"Excuse my bluntness... but has the land become this repressive?"
Ulpianus asked with a somber expression, Dario offered a weary explanation:
"I'm sorry, I think it's all a misunderstanding."
Fifty years later, Iberia has re-established diplomatic relations with Aegir, but why in this way...?
"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, I will ask the person involved."
Ulpianus crossed his arms and frowned, saying:
"You call yourself Inquisitor, an official of the new Iberia regime... and that guy too?"
"No, but I'm willing to vouch for him." Dario bowed slightly, trying to salvage Vane's image.
"He is a respectable and strong man, although his actions are somewhat unconventional... but his strength and wisdom are beyond doubt."
"Including confessing your feelings to a stranger of the same sex?"
"..."
Dario's eye twitched; for the first time, he regretted being so familiar with Aegir.
Instead of offering explanations, Dario suggested that Ulpianus ask the person directly.
As for the parties involved...
"Mr. Vane... come out, everyone will stop laughing at you."
Irene stood in front of the rocks, looking helplessly at Vane peeking through the crevice.
"What Vane! Who knows that kind of guy! I am Vampire Lord Du Rei Ka!"
"...Alright, Mr. Dureka," Irene readily agreed.
"If you don't come out soon, we'll have to find a way to move this rock. Staying inside like this isn't a solution."
"I already told you I'm not going out!"
Irene sighed and looked back.
Meanwhile, Skadi, the other party involved, stood quietly to the side, observing Vane's strange behavior.
Hearing Irene's words, Skadi tilted her head, her gaze falling on the rock that looked to weigh at least several tons.
She silently stepped forward and, under Irene's horrified gaze, gripped the crevice in the reef.
Boom...
The sand and gravel fell in a soft rustling sound, revealing Vane huddled up in a ball underneath.
Skadi turned her head to look at Irene:
Is this okay?
Irene: "..."
I used to think you were such a fool because you're so thin...
Turning her gaze away, Irene looked at Vane, who was still curled up, and said softly:
"Mr. Vane, the teacher is already explaining it to Mr. Ulpianus."
"Miss Skadi is here too, you could actually explain."
At this point, Anini leaned closer and whispered:
"Miss Skadi arrived late; perhaps she didn't hear clearly? And Mr. Ulpianus won't repeat himself..."
"... real?"
Vane relaxed slightly, only to tense up again in the next instant.
"I don't believe it! Unless you help me ask!"
Irene's eyelids twitched, and she turned to look at Skadi.
"Um... Miss Skadi, what do you think of Mr. Vane?"
Skadi blinked and said admiringly:
"He's very capable..."
Irene was delighted, bent down, and patted Vane.
"Mr. Vane, Miss Skadi praised you highly..."
"... How dare you confess your feelings to the captain?"
Skadi finished speaking, Vane looked up hopefully:
"Really?"
"Yes, yes..."
Irene forced a smile, Vane shrank back.
Dario: "..."
Can I retract the preface now?
Before Dario could back out, Ulpianus walked straight toward Vane.
A tall shadow loomed over Vane, Ulpianus lifted Vane up, looking at Irene.
"Just to clarify... Aegir doesn't have the custom of addressing strangers as 'dear'."
"Neither do we!"
"Further explanations won't change my mind. Now... please translate."
Ulpianus exchanged a glance with the stiff Vane, then set him down and shook his hand.
"Never mind... let's keep our distance."
"... Does this sentence need to be translated?"
"I'll do it..."
Dario stepped forward, acting as a bridge between the two.
"Are those hunter-like men your subordinates?"
"Yes!" (gritting his teeth)
How did you know our location?
"They found it themselves... just consider it a coincidence."
Vane was powerless to explain further when Ulpianus looked at him with suspicion.
What is the purpose of summoning me here?
"I wasn't looking for you..."
Vane lay down in despair, pointing weakly at Skadi.
"She's the target; you're just a side effect..."
"I?"
Skadi was taken aback, then took a step back.
"... Were you serious about taking half a step back?"
"Since your target is Skadi..."
Ulpianus didn't dwell on the veracity of Vane's words; he was more concerned with the intelligence Vane contained.
