The Sky Grows Dark

Agatha of Frosthold City-State arrived—accompanied by the familiar gray wind, the goddess official who now also served as the city-state's archbishop appeared before Duncan and Alice. She lowered her head to Duncan in greeting. "Good evening. I'm glad to see you came personally to handle this matter."

Duncan looked up toward the sea. "Strictly speaking, it's still dusk."

"Dusk will last for quite some time, but people still have to follow a 'normal' daily rhythm," Agatha said. She then gave Alice a slight nod. "It's been a long time, Miss Alice."

"Uh... ah! It has been a long time!" Alice replied only after a moment's pause. She scratched her head awkwardly. "There's an Agatha on the ship too, so I didn't react right away."

A faint smile appeared on Agatha's lips. Though her eyes were covered by black cloth, it seemed as if a warm gaze still fell upon Alice. "On the ship... has she been well lately?"

"She's doing great! Every day, she chases Shirley through mirrors to make her do homework, or she comes out to scare people whenever there's fog—though she says she's only coming out for a walk," Alice said rapidly, her face bright with happiness. "Everyone likes her a lot. Only Shirley is a little afraid of her..."

Agatha quietly listened to Miss Doll's description. Her expression was initially somewhat surprised, but it gradually turned into a smile. After a while, she nodded softly and spoke as if to herself. "So that's how it is... It sounds nice."

At that moment, Tyrion finally found an opportunity to step forward. "Has the Grand Cathedral already made arrangements for the night watch?"

"I came here after handling that matter, so there's no need to worry. We have enough people," Agatha said casually. Then she could not help