The White Oak has returned—after a long period of lost communication and a change in its course, this advanced steamship belonging to the Explorer's Association finally made its way back to the city-state of Prande.
Many people were waiting for the ship's return, countless eyes anxiously watching the silhouette gradually approaching on the sea.
Judge Vanna saw that as the White Oak's horn sounded, the dock workers immediately sprang into action.
The crew responsible for guiding the ship to shore had taken their positions, signaling to the White Oak with lights and flags. Meanwhile, the church's guardians went to activate the deep-sea relics that had been placed around Pier One the night before: numerous bronze "boundary stones," inscribed with the name of the storm goddess Gomona. The top of these stones was filled with sacred oils and spices. Once activated, the area where the White Oak would dock would be sealed off, becoming a "sacred domain" under the goddess's watch.
Further away, the town hall's constables were on standby. These ordinary folks weren't skilled at dealing with extraordinary matters, so their main job was to block all entrances with heavy firepower. Regular guns were not much use against strange, invisible curses, but if any tangible contaminants emerged from the White Oak, then eight-millimeter bullets and four-pound cannons would be very effective.
Sometimes Vanna couldn't help but be thankful for advancements in technology. These engineering marvels allowed weak and powerless ordinary people to have some means to intervene in such extraordinary events. While the results of technological progress could be both good and bad, at least… the support from machine guns and cannons had significantly reduced casualties among the church members in recent years.
Vanna's gaze crossed the dock, looking out at the distant sea.
The White Oak sounded its horn again. Guided by the lights on the shore, the ship began to slow down and stopped a distance away from the dock.
A priest standing next to Vanna let out a small sigh of relief and whispered, "The White Oak is following orders; it seems at least the ship is still under 'human' control."
"That can't be assumed just yet. Many who are affected by anomalies or strange phenomena may appear normal until a mutation occurs," Vanna shook her head. "Send out a second signal, dispatch a check boat, and have the coastal cannons ready. If there are any disturbances on the ship… fire."
The judge's orders were quickly relayed. Since the White Oak's communication device was damaged, the people on shore could only communicate with the ship using lights and flags. After a complex series of signals, three lights lit up at the bow of the White Oak, and shortly after, a rope ladder was lowered.
A speedboat was launched from the dock, powered by a small steam engine, racing toward the White Oak.
On the speedboat was a full team of guardians, including eight combat personnel, a commander, and a deep-sea priest. These loyal clergy lit incense on the small boat and chanted the storm goddess's holy name. As they approached the White Oak, they did not board immediately but first circled the large ship, sprinkling holy oil mixed with seaweed extract into the nearby waters.
As the oil spread in the sea, it emitted a faint glow, gradually connecting to form a ring that completely surrounded the White Oak.
After completing this, the clergy on the speedboat finally approached the White Oak and climbed aboard using the rope ladder.
Vanna observed all of this from the lookout tower.
Bringing a ship that had been lost at sea back "home" was an extremely dangerous task, especially since it was a vessel that had previously transported anomalies. The White Oak could not dock directly; it first needed to be checked by the speedboat from a safe distance.
Only after confirming there were no signs of corruption from evil gods could it approach the dock in Prande. However, even after that, the crew would not be allowed to disembark immediately. They would undergo a second round of checks by the clergy, and the entire ship would be subjected to a more thorough search and purification.
Following that, all personnel aboard would need to be observed in the church at the dock for at least several days, if not weeks, and the entire ship would have to be purified with incense for at least a week.
Only if all these processes were completed without incident could the civilized world dare to welcome back those who had been lost at sea. If any part of the procedure went wrong, the White Oak and its crew would be doomed to the depths of the ocean.
The storm goddess would accept the souls of these unfortunate people.
This harsh and somewhat cruel rule was not born from malice but rather was a "survival method" that humanity had developed over time.
Of course, there were city-states that were unwilling or unable to follow these strict regulations. Most of these city-states were now focused on the first two units of the second volume of middle school history, which were essential for final exams.
