After Nightingale made the bed, she turned around and blew out the candle.
The room immediately dimmed.
Having grown accustomed to electric lights and magic stones, returning to a life illuminated by candles was a bit difficult to adjust to. She couldn't help but chuckle, remembering how she used to camp out in the wilderness as a common occurrence.
But there was no other way. The tight schedule didn't allow for the installation of a full electrical lighting system on the floating island. Even the place where they rested was drilled into the rock wall by Fulan and the others. Afterwards, Soroya laid down a layer of soft material to insulate against the underground moisture, turning it into a bedroom. The furniture was also only the most ordinary wooden table and a simple wardrobe. The mattress was laid directly on the floor.
Isabella was also on the floating island, but the factories that were rushing to complete their work clearly needed magic stone lighting the most. It would probably be a while before the divine stones she converted could be used in the living area.
Fortunately, while the room was simple, it wasn't uncomfortable to live in. Each person had their own room, and there was a private bathroom. Coupled with the ventilation pipe that led directly to the outer wall of the floating island, the room wasn't stuffy at all. There was also a public reading room and a hot spring bath at the end of the cave to meet the witches' daily needs.
She wasn't very interested in the former, but the latter was really great.
God knows how Pasha and the others found this place—a stream seeping down from the top of the mountain gathered into a clear spring in the cave, and a portion of the pool extended beyond the cave wall. By leaning against the edge, one could see the scenery outside. Especially after the floating island took flight, this place became a superb spot to overlook the land.
Every day after taking a shower, she would soak in the spring for a while to enjoy this rare moment of relaxation.
In comparison, the lack of electric lights in the room became insignificant.
Just as Nightingale was about to lie down, a knock suddenly sounded on the door.
She couldn't help but pause. It was already late at night, and everyone had basically fallen asleep. Who would be looking for her?
"Coming."
Nightingale responded, relighting the candle, while several possible candidates flashed through her mind.
The most likely one was naturally Wendy.
After all, the leader of the Association had a few precedents of coming to her for aimless chats after drinking too much.
However, opening the door made her suddenly stunned.
Standing outside the door was actually Anna.
She was holding a small wooden bucket containing towels and other cleaning supplies. "Can you accompany me for a bath?"
Nightingale had already taken a shower before going to bed, but she realized that taking a bath at this time was obviously not the point. "Of course, just a moment."
After packing her things, she followed Anna all the way into the bathhouse. The entire cave was empty, with no one else besides them. The sound of water droplets splashing on the stalactites echoed from time to time, seeming especially peaceful in the night.
After taking off her clothes and stepping into the pool, Nightingale immediately felt a warm current enveloping her body—unlike Neverwinter City, the amount of fuel on the floating island was extremely limited. Therefore, magic cube-powered boilers and steam engines were generally used, which ensured a constant supply of hot water in terms of water supply.
The two of them parted the white mist and slowly walked to the entrance of the cave. In an instant, the cool night breeze swept away the stuffiness in the cave, and the world before their eyes suddenly opened up. What entered their eyes was no longer mountain rocks covered with sharp edges, but a starry, boundless night sky.
Nightingale couldn't help but hum softly.
This feeling was truly intoxicating.
Anna also seemed quite comfortable. She let out a long breath and stretched her arms wide.
"Where's Roland?"
"Probably in the Dream World."
"Is that so? He's really busy..."
"That's right. Everyone says that I never have a moment to spare, but compared to him, it's nothing." Anna smiled. "He's working even throughout the night."
"You're also amazing." Nightingale lowered herself into the water, letting it cover her shoulders. "You used to be a little girl who didn't understand anything, but now you can stand on your own."
"Actually, not really." Anna rarely revealed an embarrassed expression. "My expertise is only in the technical aspect. If Barov and Teacher Karl hadn't helped me so much, the Engineering Department would probably have been in complete chaos long ago."
Hey, are you just going to state your shortcomings so carelessly?
Looking at Anna, Nightingale felt an extremely complex feeling welling up in her heart—it would be impossible to say that she didn't feel unwilling. She had clearly come into contact with Roland earlier, and had more opportunities to take that step, but she was just a little bit slower. But she couldn't bring herself to hate Anna no matter what. Honest, earnest, and consistent... the longer she spent with her, the more she would marvel at her purity. Nightingale had seen many people in her life, from commoners to nobles, but none of them were as clear and radiant as Anna.
She admired her from the bottom of her heart.
After a brief silence, Anna changed the subject. "What do you think the outcome of this Battle of Divine Will will be?"
Nightingale realized that this might be the reason why she had called her here.
"Probably... it'll go smoothly?" She looked up at the starlight in the sky. To be honest, inferring the battlefield situation or predicting the future was completely beyond her ability. The real answer should be "I don't know"... but saying that before the battle seemed a bit inappropriate. Fortunately, the other party didn't have the ability to discern lies.
"Is that so?" Anna didn't agree. "But I don't think so. Especially since the final goal is the Bottomless Land, the legendary domain of the gods. The risks of this trip will probably be far greater than we expect. For some reason, I always feel like Roland might disappear at any moment. The closer we get to the northern part of the continent, the stronger this sense of unease becomes."
Nightingale's heart couldn't help but skip a beat. Could it be that she had noticed the fact that Roland's lifespan was running out? But that should be related to the Consciousness World. Going to the Bottomless Land was also to solve this problem. It shouldn't be impossible to change.
"Maybe you're worrying too much."
"I hope so too." Anna blinked. "By the way... do you remember our agreement?"
"Um..." Nightingale was stunned for a moment before realizing what she meant. "—Eh?"
"I've decided to move it up. After defeating the devils, I'll talk to him personally."
"Why? Because of your premonition?"
"That's part of the reason." Anna replied softly. "But more than that, he needs you too. And I... have never disliked you. I'm leaving the upcoming battle to you."
"..." Nightingale couldn't say anything for a long time. After a while, she murmured, "If that's the case, why don't you stop him from going to the Bottomless Land?"
Anna shook her head, her expression full of frankness. "This is the best approach after considering many factors. Besides, no matter what the result is, he's already prepared for it. How can I stop him? Fearing and running away won't change anything. So what I can do is to do my best to help him complete this journey and witness the future with my own eyes."