Ch.285The Road to the Hyacinth Continent (2)

The Sky Warden carrying Viktor was momentarily hovering over international waters.

Meanwhile, on the flight deck attached to her underside, shuttles were crisscrossing over the water’s surface, casting large fishing nets. As this area happened to be home to pollock, the nets came up full of freshly caught fish.

No matter how hard the mess hall staff tried, “freshness” was something beyond their control. The literally farm-to-table pollock were now being deliciously grilled in the hands of the kitchen staff.

“Wow! How long has it been since we’ve had fresh fish? Finally something worth cooking!”

“With this amount, we could even sell some for a profit!”

The kitchen staff beamed with joy as they prepared and cooked fresh ingredients they hadn’t handled in a very long time.

Although Viktor had written the soldiers’ meal plans, they still faced the inherent limitations of military food—hundreds of cooks preparing meals for tens of thousands of personnel. Given the military’s fundamental problem of prioritizing equipment over food when funds were available, the meals were high quality for military standards but not something people would pay for in civilian life.

Moreover, the ingredients were typically stored in freezers for long-term preservation, causing them to lose flavor, aroma, and texture during the thawing process. This made fresh fish an extremely rare and precious treat.

This decision was based on Viktor’s memory of enjoying pollock on the journey from Miriam to Meridia, as well as the command’s judgment that selling large quantities of fish could generate decent profits. Like any organization, the Solar Forces were now enjoying an unexpected blessing thanks to the correct decision of their leadership.

“Ah, delicious indeed. Freshly caught fish is truly medicinal.”

“Indeed. We’ll eat well for a week.”

“And we can sell the remaining stock in cities as we travel. The further inland, the higher the price.”

Viktor said this as he brought a piece of pollock, lightly grilled in butter, to his mouth.

Whether it was the quality of the butter or the pollock, or perhaps both, one thing was certain—it was incredibly delicious.

Of course, by civilian standards where pollock could be prepared with professional expertise, this might not compare. But inside this floating metal plate, it was quite a luxury.

While the fundamental purpose of their journey wasn’t gastronomy, they weren’t merely traveling but adventuring—and adventures required delicious food.

Certainly, after being treated as an Apostle for some time, this meal might seem quite modest. But for someone who had once survived on food waste, Viktor’s lower threshold for acceptable food was extremely low.

Raisha, the Moon’s Apostle, despite having lived in Faerus Vale, came from a working-class background living day to day, so she didn’t have particularly refined tastes either.

This was fortunate for the kitchen staff. Even with dedicated cooks and kitchen facilities for the leadership, what they could produce was vastly inferior to what professional chefs with unlimited high-end facilities and licenses could create on land.

In such circumstances, if either of them had the palate of nobility or royalty, a cook might have lost his head after every meal.

“Well… now that we’ve had lunch, shall we head to the library?”

“Yes.”

It would take a full week to reach Hyacinth.

While spending ten long days engaged in sexual relations might be appealing to Raisha, it wasn’t particularly welcome to Viktor.

So wouldn’t it be more beneficial to go to the library and build knowledge while chatting with Simon? After all, it was books filled with metaphorical descriptions and black-and-white illustrations that had instilled Viktor’s fanatical sense of adventure.

Viktor hoisted his wife over his shoulder and headed to the library, while soldiers in the corridors saluted their lord and cleared the way.

*

While Viktor and Simon were engaged in serious discussion about mountain formations in the library, theologians were gathered for a meeting at the Layer Archive in the Hyacinth continent.

The topic of the meeting was undoubtedly about the Solar Apostle heading directly here and the authority under his command.

“It’s clear that the Sun created an Apostle. The events in the Belka Archipelago leave no room for doubt, and local informants witnessed his ascension and resurrection, recording it in videos and photos which were transmitted to us.”

“But the Sun hasn’t created an Apostle for 350,000 years, has it?”

“That’s precisely why it has created one now. When Karil’s Apostle was first dismantled by him, there was room for doubt, but now there is none. The Sun has created an Apostle, and his power is evident enough to overwhelm Karil’s Apostle by force.”

The hall stirred at the exchange between the two theologians.

They could endure the wars between followers of the Four Great Gods.

But a Solar Apostle? That was an entirely different matter.

One of the four above day and night… dealing with the very laws of the world itself. For the Archive, which had maintained its independence until now, this was potentially the most powerful entity capable of destroying the Archive’s autonomy and sovereignty.

What they were protecting was the culmination of human technology that had developed and progressed over 300,000 years. Giving this to someone unqualified would be tantamount to their own death.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of Apostle he is. This Archive was built to escape the eyes of the Imperial Family. Heir to the Empire, representative of the Imperial Family… whatever qualifications he may have, to gain access to the Archive, he must go through us, and without that, he will never get his hands on the Archive.”

“Such complacency could lead to disaster. He is the Solar Apostle. The sole earthly representative of the absolute and unique primary deity of humanity who has illuminated this world from 350,000 years ago until now, the sustainer of the world. If he wants the information contained in this Archive for the revival of the Nariakiran Empire… and if he wishes to find it by force, do we currently have the means to stop his rampage?”

“…”

The commotion in the hall ceased.

No one could refute the speaker’s words.

No one had wished for the Empire’s downfall.

Rather, the catastrophe known as the Era of Solar Eclipse, which would be remembered throughout human history, occurred because everyone wanted a new empire tailored to their own preferences.

With only the painful lesson that what belongs to everyone belongs to no one, the thirteen continents burned for 50,000 years.

“Half-hearted compromises won’t work. He indiscriminately massacred the people of Long Legs on charges of insulting the Sun, and now Long Legs is in complete ruins with refugees having nowhere to go. At least in terms of faith, compromise is impossible.”

“But he might not want to rebuild the Nariakiran Empire. Just as not all Apostles of the Four Great Gods serve them in the same way…”

“That may be true. But then how do you explain his supplying orihalcon ore to Turianic Industries, thereby gaining control over other countries’ industries? He didn’t even try to hide it. He said he ‘needed supporting forces.'”

“And the purpose…?”

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t find that out. The leadership is desperately trying to keep it secret, as if the world would burn again if more people knew.”

Turianic Industries’ behavior was extremely prudent.

The moment information leaked about creating thirteen lighthouses to replace the Sun, and further, about extinguishing the Sun and continuing day and night with lamps made by human technology and dedication, the world would be engulfed in war again.

And in a very bad direction.

How long they could keep this information locked away was uncertain, but if even the Layer Archive’s informants with the Wisdom God’s Apostle couldn’t discover it, they were truly going to extreme lengths to conceal the information.

“If he needs supporting forces to that extent…”

“It must be the revival of the Empire. At minimum, bringing the Dual Moon faith back into the light. Compared to just a year ago, the followers of the Dual Moon Order have increased by 24 times. In Belfort, where the Apostle personally granted forgiveness, the entire city is divided between Sun supporters and anti-Sun factions in confrontation.”

People believe what they see.

More precisely, they only care about things that can affect their lives.

Just as beggars on the street don’t care about stock market trends, and rulers don’t pay attention to starving poor people.

Similarly, Viktor paid little attention to discussions happening in places he didn’t know, by people he didn’t know, about things he wouldn’t do.

The scholars, knowing nothing about the subject of their discussion, debated endlessly until nightfall… and agreed to resume their debate again the next morning.