Chapter 361: Vanished

Nemo felt an abrupt and intense pulsation within his chest. The sensation was uncanny and entirely new to him.

He perceived the ominous figure of the “Ghost Captain” looming before him, not merely issuing a benign promise but asserting a certainty that had already solidified in some uncharted future.

Where this intuition originated from, Nemo could not fathom. Yet, he found himself instinctively bowing his head in involuntary respect, uttering his response with an inexplicable sense of reverence, “As you say.”

Duncan, in receipt of Nemo’s acquiescence, returned his nod. His attention then casually drifted towards the old man standing at a distance, resting his weary body against the wall and seemingly engrossed in deep contemplation.

In this moment, the old man’s ramblings about the Frost Queen were absent, as were his seemingly nonsensical mutterings about the second waterway and the rebels. He merely stood there, his mind apparently adrift in a temporal and spatial realm that was teetering on the brink of oblivion.

In the maelstrom of the old man’s chaotic recollections, did the Frost Queen still hold sway over this realm?

Pulling his gaze away, Duncan beckoned Alice, who was similarly deep in her thoughts. Together with Vanna and Morris, they made their way towards the concealed exit.

Soon enough, they emerged above ground, vacated the confines of the “Golden Flute” tavern, and stepped onto the bustling streets of Frost.

As the setting sun inched towards the skyline, its majestic silhouette along with the enigmatic dual-rune circle just touched the tip of several spires of the high city. Visually, it gave an impression as though the towering edifices built by mortal hands were supporting the chains binding the sun, suspending it in the city’s sky.

The onset of dusk signaled the imminent curfew. In response to the stricter curfew rules, the crowd rushed to their homes or the closest “night shelters”. Amidst this flurry, Duncan and his group, who were sauntering nonchalantly, stood in stark contrast.

Nevertheless, they barely garnered attention from the busy crowd.

With a sense of intrigue, Vanna whispered to Duncan as she drew closer to him, “What are your thoughts on this matter?”

Responding with a calm demeanor, Duncan queried, “Are you referring to the origin of the ‘counterfeits’?”

“It’s as if they materialized out of thin air. Neither Morris nor I could find any indications using our investigative techniques, and even you couldn’t uncover any clues,” Vanna concurred with a gentle nod. “We had always operated under the assumption that even these peculiar ‘counterfeits’ would abide by ‘normal’ operational procedures, with a definite source and a discernible course of transmission...”

Duncan eased his pace and tilted his head slightly, probing, “So, are you suggesting that these counterfeits could possibly possess some form of spatial capability, bypassing the bounds of reality to materialize directly at specified locations?”

“That is my hypothesis.”

A silence enveloped Agatha for a moment, her eyes holding an unusual expression. After a pause, she shared, “The cathedral may soon ‘borrow’ a handful of your scholars, specifically those specializing in cryptography and mathematics.”

Lister exhibited surprise, “Why is that?”

Agatha’s face remained impassive, with bandages obscuring half of it, “To unravel the unsavory secret bequeathed by another equally unsavory entity.”

“Seems like your predicaments match mine,” Lister sighed before regaining his composure, “Now, let’s address the crux of the matter. What information do you seek with this unanticipated visit?”

“It’s regarding the city-state’s blockade,” Agatha declared, “Under normal circumstances, the Silent Cathedral wouldn’t intervene in the city-state’s defensive matters. However, the current situation is exceptional, and I can’t ignore my worries.”

“I understand,” Lister nodded in affirmation, “Rest assured, the entirety of Frost is currently under an airtight seal. Should there exist any unsealed regions, considering the colossal Mist Fleet amassed in the adjacent sea, no one would dare to enter or exit. We’ve momentarily suspended all permits for harbor departure and alerted the nearby city-states as well as seafaring vessels to maintain a safe distance from Frost. All requests to dock at the harbor received to date have been denied.”

“That’s comforting, at least the issue won’t exacerbate,” Agatha sighed with visible relief, “And what about Dagger Island?”

“It remains under lockdown until the cathedral provides further ‘expert guidance’,” Lister mentioned with a slightly grave tone, “As of yesterday, the island has been dispatching ‘all is normal’ routine reports. Despite the cessation of material supplies to the island from the city-state and the cutting off of all communication responses, they’ve exhibited no additional reaction.”

“Do not lower your vigilance. The Seagull incident is evidence that the island’s contamination has an inclination to actively spread to the city-state... That ‘entity’ won’t merely comply,” Agatha warned gravely, “The cathedral is amassing a force composed of death priests and combat ascetics, but the unsealing of potent holy relics demands additional time.”

Lister gave a nod of understanding, and it seemed as though he was about to voice another thought when the abrupt sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor halted him.

A harbor soldier appeared in the doorway of the office.

Lister cast his gaze towards the soldier, who expressed distinct urgency, “What’s the matter?”

The soldier stood rigidly, promptly conveying his report, “Sir, a ship slated to dock at Frost hasn’t arrived as scheduled.”

“A delay in arrival? That’s unexpected,” Lister furrowed his brows, “Considering all the routes surrounding the city-state are currently sealed, it’s natural that no ships would be docking.”

“Sir, it’s not a matter of docking—the ship hasn’t appeared at all!” The soldier hastily clarified, “That particular ship was due to arrive today, and we had arranged to dispatch a notification regarding the city-state’s blockade to it. However, it failed to establish any contact. We reached out to Cold Harbor just a while ago, and they verified that the ship had fulfilled its supply replenishment and inspection there without any issues. But mysteriously, it vanished without leaving any trace upon nearing the waters surrounding Frost!”

At this news, Lister’s countenance turned gravely serious. He drew a deep, measured breath, rising from his desk, and pressed, “What’s the name of the missing ship?”

“It’s called ‘The White Oak’!”