Antiya Trollies

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Luther quickly said, and with a thought, he retracted the chains back into his body.

Being scrutinized with such unfriendly eyes by an Angel must be quite stressful. Roselle certainly has a twisted sense of humor; I wonder how his daughter will react when she sees me here later...

The woman in the black dress rubbed her slender, snow-white neck, where the collar and chains remained. Her gaze was still unfriendly, fixed on Luther, scrutinizing him.

A moment later, the woman gave a strange laugh.

"So, Roselle ultimately chose you?"

When she spoke for the first time, her voice was clear and magnetic, perfectly matching her tall and curvaceous figure.

Her clear red eyes reflected Luther's figure and his unrealistically handsome face.

"Strictly speaking, I just accidentally obtained the key he left behind."

Luther answered cautiously.

He could sense the resentment in her words, as if she harbored some dissatisfaction with Roselle herself. Before understanding the source of this resentment, it was best not to say anything too harsh, lest he provoke her. "Your Excellency Roselle's Flagship, the Black Throne, the Ghost Ship from the Solomon Empire?"

"Oh."

Upon hearing the name, a mocking smile appeared on the woman's face. "You could say that, and you could say that."

What kind of talk is this? Are you trying to play riddles with me?

I didn't quite understand.

Luther asked frankly, "Could you explain?"

The woman in the black dress glanced at him, turned around, took a few steps, and spread her arms on the deck of the black three-masted sailing ship.

"If you're asking about this ship, it truly comes from the Solomon Empire of the distant Fourth Epoch, Ghost Ship built by that great empire; similarly, it was once the Flagship of Emperor Intis, the Black Throne."

The woman in the black dress said softly.

What's the meaning?

Hearing the woman's words, Luther couldn't help but feel confused. The woman acknowledged that the ship they were on was the "Black Throne," yet she expressed doubt about his existence. The stability of her mental state was truly worrying; she was even comparable to him in some aspects.

"So what's your relationship with this ship...?"

"I was specially created by Roselle."

The woman spoke succinctly and directly. She walked to the ship's railing, her slender fingers lightly tracing the bars. Her red eyes became hazy, as if recalling the past. "An artificial life form created using the Duke of Entropy, Sequence 2 of the 'Lawyer' Pathway, as extraordinary material, the Ghost Ship 'Black Throne' as its vessel, and the powerful abilities of that 'Son of Steam'... In essence, it's more like a Ship Spirit. Or rather, a pathetic creature who doesn't know who it is..."

"Therefore, I have no memories of the Solomon Empire, nor any recollection of fighting alongside Roselle. When I regained Consciousness, I found myself adrift on the Fog Sea. The last image in my mind was that damned Roselle, who told me that someone would come to me with the key..."

The seawater intrusion has ended, the heat is slowly dissipating, Steam is spreading, and thick fog is gradually gathering in the distance. This sea area will soon return to its appearance as it has for thousands of years: quiet and mysterious.

The woman looked around, her eyes filled with an indescribable sadness. "This sea, this thick fog... I've been watching it for far too long."

"Can't we go somewhere else?"

Luther was also somewhat affected by her emotions, and then asked, "You should still have the ability to Spirit World Traversal, right? Why don't you go to a place like the Sonia Sea to change your mood?"

The woman let out a soft chuckle.

Unfortunately, Roselle doesn't want me to travel the world.

She pointed to the chains around her neck, "He imposed many restrictions on me, such as not being able to use Sequence 2 abilities at will, and only being able to travel within fixed routes in the Fog Sea..."

So that's how it is; those chains were made by Roselle.

Luther suddenly realized why the Black Throne's movements were so regular, and why it was so hesitant when facing the Intis Black Throne.

If he were to analyze it, the orders left by Roselle were all designed to ensure that the "Black Throne" could be found by the key holder. The Characteristic of the Fog Sea makes it inherently difficult to spot, the fixed route makes it easier for the key holder to find it, and the strict restrictions on the use of abilities are mainly to reduce the impact and decrease the possibility of being discovered.

However, for her personally, this order was perhaps too cruel.

Luther could almost picture the scene: for nearly a century, this black three-masted sailing ship had been sailing alone on the sea, waiting for someone to come and take her away.

Countless days and nights, a stunningly beautiful woman with black hair stood by the ship's railing, her red eyes reflecting the unchanging, thick Fog. Occasionally, she would encounter ships and hear voices on the other side of the Fog. But the strict restrictions prevented her from communicating with them; she could only drive them away.

The surrounding Fog completely enveloped the ship, and the air currents stirred the sails, creating a mournful sound.

What year is it now?

In the strangely quiet atmosphere, the black-haired woman suddenly asked.

1350.

Luther snapped out of his reverie and replied.

"Oh, I see. I've been sailing the seas for 152 years now..."

The woman sighed.

152 years?

Luther quickly calculated in his mind and immediately concluded that the other party was created in the year 1198.

That was the year Roselle was assassinated at her palace. Did Roselle foresee something and therefore deliberately orchestrate her death...?

"It's reasonable for you to hold a grudge against Roselle."

He spoke sincerely to the other person, who had maintained remarkable composure under such circumstances.

"Oh, everything's fine now..."

The woman in the black dress said with a forlorn look in her eyes, reaching out to tuck a few strands of her flowing black hair behind her ear, "He gave me life, and then tormented me; the two things cancel each other out. Besides, that guy is already dead, so there's no point in resenting him anymore."

You seem to have a pretty open-minded attitude...

Luther thought to himself, "I just don't know if she'll still be willing to honor Roselle's last wish and let me become her holder..."

"What should I call you, Black Throne?"

He asked again.

Don't call me by that name.

The black-haired woman shook her head and said, "This makes me lose my sense of purpose... Over the long years, I gave myself a new name."

At this point, she lifted her skirt and gave Luther a slight bow.

"Antiya Troliss, that's my name."

Alexander Gascoigne.

Luther answered in the same way, temporarily giving his pseudonym.