Banster's response was simple, direct, and honest.

Rune didn't even react at first.

"Then why are you saying so much?" The short and fat Rune couldn't help but mutter, "With so many doubts, I almost thought you were going to seal up the church ark when you go back today..."

"I'm just emphasizing the risks behind this matter," Banster's expression did not change at all. His thin and bloodless face looked extremely serious. "We all know what happened in the Thirteen Islands of Veselan. 'The sinking of the archipelago' is just a milder and more compromising statement. The essence of the whole thing is that our real world has a large-scale connection with the subspace. That sea area is still not stable enough, and those Leviathans..."

"It's safe, Banster," Rune interrupted calmly. His eyes were blue, as if saturated with a faint light of calmness and wisdom. "I'm not a crazy scholar who dares to bring border relics into the civilized world on a whim. The 'corpses' of the Leviathans were first studied and verified in the experimental sea area of ​​the Academy of Truth for a full ten years. It was only after eliminating all destabilizing factors that I decided to transform them into church arks."

Banster was silent for a while, until more than ten seconds later, Frame beside him broke the silence with a deep voice: "No matter what, given the situation at that time, we had to build the 'Pilgrimage Ark' - Rune took some risks, but if it weren't for those arks, I'm afraid we would have lost contact with the Four Gods now."

In the chaotic and dark space, four figures fell into silence at the same time.

"...Sometimes I can't help but wonder if the four 'Leviathans' that appeared on the eastern border were really some kind of gift from fate," Rune shook his head and muttered softly, "Without them, the Academy of Truth would not have been able to build a pilgrimage ark that could serve as the 'Earthly Kingdom of God', and our other alternative plans at the time had little chance of success. Friends, I admit that I did conceal many details of those Leviathans, but I hope you understand that it was a border collapse after all... When I delivered the ark that year, I told you not to be curious about their origins, just treat it as a miracle."

"A gift from fate..." Banster said slowly, "If possible, I really don't want to hear this sentence. It feels to me like a bloody sacrifice, sacrificing countless lives of the Thirteen Islands of Veselan to that ship in exchange for the four pilgrimage arks today."

"That's not the case. There is no evidence to prove that the appearance of 'Leviathan' was the work of 'Lost Homeland'. It's just that everything in the world is connected, and the appearance of some things just happens to be related to other things," Rune comforted, "and now 'that ship' is sailing on the vast ocean. Whether you are willing to admit it or not, its owner has regained his humanity. The warning from the Lost Homeland is just like the warning from Captain Duncan when he discovered the 'border collapse' phenomenon a century ago. We must face it and pay attention to it, just like I always say..."

"The truth is not affected by people's attitudes, because it has always existed," Banster waved his hand. "I know. I've heard you talk about this stuff so many times that I've become tired of it."

Helena looked up at Rune, then at Banster, and after a slight hesitation, she said, "Banster, if you still feel something is wrong, why not try to talk to Captain Duncan directly? See his attitude now, or even... confirm with him the truth about the Thirteen Islands of Veselan. Although he has now announced that his memory is damaged, if you contact him in person..."

Before she could finish her words, Banster had already waved his hand vigorously.

"Helena, among all your outrageous ideas, this is one that is too outrageous."

"Okay, I'll tell you."

"At this stage, we still need to be cautious in communicating with the Lost Homeland," Rune also said at the right time, "The current level of contact is already quite bold. Going further... we must consider the impact of the subspace. We cannot allow the Pilgrimage Ark to be contaminated in any way."

Hearing this, Frame, who was like a rock giant, slowly moved his gaze and swept his eyes over the three popes who were talking.

"Then the three of you saints were kidnapped onto the ship..."

Helena and Rune spoke at the same time: "That person was not kidnapped onto the ship!"

Banster waited until the two men finished speaking before adding slowly: "My saint is still in the church. The one who got on the boat was just a shadow."

The next second, the chaotic and dark space suddenly fell into silence again, as if some kind of awkward and subtle atmosphere was lingering between the four people.

Finally, it was Rune who broke the silence first: "In any case, you should not have revealed the truth about the 'Leviathan' at the bottom of the church ark to your saints, right?"

"No," Helena was the first to shake her head. "Although I immediately thought of Leviathan when I heard Vanna mention the amazing structure under the city-state, I didn't reveal anything to her."

