A Few Things

"... These are somewhat related, but the aura you described is probably an illusion."

Maria looked at the other person, and after a moment, shook her head.

She had not come into contact with anyone like that. In fact, before she came here, the only person she had ever met who was related to Aegir was the Deep Sea Hunters.

"Yeah?"

Heratia was somewhat disappointed, but after a moment, she came to her senses again.

After blinking, she looked at Maria and couldn't help but shake her head.

"Then I really have nothing more to ask... If I had to, tell me how you obtained such great power, how about it?"

Heratia smiled and made a half-joking remark about it.

However, she herself didn't have much confidence in Maria's explanation.

But... what she didn't expect was that Maria actually nodded after thinking for a few moments.

"My power is partly acquired by myself, and partly comes from the devouring of certain beings who possess terrifying power... but I do not recommend anyone try to dabble in those things."

"Huh?"

The woman was stunned for a long time.

It wasn't until her gaze fell on Maria again that she realized Maria wasn't joking.

And something exists in its mouth...

"Ugh... I never expected this."

Heratia smiled, her gaze towards Maria filled with even more curiosity.

She's becoming increasingly curious about what kind of person Maria really is.

Only...

"After I get back, I don't think I'll be able to contact you for a while."

As Heratia spoke, she let out a soft sigh.

Only after Maria turned her head did she speak with a helpless expression.

"If I go back this time... I'll probably be impeached, right?"

397

Chapter 397 A Few Things

Their destination was called Jiake Nanle.

This is a not particularly conspicuous area within the Aegir territory... The reason for choosing it as the base station for the return is simply because it is the closest location for recording the exploration of the ruins.

However, to say it's inconspicuous is only in comparison to the whole of Aegir.

However, compared to other countries on the Terra, Jiake Nanle is excessively prosperous.

There are not many towering buildings inside; only a few stand in the city center, and a huge platform stands on the edge.

Because it is located deep in the ocean, it is impossible to use natural light sources here. However, the scholars of Aegir have wisely utilized the thermal energy of the seabed, converting it into energy and turning it into light that illuminates everything.

A transparent barrier prevents seawater from entering, while various strange devices stand upright, providing the entire underwater city with all the necessities for life.

Light and shadow danced, and the arc-shaped world within the ocean resembled a magnificent jewel...

Silent...

"Isn't it a beautiful place?"

Heratia came to Maria's side, stood there with a smile, and slowly accompanied Maria as they looked at the city.

As the submarine arrived, the passage through Jiake Nanle was gradually opened, as if some giant creature had opened its mouth.

Inhale it...

"Gurgle..."

The bubbles in the deep sea began to reverberate; clearly, even with Aegir's technology, a turbulence was unavoidable.

Fortunately, neither Maria nor Heratia are easy to deal with, and naturally, they wouldn't let such a small matter escalate into something ambiguous.

They simply gazed at each other silently.

"Here, take this."

As Heratia spoke, she handed Maria a stack of cards.

Under Maria's questioning gaze, she smiled and spoke.

"Being Land-Dweller is always a bit troublesome in Heratia, so I've prepared some special identification for you. Normally, showing the blue one is enough, but in special circumstances, the red one can also be shown... As long as it's not a particularly confidential place, you have free access."

Heratia spoke, she turned her head again to look at the interface.

A large number of people have gathered here. Some look excited, some look solemn, and some keep scanning the area as if trying to confirm something.

"Although I could just reveal my identity to others, I think that's too much trouble... Sometimes, Aegir's efficiency and caution can really drive you crazy."

"I've prepared a temporary identity for you, indicating that you are a fellow countryman we encountered on our way back who has suffered from amnesia and is applying for assistance... These are your addresses for the next period of time and some daily life precautions. Of course, apart from your regular monthly check-ups, you don't need to worry about anything else..."

"Hmm... Of course, if you want to live a better life, you might need to find a job?"

"As for the doctor, you don't need to worry, she's someone I know."

Heratia took care of Maria with almost meticulous care, and even Maria, who was receiving the favor, sensed something was amiss with her gentle tone.

"Why?"

Heratia, just because she recognized his aura from before, she went to such lengths to help me?

Does she really have no thoughts of her own?

