A Signal!

The bridge fell silent in an instant. Even Lucretia, who was usually so aloof and composed, widened her eyes slightly—a "signal" appearing in this "Outer Frontier" beyond the six-nautical-mile boundary would be enough to shatter anyone's composure, especially after getting lost!

How could there be a signal in this place? Who was sending it? Was it a real "event," or...just another treacherous trap laid by the fog for unwelcome guests?

"Brace yourselves!" Lucretia said instantly, her figure flashing as she moved to the control console. She reached out and pulled a lever between the devices. Rooney, beside her, reacted immediately. The clockwork doll quickly pressed several buttons on the platform, then stepped back, grasped the winding key on her back, pulled it out slightly, and turned it counter-clockwise three times.

With a series of soft clicks, delicate cracks appeared on Rooney's arms, legs, and neck, and runes gradually lit up beneath her skin. Her eyes began to glow with a faint crimson light. At the same time, mechanical sounds echoed throughout the bridge as numerous grids and pipe nozzles, previously hidden, flipped out from the floor and walls. The scent of incense and a strange, low hum enveloped everyone.

Shelley stared dumbfounded at the scene, pausing for a moment before exclaiming belatedly, "...Wow...you've got some serious tricks up your sleeve?!"

Nina couldn't help but stare in astonishment, her eyes wide as she looked at the clockwork doll, who was now in some kind of defensive mode. "...How did you just do that?"

Rooney shuddered at Nina's gaze, which seemed somewhat fervent (or maybe it wasn't just seeming), and a sound of gears colliding came from inside her. "Mistress doesn't allow outsiders to disassemble me..."

"When you're constantly exploring the frontier, you have to be prepared for unexpected situations," Lucretia said, glancing at the seemingly unfazed Abyssal Fiend and Shard of the Sun. She sighed softly. "Stay alert. I'm going to connect to this signal—the voice on the other end of the radio might not be human, or even a 'voice' at all...well, you probably aren't too afraid of that."

With that, she took a deep breath and placed her hand on the communication device—click.

A garbled, intermittent voice, riddled with static and distorted beyond recognition, came from the speaker: "...Calling...static...this is...static...the Lighthouse, calling...Voyagers, awaiting your...static...return. Repeat, this is...static..."

The hoarse, monotonous call repeated again and again, like a ghost echoing through the cracks of space-time.

Everyone on the bridge was stunned, even Lucretia was taken aback.

"The Lighthouse?" After a long while, Shelley muttered to herself, then suddenly paused, as if remembering something. "Wait, I remember! When we set out, the last stop..."

Lucretia suddenly recalled the words spoken by the High Priestess at the last frontier mobile port of the Deep Sea Church, before the fleet crossed the veil—

"Three warships will remain near the Lighthouse, awaiting your return...This mobile port will remain here, and my avatar will remain here, until you return..."

"...The Lighthouse is still there, they're really still waiting?!" Shelley's eyes widened. She might not be the best student, but her memory was always good. "The whole world has practically stopped!"

Lucretia didn't speak. Despite remembering the situation at the time of departure, she didn't let her excitement cloud her judgment. First, she confirmed that the signal wasn't mixed with any signs of being twisted or tampered with, ensuring that it wasn't a collective hallucination "reflected" in the Frontier Sea due to the minds of those on the bridge. Then, she checked the defenses of the Brilliant Star, before finally picking up the microphone on the communication console and putting it to her lips: "Voyager receiving, this is the Brilliant Star. We are attempting to return from the Boundary Line. Ship's navigation is failing. Please increase the Lighthouse's antenna power."

She put down the microphone and waited patiently.

However, the communication device crackled with static, and after a few seconds, the same monotonous message repeated: "This is...static...the Lighthouse, calling...Voyagers...static..."

Lucretia's brow gradually furrowed. She tried contacting them again with a grim expression, but there was still no response. After another repetition, even the voice disappeared, leaving only static.

"They can't hear us?" Nina asked curiously, her eyes wide. "Is it being jammed?"

"I don't know, but it's certain that the signal is coming from the 'Lighthouse'," Lucretia said, frowning deeply. She turned to Rooney. "Can you track the direction of the signal?"

"The signal isn't strong enough, but I can track a general direction," Rooney replied quickly, operating the nearby equipment. "Do we want to head that way?"

Lucretia turned back and glanced in Maurice's direction.

