Chapter 345

Chapter 345: .

The “Sea Swallow” had stopped.

By the time this terrifying charger came to a halt, it had almost turned into a heap of wreckage under the constant bombardment. Its original hull structure was completely gone. There was not even a single intact stretch of deck or superstructure left. Broken hull plates and inner matter were scattered across the sea like spilled garbage. Between the shattered remnants floated slowly spreading pools of black sludge. Patches of fire still burned among the fragments, and thick, dirty smoke rolled up into the sky.

Along the path where the Sea Swallow had once charged, the water was filled with that strange, mud-like substance. The ominous black color drew a band across the sea that ran for more than ten nautical miles, like the slime trail a soft-bodied creature might leave when crawling ashore. It rose and fell slowly with the waves and wind, refusing to disperse.

The howling of the Coastal Guns had fallen silent. The harsh smell of powder smoke hung over the whole coastline. Lister kept his gaze fixed on the burning wreckage out at sea. Only after a long time did he dare to believe that thing had really stopped completely, and he broke the silence with some hesitation: “Is it over?”

“…It might also be only the beginning,” Agatha’s voice was slightly hoarse. Pale light flashed now and then in her eyes. Even though the “Sea Swallow” had stopped moving, she still watched the scenes in the Spirit Realm over and over, unwilling to relax until she was sure nothing in those remains was still drifting toward the city-state. “Do not forget, the Sea Swallow only went wrong after it returned from Dagger Island.”

Lister’s expression grew very ugly.

“When was the last message from that island?”

“Just a few hours ago. The telegram said everything on the island was normal,” Lister said, brow deeply furrowed. “The Spirit Realm link with the Cathedral has also been steady the whole time.”

“…Seal off Dagger Island, Colonel. From this moment on, do not trust any message that comes from that island,” Agatha let out a long breath. “I will return to the main Cathedral at once. I believe a stricter blockade order will be issued very soon.”

“Thank you for your help, Lady Agatha.”

“Everything is for the peace of the city-state,” Agatha said softly. She recited a short saying from the Sacred Tome of Death. “All things in order.”

…

Half an hour earlier.

Thunder-like booms had rolled in from far away, one after another, each volley denser than the last. From the direction of the sound, it seemed to come from the coastline on the eastern side of the city-state.

Duncan lifted his head and looked toward that part of the sky. Through the haze, he could faintly see clouds rising in that direction.

“What was that sound?” Alice nervously touched her head and looked at Duncan in confusion. “Was that thunder?”

“It sounded like heavy guns,” Vanna, standing to the side, had already gone a little pale. “The Coastal Guns? What happened? Why would there be a full volley from the Coastal Guns…”

A thoughtful look came over Duncan’s face. The first thing he thought of was the denunciation letter he had handed to the Old Caretaker. Right after that, he thought of the direction where Dagger Island lay.

[Did I really guess right?]

The sound of wings suddenly came from nearby. A fat, plain-looking pigeon burst out of the shadows of a nearby building, flapped hard, and flew quickly into the distance.

“No need to worry. I sent AI to go check,” Duncan said. Then he raised his head and looked at the slightly old house in front of them. “Now, keep telling me about this place.”

Morris cleared his throat at once and went on with the introduction that had been cut off. The distant rumbling still rolled now and then, but since the captain was so calm, there clearly was nothing to panic about. “Vanna and I picked this house out of four rental options. The other three were either too close to the city center, which would make it hard for us to move around, or they were in poor condition and unfit to live in. This one is old too, but the landlady has taken good care of it. It is quite clean inside.

“This house is Number 44, Oak Street. Next to it is Hearth Street. The landlady has another home over on Hearth Street, so she will not come here and bother us in normal times. There is a small lane linking the two blocks, and the small Cathedral sits on a little square between them, a bit of a walk from here…

“We signed a short-term lease. The average daily rent is higher than for a long-term contract, but we can move out at any time. Right now we have paid half a month in advance. Vanna and I have already met the landlady. She is a rather kind and well-bred lady. When she learned I am a traveling scholar, she very generously brought over some basic daily supplies…”

Duncan listened to the old gentleman’s careful explanation while he studied their temporary lodging.

