Danitz's worries did not come true; Klein merely glanced at him before going into the bedroom to rest.
During the five-hour ferry ride, he was constantly on edge, and having been disturbed the night before and not getting a good night's sleep, he was inevitably quite tired.
With a bang, Klein slammed the bedroom door shut.
Whew... that scared me to death! Danitz relaxed completely and slumped into his armchair.
Just now, the scene of himself turning into gold pounds had been flashing through his mind, one after another, and he couldn't stop.
After a period of calm, Danitz, who had been partying in the bar until dawn before returning to the hotel, unknowingly fell asleep again. He dreamt that the captain came to rescue him, but failed and was instead captured by Gehrman Sparrow, thus giving this mad adventurer an extra maid.
Just as Danitz was filled with anger but dared not resist, and was about to wake up, he suddenly saw the blurry scene around him become clear, freezing in the luxury suite of the " Azure Wind " hotel.
Thump, thump, thump.
Danitz heard a slow, rhythmic knocking.
Am I dreaming? Danitz, with this question in mind, walked to the door and turned the handle.
The crack in the door widened, and he saw a familiar figure.
This is a beautiful lady with an oval face, a high nose bridge, thin lips, and a pair of light blue eyes that resemble clear spring water.
Her long brown hair was parted in the middle and tied in a simple yet elegant knot at the back of her head, then flowed smoothly down.
She wasn't wearing a hat, but a beige coat that was fitted at the waist, with large white lace floral decorations woven into the neckline that cascaded down the front.
She paired the coat with a dark knee-length skirt, the hem of which was pleated and slightly voluminous, and wore leather boots that matched her hair color.
"Captain!" Danitz exclaimed.
He immediately realized what was happening, quickly turned around, and assumed a defensive stance facing Gehrman Sparrow's bedroom.
"Watch out! Run! A Lunatic is after you! He's backed by a terrifying organization!"
As his sense of sacrifice surged forth, Danitz heard his captain calmly say:
"This is a dream."
"A dream... yes, I'm dreaming, what's there to be afraid of..." Danitz glanced around, then pulled his arms back and turned away, saying:
"Captain, you've simulated the ' Nightmare's' abilities? No, wait, you were near Sonia Island just last week."
Sonia Island is the largest island in this sea and the origin of the name Sonia Sea. It is almost the size of a small continent. It was originally the only remaining settlement of Elf after the Cataclysm, but as time went by, this ancient and extraordinary race was plagued by various factors and gradually disappeared. Only occasional, sporadic appearances prove that they have not been completely wiped out.
At the end of the Quaternary period, the Kingdom of Loen occupied the island, but they suffered a crushing defeat in the Twenty Years' War and handed over the Sonia Island to the Feynapotter Empire more than seven hundred years ago.
Sonia Island is located northwest of the Rorsted Archipelago, and it takes almost half a month to reach it by boat. It's impossible for " Vice Admiral Iceberg " Edwina Edwards, who was near Sonia Island last week, to arrive in Bayam this week unless she can fly or travel through the Spirit World Traversal.
The beautiful lady, whom Danitz referred to as the captain, nodded:
"We have just entered the Rorsted Sea, about 1,000 nautical miles from Bayam."
So, it's still three or four days until we arrive? That's more like it... Danitz said curiously.
"This should have gone beyond the scope of ' Nightmare '?"
And it far exceeds... he added in his mind.
" Vice Admiral Iceberg " Edwina entered the room and walked towards the table and chairs:
"It's not a ' Nightmare,' but a secret Ritualistic Magic that uses certain items you left on the ship to enter your dream from a great distance..."
Listening to the captain's meticulous explanation, Danitz instantly felt as if he were back on the " Golden Dream " and starting a class.
I'd never heard of this kind of Ritualistic Magic before... Well, the captain possesses many strange and rare spells and witchcraft; no one can figure out exactly how much knowledge she has... She seemed to have mentioned that her Sequence title was " Mysticism Magister "... Sigh, if I had known she possessed this kind of "arcane" beforehand, I wouldn't have been so troubled about how to inform her of the changes in Bayam... Danitz, lost in thought, interrupted Edwina's description:
"Captain, have you noticed a problem with the communication point here?"
"Hmm, this is another secret technique..." Edwina seemed inclined to describe the specific method in detail.
Seeing this, Danitz sighed:
"Poor Old Lynn and his buddies..."
Edwina stopped, turned her back to the window, and asked simply:
What happened?
"This all started in Damir Port." Danitz perked up, feeling that his long-suppressed emotions had finally been rewarded at this moment.
He described in rambling detail how he tried to recruit Gehrman Sparrow only to discover that the man was Lunatic, and exaggerated his tragic experiences aboard the White Agate.
