A pale golden glow enveloped the entire sea, filling all the space around the Bright Star.

The first half of the ship is running at full power, the paddlewheel structures on both sides of the hull are roaring, a large number of magical traps on the deck are constantly projecting glittering gratings into the surrounding air, and the devices designed by the "Sea Witch" themselves are constantly monitoring the surrounding environment to collect important data.

The second half of the ship was foggy, and the ghostly ship-like illusory structure sometimes condensed, sometimes became almost transparent, and as the surrounding light rose and fell like fog, many ghostly sailors moved on the translucent deck, monitoring the state of the "Spirit Depth" while ensuring the stability of the Bright Star itself.

The sailors in the front and back sections of the ship were distinctly divided and performed their duties, communicating or moving around only occasionally as necessary.

Lucrecia stood at the front of the ship, on the top deck in a "blooming" state, like a large open terrace, with the best view of the entire ship, allowing her to clearly see the sea.

Two thick chains extended from the waist of the Bright Star, crossed the slightly undulating sea behind, and wound around a huge stone ball a few dozen meters from the stern.

The stone ball floated several meters above the surface of the sea, seemingly weightless, but the creaking of the chains from time to time and the fact that the Bright Star itself was still sailing slowly at full power proved that dragging this thing was not as simple as it seemed.

Lucrecia looked at the stone ball for a long time before she withdrew her gaze and rubbed her eyes.

The endless light mist released around the stone ball is actually not dazzling, but being shrouded in this boundless brilliance for a long time will still make the eyes feel slightly uncomfortable, and the mysterious concave and convex lines on the surface of the stone ball are even more dazzling after looking at it for a long time.

It's just that apart from these dazzling sensations, the stone balls and the surrounding light mist themselves don't seem to be more harmful, and you won't be mentally damaged when you look at them, and you won't hear weird and terrifying sounds when you get close...... As a strange relic "picked up" from the border, this is not common.

Lucrecia has been wandering the frontiers for years, and has seen a lot of the dangers that can easily lure mortals into madness, and this stone ball that projects the illusion of a large geometric body...... It is indeed the safest outlier among the many border relics.

A sound of footsteps came from the side, and the voice of the clockwork puppet Runi sounded: "Mistress, there is a report from the boiler room, the power of the machine can no longer be increased, and now it is the ultimate speed." ”

“…… Not even a third of its usual speed," Lucrecia sighed, "The ball looks fluttering, and it's so hard to drag. ”

"It's really weird," Luni tilted her head, looking confused like a human, "and we've tried everything, but we can't measure its exact mass. ”

"Fortunately, at least it can be dragged, slow is slow, but sooner or later it can be dragged back."

Lucrecia said as she turned her head to look in the direction of the bow of the ship - due to the limited length of the chains, the Brilliant Star was now sailing inside the "massive geometry" projected by the stone ball, and the only light that could be seen beyond the bow was endless glow, and the normal sea surface could not be seen at all.

But she's not worried that the boat will get lost, or that the ship will crash into something like an island.

Because the stern part of the Brilliant Star is sailing in the spirit realm, which is not affected by the stone orb, her ghost sailors can observe the sea conditions and guide the course from the aft lookout and chart room to ensure that the Bright Star is on the correct trajectory.

This is unimaginable for an ordinary ship, but for the hostess of the Bright Star, it is a mastery of the operation.

"Did you hear from us from Breeze?" Lucretia turned back slightly and asked, "What's their response?" ”

"They have received word that a research team of mathematicians, runes, and transcendent experts is ready in the harbor, as well as people sent by the Explorers' Guild," Luni replied immediately, "but I also told them that the Bright Star is very slow right now, and I guess they will have to wait a little longer......"

"It's not just a matter of waiting a little longer," Lucrecia couldn't help but purse her lips as she looked at the ubiquitous golden glow on the sea, "Tell them that what I found this time is not a gadget - although its 'body' is indeed not large, its scope of influence is too large."

