Chapter 1 Tirian Entered the Meeting Place

There was no gentle music symbolizing high society, nor was it in a high-end luxury banquet hall. This was just a reception room under the Port Authority, and the reception staff were several representatives from the military – he even recognized some of their faces.

He had dealt with them in recent years.

Lister stood up to greet the "Great Pirate" who entered the room.

"I'm sorry, our conditions are limited at the moment," the Chief of Defense said, extending his hand with an apologetic tone, "In a hurry, we can only prepare this kind of reception."

Tirian didn't respond to the handshake immediately, but raised his head and looked around – several representatives in Frost Navy uniforms stood behind Lister, their expressions were fairly natural, but the other attendants and servants were obviously not so relaxed. Some were secretly sizing up the few undying people who had entered the room with him, some were trying to appear calm and turning their gaze elsewhere, but one thing was common: in their eyes, besides nervousness, there was only unconcealed fatigue.

Tirian laughed and shook hands with Lister.

"This is good – if you had really prepared a grand banquet for me at this time, and even found a few violinists to make noise, then we wouldn't need to talk."

Feeling the strength from the "Iron Vice Admiral's" hand in front of him, Lister's expression twitched slightly. Then he withdrew his hand and said with some embarrassment, "You have a prejudice against us, but you actually know the real situation – we just have different positions, but as soldiers, the Frost Navy today is still like you back then, will firmly defend our city-state."

"Yes, I know, and I have witnessed it with my own eyes. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have accepted your invitation at all, General," Tirian smiled, his gaze swept over the badge on Lister's chest, pausing slightly when he said the title "General." Then he shook his head, walking towards the center of the room as he spoke, "Let's cut the pleasantries, you and I both know what time it is. We can talk about this city, talk about the future, or – if you have the courage – we can also talk about my father."

"Your father…" Lister sat down on the sofa, his body visibly stiffening when he heard the last sentence. The next second, the scene that all Frost people would remember for the rest of their lives reappeared in his mind – the giant reflected from the Boundless Sea, the eyes that opened in the clouds like two suns, and the mirrored city-state torn and peeled away from the city, then burned to ashes in the giant's hands.

A tremor from the soul was surging. Lister forcibly suppressed his memories, looking at the Great Pirate sitting across from him with lingering fear.

"So, that really was your father, the being who returned from the subspace…" he hesitated, each word seeming to make him nervous, as if merely such conversation and mention would draw an unspeakable gaze upon himself, "It really was him who took action at the last moment… But that posture, it never appeared in…"

"It will appear in the records from now on," Tirian shrugged. "General Lister, congratulations, Frost will be the first city-state to witness and record this."

Saying this, he paused, asking with concern, "I'm curious, what's the atmosphere like in the city now, especially how do you people view this matter?"

"Tension and fear still permeate the city. I must admit, this night was difficult for everyone – the disaster ended, but it ended in a way that most people can't understand and feel deeply terrified by. Many people are guessing what exactly was the existence that descended on the sea in the end, but I think… if they really knew, the panic might be even worse," Lister sighed as he said this. "The City Hall also dared to guess that it was your father only after sorting out a lot of information and clues – don't blame us for being slow, that scene was too shocking, anyone would hesitate for a long time."

"I can understand," Tirian sighed, his expression somewhat subtle, "He didn't tell me beforehand either. I was as startled as you guys were at the time."

Lister looked at the Great Pirate in front of him, a strange feeling arising in his heart. It was an irrepressible curiosity mixed with the instinctive tension that people feel when facing the unknown fear. He couldn't help but imagine, how would this "Son of Duncan" communicate with his terrifying father? How did they make the decision to lend a helping hand in the Frost matter? How exactly does that shadow who returned from the subspace view the mortal world now?

"I want to ask," the newly promoted General couldn't help but ask, "Your father, he… has he really regained his humanity as rumored?"

Tirian looked surprised when he heard this, "What makes him seem inhuman?"

