The sea was calm, the breeze was pleasant, the waves were gentle, and the sunlight was not very strong. If we didn't know what kind of horror existed under the deep sea, this could even be said to be a pleasant and beautiful scene.

It was as if the terrible nightmare of the entire city-state being dragged into doomsday and burning in flames had never happened.

On the high platform at the stern of the Lost Homeland, the dark steering wheel was automatically rotating without any control, and the sail not far away was also slowly adjusting its posture.

Nina sat on the deck at the edge of the platform, her upper body leaning over the edge of the railing, her legs extended outside and dangling gently, while Duncan sat on a large wooden barrel next to her.

"...This feeling is very strange. I know you are my Uncle Duncan. I know you are someone I can rely on and trust. But at the same time, another 'fact' is so clear..."

She seemed to be talking to herself, her voice very soft and slow.

"I have an uncle, he is an ordinary person, he used to be a very good person, honest and hardworking, but then he became... not so good anymore, he got sick, started drinking, gambling, irritable, the situation was getting worse every day, at that time, I even felt that going home was a terrible thing...

"But suddenly, my uncle became better again, just like a dream. His health improved, his temper improved, and the atmosphere at home seemed to have returned to the past... It was not even that good in the past. In fact, since then... I have often thought, how nice it would be if you could really be my uncle forever."

Duncan frowned slightly.

"Did you already notice it then?"

"I guess vaguely... but I'm not sure, and there's one thing I can't figure out," Nina turned her head and raised her face slightly, "If it's really the 'evil spirit' that the book says has taken over my home, then why is the evil spirit so kind to me?"

Duncan looked into Nina's eyes, and after a while, he suddenly laughed.

"I am much more powerful than the evil spirit."

"Now I can see that, and you're much friendlier than the evil spirit," Nina also laughed, resting her head on the guardrail next to her, looking lazy, "You are Uncle Duncan, right?"

"Yes, and it always will be."

"That's great... I feel much more relieved," Nina breathed a sigh of relief. She was silent for a while before she spoke hesitantly, "My other uncle... Was he peaceful when he left?"

Duncan recalled the night when he truly stepped into the city-state of Plande.

An irredeemable cultist took his last breath in a cold and damp sewer. His dark compatriots were planning to throw his body into the depths of darkness. In his muddled mind, there was only vicious resentment and a twisted and fanatical worship of the dark sun.

But there is still a little bit of humanity left, and he is concerned about a relative who depends on him for survival.

Just for the sake of that little bit of humanity.

"He passed away peacefully, and I believe he is resting in peace now," Duncan said softly, "He didn't have many things to worry about in the end, and you were one of them."

"That's not bad," Nina breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had let go of the last bit of burden. She stretched hard and lay back on the deck. The translucent spiritual sail of the Lost Homeland was reflected in her pupils. "A lot has happened recently, especially today... Can you tell me about it? Those things you haven't told me yet, about this ship, about you, and... about me."

Duncan stood up from the barrel, came to Nina, and slowly lay down: "That will take a long time. I, your uncle, am a man with many stories..."

※※※

"In short, Captain Duncan is so amazing..."

On the spacious deck of the Lost Homeland, Alice was excitedly introducing the captain's great deeds to the "visitors". She had been talking nonstop for quite a long time, and at least two-thirds of these deeds were heard from Goat-Head. These stories were first exaggerated by Goat-Head, and now they were turned upside down by Miss Puppet. They have all been distorted into something that is difficult for humans to understand - not to mention that Duncan himself would be scared if he heard it, even if Alice herself repeated it on the spot, she couldn't guarantee that she was right.

But even with such nonsense, Shirley and Morris on the opposite side listened extremely seriously. Even Agou next to them put down his newspaper and listened attentively.

They didn't think there was anything unreasonable in Alice's messy story - even though Alice insisted that the Lost Homeland actually had two long legs underneath, and it was able to run so fast by running all the way on the sea.

The boss of the subspace, the Lost Homeland, the number one natural disaster in the vast sea - it is more reliable if it is a little outrageous, and the more unreasonable, the more right it is.

The person in front of him is "Ms. Alice", who has a place on the Lost Homeland, a confidant who follows Mr. Duncan and even dares to pinch Mr. Duncan's cheek in the antique shop. What she said must be right.

