Valentine, the Bishop, put away the paper depicting the strange emblem.

"None of us recognize this pattern. It likely comes from a rather ancient era, or from a secret society that has never revealed itself," the old Bishop said as he put away the paper. "The archives might contain corresponding records, and I'll also contact some friends in academia to see if they recognize it."

Vanna's gaze returned to Tirian, and she looked at the "pirate captain" with curiosity: "Before your father had those strange, private talks with the 'ascetics,' was there anything else unusual? Like suddenly acquiring mysterious tomes or exploring secret realms?"

"That's hard to say," Tirian shook his head. "You should know that a century ago, he was one of the world's most outstanding explorers. Dealing with all sorts of bizarre relics and secret realms was his daily routine—he was almost constantly in contact with the things you just mentioned. And Lucretia and I were just starting to help our father with some tasks back then, and didn't have much opportunity to learn the details of his 'collection,' and..."

Tirian paused, then sighed softly.

"Besides, Lucretia and I never imagined what would happen later. Those strange 'visitors,' although a bit odd, were nothing out of the ordinary, since Father often received all sorts of strange 'guests.' By the time we realized Father's condition was getting worse and worse, nearly a year had passed since that 'private talk,' and it was impossible to investigate anything."

Vanna nodded slightly. Just then, a loud bell and the sound of a steam whistle came from outside the window, interrupting the conversation in the parlor.

"The evening bell has rung," Bishop Pland looked up at the window and saw the sun, bound by dual runes, gradually sinking into the sea. The silhouette of the Worldscar could still be faintly seen in the sky. "Let's end here for today."

Then he withdrew his gaze and nodded to Tirian: "If you don't mind, you can rest in the cathedral tonight. We also have dinner and undisturbed guest rooms prepared for our guests."

"Thank you very much," Tirian readily accepted, then added, "I plan to stay in that city-state for a few days—a hundred years later, he lived there briefly, and I'm very interested in its changes now."

"Mm."

After a long while, the lens assembly trembled slightly and began to operate. The crystal ball in the center also stopped emitting a faint light. Accompanied by a burst of interference noise, an unclear figure of Luvalentia appeared in the crystal ball: "You're at…"

"Keep watch at the door and don't let anyone disturb us," Tirian ordered his subordinates.

Time was limited and nearing its limit.

Vanna got up from the sofa and nodded to Tirian: "Take them to the guest rooms."

"It's alright, it really is a curse," Tirian sighed. "If Cressy hadn't experienced such a bizarre and strange situation, and we hadn't just mentioned 'me,' I really wouldn't want to recall some things."

That sentence you couldn't understand at the time, now sounds as if it has a thousand and one connections with the "countdown" Tirian mentioned!

This was a simple lens device, consisting of a few large lenses and curved connecting rods, with a small crystal ball placed in the center.

Tirian didn't know what the inquisitor was thinking, but he felt the atmosphere had become quite awkward. However, that awkwardness didn't last long—Vanna took the initiative to break the silence.

"You… border…" Luvalentia's voice came from the crystal ball, crackling with interference, but still barely discernible. "There… environment… interference… getting stronger. I… adjust… Is it better now? Can you hear me clearly?"

"There's been a slight change in the environment there. The spirit world has generated strange fluctuations in the real dimension," the voice in the crystal ball explained. "Is everything alright, brother? The Radiant Star is passing through unstable waters. Surely there's something important…"

"Why ask that?"

"No, Inquisitor," Tirian shook his head, then spoke with a somewhat firm tone, "I just suddenly thought of something you mentioned earlier. You said you'd spoken with my father several times... Besides those conversations, did he ever give you anything else... such as power?"

"Is… my situation not right?" Luvalentia frowned. "He saw me up close?"

"Captain, are you alright?" A trusted sailor looked at his boss with some concern. "You've been looking so serious ever since we came ashore." After a brief silence, Tirian continued: "I've never revealed so much about 'me' to outsiders. I hope you understand that."

"Why is it so blurry?" Tirian frowned. "Where are you right now?"

In a daze, he recalled the moment he last made eye contact with the inquisitor…

"I didn't expect the Inquisitor to lead the way personally," Tirian said casually as he headed to the guest rooms. "That's the greatest honor for a 'pirate.'"

