The Lost Homeland left in such a grand manner, just as it had arrived in an unstoppable manner.

★Illustration 32★

Vanna watched the huge ship, which could almost be described as "magnificent", sailing majestically in the center of the Plande city-state. She watched its illusory hull pass over the densely packed roofs and towers in the city-state. The spiritual hull gradually disappeared from her sight like a distant phantom. As the Lost Hometown sailed away, the spiritual fires that were burning in various places in the Plande city-state also began to gradually extinguish and retreat, as if they had completed a mission and returned to nothingness.

All that was left was a clear sky, a city-state as usual, and all the living beings who had just experienced a nightmare.

The sound of bells echoed over the city-state. The bell towers of churches across the city continued to ring according to the original historical trajectory, but these bells, which were originally used to resist the invasion of reality, now sounded like a farewell. The whistle above the cathedral also sounded, and the sharp and piercing sound scared Vanna.

She felt a presence approaching, and turned around to see Bishop Valentine had come to her side without her noticing. The old bishop, who had experienced death once, held a long staff tightly in his hand, looked up at the direction where the Lost Homeland had left, and said as if talking to himself: "I feel like I had a very long dream..."

"You should know that it was not a dream."

"I mean I just dreamed that there were twenty rabbits in cha-bop skirts dancing around me..."

Fanna was stunned: "Then you are indeed dreaming, maybe in the process of spiritual recovery... Do you have to tell such a cold joke now?"

"But this will help you wake up quickly and get back to work quickly," the old bishop said calmly, as if he was not the one telling the joke just now. Then he lowered his head and looked in the direction of the church square. "We have a lot of things to do next. This time, it's not the White Oak that's 'brushing past' the Lost Homeland."

Fanna followed the old bishop's gaze and saw that the defenders and city guards on the church square had fallen into some kind of confusion and chaos. They looked at the city-state that had returned to normal as if they had just woken up from a dream, but their memories were still stuck in the battle in which historical pollution invaded reality. Some of these people had "woken up" earlier and even saw the scene when the Lost Homeland left, which further exacerbated the chaos and tension.

Valentine's voice continued to ring beside Vanna: "...First, let the guards restore order, and then start investigating the current situation of the entire city-state, confirm whether everyone has 'come back', confirm what is missing or extra in the city-state, and..."

Valentine paused and looked at the young Inquisitor beside him.

"And prepare to report to the Cathedral of the Storm - Vanna, the most challenging paperwork of your life is about to come."

Vanna's breath suddenly stopped.

A disaster is over, but not everything is over. When everyone survives... the real investigation seems to have just begun.

※※※

The sun is shining.

The solemn and heavy door of the cathedral creaked open, and Heidi came to the church square with a dazed expression. She looked at the streets as usual under the sunny sky, but the previous heavy rain and the horrific scene of the heavy rain turning into a rain of fire remained in her mind.

How did it end?

She only remembered that a ghost ship rose from the sea of ​​fire and cruised through the city-state. Her consciousness floated in a dimension between reality and fantasy. Two completely opposite histories intersected in her field of vision, and were split into two before the ghost ship's route. One part precipitated into reality, and the other was crushed into dust.

Feeling a slight burning sensation in her chest, Heidi lowered her head and saw that the "gift" pendant her father had brought back from the antique shop was glowing slightly. She reached out to touch it, but the pendant made a slight shattering sound the moment she touched it, and then as if it had run out of power, it silently turned into flying dust, and the rope connected to the pendant turned to ashes.

Heidi was stunned for a moment, but soon the noisy sounds from all over the square interrupted her daze.

The guards were restoring order, and the garrison from the city hall began to take roll calls and return to their teams under the command of officers at all levels. Some priests who were helping to restore order came out of the church, conveying orders from Bishop Valentine and Inquisitor Vanna. At the same time, some people were talking about the silhouette of the ghost ship that had just gone away.

"…As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw that thing floating past my head, as if it were sailing on transparent sea water…"

"It was so scary! The flames were just touching the spire of the cathedral! But it just seemed to go away..."

"That is the Lost Homeland, without a doubt... Don't disbelieve it, it is definitely the Lost Homeland!"

There was a loud voice shouting in the square, swearing that the ghost ship that just passed through the city-state was the legendary Sea Scourge Lost Homeland. Heidi looked in the direction where the voice came from and saw that the person who was speaking was an old white-haired captain - she had dealt with the captain every day before and was very familiar with him.

