Alka and the others were currently sailing in a circular pattern around Elcott Island. Reaching Elcot Island from their current patrol route would take approximately six to seven days.
Through multiple exchanges with the Church, they had confirmed the accuracy of various pieces of information and formulated targeted plans.
Furthermore, the forces they had assembled had quietly arrived in the Realm of Pitch Darkness.
Everything was ready. Now they waited silently for that final moment to arrive.
「The Day of Harvest.」
"Here, it should be translated as ’distance,’ not ’length.’ Haven’t I told you this many times? How can you be so dense!"
Hearing the voice from behind, Alka turned and couldn’t help but smile.
Three figures of varying heights were perched on stools behind a long table.
In front of them, several thick books were stacked on another stool, and standing atop these was a doll, whose body was only about twice the height of its head, shouting angrily at them.
Although the shout was childlike, it was hard to believe it possessed any real deterrent power.
Chadite, Pororo, and Jason were receiving instruction from Lucilia.
They were learning none other than the White Crocodile Script, which was exceptionally difficult but very important.
According to Lucilia, much secret knowledge and information that was difficult to convey was recorded in this script.
Failure to understand this script would mean missing out on a wealth of useful information.
Initially, only Chadite was learning it. However, Jason, being keenly interested in treasure hunting, certainly wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to acquire new knowledge.
This, in turn, piqued Pororo’s interest, and he decided to give it a try as well.
As for Julia, she already knew it.
Alka’s learning stage, however, was entirely different from theirs; Lucilia often gave him private lessons.
Alka couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Jason receive a harsh scolding.
He turned back to the map in his hand, his brow furrowing once more.
A flickering blue dot was slowly moving across the map.
Since Alka and his crew hadn’t landed on any islands recently, the blue dot had simply been tailing their ship.
Previously, it would linger around the islands Alka and his crew had visited. Now, it had stopped pretending and was following them directly.
This means the blue dot was drawn to us, Alka speculated, considering when it appeared and its previous actions. It must be attracted by something I have. What did I do around that time?
At that time, he had been holding an exquisitely crafted, luxurious harmonica.
Come to think of it, before I saw that moving blue dot, this harmonica was the only thing I played that didn’t cause any noticeable effect.
He glanced back at the blue dot’s position on the map.
The treasure’s description did mention a summoned Music Ship, providing some clear hints. Playing the harmonica was the only relevant thing I did before the blue dot appeared. So, could this blue dot be what the harmonica summoned?
I have to figure this out before the Day of Harvest.
With this thought, Alka took the helm and began to turn the ship. He had to see what this blue dot trailing them actually was.
Could it be a ship that was summoned, one capable of sailing on its own?
The movement of the ship turning alerted everyone on board. They all looked towards Alka at the helm.
"What’s wrong, Alka? Why the sudden change of direction?" Chadite stood up and asked, puzzled.
Meeting their gazes, Alka thought for a moment before saying, "Something has been following us for a long time. I want to see exactly what it is."
Hearing Alka’s words, everyone became both curious and wary. What could have been following them for so long? And could it be hostile?
From Alka’s expression, it was clear he didn’t know what it was either.
Alka consulted the map.
The blue dot on the map, representing what was behind them, continued to move slowly. Alka began to sail towards it.
In his hand was the harmonica he had acquired earlier.
A Music Ship summoned by a harmonica... could it really be a massive Spellbound Ship? A thrill of anticipation ran through him.
Just as he was thinking this, Alka clearly saw the silhouette of a blue ship in the distant darkness.
Upon seeing this, he immediately pulled out his telescope for a closer look.
The blue silhouette grew larger in the lens, meaning the blue dot on the map represented something absurdly large.
So it wasn’t a blue treasure resting on some huge object; the blue treasure itself was moving.
Alka watched as the ship drew closer.
The others also spotted it as it came into view.
They all readied themselves for a potential confrontation.
Finally, Alka brought their ship to a stop on the sea’s surface. The approaching vessel, however, continued to sail towards them.
Strange sounds drifted from the darkness. The sounds intertwined, weaving an enchanting melody.
Listening to the enchanting melody, Julia moved to the bow of the ship.
As a Mermaid, she was naturally gifted with a captivating voice and an innate talent for music.
The melody was exquisite, compelling her to offer a word of praise.
As for the others, though the music was beautiful, it did nothing to lessen their wariness of the approaching ship.
As the ship from the darkness drew closer, its complete form was finally revealed to everyone.