"Let them find a suitable junction in the offshore area, at least two or three nautical miles from the port, or else they will have to be prepared for the whole port area to be shrouded in endless daylight."

Luni bowed her head slightly, "Yes, mistress, we will pass by a lighthouse facility in fifteen minutes, and then I will send another telegram to Breeze." ”

Lucrecia hummed, then didn't know what to think, and after a few seconds of silence, she suddenly chuckled and shook her head with a self-deprecating chuckle.

The puppet Luni looked at her suspiciously: "Mistress? ”

"It's nothing, just a sudden reminder of something from a long time ago," Lucrecia whispered, "Luney, you know, I used to count my father when he returned from his expeditions. ”

"Old master? Do you count him? ”

"Yes, he always picks up some strange things outside and comes back," Lucretia seemed to fall into a memory, and slowly spoke while thinking, "Sometimes when I find a broken stone in the border area, I will study it excitedly for ten days and half a month, and I will also pull my brother and I to study it together." ”

She turned, looking a little distracted at the chain that stretched out from the stern of the boat, and at the stone ball at the end of the chain.

"Now, I've also picked up a 'big rock' and come back...... If he knew, I don't know what he would think. ”

Luni didn't know how to respond to her mistress, and was silent for a moment before she spoke, "...... You rarely mention things about the old master,"

"Probably because there's been a lot going on lately," Lucrecia shook her head, "Don't talk about that, I'm a little tired, when is it now?" ”

"It's late at night," Luni nodded, "it's time for you to rest." ”

"It's late at night?" Lucrecia was surprised, and then waved her hand, "Dragging this thing, twenty-four hours are the same as day, day and night are reversed...... You keep an eye on the boat, I'll rest first. ”

Before she could finish speaking, her figure suddenly disintegrated into countless flying pieces of colored paper, fluttering in the wind and flying in the direction of the captain's room.

……

Until the return to the cathedral, until the end of the vespers, Vanna remained preoccupied—and it was apparently impossible for her to hide her preoccupied state from Bishop Valentine.

In the face of the bishop's inquiry, she did not hide her "dream communication" with the ghost captain on the way back from the port.

In the small prayer room connected to the side hall, Valentine listened quietly to what Vanna had to say.

“…… I'm not surprised by 'his' visit," said the old bishop's calm expression, "and some kind of ...... has taken place throughout the city-state of Plander Transformation, whether we like to admit it or not, we and the land beneath our feet have now established an inseparable bond with the Lost Country, I have communicated this with your uncle, do you know what he said? ”

“…… What did he say? ”

"Behind the Prand now stands a 'master' in the shadows, like the 'Ten Cities' described in the Gran's Psalms, in the shadow stands an uncrowned king, an unnamed archon, an invisible but tangible 'owner', a 'master' who does not assert his authority to the city-states, just as you do not declare to the coins in your pocket that you are their masters—but you do not think to consult them when you take them out."

Vana gave a thoughtful expression: "...... The Ten Cities, said to be the most chilling fragment of the Gran Psalms, describes the gradual takeover of the ten city-states by an invisible ruler and their transformation into shadows, and until the end of the long poem, the author does not describe the ruler himself in the slightest, but only hints at the existence of the 'invisible king' through his description of the atmosphere, customs, and circumstances of the city-state. I had read it, but I was too young to understand the kind of relish that grown-ups talk about the horrors of this long poem. ”

Speaking of this, she shook her head slightly.

"But I don't think at least Captain Duncan is trying to transform the city-state into some kind of ......, as the long poem 'Ten Cities' says An indescribable hotbed, at least now he doesn't show any ill will. ”

"Indeed, he didn't show any malice, and even came to warn you," Bishop Valentine nodded slightly, "The issue of Vision 001 has actually attracted the attention of the Church of the Four Gods, but as far as I know, the current mainstream view of various churches is still waiting for when Vision 001 will 'return to normal', but if the warning conveyed by Captain Duncan is true......"

The old bishop paused, and only sighed softly after a moment.

"Then our world will be in big trouble."

(End of chapter)