— What? — Lon couldn't hold back.
«The Southern Pirate King is dead? But how? And who is this "Mad Death"? I've never heard of him... Even in Renvel's memories, there was no one with such a nickname.»
Frowning, Lon continued reading the next lines:
"A shocking piece of news has arrived from the Southern region! About three days ago, on Sky Island — the island belonging to Ned — his corpse was found! Based on the wounds, it was determined that he was killed with a sharp weapon, most likely a sword, infused with fire, as traces of charred flesh were also discovered on the deep cuts. This suggests that the killer was no ordinary person, considering they managed to kill the Pirate King without making a sound!"
— This is... — Lon couldn't find the words to describe it. It was just too insane!
The Southern Pirate King had died without making a sound!
A Pirate King was considered the highest title among pirates. Only those who had managed to subjugate an entire region could attain it. That was why this news was so shocking!
One of the strongest individuals in the Southern region had been killed by an unknown assassin. And no one had even been able to find him.
It was truly astonishing news.
«Mad Death... He really is mad.» — Lon sighed.
«Could he have done this just to draw attention to himself? If so, then he succeeded. Not everyone dares to go against a Pirate King. Even some governments have to turn a blind eye to their actions. But he... He simply came and silently killed him. A true master of his craft.»
Lon was impressed by Mad Death's ability to kill quietly and disappear.
With a sigh, Lon continued reading the newspaper.
"And now, about Mad Death. This figure has only just appeared. There is no information about him in any records, neither from our nation nor any other. It's as if he came out of thin air! The only thing we could learn about him was that after Ned's murder, he left a bloodstained note in his bedroom, depicting round glasses with the inscription below: "Mad Death". Whether it describes his name or his nickname is unknown."
"Most people suspect that Mad Death might be a Woven, belonging to the Technician type, as during the investigation, no possible entry points were found. It's assumed that he could have simply "Attached" himself to the sky and bypassed all obstacles. However, this remains suspicious, as Ned was the captain of the strongest pirate crew in the Southern region — "The Sky Pirates" He was also a Woven, classified as a Spider."
"How did he fail to notice Mad Death? Why didn't the island's defenses react? Where were the other Woven during this incident? And ultimately, who is Mad Death? All these questions remain unanswered, but don't worry, we are constantly monitoring the latest updates. If new information emerges, we will report it immediately!"
After reading the entire page, Lon set the newspaper aside and let out a heavy breath.
«This is incredible...»
«I have so many questions that I want answers to. But I doubt I'll get them anytime soon...»
«At the very least, this article has taught me a lot. For example, I learned that Technicians are just one type under the general category of Woven. Also, that there are beings called Spiders, as well as something known as "Attachment". While I had some understanding of Technicians, I had never heard of Spiders and their abilities before... And yet, an ordinary newspaper covered them in detail.»
«Renvel was never particularly interested in these things. His dream was to travel — to enter the open world of the blue sky and explore different cultures and creatures. But he couldn't do it because he had to provide for his family. Though his father, Donald, was around, his income wasn't enough to pay for both housing and Santi's education. That was one of the reasons why he lacked this knowledge.»
Lon shook his head at Renvel's circumstances but also sighed at his lack of knowledge.
«No matter what, Renvel is now me, and his ignorance in this field will be corrected by me.»
«We've already made a good start. And this is only the beginning.»
Lon smiled and picked up the newspaper again to continue reading.