Duncan opened the door to the captain's quarters and stepped in, and the black goat's head on the chart table immediately turned his gaze in silence, staring at the door in the dim light.

"Duncan Abnomar—I'm back," Duncan said casually with a wave of his hand, then glancing out the window, "Where are we now?" ”

Before entering the captain's quarters, he had noticed that the Lost had passed through the dark mist, and now the thick fog in the nearby sea had turned its normal gray and white color, and the thick fog was rising silently in the distance under the illumination of the light.

"We reached the six-nautical-mile threshold fifteen minutes ago, and now the fleet is awaiting your orders," said the goat, squeaking his head as he squeaked and turned, as if still seriously looking at the captain who had walked into the room, "you...... It seems like you've been to a long place, or you've been away for a long time, and I barely recognize you for a while. ”

Listening to the goat's slightly uneasy chatter, Duncan just waved his hand slightly, and then instead of walking towards the chart table as usual, he turned slowly, as if searching for something around him—his eyes fell on the lantern that hung on the wall next to him.

The quaint brass lantern hangs quietly on a hook, looking unremarkable, and when not lit, it seems to be just an ordinary object.

He reached out and removed the lantern from the wall and put it in front of him to examine it carefully.

"Are you going to the bilge?" The goat's voice came from behind him, with a hint of doubt, "Now that the bilge is calm, there shouldn't be any need to be appeased, and we are on the verge of ......"

"No, I'm not going to the bilge," Duncan interrupted the goat's head, and then came to the chart table with the lantern and placed it on the table, "How much do you know about this lantern?" ”

The goat's head was visibly stunned, and wondered why the captain would suddenly ask such a question after returning from a "trip", but it quickly reacted, and said while thinking: "If you are asking about the use of this lantern, then I have already told you, but if you are asking me where it came from...... All I can say is that it was already there when I came here. ”

"So, this lamp is something that was originally on the Lost Country," Duncan said thoughtfully, frowning slightly, and then suddenly thought of something he hadn't asked before, "Wait, how did you know what this lamp was for?" Who told you what it does? There are many other things on board......"

“…… "The ship told me," the goathead hesitated for a moment, and said in a somewhat serious tone, "I know what everything on this ship is for, and most of this information comes from the 'memories' of the ship itself, and the rest is from ......"

It hesitated and paused for a few seconds, then its gaze fell on Duncan.

"Once upon a time, when the 'Captain' could still think and communicate occasionally."

Duncan nodded, no further questioning, and then focused on the lantern again.

The goat's head couldn't help but be curious, and it cautiously looked at the familiar lantern, and noticed the serious expression on the captain's face: "This lamp ...... Any questions? ”

“…… There's nothing wrong with it," Duncan hesitated, realizing that he couldn't risk discussing the matter "on the other side" of the door in front of the goat's head, so he could only knock sideways, "but I'm curious if this lamp is used for anything other than to provide comfort when patrolling the bilge?" ”

"As far as I know...... That's all it does," replied the goathead for a moment, earnestly, "it's something that the captain carries with him when he patrols the darkness, and the ship itself remembers it...... Perhaps, you can ask Miss Lucrecia? ”

Duncan thought for a moment, and at this moment, a shadow suddenly surged in the mirror not far away, and then Agatha's figure appeared in the shadow: "Captain, we received a signal from the direction of the lighthouse, asking if something is wrong. ”

Duncan exhaled, got up and hung the lamp back on the wall for the time being—the Bright Star and the three Church warships that served as escorts and guides were still waiting for his orders.

At this stage, the task of frontier exploration is more important - this is not a safe "internal sea" after all, and it is not a good idea to delay time on the six-nautical-mile borderline.

"Have Vanna contact her compatriots and have those Church warships move closer to the Lighthouse, and inform the Sailors to go to the stern and stand by—we're ready to 'cross the line.'"

"Yes, Captain." Agatha immediately bowed her head in order, and her figure faded in the mirror.

Duncan then left the captain's quarters and wandered across the misty deck and down the staircase to the side of the captain's cabin to the towering aft deck.

The gray fog shrouded the endless sea, the sea surface was as calm as a mirror, and the sky was dark, but there was a uniform "shimmer" that was different from the sun and the creation of the world in the depths of the clouds, so that the whole sea would not be completely plunged into darkness.

This "shimmer" is a phenomenon unique to the border seas, and it persists even on days when the sun disappears.

