WCBD CH136

Chapter 136: The Approaching Storm

They had departed from Lamifa City on February 22nd. Now, twelve days had passed, yet they still hadn’t arrived in Bethune.

The sheer distance of the journey left everyone exhausted. Therefore, after leaving the train station, guide Isaac Cobden first led them to a hotel to rest, while translator Johnny Hoyt went with Professor Bella to purchase boat tickets to Bethune.

The hotel they were heading to wasn’t far from the train station, only about five hundred meters. Yet, in this short five hundred meters, Siles felt an overwhelming wave of exotic atmosphere.

An unfamiliar city, an unfamiliar language, unfamiliar people. The Kingsley locals coming and going all had slightly dark skin and incredibly strong arms, regardless of whether they were men or women.

Siles noticed some casting wary and cold glances. He realized that Middleton’s xenophobia was indeed quite obvious.

However, after guide Isaac made a gesture—something akin to touching his chest and then pointing towards the sea—and simultaneously said a sentence, the expressions of the passing residents improved significantly, even bordering on friendly.

Lorenzo curiously asked what that meant. Isaac explained that the sentence meant they were tourists from a foreign country who deeply respected the sea.

The others immediately understood. Chester also asked curiously, “Then, can we say this sentence?”

“No,” Isaac replied immediately. “Never try to say this sentence.”

Lorenzo, who had already been attempting to repeat the phrase, stopped immediately upon hearing Isaac’s words, looking at him in surprise.

Isaac explained, “Middleton is indeed a highly xenophobic country, which is why a guide and translator must accompany you. We have to introduce you to the residents of Middleton before they will adopt a friendly attitude.”

As he spoke, he looked towards the distance, in the direction of the sea. He stared silently for a moment, then looked around before adding, “I just introduced you to them, so to speak. News of your arrival will quickly be known by more residents, so you won’t need to worry about being targeted or spoken to harshly later. Of course, you can’t just wander around aimlessly either.

“The belief in the sea is deeply rooted here. If you do something offensive, it’s highly likely to bring about a bloody disaster. That’s all I can say. Of course, generally speaking, people are still very friendly.”

However, that last sentence felt somewhat pale. Everyone looked thoughtful, while simultaneously feeling the unique temperament of Middleton.

They walked along the road by the sea until they reached the hotel. It was a somewhat old building, but the interior decorations were quite pretty and fashionable, even though Kingsley overall wasn’t as prosperous or bustling as Lamifa City.

Siles observed the city thoughtfully. He found that, just as Chendo had said, Middleton’s urban construction wasn’t as advanced as Konst’s. Many facilities here appeared old, such as exposed water pipes. Of course, this didn’t affect their function or aesthetics, but the difference in developmental levels between the two sides was obvious.

Isaac booked a room for everyone. It was evident the owner became much friendlier due to this unexpected business. They confirmed their respective room numbers and went to their rooms.

Siles’s room happened to face the ocean. Setting his luggage down, he breathed a slight sigh of relief, then walked to the window to gaze at the distant sea.

From this angle, the sea didn’t look beautiful, or at least, not very clean. Murky seawater and dirt from the shore had mixed into what should have been clear water. Further out, grayish-black fog faintly loomed on the horizon, adding a sense of oppression to his heart.

Suddenly, Siles noticed another mass of dark clouds. They looked incredibly heavy and were already faintly covering the ocean on the right side, seemingly not far from Kingsley.

…Is a storm approaching?

Soon after, translator Johnny and Professor Bella also arrived at the hotel. They returned empty-handed, bringing some not-so-good news.

The Feliou Sea in winter was full of uncertainties, and they had just happened to encounter one: a storm. Recently, storms of varying sizes had been frequenting the Feliou Sea.

They would have to stay in Kingsley for a day or two because, under these weather conditions, no captain would choose to sail. They couldn’t buy boat tickets, nor would they dare embark on the journey themselves at this time.

“Then, when will the storm pass?” Lorenzo couldn’t help but ask.

Johnny shook his head, a hint of worry in his voice. “Maybe tomorrow, maybe never.”

