Chapter 1 The Beginning

Crown Street, in this neighborhood located on the edge of Light Breeze Port's uptown district, held a residence shrouded in mystery at its deepest end—99 Crown Street.

This was a three-story, steeple-roofed building with a distinctly northern city-state style, strikingly different from the elven-style houses common in Light Breeze Port. It had dark roofs and contrasting white walls, with intricately patterned, solemnly lined, towering windows. The residence was fronted and backed by spacious gardens, rare in the city-state, planted with various bizarre flowers, plants, and shrubs that almost no one could name.

Many knew of this residence, but almost no one knew its details because its owner rarely appeared. Only a few taciturn servants tended the gardens and house on weekdays, and after nightfall, when the lights came on inside, some eerie and terrifying shadows appeared in those lights—

Some insisted that they saw the servants who tended the house during the day shed their human skins at night, turning into creaking puppets and tin men, walking back and forth in the house. Others announced that they were drawn in by inexplicable whispers when passing near the residence and inexplicably found themselves in other places when they came to their senses. Some even said that they personally saw the flowers and plants in the front yard turn into black thorns the moment the sun set, completely enveloping the first floor of the large house, like a cage.

Countless bizarre rumors spread from this. In the most outrageous rumors, busybodies claimed that the house actually imprisoned the vengeful spirit of a gentleman, and the power of the curse spread from the ground outside the residence, transforming the original servants—turning them into tin men and puppets without consciousness or memory when night fell.

However, these were ultimately proven to be bizarre fantasies conjured up by passersby in a state of nervous relaxation—and in a city-state on the boundless sea, such rumors and fantasies were always numerous.

The changes and pollution brought by night made people's nerves tense. It was inevitable that many people, in their excessive vigilance, would regard caves that made wind sounds and empty houses that made strange noises as nests for filth breeding in the darkness. The guardians of the city-state dealt with many reports involving the supernatural every day, and among them—

—In many cases, as long as this sense of relaxation didn't cross the boundary of "mental pollution," there wouldn't be any problems.

After all, mere relaxation wouldn't really "create" anything in the darkness. It was always better for citizens to have enough vigilance than to be unresponsive when supernatural contamination really occurred.

As for the real owner of the residence...

The "Sea Witch" was long accustomed to the fearful gazes and terrifying rumors surrounding her. To some extent, she even actively spread some of the rumors surrounding 99 Crown Street.

Lucressia breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. A word had been held back for a century, and a breath had been delayed for a hundred years.

Duncan sighed softly.

"And in the following decade, the terrifying disasters caused by the Forsaken Ship's frequent approaches to the real world gradually increased, and we began to fear. Driven by a sense of what may or may not be considered 'responsibility,' my brother and I sought a way to truly and completely banish you.

"Then, you appeared—the Black Oak escaped from the storm, bringing terrible news to the city-state of Pland... Do you know? Tirian didn't sleep well for eight days after receiving the news."

"After all... the disbandment of the Forsaken Fleet was a major event a century ago, and what happened after that major event was something that ordinary people couldn't find out. They only knew that the Radiant Star and the Sea Mist parted ways, almost running to the two ends of the civilized world, which inevitably made them imagine... a bunch of dramas."

"However, later we discovered that only we could see that scene. It only existed in our vision, in our minds.

"Later, my brother summarized some rules. He discovered that it was precisely because of 'our' existence that we attracted 'your' gaze. The closer Tirian and I were, the stronger this attraction became... Do you know? Like lamplight, two lamps together emit a dimmer light, and Tirian and I, are the 'lighthouse' for you to return to the real world from the subspace..."

Duncan listened quietly, not knowing what to say—he knew that the "witch" was actually reminiscing about and discussing another person at this moment. He didn't need to feel burdened or regretful because of her story, but for some reason, he found it difficult to remain indifferent, and an uncontrollable "emotion" even emerged from the bottom of his heart. So, after a long silence, he could only sigh softly: "You've worked hard."

"And in the last seventy or eighty years, everything that could be discussed has already been discussed. We finally gradually stopped mentioning the Forsaken Ship. Everything seemed to have passed. Even in the official documents of most city-states and the sailing experiences of captains, the Forsaken Ship has become a 'historical term,' a legend—along with it, the world's fear of the Sea Mist and the Radiant Star seems to have diminished a lot."

