The brass key that Ray Nora had left behind was a gift from a friend—something Duncan had not expected.

It also aroused his great curiosity.

Who made that key, and for what purpose? What is the essence of that key? After touching the key, what happened to the illusion that the ship crashed to the ground and disintegrated in an explosion?

He couldn't wait to find out, but thankfully—the Queen of Frost didn't hide what she knew, but told her calmly:

"It was a friend I met shortly after I left the cathedral, when I was planning to take power, meeting with all sorts of people, or getting involved in the public sphere, and the old man was present at a fundraiser......

"He wasn't on the guest list, but he easily bypassed all the security and eyeliners, and I thought he was a professor from the university, because he wore a scholar's robe, and he had a refined air - I didn't know that he got in and gossiped with him, and he showed an amazing amount of erudition until ...... The bodyguards at the rally finally reacted and threw him out.

"But after that, the old man began to appear in my sight frequently, sometimes at high-society gatherings, sometimes at private dinners of friends, and he would show up when everyone's eyes were shifted, and then calmly talk to me, discuss history, mathematics, and the occult with me, and quietly leave before anyone disturbed him—he would always hide himself from everyone's sight except when he was discovered by the bodyguards at the first meeting.

"Isn't it incredible? A friend that only I know, a knowledgeable advisor, a ...... Air friends.

"I never revealed his existence to the public, at first for fear of causing concern to the church, and the bishops would suspect that my psionic talent was out of control and put me back in the cellar - I knew that my power was not out of control, and I was not worried about being imprisoned, but I felt that my time was too precious to be wasted in a cage, and later on...... As I begin to grasp the power of the city-state, I will not be able to expose the existence of this 'secret advisor'.

"This state lasted for about three years, and I became friends with this mysterious old man, but just when I thought he would continue to be my 'special staff' until his coronation, he suddenly appeared before dawn one day and said goodbye to me.

"Here's what he said – 'The window is over, it's the last time we'll see each other.'"

Then he handed me a brass key and told me that it was a twisted assemblage, the key to establishing connections in time and space, and that it could hold knowledge and memories, and that it would serve someday in the future......

"After telling me a lot about keys, my 'air friend' just turned around and walked towards the first rays of the morning sun – the second the sun rose above the horizon, he disappeared, and that was the last time I saw him."

Duncan listened to Ray Nora's words in amazement, and countless associations were already in his mind, and all of them quickly pointed to a noun, and when the voice of the Frost Queen in front of him fell, he immediately spoke: "Wait, the person you are describing sounds like a ...... at all."

"Yes, Missionary of the Last Days, Captain Duncan," Ray Nora smiled, "and I guessed after the first few meetings—I had been exposed to countless books during my years of training in the church, and I knew what a Missionary of the Last Dead was. ”

"You're befriending a Last-Word Preacher, and he's ......," Duncan said with a frown, but realized the discord halfway through, "Wait, no, it's not like a normal Last-Word Missionary......"

"Yes, as you said, although very similar in 'nature', the old man's state is completely different from that of the crazy cultists, his mind is sharp, his mind is clear, his attitude is gentle and friendly, and the only thing he has in common with the last preacher is 'non-linear intervention and disappearance.'"

“…… Normal Last Word Preachers are unable to think and communicate calmly, because the tearing of the timeline has long since disturbed their cognition, and the worship of subspace has destroyed their sanity," Duncan quickly reacted, "and the one you know, the opposite......"

He stopped suddenly.

Because at this moment, he recalled another thing, something related to "himself"!

During one of his conversations with Vanna and Valentine, Tirion mentioned that a century ago, on the eve of the last voyage of "Duncan Abnomar", the Lost received several mysterious visitors, dressed in ascetic robes, who suddenly appeared on the ship and talked to the then "Captain Duncan" all night long, and then mysteriously disappeared when the sun rose the next day......

Tyrion had always believed that the visitation of the mysterious visitors was the direct cause of the Lost Land's last voyage towards the Frontier.

And those mystery visitors...... Judging by the description, it is a group of sane, gentle and friendly "last preachers"!