Everyone was stunned.

Isaac scratched his head and explained, “Johnny is quoting a common saying in the Middleton language. It means life is forever trapped in a storm, and all we can do is strive hard.”

Lorenzo realized what he meant. “So, this saying is actually positive.”

Chester, however, said faintly, “But we can’t fight a storm on the ocean.”

The others laughed.

The atmosphere didn’t sink because of this, as everyone was already mentally prepared when they embarked on this journey. Or rather, the blizzard at the very start of the trip had already given them a slight foreboding feeling.

Siles stood there silently, his fingers subconsciously tracing Ligadia’s amulet. A cloud of gloom hung over his heart, though he couldn’t say he was extremely worried.

They had dinner at this hotel—a highly delicious seafood feast bursting with Middleton flavors. The guide and translator both seemed to recall childhood memories, showing nostalgic expressions, while the people from Konst could only repeatedly praise its deliciousness.

Someone even lamented, “What will we do when we return to Lamifa City and can’t eat such fresh seafood!”

They all laughed, sharing the sentiment.

Their group wasn’t the only one staying at this hotel; there were a few other travelers. Siles surprisingly spotted the merchant Ambrose among them.

He still looked fraught with worry, eating his dinner absentmindedly. Most likely, after arriving in Kingsley that afternoon, he hadn’t received good news and was now trapped here by the storm.

As he left the restaurant, Siles made a point to greet him, given their conversation on the train. Ambrose looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting to run into Siles again.

“Mr. Noel, I remember you were planning to head to Bethune, weren’t you?” he asked.

“Yes,” Siles replied. “We originally planned to take a boat, but now a storm is coming, so I guess we’ll have to stay in Kingsley for a while.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Ambrose showed a look of surprise, while also glancing at Siles somewhat hesitantly.

Siles’s heart stirred. “Have you encountered a problem?”

Ambrose fell silent for a moment. In the end, he shook his head and didn’t disclose his situation. He maintained this silence, so Siles was powerless to help.

“Then I wish you all the best,” Siles said.

“Thank you.” Ambrose forced a smile.

Siles suspected the problem he encountered was related to his business, but this seemed difficult to discuss. Could the fleet Ambrose hired have run into some trouble?

Siles guessed internally but couldn’t reach an answer. Soon, he returned to his room.

After several days of train travel, taking a hot shower safely in his room made Siles feel incredibly comfortable. However, when he stood by the window drying his hair and looked at the scenery outside, he suddenly realized the storm was already very close.

The hotel staff knocked on their doors, reminding them one by one to securely lock their doors and windows when sleeping tonight, to keep their lights off to prevent heavy rain from invading the rooms, and to sleep early so they wouldn’t be kept awake by the noise of the wind and rain. Furthermore, guests could rest assured; this building was sturdy enough and wouldn’t be destroyed by the storm.

Despite the staff’s mundane tone, when Siles opened his door and noticed his companions’ expressions in the nearby rooms, he unsurprisingly found that the people from Konst were a bit dumbfounded.

Who could have expected that on their very first night in a foreign country, they would face a storm from the distant ocean?

The sky gradually turned pitch black, though it was hard to say if it was due to the night or the dark clouds. The wind grew stronger and stronger. The howling gales, accompanied by dense raindrops, quickly battered this port city.

Siles gazed far away at the brightly lit port. Some ships had returned to port before the storm hit, but there were still some ships appearing in a rush only now.

After the final ship returned to port, the lights of Kingsley Port suddenly went out.

Siles froze, and then suddenly, as if drawn by something, he looked towards the distant ocean.

He saw densely packed, continuously rolling dark clouds. The dark clouds contrasted with the fog not far away, making it impossible to tell which was which for a moment. Lightning occasionally flashed, abruptly illuminating that area, seemingly even illuminating the scene within the fog.

Siles narrowed his eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then took out his potion from his pocket and took a sip. Following that, he pinned on the [Silent Heart] brooch and simultaneously put on [Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame].

He looked toward that area.

