Chapter 127 Sunset on the City

The Pope's reaction made the Truth Speaker beside him feel somewhat perplexed. He cautiously opened his mouth, "...The entire world won't freeze over just because the sun 'disappears' for a long time. Isn't that good news?"

"From the perspective of this event itself, of course, it's good news," Rune gently shook his head, "But what about the power the sun should possess? What about our understanding and cognition of this world, the 'rules that things should follow'?"

The middle-aged clergyman frowned slightly, suddenly understanding what the Pope was worried about.

"The sun brings light and heat. When the sun rises, the day gradually warms, and when the sun sets, the night gradually cools—if the sunlight is absent long enough, the Boundless Sea will freeze. This is the law of things, as simple as ice melting in fire. But the situation now is... the cooling curve at night seems to be unrelated to the sun," Rune said with a solemn expression, "Do you know what this reminds me of?"

He didn't wait for the middle-aged clergyman's answer, but paused slightly before continuing, "A possessed machine—like an axle that continues to spin after the steam core has cooled, like a difference engine that keeps spitting out paper tape after the gears are jammed. The operation process and the result are gradually separating. Some taken-for-granted laws... are failing."

An unsettling silence fell over the temple. After a long while, the middle-aged clergyman broke the silence, "We should contact the other three Arks..."

"They are also monitoring these changes and probably don't need our reminder," Rune said. "More importantly… has our border fleet departed?"

The middle-aged clergyman immediately nodded, "Yes, they entered the Veil area an hour ago. Contact has not been lost at this time. The fleets of the other three churches have also entered the border from different directions. There have been no casualties, as of yet."

Rune slowly nodded, "...What about the maritime refugee routes?"

Without any concealment or hesitation, the Ghost Ship and the Glimmering Star docked directly on the coastline east of Light Wind Harbor, and Duncan swaggered into the city.

"There are still shops open here!" Shirley said, surprised, as she "looked" at the shops along the roadside. "And people are out and about..."

"We have set up twenty-six gathering points along the major waterways in each sea area, with large cathedral ships and supply ships as the core of each gathering point. Hundreds of ships that cannot return to the city-states in time have responded to the call and are heading to the gathering points for refuge. According to the plan, these refugee ships will then be guided to a 'safe distance' three days' sail from the nearest city-state and will remain there until the end of the night."

"But the actual effectiveness of this maritime 'night shelter' remains to be verified. We don't know what other changes will occur in the night as time goes on. Now, we can only make the greatest possible preparations while also preparing for the worst..."

"Now there are only patrols and guards left," Shirley muttered. She had a black cloth strip covering her eyes to hide her somewhat frightening eyes, but now she suddenly realized that she might not need to be so cautious—after entering the city, she barely saw any figures moving around outside. "It is said that the curfew will last for one or two months."

Rune was first stunned, and then he seemed to sense something. He listened intently, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face, "...They're back."

"You just said that the entire curfew will last for one or two months—during this time, the most basic order of life must be maintained," Morris shook his head. "I think each city-state should have formulated some kind of 'life timetable' based on the upcoming long night, so that everyone has the opportunity to go out for shopping or work during the curfew... Life has to go on."

And in the other half of the city that could not be illuminated by the "sunlight" released by the glowing geometry, there was only a suppressed and suffocating darkness.

The Ghost Ship and the Glimmering Star had returned—on the distant sea shrouded in night, the burning ghostly green flames on the ghost ship were as conspicuous as a lighthouse. The two ships crossed the warning line formed by the church and city-state fleets in the offshore area, and sailed straight towards Light Wind Harbor, and the patrol fleet that had received orders in advance dared not stop them.

Just then, a bell ringing suddenly from not far away interrupted his conversation with the clergyman—bells rang one after another throughout the Ark ship, with an unusual urgency.

Nina grabbed Shirley's hand and followed Duncan and Morris, as they walked through the empty roads inside the port area. She couldn't help but frown.

The city-state was still under curfew. Although, time-wise, it should already be morning, most of the citizens of Light Wind Harbor were following orders and staying at home, except for those who maintained city functions and other special positions. The pale golden "sunlight" radiating from the near sea silently filled the empty streets, making this place like a ghost town in the twilight.