"Then what are the [truth] and [lies] you're talking about?"
Are you sure you want to know?
Vane sprang to his feet, his dejected demeanor completely gone.
"Does repeatedly asking questions make communication less efficient, or is it...?"
Ulpianus stared directly at Vane, their red pupils meeting.
"Are you just a pretentious conman?"
"Aegir will become the culprit who destroys the world."
Vane suddenly spoke up, and Dario froze on the spot, stunned by the sudden accusation.
Only after Ulpianus's silent urging did he begin to translate as plainly as possible.
"Reason."
Ulpianus's reaction was unexpectedly calm; he directly demanded evidence.
His intuition told him that Vane wasn't just talking nonsense.
"Seaborn, you should be familiar with him."
"They are a gift left to this world by our ancestors, but your arrogance has turned them into cruel killers."
Looking at Ulpianus's furrowed brows, Vane uttered an unexpected name.
"Maritus, you should have heard of that name."
"Certainly."
Ulpianus was naturally aware of this influential scholar.
Many of the current Aegir technologies originate from the legacy of the [Creator] in the ruins.
As a member of the ruins exploration team, Aegir's current development is inextricably linked to the other party.
"He was the founder of the Church of the Deep."
Ulpianus: "..."
Before Ulpianus could process the news, Vane's second wave of attacks followed:
"You think the Aegir is united now? Your proud system is already riddled with the tentacles of the Church of the Deep."
"You think the Abyssal Hunters are a weapon against the Seaborn? Actually, they are sacrifices prepared by the Deep Sea Cult for the Sea God."
"Are you still clinging to some illusion? Do you think that with the legacy of the [Creator], you can turn the tide in a crisis, or even strangle the Seaborn in one fell swoop?"
Vane shook his head, his tone indifferent.
"The more brilliant your technology, the more unimaginable the 'monsters' it will unleash. Aegir... will become the culprit that destroys the world."
Ulpianus remained silent for a long time, so long that Irene thought he was about to suddenly attack.
"Evidence." Ulpianus's voice was heavy.
"I need to see... evidence to support your 'truths'."
"Evidence?"
Vane grinned.
The tranquil singing began, and the group's vision blurred for a moment. The two hunters who often fought against Seaborn immediately reacted and attacked Vane.
Vane gripped both the greatsword and the anchor, and gushing blood enveloped them.
"You will see..."
As his consciousness sank, Ulpianus immediately opened his eyes, stunned into place by the colossal object before him.
[Deep Blue Tree]
Vane's voice echoed from the Void, explaining the name of the colossal creature before them.
[The contingency plan left by your Creator for this civilization is also the origin of Seaborn.]
[That's what I call the Precivilization.]
[Unlike the false rulers who claim to be the overlords of Terra, they are the true overlords.]
[They manipulate time and causality, causing civilizations hostile to vanish before they even come into existence.]
[But even such a powerful civilization was destroyed.]
[Lumberjack]
[An unknown disaster, unknowable and unobservable.]
[Civilizations can be destroyed in an instant; to ensure the continuation of their Fire Seed, the Precivilization employed multiple plans.]
[The Deep Blue Tree, modified from Behemoth, was chosen because it could create a perfect ecological cycle within its body.]
[The project's founders hope it can terraform the planet, transforming it into a biological Ark capable of supporting civilization.]
[But like other plans, this one also ran into problems.]
Ishar-mla
[A guy suffering from an existential crisis came into contact with the Deep Blue Tree.]
[Unsurprisingly, this idea influenced Deep Blue Tree.]
Ulpianus absorbed this information, and questions kept arising in his mind.
Vane's voice continued to echo, pouring in the suffocating truth:
Remember the Great Silence Period?
[The deities of the Seaborn symbolize the "Primordial Lifeline" of existence.]
[Because of Aegir's research into the nature of the Seaborn, He went berserk.]
The result was... of the three sea gods, two died, and one fell into a deep sleep.
Ulpianus's breath stopped, not because he knew the reason for the Great Silence, but because...
Yes, Poseidon.
[The Seaborn you have been fighting have their own gods.]
[They would never have contacted you, but unfortunately...] Vane's voice suddenly became shrill.