The body Duncan was using at the moment and couldn't express a complex expression, but his momentary silence and the slight change in his eyes still didn't hide the Frost Queen's keen observation, and Ray Nora immediately reacted, "Did you think of something?" ”

Duncan raised his head and didn't speak for a while, just quietly stared into the other's eyes.

The "friend" that Ray Nora knew was not alone—in the group of the Last Missionaries, who were widely regarded as murderous and insane cultists, there was indeed a group of sane individuals with unknown purposes, and they were constantly interfering in earthly affairs by taking advantage of some kind of contact opportunity called "window period"!

Thoughts fluctuated in his mind, and countless thoughts flashed through him, and Duncan finally broke the silence: "They also visited the Lost Country. ”

For the first time, Rey Nora's eyes widened instantly.

It seems that she has not completely lost the emotion of "surprise" as she said at the beginning.

"You've also been in contact with sane Preachers of the End?" Ray Nora said quickly, "What did they tell you?" They are ......"

"Unfortunately, I don't remember anymore," Duncan interrupted the hurried questioning, "this part of my memory has disappeared with the erosion of subspace, and I only learned from other sources that I had dealt with them. ”

Ree Nora had an unconcealed look of regret on her face.

Duncan quickly gathered his thoughts and brought the topic back on track: "After realizing that the other party is a special last preacher, didn't you discuss his true identity with him?" You didn't ask him about his purpose? ”

"Of course I asked – but do you think I'll get an answer?" Ray Nora sighed helplessly, "We get along well, he is my mentor and friend, and he is happy to answer most of my questions, but whenever I try to lead the conversation to his ...... 'identity', he always prevaricates with one sentence -

"It's not time yet, don't touch anything beyond the 'borders' too soon."

"Don't touch anything beyond the borders too soon......" Duncan repeated the seemingly meaningful words in a low voice, then frowned slightly, "you can make friends with such a suspicious person under these circumstances, and you can be called ...... The heart is wide. ”

"I need help, and most of the things in this world that can be called 'power' are dangerous," Ree Nora said with a calm expression, "Compared to the 'dreams' I've been exposed to since I was a child, a last-day preacher is too gentle and harmless. ”

Duncan didn't say anything more, he just got up again and slowly walked to the darkness at the end of the room.

“…… The last thing you ...... about your future What are the arrangements? ”

Ray Nora frowned slightly: "Future? ”

"Do you need to stay in this room called 'Drifting Ground' forever?" Duncan said, raising his chin again and pointing to the huge tentacles in the dark depths, "Do you need to stay here forever and use dreams to suppress the activities of this 'false clone'?" ”

"Do you have any other way?"

"Perhaps, but not sure," Duncan said, "what would happen if I could completely destroy this false copy?" ”

“…… Freedom," Rei Nora was silent for a few seconds, nodding solemnly and slowly, "I and Him will be liberated." ”

"And after that?"

"I don't know," Ray Nora shook her head, "that's beyond my comprehension—and I never imagined what this long nightmare would be like when it finally ended." Perhaps, this 'drifting land' will lose this connection point, and it will reconnect to somewhere else, or perhaps, I will lose touch with the real world, no longer haunted by nightmares, and become an idle wandering soul, waiting for the day when this room will be reopened. ”

"That doesn't sound like a happy ending," Duncan's tone became solemn, "eternal exile isn't much better than sinking into a nightmare." ”

"In fact, it's even worse, because this room is not under my control, and it's more likely to sink to the side of subspace in the process of drifting out of control than reconnecting to some 'connection point' in the real world."

Duncan fell silent for a long time.

Ray Nora broke the silence after a moment: "But even so, I still recommend that you do it - if you can do it, end it all while I still have time." ”

Duncan looked into the eyes of the Frost Queen: "...... Are you sure? Even if it will lead you to eternal exile? ”

"Eternal nightmares, in fact, are also eternal exile," Ree Nora smiled, "and this relief will at least truly solve the long-term threat to Frost—at least for a long time, my city-state and my people will be safe." ”

(End of chapter)