"Captain Lawrence," Heidi walked over and greeted the old captain who was talking to some refugees, "How are you?"

"Me? I'm fine, although I don't understand what happened." The old captain saw Heidi and smiled. "It's a good thing to see that you are safe, Miss Doctor. The rain and fire before were so scary!"

Heidi responded casually, and then asked, "You said that the ship that just left was... the Lost Hometown?"

"Yes, that's for sure," Lawrence nodded immediately, "I know it very well! I've seen this scene before!"

A citizen who had taken refuge in the cathedral before and was still a little frightened couldn't help but ask: "Have you seen it?"

"Yes, otherwise why do you think I have been isolated in the cathedral for so long?" Lawrence glared, then turned to Heidi, "I know you can talk to the higher-ups in the church, so I have a suggestion for you. Go back and check what is missing from the city-state. The Lost Hometown usually takes something away when it passes by... I have experience!"

Heidi listened in confusion and nodded in confusion. After a long while, some memories that happened not long ago but seemed like they happened a lifetime ago suddenly emerged in her mind.

How's things going with dad?

※※※

Morris didn't feel very well. He felt dizzy and his stomach was churning, as if he had drunk very strong liquor. He wanted to vomit, but didn't dare to.

Because he felt that the mops and buckets in front of him were staring at him hungrily, and Miss Alice next to him was also staring at him silently.

If I really vomited on the deck, I might get beaten - on this ship, any rope is older than me, and they probably don't have the concept of respecting the elderly.

He thought he was seasick, or maybe pigeon-sick.

Morris looked up and saw the pigeon named "Ai" arrogantly patrolling the piles of French fries on the deck. The pigeon had previously transformed into a terrifying skeleton bird and brought itself to the ghost ship when a sudden rain of fire broke out outside the antique shop. Now it had turned into its seemingly harmless appearance again, walking back and forth among the piles of French fries.

The girl named Shirley was sitting not far away, with a Deep Hound staying with her. They looked like a combination of a summoner and a Deep Demon, but at this moment, both of them were more honest than the other - Shirley sat upright as if she was a well-educated lady, not daring to breathe, and the Deep Demon whom she called "Agou" even found a newspaper from somewhere, sat upright on the wooden barrel next to Shirley, holding the newspaper with his paws and pretending to read it - but it obviously couldn't read, and held the newspaper upside down.

Further away, one can see towering masts, spiritual sails that are as transparent and illusory as a veil, the vast expanse of sea, and the increasingly distant city-state of Pland.

Recalling everything he had witnessed and experienced when he followed the ship through the city-state, Morris still felt his heart pounding. The experience of being transformed into a spirit by the ghost flames and overlooking the burning earth was really exciting. If it were many years ago, he might have thought it was a thrilling and interesting adventure, but now he is no longer a young man, and that experience might be a bit... too exciting for him.

Morris took a deep breath, feeling his mind in a mess. He was wondering if he still had a chance to go back, and he was also worried about the situation at his family's place.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the other side. It was the Deep Hound. Morris knew what a Deep Hound was, but he had never thought that a Deep Hound would be as rational and polite as the one in front of him: "Old old old sir, do you think I… do I look like… like a well-educated… cultured… dog?"

"Um... Frankly speaking, I don't think a dog needs to show its upbringing by reading a newspaper, but you are a deep demon, and the judging criteria cannot be based on the dogs in the human world... Anyway, the smartest dog in the human world can't learn to sit on a barrel and read a newspaper," Morris was stunned for a moment, and answered the other party's question with a strange expression, "There are two more things. First, the newspaper in your paw is held upside down, and second... are you a little stuttering?"

Ah Gou was startled, and quickly turned the newspaper on his paw over, while answering: "I... I'm not stuttering, I am... I am... a little nervous..."

"Agou, I don't think you need to be so nervous," Shirley suddenly muttered, "and what newspaper are you reading? Mr. Duncan has long known that we are both illiterate..."

As soon as she finished speaking, before Agou could even open his mouth, Alice, who was in a daze, suddenly raised her hand: "Me too!"

Shirley looked surprised, while Morris silently lowered his head and rubbed his forehead.

The old scholar felt that he had arrived at a place that was too outrageous... What was going on?