Lucrecia recognized it, it was her Bright Star—but it was the Bright Star from another timeline.

It was decades ago, when she accidentally crossed the six-nautical-mile border and fell into a "trek" on a reckless border voyage – and at this very moment, she was standing on the same ship decades ago, in a vain search of a way back to the boundless sea.

The sailor clung to the steering wheel, and after realizing what was going on with the shadow of the ship appearing in the distance, he almost broke out in a cold sweat (if his sweat glands were still there), and subconsciously exclaimed: "Ma'am! It's an entity from another timeline - don't touch it! We should have exited the 'channel' in advance because of its interference, and we might have fallen into it if we made hasty contact! ”

The sailors shouted out, and the people on the deck also reacted, realizing that the situation this time was completely different from the previous time when the Lost Homeland met the Sea Song in the "passage"-

The Sea Song was a ship that was not "related" to the Lost Country or the Bright Star, and its sudden appearance at that time could only be regarded as an afterimage in the turbulence of time, but now the ship that appeared at the end of the fog was the "Bright Star" in another timeline, the "alternate space-time isotope" of the ship under everyone's feet - what would happen if two such entities came into contact in the flow of time?

No scholar has yet conducted research in this field (including the best in physical and martial arts at the School of Truth), but nothing good is certainly going to happen.

However, Lucrecia didn't seem to hear the sailor's loud warning, she just looked at the "Bright Star" that was approaching in the fog with strange eyes, and then suddenly as if she thought of something, she suddenly turned her head and looked around.

The illusion of the Lost Ground covered the ship, ghostly fires floating on the dull wooden decks, translucent spectral sails hanging high on the masts—all as she remembered the scene vividly.

On the last voyage to the end of the world, she finally figured out the long-standing mystery that even "Father" couldn't figure out what was going on.

It was she who guided her course......

"Don't worry," she finally spoke softly, quietly, but the deck fell silent for a moment, "we're not going to meet that ship—we're just going to stagger with it." Keep the course you are on, sail past it sideways, and don't make any communication. ”

"Good...... You make sure that the ...... on that ship won't suddenly come over. The sailor muttered, and did not question the judgment of the "captain" at this moment, but obeyed the order to control the ship under his feet, which was simply a "hybrid", and slowly passed by the side of the "Bright Star".

Everyone tensed their nerves at this moment, they watched the Bright Star coming from the dense fog in another time stream getting closer and closer, closer enough to be able to distinguish many details of its hull, they saw that the ship was different from their impressions, it seemed that it was because it was a "version" of decades ago, they watched the ship decelerate and adjust its attitude for a short time, it seemed that there was a moment of panic and wavering because of the sudden approach of the "Lost Country", but in the end, The two ships still staggered by, uneventful.

Lucrecia exhaled slightly.

Then, within seconds of the two ships completely dislocation, the "Bright Star" in another stream of time quickly dissipated, disappearing into the fog like a phant.

The intersection of the flow of time is over.

And that's exactly what Lucrethia was waiting for—she immediately ordered: "Turn the ship's bow and follow the trajectory of the ship when it finally disappeared, which is to return to the direction of the Infinite Sea." ”

The sailor was stunned for a moment, but he did not hesitate to carry out the captain's order, and only after the ship began to slowly adjust its course under his feet did he turn his head and glance at the "sea witch": "Madam, are you ......?"

"This is something that has happened before, decades ago, the Bright Star met the 'phantom' of the Lost Homeland outside the threshold of six nautical miles, I still remember the details of that time," Lucretia nodded, "Don't think about it so much, find a way to get out of this place first." ”

"I can't think too much about it, my brain is about to explode," Shirley scratched at her hair, she was obviously a little confused after quickly going through the matter in her head, "So, you were lost at the border decades ago, and the guiding phantom you encountered was actually yourself decades later, but you yourself were actually lost decades later—neither of the two ships knew the way back, and in the end they both found the right direction...... What is this......"

"Cause and effect, luck, time and space, everything is a mess here," Morris said in a muffled voice, sucking his pipe that rarely seemed to be actually lit, "Don't think too much rationally in the border seas, the human mind has a limit when it comes to 'irrationality'." Don't be driven crazy by irrational stuff. ”

As soon as the old gentleman's words fell, Ah Gou on the side muttered in a sullen voice: "Shirley is fine, she usually doesn't think much, and her brain is the same as new." ”

Shirley smashed her fist on the dog's skull, making a "bell" sound.

Lucretia paid no attention to the movement around her, neither did the sailors at the helm—they were still staring at the course ahead, and the fog seemed to be changing in the direction of the bow of the Bright Star.

