Chapter 631

Chapter 631: Invitation and Contact

The two sides stopped very close to each other—close enough that landing boats could travel between the large ships quickly.

Duncan watched the massive pilgrimage ark with curiosity. He looked at the academy facilities and the many towers built across its upper levels. He saw lots of figures moving near the walls. Some were probably the Academy Ark’s guards and sailors, while others, judging from their clothing, looked like ordinary scholars or apprentices. He also saw steam walkers—large spider automatons climbing along the ark’s outer bulwarks. They seemed far more agile than any walking machine he had seen in other city-states, clearly made with a higher level of technology.

Duncan knew that the people aboard that pilgrimage ark were certainly observing the Vanished as well.

Ripples of light shimmered on the sea. A light breeze ruffled the surface, and the sinking evening sun laid a pale gold sheen over the rising waves. Yet mixed into that golden glow were faint streaks of ghostly green. That ghost-green water spread outward from the Vanished as its center, until it reached the edge of the pilgrimage ark—where it stopped. There, a sharp “boundary” appeared, and on that boundary line Duncan could clearly feel some kind of “resistance.”

The ghost ship and the Cathedral ship faced each other in silence across the sea.

After they had held this standoff for who knew how long, Duncan glanced doubtfully at a nearby shadow and asked: “What are they waiting for?”

“Maybe they’re still watching how the Vanished moves?” Agatha’s voice came from the shadow, sounding a bit unsure. “But they should at least send some kind of contact…”

The steering platform fell briefly silent. Duncan thought for a moment, then spoke, sounding a little uncertain: “Tell me, is it possible they’re trying to hail the Vanished by radio?”

Agatha fell silent: “…Do we have a radio on board?”

“No, but I’ve always wanted to install one. Coming to Lightwind Harbor this time, I actually planned to do it…”

Agatha: “…”

Just then, flashes of light from the upper decks of the pilgrimage ark cut off the exchange between Duncan and Agatha. Along with the rhythmic signal lamps, Duncan also noticed flags waving near the lights.

In the end, it was still the traditional, reliable lamps and flags that did the job.

“They’re inviting the Vanished to come alongside and dock with the pilgrimage ark?” Duncan read the meaning of the signals and looked surprised. “They’re serious?”

“Captain, this could be a trap,” Goathead’s voice came at once through the mental link, filled with his usual conspiracies and natural wariness toward the church. “You must be careful.”

“I understand your caution, but at a time like this it’s not very likely,” Duncan shook his head. “Besides, trap or not, my plan was to meet the people on that ark anyway—and now that they’re inviting us first, that’s even better.”

As he spoke, he slowly steered the Vanished closer to the huge ark. At the same time, he watched the pilgrimage ark and the surrounding warships even more carefully, and, with the power of flame, spread his perception farther out over the sea.

Of course he would not drop even the most basic caution. Logically, he did not think this was a trap, but this was still direct contact with one of the top forces of the Four Gods’ churches. Who could say what was running through the mind of the pope who served the God of Wisdom Rahm?

And Duncan believed that the people on the ark were probably having the same worries. They had invited the Vanished—but were they nervous?

They were nervous too.

From their point of view—who knew what the “ghost captain” of the Vanished was planning?

Since the Vanished had returned to the Mortal Realm, it had already made contact with many city-states and church forces. Duncan knew those contacts had had an effect. The churches of the Four Gods were trying to understand this ghost ship that had sailed back from Subspace. Sending Vanna aboard was proof of that, and it was indeed a friendly sign. But Duncan also knew very well that, to the world, the Vanished was still an unknowable symbol, full of riddles and danger.

To Duncan, the churches of the Four Gods were the same.

Caution, watching, testing, contact—even after building some level of communication, even after forming a bit of tacit understanding, both sides still had to step toward each other carefully again and again, confirming “safety” bit by bit. They had to see whether the ghost captain who returned to the Mortal Realm really had human feelings, and whether the Vanished’s recent actions were true goodwill or just a disguise driven by Subspace chaos. And Duncan had to see how much real trust and tacit understanding the other side was offering.

At the same time, he was also speaking with one of his followers.

Morris had once studied at Truth Academy—and his mentor back then was the very “pope” who commanded the Academy Ark.

This was exactly the tradition that set Truth Academy apart from the churches of the other three gods. The followers of the God of Wisdom took “passing down knowledge” as their core doctrine. Their priest system was built entirely on the roles of teacher and student, and even the pope was no exception.

