Deep Sea Embers chapter 139

Chapter 139 “The Frontier Keeper”

This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation

A hundred years ago, two legendary warships known as the Bright Star and the Sea Mist served as escort vessels under a long-forgotten flagship. However, their fates took dramatic turns that transformed them into something far removed from their original identities, though few people know the details of these mysterious transformations.

The Sea Mist was commanded by the “Iron Admiral” Tyrian and eventually became part of the Frostbite Kingdom’s naval fleet after a series of unpredictable events. The ship earned its nicknames “the unsinkable ship” and “breathing wreckage” for good reason. It was infamous for surviving against all odds; numerous times, it had sustained severe damage, and yet each time, it emerged from repairs as if resurrected despite the fact that those repairs seemed to defy conventional shipbuilding wisdom. Over the years, the Sea Mist evolved into something resembling a steel behemoth more than a traditional ship. According to legend, it even had the supernatural ability to absorb metal from defeated enemy ships, adding to its own armor and weapons in a process that occurred when no one was looking.

On the other hand, the Bright Star, now captained by Lucretia, known as the “Sea Witch,” had a much more enigmatic past. Lucretia was an elusive figure, seldom interacting with what most consider the civilized world. Only a select few—mainly members of the Explorer’s Association and certain church fleets on patrol—ever had the chance to encounter her or her ghostly ship. Those who were fortunate enough to witness the Bright Star described it as a vessel that had transcended the realms of reality. It had sunk at least once and had been partially claimed by the mysterious Boundless Sea. The ship was a surreal combination of ghostly elements and magical artifacts, and its crew were no longer living humans but rather spirits inhabiting mechanical puppets that operated the ship. The Bright Star was often described as a floating corpse, or more precisely, a disfigured corpse that drags half its soul along with it.

As Lucretia inspected her ship, she nodded in satisfaction. The Bright Star was in excellent condition, and her spectral crew seemed content. She was well aware of the fearful reputation that both her ship and her brother’s Sea Mist held. Yet, she was indifferent to the world’s opinions or fears about her and her family. Over the years spent alone at sea, she had grown increasingly detached from the views of others. The only people she maintained any relationship with were the seasoned veterans from the Explorer’s Association. These individuals understood and respected her, recognizing her experience and the formidable nature of her ship.

Thus, the Bright Star and the Sea Mist remained enigmatic legends, each holding its own set of mysteries, captivating the imaginations of seafarers and adventurers who could only dream of unlocking their secrets.

In simple terms, Lucretia and her brother Tyrian were still part of the human world, fighting on the side of humanity. Regardless of how other people—perhaps even some of their own kind—viewed them as cursed or outcasts, their allegiance remained unchanged. After all, what was the significance of a couple more cursed entities in a world already filled with so many? In Lucretia’s perspective, their unusual existence hardly shifted the balance of cursed and uncursed things in the world.

Descending from a mechanized flower structure that was part of her ship’s decor, Lucretia made her way toward the bow. She was interrupted by a high-pitched voice as a ragdoll, maneuvering past two clockwork puppets busily cleaning the deck, greeted her with, “Mistress! Mistress! Good morning! Good morning!”

“We’re closer to noon, actually,” Lucretia responded nonchalantly. She moved past her enthusiastic companion to gaze at a distant wall of fog that obstructed her view. The fog was like a monumental screen at the edge of the world—awe-inspiring and captivating.

This was what she, like her father before her, simply referred to as the “border.”

Known by various names such as the World Border, The Great Mist, Mist Barrier, and formally the “Eternal Curtain,” the border was a nearly immutable natural phenomenon that covered the known seas. Normally, it neither expanded nor contracted but simply existed as a mysterious, static wall. However, on rare occasions, a section of the border would encroach upon civilized territories, causing calamities referred to as “border collapses.” When this happened, reality itself seemed to fold inward, like a black hole, sucking all living matter into the ocean’s abyss. There were even reports from eye-witnesses claiming that they saw doors to subspace opening during such events.

For sea captains like Lucretia, who often navigated the boundless oceans, a border collapse was far more terrifying than the most violent storm. Fortunately, these collapses were infrequent.

Much of Lucretia’s life was devoted to studying this border, observing its movements and behavior. She was determined to understand why it sometimes collapsed inward—a subject her father had also researched a century earlier. Despite years of observation and study, the mystery of the Eternal Curtain remained unsolved.

