Chapter 502: Going South

Tyrian felt a foreign word reverberate in his ears, its peculiar cadence utterly alien and its syntax rigid, unlike any language he had previously encountered.

In a state of bewilderment, he found his gaze dropping to the document in his hands, his eyes fixating on the image of a spherical rock that was meticulously rendered with a sophisticated stroke of the brush. He took a moment to process what he had heard before he finally looked up and inquired, “Father? Could you repeat what you said? The moon... is that the name of this object? Do you recognize this mysterious sphere?”

However, Duncan appeared to be lost in his own world, his eyes transfixed on the sketched representation of the moon on the parchment. Its likeness seemed uncannily familiar to him, causing him to ignore Tyrian until his son reiterated his question.

The sudden repetition seemed to snap him back to reality. He looked at Tyrian and hastily inquired, “What did you mention about Lucretia?”

“Er... these are the details she dispatched from the Bright Star,” Tyrian answered, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Duncan’s unusual demeanor unsettled him, but under his father’s overpowering gaze, he divulged all he knew.

Lucy had discovered a mysterious luminous object in the border region some time ago. Since then, she has been meticulously analyzing it. The intriguing sphere was the central part of the celestial debris. Tyrian narrated the entire saga, covering every tiny detail, from the scholars in Wind Harbor’s current assessment that the fallen celestial object originated from Vision 001, to their ongoing investigation into the stony sphere, including the challenges they had faced.

Throughout Tyrian’s recounting, Duncan remained silent. He listened attentively, his grave demeanor placing immense pressure on Tyrian. It was as if he intended to imprint each word deeply into his memory, dissecting each syllable multiple times to fully understand its implications.

After about ten minutes, the domed office descended into silence once more.

Duncan remained quiet for an extended period, finally letting out a soft sigh just before the tension in the room reached its peak. He asked, “Why didn’t you inform me about this sooner?”

“Lucy wished to touch base with you once she had made some headway in her research. But, more crucially... we were dealing with Frost’s crisis at the time.”

After a brief pause, Duncan felt his heartbeat slowing down. Upon hearing Tyrian’s explanation, he finally gave a slight nod of agreement, “This object is currently in Wind Harbor, correct?”

“Er... yes,” Tyrian replied, nodding quickly. He felt his lips growing parched and his anxiety escalating as he watched the subtle changes in his father’s expression. After several bouts of hesitation, he couldn’t help but ask once more, “Do you recognize this mystifying sphere?”

“It’s referred to as the moon, or at least it resembles it. However, the moon I am familiar with is not ten meters in diameter, nor does it have the ability to float on the sea and be hauled back to a city-state by a ship using a steel cable,” Duncan responded, speaking slowly and thoughtfully.

“Perhaps this is merely an artificial construct mimicking the lunar form, or potentially it could be an artifact from the ancient realm of Crete...” His voice trailed off abruptly. A vast paradox and disarray of thoughts whirled within his mind, inhibiting him from forming a cogent hypothesis about the current circumstance. Nonetheless, one undeniable truth stood out to him.

The illustration on the parchment clasped in Tyrian’s hands was unmistakably the moon, regardless of whether the stone sphere that Lucretia discovered in the sea was the ‘authentic’ moon or a man-made airborne object, created by the Crete kingdom as an imitation of the moon.

A question persisted: Why was the lunar image he knew so well materializing here? What was its purpose in this peculiarly warped alternate reality?

Amid his swirling thoughts, he furrowed his brows, addressing Tyrian: “You just mentioned... the scholars of Wind Harbor confirmed that the mysterious luminous object plummeted from the rune circle of Vision 001?”

“Yes. They had affirmed the resemblance of the gap in the solar rune circle,” Tyrian responded.

Promptly, another query arose, “You stated it’s named the moon... so what exactly is this ‘moon’?”

Duncan hesitated, suddenly finding himself at a loss for the appropriate words to define such a rudimentary term for Tyrian.

After a moment’s thought, he blurted out, “It’s a planet...”

“In any event, don’t take her previous statement to heart.” Duncan advised helplessly, then turned to Nina, “Rest assured, nothing is amiss.”

Nina made a playful face, but her expression still held a trace of worry.

“Uncle Duncan, what’s happening? You seldom appear so troubled...”

For a moment, Duncan didn’t know how to address the girl’s question. In his mind’s eye, he was still viewing the image from Tyrian’s office, along with the unusual sphere that Lucretia had ‘collected’ from the sea. He raised his hand to soothe his slightly throbbing brow, but the next moment, he paused and observed the young girl before him instead.

This tranquil, gentle, impeccably behaved miniature sun encapsulated within a young girl’s form was standing there quietly, her face etched with concern for him.

Duncan felt as though he could perceive directly the radiant remnants left in the wake of a star’s explosion, the dazzling flows of plasma that once coursed through the cosmos... The small sun tilted her head and extended a hand, gently tracing Duncan’s furrowed brow as if intending to smooth out the entrenched lines.

“Uncle Duncan, are you truly alright?”

Duncan remained silent. He softly captured Nina’s hand, placing it upon his forehead, then slowly exhaled. He had come to understand something more. Behind the imposing veil of reality, the world had once again divulged a fragment of its truth to him. However, he had no one to share this piece of truth with.

“Don’t fret, everything is fine, Nina.” He spoke at a measured pace, his demeanor gradually reverting to its usual calm, “I’m grappling with some issues that are currently challenging to elucidate to you. Once they’re resolved, I’ll provide an explanation.”

Nina paid close attention, subsequently nodding with fervor: “Okay.”

“Excellent, let’s return to the cabin first. We’ll have to set off shortly, but before we do, we need to make a slight detour to the Mist Fleet’s base. We have a delivery for Tyrian...”

Back at the governor’s dome office in Frost, the crystal ball steadily brightened with a gentle hum, allowing the figure of the ‘Sea Witch’ to materialize within the faint light.

“Brother?” Lucretia peered curiously at the scene, “Have you concluded your work there? Did everything proceed without hitches?”

“If you’re referring to the inauguration ceremony, it concluded this morning. Everything proceeded without a hitch.” Tyrian spoke, his expression growing somewhat complex, “But the reason for my call pertains to something else.”

Lucretia’s brows furrowed: “Something else?”

“Two matters,” Tyrian paused briefly, then began to speak as he poured a drink, “Firstly, I’ve procured the spirit lens you requested. I’ve managed to secure the highest-quality, most precise lens apparatus available through the city-state’s legal channels.”

Lucretia’s face within the crystal ball instantly lit up with delight: “Ah, that’s splendid. You’re truly dependable. What’s the second matter?”

“Guess who will be delivering the lens to you?”

“Is it your transport ship?” Tyrian remained silent, causing Lucretia’s expression to gradually shift, “It’s your transport ship, isn’t it?”

Tyrian continued his silence.

A realization dawned upon Lucretia. “It’s Father...?”

“Correct.”