An opportunity like this wouldn’t come twice. He knew this was a dangerous attempt, but after all, the lightning in the storm had illuminated the scene within the fog—this was an excellent chance. Nobody knew when the storm would strike again, and by then, they might have already left Kingsley long ago. So ultimately, Siles chose to utilize this opportunity.

He looked over.

He saw rolling clouds and fog, dense raindrops, and terrifying gales. He saw an isolated island, a crowd of people, and an altar. He saw severed hands, tragic blood, and wailing people. He saw…

He saw a god!

Siles abruptly snapped back to reality, almost subconsciously taking a sharp breath.

The dice’s dense notification sound rang in his ears.

[Knowledge +2.]
[You need to make a Will check.]
[Will: 93 (+2) (+1) / 96, Success.]
[Do not look towards the ocean when a storm comes; this is an ancient Middleton saying. There are always many ways to interpret this saying. Regardless, you didn’t know this saying anyway. But Will is your most powerful weapon, so congratulations, you escaped disaster.]

Siles lowered his gaze, then took off [Akamara’s Eyeglass Frame]. His restored, clear vision only held the ongoing storm and rain. No one knew a sacrifice was taking place on that isolated island in the ocean, and no one knew…

And no one knew that god had truly responded.

Siles closed his eyes.

The scene continued to replay continuously in his mind. The silent isolated island, the reveling crowd, the overflowing blood, and that entity sitting high above in the sky…

A shadow.

Unknowingly, the room had completely darkened. Siles snapped back to reality and walked to the door. Just as he was about to turn on the room’s light, he hesitated, feeling that the scene from earlier had instilled some wariness in him.

He couldn’t help but recall what the wandering poet Aldous Gershwin had once said: “Under the light, there must be shadows.”

…So he slightly didn’t want to turn on the light.

Thus, he simply took two steps back, sat on the bed, and thought silently in the pitch black.

He actually found it very difficult to describe the scene he had just witnessed. It should be said that the part about the sacrifice happening in the ocean was very clear, but the part about the god seemed to only be a “perception” in some sense, rather than truly seeing it—just like how he had seen the wails hidden within the fine Stardust at the Stardust mine.

But it was indeed a shadow.

If there truly was a way to describe this entity’s existence, then Brewer Darrow’s words were actually quite fitting: the chaotic lines high in the sky, the thing hiding in the dark clouds.

That was exactly… that was exactly the “Shadow.” That god.

The Shadow still existed, and was always influencing this world in some way. Believers in the Shadow still existed in this world… and their stories were similarly preserved in some way.

Siles thought for a moment, deciding to analyze it bit by bit.

An isolated island in the ocean. People on the island severing their own hands to make sacrifices.

Since he set out on this Middleton trip, up until he arrived in Kingsley, he had already learned of some tales related to this matter through various means.

For instance, during the fireside chat event in Maltz, Herd Dryson had mentioned his family’s past of migrating from the north to the south. He mentioned that the wise man in the village told them to head out to find an isolated island in the sea. That isolated island would be a northern paradise. At the same time, the Dryson family truly found that isolated island in the sea, although they left later.

From this perspective, did the Dryson family share the same belief as the people Siles had just seen making sacrifices on the isolated island? Or did their act of leaving the island happen to signify cutting ties with these people?

Just as Siles had always thought, the Dryson family’s stance determined the true intent behind that secret family letter, and also determined how Siles would handle the matter.

Another thing worth mentioning was that, also during that fireside chat event, a man from Middleton mentioned his father’s experience. And in that experience, this group of people sacrificing on the isolated island made an appearance.

This indicated that the existence of this group of people wasn’t entirely unknown; it was just that very few people could actually encounter them. In that case, this situation had highly likely been continuing for a considerable amount of time.

A similar conclusion could be drawn from another piece of circumstantial evidence: the seaside fishermen story regarding Cynthia mentioned by the boy Hal Goss in the dream. The seaside fishermen kept fishing until the fish were nearly extinct, so Cynthia stopped them from continuing to do so. Afterward, this group of fishermen chose to nourish the ocean with their own flesh and blood.

