Chapter 509: Banster’s Thoughts
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
Banster’s response was strikingly clear and straightforward, catching Lune off guard and leaving him momentarily speechless.
“Why are you bringing all this up now?” Lune grumbled, his short, plump frame adding to his air of irritation. “You’ve bombarded me with so many questions that I almost thought you planned on abandoning your Ark today…”
“I’m merely highlighting the potential dangers we face,” Banster replied, his expression serious. His lean, pale face was marked by a deep intensity. “We all remember the disaster that struck the Thirteen Islands of Witherland. To say the islands simply sank is a massive understatement. A large-scale rift formed between our world and subspace there, making the sea volatile to this day. And those leviathans…”
“Banster, they’re safe,” Lune interrupted, maintaining his calm demeanor. His blue eyes shone with a serene wisdom. “I’m not some reckless academic who would carelessly bring border relics into our society. The leviathan ‘corpses’ underwent a decade of rigorous testing at the Truth Academy. Only after all unstable elements were eliminated did I decide to repurpose them into the sacred Arks for our churches.”
Banster fell silent, lost in thought. After about ten seconds, Frem broke the silence. “Regardless of everything, we had no choice but to build the Arks. Lune took some risks, but without those Arks, we might have lost all contact with our Four Gods.”
The four figures fell silent in the bleak, tumultuous void.
“Sometimes, I wonder… Could those four leviathans that appeared on the eastern frontier be a form of divine intervention?” Lune mused.
He shook his head, muttering, “Without those leviathans, the Truth Academy couldn’t have built the Arks. Back then, all our other options seemed bleak and unlikely to succeed…”
“My friends, I admit I withheld many details about the leviathans. But you must understand it was due to the dire circumstances of a border collapse.”
“When I handed over the Ark, I urged you to avoid questioning its origins and accept it as a miracle.”
“A divine gift,” Banster murmured. “I wish I hadn’t heard that. It feels like a gruesome offering, the countless souls of the Thirteen Islands sacrificed to create the four Arks we have today.”
“That’s not entirely accurate. There’s no concrete evidence that the leviathans were the work of the ‘Vanished.’ It’s just a coincidence,” Lune said soothingly. “As for that ship, it has returned to the Boundless Sea. Regardless of your feelings, its master has reclaimed his human essence. The Vanished’s warning is similar to the ‘Border Collapse’ vision discovered by Captain Duncan a century ago—a prophecy we must heed.”
“Truth doesn’t bend to individual perspectives; it’s timeless,” Banster said dismissively, waving his hand. “I’ve heard you talk about this enough.”
Helena glanced at Lune and then at Banster. After a moment’s hesitation, she suggested, “Banster, if you’re still doubtful, why not talk to Captain Duncan directly? Gauge his current outlook and maybe clarify what happened at the Thirteen Islands of Witherland. Even if he claims to have lost his memory, a personal interaction might…”
Before she could finish, Banster cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Helena, of all your crazy ideas, this one tops them all.”
“Alright, it was just a suggestion.”
“We must be cautious in our dealings with the Vanished,” Lune interjected. “Our current level of engagement is already risky; any more could affect subspace. We can’t risk contaminating the Ark.”
The massive figure of Frem observed the three Popes. “Yet your saints were taken aboard the ship.”
Helena and Lune immediately countered, “They were not abducted!”
Banster waited for them to finish before adding nonchalantly, “My saint is still safe in the church. It was just her shadow that boarded the ship.”
The conversation fell silent again, tension hanging in the air.
Lune broke the silence. “Have any of you disclosed the truth about the leviathans to your saints?”
“No,” Helena replied, shaking her head. “I associated the leviathan with the supernatural substructure under the city when Vanna told me about it. But I didn’t reveal anything to her.”
Banster shook his head. “Instead of causing unnecessary chaos among my clergy, I’d rather discuss it with you, old friend. Though it seems your knowledge is also limited.”
Frem shook his head. “My saint wasn’t forcibly taken onto the ship…”
All three voices echoed in unison: “Can you drop it already?!”
“Keeping it concealed for now is the best course of action,” Lune said, glancing at Frem and then at Helena and Banster. “We lack information. We must first understand what’s happening beneath the city and validate the intel from the Vanished before making plans.”
He paused before adding, “When the time is right, we can contact that ship again through our saints. For now, let’s focus on the remaining part of the Vanished’s warning.” His words made everyone serious.
“I’ll start,” Banster said. “Considering the Vanished’s warning, I suggest we implement a comprehensive surveillance system across our churches, the city, and the naval fleet. The coverage must be extensive. If the warning is accurate and the ancient deity is everywhere, any unmonitored area could become the next ‘Frost Crisis.’ Patrol fleets should be as vigilant as if warding off a ‘Border Collapse.’”
“Just like old times…” Helena looked at Banster in surprise. “It seems Lune’s earlier concerns were unnecessary. You’re taking the Vanished’s warning seriously. I thought you would doubt everything from that ship because of the Thirteen Islands incident.”
“It’s because of those incidents and the recent ‘Frost Crisis,’” Banster responded gravely. “They’ve taught me that anything related to that ship can’t be taken lightly. I’m committed to strict surveillance on anything related to that ship, more than anyone else.”
As the conversation continued, the vast ocean, once swallowed by impenetrable darkness, regained its tranquil state. The terrifying shadows gave way to sunlight, restoring the sky and sea to their vivid, calm demeanor. The eerie green flame that had enveloped the ship receded as the vessel returned to the physical world.
Goathead took command of the steering wheel, adjusting the ship’s speed to a leisurely pace.
“Captain, have we docked at the southern lands?” Alice asked eagerly as soon as she saw Duncan step back from the ship’s controls.
Duncan looked at her, amused. “How could we have traveled such a distance so quickly? Do you know how far Frost is from Wind Harbor?”
Puzzled, Alice scratched her head. “I saw you slow down the ship and leave the spiritual realm. I thought we’d reached our destination…”
Duncan replied calmly, “We’ve returned to the physical world to change our surroundings. Extended stays in the spiritual realm can be harmful. We have several normal humans aboard…”
He trailed off, then shook his head. “Being back in the physical world, feeling the sea breeze and sunlight, helps ease the strain of long voyages. The Vanished needs time to recover too.”
“True,” Alice nodded, a satisfied smile on her face. “Everyone seems more relaxed in the sunlight. Their tension just melts away.”
Duncan knew Alice was referring to the ship’s inanimate objects—buckets, ropes, pots, and pans. He marveled at her connection with the ship’s sentient objects and her ability to sense their “emotions.”
“Goathead will steer the ship while I take a break,” Duncan told Alice. “For dinner, we have toasted bread, fish fillets, and vegetable soup.”
“Yes, Captain!” Alice responded enthusiastically. She glanced at the setting sun, its rays reflecting off the two mystical rune rings on the horizon.
“I’ll start on dinner,” she said, turning and heading to the kitchen.
Duncan watched her go, a content smile on his lips. Then he took a deep breath and walked toward the door at the opposite end of the deck—The Door of the Lost.
He skimmed the mysterious inscriptions on the door, placed his hand on the cold metal handle, and pushed it open.
“Normal humans…”
And suddenly, he stopped.
The question is why did he stop speaking and elaborating on the topic?
maybe he realized it is not a very human way of thinking.
who is normal human on the ship? noone
more than 500 chs and it feels like it just started, like when the flow drops and sets after the first defining arc. lol
Hopefully it makes people talk about why it opens the other way at least Alice questioned the rule