The image of the giant standing in the sky immediately appeared in Lister's mind, the scene of a city-state being burned to ashes and crushed into powder in the giant's hands. He opened his mouth, brewing a bellyful of offensive words, but didn't dare to say a word.

After holding it in for a long time, the Frost General only managed to force out a sentence with a straight face, "I believe, he does indeed have a human heart now…"

Tirian laughed, "I also believe that your words are sincere."

After speaking, the Great Pirate of the Cold Sea picked up the glass of red wine on the coffee table and solemnly raised it to Lister, "Let us toast to this friendship of mutual belief."

Lister: "…"

The Frost General raised his glass, clinked glasses with Tirian with a stiff smile, took a sip, and then put it down, "Then can I ask what you and your father plan to do next?"

Tirian looked particularly frank, "I don't know."

Lister's eyes widened immediately, "You don't know?"

"He hasn't told me yet," Tirian spread his hands, but there was an irrepressible joyful smile in his eyes. He had fought wits and courage with the Frost Navy for half a century, but only tonight's "friendly conversation" made him the most delighted. "Originally, I came here just because of my father's orders. After that, participating in the battle was only to protect the city that Her Majesty Queen Lei Nora had once protected. I never thought about the plans after that. It depends on my father's mood next."

Lister subconsciously said, "Then how can we contact your father?"

Tirian raised his eyelids with a non-smiling expression, "…You really want to contact him? Then I'll tell you a ritual…"

"Ah, there's no need for that," Lister felt a tightening in his back and quickly waved his hand, "I was just mentioning it casually."

"When discussing 'Him,' it's best not to have this habit of mentioning it casually, because who knows when 'He' will really notice you," Tirian said, his expression suddenly changing subtly, as if he had thought of some unpleasant memories. So he immediately shook his head, looked at Lister, and changed to a relaxed tone, "Relax, young man, I'm just joking with you. You're all too tense. This is the first time in fifty years that the Sea Fog Fleet has 'returned home.' Shouldn't we have a relaxed atmosphere like a family reunion?"

Young man…

The corner of Lister's mouth seemed to twitch, but he immediately restrained this embarrassment. Then, the expression on his face became serious, "General Tirian, then I won't hide it. Frankly speaking… Frost is in trouble now."

"I know, we just solved it."

"No, I'm not talking about that strange phenomenon invasion… That invasion wasn't a trouble, but a disaster. Now that the disaster is over, the subsequent troubles will follow one after another. Now Frost's order is crumbling. Even if this night passes peacefully, we still have to solve a whole bunch of problems such as public security, supplies, and maritime safety…"

"Then what does that have to do with me?" Tirian leaned back on the sofa, calmly looking into Lister's eyes, "I'm a rebel – I don't understand these things."

Lister's words were choked back by Tirian's attitude before he could even say them.

But after a few seconds of awkwardness, he quickly sorted out his emotions and opened his mouth again, seeming to want to say something.

But a rhythmic knock on the door suddenly interrupted what he wanted to say.

The door of the reception room opened, and an elegant man in a well-tailored suit, with his hair combed meticulously and wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked into the room.

"I hope I'm not being too abrupt," the man with gold-rimmed glasses said with a gentle smile, saluting and greeting the main guests in the room, then walked straight to the reception table, "May I join?"

"Oh, Mr. Confidential Secretary," Tirian looked at the young man who appeared in the room for a moment, vaguely recalling him, and a smile appeared on his face, "I recognize your glasses – and your hairstyle."

Lister then looked at the Confidential Secretary and quickly asked, "Is there any news from the City Hall?"

The Confidential Secretary nodded and replied softly, "It's from the City Hall."

Tirian on the side spoke, "Allow me to state my position first, I have no interest in your City Hall resolutions – we are rebels…"

Before he could finish speaking, the well-dressed Confidential Secretary suddenly turned his face, placed a document on the coffee table, and looked into Tirian's eyes, "Then is there another possibility?"

He paused, pushed the document over, and said softly –

"Governor Tirian has arrived in his loyal Frost."

(End of this chapter)