The flames in the mirror receded, and the majestic figure gradually disappeared into the darkness, but the mysterious symbol Captain Duncan showed to himself still remained clearly in his mind.
Morris left the utility room, glanced at his sleeping wife, and then came to the writing desk under the window. He took out a pen and paper, and using the cool night light outside the window, while his memory was still very clear, he wrote about the mysterious and weird man.
The symbols are depicted.
Afterwards, this knowledgeable old scholar frowned and looked at the pattern on the paper and fell into a brief thought.
Even a scholar who could pass the most rigorous examination of the Academy of Truth was confused when he saw this symbol - the only thing he was sure of was that this thing was definitely not a symbol used by any city gang, church or official organization.
, nor does it conform to the runic specifications in occult symbols.
According to the captain, this was the emblem carried by several ascetics who visited the Lost Home a hundred years ago, and now he suddenly became interested in this emblem.
As a "relative" of the captain, Morris did not intend to pry into the captain's secrets, but he became extremely curious about those mysterious ascetics - what kind of "person" would carry such a weird talisman
, and can it suddenly attract the attention of Captain Duncan a hundred years later?
After thinking for a long time, Morris breathed a sigh of relief, folded the paper properly, put it in the desk drawer and locked it carefully.
He plans to wait until the sun rises tomorrow before going to the study to read the classics about ancient city-states and secret societies. Although the God of Wisdom has given his followers excellent memory, no matter how good the memory is, there may be loopholes.
Do you have records about this symbol in your library?
If you can't find clues in your collection of books...then go to several large libraries in the city-state and the archives of the upper city university to investigate. Although you have left your university position for many years, your original connections and influence are still there.
, it is not a problem to borrow some precious classics.
If there is no record of this in the whole of Pland, then the only option is to write letters and send telegrams to old friends in Lensa and other places - there are several old friends who are well-versed in the fields of history and mysticism.
Maybe they can help. Even if they can't, the universities and research institutions behind them can help.
In any case, this is the first task assigned to him by the captain - he granted him the miracle of resurrection from the dead, and now he finally has a chance to help.
Morris silently thought about this in his mind, and his irritable mood due to insomnia calmed down completely. He seemed to have found the strong feeling of fighting for a certain goal that he had when he first entered the school. With this,
Fighting spirit surged up together...
There is also the long-lost sleepiness.
…
Tirian had been tossing and turning in bed for several hours and still didn't feel sleepy.
He has lost count of how many years he has not had such severe insomnia. As the commander of the Sea Fog Fleet and the captain of the Sea Fog, he has always had strong self-control and a good work and rest routine, and can fall asleep and wake up easily.
Be as precise and controlled as a machine - except today.
All kinds of thoughts and pictures kept rising and falling in his mind, mixed with countless yellowed and trivial memories, the flames emerging in the mirror, the gloomy and majestic father, the ship that once set sail amidst cheers and praises.
The exploration ship, the shadow of the ship returning from subspace...
There is even the encounter with the Lost Home in the Frost Offshore, and what the Frost Queen said to herself at the beginning of the "Abyss Project"——
"There are terrifying things under the deep sea, but there must also be all the answers under the deep sea."
Tirian rolled over and sat up from the bed.
He looked at the wall not far away. The mirror that was originally hanging on the wall had been taken off and was still quietly upside down on the table next to it. A slightly lighter oval mark was left on the wall.
, the suitcase containing the crystal ball and lens set was placed at the end of the bed, and the lock was re-locked. The other places in the room with mirrors or smooth mirrors were also covered with cloth.
But the white cloth covering the mirror made the room look even more eerie and eerie. Under the cold glow of the Creation of the World, the room seemed like a place where ghosts gathered.
But Tirian is not afraid of any ghosts. He has a ship of living dead sailors, a cursed living battleship, and several secret bases where weird and terrifying visions appear all year round - compared to his father, ghosts are nothing.
Nothing to be afraid of.
After pacing back and forth in the quiet and eerie room for a few minutes, Tirian's eyes fell on the suitcase at the end of the bed. After a slight hesitation, he picked up the suitcase.
Purley had already flown back to the ship to report that he was safe. As a captain, he couldn't go to the next room to wake up his subordinates and play cards with him to relieve his boredom. He might as well take a look at what Lucretia was doing.
Maybe the other person is suffering from insomnia just like me.
Turning on the light, placing the box on the table, opening the lid, a crystal ball surrounded by a complex lens assembly and arc-shaped connecting arms appeared in front of his eyes. Tirian stretched out his hand, but before he could activate the lens, the device buzzed.
