Chapter 680: After the Meeting Concluded

After Joshua, the apprentice, finished his presentation, the two senior figures in the room quickly turned to face one another. Before Ted Lir could speak, Taran El quickly instructed Joshua, "In the next room, by the window, find the second door of the iron cabinet on the left. Inside, there's a box wrapped in blue paper tape—fetch it quickly!"

Startled but eager, Joshua responded, "Ah... Okay!!" and hurried out of the room. The sound of his rapid footsteps and the noise of his searching echoed down the corridor and into the next room. Ted Lir, watching Joshua's hurried departure, half-joked that the building might collapse from such hastiness. Soon after, Joshua returned, out of breath, holding a neatly packed archive box.

Ted Lir removed the records from the box and compared them to the paper tape Joshua had retrieved. He then carried both sets of records to where Taran El was resting on a sickbed and presented them for his review.

Taran El examined the old and new paper tapes carefully, studying the variations in their patterns with a serious expression.

"Is it the same signal?" Ted Lir asked, his voice filled with both curiosity and concern.

After a moment, Taran El responded gravely, "Accounting for interference and potential device errors... yes, it seems to be the same signal."

Ted Lir thoughtfully remarked, "This is the 'light signal' that Lady Lucretia documented on the Bright Star. It originated from that glowing sphere when the sun was obscured. Yet, its meaning still eludes us..."

His gaze drifted towards the window. The sun was setting behind distant buildings, its twin runic circles casting a captivating glow in the sky. Despite dusk approaching, the sun's corona continued to radiate its powerful light and warmth.

Ted Lir noted the recent behavior of the glowing sphere near Wind Harbor, which had started emitting the same peculiar signal recorded during the sun's obscuration.

The pressing question on his mind was: Why now?

Breaking the silence, Taran El asked his student, "Has this signal been repeating?"

Visibly nervous, Joshua nodded quickly and said, "Yes... yes, it has. The observatory reported it has repeated three times already..."

Taran El turned to Ted Lir and inquired, "What do you make of this?" His eyes, full of curiosity and concern, awaited the Truth Keeper's insights.

With urgency in his voice, Ted Lir declared, "I need to personally visit the observatory. These signals are highly unusual. It seems the object is trying to communicate with us. Perhaps the observatory holds some clues." He moved to a nearby coat rack, grabbed his coat and hat, and added, "We must also inform the other members of the assembly. They might not be aware of this anomaly yet..."

As he prepared to leave, Ted Lir picked up a heavy tome filled with miraculous techniques. He flipped through it until he found an illustration of a "Door." He paused and glanced at Taran El, who was lying on the sickbed.

Feeling uneasy, Taran El asked, "...Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ted Lir replied sternly, "If something happens to the sun again, you are to stay in bed. Your last reckless act already risked the entire academy's safety protocols."

Annoyed, Taran El retorted, "Nonsense! With my spinal disc nearly collapsed, where could I possibly go?" He looked ready to protest despite the severe pain in his back. "Do you think I enjoy running around the lecture buildings and bell tower?"

Unconvinced, Ted Lir shook his head. "Experience tells me that even a herniated disc can't quell your thirst for knowledge. If you found the research important enough, you'd find a way out of bed."

As he spoke, Ted Lir approached the bed, tapping his tome. A small, ethereal scalpel appeared in his hand. Taran El's unease grew into alarm, and he exclaimed, "What are you doing... I warn you, Ted... you can't... Dammit, you mustn't do this!"

Ignoring Taran El's protests, Ted Lir pointed the scalpel towards him and tapped the air three times. "This will ensure you remain bedridden. Don't worry, I'll reverse it when I return."

Enraged, Taran El burst out, "Ted, you damn... The god of wisdom granted you knowledge of diseases and healing, not for this! I... (a string of Elvish expletives) (Wind Harbor curses) (unprintable profanities)!!"

His shouts, though filled with frustration, were less forceful than they might have been. Meanwhile, the Truth Keeper had already disappeared through a magically appearing door, leaving a bewildered Joshua unsure how to assist his mentor.

"...What are you staring at? Fetch me my hemorrhoid cream!"

"Oh... oh!"

...

After wrapping up the main agenda, the group reached several explicit agreements. Duncan, along with other church leaders, then called for a break.

This was no typical meeting. It lacked the usual fanfare of camera flashes and reporters documenting the moment; in fact, no records of any kind were made.

The topics discussed were so sensitive that any recordings risked being altered unpredictably in the future. This made documenting the proceedings a dangerous task.

Nevertheless, the attendees were not worried about the absence of records, trusting in the divine witness of the Four Gods as sufficient evidence.

After the discussions, the bishops were the first to leave. Lucretia's aides then escorted the remaining guests to a temporary lounge on the deck where teas, snacks, and a barbecue party awaited them in thirty minutes.

The guests were in disbelief, dining lavishly on the deck of the Vanished amidst a surreal sea breeze. The scene was so extraordinary it surpassed even the wildest, sober dreams of poets and playwrights.

Some guests had other concerns, mainly about food safety on board, fearing that the upcoming barbecue might serve potentially harmful food.

Their concerns, while not baseless, were ultimately overshadowed by larger issues.

"Now that it's just us," Duncan started in the quiet, spacious hall after the bishops had left, "we can discuss topics not meant for public ears."

Helena, one of the Popes, responded, "Where would you like to start? We're prepared to address all your questions."

Duncan shared his curiosity, "I'm interested in your operations in the border seas... Are you planning to keep them hidden from the city-states indefinitely? I'm not referring to your quest for the gods, but your exploration for new sea routes. If you do find new passages, how will you persuade the city-states to undertake massive population relocations without their knowledge? And what about your other large migration projects..."

He paused, then continued with a serious tone, "Honestly, your plans are ambitious and exciting. However, upon examination, they seem fraught with rushed decisions and assumptions, especially your plan to undertake these huge tasks alone. In secrecy, what do you really think your chances of success are?"

Helena sighed deeply, her face a mix of resignation and concern. "Unfortunately, secrecy is a necessity. There's too much sensitive information about the borders that can't be publicized without risking catastrophic outcomes in the city-states," she explained. "Your concerns are valid. Our plans do involve some haste and presumptions. Indeed, such large-scale efforts can't stay hidden forever... We never expected things to deteriorate so quickly."

Frem joined in, "We originally thought these plans would unfold over centuries. With enough time, we could have carefully managed the border information through generations, safely revealing it to the city-states. But now... we are pressed for time."

Duncan nodded understandingly, "Time is indeed critical," he agreed, before changing the subject. "Let's move on to something else. Vanna, you had something to discuss with Pope Frem, right?"

Frem, tall with grey hair, looked momentarily surprised before catching on. He straightened up, his gaze intense and focused.

Vanna nodded and walked to a corner of the hall. She returned carrying a large object.

It was the "staff" left by Ta Ruijin.

Noting its size, Duncan cautioned, "Be careful of the beams... and the pillars too."

Vanna, heeding Duncan's advice, carefully navigated the hall with the staff, which resembled a giant tree trunk. She then placed it on the table for all to see.

"This," she declared solemnly, "is the 'Chronicle Pillar'."