In the face of the power of the phrase "Witnessed by the Four Gods," Sara Meiel finally reluctantly accepted Lucretia's judgment.

Regardless of the nature of those starlight essences mentioned by the sea witch, and regardless of the true state of Duncan Abernathy now, the fact that the Pilgrim Square leaders who can directly communicate with the Four Gods have made the decision to "cooperate" with the Forsaken was in itself a powerful piece of "evidence."

Or, to put it more extremely—if even the judgments and instructions given by the Four Gods are wrong, then there's no point in worrying about disaster; the "Four Gods all wrong" is the greatest disaster of all.

"We know very little about the subspace, and all the laws of the real world may be overturned in that realm," Lucretia said, turning her head and looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office, as if gazing at the distant sea, while speaking unhurriedly, "The Forsaken's 'return' from subspace to our real world will inevitably lead to a series of changes. You know, just a little bit of influence turned the Radiant Star and the Sea Mist into what they are today. What about the Forsaken, which has been immersed in subspace for a century? And what about my father?

"Many things should have been expected."

She retracted her gaze from the window and turned to quietly look into Sara Meiel's eyes.

"Frankly, I don't even care how much of the original Duncan Abernathy is left in his 'essence' now—even if only a glimmer of starlight belongs to him, I am willing to welcome him for that glimmer, as long as he still stands on the 'mortal' side as a whole, that's enough."

Listening to the witch's calm narration, Sara Meiel's eyes changed several times, eventually settling into a sigh: "Yes, at least it's a friendly presence, much better than a true subspace wraith."

Lucretia didn't say anything more, just nodded gently.

"How is the Talan scholar?" Sara Meiel asked after a moment of silence, "It is said that he fell into a 'dream crisis,' and that you and your father solved it together?"

"Yes, I was just about to talk about that," Lucretia immediately adjusted her expression and said quite seriously, "The so-called 'dream' that Master Talan-Eir fell into may be more complicated than you think. My father confirmed some information related to those heretics..."

Over the next dozen minutes, she told the governor everything she knew, including the aims of the Annihilation cultists and the situation of the Sun Children she had seen in the dream.

After that, she also mentioned the intelligence from the Pland Confederacy—regarding the "Harbingers of the End" mentioning the Fourth Long Night, and those mystical "sermons."

Sara Meiel listened attentively with a serious expression, without interrupting from beginning to end.

It wasn't until Lucretia finished speaking that the office was silent for a dozen seconds before the governor, with her rich life experience, slowly nodded.

"The Dream of the Nameless... there is indeed no such word in the elven cultural system, but it sounds really reminiscent of the 'Dream of Creation' of the Demon God Sasslock," Sara Meiel said thoughtfully, "However, if there really is such a huge 'dream,' why has no one discovered its existence for thousands of years? Those heretics say that elves are the 'channel' to this dream, but as far as I know, nothing like what happened to Talan-Eir has ever happened before."

"We have also discussed this. The most likely explanation is that the emergence of the Dream of the Nameless is also one of the signs and evidence that the 'Fourth Long Night' is approaching."

Sara Meiel immediately reacted: "You mean..."

"The Dream of the Nameless may have only recently appeared, or rather 'manifested,'" Lucretia said seriously, "It may have been in a dormant state, or a 'suppressed' state, so no one ever noticed its existence, but as the Fourth Long Night approaches, it gradually becomes active..."

Sara Meiel didn't speak. She frowned, then slowly raised her head, looking at the bright sunshine outside the window—the "sun" locked by the double rune ring was passing the highest point in the sky and would soon be afternoon.

After who knows how long, she finally broke the silence softly, repeating the "sermons" of the Harbingers of the End as if talking to herself—

"...Twilight is approaching, the sun is beginning to become 'gentle,' and those who were once exiled and erased are beginning to return to this world..."

...

At the gate, Nina carefully checked her clothes and the things she was carrying again.

The temperature in this southern city-state was much higher than in Pland, even though it was now a relatively cool late autumn, so she had to wear light clothes when going out—she put on her favorite dress and paired it with newly bought lightweight sandals, which made her feel happy.

