uneasy deep inside.
Amelia smiled: "There’s always been a saying about these two coastal areas in the southeast, ’See Swan Sea by day, Starlight Sea by night.’"
"Pity we’re both night owls."
Carlotta chuckled.
Holding Amelia’s hand, she felt how tender and soft it was, so delightful to touch that she could never get enough. Her thumb couldn’t help but rub back and forth across the back of that small hand.
Soon, they arrived at number 171 on this street, the "Visit Again Ice Drink Shop" stood right before them.
Remembering the intel, Carlotta immediately ordered two "Dreamy Blue Sea" drinks.
It was a blue beverage with ice cubes added.
Carlotta took a sip, feeling a strange flavor emerge, slightly sour, yet the sourness was perfectly balanced; slightly sweet, yet the sweetness was also just right, leaving an endless aftertaste.
’No wonder this drink made it onto the intel.’
Carlotta thought to herself.
She bought two cups, but didn’t give one to Amelia. Instead, she used a straw to pierce one cup, took a sip herself, then handed it directly to Amelia’s lips.
Amelia rolled her pretty eyes and said, "You clearly have two cups. Can’t I have one of them?"
"This cup is for us to share."
Carlotta said.
"And the other one?"
"That one’s also for us to share."
No matter what Amelia said, Carlotta insisted on sharing the same drink with her. This gave her a feeling of closeness with Amelia. She cherished any method that brought her closer to Amelia.
Amelia smoothed her long hair, her face slightly flushed, but ultimately didn’t refuse.
Opening her small mouth slightly, she took the straw that Carlotta had already used into her mouth and drank a sip of the Dreamy Blue Sea.
Then her eyes lit up. After swallowing, she laughed: "This drink tastes pretty good, better than expected. How did you precisely find such a delicious drink? Or are the other drinks at this shop also this good?"
Carlotta smiled, "Probably just luck."
Then she noticed something unusual. Inside the Visit Again Ice Drink Shop, a familiar person walked out.
Jessica Gray, the Swan Merchant Guild staff member they’d met earlier in the morning, appeared right here.
She spotted Carlotta and Amelia too, walking over to greet them: "What a coincidence, meeting you here. Dreamy Blue Sea is indeed the best drink this shop offers. Your taste is excellent."
Smiling warmly, the other party received corresponding greetings from Carlotta and Amelia.
Seeing her, Carlotta remembered the matter about the Swan Merchant Guild. The intel mentioned that within the Swan Workshop under the Swan Merchant Guild, there was also the Swan Potion, a proprietary alchemical potion. Although she wasn’t quite clear about what the Swan Potion did, she still wanted to obtain a dose.
Thinking this, Carlotta said, "Ms. Gray, we happen to want to purchase some alchemical items. Do you have any recommendations?"
Amelia assumed Carlotta was just routinely acquiring alchemical items to feed to Stellar Workshop.
"Buying alchemical items? Then you’ve come to the right person!"
Jessica’s face immediately lit up with a smile. "Our Swan Merchant Guild has no shortage of various alchemical items. Why not come take a look at our store?"
The Swan Merchant Guild operated numerous shops across the Farel Kingdom, Brandon Kingdom, Augusta Kingdom, and Bass Islands, certainly not a small guild.
Because flights had been suspended, Jessica couldn’t transport a large shipment destined for the Bass Islands, so she temporarily stored the goods at the Swan Merchant Guild in Swan Port.
Right now, Jessica led the way forward, guiding Carlotta and Amelia toward the Swan Merchant Guild.
"By the way, the Swan Merchant Guild uses ’Swan’ in its name, does that origin story seem rather extraordinary?"
Carlotta asked casually.
"Not really. We’re pretty much the same as other guilds, except we happened to register this name early. In the Sun Moon Federation, guild names aren’t allowed to duplicate."
Jessica couldn’t help but laugh as she spoke. "But I must admit, this name has indeed brought our guild considerable convenience."
After exchanging only a few sentences, they arrived at the Swan Merchant Guild. The shop was only a few steps away from Visit Again Ice Drink Shop.
The massive guild building had several floors, with many people entering and exiting, purchasing various items.
Under Jessica’s guidance, Carlotta and Amelia followed inside. Before long, Carlotta spotted her target, the potion that could turn someone into a swan, Swan Potion!
It was a liquid potion, a bottle small enough to fit in one palm, with a silvery-white hue, displayed on the shelves in considerable quantity. The price wasn’t particularly high.
Carlotta pointed at the shelf and asked, "Ms. Gray, after using this potion, can a person really turn into a swan? What use is there in turning into a swan?"