This approach seemed somewhat bizarre. Also, in Hal’s story, Cynthia merely stopped them from continuing to fish madly; she didn’t directly tell them to conduct this kind of sacrificial activity. Therefore, whether the spread of this bloody trend was truly related to Cynthia was also highly questionable.

In those three stories, Cynthia appeared as a maintainer of order. Siles wasn’t quite sure exactly what methods she would employ when maintaining this balance and order.

In any case, the story told by Hal mentioned those fishermen severing their own hands and throwing them into the sea. This was incredibly similar to the scene Siles had just witnessed.

…This was an out-and-out blood sacrifice.

If that mysterious Mr. Dryson wrote the letter to his family to get Herd Dryson involved in such activities as well, then how was this matter related to the events that occurred at the House of Hales?

Siles pondered this question. Because he realized that, when faced with this secret family letter, the Dryson family members in Lamifa City were caught completely off guard. They hadn’t expected this to happen themselves, which was why they kicked Hurd out of the house after arguing fiercely all night.

In other words, they hadn’t encountered this matter for many years either—regardless of whether it was truly related to the sacrifice in the sea—but now, the events at the House of Hales had become a trigger.

And the events at the House of Hales were merely related to Hoodoka and Menavaca. It seemed entirely impossible to connect them to any matters regarding the sacrifice in the sea.

…Could it be because of the sky? Siles wondered.

Because the “Shadow” he had just seen was located high above in the sky. And Hoodoka was once a highly arrogant god; He similarly positioned Himself high above in the sky, making His believers grovel beneath His temple.

However, even if the imagery matched, what was the essential commonality between the two?

Siles remained completely baffled.

He reviewed the information he had gathered along the way once more, suddenly recalling a thing that had been repeatedly mentioned: shadows beneath the sea.

During the fireside chat, Fred Dudley, the initiator of the event, mentioned meeting an old man who embarked on a journey to the northern sea because of his yearning for the ocean. When he arrived at the seaside city, he wanted to end his life due to physical ailments. But when he truly stepped into the freezing seawater, he suddenly saw a shadow beneath the sea surface. That terrified and unsettled him immensely, causing him to immediately abandon his suicidal thoughts.

Not long ago, when Siles was discussing some of Kingsley’s legends with the merchant Ambrose on the train, the merchant mentioned that some sailors would claim to have seen shadows beneath the sea surface.

And now, Siles knew there indeed was a “Shadow” existing in the sky above the ocean. But one was above the sea surface, and one was beneath it…

Wait, above and below?

Siles suddenly realized—a reflection!

The essential meaning of “stars falling onto the sea” was “shadows reflecting on the sea.” Because, “under the light, there must be shadows.”

…So, it’s the “Shadow” high in the sky reflecting on the sea surface, appearing as though it’s beneath the sea. People were lucky enough not to look directly at the “Shadow”; they didn’t meet the god, they merely saw the god’s reflection.

Siles had just seen the god. Even though it was merely a glimpse, he consequently had to make that Will check.

A target number of 96. Even with the addition of the [Silent Heart] ritual, Siles’s current Will stat was only 95. It was the commendation ceremony held at the History Society previously that gave his Will a continuous +1 bonus, which was why he could succeed on this Will check.

This point also couldn’t help but make Siles feel lingering fear. Moreover, the number 96 was already within the range of a critical failure on a check. If his check this time hadn’t succeeded, it would have been a direct critical failure. This made Siles feel even more unsettled.

The important thing was, this wasn’t his first time encountering a Will check related to a god.

Once, in the deep-sea dreams, he had looked at the rotting stars in the dream without any wariness, and thus encountered a Will check. The required target number for the Will check at that time was 95.

That should be the Will stat corresponding to the God of Stars and Light, Lusmi (at least it could serve as a reference).

But now, the Will stat of this mysterious shadow was actually higher than Lusmi’s!

From this perspective, if Lusmi faced the “Shadow” and then made a Will check, the result He would get would be…

A critical failure.

A god’s critical failure.

