Chapter 336: Arriving at Torrent Island

After taking a brief respite of two days upon Whale Island, Rhonin and his company set sail for Torrent Island, bringing along the eighty-odd captives who had been living on the isle.

According to the seasoned estimates of the four captains, the voyage across this stretch of sea would require roughly three days.

As it turned out, the four captains possessed genuine merit, for on the morning of the third day, the faint contour of an island emerged upon the horizon.

“Look there! That is Torrent Island!”

Upon the deck, smiles bloomed across the faces of the gathered company.

A prolonged voyage at sea was a tedious and monotonous affair.

Confined day in and day out to a space no larger than a postage stamp, the only scenery to behold was the azure sky above and the vast expanse of water below; those unaccustomed to the ocean might feel a sense of novelty at first, but with time, boredom inevitably set in, and the experience paled in comparison to the simple joy of having one’s feet planted firmly on solid ground.

Yet, not everyone found the passage tedious.

Under Rhonin’s arrangements, Tom and David were actively absorbing theoretical knowledge from the sailors of Whale Island, while simultaneously learning the art of naval combat from the members of the Dennis family knight squad.

If nothing else could be guaranteed, the two had at least conquered the seasickness that had plagued them aboard the Dennis No. 3.

As the vessels drew nearer to Torrent Island, a harbor considerably more intricate than that of Whale Island gradually unveiled itself before them.

Several ships lay moored within the harbor at that moment; the largest among them was a masted vessel of some twenty meters, used for training beyond the island, while the rest were small rowboats, presumably intended for offshore fishing.

According to the accounts provided by King Bruno, the specialties of Torrent Island were its fruits and the timber suitable for crafting ships and furniture.

To transport timber from the island to Horn Bay, a pier capable of accommodating cargo ships was an absolute necessity. Though this particular pier appeared rather rudimentary, it meant that Rhonin would not have to fret over constructing a dock for some time to come.

A low, droning horn sounded as the four vessels slowly nudged against the shore.

On the pier, guards or administrators stirred into motion, directing the crewmen as they brought the ships to a gentle berth alongside the dock.

At that very moment, within a building not far from the harbor, Knight Vali Price, the custodian of Torrent Island, caught the sound of the docking horn and immediately strode to the window.

From his vantage point, he could see the four ships coming to a halt in the harbor, the largest among them proudly flying the banner of the Alduin royal house.

“The reinforcements have finally arrived!”

A smile broke across his face, and taking the stairs three at a time, he rushed down toward the harbor.

By the time Rhonin and his company stepped off the pier and onto the shore, Vali’s hearty voice came ringing through the air.

“Haha! Welcome to Torrent Island, distinguished guests from afar!”

He approached the group, bowing low from the waist: “Vali Price sends his greetings to you all.”

Rhonin had already gathered information about the knight before him from Philimon; though the man was merely a Bronze Knight, the squad he commanded had been responsible for the defense of Torrent Island for over a decade.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Knight Vali.”

Rhonin stepped forward, “I am Rhonin Wushan, the commander of this relief expedition. What is the precise situation on the island at present?”

“My Lord Commander, and everyone else, please follow me into the island to rest first!”

Rhonin, accompanied by Kalada, Tom, David, Mixi, Reece, Luchi, and Melonica, followed Vali toward the harbor building.

As they walked, Knight Vali began to relate the circumstances of the island.

Though Torrent Island was technically an isle for the confinement of criminals, it had evolved over the years into a small city boasting a population of over twenty thousand.

Where people gathered in numbers, society naturally grew complex.

Presently, Torrent Island was divided roughly among three major factions.

First was Vali Price’s faction, representing the royal house, comprising over five thousand people who mostly resided in the area adjacent to the harbor.

The remaining two factions were known as the Rahn Society and the White Flower Society.

“The Rahn Society is led by Knight Rahn. Their conduct is relatively conservative, and they manage to fulfill their allocated quotas by turning in the harvested oak each month. However, over the past two years, they have demanded provisions from us with increasing frequency and in ever-larger quantities.”

“The White Flower Society is led by Knight Marcello. They number roughly fourteen thousand, forming the largest and most troublesome faction. A conflict erupted just last month when we pressed them for timber; my deputy, Kolen, was injured by them and remains bedridden to this day.”

Rhonin nodded, having gained a basic understanding of the situation on Torrent Island through the man's briefing.

“From what you say, Torrent Island does not cultivate food crops on a large scale, and the islanders’ sustenance depends entirely on the provisions brought by the ships from Horn Bay when they come to collect the timber. Since the White Flower Society opposes you so blatantly, do they not fear that you will cut off their food supply?”

To this, Vali shook his head helplessly: “I am not entirely certain. To be precise, my men have not ventured deep into the White Flower Society’s territory to investigate for a very long time; it is possible they have cleared arable land of their own and are already producing sufficient grain.”

This was the embarrassing reality of their current predicament.

Originally, the purpose of Vali and his knight squad was to oversee these criminals upon the island. Yet now, acting as overseers and gaolers, they did not even dare to approach the living quarters of the convicts.

No wonder His Majesty Bruno had remarked that this place seemed to be slipping from their grasp.

“What is the overall combat strength of the White Flower Society?”

Vali shook his head: “It is hard to say.”

At this, Luchi, who was standing nearby, could not help but interject: “They are merely the descendants of criminals, possessing neither adequate weapons nor armor, nor have they received formal training. Even if the few knights leading them possess some strength, it would be entirely effortless for us to eliminate them.”

Rhonin nodded in agreement.

He currently commanded two knight squads beneath him, and in addition to that, he possessed a tier-four magical beast, a gryphon.

As for high-tier combatants, aside from himself, there was the Meteor Knight Melonica to ensure their success.

Augmented by Vali’s knight squad, this force would deal a devastating, overwhelming blow to the White Flower Society; there was absolutely no need to devise schemes or strategies, for a direct frontal advance would suffice.

To Rhonin, these restless individuals and factions on Torrent Island were all targets to be suppressed, including the so-called conservative Rahn Society.

Leaving them be would only invite substantial trouble when Rhonin took over Torrent Island in the future.

“We shall take a good rest today. Tomorrow, Knight Vali, Knight Luchi, and Knight Mixi will each lead two-thirds of their forces to subdue the White Flower Society first. The remaining men will be led by you, Reece, to garrison the harbor, ensuring the Rahn Society does not seize the opportunity to occupy the docks and steal our ships.”

The company nodded in quiet contemplation, recognizing that this arrangement, balanced in both offense and defense, was highly prudent.

Such a disposition caused even Vali to look upon the young commander with newfound respect.

In earlier days, to suppress the White Flower Society, he had once deployed his entire knight squad; had he not received word and returned in time, the harbor would have fallen into the hands of the Rahn Society.

Since that incident, Vali had never dared to deploy his entire force at once.

“By the way, Knight Vali,”

Rhonin inquired, “The leader of the Rahn Society is Rahn, so why is the leader of the White Flower Society not named White Flower? How did it come by that name?”