Banster also shook his head. "Rather than adding to the troubles of my priests, I would rather find you, an old fellow, to find out what is going on. Although it seems that you only know so much now."

Frame shook his head a third time: "My saint was not kidnapped onto the ship..."

The three voices finally said in unison: "Are you done yet?!"

“…I won’t talk anymore.”

"It's right not to reveal it for now," Rune looked at the rock giant Frame helplessly, then retracted his gaze and nodded to Helena and Banster, saying, "We have too little information right now. We also need to find a way to confirm what's going on under the city-state first, and confirm whether the information from the Lost Hometown is correct, so that we can make the next arrangements."

He paused for a moment and added, "When the conditions are right, we can contact 'that ship' through our respective saints. As for now... let's discuss the rest of the 'warning' from the Lost Homeland."

Everyone's expression turned serious as he said this.

"Let me give you my opinion first," Banster was the first to speak. "I think we need to establish a 'monitoring' system across the church, city-states, and ocean-going fleets in response to the 'warning' of the Lost Hometown. The coverage should be wide and comprehensive, because if the content of the warning is true and the ancient gods really exist in all things, then any blind spot that is not covered may become the point of explosion leading to the next 'Frost Crisis'.

"On this basis, the patrol fleets of the major churches must also make corresponding adjustments, just like... we were on guard against 'border collapse' back then."

Helena looked at Banster with some surprise.

"It seems that Rune's worries just now were unnecessary. You took the warning from the Lost Homeland seriously enough. I thought you would question all the information from that ship because of the impact of the Thirteen Islands of Veselan."

"It is precisely because of the Thirteen Islands of Veselan and the recent 'Frost Crisis'," Banster said solemnly, his tone low and serious, "These events have convinced me of one thing - anything related to that ship cannot be a trivial matter, so I will keep a close eye on everything related to that ship, more closely than anyone else."

※※※

The dark sea surface was quickly returning to normal, and the chaotic shadows that filled the sky were gradually filled with sunlight. The sky and the sea regained their colorful, warm and peaceful appearance, and the faint green flames that permeated the entire ship gradually subsided and converged as it left the spiritual world.

The spiritual flames on Duncan's body gradually faded away, and he loosened his grip on the steering wheel, feeling the surging power gradually subside.

The steering wheel began to make fine adjustments on its own, and a creaking sound was heard from deep within the hull - Goat Head took over the control of the ship, and the speed of the Lost Homeland dropped again, gradually returning to the standard speed of daily cruising.

As soon as Duncan left the bridge, Alice ran over happily: "Captain! Captain! Are we in the south?"

"How is that possible?" Duncan looked at the puppet helplessly. "Do you know how far it is from Frostbite to Breeze Harbor?"

Alice scratched her hair. "Oh, I saw you slowed down, and the Lost Homeland left the spirit world. I thought we had arrived..."

"We're coming up to the real world to 'get some fresh air,'" Duncan said casually. "It's not good for your physical and mental health to sail deep into the spirit world for a long time. There are several normal humans on the ship..."

He stopped mid-sentence and shook his head.

"Returning to the real world, enjoying the sea breeze and basking in the sun can relieve the stress of the long-distance voyage, and the Lost Hometown itself also needs a rest."

"That's true," Alice nodded slightly with a pleasant smile on her face. "They were indeed quite nervous, but they relaxed a lot after returning to the sunlight."

Duncan knew that the "they" the puppet was referring to were actually the buckets, ropes, pots and pans on the ship. He didn't know when she had such a good relationship with the creatures on the ship. She could even see the "emotions" of those noisy things...

But these are all good things.

"Goathead will take charge of the helm. I'll take a rest first," Duncan said to Alice. "Tonight's dinner will be scones, fish fillets, and vegetable soup."

"Oh!" Alice agreed happily at once.

Then the doll lady looked up at the sky.

The sun has gradually sunk to near the horizon, and the outer ring of the double rune ring has begun to sink below the sea surface.

"Then I'll go cook first!"

Alice yelled, then turned and ran towards the kitchen.

Duncan smiled as he watched Alice disappear behind the cabin door at the end of the deck.

Then he exhaled lightly, turned and walked to the door of the captain's room at the stern of the deck.

〖The door of Banished〗

Duncan's eyes swept across the line of letters on the door, he put his hand on the door handle and pushed the door open.