"What do you have to say about this sea lantern?"
The man in the black robe, accustomed to conversing with Ronald Adler, honestly continued:
"The flame is derived from the Lantern of the Endless Sea."
"On the Sea of No Name, it can indicate the way while protecting the Pathfinder from certain dangers; it also transforms the life force of the departed into strength for the person holding the flame."
During his explanation,
the man in the black robe introduced a lot of concepts unfamiliar to Ronald.
Ronald immediately realized the disadvantage of this conversational method—
The question-and-answer dialogue always followed the subjective perspective of the questioner. Although this method could solve some doubts precisely, it might also cause him to overlook some important factors.
He couldn’t continue with this progressive way of questioning; instead, it was time to change the conversational approach.
Having this realization, Ronald quickly changed his question:
"You know I am a foreigner, then please explain this ’Sea of No Name’ in detail as you would to a stranger."
The man in the black robe took on the role of the explainer.
He organized his thoughts briefly and then began to introduce it to Ronald:
"If you know nothing, then let’s start with the Sea of No Name itself..."
"No one knows the origin of the Sea of No Name. All life forms here with a certain level of intelligence arrived from their own worlds through the ’Mirror of Dreams,’ finding themselves waking on a small boat immediately."
"On the Sea of No Name, straying too far from the sea surface or from the ship results in attacks like you experienced earlier, and beneath the waters dwell fears capable of devouring everything. It’s commonly known that if one finds land in the Sea of No Name, they can have everything they desire and leave this place, though no such person exists yet."
Ronald could completely accept that; after all, planets entirely covered by oceans did exist. Moreover, he was now in a mysterious world of magical powers, which made such occurrences even easier to understand.
But if it was as the man in the black robe said, there were some unclear issues.
Ronald felt puzzled and immediately asked:
"Isn’t that a bit odd?"
"I see nothing around that looks suitable for fishing; if the Sea of No Name has only sea water, where do you find resources to survive?"
The man in the black robe pointed to the vast sea around them:
"The answer is simple—drink it."
"The sea water of the Sea of No Name can replenish physical strength and spirit, but prolonged consumption can cause memory and mental issues, eventually wiping memories of one’s homeland. One just keeps recalling experiences in the Sea of No Name, wandering here endlessly—like me."
At that moment, the tone of the man in the black robe became resigned and tired, but not at all bitter or sorrowful.
"Of course, some people use these boats to form larger maritime cities. There’s also meager food grown, but that is something ordinary people can’t access."
Faced with the man in the black robe’s cooperative attitude, Ronald finally released him.
Moving efficiently, Ronald sat back on the boat and carefully wrapped the Sword of Saint Catherine with a black cloth while quietly organizing the information in his mind.
After standing up, the man in the black robe was also honest.
He too sat on the edge of the boat, quietly awaiting Ronald.
On the foggy sea surface,
the two small boats were moored together.
The flames in the lantern illuminated the nearby water, calm except for the sound of water occasionally splashing against Ronald’s activities with the saint’s relics.
Finally, Ronald finished wrapping the Sword of Saint Catherine and slung it over his back.
"I have a fairly good understanding of the situation now."
"But if I need to find someone now, and also plan to deal with the ’Mirror of Dreams’ afterward, do you have any suggestions?"
The man in the black robe answered immediately:
"I think you should go to Luduo; it’s the floating city you mentioned about people traveling back and forth from the Sea of No Name. This kind of issue can only be resolved there."
Ronald stood up and continued to inquire:
"To find someone, must I also go there?"
The man in the black robe shook his head:
"Finding someone in the Sea of No Name is not difficult, it’s only a task that requires time. In Luduo, the main body of the Lantern of the Endless Sea is kept at the bow of the ship. Once you obtain its flame in Luduo, you can use the lantern’s power to find what you seek."
The logic in his words was indeed simple and clear.
But Ronald felt there was something stacking up, like Russian dolls:
"So I need to find a way to get to this Luduo first, and then after arriving, I am not even 100% sure of getting the information I desire?"
Speaking of finding Luduo, the man in the black robe’s explanation was rather simple:
"Don’t worry, I can take you to Luduo using the lantern. The concept of distance on the Sea of No Name is very chaotic; it won’t take more than three days to reach the floating city."
With this part of the conversation concluded, the decision Ronald now faced was straightforward.
Yet before making his final move, Ronald posed one last question to the man in the black robe:
"One last question before we set off."
"I have only just arrived at the Sea of No Name; why did you appear just at this coincidental moment?"
"People who have lost their past but don’t wish to die always find something to do here," the man in the black robe said somewhat self-mockingly, then continued, "My lantern directs me, seeking possibilities on this desolate sea."
"I was merely sailing nearby as directed. You were fighting the creature in the fog loudly, so I came over out of curiosity when I heard the noise."
Ronald’s "Lie Detector" spell was still effectively working.
Unless the man in front of him was also a master of self-control, this was truly his honest thought.
Ronald let out a slight sigh.
Although he had just entered the Sea of No Name, from the man in the black robe’s description, he could glimpse the overall atmosphere of this place.
The Cthulhu classics are indeed never good news.
Adjusting his expression, Ronald extended his right hand to the man in the black robe:
"Sorry for the abruptness just now."
"And... I never asked your name?" Newest update provıded by 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝙣𝙚𝙩
At this question, a hint of nostalgia flickered in the gray eyes of the man in the black robe, but he quickly concealed it.
He then shook hands lightly with Ronald and introduced himself:
"My original name has merged with the Sea of No Name."
"But now, those who know me call me the ’Dark Pathfinder.’ You can just call me ’Pathfinder.’"
Ronald also responded: "Ronald Adler."
"Just call me Ronald."