There is a high platform near the cathedral in the upper town. It was once part of the city park. However, with the renovation project of the Steam Core, the original park facilities were moved elsewhere, leaving only a lonely high platform - as if a
A forgotten knight stood on a high place and watched over the factory and square below.
From the high platform, you can overlook the entire church area and the central factory area.
In her occasional free time, Fanna would come here to relax. When her mood was difficult to calm down, she would also come here to think quietly to sort out her mood.
The afternoon sun is very good, and even if there is a slight breeze, it is not very cold on the high platform. When the gentle sea breeze blows across the platform, it will roll up the hair next to the ears, making it slightly itchy.
Fanna threw her long white hair behind her head and quietly stared at the winding and foggy steam pipes in her field of vision. After a long time, she broke the silence: "I want to go out for a while."
"Going out?" Heidi turned her head in surprise, "Where are you going?"
"I'm not sure, it might be somewhere far away, and I might be gone for a long time," Vanna looked into Heidi's eyes, "I can't reveal the specific itinerary, but I should tell you before I leave."
Heidi blinked and looked a little confused: "But you are a city-state judge - can a judge travel far away at will?"
"I..." Fanna opened her mouth, trying hard to make her expression look like a smile, "It's an arrangement from the church, a direct order from the Cathedral of Storms."
"Ah...that's it," Heidi nodded suddenly. She actually didn't understand the internal operating rules of the Deep Sea Church, but when the name "Cathedral of Storms" was brought up, many things changed.
Needing an explanation, "So it seems like this is a sacred mission? Are you being sent outside the diocese to fight against heretics?"
Fanna's expression seemed to stiffen: "...In a sense, it does have something to do with heresy, but it is not a combat mission."
However, Heidi did not notice the subtle change in her friend's tone, and just sighed suddenly: "Hey, my father has also been away from home recently. There was no warning in advance, so he suddenly told me that he was going to go out to do errands, and my mother didn't let me say much.
Ask around - now you are leaving too, I feel like you are all mysterious."
"Did Mr. Morris go out too?" Vanna muttered casually, but quickly shook her head, with a slightly self-deprecating expression on her face, "He should have gone to meet his friends in academia, or to attend
What kind of activities, scholars like him are often invited by various city-state universities... Anyway, it is different from the place I am going to."
Heidi turned her head and looked at her friend with some doubts: "Why do I feel that you are weird? You seem to be worried. Is it because you are uneasy about going on a long journey? You really don't seem to have left the city-state much."
"That's not true. I'm probably just a little nervous because I was suddenly assigned a task that I have never been exposed to before." Fanna shook her head, "Don't worry about me."
"Okay," Heidi breathed out, then seemed to suddenly remember something, and suggested slightly excitedly, "By the way, how about we go to the theater together? There is a new drama recently, just to change the mood -
—You should be exposed to more popular things, which may also expand your social circle..."
Fanna didn't care at all about what her friend was saying in the last two sentences. She just raised her eyebrows curiously: "New drama? What is it about?"
"The work of the great director Sandoko is called "Borderland". It tells the story of a small border village that falls into heretical worship and sacrifices the women in the village to the "cave evil spirits". In the end, the brave defenders destroy the evil.
It is said that this drama also uses a new technology called 'sound track', and when the picture is played, synchronized sound is played from the machines on both sides of the screen..."
Heidi enthusiastically introduced "new and popular elements" to her friends, but found that Fanna's expression became more and more weird. She hesitated and stopped mid-sentence. Then she thought for a moment and waved her hand: "Okay.
, you may not like this, but there is another drama called "The Night Watch", which tells the story of a brave guardian who steps into a secret realm, but is accidentally trapped in the heretic's lair, and has to rely on his own wisdom and experience to survive in the lair.
Come down and find a way to stick to your heart... You don't like it either?"
Heidi scratched her hair and tried to search her mind: "Then let me recommend a book to you. The recent popular novel is called "Walking with Shadows", which is about..."
Fanna finally couldn't listen any more, and interrupted her friend's chatter with an almost livid look on her face: "Thank you, but you really don't have to."
Then she seemed to realize that her attitude was a bit blunt, and couldn't help but sigh slightly, and while rubbing her forehead with her fingers, she explained in a low voice: "Thank you for your concern, but the task I am going to perform next requires a firm will and pure thinking. Let's set out."
It’s best not to come into contact with too many things that can easily disturb your mind.”
