Chapter 47 The Truth About the Past and the Very Real Present

Listening to Tirian’s account, Duncan fell into a long silence and deep thought.

The *Sea Wanderer* also seemed to fall silent along with its captain. The low creaking from the depths of the cabins gradually subsided, and a phantom-like, ethereal quality enveloped the ship. It drifted silently across the sea, traversing a world that was equally silent.

After a long while, Duncan slowly lowered his head, looking down at his feet.

He couldn’t see it, but he could imagine it – beneath the layers of decks, deeper than the shattered hull structure, beyond the edge of reality, Saslo’s spine was still submerged in the dark subspace, and that spine was what replaced the *Sea Wanderer's* original keel – the keel that Duncan Abnormall had called a "little twig."

That "little twig" had sunk into the depths of subspace along with the original *Sea Wanderer* during the disaster a century ago.

"Father…" Tirian’s slightly uneasy voice sounded in his mind, interrupting Duncan's thoughts. "Do you have any other questions?"

"One last question," Duncan said. "After the *Sea Wanderer* was completed, there should still be some craftsmen who participated in the construction left in the world, I mean those elves who were responsible for processing the keel…"

"Most of them should still be alive, but it may be difficult to find them in the short term," Tirian replied. "After the *Sea Wanderer* 'had its accident,' everything related to that ship became taboo, including the construction project of that year.

"The craftsmen who participated in the construction of the *Sea Wanderer* either changed careers or went to other city-states. Even the elves chose to hide their names and move far away. The design drawings were sealed and stored deep in the church along with all the archives, and regarded as ‘sealed objects’…

"People say that everything related to the *Sea Wanderer* was cursed. Captain Duncan's children were like that, and those who built the *Sea Wanderer* and knew its secrets couldn't escape either…"

Duncan didn't speak for a moment, and Tirian also fell silent as he spoke. In the suddenly awkward atmosphere, Lucretia’s voice was the first to break the silence.

"Rumors are not just rumors. You can't blame the people at the time for being so nervous about it," the "Sea Witch" said slowly. "In fact, the shipyard that was originally used to build the *Sea Wanderer* was destroyed in a fire the day after the subspace collapse.

"The fire burned everything in an illogical way, turning steel and stone into ashes, but it didn't ignite the drawings and archives related to the *Sea Wanderer* stored in the office.

"Nearly half of the construction participants suffered nightmares, strange diseases, and visions in the years that followed. Some committed suicide after several years, some mysteriously disappeared at sea, and some went mad. In their last moments of clarity, they claimed to have heard the ‘true voice,’ and then spent the rest of their lives in mental hospitals – compared to those who suffered other misfortunes, these people who went mad seemed particularly lucky.

"The elven craftsmen who were responsible for processing the keel were the least affected group. Perhaps their racial characteristics protected them. They didn't seem to be affected by the curse, but the experiences of the others were still enough to scare them. Their anonymity and relocation were understandable…"

Duncan listened quietly to Lucretia's memories and descriptions. After a long time, he spoke in a slightly strange tone: "But the *Sea Wanderer's* original construction records are still preserved in Pland?"

"Yes, they still are, in the form of ‘sealed objects.’ You discussed this with Vanna and me last time," Maurice's voice interjected. "From what I understand, these things will not be destroyed – nor dare they be destroyed casually, because it involves subspace. The act of ‘destruction’ itself may cause the *Sea Wanderer* to establish a connection with the real world…"

"I need that part," Duncan said immediately.

Maurice was startled for a moment, but quickly reacted: "No problem, I will contact friends in the Pland City-State immediately. Although those things have been high-risk sealed objects for the past century, the authorities should be willing to cooperate with your request in the current situation…"

"Ordinary means of contact are too slow," Duncan interrupted Maurice. "Vanna."

Vanna's voice immediately sounded: "Yes, Captain, I'm listening."

"You can directly contact the Storm Cathedral of Pland, right?" Duncan was particularly serious. "Notify them to prepare all the information related to the *Sea Wanderer* construction project back then and send it to the Cathedral."

"...Okay," Vanna hesitated for two or three seconds to show her loyalty to the Storm Goddess, and then agreed very readily, "How do you want to take the information away? Should I send Ai over? I'll notify my colleagues there to prevent them from being alarmed..."

"No, I'll go myself."

Vanna seemed not to have reacted for a moment: "You're going yourself?"

…

In the lower district of Pland, in a not-too-large antique shop, Duncan put down the newspaper in his hand and glanced at the warm and bright sunshine outside the window, a smile appearing on his face: "Drinking tea, reading the newspaper, and basking in the sun in an antique shop every day… It's time for this side to move around a bit."

"...I understand, I'll contact the City-State Cathedral now."