Furthermore, if the “Shadow reflects on the sea,” then as the god of the ocean, wouldn’t Amois be affected?

Siles subconsciously pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself down a bit. He seemed to have learned some incredibly important information, but from another perspective, these matters were all supplements to the past.

The “Shadow” still existed, and a group of people who believed in the “Shadow” still existed.

His reckless glance at the scene in the storm this time ultimately yielded these two pieces of information, corresponding to his two increased points of Knowledge. And this similarly meant… the dice saying it hoped he would save this world was highly likely related to the “Shadow.”

…Fight against the Shadow?

Siles pondered this question. In the end, he truly couldn’t think of any possible course of action, and could only amuse himself with a dry joke: If you turn off the light, wouldn’t there be no shadows?

Like now, with him in the darkness, of course no shadows of any kind could exist. Darkness and shadows were not the same thing.

He was lost in deep thought. Time ticked away bit by bit without him realizing it at all. It wasn’t until the chill of the night finally seeped into his hands and feet that he snapped back to reality, standing up to stretch a bit.

Siles walked to the window, his gaze fixed on the pitch-black sky outside. He thought the ordinary people of this world probably wouldn’t know a god was still operating in secret.

…However, reflecting on it, he seemed to have subconsciously ruled out the possibility that Antinam was the Shadow. Everyone knew Antinam was the sole god of the present world, yet they knew absolutely nothing about the “Shadow.”

Was the “Shadow” truly an unknown god?

Judging solely by the dice’s attitude, this seemed to be the case. However, he hadn’t managed to get any confirmation from the dice either. Siles somewhat wanted to make a check right then to call the dice out and ask.

But considering that the sacrifice not far away was highly likely still ongoing, Siles ultimately abandoned this idea out of caution.

Since Antinam could sense the dice’s appearance when it manifested in reality, who was to say whether the “Shadow” could do the same?

Siles had just engaged in an invisible clash with It, winning purely thanks to a Will stat that was inexplicably high. Siles certainly wasn’t willing to risk exposing the dice’s existence again.

The storm raged on. Siles stopped thinking about it. He washed up in the dark, drew the curtains, and quickly fell asleep.

While on the train, he hadn’t visited the deep-sea dreams. He had originally planned to go tonight to see if anything new had happened and to contact Chendo. However, since he bumped into this incident tonight, Siles cautiously chose to postpone his visit to the deep-sea dreams by a day as well. He didn’t want to take any risks.

Before falling asleep, a vague thought drifted through his mind: since his Will stat was already so high, did that mean he could be considered a god?

The question troubled Siles slightly because he felt he could absolutely not be called a god. Even with a high Will, a god’s power obviously wasn’t limited to Will. For instance, the wondrous paradise of the gods, the incredible application of power—Siles possessed none of these.

If he was the God of Fate, then indeed, things related to fate were happening around him—coincidences, or whatever else. But he still couldn’t actively wield this power. Compared to Akamara’s power, he was already capable of utilizing Her basic abilities, yet he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of what the power of fate actually was.

…So, I can’t be called a god yet. More like… a god in training?

Then perhaps Chendo is too, he thought.

These thoughts merely flashed through his mind. When he woke up the next morning, he had pretty much forgotten them. Broad daylight shone outside, and he pulled open the curtains to look out the window.

The storm had ceased.

It was still early, only six-thirty. The morning sunlight seemed incredibly lazy, shining weakly upon the land that had just been battered by the wind and rain. People were already bustling in the streets, busy with their respective affairs.

Siles noticed the lights at Kingsley Port were on again. However, no ships were entering or leaving. Perhaps it was too early, or perhaps it was because…

Because of the storm? He wondered.

Was this storm truly just an ordinary ocean storm? Or did the storm occur because of that sacrifice, because of the appearance of the “Shadow”?

It was hard for him to reach an answer; he only felt it was too coincidental. The first day he arrived in Kingsley, a storm struck, forcing him to be trapped in this city; then, coincidentally, a bloody sacrifice was taking place deep in the ocean, and the “Shadow” appeared simultaneously.