"…'Pirate' is just a convenient identity, making it easy for you to cause trouble for certain people on the frigid seas. And we also need that identity of yours to issue fewer arrest warrants, pretending that we still have some use," Tirian said lightly. "But everything you just mentioned is in the past, Inquisitor."

"He seems quite unrestrained. Captain Tirian," he asked directly, "Do I make you uncomfortable?"

A few seconds earlier, Luvalentia's slightly relieved voice came: "He really encountered the Lost Ship? Is he alright now?"

"…Something's wrong with you," Tirian steadied himself, waved his hand to his men, and walked towards a table not far away. "Bring the things here."

A sailor immediately stepped forward and placed a suitcase brought from the Sea Mist on the table. Tirian opened the suitcase with a key, revealing the items inside.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Tirian suddenly realized that his question might have been a bit jarring to a devout and steadfast saint, and immediately explained, "I just wanted to remind you that my father… the power he brought back from the subspace was very strange and difficult to eliminate. And like the chaotic erosion from the subspace, this power has extreme polluting properties. If you accidentally get contaminated too deeply…"

But in reality, she was thinking that the reminder might have come a little too late—Captain Duncan's influence was more serious than anyone imagined, and now she could only hope that the captain would really knock next time he came looking for her…

"…Not entirely." "This…" Luvalentia opened her mouth, seeming hesitant. "Then, is the one he saw this time your 'father'?"

The corridor came to an end.

"Of course not," Zun Lan smiled. "The Sea Mist is already Cressy's friend. We are always prepared for friends - he can stay there for as long as he likes."

"I'm curious about something," he suddenly asked. "Regarding this 'countdown' that your father mentioned after he went insane… do you know any more information? Did he mention any other details?"

"'Just a pirate'?" Vanna turned her head slightly, a smile on her face. "Your Excellency's identity is not that simple—Son of Duncan, General of the Frostsea King, Commander of the Sea Mist Fleet. If all pirates on the Endless Sea were like that… then we wouldn't need city-state authorities."

"Of course," Vanna nodded slightly. "If I were in your position, I wouldn't be willing to reveal my family's… 'curse' to outsiders either. Sorry, I can't think of another word."

He recalled his last conversation with the young inquisitor, recalling the subtle pressure he felt from her—a belated sense of trepidation that was now spreading.

"Thank you for leading the way," Tirian nodded to Vanna. "I'd like to spend some time with my men now."

Vanna noticed the strangeness in him.

"You're in Cressy now," Tirian said bluntly. "The Sea Mist was heavily damaged in the battle with the Lost Ship, and the situation in that city-state seems a bit off."

Vanna suddenly stopped.

Crystal ball

The figure on the other side was stunned.

Considering that the young inquisitor had recently communicated with "that person" several times, Tirian even developed some terrifying speculations about that indescribable pressure.

As he spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept across Vanna's eyes. The next second, he lowered his gaze involuntarily.

When asking that question, what Vanna recalled in her heart was her previous communication with the Storm Goddess Gomona, and those incomprehensible words that the goddess conveyed to her—

Vanna woke up from her thoughts, still resonating with what Tirian had just said, and subconsciously nodded, bidding farewell to the little pirate.

At that moment, he actually felt like he was standing under "Father's" gaze!

Ending that solitary meeting, Tirian left the parlor with Vanna, and joined several accompanying sailors who were resting in a distant room. The group walked towards the depths of the cathedral.

The door to the guest room closed, and only after it was quiet did Tirian truly breathe a sigh of relief.

That subtle pressure appeared once again, even more pronounced than what he had felt on the docks earlier.

"Thank you for the reminder," Vanna took a deep breath and thanked him sincerely.

"…To be honest, I got a beating, but I'm doing okay now," Tirian said in a low voice. "The problem is… something seems wrong with 'me.'"

After a few seconds of silence, he said in a deep voice, "In his last days, he suddenly said something to Luvalentia: 'Your world is just a pile of fading embers.'"

After the sailors left, I focused on the crystal ball and gently adjusted the angle of one of the lenses, calling out loudly, "Luvalentia."

Tirian met Vanna's gaze.

The interference finally disappeared, and Luvalentiya's figure gradually became clearer.