After exchanging a look, they both nodded slightly.

This was the "guiding anchor" to return home—that piece of "wood" that had drifted from the other side of the Boundary Line.

"We'll at least return to around 1902," Lucretia murmured to herself.

The Brilliant Star began to slowly adjust its course. After circling along the six-nautical-mile Boundary Line for a long time, and maximizing the sensitivity of its antenna to determine the signal direction, it finally found the most likely "gap" in the Boundary Line.

Then the ship's horn sounded. With unwavering determination, this Voyager, covered by the phantom of the Lost Ship, which had drifted at the end of the world for so long, plunged headfirst into the homecoming mist.

When crossing the Boundary Line, the crew felt almost nothing, only Lucretia, who had explored the Frontier Sea for many years, could vaguely sense the indescribable "change."

Her face was tense, and she was highly focused, sensing everything around her and paying attention to the communication device—

Had they returned? Had they returned to around 1902?

Fortunately, fate didn't continue to mock those returning home. Almost as soon as they crossed the Boundary Line, Rooney reported happily: "Mistress, the signal is significantly stronger—we've successfully returned to the inner side of the veil, and we also received a time signal at the same time. Our time is accurate!"

Lucretia finally breathed a sigh of relief—the last time she felt this kind of ease and joy welling up from the bottom of her heart was when her brother contacted her and told her that "Father had indeed regained his humanity."

Cheers also erupted on the bridge from Shelley and Nina, as well as the quiet cheers from Rabi, who finally dared to breathe in the corner, and the little doll Nielu.

"Continue to move closer to the signal," Lucretia instructed, then picked up the microphone on the communication device again and called the Lighthouse: "This is the Brilliant Star. We have successfully crossed the Boundary Line and are approaching the Lighthouse. Is everything alright with you?"

However, after calling twice, there was only static noise in the communication device—although the signal had strengthened to the point where it didn't affect communication at all, no one at the Lighthouse responded.

It was as if that voice calling for their return...was just a dream.

Lucretia's expression gradually became serious again, and the atmosphere on the bridge, which had just relaxed, became tense once more.

Lucretia put down the microphone and shook her head. "...Something seems wrong with the Lighthouse. Let's go over there first."

The "Lighthouse" that stood in the depths of the Frontier Mist, near the six-nautical-mile Boundary Line, and was able to penetrate the Boundary Line with its signal to a certain extent, finally came into view of the Brilliant Star.

Its lights were still on, the blessed light shining, appearing weaker than when they had set out, but still piercing through the fog.

When they saw the lights, everyone relaxed a little—there was a signal, and the lights were still on, which at least meant that the Lighthouse had been maintained recently.

But why was it so quiet?

After a particularly long voyage, the Brilliant Star finally arrived near the Lighthouse.

At first glance, Lucretia saw that the three massive Deep Sea Church warships were still quietly docked in the harbor of the mobile platform below the Lighthouse. The various lights on the sides of the warships were still on, indicating that they were still operating normally—but there was no movement in response to the Brilliant Star's approach.

It was as if there were people on those ships maintaining the facilities, but no one reacted to the return of the Voyagers.

"I think I just saw figures moving on the upper level of the Lighthouse," Shelley said as she came to the deck, looking up into the distance and whispering. "There are people up there, but they don't seem to be paying attention to us...Could it be that they can't see us?"

"Could it be that all of this is an illusion..." Nina muttered worriedly.

"...What if we're the illusions?" Shelley muttered even more frighteningly.

Lucretia didn't pay attention to the two girls whispering to each other to scare themselves. She also noticed that there seemed to be people moving in the Lighthouse facilities, and after briefly weighing the situation, she quickly made a decision:

"Vanna and I will go up to check the situation. The rest of you stay on the ship. Before we return, do not leave the ship, and do not believe any voices that appear in the communicator or any figures that approach. Rooney, watch the ship."

Rooney immediately bowed slightly: "Yes, Mistress."

After a brief preparation, Lucretia and Vanna boarded the seemingly dead silent Lighthouse on a paper boat.

It was quiet around them. A cold wind blew through the harbor, carrying a "coldness" that seemed to penetrate flesh and blood, gradually numbing the heart and blood vessels.

Lucretia and Vanna stepped onto the pier's trestle, looking around in the night and mist.

There were many figures moving in the fog.

But no one paid attention to them.

(End of Chapter)