Deep Sea Embers

Duncan opened the door to the captain's cabin and stepped in. The black goat's head on the chart table immediately turned his eyes silently and stared at the door in the slightly dim light.

"Duncan Abnomar - I'm back," Duncan said casually, waving his hands, and then glanced out the window, "Where are we now?"

Before entering the captain's cabin, he had already noticed that the Lost Home had passed through the dark fog. Now the thick fog on the nearby sea had turned into a normal gray-white color. Under the illumination of the light, the thick fog was changing. Silent rise and fall in the distance.

"We have reached the six nautical mile critical line fifteen minutes ago, and now the fleet is waiting for your order," the goat head said, while turning his head creakingly, as if he was still carefully looking at the captain who walked into the room, " You... seemed to have gone to a very far away place, or been gone for a long time, and I almost didn't recognize you for a while."

Listening to the slightly uneasy murmur of the goat head, Duncan just waved his hand gently, and then he did not go to the chart table as usual, but slowly turned around, as if looking for something around him - his eyes fell On the lantern hanging on the wall next to it.

The simple-looking brass lantern hangs quietly on the hook. It looks ordinary. When it is not lit, it seems to be just an ordinary utensil.

He reached out, took off the lantern from the wall, and held it in front of his eyes to examine it carefully.

"Do you want to go to the bottom cabin?" The goat-headed voice came from behind, with a hint of doubt, "The bottom cabin is calm now, there should be no need to comfort, and we are reaching the critical point..."

"No, I won't go to the bottom," Duncan interrupted the goat head, then came to the chart table with a lantern and put it on the table casually, "How much do you know about this lantern?"

The goat head was obviously stunned for a moment, and he didn't understand why the captain would suddenly ask such a question after returning from an "outing". However, 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 ask me about its origin...then I can only say that it was already there when I came here."

"So, this lamp is the original thing on the Lost Home," Duncan frowned slightly and said thoughtfully, and then he suddenly thought of something he had never asked before, "Wait a minute, Then how do you know the purpose of this lamp? Who told you its function? There are many other things on the ship..."

"...This ship told me," Goat Head hesitated and said in a somewhat serious tone, "I know what everything on this ship is used for, and most of the information comes from the ship itself. 'memories', and the remaining small part comes from..."

It paused hesitantly for a few seconds, and its eyes fell on Duncan.

"A long time ago, when the Captain could occasionally think and communicate."

Duncan nodded, did not ask any further questions, and then focused on the lantern again.

The goat head couldn't help but become curious. It carefully looked at the familiar lantern and noticed the serious expression on the captain's face: "Is there something wrong with this lamp...?"

"...There's nothing wrong with it," Duncan hesitated. Realizing that he couldn't risk discussing the matter "across" the door in front of the goat's head, he could only speak indirectly, "It's just that I'm curious. In addition to patrolling, this lamp Apart from providing comfort while in the cabin, is there any other use?"

"As far as I know... this is its only purpose," Goat Head thought for a moment and replied seriously, "It is something that the captain carries with him when he patrols the dark place, and the ship itself remembers it as such. ...Perhaps you can ask Miss Lucretia?”

Duncan thought for a while, but 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 call from the direction of the lighthouse. Signal and ask if something is wrong.”

Duncan exhaled, stood up and temporarily hung the lamp back on the wall - the Brilliant Star and the three church warships serving as escorts and guides were still waiting for his orders.

At this stage, the task of border exploration is more important - this is not a safe "internal sea area" after all, and wasting time on the six-nautical-mile critical line is not a good idea.

"Let Vanna contact her compatriots, ask the church warships to approach the 'lighthouse', and notify the 'sailor' to go to the stern and stand by - we are preparing to 'cross the line'."

"Yes, Captain." Agatha immediately lowered her head to accept the order, and her figure gradually faded in the mirror.

Then Duncan left the captain's cabin, strolled across the foggy deck, and then along the stairs on the side of the captain's cabin to the towering stern deck.

Gray-white fog enveloped the endless sea. The sea surface was as calm as a mirror, and the sky was dark. However, there was a uniform "shimmer" that was different from the sun and the creation of the world, permeating the depths of the clouds and fog, making the entire sea area less Completely plunged into darkness.

