novelraw Chapter 392 - 214: Departure
Chapter 392 - 214: Departure
"Cool!" Jason couldn’t help but exclaim as he watched the scene. The smooth surface of the machinery, the Spell Magic Power structure at the joints, and the magical runes covering it... The construct’s hands slowly extending—it’s just so awesome!
Hearing this, Simon, who was examining his brand-new hands, looked up at Jason and smiled. "Thanks."
"You’re wel—uh, you can speak our language?" Jason asked, realization dawning on him. Just moments ago, he couldn’t understand what Simon was saying.
Simon nodded. "The information and knowledge I acquired included your language."
Hearing this, a look of envy crossed Juanlu’s face. "That’s great," he sighed.
He couldn’t help but recall the ordeal of learning necessary languages under Lucilia’s strict tutelage. Learning those strange tongues had been the most painful experience of his life. Among everyone on the ship, his aptitude for languages was only marginally better than Pororo’s.
Watching Simon adapt to his new construct hands, Alka asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"
"I can’t return from here," Simon said, looking at them apologetically. "My only option is to continue the journey to the Endless Sea that I began ten years ago. Until then, I’m afraid I’ll have to impose on you all."
He truly had nowhere else to go but to stay on this ship and continue towards the Endless Sea.
Alka nodded. "No problem. This ship is plenty big enough for one more."
"Thank you," Simon replied. "If there’s anything you need on the ship, please don’t hesitate to ask. I have some small ability in forging and constructing objects."
Alka nodded upon hearing Simon’s words. Looking at Simon’s Hand of Precision, especially in conjunction with a Treasure so closely related to constructs, Alka certainly didn’t think it was just a ’small ability.’ With the right ritual, the Hand of Precision itself could become a Treasure.
"Since we’ll be traveling together for a while, let me make some introductions," Alka said. "This is our first mate, Chadite, and this is Jason..."
"Hello, everyone. My name is Simon," Simon responded.
The group exchanged brief introductions, thus becoming acquainted.
Simon then swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Though he still appeared somewhat gaunt and weak, the injuries on his body had been healed by the Treasure he had just mastered. The group was quite welcoming to this temporary new member.
At lunchtime, Juanlu specially prepared some suitable food for Simon, taking his physical condition into account.
During the meal, everyone chatted with him occasionally, mostly about matters concerning the Sea of Confusion.
They knew virtually nothing about this sea region of the Wise One, and the unknown naturally bred curiosity.
"So, flying steel ships aren’t unusual where you come from?" Jason asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
Simon nodded, explaining, "Besides our ships that can temporarily fly using thrusters at the stern, there are also airships that float in the sky with giant hot-air balloons."
As he spoke, one of Simon’s steel fingers detached. It floated in the air, transforming into a model of an airship under his control.
"Can they stay in the sky indefinitely?" Lucilia also asked curiously from the side.
"Flying for ten days or half a month isn’t a problem," Simon replied.
"Wow, that’s amazing!" Lucilia exclaimed.
Through his conversations with Simon, Alka began to form an overall concept of the Sea of Confusion. He learned that due to the presence of the Holy Machine Church of the Wise One, constructs and similar mechanical devices were very common in this sea region. The atmosphere of research was pervasive, with many scholars even among the common populace. Consequently, in their world, Touchers were not a hidden phenomenon; everyone knew of their existence. The requirements to become a Toucher were public knowledge, and various research institutions and academies offered such paths.
Perhaps due to the divergence between their worlds, they had no steam engines. However, relying on the power of Spells and constructs, their society was roughly equivalent to a steampunk civilization. Steel, various kinds of ships, and airships were all present. Ships capable of sailing without sails had also emerged, though these were fundamentally no different from Spell Ships, merely possessing different power systems compared to ordinary Spell Ships.
It was said, however, that they possessed considerable knowledge of the Endless Sea. Therefore, all ships preparing to leave their native sea region for the Endless Sea would be redesigned and retrofitted with sails. The power generated by Spell-based constructs could not provide sustained propulsion indefinitely, necessitating the addition of sails to ensure navigability in adverse conditions.
"So, these renegades... are they very common where you’re from?" Alka asked curiously.
This was something he was particularly curious about, though he felt the question was somewhat impolite. This was primarily because, in both the Homeland Sea and the Sea of All Beings, betraying a Divine Church was exceptionally rare. At least, Alka had never heard of such a case in the Homeland Sea. Especially in a place where Divine beings demonstrably existed, Alka couldn’t fathom what benefit could possibly be worth the price of such betrayal. Moreover, individuals who joined a Church usually possessed some degree of faith. Those in high positions often had even stronger faith, and their conduct and methods generally aligned with the Church’s doctrines.