Vanna's voice sounded in his mind, and then gradually faded away.

Duncan carefully folded the newspaper and placed it on the shelf next to the counter, then got up and went to the stairs leading to the second floor, taking off the coat hanging on the hook.

The *Sea Wanderer* was still sailing silently and rapidly on the boundless sea of the spirit world, Light Breeze Port had fallen into an unawakening dream, and in the city-states around the world, more and more elves were falling into a coma, but in this small antique shop, the peace and tranquility of the past was still maintained.

This place seemed like a haven independent of the entire world.

But just as Duncan put on his coat and was about to go out, the door of the antique shop was suddenly pushed open, and the clanging of the bell broke the tranquility of this haven a step earlier.

Duncan raised his head and looked towards the door, seeing a familiar figure standing in the sunlight.

"Miss Heidi? Good morning," he recognized the visitor at the door, greeting her politely, "Sorry, we're closed today, I have to go out to take care of some things."

"Mr. Duncan… Captain," Heidi walked two steps into the store. She looked at the "shopkeeper" who had just put on his coat and was obviously preparing to go out, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke, "I may need your help."

Duncan stopped and looked at her curiously: "Hmm?"

After the incident in which Talan Eyl and the elven girl were trapped in dreams, Heidi already knew the truth about the *Sea Wanderer*. Perhaps because she was not used to this drastic change, she hadn't visited the shop much for a long time. She didn't expect that she would suddenly come to the door today, and the first thing she said was to ask for help.

"It's the sleeping sickness," Heidi seemed a little hesitant. This was the first time she had主动come here to ask for help, knowing Duncan's identity, and she seemed quite at a loss. "A large-scale, sudden sleeping sickness…"

"More elves have fallen asleep?" Duncan frowned. "It was expected – the Dream of the Nameless One had a dramatic change this morning, and its influence is getting stronger. But don't worry, I'm going out for this very thing."

"It's not just more elves falling asleep," Heidi said immediately. "The ‘symptoms’ are also a bit strange this time. The city's centralized medical facilities have just admitted a batch of ‘patients.’ I think it's necessary to ask you to take a look at the situation… If you have time…"

The more she spoke, the less confident she became. Who knew what she was imagining in her mind at this moment? In the end, she suddenly blurted out: "Is there a need for any sacrifices to ask for your help?"

Duncan was still thinking about how long it would take for the Cathedral to prepare after receiving Vanna's message, but when he heard Heidi's words, he was a little confused: "...Sacrifices?"

Heidi thought for a while, with an embarrassed expression on her face: "When I corresponded with my father, I didn't dare to ask him in detail about matters related to you. He only said that life on the *Sea Wanderer* was incredible, and that you were friendly to mortals, but he didn't tell me about your rules of conduct, nor did he mention the rituals and sacrifices required to ask for your help…"

"Stop, I understand," Duncan quickly interrupted her. He looked at the psychiatrist with a strange expression, and after a long while, he blurted out, "I don't want sacrifices, nor do I need any bloody or weird sacrificial rituals – the *Sea Wanderer* Fleet is a friendly, mutually supportive, and publicly spirited group. Didn't Maurice or Vanna mention this to you?"

Heidi: "…?"

Duncan knew what was going on when he saw her expression.

He waved his hand and casually took a small bronze statue from the shelf next to him.

An antique from the Dark City-State era, a royal symbol of the old Isom Dynasty, brand new from the factory last week.

"The original price is eight hundred Sola, twelve after the discount. If you buy it at the original price, it will be my reward for taking action once – if there are no problems, let's go. Anyway, the Cathedral won't be able to prepare what I need for a while, so I can go with you to see the situation of those ‘patients’ first."

…

"Are you sure you want to use these things to construct a psychic resonance ‘channel’?" Maurice stared dumbfounded at Vanna, who was busy in the kitchen, and finally couldn't help but ask.

Vanna temporarily stopped her preparations and looked up at the old gentleman next to her: "Is there a problem?"

"...I think this is quite lacking in rigor," Maurice said, his face tense, trying to look serious. "As a sacred ritual, you should at least prepare some decent spellcasting materials when establishing contact with the City-State Cathedral…"

Vanna was silent for a moment, looking down at what she could find in this "witch's mansion."

"Sacred fire, sacred oil, sacred spices, supplemented by devout prayers. The four elements are complete."

Maurice immediately widened his eyes: "It doesn't mean that adding the word ‘sacred’ in front of it will work – you can't just stir-fry some scallions in the kitchen and expect the goddess to descend with power!"

Vanna: "…"

(Going on a business trip to Guangzhou, there will be only one update for the next few days. I will resume two to three updates a day after I get back.)

(End of this chapter)