She brought her keys, change, and a map in her small handbag. Following Ms. Lucretia's reminder, she also brought insect-repellent incense and lotion, which should be considered fully prepared.

Last but not least, there was a friend to take out.

Nina turned her head and looked in Sherry's direction.

Sherry was still wearing her favorite dress, and was squatting on the ground fastening her sandal straps. Noticing the gaze coming from next to her, she raised her head: "What's wrong, Nina?"

Nina smiled: "Have you thought about where to go?"

Although they had been greatly shocked when tasting "local delicacies" before, to the point that the two girls even had the urge to go back to the ship for a while, Nina and Sherry ultimately did not put this impulse into practice.

This was a rare onshore trip during a long sea voyage, and in the end, they couldn't waste it.

"I don't know where to go either," Sherry stood up and patted the dust off her skirt. "Didn't that elven uncle recommend a market two blocks away? Let's just go there—anyway, I don't want to go to any so-called 'food streets' anymore."

Nina nodded, then glanced at the small bag around her waist: "Did you bring insect repellent? There are a lot more mosquitoes in this city than in Pland."

"Yeah," Sherry patted the small bag around her waist, "A Gou reminded me."

Nina showed a bright smile: "Okay, let's go~"

The two girls walked down the steps in front of the gate, but just then, the sound of the lock opening and the door hinges turning suddenly came from the gate behind them.

Sherry shivered and turned her head, and saw a tall and imposing figure standing at the door, and immediately became nervous.

"We... we want to go out for a walk..." Before Duncan could speak, Sherry hurriedly said proactively, "I've already told Mr. Morris..."

"We won't go far," Nina said with a bright smile, "Just to the nearby market."

"I know." Duncan just nodded lightly, then walked to the two girls and looked at Sherry.

The latter reflexively shrank her neck, and after holding back for several seconds, she tentatively opened her mouth: "I... or maybe I won't go..."

"Take this." Duncan interrupted her and handed over a few banknotes.

Sherry stared blankly at the banknotes that had been handed to her, not reacting for a moment.

"Aren't you going to the market?" Duncan's voice startled her from her daze, "This is today's pocket money—don't spend it all at once. Nina's has already been given."

Sherry was still stunned, until A Gou's reminder came from her mind, and she suddenly reacted, hesitantly took the banknotes, which were not actually of large denomination, and then turned her face away, as if to divert her embarrassment, and muttered, "I thought you were going to catch me back to do my homework..."

Duncan didn't pay attention to her reaction. He looked at the two girls in front of him and casually reminded them: "Don't come back too late, try not to go to other districts, if you get lost, call me, I'll send Ai to pick you up..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Nina waved her hands repeatedly, although her tone was impatient, the smile on her face was as bright as ever, then she came over and took Sherry's arm, dragging her towards the intersection, "Then we're off! We'll be back before evening!"

Sherry was dragged away in such a daze, and turned her head to look at Duncan in the middle, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say anything, just suddenly smiled, and waved in this direction in the gap while being dragged away by Nina.

Duncan watched the two girls disappear at the opposite intersection, and after a while, his gaze returned and fell on the open space not far away: "Back from City Hall?"

As his voice fell, Lucretia's figure suddenly appeared in the empty space—like a mirage turning into reality, she walked out of the phantom, with a hint of surprise on her face: "So you've already discovered me?"

Duncan nodded: "I saw you from the beginning."

Lucretia turned her head and looked in the direction Nina and Sherry had just left.

At this moment, the expression on her face suddenly changed somewhat complicatedly, and there seemed to be many thoughts rising and falling in the depths of her eyes—perhaps mixed with past memories, perhaps mixed with inexplicable emotions, but in the end, she restrained all the changes in her eyes, and when she turned to look at Duncan, there was only a faint smile left on her face.

For some reason, Duncan suddenly felt that the "witch's" mood seemed to have suddenly improved—very, very good.

"Talan-Eir has already left?" Lucretia suddenly asked.

"He left half an hour ago, he said he was worried about his laboratory," Duncan nodded, then asked, "What did you talk about with the governor at City Hall?"

"The church has issued a notice to every city-state. The warning you issued to this world is now beginning to take effect..."

(End of this chapter)