Deep Sea Embers

Every day, before noon, Fanna would pass through the atrium of the Purand Cathedral and follow the path between the flower beds to the church. Seventeen steps—these steps have been a part of her life since she became the Inquisitor of this city.

She is familiar with everything in this church, every floor tile from the atrium to the church, as if she is familiar with her own hands.

For many days and nights in the past, she never imagined that this short road would be so...difficult and long.

The door of the sanctuary opened, and the too bright sunlight was left behind. After adapting to the slightly dim indoor environment, Fanna saw two figures standing in front of the goddess statue in the center of the room.

The skylight shone down through the tall stained glass windows, spreading a layer of glow on the statue of the goddess. Archbishop Valentine and Pope Helena turned their eyes at the same time, watching the judge who was entering the room in the sunlight .

"You're here," Helena nodded lightly, "one minute later than agreed."

"Sorry." Fan Na stepped forward, bowed her head slightly under the goddess statue, and then looked at the Pope. "The handover work with the subordinates was delayed for a few minutes."

"It's okay." Helena nodded lightly, then glanced at Valentine next to her, "I have already told Bishop Valentine about your matter, and he will help you with the handover and Arrangements, you don’t have to worry about the city-state side. Your uncle has also received news, and he understands the church’s arrangements—but I still hope that you will have a good talk with him in the future, so that he can dispel some worries about the future.”

Even though she thought she had made a lot of psychological preparations, after hearing these words from the Pope, Fan Na still couldn't help but feel a jump in her heart.

A feeling of indistinguishable dream or reality surged into her heart, making her feel a little dazed for a while. She tried to grasp this mood accurately, but finally found that all her emotions were actually just this emotion—ah, it really happened up.

But she was suddenly a little confused, and even felt absurd. Looking at the Pope in front of her, she couldn't help saying: "You really want to send me to the Lost Country—of course, I don't doubt your decision, I just I suddenly feel... this is not a child's play, we must at least understand the attitude of that 'Captain Duncan', will he really let a high-ranking priest take that ship casually?"

Fan Na felt that her wording was a little messy, but she still tried her best to straighten out her thoughts, and continued: "It happened suddenly yesterday, and I felt something was wrong after I went back. The Lost Homeland is not an open area that can be entered casually. ', how are you going to..."

"Ah, you finally realized this question," Helena smiled and shook her head, "I thought you wouldn't remember to 'ask for directions' until you set off."

Fanna's eyes widened in surprise, and then she saw Helena take out a piece of rolled parchment from her side, and handed it over with a smile.

Fan Na took the paper roll in doubt, unfolded it carefully, glanced at the words on it, and her expression gradually became exciting——

"The Church of the Deep Sea, all the servants of Gemona are informed... Now accepting one of your staff who needs to be transferred due to work, and temporarily arrange it to the combat position of this ship... The on-the-job treatment is the same as that of a first-class crew member, and the salary and various consumption expenses of this personnel It is still paid by your organization, and the payment method is...

Captain of the Lost Home, Duncan Abu Normar, signed Vision-Prand, December 19, 1900. "

In addition to the handwritten signature at the end of the document, there is also a striking red seal.

Fanna: "..."

The young judge looked a little dazed. She looked down at the personnel transfer acceptance letter in her hand, and then looked up at the Pope in front of her. After looking back and forth several times, her eyes fell on Bishop Valentine.

"Don't look at me," Valentine said blankly, "I didn't expect this either."

Fan Na felt her lips tremble a little: "The signature on it..."

"It's true," Helena said lightly, "The seal is also true. If you go to the city-state archives to find it, you can even find the old archives of the Lost Country when it was resupplying at the Port of Pland a century ago. On it have the same seal and signature."

Fan Na listened in a daze. She opened her mouth, as if she still had something to say, but Helena interrupted her first: "You have to admit, this is very reasonable."

"I..." Fan Na raised her finger and pointed at herself, then raised the parchment in her hand, and finally said after a while, "But isn't this a bit too reasonable?! And when did you..."

"Just yesterday," Helena said solemnly, with a happy smile hidden in her eyes, "I discussed your entry process with Captain Duncan in detail. We always believe that this should be a formal and contractual transfer of personnel. Official documentation is required."