Time passed slowly, and everyone was waiting for the signal from the boarding inspection team. There were only two possible signals—if everything was safe, the team would use special spiritual communication to request to dock. If the ship had already been contaminated, the team would fight to the last person and try to detonate the nitroglycerin on the speedboat before they all perished.
For a large ocean vessel like the White Oak, if it had truly been deeply contaminated by subspace or something else, a mere handful of people conducting the boarding inspection would not likely return alive.
Vanna crossed her arms and lightly tapped the metal on her arm.
Suddenly, the church bell rang out from the small chapel on the dock, and the steam pressure release pipes on either side of the bell tower sounded three long notes.
The clergy inside the church received the urgent message from the inspection team, and the church bells and horn announced to all groups on the dock:
The ship is safe; the White Oak requests to dock and has a special situation to report.
Vanna immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
At least for now, the ship seemed to be normal, which was the best news she could hope for.
As for the special situation to report… she was not surprised.
A ship that had gone missing and then returned would certainly have something unusual to report.
The White Oak slowly approached the dock, having finally returned to the civilized world after its trials. Although the crew had not yet been allowed to disembark, they could surely relax a little.
More church guardians began to board the ship in an orderly fashion, preparing for thorough inspections and inquiries. Vanna also left the lookout tower, personally leading a team of priests to the dock. She walked across the long gangplank and finally stepped onto the deck of the White Oak, where she met the ship's captain, a burly man with graying hair.
The old captain looked somewhat haggard, clearly having worked under high tension for too long. However, upon seeing the judge approach, he immediately perked up and came forward to greet Vanna.
"Hello, I am Judge Vanna of the Prande Deep Sea Church, Captain Lawrence," Vanna preferred to skip unnecessary formalities and got straight to the point. "Let's skip the introductions—first, I apologize and hope you and your crew understand the strict checks from the city authorities and the church."
"Of course, Your Honor," Lawrence nodded quickly. He had intended to say "Miss Judge," as she looked almost the same age as his daughter, but he changed it to a more respectful title at the last moment. "I anticipated this, given… we lost contact for so long."
Vanna nodded. "Briefly tell me what happened to the White Oak, why you lost contact, and why you suddenly appeared on an unreported route. What about the cargo you were transporting, the anomaly 099?"
As soon as she spoke, Lawrence's expression filled with frustration and anxiety. He sighed, glancing around quickly before slowly speaking, "You might not believe me, but we… encountered that legendary ship, the Lost Homeland…"
In front of him, the stern-faced judge suddenly froze in place, her expression becoming oddly stiff.
He couldn't quite describe what that expression meant, but it looked just like how he felt after being rammed by the Lost Homeland a few days ago.
"Judge… Your Honor?" Lawrence asked cautiously, "You…"
"Captain Lawrence," Vanna seemed to snap back to reality, staring intensely at the captain before her, "Could you say that again?"
"I might be telling you something unbelievable…"
"I mean the second half."
"We encountered that legendary ship, the Lost Homeland…"
"I believe you."
Lawrence was taken aback. "Then…"
"You may need to stay at the dock a few more days, Captain," Vanna said seriously. "This matter is very serious, extremely serious. You… wait, you encountered the Lost Homeland, but everyone survived?"
The judge's expression suddenly shifted slightly, her gaze filled with doubt. Seeing this, Lawrence quickly raised his hands. "We are fine, but the Lost Homeland took away anomaly 099, which is that doll coffin. I suspect that ghost ship was after the doll coffin."
"The Lost Homeland took anomaly 099?" Vanna frowned, then asked, "What happened after that? Did it just let you go?"
"Yes… yes," Lawrence grew tense and began to sense something, "Your Honor, has there been…"
"…It’s fine to tell you, as it seems your 'contact' may be more serious than ours," Vanna sighed, looking at the old captain. "Captain Lawrence, you may not be the only one who has dealt with the Lost Homeland recently. Let's find a quiet place; I need to understand more."
(End of Chapter)