Following the prepared script from the previous night, he recounted the eeriness and horror of Bansy Harbor, the ambush and encirclement by "Iron" Maviti, and the counterattack and hunt after joining forces with Gehrman Sparrow. He also carefully explained his speculations about Gehrman Sparrow's abilities and background, including " Creeping Hunger " and a Concealment, powerful organization.
In this process, he tried his best to restore the truth, but slightly exaggerated his role, elevating his status from servant and attendant to assistant and collaborator.
" Vice Admiral Iceberg " Edwina listened quietly without interrupting him, and finally nodded slightly.
He meant no harm.
"He? Gehrman Sparrow has no ill intentions?" Danitz quickly said.
"Captain, no matter what, he's a dangerous guy!"
Are you sure he meant no harm?
"I'm not sure," Edwina replied calmly.
"... Then what did you just do?" Danitz took a silent breath, feeling that the captain, like Gehrman Sparrow, was the type who couldn't be properly talked to.
" Vice Admiral Iceberg " Edwina said with an expressionless face:
"That was my speculation and judgment."
"..." Danitz rubbed his temple with his right hand. "In short, he's dangerous, backed by a Concealment organization whose background is unknown. Captain, I don't think you should risk communicating with him, even if he claims to have something to ask."
Edwina thought for a moment and said:
No need to take risks.
"I can communicate with him through you."
Danitz first breathed a sigh of relief, then asked with curiosity and anticipation:
"Captain, what should we do? Or rather, how can I cooperate with you?"
Edwina raised her right hand, and in the dream, a support and a blackboard materialized:
You need to hold a ceremony.
"It's called a ' Spirit Summoning Ritual.' It allows my spirit to pass through the Spirit World, attach itself to your body, and communicate directly with Gehrman Sparrow. For those below the Demigod, the effective range is no more than 500 nautical miles..."
"It involves reason and communication, belonging to the realm of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom; you must depict the corresponding symbols and magical emblems..."
In mysticism, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom is associated with the Blue Star, and requires mercury, brass, lavender, pepper, and mint as ingredients...
" Blue Star corresponds to Saturday. Blue Star time includes Friday from midnight to 1 p. m., and Saturday from 11 a. m. to 12 p. m..."
As Edwina explained, she wrote down the key points that needed to be remembered on the blackboard. Danitz instinctively sat down and assumed a posture of attentive listening.
As he listened, he suddenly felt somewhat lost:
Why do I dream about studying?
In the bedroom, Klein, who was fast asleep, suddenly woke up and vaguely sensed something.
He got out of bed, listened carefully, and found that although Danitz in the living room was snoring, it was much calmer than before.
This wasn't particularly strange behavior, but for a seasoned occultist like Klein, who had experienced many things, it was quite unusual.
He tiptoed to the door separating the bedroom and living room, reached out and grasped the handle, slowly turning it.
Without a sound, Klein walked out of the bedroom and saw Danitz lying in the armchair, fast asleep, with everything around him as normal as before.
Klein quietly activated his Spirit Vision to examine " Blazing," but found nothing wrong. Whether it was the color of the aura or the changes in emotions, the other party was completely normal and within a reasonable range.
After looking down for a while, Klein frowned slightly and reached out to take out a silver talisman.
" Dream Charm!"
In his dream, Danitz, with a bitter expression, learned the " Spirit Summoning Ritual," without a doubt that the captain in front of him was someone else in disguise.
No one can fake this style, these hobbies, these special skills!
Just then, he heard the sound of the lock cylinder turning.
Subconsciously, Danitz turned to look at the bedroom, where the door was widening, and Gehrman Sparrow, walked out expressionlessly.
"You! How did you get out here!" Danitz suddenly stood up, exclaiming in astonishment.
He quickly came to his senses and stammered:
"This... this is my dream!"
How could Gehrman Sparrow just show up like that?!
With one hand in the pocket of his dark trousers, Klein walked towards the woman whose back was to the window, and replied in a low voice:
"A talisman."
Then, he looked directly at the woman and asked her almost definitively:
" Edwina Edwards?"
This outfit is a bit strange... It doesn't look like an adventurer, nor a pirate, but more like a woman who has a respectable profession and supports herself independently... This style of clothing seems to have come from Intis... Klein thought with a slight sense of unease.
Edwina nodded slightly and asked in return:
" Gehrman Sparrow?"
"Yes, good afternoon, madam." Klein smiled slightly, placed his hand on his chest, and gave a slight bow.
Edwina nodded in response:
"Good afternoon."
Klein, maintaining his persona, remained silent, waiting for the other party to take the initiative to ask about his purpose.
He looked at Edwina.
Edwina looked at him.
A few minutes of silence suddenly fell over the dream.
Danitz glanced to his right and then to his left, inexplicably feeling that it might all really just be a dream.
P. S.: Only one draft left. I can't update earlier than usual at midnight. It'll be the same time as before. But I'm hoping for some recommendation votes next Monday!