He thought for a moment, ultimately forced to admit that he had already grown accustomed to such twists of fate happening around him. In a way, he had already gathered enough information beforehand to explain the sacrifice happening deep in the ocean—wasn’t this an even more terrifying thought?

…A prophet, he thought.

He had previously never quite accepted the title of “prophet” because, at the time, he believed he was merely logically utilizing the information on hand, and that information just happened to form a suitable answer.

But as he learned more and more, he gradually realized that such things were highly unlikely to happen in reality. Because people would always receive invalid information—that was an unavoidable objective reality. Yet, the invalid information around him was so, so scarce, as if invisible hands had planned everything occurring around him.

This situation seemed incredible, so Siles believed this might be the power of fate. A power of fate that he himself couldn’t control.

…The power of the Destiny Dice.

He needed to communicate with the dice, Siles thought absentmindedly. However, he was still somewhat worried. Perhaps, once the departure time for the ship to Bethune was confirmed, he could communicate with the dice before then. Regardless, he was about to head out to sea, which was also a headache-inducing problem.

…I hope nothing happens, he sincerely hoped.

Since he started his journey, the two things that interrupted it were a blizzard and an ocean storm. The former led him to Herd Dryson. The latter allowed him to see the scene happening deep in the ocean. In a way, these obstacles on the journey seemed intended to provide him with some information.

It was just that, for his companions, this journey seemed a bit too tumultuous.

A little past six, Siles went out to the restaurant for breakfast. He happened to run into a bleary-eyed Knight Commander Bunyan. Bunyan looked exhausted, the fatigue dissolving his overly gentle and polite aura. Even his hair was a bit messy.

He greeted Siles, then smiled bitterly. “Last night’s storm was too terrifying; it was so loud I barely slept all night.”

For some reason, this made Siles feel a slight twinge of guilt. Relying on Akamara’s power, he had slept soundly all night—though, of course, he always did.

He comforted him, “Perhaps you can go back to sleep for a while after breakfast.”

Bunyan nodded.

They ran into the rest of their companions in the restaurant. Sure enough, no one had slept well. They yawned constantly, not even noticing how out of place the energetic Siles was among them.

They all said they were going to sleep for a bit after eating. Professor Bella similarly looked extremely exhausted. Guide Isaac and translator Johnny were in better shape than the rest, probably having mentally prepared themselves for Kingsley’s storms long ago.

Thus, they suggested waiting until Professor Bella caught up on her sleep before going to the port together to buy boat tickets.

However, Professor Bella insisted on going earlier; after all, they couldn’t delay too long in Kingsley.

So, Siles offered, “Professor Bella, how about you go rest, and I’ll go buy the boat tickets with Mr. Hoyt? I went to bed early yesterday and wasn’t disturbed by the storm.”

Professor Bella hesitated, then confirmed the ticket-buying process with translator Johnny Hoyt. Since they only needed to provide the number of people and names, she gladly agreed to Siles’s arrangement, handing him the roster. At the same time, she instructed Siles to pick a ship departing after noon the next day.

“In short, I trust your arrangements, Professor Noel,” Professor Bella said kindly. “Thank you for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all, Professor Bella,” Siles replied.

The others also agreed to this plan. To be fair, they were too lazy to think that much right now; exhaustion seemed steeped into their very bodies.

Since they were splitting up, the final arrangement was for guide Isaac to stay behind and accompany the others to prevent any accidents, while Siles and translator Johnny headed to the port to buy the tickets.

After breakfast, they went their separate ways.

The air after the storm felt exceptionally fresh. Even though Siles knew exactly what had happened during the storm, the crisp air still lifted his spirits.

Translator Johnny was a quiet man, but he explained to Siles, “The port is about a twenty-minute walk from here; we can walk there.”

“That’s fine,” Siles said.

So they walked along the coastal road. Siles found that what Isaac said yesterday afternoon—that the people of Kingsley would quickly know of their existence—was true.