"It's worthy of being the Lost Homeland..." Morris clapped his hands in admiration. He had studied for his entire life, but only when he met Alice did he realize how narrow his knowledge was. "I've seen many articles on this ship in books. Those authors can write a whole book based on their imagination while sitting in a room. But now it seems that more than 90% of the things in them are really outrageous..."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, a majestic voice suddenly came from the side: "I strongly advise you not to take Alice's words seriously - her outrageous degree is much more serious than those fabricated books."

The moment the voice sounded, Agou rushed behind Shirley. Morris quickly stood up and looked at the tall figure who was walking down the stairs not far away: "Ah, Duncan...Captain, are you done?"

Duncan nodded and walked down the stairs, and then another petite figure walked down the stairs behind him.

"Nina!" Shirley jumped up when she saw the figure and walked forward happily, "You're okay! You're back!"

As she stood up to greet him, the black chain on Shirley's arm instantly straightened. Agou, who had been burying his head and pretending that he didn't exist, was dragged forward by the chain, rolling and crawling, jumping and shouting: "Hey, slow down... Damn, you're still dragging me... Oh my god..."

"Shirley," Nina said with a bright smile on her face. She stepped forward and grabbed Shirley's arm, shaking it twice. Then she bent down and looked at Agou, who had just hit his head on the stairs. She reached out and patted the latter's bony head: "And Mr. Agou, I'm back."

Morris also stepped forward to greet his students, and then turned to look at Alice next to him: "Miss Alice, what you just said... was that all made up?"

"I didn't make it up! That was what Mr. Goathead said!" Alice's eyes widened immediately. "It said it had served on the Homeless for a century. It knows everything about this ship better than anyone else!"

Morris was confused: "Goat head?"

"My first mate - you won't like dealing with it." Duncan said casually, and then looked around at the people standing in front of him.

Morris, Shirley, and Agou - unplanned boarders and long-lost visitors on the Lost Homeland.

The situation in the Plande city-state was urgent at the time. Although Duncan already had a plan to use the special properties of the Lost Homeland to remove historical pollution, just in case, he still urgently teleported the "guests" who took refuge in the antique shop to the ship. But now that the things in the city-state have calmed down, he needs to consider the future.

At the very least, old Mr. Morris still has relatives in the city-state, and he probably doesn't want to stay on this ghost ship forever.

After a brief thought, he withdrew his gaze.

"I think you already know where you are now, and you also know my identity. As you can see, this is the Lost Homeland, and I am the captain of this ship. In the past century, at least half of the terrifying legends on the vast sea... almost all of them are related to me.

"I won't comment on the authenticity and exaggeration of these legends, but one thing is true as the legend says: after boarding the Lost Homeland, it will be difficult for you to sever your connection with the ship. In a sense, after experiencing Ai's teleportation and the Lost Homeland's 'spiritualization', you are already considered a crew member of this ship.

"Unfortunately, this process is neither reversible nor avoidable."

Duncan stated this fact straight out of the gate - and this was also the experience he had summed up in recent times regarding the Lost Homeland and his own strength.

Anyone who encounters the Lost Homeland, or the Phantom Flame, will inevitably establish a connection with Duncan, even if he himself is unaware of it - the earliest example being the White Oak, and the most recent being Vanna.

Morris and Shirley's reactions were calmer than Duncan had imagined. Only Agou hung his head and muttered something that no one could hear clearly.

It seems that they had thought of this situation a long time ago and were mentally prepared.

Duncan deliberately paused for two or three seconds, then suddenly smiled and shook his head.

"But there is one thing that is different from the legend," he said in a relaxed tone, "This ship does not only have a one-way ticket, and I, the captain... as you can see, am not a crazy and out-of-control natural disaster as the legend says.

"You boarded the ship because of the emergency situation at that time, so I will not restrict your freedom."

This time, Shirley and Morris finally opened their eyes slightly, especially the latter. The old man was still struggling with how he could return to the city-state and how he could exchange the qualification to return to the mortal world from a shadow in the subspace. He did not expect that this matter would be so simple. He was immediately surprised: "In other words... we can go back?"

"Of course," Duncan smiled. "The crisis in Plande is over. You are free to come and go, but..."

Morris suddenly became nervous again.

"But let's eat before we leave," Duncan said casually. "This is my way of entertaining guests. The food on the Lost Homeland is simple, but it also has some characteristics, especially the seafood, which are all good things you can't get in the city-state..."