Hmm... maybe it's because it's fun?

Heratia touched her lips and gave an answer that greatly puzzled Maria.

But she offered no explanation, only smiled.

"Aegir is so calm... It grows calmly, progresses calmly, and strengthens itself calmly."

"This is a good thing, but also a potential problem."

"Plants grown in greenhouses will never be able to survive the waves of the ocean."

"In much earlier times, Aegir also experienced struggles and battles with each other... This allowed us to grow significantly."

"But now, peace has made far too many people accustomed to this, and few even think about how to cope if disaster strikes..."

As Heratia spoke, she turned her head and silently gazed at the flickering lights. Although she was still smiling, her Platinum eyes held a hint of contemplation.

"Even a powerful Precursor Civilization it suffered a devastating blow. I don't think the current Aegir is comparable in strength to that of the Precursor Civilization."

"So... I need a predator fierce enough to rouse this world that has been silent for too long."

"You hold many secrets... Although there's only a slight possibility, I'm willing to give it a try. Perhaps you can bring about a revolutionary change to all of Aegir?"

Heratia spoke, she turned her head with a smile to look at Maria.

"Of course, I'm not urging you to cause trouble. In fact, if possible, I'd like you to keep a little 'low profile'."

As Heratia spoke, there was even a hint of playfulness in her words, as if she had returned to the time when Maria had just met her.

But Maria remained unmoved.

Perhaps.

"You always give such vague answers... But then again, it's true, people who make promises so easily are hard to trust."

Heratia shook her head slightly, and after watching the ship come to a complete stop, she exhaled.

"There should be a party in a few days to welcome us back safely... but you probably won't like those Aegir habits. However, I know a good place, want to grab a bite together?"

Heratia spoke, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's just... a meal."

"... Can."

Maria remained silent for a moment, but ultimately did not refuse.

At this moment, the ship finally came to a stop.

The crowd marched in an orderly fashion toward land and was quickly greeted.

As the commander of this operation, Heratia naturally received the most attention.

Her appearance naturally attracted everyone's attention.

But... nobody noticed.

Just as their gaze fell upon Heratia.

The black shadow vanished silently from everyone's sight...

After leaving the group, Maria quickly went to find the accommodations that Heratia had arranged for her.

Maria ultimately chose to believe Heratia's somewhat strange explanation.

The main point is that there's no need to disbelieve it.

Heratia and Maria had absolutely no conflict whatsoever; in fact, if what Heratia said was true, she even hoped that Maria would live a good life here.

She wanted to see what kind of vibrant world a Land-Dweller with absolute martial prowess would create in this vastly different deep-sea world...

Soon, Maria arrived at the location indicated by Heratia.

There are no security guards here; the only one is a kind old lady sitting at the front desk.

After seeing the documents Maria provided, she paused for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Then I made a few small adjustments from the side.

Before long, a small machine slowly approached Maria and handed her a key.

"This is your next room... You can stay for free for one month, but after that, you'll be charged around 300 information points each month... You can stay for a maximum of one year."

The old lady smiled at Maria but didn't say anything more.

Maria nodded.

She didn't actually need any special place to rest; it was just that she had just arrived in this deep-sea world and wasn't familiar with it yet. In order to hide herself, she needed to temporarily disguise herself as a normal person.

As for what happened next...

Let's think about it later.

Lost in thought, Maria also went into her room.

The room wasn't big, but it already had a washroom, bed, wardrobe, bookshelf, and chair.

There's even a small area that resembles a kitchen.

"..."

Turning her head, Maria glanced around before slowly standing at the window.

Outside the gray curtains, the entire underwater city appeared as if it were another world.

Everything around us is telling us one thing.

[Technology Administrator 'Heratia' leads the Far Ascent to discover a major Precursor Ruins!]

Maria did not belong to Aegir, so she could not possibly understand how much these races, who themselves developed from the Precursor Ruins, cared about all of this.

She just felt something was off.

Just as everyone was preparing to part ways, Heratia's words seemed a bit too detailed.

It was as if she didn't have more time to explain things to Maria in more detail.

But she then extended an invitation to Maria for tomorrow.

That's a bit strange.

"What... are you thinking?"