There was a buzzing sound, and the crystal ball in the center was quickly lit up.
In just a moment, Lucretia's figure appeared in the crystal ball.
Wearing a gauze skirt, black hair shawl, and a mysterious temperament, the "Sea Witch" looked at her brother with a tired look on her face.
"Brother, I have insomnia."
"If you have insomnia, you can find your puppets to relieve your boredom, or do your magic experiments," Tirian said with a serious face, "I am formulating the follow-up development plan of the Sea Fog Fleet..."
"But your hair is as messed up as if you've been rolling around on the pillow for four hours," Lucretia said calmly, "Is this your new posture when making development plans?"
"..."
Tirian was silent for a few seconds, with a tired look on his face: "Do you have any good suggestions for treating insomnia? Use your intelligence as a 'witch'... Forget it, just pretend I didn't ask."
The two brothers and sisters fell into an awkward silence for a moment, and then chatted for a few words each, but they both intentionally or unintentionally avoided the key point, but gradually, the topic inevitably began to move in a certain direction.
"...I just made some 'changes' to Runi," Lucretia said. "I strengthened her joint protection, and added a small container for storing holy oil next to the sphere where the 'soul' is stored.
Rune of protection."
"Do you think this can prevent your father from contacting you through 'Nilu' next time?"
"No, but maybe it can prevent Luni from getting stuck next time," Lucretia said with a hint of helplessness in her tone, "She was actually still worried about the last time she got stuck, and we had a serious discussion about it just now.
Ichiban.”
Tirian was a little curious: "Communication? What did you communicate with your puppet?"
"She advised me not to be nervous, and I advised her to be more open-minded."
Tirian: "..."
There was silence between them again, but this time the silence did not last long. Tirian suddenly said: "Actually, I was thinking about something just now."
"What are you thinking about?"
"Do you still remember the last words that father said today?" Tirian said slowly, "He said that he found Luni's sister 'Nelu', and mentioned that the doll has never been sold..."
Lucretia's eyes changed slightly: "What do you mean..."
"This means that the shop is still there - do you still remember where the doll shop is?" Tirian's expression became serious, "I only remember that it is in Pland City."
Lucretia frowned slightly and fell into memories, while Tirian continued to speak slowly: "If father really 'bought' Nelu from that doll store, then this reveals a very key point.
Information: He had already set foot in this city-state in some way before Purander encountered historical contamination, and even acted openly here..."
"Have you ever thought that this was a clue that father deliberately revealed to us?" Lucretia suddenly said, "Now that you have thought of this, maybe this is what father deliberately wanted you to investigate."
Tirian was silent for a few seconds before speaking: "I have considered this possibility - but even so, you know I will not let this clue go."
"...I only vaguely remember the location of that store," Lucretia said. "It should be on the edge of the upper city, near an intersection in the southern lower city. The owner was an elf lady... a century ago
When I saw her when I was young, I felt that she was very old, but considering the elf's lifespan, she should still be the owner of that shop now."
Tirian nodded slightly and silently wrote down the information provided by Lucretia.
…
There was a slight storm on the sea, and the Lost Home was slightly rocking the hull in the wind and waves. Duncan sat at the navigation table, studying the foggy chart in front of him with some boredom.
His body in the city-state of Pland has already fallen asleep, but this "body" on the Lost Home barely needs rest. As a result, the night flight has become a rather boring time.
, especially due to the double restrictions of not being suitable for reading at night and not being suitable for reading at sea, he couldn't bring the recreational books he bought in Puland here to relieve his boredom, which made the boredom even worse.
After all, he couldn't treat exploring this ship as fun every day - no matter how big the Lost Home was, there would be an end to its exploration.
"I kind of want to walk around the spirit world, knock on the glass, and invite Vanna and Tirian to play cards." In boredom, Duncan sighed, raised his eyelids and looked at the goat head, "It's hard to tell Vanna.
Tirian will probably not be able to sleep tonight..."
"If you really do this, he will lose sleep tomorrow night," Goat Head said immediately, "But frankly speaking, your idea is really attractive and has full horror and entertainment effects - you plan to start with
Whose knock?”
"That's what I said," Duncan glanced at the goat head and glanced at the chart again, but suddenly, he seemed to think of something again and suddenly raised his head, "How long until sunrise?"
"...There are still three hours," Goat Head made a rough estimate, "if it rises on time today."