Creak—
At that moment, the door opened.
Phyllis entered with Aven, and the viscount and Sir Enzo immediately stood and saluted.
Aven's status was now completely different. As a candidate for the throne, his position in Aspiration City was second only to Princess Mira.
After everyone sat down, Viscount Daly first exchanged a few polite words. "Thank you, Your Highness Aven, for taking care of my daughter. She has indeed grown a great deal during this time."
"That's only natural. Phyllis has helped tremendously. Without her, the Pokémon Domain wouldn't have developed this quickly," Aven replied with a smile.
After some small talk, the two got straight to the point—and as soon as Viscount Daly stated his purpose, Aven was stunned. The viscount had come to request to join the Pokémon Domain!
"You truly wish to join the Pokémon Domain?" Aven frowned slightly. The viscount was a noble personally granted his title by the previous lord of Aspiration City.
If he wanted to swear fealty to Aven as lord of the Pokémon Domain, he would have to renounce his current title.
After all, under this world's feudal system: the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal. To swear loyalty to a new lord meant giving up all former status.
"Tell me your reasons and your conditions," Aven said after a moment of thought.
He was genuinely curious what could make this Aspiration City viscount abandon such a prestigious position—especially since the viscount title of Aspiration City was worth far more than any noble rank in the Pokémon Domain.
"The reason is very simple," Viscount Daly said, straightening his back. "I am a noble but I am also a merchant!"
"Now that the Pokémon League has been established, almost all landed nobles have already joined. For a noble like me, who has no fief of his own, this has a huge impact!"
"Compared to remaining an empty-titled noble of Aspiration City, I would much rather join the Pokémon Domain, become part of the Pokémon League and devote myself to its growth!"
Viscount Daly spoke openly without any embellishment. "Of course, all of this is an investment I make as a merchant. I trust my instincts. They have never failed to bring me profit."
"As for my condition…" His gaze grew firm. "The coastal town, the one Your Highness is building."
"Your Highness should already know my family's origins. We come from another continent, and our family has preserved many books related to maritime trade."
"How to build ships capable of long-distance sea travel, how to construct ports, and how to navigate the ocean. My family possesses written knowledge of all of these things!"
"So, my condition is extremely simple: I hope Your Highness will entrust the management of the coastal town to me. I will help govern it properly and develop maritime trade."
As he spoke, Viscount Daly dropped to one knee. "Your Highness Aven, these are my reasons and my conditions."
Aven quietly absorbed his words. When he heard that the viscount's family possessed books concerning sea trade, he was truly stunned.
The Pokémon Domain had just begun developing its coastal town. Viscount Daly's expertise was exactly what they needed. This was a rare opportunity to accelerate both the town's growth and the development of sea commerce!
Phyllis also looked toward Aven. Even she had been shocked at first—she had never imagined her family possessed such invaluable knowledge. She naturally understood its worth.
If not for the Pokémon Domain's rapid growth and the coincidental construction of the coastal town, her father would never have brought out these treasures.
"I understand… Viscount Daly, your reasons and conditions leave me no room to refuse." Aven exhaled slowly. "Welcome to the Pokémon Domain. From today onward, you are the mayor of Azure Town."
Azure Town—that was the name Aven planned for the new town. It symbolized the forever-blue ocean, and the eternal harmony between humans and the Water-type Pokémon of the sea.
Viscount Daly trembled with excitement and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Your Highness! I will not disappoint you. I will develop Azure Town and ensure the Pokémon Domain's ships can sail freely across this ocean."
"Good. For now, you will oversee Azure Town's construction. Master Thomas currently handles architectural matters. Anything you need, feel free to discuss with him."
Having accepted Viscount Daly's pledge, Aven entrusted Azure Town to him without hesitation.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Additionally," Viscount Daly continued, "I hope Your Highness will accept the Daly family's fortune."
"Now that I have joined the Pokémon Domain, that wealth naturally belongs to the Domain as well."
Upon hearing this, Aven's eyes stirred slightly. He had once been shocked by the wealth hidden in the Daly family's secret chamber.
It included a vast number of Water Stones. Far more than the Pokémon Domain currently possessed in total. They would massively aid the territory's development.
But the greatest value lay in the family's preserved books. Aven had glimpsed them before, though he couldn't understand their script.
Now, it was time to study them—perhaps they might hold clues about Darkrai, or even ways to awaken it.
Inside the castle's study, Aven finally received the books of the Daly family.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't read the unique writing, so Phyllis acted as interpreter, reading the contents aloud.
It was noon. Sunlight streamed into the study. Lilligant, who was rarely this idle, was quietly standing by the window, bathing in the warm light.
"The region we originally lived in was called the Almia," Phyllis's clear voice echoed softly through the room.
Aven nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on a nautical chart before him. The Almia Region was still quite far from Sinnoh—an ultra-long-distance voyage.
According to the now Mayor Daly's judgment, even in perfect conditions, a trip to Almia would take at least over a month. If any complications arose, it would take even longer.
"Phyllis, is there nothing recorded about Darkrai?" Aven asked thoughtfully after she finished summarizing the section on Almia.
"About Darkrai…" Phyllis flipped through the pages again—then suddenly paused on one of them.
"Your Highness Aven, the books do not record anything about Darkrai. But… they do record an ancient myth from the Almia Continent."
Aven's eyes brightened. Myths were often based on fragments of historical truth. And Darkrai was Almia's guardian deity. The two might very well be connected.
Hearing Aven's interest, Phyllis began reciting the legend—the story of The King of Almia and the Three Princes.
"Long ago, in the castle of Almia, there lived a king and three princes.
"The king wished only for peace, but the three princes schemed and competed endlessly.
"Enraged, the king expelled all three princes. One prince went to a desert, one to a volcano, while the third stayed behind in the castle.
"As time passed, the king's heart gave rise to an endless darkness—endless darkness… endless darkness…
"To dispel the darkness in the king's heart, the three princes abandoned their grudges and reunited. Their tears transformed into a red crystal, a yellow crystal, and a blue crystal, calming the darkness within the king."
Phyllis paused. Aven, who had been fully immersed in the story, blinked in surprise. "That's all?"
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Phyllis said apologetically. "The myth is extremely old. Much of it has already been lost."
"No… it's not completely useless." Aven rested his chin on his hand in deep thought.
"Phyllis, the story ends with the princes' tears becoming the red, yellow, and blue crystals that dispel the king's darkness, right?"
Hearing this, Phyllis quickly checked the passage again and nodded vigorously.
"Crystals…" Aven looked toward the sky outside the window. "Tell me, could the 'darkness' in the myth refer to the black crystal?"
"And to neutralize the black crystal's power… we may need to find the red, yellow, and blue crystals?"
This time, Phyllis was completely stunned. She had never considered this interpretation—but now that she thought about it, it wasn't impossible.
Of course, this was only speculation. Crystals appeared often in mythology, and "darkness" even more so. Any villain could be associated with darkness.
"Regardless of whether the myth is literal or not, if we want to awaken Darkrai, we must go to the Almia Region." Aven made up his mind.
And now… it was no longer an impossible journey!
(End of Chapter)
TN: Damn, I don't if it was this one but remember playing as a ranger in an emulator back when I was a kid but never finish because I couldn't get past the snorlax.