"Ah, well, that's because I didn't think it through well," Heidi smiled a little awkwardly, "I forgot that you are a 'professional'."
Fanna waved her hand.
After a while, she heard Heidi's voice again: "My rest time is almost over, and there are two more patients scheduled for the afternoon."
Fanna breathed out softly: "You go and do your work, I should also be ready to go."
Heidi hummed, but she stopped suddenly before leaving the high platform. She turned her head, and in the afternoon sunshine and breeze, there was a slight hesitation on her face: "When you set off, I can go and see you off."
You?"
"...No, this is a special mission."
"Then will you write back?"
Vanna hesitated for a moment.
She looked at Heidi, her long white hair was blown by the breeze, and in the commotion of her hair, it seemed that there was a fluttering curtain between her and her friend.
"...I don't know," Fanna said in a low voice, "but I will...work hard. Maybe, it's not so strict there."
"Okay, then I'll wait for your letter." A bright smile suddenly appeared on Heidi's face. Then she suddenly stepped forward, pulled out the crystal pendant from her collar, shook it in the air, and then
Pointing to Fanna's chest, "Same amulet - you will have good luck."
The friend left.
On the high platform in the wind, only Fanna herself was left.
The young judge lowered his head and looked at the small pendant on his chest.
"...Good luck," she murmured softly, her expression becoming a little weird, "I hope the antique store manager's things can really bring some good luck."
A loud ringing of bells suddenly came from the direction of the church, interrupting Vanna's thoughts.
She raised her head and looked in the direction where the bell was ringing. She saw that the huge dial on the bell tower was indicating the time, and the brilliance of the sun had gradually passed the highest point in the sky and moved slowly towards the west side of the cathedral.
She took out the parchment and looked at the words on the back of the parchment - that was her "entry instructions."
According to the instructions in the entry instructions, a messenger will pick her up in one hour. Before then, she should go to the atrium of the cathedral to wait. No unrelated people will disturb the entire handover process.
What kind of messenger would that be? How would he be sent to the Homeless Ship far away in the Infinite Sea?
Fanna had huge doubts in her heart, but she still took steps towards the direction of the cathedral.
She originally had many plans. Before leaving the city-state where she was born and raised, she wanted to visit the stores she was most familiar with, go to the theater, go to the port, see a few friends, and go to St.
Say a prayer in church...
But there was not enough time, and she did not have that much spare time.
In the atrium of the cathedral, Pope Helena and Archbishop Valentine had been waiting for me for a long time.
"The messenger hasn't arrived yet," Valentin nodded to Vanna who walked into the atrium, "Are you ready?"
Fanna looked at the things at hand.
Apart from the big sword that never left her body, there was only a packed suitcase - she didn't have many personal belongings. In addition to the necessary changes of clothes, the most important thing in the suitcase was her prayer book.
and some blessed church readings.
It is something that can be read safely on the endless sea, and may relieve the boredom of life on the ship.
"They're all here," Fanna nodded, then looked up at the silent Pope beside her, "I can still pray on the boat, right?"
"Of course," Helena smiled, "Captain Duncan even promised that you can decorate an extra cabin into a chapel."
"...Then let me look forward to the next 'crew life'," Fanna sighed, "I can't imagine what kind of life that will be like."
Helena opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but at this moment, the crackling sound of flames and the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from the sky, interrupting the communication in the atrium.
The messenger has arrived.
Fanna raised her head in surprise, but she only had time to see a green flame falling from the sky like a meteor. Huge bone wings suddenly opened in the flame. The next second, the flame had "fallen" on the path in the atrium.
, turned into a rotating and rising door.
"It's time to go." Pope Helena's voice came from the side, reminding and urging.
"Yes." Fanna nodded slightly, and at this moment, she abandoned the last bit of hesitation in her heart and took a step forward.
She took a deep breath and stepped through the rotating door of flames. At this moment, her mind was boiling with thoughts.
What will be the scene behind the door? What kind of life is waiting for you on that ship? Will you see the terrifying ghost captain first? Or some... sailor on the Lost Home?
What kind of strange appearance would the crew on that ship look like?
The flames burst into flames and then faded away. It only took a moment to step through the door.
Fanna only felt that she was in a trance for a moment, and then the moist and cold sea breeze was blowing in her face, and the sound of the waves was heard in her ears.
She blinked and patted her forehead hard.
She thought there might be something wrong with the transmission.
Or there is something wrong with your eyes.
Because she saw... Morris standing in front of her, smiling towards her.