You've made another fatal mistake.
[Your self-righteousness in viewing Seaborn an enemy has awakened the one who should never have been awakened--]
A distorted totem of light and shadow suddenly lit up, exuding an unsettling restlessness and aggression.
[The Heart of Corruption - Ishar-mla.]
He should never have been born.
The three sea gods originally conceived by the 'Deep Blue Tree' each had their own role, forming a relatively stable triangle.
[But Aegir's relentless stimulation, confrontation, and hunting... eventually caused this seed to sprout.]
Vane's voice was like a final verdict:
[His authority is unrelated to growth, existence, or reproduction.]
[It is 'migration'—a never-ending expansion, exploration, and endless exploitation of living space.]
[It is 'struggle'—the purest, most extreme, uncompromising confrontation and destruction fought for survival and evolution itself.]
[A deity born from an 'existential crisis,' whose essence lies in 'migration and struggle.']
[Where do you think such a being will lead the Seaborn after it fully awakens and takes complete control of the We Many?]
The light and shadows shifted violently before my eyes: the boiling ocean devoured the coastline, twisted, evolved creatures landed, the continent was swallowed up, Seaborn rose into the starry sky...
[You, Aegir, first created the problem, then attempted to solve it using the wrong methods, and ultimately, you escalated it into Catastrophe capable of destroying the world.]
Vane's voice was icy, but it changed abruptly the next moment.
Of course, that won't happen now.
The light and shadow shifted again, eventually forming a deep sea of consciousness.
The consciousnesses of the crowd floated within, like tiny specks of light.
Four immense wills stood at the center of the sea of consciousness.
The collective consciousness of the Seaborn is like a ring of stars, surrounding and protecting them in layers.
Even though these four beings were in a state of silence or slumber, the oppressive feeling originating from the level of life still made everyone's consciousness tremble.
This is [the Firstborn].
The true source and master of Seaborn
Even if I show you all this, you'll still have doubts, won't you?
No, we already believe it.
Feeling that pure and vast collective will of life, even doubt seems pale.
Everyone thought the same thing, but Vane ignored it completely.
[I wanted to interact with you as an ordinary person, but instead I was met with your estrangement and misunderstanding...]
That's your own problem, okay...?
Now—I will show you what "truth" truly means.
As darkness enveloped his vision, Vane's figure appeared.
Everyone finally felt their own bodies, but before they could even ask a question, they froze at the sight before them.
The points of light surrounding the Firstborn consciousness all paused when Vane appeared.
Like iron filings attracted by a magnet, they converged madly on Vane.
The We Many rejoiced at the return of their master!
The stillness of the Firstborn was stirred, and to everyone's astonishment, they stepped aside, giving up the center of the sea of consciousness.
All sense of presence, at this moment, is focused unreservedly on one person—
A memory originating from the We Many flows into everyone's perception:
In a quiet corner of the deep sea, Ishar-mla is communicating with a tiny being.
[Friends, help, the We Many.]
[The We Many, protection, friends.]
From this day forward...
[The We Many is you...]
"Didn't you ask me for evidence, Ulpianus?"
Vane spread his arms wide and laughed heartily.
"The evidence is --"
Ishar-mla's voice completely overlapped with Vane's.
"I am the We Many!"
The world shattered along with Wayne's words, and everyone's consciousness returned, their bodies drenched in cold sweat.
Vane remained silent, waiting for everyone to process what he had learned.
After a long silence, Ulpianus was the first to ask a question.
"What exactly are you...?"
He stared intently at Wayne, as if trying to see through his facade to the truth beneath.
"You know what I'm asking: this Daichi, this era, could not possibly have naturally produced a 'thing' like you!"
Unlike others who merely perceived the scene, Ulpianus clearly captured Vane's "alienity" during the connection.
What am I?
Vane shook his head, seemingly deep in thought.
"Well... if we're talking about the most basic household registration system, I'd probably claim 'I'm human,'" he shrugged.
"But you probably wouldn't understand."
"If we absolutely have to label 'us'..."
Vane grinned, revealing sharp teeth, his smile carrying an unsettling sense of alienation.
You can call me --
"[The Fourth Calamity]"