Nina suddenly noticed that the Bright Star was slowing down.

She looked up in surprise: "Huh? Miss Lucrecia, why are we slowing down at this time? ”

“…… There was a 'critical change' in the fog ahead, and that was supposed to be the place where we crossed the six-nautical-mile threshold, and through that border, we entered the relative safety of the Veil Sea," Lucrecia said slowly, but then her tone sank, "but there's a problem. ”

Nina had a look of confusion on her face, and the sailor at the helm had apparently understood, and he tugged at the corners of his mouth, making a hoarse voice: "Once we 'cross the line' from there, the date of our return to the Infinite Sea is set—but it doesn't have to be sometime in 1902. ”

Nina was puzzled for less than a few seconds before her eyes slowly widened, as smart as she was, and she had instantly figured out what the sailor meant.

"We exited the 'passage' ahead of schedule, and the moment we left the route, the flow of time around us was probably chaotic," Lucrecia said in a deep voice, "and the Bright Star appeared in our sight just a few decades ago, it could be that the shadow of another time stream strayed into our course, but it could also be that we 'entered' the wrong time stream......"

This time, even Shirley on the side understood it, and was immediately surprised: "In other words, if we go back now, maybe we will go back to decades ago?!" ”

The sailor sighed, "It's even a better case - worse, the flow of time is completely chaotic, and we could enter any point in time after crossing the line." ”

Shirley: "...... ......"

"Do you want to contact the captain?" Vanna suddenly said, "This is already an unplanned situation, maybe the captain's power can be ......"

"No, I've tried it just now, but I can only vaguely sense my father's voice," Lucrecia shook her head, "We're still in the turbulence of the border, the chaotic order of time and space here is disturbing, and my father's side is ......"

She paused and shook her head slightly.

Everyone on the deck looked at each other.

The Bright Star cruised at an extremely low speed through the fog near the "critical line", cruising slowly in a relatively "safe" position where it would not fall "deeper".

The way home is right in front of you, and it seems as if you can walk through it with just one leg stretched out – nothing in the way, nothing in the way.

In front of the Bright Star, however, is a far more sinister barrier than any wall or trench—time.

On the bridge, the clockwork doll Luni is monitoring the dazzling variety of systems on the Bright Star itself, the rabbit rabbi is carefully nestled in the corner, holding the little doll Nilou and not daring to come out, Agatha's figure is vaguely reflected in the porthole not far away, and the others are sitting around the captain's seat, and the atmosphere is quite depressing.

"If only there was a 'guiding anchor' from the Infinite Sea, even if it was a piece of wood that floated over the veil," Morris muttered. ”

"It's no more likely than if we crossed the border and arrived exactly in 1902," Lucretia shook her head, "This is the border." ”

Shirley scratched her hair and muttered, "If it really came to the point of time decades ago, or even hundreds of years, thousands of years ago, ......"

She muttered a few words, but didn't say any more.

Vana softly repeated the words Shirley had said, "Hundreds of years......

"Then we'll be too early," Nina stuck out her tongue, "and the good news is that we can see the 'sun' that was normal at that time." ”

Vanna didn't pay attention to Nina's words, but suddenly looked up at Lucrecia, her expression was quite solemn: "Lady Lucrecia, how long can you live?" ”

There was a sudden silence at the scene, and Lucrecia understood what Vanna meant, and after a short silence, she broke the silence: "I'm not sure how long this 'curse' will last, but at least...... There is no problem for hundreds of years. ”

Morris shook his head: "My lifespan is limited, and even with the blessing of machinery and intelligence, this body will be destroyed. ”

Agatha's voice came from the side: "I theoretically have no lifespan limit, but I lack physical support, and my existence is not stable......"

"Phantom demons can survive for a long time," Vanna suddenly looked at Shirley, "At least, I haven't heard of a single Phantom demon who 'died of old age' because of their lifespan, just hide a little bit and don't be discovered by the Church Guardians of the current era......"

Shirley listened stunned for a moment, and she gradually reacted: "Ah...... Won't it......"

"We have to prepare for the worst." Vanna said with a serious face.

"Then think of the worse scenario," Lucrecia shook her head suddenly, "what if we didn't get early, but 'late'?" We may not have arrived when Father needed us......"

Everyone suddenly stopped talking.

Silence and oppression once again enveloped the bridge.

But at this moment, there was a sudden buzzing sound in the direction of the device's console.

Immediately afterward, the clockwork puppet Luni who was monitoring the equipment let out an exclamation:

"Mistress, there's a signal!"

(End of chapter)