She often found herself wondering, “What had my father discovered back then? What did he hear that compelled him to venture into the fog in search of something or someone?”

Eventually, she pulled her gaze away from the mystical border. It was generally considered unwise to stare too long at the Eternal Curtain when sailing in the borderlands. Although there was no empirical evidence to suggest that the fog could consume one’s mind or distort one’s thinking, the inherent risk of fixating on anything for too long in such a remote, uncivilized location could not be ignored.

Thus, with questions still unanswered and mysteries still unsolved, Lucretia continued her solitary vigil at the world’s edge, as enigmatic and inscrutable as the border she sought to understand.

Just as Lucretia was musing mentally, a melodic whistle broke the quietude surrounding the waters near the border. She turned her attention to the source of the sound, noticing small shapes emerging from the dense fog. Moving at a brisk pace, it wouldn’t be long before they made contact with her ship, the Bright Star.

As they came into clearer view, she identified three ships—state-of-the-art steel vessels propelled by powerful steam cores. Since they had sounded their horn, it was likely a chance encounter rather than a planned attack. The horn was a traditional maritime signal of goodwill, a way to greet other seafarers.

“Mistress,” Luni, a clockwork maid on board the Bright Star, approached her, her voice monotone as it emanated from her mechanical interior. “It appears to be the church’s patrolling fleet. Visual confirmation suggests they are part of the Flame Bearers.”

“Only the Flame Bearers and the Storm Church would dare patrol this close to the Eternal Curtain,” Lucretia said, sighing softly. “They’re an audacious lot.”

“Do you wish to respond?” Luni inquired.

“Sound our horn,” Lucretia instructed quietly, “to indicate that we, too, are upholding the cause of civilization.”

……

Meanwhile, in an unrelated setting, an antique shop was experiencing a slow day. Aside from a pair of nondescript ornaments sold earlier in the morning, no customers had walked through the door. Nina, the young lady manning the counter, was engrossed in a textbook on mechanics. Duncan, presumably a relative, was also studying. He was flipping through Nina’s history textbook while jotting down notes in his own notebook.

The only idle person was Shirley, who found herself with nothing to do. She considered going home but hesitated, fearing she might somehow offend “the great shadow of subspace”. Attempting to start a conversation with Nina proved fruitless, as she was entirely clueless about higher education. She found herself pacing around the shop, asking, “Is reading really that captivating?”

“Absolutely, it is,” Nina replied, looking up from her book. “Especially with final exams coming up, I need to review.”

Duncan also glanced up at Shirley. “If you’re that bored, why not read a book? I have a brief history of the city-state here. Would you like to take a look?”

Upon hearing this, Shirley’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I-I can’t read.”

Duncan looked stunned, his eyes widening as if he were a parent in disbelief.

“Why are you so surprised?” Shirley felt like she was being unfairly judged by the duo. “I’ve never been to school; is that so strange? I was raised by a dog, for heaven’s sake.”

Duncan was certainly taken aback by Shirley’s admission, but seeing her flustered demeanor, he sighed, empathizing with the challenges an orphan must face. “You can’t read, yet you’ve managed to blend into a school setting. I can’t tell if you’re overly confident or if you’re just highly dependent on Dog’s ability to manipulate people’s perceptions.”

“Dog’s ability to interfere is really reliable!” Shirley quickly retorted, defending her unique upbringing. But then her face flushed again as if she was grappling with how to phrase her next words without causing offense.

Duncan caught on to her hesitation and smiled warmly. “See, you’re improving. You can now argue your point in front of me. That’s progress, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, exactly! My uncle is really understanding,” Nina piped in, oblivious to the nuances of the conversation. “He used to be a bit cranky, but he’s mellowed out a lot.”

“I…” Shirley found herself at a loss for words, unsure how to navigate the social dynamics with the quirky uncle-niece duo.

Before Duncan could offer another reassuring remark, his senses picked up on something— a slightly familiar aura permeating the atmosphere. He paused, momentarily stunned, but quickly recognized the source of the energy.

It was Vanna, the young inquisitor, and she was rapidly approaching the antique shop.

Duncan’s pleasant demeanor subtly shifted, replaced by a more focused, alert expression. Whatever Vanna was bringing with her—whether it was good news or bad—it was bound to disrupt the quaint, uneventful ambiance they had maintained in the shop. And given his prior experiences, Duncan knew that whenever Vanna was involved, the stakes were often high, and the situation complex.

 

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