성황의 아이들 [3]

495

495. Stranding (5)

Dozens of sailing ships approach, circling the coast of Peridero Island.

The emblem on the trireme is the red weather vane, the symbol of the Federation of Cyprus Cities. And fluttering next to it is the proud emblem of the Holy Empire.

It was true. They were a punitive force comprised of the Cypriot Navy and the Knights of the Holy Empire. As soon as he realized this fact, Romain immediately had this question in mind.

'Why on earth did they come here?'

Of course, it's not that I didn't consider the possibility that the punitive force would invade the Krabat Islands. But I didn't think they would force a second departure so quickly.

Given that Helios had to shoulder a significant portion of the financial burden, Elder Chryses would not have backed down so easily, would he?

'Besides, if you really came to subdue the sea monsters, why didn't you set up a base on Cosmima Island like you always do? Why did you risk getting caught on the reefs and force your way all the way here?'

Meanwhile, the fleet finally reaches the appropriate depth and anchors its ships. Soon, a small boat is seen lowering from the flagship.

I don't know why, but they really want to come to this Peridero Island!

'What should I do? They probably don't know about the relic, but if they come this way... ... .'

Romain looked back at the artifact he had just been working on with a puzzled expression.

An Ionian relic. It was a metal pillar about waist-high, its surface covered with tiny patterns that were impossible to discern with the naked eye.

At first glance, it looked like just an elaborate piece of craftsmanship. However, within those beautiful and dynamic patterns, a tremendous secret that humans could not even dare to imagine was hidden.

This was the essence of the brilliant science of old Ionia, a kind of worker's console left behind by a great civilization that was at least centuries ahead of Delcross.

'I thought I was finally getting the hang of it... ... .'

As I ran my hand over the gently vibrating surface of the pillar, memories of the hardships I had endured so far naturally crossed my mind.

Controlling this console was more difficult than expected, as the artifact had not been maintained for a long time and was already malfunctioning frequently. During his voyage here, Romain had also seen dead whales scattered all over the archipelago.

There were quite a few moments that were dizzying. I accidentally pulled in a pod of whales that were passing by, and once I got caught up in it myself and almost lost consciousness.

One time, the environment around the island was suddenly disturbed. The water temperature temporarily rose, causing a sudden low pressure, and as a result, a typhoon suddenly struck the coast of Cyprus. Of course, even Romain had no idea about that.

Anyway, after going through a lot of trial and error, I was finally able to get the console to work stably... ... .

'Should I avoid the seat? But I can't give up now, the time and effort I've already put in is too much of a waste.'

Roman's worries deepened.

But when the time came to make a choice, someone's image appeared in his mind as if it were a lie. It was a face from a memory he had tried to erase for a long time.

-By the time you become convinced that something is truly dangerous, it is usually already too late.

One day, a senior who had cut off headquarters' communication without permission said something like that to Romain.