The brass key left by Lenora turned out to be a gift from a friend - this was completely beyond Duncan's expectations.

It also aroused his great curiosity.

Who made the key and for what purpose? What is the nature of the key? What is the illusion of "the spaceship falling to the ground and disintegrating in the explosion" that I saw after touching the key?

He couldn't wait to know the answer. Fortunately, the Frost Queen did not hide what she knew, but told him frankly:

"It was a friend I met shortly after I left the cathedral. I was planning to take power, meeting with all kinds of people, or participating in public affairs, and the old man appeared at a fundraising meeting...

"He was not on the guest list, but he easily bypassed all the security and spying. I thought he was a professor from the university because he was wearing a scholar's robe and had an elegant and proper demeanor. I had no idea he had sneaked in, and I chatted with him. The profound knowledge he displayed was amazing, until... the bodyguards at the gathering finally reacted and kicked him out.

“But after that, the old man began to appear in my sight frequently, sometimes at high-society gatherings, sometimes at private dinners organized by friends. He would appear when everyone’s attention was diverted, and then calmly chat with me, discussing history, mathematics, and mysticism with me, and then quietly leave before anyone disturbed him. Except for the first time we met when he was discovered by the bodyguard, he was always able to hide himself from everyone’s sight.

"Isn't it incredible? A friend known only to me, a knowledgeable advisor, a... air friend.

"I have never revealed his existence to the outside world. At first, I was worried that it would cause concern in the church. The bishops would suspect that my psychic talent was out of control and lock me up again in the cellar. I knew that my power was not out of control, and I was not worried about being imprisoned, but I felt that my time was precious and I couldn't continue to waste it in a cage. Later... I began to gradually gain control of the power of the city-state, so I couldn't reveal the existence of this 'secret advisor'.

"This situation lasted for about three years, and I became close friends with this mysterious old man. But just when I thought he would continue to be my 'special aide' until the coronation, he suddenly appeared before dawn one day and said goodbye to me.

"He said this - 'The window is over and this is the last time we meet.'

"Then, he handed me a brass key and told me that the key was a twisted collection of objects that could establish connections in time and space. It could also carry knowledge and memories, and one day in the future, it would definitely play a role...

"After talking about many things related to the key, my 'air friend' just turned around and walked towards the first light of the rising sun. The second the sun rose above the horizon, he disappeared. That was the last time I saw him."

Duncan listened to Lenora's story in astonishment. Countless associations had already emerged in his mind, and all the associations quickly pointed to a noun. When the Frost Queen in front of him finished speaking, he immediately said: "Wait, the person you described sounds like a..."

"Yes, the Preacher of the End, Captain Duncan," Lenoir smiled, "I guessed it after the first few meetings - I have come into contact with countless books during my years of training in the church, so I naturally know what the Preacher of the End is."

"You became friends with a Preacher of the End, and he..." Duncan frowned and said, but he realized something was wrong halfway through his words, "Wait, that's not right, he doesn't look like a normal Preacher of the End..."

"Yes, as you said, although the 'nature' is very similar, the old man's state is completely different from that group of crazy cultists. He has a sharp mind, clear reason, and a gentle and friendly attitude. The only thing he has in common with the Preacher of the End is 'non-linear intervention and disappearance'."

"…Normal End of the World preachers cannot think and communicate calmly, because the tearing of the timeline has already disrupted their cognition, and the worship of the subspace has destroyed their sanity," Duncan reacted quickly, "but the one you know is the opposite…"

He suddenly stopped.

Because at this moment, he recalled another thing, something related to "himself"!

Tirian once mentioned to Vana and Valentine that a century ago, on the eve of Duncan Abnomer's last voyage, the Lost Homeland welcomed several mysterious visitors. They suddenly appeared on the ship in robes like ascetics and talked with the then Captain Duncan all night long, and then mysteriously disappeared when the sun rose the next day...

Tirian had always believed that the visits of those mysterious visitors were the direct reason why the Lost Homelander sailed towards the "Border" on its final voyage.

