Chapter 1287 Blissful Ignorance

Chapter 1287 Blissful Ignorance

Sunny slept like a baby. There were no nightmares haunting his dreams, and when he woke up, his heart felt strangely at peace. He remained motionless for a while, feeling the warmth of Neph's hand resting on the crown of his head. The ketch was moving swiftly across the water, carried by both the wind and the current, and the world around them was dark. It was already night. '...I overslept.'

Nephis should have woken him up. Had she gotten any rest herself?

Turning his head slightly, Sunny looked up and saw her elegant jawline. She was leaning on the wooden side of the ketch, her eyes closed. Her breathing was slow and deep. She was fast asleep. So... no one was keeping watch.

"Don't be upset with the Lady, my Lord."

Sunny flinched slightly and glanced at the stern of the boat, where Ananke was still sitting, holding lightly to the steering oar. Her dark mantle was of the same color as the night sky, making it hard to discern where its folds ended, and the night began. "You both needed rest."

Sunny felt very comfortable laying on Neph's lap, but he had to sit up with a reluctant sigh. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at his shadows, which were all but invisible in the darkness. None of them showed any sign of being concerned, so he judged that the old woman had not tried anything strange while they slept. Even though it would take a few more days for his reserves of essence to be fully replenished, they were not dry anymore. Due to the Shroud of Dusk, he also felt rested and refreshed. However, he was slightly hungry. Sunny hesitated for a few moments, and then asked:

"Say... you wouldn't happen to have more of those little pies?"

Ananke smiled. "There should be a few left in the box. Eat well, my Lord. I made them with care."

Sunny noted that the wooden box was not a Memory that created food, but instead a storage Memory that helped keep supplies fresh. Everything inside must have been prepared by Ananke in anticipation of meeting the Children of Weaver. Opening the lid, he discovered a few leftover pies, as well as more fruit and a couple other simple dishes, all perfectly fresh and preserved. It smelled so wonderful that he remained motionless for a moment, enjoying the fragrance. Misunderstanding his hesitation, the old woman spoke:

Teacher Julius would indeed be beside himself if he learned that Sunny stuffed his belly while an elderly woman starved herself nearby... even if that woman was just a Nightmare inhabitant. More than that, just what kind of fish was she going to catch in the Great River?

Ananke hesitated a little, then took one of the pies with a shaking hand and smiled. "Thank you, my Lord. That is enough."

When he went back to the box, Neph stirred slightly and opened her eyes. She stared at her empty lap for a few moments, then looked at Sunny and blinked a couple of times. Finally, she sniffed the air and turned to the wooden box, guided by the enticing fragrance of the freshly cooked food.

Her eyes glistened.

The two of them had a scrumptious meal while Ananke slowly ate her single pie. The atmosphere inside the ketch was strangely peaceful. It was as though they were sailing on a calm lake instead of the deadly expanse of the Great River, where all kinds of terrifying creatures dwelled.

The water was glowing with soft opalescence, while the sky was impenetrably black. The beautiful vista of the world hidden within the Tomb of Ariel was as dreamlike and mystical as ever.

As Sunny looked at the surface of the water, he suddenly saw its light grow dim. There was... a vast, inconceivable shadow moving somewhere unfathomably deep, below them, blocking off the radiance of the drowned suns with its endless expanse.

For a few moments, a bleak darkness enveloped the entire span of the Great River around the ketch, and then indifferently moved on.

He shivered and looked at Ananke, terror hiding in his lightless eyes. The old woman calmly held the steering oar as she smiled. "Don't worry, my Lord. They can't sense us."

Sunny hesitated for a while, wondering if he should ask who the "they" she spoke of were. ...In the end, he remained silent.

There were things that a person was better off not knowing. Sunny was not sure if he could allow himself the luxury of ignorance... but he decided to enjoy being ignorant still, at least for today.