This "glow" is a unique phenomenon in the border waters, and it still exists even on days when the sun disappears.

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

A voice suddenly came from not far away. Duncan followed the sound and saw Morris standing on the edge of the stern deck, looking at the mist in the distance in a daze.

The old scholar was wearing an old trench coat and holding an unlit pipe in his hand. He had a sigh of relief on his face. After noticing the captain's gaze, he turned his head and showed a somewhat self-deprecating smile.

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

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

A towering lighthouse stands quietly in the thick fog.

Strictly speaking, it is a composite structure composed of a lighthouse, a church and a steam-powered platform - a large power port driven by a steam core is its base, and a towering church with a deep sea style is built on the powered floating island. , and the central part of the church serves as the base of the lighthouse. The solemn black structure rises along the main tower to form a spiral outer tower. Sacred steam pipes can be seen between each spiral, and throughout the structure The top layer is the burning "torch".

It was a blessed flame, and in the prayers of the church, it burned brighter than any ordinary light - even in the boundless fog of the border sea, its light was enough to penetrate the thick fog. fog.

But it is still difficult for it to penetrate the chaos six nautical miles away that no longer obeys "order".

"That's the 'lighthouse' set up by the Deep Sea Church on the eastern border. There are three similar lighthouses, each controlled by the other three major churches." Fanna's voice came from not far away, and she came to the stern deck at some point. "I heard Her Majesty Helena say that these lighthouses are already the highest achievements that various churches can produce in border operations so far - they can maintain communication and navigation for a period of time after ships cross the six-nautical-mile critical line. , nothing more.”

The sound of the whistle echoed in the nearby waters. The three church warships responsible for the pilot mission broke away from the formation, slowly sailed past the Lost Home and the Brilliant Star, and headed towards the lighthouse standing in the thick fog.

They have completed their duties - the next "cross-border" operation is no longer something they can participate in.

The mission of the living people is over, and the next step is for the "ghost ship" to complete.

Slightly hesitant footsteps gradually approached. Duncan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Anomaly 077 walking hesitantly.

He was wearing a "naval uniform" that he found somewhere, covering up the pile of ragged rags on his body. The size of the uniform was not suitable, and it looked loose on a shriveled and shriveled body.

"This was sent by someone from the church..." Anomaly 077 noticed the captain's gaze and immediately raised his hand, "I think I should dress more solemnly... there is no harm in being more solemn."

Duncan nodded and asked casually: "Are you ready?"

"...Actually, I'm still a little nervous," the sailor subconsciously tugged at the buttons on his chest, but he quickly straightened up and tried to look reliable, "but I'm ready."

Duncan didn't say anything else, he just looked up at the direction of the Brilliant Star and called out in his heart: "Lucy".

"I'm here, Dad."

"The sailor is about to take the helm, and you have to get as close as possible to the Homeless Ship," Duncan said seriously. "Next, I will no longer suppress the influence of 'Anomaly 077' and spread its power further. If everything goes well If it does, the Brilliant Star will also be affected - we will enter the 'correct course' and sail to the place where the Storm Goddess sleeps."

Lucretia's voice sounded calm and firm: "I understand, I will follow."

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

"...Helmsman, do your duty."

"Yes, Captain!"

The sailor shouted with his trademark broken gong voice as loudly as possible, then took a step forward and grasped the black steering wheel tightly with both hands.

Almost instantly, the rising green fire around the Homeless Ship flickered visibly to the naked eye, and then began to spread outward, wrapping the Brilliant Star in it!

In a sudden creaking sound, as if the space itself was being squeezed, the figures of the two ships suddenly began to become illusory - then they gradually adjusted their posture and began to accelerate towards the thick fog. deeper.

Just as they were crossing the border, Duncan heard the whistle blow.

First came the three church warships that had performed escort missions, followed by the church lighthouse standing on the border of the thick fog, and then, the large and small ships belonging to the Deep Sea Church docked near the lighthouse.

The sound of whistles sounded one after another at the end of the world - the Lost Home and the Brilliant Star accelerated again in the farewell to the world and jumped across the curtain.