"So many fantastic landscapes, so many secrets waiting to be explained......"

A voice suddenly came from a short distance, and Duncan followed the sound and saw Morris standing at the edge of the aft deck, looking at the fog in the distance with some distraction.

The old scholar, dressed in an old trench coat and holding an unlit pipe, had an emotional expression on his face, and after noticing the captain's gaze, he turned his head and smiled a somewhat self-deprecatingly.

"It's just a little emotional, Captain - when the world is about to come to an end, I can't help but feel a little regretful when I see so many things worth studying for a few more lifetimes."

Duncan didn't say anything, just silently came to the old scholar and looked up in the other direction.

A towering lighthouse stands silently in the thick fog.

Strictly speaking, it is a composite structure of lighthouses, churches, and steam powered platforms - the base of which is a large power port powered by a steam core, and a towering church in the style of the deep sea is built on the power floating island, and the center of the church serves as the base of the lighthouse, and the solemn black structure winds its way up along the main tower to form a spiral external tower, between each spiral can be seen the sacred steam pipes, and on the top of the whole structure is the blazing "torch".

It was a blessed flame, burning brighter than any ordinary lamp in the midst of church prayers—even in the boundless fog of the border seas, its light was strong enough to penetrate the thick fog.

But it still has a hard time penetrating the chaos that no longer obeys "order" six nautical miles away.

"That's the 'lighthouse' set up by the Deep Sea Church on the eastern border, and there are three similar lighthouses, each controlled by the other three churches," Vanna's voice came from not far away, and she also came to the aft deck at some point, "I heard from Her Majesty Helena that these lighthouses are the highest results that the churches have been able to produce in border operations so far—they can maintain communication and navigation for a period of time after the ship has crossed the six-nautical-mile threshold, and that's it. ”

The whistle echoed in the nearby sea, and the three Church warships on the pilot mission broke away from formation and slowly passed near the Lost Land and the Bright Star, heading for the lighthouse standing in the fog.

They have done their part – the next "transgression" is no longer something they can participate in.

Now that the mission of the living is over, it's time for the "ghost ship" to complete.

The slightly hesitant footsteps approached, and Duncan looked in the direction from which the sound came from, and saw Anomaly 077 hesitantly approaching.

He wore a "navy uniform" that he had found out of nowhere, covering the ragged rags on his original body, and the uniform was not the right size, and it looked loose and baggy on a shriveled and crumpled corpse.

"This is a ...... from the church," anomaly 077 noticed the captain's gaze and immediately raised his hand, "I think I should dress modestly...... It doesn't hurt to be dignified. ”

Duncan nodded and asked casually, "Are you ready?" ”

“…… Actually, I'm still a little nervous," the sailor tugged at the button on his chest, but quickly straightened up, trying to make a reliable appearance, "but I'm ready." ”

Duncan didn't say anything more, just glanced up in the direction of the Bright Star, and called out in his heart: "Lucy".

"I'm here, Dad."

"The sailors are at the helm, and you have to get as close to the Lost Country as possible," Duncan said earnestly, "going forward, I will stop suppressing the influence of Anomaly 077 and spread its power further, and if all goes well, the Bright Star will be affected as well - we will enter the 'right course' and sail to the place where the Storm Goddess sleeps." ”

Lucrecia's voice sounded calm and determined: "I understand, I'll follow." ”

Duncan nodded, and finally took a deep breath and looked at Anomaly 077, who had already arrived at the helm.

“…… Helmsman, fulfill your duty. ”

"Yes, Captain!"

The sailor shouted with all his might, with all his trademark broken gong voice, and then stepped forward sharply, his hands gripping the dark steering wheel.

Almost instantly, the glowing green flames that spread around the Lost Land flickered visibly with the naked eye, and then began to spread outward, enveloping the Bright Star in it!

In a sudden creaking sound that seemed to squeeze space itself, the figures of the two ships suddenly began to become illusory—and then they gradually adjusted their posture and began to accelerate deeper into the fog.

And just as he crossed the border, Duncan heard a whistle sound.

First the three Church warships that had been on escort duty, then the church lighthouse that stood on the foggy border, and then the ships of the deep sea churches that were docked near the lighthouse.

One after another whistles resounded at the end of the world, and the Lost Country and the Bright Star accelerated again in the earthly farewell, leaping over the curtain.

(End of chapter)