The female pope paused for a while when she said this, and seeing the tangled expression on Fan Na's face, she could not help but smile and spread her hands: "Otherwise? Fan Na? How do you think we will send you to the homeless?" Lit a few bonfires, painted blasphemous symbols on the ground, and then tied you to a stake and sacrificed there? Like some dark heretics sacrificed tied girls to Aya in a damp cave Space like that?

"Fan Na, we are an orthodox church, and we follow the formal process."

The corners of Fan Na's mouth trembled, and she said that she really didn't think about the details of the "handover" of this personnel at the beginning. When she was reminded by the other party at this time, she realized the rationality of the document in front of her, but because the process was too Makes sense and feels like the whole thing is evil.

All her apprehensive imaginations about her future were shattered at this moment—she even suspected that she would see a sumptuous staff meal on the Lost Home, and there would even be a deck barbecue after the formal dinner... …

That's Homeless! Lost Country!

All the weirdness in Fanna's eyes was noticed by Helena.

"Okay, now that you have seen the document, you must have dispelled the last worry," the female pope said with a smile, "go to rest first, and do some preparations before departure - there are some more detailed contents on the back of this document , including the specific handover time and handover method, you can go back and have a look.”

In this way, Fan Na was sent out of the church in a daze.

After the young judge left, the church fell silent for a while, and it took another two minutes for Valentine's voice to break the silence: "Actually, I'm curious."

Helena turned her head slightly: "What are you curious about?"

"What happened that made you suddenly decide to send Fanna aboard the Lost Country?" Valentine said with a slightly serious expression, "I know your reason, and that reason is indeed tenable, but the whole thing is in the It seems to me... a bit too hasty, you seem to be eager to establish contact with that 'Captain Duncan', and you didn't even make enough preparations, what happened?"

"You are a perceptive person, Valentine, you have always been," Helena quietly looked at the old bishop who had been loyal to the church for many years, and then sighed, "Actually, this matter will not be resolved soon. It's a secret, it won't matter if I tell you now."

She paused, and then said slowly: "Do you still remember the 'warning' that Captain Duncan sent through Fanna not long ago?"

"Warning?" Valentine frowned slightly, and quickly thought of something, "You mean, about Vision 001..."

"The elven city-state 'Lightwind Harbor' near the border has recently received disturbing news," Helena nodded and said, "The 'Sea Witch' Lucrezia sent them a gift, you guessed it? What?"

Valentin was startled, thinking of the details revealed by the Pope just now, he vaguely realized the truth, and the expression on his face instantly brightened: "Could it be...something really fell from the sky?"

"A piece of luminous body falling from the sky, pale golden in color, a geometric body larger than the Cathedral of Storms," ​​Helena said, "Although there is no clear evidence to prove that it is the fragment that fell off from Vision 001, but... ..."

Helena didn't go on, just shook her head.

Valentine listened dumbfounded, and after an unknown amount of time, he squeezed out a few syllables: "...Goddess."

"There is something wrong with our world, the situation is more serious than imagined, and the Lost Country is the only voice that has issued a warning to the civilized world so far-and this warning has been confirmed," Helena said slowly, "This is Captain Duncan's initiative to convey goodwill. No matter how terrible the ship was, we must respond now. After all... this time it is not a certain city-state that is crumbling, but the sun above our heads."

"...Will Fanna really be able to complete this task?" Valentine dispelled his previous doubts, but worried about another thing, "She is actually a bit reckless, not very good at...delicacy Careful interpersonal, if we were to send an envoy 'on board', she would not be the best person."

"We don't decide the best candidate, Valentine." Helena shook her head.

She turned and gazed silently at the icon of the Storm Goddess Gomona.

"The chess players determine the position of the pieces as early as the beginning."

(The whole family was infected, and finally even the four elderly people on both sides became positive. Fortunately, everything was safe in the end.

I recovered for a few days after I turned negative, and now the situation is much better, but I am still coughing, and tired and lethargic. I heard that this will last for a long time, but I think it is not a big problem. Now I can guarantee to write a chapter every day, occasionally I am in good condition and can write two chapters, so I will double update today.

But this double update is still unstable, and I can only write one more chapter if conditions permit, so you don’t have to wait every day, I will try my best, try my best...)