And those mysterious visitors... from the description, they are a group of sane, gentle and friendly "End of World Preachers"!

The body that Duncan was using at the moment could not express a complex expression, but his momentary silence and the slight changes in his eyes did not escape the keen observation of the Frost Queen. Lenora immediately responded: "Have you thought of something?"

Duncan raised his head and didn't say anything for a while, just staring into the other person's eyes quietly.

The "friend" that Lenora knew was not an isolated case - among the group of End of Days preachers, who were generally believed to be brutal and crazy cultists, there was indeed a group of rational individuals with unknown purposes, and they were running around in the timeline, using a certain contact opportunity called the "window period" to constantly interfere in the affairs of the world!

Duncan's mind was full of thoughts, and countless ideas flashed through his mind. He finally broke the silence: "They also visited the Lost Homeland."

For the first time, Lenora's eyes widened instantly.

It seems that she has not completely lost the emotion of "surprise" as she said at the beginning.

"You have also come into contact with sane preachers of the end?" Lenoir said quickly, "What did they tell you? They are..."

"Unfortunately, I don't remember it," Duncan interrupted the other party's hasty questioning. "This part of my memory has disappeared with the erosion of the subspace. I only learned from other channels that I had dealt with them before."

An unconcealable look of regret appeared on Lenora's face.

Duncan quickly gathered his thoughts and brought the topic back on track: "After realizing that he was a special preacher of the end, did you not discuss his true identity with him? Didn't you ask him about his purpose?"

"Of course I asked - but do you think I would get an answer?" Lenora sighed helplessly, "We get along well. He is my elder who is both a teacher and a friend, and he is happy to answer most of my questions. But whenever I try to bring up his...'identity', he always evades the question with one sentence -

"It's not time yet. Don't get involved with things outside the 'boundaries' too early."

"Don't get in touch with things outside the border too early..." Duncan repeated these words in a low voice, which seemed to have a profound meaning. Then he frowned slightly, "You can actually make friends with such a suspicious person under such circumstances. You can be called... generous."

"I need help, and most of the things in this world that can be called 'power' are dangerous," Lenora said calmly, "Compared to the 'dreams' I have been exposed to since I was a child, a preacher of the end is too gentle and harmless."

Duncan didn't say anything else. He just stood up again and slowly walked to the darkness at the end of the room.

"...One last thing, what plans do you have for your future?"

Ray Nora frowned slightly: "The future?"

"Do you need to stay in this room called 'Drifting Land' forever?" Duncan said, and raised his chin again, pointing to the huge "tentacle" in the dark deep sea. "Do you need to stay here forever and use dreams to suppress the activities of this 'wrong copy'?"

"Do you have any other ideas?"

"Maybe, but I'm not sure," Duncan said, "What would happen if I could completely destroy this faulty copy?"

"...Freedom." Lenora was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slowly and solemnly, "He and I will both be freed."

"And then what?"

"I don't know," Lenora shook her head. "That's beyond my understanding. I've never imagined what it would be like after this long nightmare finally ends. Perhaps, this 'drifting place' will lose this connection point, and it will reconnect to somewhere else. Perhaps, I will lose contact with the real world, no longer be troubled by nightmares, and become an idle wandering soul, waiting for the day when this room is reopened."

"That doesn't sound like a happy ending," Duncan's tone became serious. "Eternal exile is not much better than sinking into a nightmare."

"In fact, it's worse, because this room is not under my control, and it is more likely to sink into the side of the subspace while drifting out of control than to reconnect to a 'connection point' in the real world."

Duncan remained silent for a long time.

After a moment, Lenora broke the silence: "But even so, I still suggest you do this - if you can really do it, end it all while I still have time."

Duncan looked into the eyes of the Frost Queen. "...Are you sure? Even if it means eternal exile?"

"Being trapped in a nightmare forever is actually a form of eternal exile," Lei Nora smiled. "By freeing myself from this, I can at least truly resolve the long-term threat facing Frostbite. At least for a considerable period of time, my city-state and my people will be safe."