"It's finally our turn to take the stage..."

At the harbor of the Holy City, the crowd that came to welcome Prince Colin had long dispersed. Now, only hurried pedestrians and leisurely strolling seagulls remained in the busy port.

Standing on the dock, Baron Ticky Cosia was ready to spring into action, but he had been waiting for a long time without seeing his expected destitute relatives.

Those guys probably forgot about him!

And that's not all—

It wasn't just the poor relatives who were nowhere to be seen; even the creditors seemed to think he was already dead. There wasn't even a trace of a single journalist.

The attention of the entire Holy City seemed to be solely focused on Prince Colin.

"These snobs..."

A bit of frustration flashed across Ticky's face, and he couldn't help but grumble.

Just as he was filled with ambition but clueless about where to start, a stranger's voice suddenly rang out from nearby.

"Sir! Please wait a moment!"

Ticky turned around to see a young man in his twenties running breathlessly towards him, hands on his knees for support.

The young man wore a noticeably faded noble suit, appeared slightly haggard, but his eyes gleamed with eagerness and anticipation.

Ticky gave him a once-over and blurted out,

"Who are you?"

"Langton Segre! Heir to a baronial title!"

The young man gasped out, then straightened up excitedly, removed his hat, and bowed his head. "I just saw you disembark from the Purple Moon. Do you know Prince Colin?"

Ticky stared in a daze at the rash young noble, finding him familiar, yet he couldn't recall who he was.

After a long pause, he finally realized that this guy was a younger version of himself—the one who couldn't stand living under the shadow of his ancestors, who wanted to forge his own path, and who sold off his inheritance and gathered a substantial sum after being egged on by reckless friends, only to end up battered and bruised on his first voyage out to sea.

In the end, he discovered that everything was a carefully laid trap, just to saddle him with debt and drive him away from the land he once called home.

"Of course... I know him!"

The craving for progress eventually overcame any sympathy, and Ticky cleared his throat heavily, nodding with a feigned deep sincerity.

"Rather than just knowing him, it's more accurate to say that the gentleman has been a benefactor to me... He's given me great help in many aspects, many aspects."

Upon hearing this, Langton's eyes lit up immediately, and he eagerly took a step forward: "That's wonderful! Sir, could you tell me more about him? And about his territory... that land of Gana. I've heard it's filled with gold, a place where everyone can achieve their dreams, is that true?"

Ticky revealed a mysterious smile, patted Langton on the shoulder, and with a tone of both advice and reluctant allure, said, "The land of Gana? Filled with gold? Perhaps. I did indeed fulfill my dreams. But young man, it's not as beautiful as you think."

Langton stared wide-eyed.

"Why?!"

Ticky squinted into the depths of the sea, his tone tinged with a bit of nostalgia.

"Devils, pirates, thieves... it's filled with things that would chew you up and spit out nothing but bones. The dirtiest scoundrel you've seen here might just be an adventurer, but over there... hahaha, those deceiving you might not even be human; they could be devils in human clothing. Take my advice—attend university, forget the glory that no longer concerns you, and cherish the life before your eyes."

He ultimately felt a bit emotional, and that last bit was heartfelt.

Even the first part was, in its own way.

Yet, as he anticipated, rather than scaring the young man, his words only made him more excited.

"Sir! Please, tell me more! I know that the lands beyond the Holy City are not blessed by the gods, filled with death and savagery... but I'm not like those students in ivory towers; I'm much cleverer, and I can handle it!"

"Oh, really? Heh." Ticky gave a cold laugh and continued in a world-weary voice, "Like you, I embarked on the land of Gana with dreams, only to be swept away by a storm to its desolate northern coast. The sea not only destroyed my dreams but also took away everything I'd gathered by selling off my inheritance and plunging myself into debt..."

Ticky's voice began to rise, deliberately letting it fluctuate across the expansive dock. The rhythm of his words seemed to carry a magical charm, quickly drawing in some initially indifferent passersby.

People whispered among themselves, quickly learning from snippets of conversation that the man with a face full of stories had disembarked from the Purple Moon.

And—

It was said that he had an extraordinary relationship with Prince Colin.

"There were no traces of civilization there, only rough rocks and beasts. With my own hands and will, I established a colony on the barren coast with only myself, and from scratch, I built a home that belonged to me alone."

"Later, I set up a farm, harvested some corn and sugarcane, built a mill with remnants of sailcloth, ropes, and wooden planks, and through trade with the local Lizardman Tribe, I earned my first bucket of gold in life..."

Deeply moved, Ticky paused, clenching his fist.

"For the first time, my pockets were full of gold coins, not taken from my father's pocket, but earned with my own effort!"

Applause erupted around him.

Ticky nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then continued storytelling, reciting the prologue of "Kosia's Drifting Story."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.