When they had just arrived in Kingsley yesterday, the residents had been wary of Siles and the others. But now, the gazes directed their way were very calm. Occasionally, some friendly residents even smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

This wondrous, rapid dissemination of information made Siles feel that Middleton was indeed a highly unique country. Even with the facade of a contemporary city, it still retained the intimate connections of village residents from a more ancient era. Their information was always shared; if there was a slight disturbance in the east, the west would know immediately.

This was a habit people formed in more ancient eras when communication wasn’t as convenient. They needed this information to ensure their safety, which was why they maintained the practice of asking others for updates while sharing their own.

But nowadays, people could already learn important information from newspapers, magazines, and other sources. For instance, when a storm struck, the port and the city’s administrative departments would definitely notify people, especially those ships heading out to sea.

Under these circumstances, information that originally required word of mouth to be known had become public knowledge. Information became less valuable and consequently less confined to a small circle.

…But, in Middleton , things seem to still operate under the old rules.

Siles noticed this and grew thoughtful. He realized the fog’s impact on this country seemed far more tragic and irreversible than on other countries.

Thus, on the way to the port, Siles took the initiative to ask Johnny, “Has Middleton ever been covered by the fog?”

Johnny looked at Siles in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to ask this question. He hesitated for a moment, then whispered, “Yes. More than half of Middleton’s territory was once covered by the fog.”

Siles continued to wait for Johnny’s explanation. However, Johnny fell silent for a moment instead.

After a while, he hastily apologized before explaining, “That happened in the late Age of Silence. The fog suddenly covered more than half of Middleton, but shortly after the Age of Mist began, the fog slowly disappeared. During those century or two, the appearance of the fog disheartened the residents of Middleton. Of course, it wasn’t that they stopped worshipping the ocean, but… but they felt a sense of despair. I don’t know if you understand what I mean.”

Siles nodded, murmuring, “People simply felt they had been abandoned by the god they worshipped.”

Johnny nodded. “I don’t know the specifics… when I still lived in Middleton, my parents made me go to school, which is how I know some related things. But… apologies, Professor Noel, what I mean is… I’m afraid I can’t tell you more. I’m not as learned as you. Becoming a translator was already a huge, pleasant surprise for me.”

Siles shook his head. “Johnny, I am deeply grateful for your help and the information you’ve provided, including our conversation on the train before. You don’t need to belittle yourself so much. I have my flaws too; for instance, I definitely couldn’t take on your job as a translator. You and Isaac, you two are the core figures of our trip to Middleton this time.”

Johnny was astonished to hear Siles say such words. He was simply overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. It was obvious that his and Isaac’s past lives hadn’t been very good, so to a certain extent, they practically looked up to this group of Lamifa University professors and the Church of the Past members.

Along the way, they barely interacted with anyone else, except for the time Siles took the initiative to ask them for information about Middleton. And that seemed to have earned Siles the goodwill of both men.

Johnny hesitated for a while, as if unsure what to say. Finally, he merely whispered, “Thank you for your affirmation, Professor Noel.” He paused, then added, “You must be a highly excellent teacher.”

Siles froze slightly, then smiled faintly. He still wasn’t quite used to this world’s straightforward praise, but he had at least learned to smile at times like this.

Johnny took the initiative to tell Siles about some Middleton customs—some he had experienced himself as a child in Middleton, and some he had heard from his parents. Siles felt Alfonso Carte would definitely love these customs; after all, he was a folklorist. So, he secretly memorized this information, planning to pass it on to Alfonso when he had the chance.

Soon, they arrived at Kingsley Port. It was located in the southeastern corner of the Feliou Sea, resting like a pearl upon the crescent moon-shaped territory of Middleton. The port lights shone day and night, except during a storm.

This surprised Siles somewhat because he assumed that it was precisely during a storm that the lights should be turned on to guide lost ships. But Johnny merely said it was a custom here. Those ships that failed to return to port before the storm were left to fend for themselves against the pitch-black sea and the terrifying storm.

Siles grew thoughtful. So, he thought, in this world, do ocean storms perhaps truly signify something?

They walked into the port building.

In the port’s hall, Siles ran into the merchant Ambrose, who was red in the face and engaged in a fierce conflict with a sailor.

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