Almost all outstanding scholars in this world had once studied at Truth Academy. The luckiest among them even had the chance to board the Academy Ark and become Pope Rune’s students.

“…I think you can be at ease. I’ve talked with my mentor many times about the Vanished. Among the popes of the Four Gods, his attitude toward the Vanished should be the calmest, most rational and most objective…”

“I’m not very worried about your mentor’s ‘attitude.’ I’m just a bit curious why Truth Academy’s pilgrimage ark has come to Lightwind Harbor in person, and so quickly,” Duncan replied in his mind. “Remember how big the commotion was in Pland before? The Storm Cathedral only rushed over after everything was already finished. In Frostholm, the Death Church’s ark never showed up at all.”

“Lightwind Harbor is close to the border. Most of the time, the church’s pilgrimage arks patrol near the frontier, so it’s normal for them to arrive quickly,” Morris explained. “Lightwind Harbor may have sent a call for help to the academy’s headquarters many days ago. Also…”

He paused for a moment, then slowly went on a few seconds later: “Also, more than half the people on the Academy Ark are elves.”

Duncan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The pilgrimage ark drew closer, this astonishing creation floating before the Vanished like a small city-state. Part of its “hull” grew larger and larger in his sight, until it almost formed something you could honestly call a “coastline.”

Then guiding lights and flags lit up along that “coastline.” Amid low rumbles and the deep growl of large steam valves venting pressure, Duncan saw a section of the edge of this very special Cathedral ship suddenly shift and transform. A large mechanical structure unfolded from its bulwark and extended down into the sea.

A dock appeared there—a dock where the Vanished could temporarily moor.

Duncan let go of the wheel.

The Vanished began to adjust its own position and angle. It carefully “studied” the mechanical dock extending from the Academy Ark, then finally moved slowly toward the gangway.

For some reason, Duncan felt that the Vanished’s movements even carried a faint sense of… distaste.

But he soon turned his attention elsewhere.

He lifted his head and looked at the sky above the Academy Ark.

Once again, he “saw” that hazy, tentacled structure. Like a soul outside its body, a vast, indescribable, empty spirit-form stretched out from the ark-ship and floated like cloud and mist over it, with countless arms and ever-changing shadows at its edges.

Duncan stared hard at those “phantoms” stretching out of the Academy Ark.

When the Storm Cathedral had visited the city-state of Pland before, he had seen something similar there too!

Back then, he had thought it was a kind of “power” from the deity worshipped by the Deep Sea Church—Storm Goddess Gamona, a symbol of the Deep Sea’s strength. But now… the Truth Academy’s ark-ship had it as well?!

Did the other churches’ ark-ships have it too?

Was this something all four ark-ships carried? What in the world was it?!

A storm of questions rose at once in Duncan’s mind. Just then, from the corner of his eye, he saw figures appear on the gangway that linked the Vanished and the Academy Ark.

He quickly put away his scattered thoughts and focused on the “visitors” coming down from the Academy Ark.

There were four steam walkers. They escorted a small group of people onto the gangway, then stopped halfway between the Vanished and the ark, crouching by the sides of the bridge and waiting. The small group kept walking toward the Vanished. Among them were guards in the academy’s knowledge guard uniforms and attendants dressed like apprentices. Walking at the very front was an old man in a scholar’s robe, short and plump.

Duncan recalled how Morris had described his mentor.

That should be the leader of Truth Academy, the God of Wisdom Rahm’s representative in the Mortal Realm, Morris’s mentor—Rune.

That “pope” had actually come out in person—with only a few followers, walking straight toward the Vanished?

Duncan’s thoughts moved, and the next second his body turned into a stream of fire. The fire swept across the deck and fell straight to the end of the gangway, where it gathered again into his form.

The group from the Academy Ark clearly jumped at the sudden flames in front of them. Instinctively, they moved to shield Rune. But he simply waved his hand calmly, then smiled at Duncan as he stepped out of the fire.

“It is very good to meet you, Captain Duncan Abnomar,” the elven old man said, nodding politely and gently. “This is our first meeting.”

“I’m happy to meet you too.” Duncan nodded back just as politely.

But just as he was about to say something else, he suddenly noticed a strange anomaly about the other man.

The pope’s body… looked faintly transparent!