Duncan and Lucressia quickly exchanged a glance and turned to run towards the living room.

Footsteps came from the side, and a servant in a black and white uniform, holding a tray in his hand, walked over. The tray contained chilled towels and cool drinks to relieve travel fatigue—the servant bowed slightly to Lucressia and Duncan, a stiff, corpse-like smile on his face, the ticking of springs and gears operating within him.

"Actually... it's alright," Lucressia smiled, shaking her head gently. "In the first ten years, we missed you very much. We would even have unrealistic thoughts when we heard those voices and saw those illusions, thinking that if you really returned to the real world following the 'lamplight,' maybe everything could get better."

"Far away on the border, at night, on the routes you once explored, as long as we relaxed our minds a little, we would 'hear' your voice. This irrational roar, full of madness and destructive desire, came from the depths of the world time and time again, as if struggling to rise, wanting to tear apart the barrier between the real world and the subspace..."

Duncan coughed twice: "Ahem, don't say that about your brother—say it in front of him next time."

The corner of the witch's sister's eye twitched obviously—she didn't know if she liked her father's current personality, but she knew that she obviously needed some time to adapt.

"Several times, we even saw you and the Forsaken Ship in the dimness of the transition between day and night—the ship rising from the darkness, approaching us like the end of the world, leaving nothing but death in its wake.

"So, we separated, separated further and further. Tirian went to the northern border, while I sailed south—when we were half a world apart, we finally stopped seeing your phantoms, and when we were even further apart... we finally couldn't hear your roars."

"Before... you left, my brother and I briefly reunited a few times. At that time, the Forsaken Ship had completely disappeared from the real world, but we could feel that you were still...

...'Alive'."

Lucressia said, shaking her head forcefully.

Lucressia tilted her head: "And then secretly watching striptease at home and being caught by Dad?"

"I need a place to rest my feet in the city-state. After all, always staying at sea will make people nervous, and I'm no exception," Lucressia said, returning to her "home" in Light Breeze Port, coming to the window, and looking at the rather quiet entrance outside. "But I don't like dealing with people—it's hard to find a place in the city-state where you won't be disturbed. Even the most remote neighborhoods are crowded with people, so it's better to make some scary noises, so no one will look around outside my door out of curiosity."

However, just as he was about to say something, a scream suddenly came from the direction of the living room, interrupting the conversation between him and Lucressia.

She looked out the window, softly speaking these past events that outsiders had never known, as if talking to herself.

"Why not consider learning from Tirian?" Duncan was curiously looking at the furnishings in the big house. After hearing Lucressia's words, he casually said, "He found a deserted island in the uninhabited area of the Frigid Sea to serve as the Sea Mist Fleet base. He doesn't have to worry about being disturbed for a century..."

Lu He Li Ying Ya: "......"

Having only run halfway, they heard Nina's shocked and angry voice—

"You and Tirian have your own areas of expertise," Duncan took a drink from the tray and curiously looked at the "maid" who seemed no different from a real person, but as long as you looked at her a little more, you would notice the inhuman disharmony, which would cause psychological fear. He casually said to Lucressia, "After seeing you again, I heard many rumors about you. The rumors said that your brother and sister had a cold relationship, even bordering on opposition. Now it seems that the deviation is ridiculously large."

"We! Why! Put stinky beans! On the muffins-"

At her temples, the silver-white hair ornaments shaped like waves and feathers swayed with her smile, radiating a warm glow.

She suddenly laughed, as if she hadn't laughed so easily in the past century.

However, she quickly sorted out her expression: "I can't learn from him. Occupying an island means building and managing countless facilities, and also commanding a fleet, maintaining the entire system from logistical supplies to external communication. I don't have that brain—it would take up a lot of my time for research. You know, just maintaining the operation of the Radiant Star has already used up all my energy."

"After a few more years... your 'banishment' seemed to be taking effect. As fear gradually subsided, longing couldn't help but float up. My brother would often mention the old days. We were very careful not to mention your name and the name of the Forsaken Ship, but we couldn't help but discuss those vast routes and the memorable voyages..."

It sounded like Nina's voice.