"...It was so lively the last time I was here..."

Listening to Shirley and Morris's conversation, Duncan did not participate. He just looked up at the deserted street ahead and said casually, "I've seen enough... Aiy."

However, after leaving the outer area and entering the more densely populated urban area, there were still sporadic pedestrians hurrying by on the streets, as well as some shops that were opening for business.

Rune listened quietly and nodded gently.

A flame ignited out of thin air, and a skeletal giant bird wrapped in flames circled above everyone's heads, making a strange and sharp cry, "Who is calling for the fleet?"

"Take us to 99 Crown Street," Duncan said.

A stream of fire streaked across the sky above Light Wind Harbor, crossed the city district illuminated by the nearshore "sunlight," and flew straight towards the "Witch's Residence" in the upper city.

This disturbing fiery meteor undoubtedly attracted the attention of many people—but for those who really knew the situation, it was a reassuring... good news.

As soon as the fire landed and the view in front of her stabilized, Lucretia saw the uninvited guests standing at her door.

Helena, with a dignified temperament and wearing a sea-blue robe and skirt, Rune, slightly obese and wearing a scholar's robe, and a bunch of unfamiliar clergymen and scholars—they looked like followers or assistants brought by the two Popes.

They seemed to have been waiting here for a while.

"...Wow," Nina muttered immediately, "Quite a few people came..."

"Not too surprising," Duncan's reaction was calm.

Lucretia's first reaction was to frown. She looked at the "visitors" who appeared at her door, walked forward quickly, without concealing the impatience in her expression, and spoke before the two church leaders could, "I don't like receiving guests—especially so many guests."

Obviously, the witch lady, who had just completed a trip to the border and finally returned home, was very unhappy with the appearance of so many uninvited guests.

Rune, however, did not mind the "Sea Witch's" impolite attitude at all. He seemed to have long understood this witch lady's personality and habits. Hearing this, he waved to the surrounding entourage, "Then you should go back first."

Helena also dismissed the accompanying clergymen and guards, then nodded to Lucretia, "Now there are only two 'guests' here."

Lucretia stared at the two Popes standing at the door, then sighed helplessly, and took two steps to the side, "...Okay, my father is indeed willing to talk to you. Luni, open the door."

The clockwork doll, Luni, immediately walked past everyone, stepped onto the steps, and opened the door. Duncan nodded slightly to Rune and Helena, "Let's go inside and talk."

Bright lights dispelled the darkness, and the temperature of the fireplace dispelled the cold in the night. The mechanical puppets and tin servants left in the mansion had cleaned the place spotlessly before the hostess returned home. Now, hot tea had been placed on the table, and the freshly baked pastries still emitted the heat from the oven.

This bright, warm mansion almost made people forget the disturbing long night outside, and forget that the world was falling apart.

Everyone gathered in the living room. Duncan sat on the sofa in a very casual posture and nodded to Helena and Rune opposite, "I didn't expect you to come here and wait in person—I thought that for people like you, leaving the 'Ark' each time was a very serious and cautious matter."

"We cannot leave the Ark casually without sufficient reason—but meeting with you as soon as possible is itself 'sufficient reason,'" Helena said, "Especially in the current situation."

"What do you want to know now?" Duncan said, "Is it the current state of the world? Or the cause of the apocalypse? Or what will happen in the future?"

Rune and Helena exchanged glances subconsciously.

"We want to know all of these," Rune broke the silence first. He adjusted his sitting posture, leaned his body slightly forward, and his expression seemed particularly solemn, "But first, we want to know what happened on Holy Land Island, and your communication with... the creator of the world."

"We have already received some intelligence, sent by the Tide," Helena added from the side, "But I believe only you know more of the truth."

Duncan pondered slightly and nodded gently.

"Then first, I announce a conclusion to you—this is the premise of everything."

From Duncan's expression and tone, Helena suddenly felt a heavy unease, "Con...clusion?"

"Yes, conclusion—the end of the world is already doomed. Any form of patchwork has reached its end. At most… only limited continuation can be carried out."

Duncan's tone was calm, his voice was not loud, but every word seemed to carry a weight of a thousand pounds.

(End of this chapter)