It was a detached house with the typical style of a northern city-state. The gray-white outer walls were a little rough, coated with porous plaster that kept in heat. The building had two floors. Its windows were fairly narrow. A black front door stood under a wall lamp and beside a mail slot. The roof was steep and high, covered with black tiles so that snow would melt and slide off easily. Steam and gas pipes ran out from the thick main pipes that crossed above the street, then followed the gable down into the building.

It was not a luxurious home, but it was more than enough as a temporary base. It was even a little more spacious than the small two-story building in Pland that had held both shop and lodgings.

Letting Morris and Vanna handle the problem of where to stay had clearly been the right choice. No one else on the ship could have managed it.

Morris stepped forward, took the key from his pocket, and opened the front door. Duncan followed him in with Alice right behind.

Inside the door was an entryway for taking off shoes and outerwear. Beyond that lay a fairly roomy parlor. The walls were covered with light-patterned wallpaper that had yellowed a little with age. The dining room opened directly off the parlor. Another bedroom sat beside the dining room. A staircase to the second floor faced the front door. It seemed that most of the bedrooms were on the upper floor.

The floorboards felt a bit loose underfoot and gave off a soft creak that spoke of passing years. Plain tables and chairs shone faintly in the sunlight. There was hardly any dust to be seen. On the dining table sat a bright bouquet of flowers in vivid colors. It was clearly made of cloth or plastic.

“That was from the landlady as well. They say it is a custom here in Frostholm,” Morris explained. “The landlord gives new tenants a bouquet that will not wither in winter. It stands for health and safety.”

“Every place has its own little customs,” Duncan said with a small smile. “This place is not bad. And it is away from the main street, so it should be pretty quiet most of the time.”

As he spoke, he looked up toward the second floor. “We could bring Nina and Shirley over here to do their homework. They have already started complaining that they are bored on the ship.”

The corner of Vanna’s mouth twitched. “…Shirley is probably really bored, but I doubt she wants to come into the city to do homework.”

Duncan waved a hand. “It does not matter. She should put in some effort anyway. Dog can already more or less read the newspaper, and Shirley is still fighting with the spelling of twelve common vegetables. I am deeply worried about her future. At this rate she will not even be able to catch up with Alice.”

Alice, who was in truth not doing much better than Shirley, scratched her hair and gave a harmless-looking grin. “Hehe…”

Duncan’s face stayed blank. “I am not praising you. The fact that you and Shirley together do not know more words than a dog is nothing to be proud of.”

Alice froze for a moment, as if she were seriously trying to figure out whether the words she and Shirley knew together actually added up to more than Dog’s vocabulary. While she was stuck on this question, the faint rumbling from far away finally began to fade.

“The sound stopped…” Vanna tilted her head, listening to the distance.

Duncan did not speak. Through the hazy mental link, he sensed what AI was seeing far away.

After so much practice and adjustment, the bond between him and AI was now much tighter and clearer than at the very start. When he focused enough, he could even share AI’s sight and some of its other senses. He could also use AI as a relay to send out a portion of his power without moving his true body at all.

In the Harbor district on the eastern side of Frostholm, the chubby White Dove stood on top of a tower. One round little eye watched the smoke-covered sea, and the other looked back toward the Harbor itself.

The soldiers running back and forth across the Harbor and the spreading black “oil slick” on the sea were reflected in its eyes, where green fire flickered softly.

“There is no need to worry for now,” Duncan pulled his distant “sight” back and gave Morris and Vanna a slight nod. “There was an invasion, but the people of Frostholm have already stopped it.”

Vanna’s face changed at once. “An invasion?!”

“If I am not wrong, it came from Dagger Island. The people of Frostholm should already have realized how serious the problem is. Whatever is on that island will not find it so easy to get out again,” Duncan said in a calm tone. “Tyrian has already reached the waters near Dagger Island. His sea-fog fleet will make the authority in Frostholm even more tense. In any case, once the whole city goes under martial law, the Annihilators hiding in the city will have to move. When that happens, it will be much easier to smoke them out.”

Just then, a knock at the door suddenly sounded, cutting off their talk in the parlor.

Duncan looked toward the door in surprise. They had only just moved in. A guest already?

“I will get it,” Morris said, and he walked to the door. When he opened it, a surprised sound came out of him. “You are…”

A small young lady in a thick white coat and a knitted hat was standing at the door.