Chapter 1018: Time waits for no one

"One would think easier means of long distance communications would lead to better relationships, but it also leads to more anxiety."

-The words of a man who didn’t know what to say at the time, and missed his chance.

…

"Lady Jin Fang...is everything okay?," Arachnidame asked with a shrewd eye pointed in Jin Fang’s direction. As a kaijin with a core dedicated to the desire of [Control], Arachnidame prided herself on noticing the little details.

Like the facial tics of a young woman clearly hiding her emotional distress.

"Huh? Oh, yes. I’m okay. Everything is fine," Jin Fang tried to say in a nonchalant tone of voice and a wave of her hand.

"Hmmm."

Arachnidame for her part was still wholly unconvinced, but she knew better than to bring up such things in the moment. If anything, this was an issue that was best addressed by someone close to her, and not a kaijin. Granted, that aformentioned someone could address this via the kaijin, but that would be rather...impersonal.

"Very well, milady. Do you wish to head to the library in preparation for the gate’s opening or would you like a few more moments of preparation?"

"The latter," Jin Fang replied almost too eagerly. "The Abyssal Lands are said to be quite dangerous, and I need to make sure I don’t make myself burden while there."

"Of course, milady. In that case, I shall take my leave and return to my usual duties. Feel free to contact me or one of the zakos once you are ready."

"Very well."

Archanidame made sure to close the door behind her as she left, giving Jin Fang an opportunity to simply collapse and lie down on the floor in emotional distress. She wasn’t having a breakdown or crying at this point in time, but the emotions in her mind were starting to get heavy. Especially now that there was something looming towards her that she thought would have a bit more build-up by a couple dozen or so years.

Instead, her go-getting boyfriend and his family were about a day or so away from meeting someone who knew her from her baby days.

’I don’t even know what my baby days were like!,’ Jin Fang mentally remorsed while staring off into space.’But maybe…’

Jin Fang’s mind wandered to that day in the arena, when the spirit of two kaijin, one shaped like a squid while the other was shaped like a whale, were kneeling towards her like she was a princess, or some other type of aristocracy that warranted such behavior from others. She could barely register in her mind how they could swear fealty to her so easily, apologize so profusely about something she wasn’t even aware of happening in the first place…and yet…it felt right.

And now, so soon after that moment occurred, Jin Fang had the chance to talk to someone who actively knew her mother…and yet…she couldn’t help but focus on one tiny detail in regards to this knowledge: it was on a timer.

The kaijin known as Tortallion was created by her mother hundreds of years ago, and if what she learned about kaijin as of late, this was a phenomenon that shouldn’t have been possible.

Any kaijin without a lord would eventually turn into an abomination and wreak havoc. The kind of havoc that led to the creation of certain high tiered danger zones across the world of Valresta. However, much like how Jin Fang’s patron, Daria Nerissa-Zhen, was able to meet with MeteorHorn before his inevitable breakdown, this same opportunity presented itself to Jin Fang.

From what the kaijin had told Zhen Liu and from him to her, Tortallion was a kind but grumpy turtle. Kind of like a crotchety old grandpa who only wanted what was best for his daughters, which was actually more accurate given that he apparently had an adopted daughter.

’Two for two on old kaijin apparently having adoptive daughters…then again, I’ve only had two cases of meeting the kaijin of a previous lord both belonging to female ones, so I might be biased,’ Jin Fang mused to herself.

Regardless, Tortallion was actually so much like an old grandpa, that his mind had been slipping. Despite having lived hundreds and hundreds of years, time has finally taken its toll on him and this meant that Jin Fang wouldn’t have much of a chance left to actually talk to him about…anything.

But at the same time she thought about losing this source of information forever to the annals of history…a part of her also felt a bit relieved at the thought.

If she took a bit longer than necessary to go, then she wouldn’t have a chance to learn about her past history and nothing would change about her current situation.

She would still be a maid of the Zhen Clan, she would still be lovers to Zhen Liu and she would still be friends with Jinju Ren, Rianna, Bellona and Alicia.

But…wouldn’t the same be true if she did figure out her own past...right?

’Jinju Ren is best to have the option to know...but now I don’t know if I should take it.’

As Jin Fang continued to stare off into the distance, silently hoping for more time to think...time itself was still marching forward and without her, pushing towards a conclusion she wouldn’t have control over anyways.

_______________Meanwhile_______________

<<General Zhen Xun Tian.>>

<<..>>

<<General Zhen Xun Tian!>>

<<...>>

<<...mother?>>

<<Yes, what is it darling?>>

<<Oi...>>

At this moment in time, Zhen Xun Tian had led the expeditionary force through the exact same route she had taken when she and some of her associates had gone after the Fallen Clan the first time around. Unlike last time, there weren’t any sea monsters attacking them, meaning that the Zhen Clan warriors had ample time to relax, cultivate in peace and ask questions about what the fuck they were getting themselves into. Especially when they were travelling through a particular patch of water that felt remarkably ominous. Which was why Zhen Xun Po was talking to his mother in the first place.

<<Mother, some of the men are bit...confused as to why were sailing through such perilous waters. I mean, we’re not going to hit any rocks thanks to the serpent, it’s just...>>

<<You guys sense an aura of overwhelming dread that’s driving you nuts?>>

<<Kind of, and...wait a minute...mother, why are your tattoos glowing?>>

<<Oh, you just noticed?>>

Zhen Xun Tian’s tattoos were normally a collage of absurd and brightly colored images that formed into a cohesive painting of sorts, with no particularly highlighted image. However, this time was different.

At this moment, Zhen Xun Tian’s back was glowing with a dark blue light that radiated from one of her oldest tattoos: one depicting a giant squid.

<<Yeah, I have no idea why my back is glowing. Didn’t happen the last time I was here, but I guess something changed,>> Zhen Xun Tian shrugged. <<It’s not setting off my danger senses so...meh!>>

<<Mother! That is not a good...wait a minute, what the fuck?>>

Through sheer coincidence, Zhen Xun Po had palmed his face and turned his head towards the direction of the [Storm Queen’s Galleon], where he saw something that threw him for a loop.

<<What...on Valresta are those branch clan kids doing?>>

On the other vessel trailing behind the [Luminescent Ark Serpent], Zhen Xun Po could see that Zhen Liu, his cousins and his collection of puppets were all simultaneously saluting in a direction containing nothing raised stone platforms.

Whether or not this was a moment of boredom or profound understanding was unclear to him.

Incidently, it was unclear to the saluters themselves as well.

...

’Guys...why are we saluting a bunch of rock formations as we were sailing by? Actually, why are my cousins saluting?’

[I...don’t know, milord. It just felt...right.]

[Yeah...like...I was waving goodbye to an old musician who hung up their lute.]

[Felt...like...waving...off...an...ancestor...]

[I’m not sure either, Executor, but...it felt necessary.]

’Huh...on that note, do you guys feel like your arms locking into place or is that just me?’

[It’s happening to all of us.]

’Great...Logos, Pathos. Any explaination?’

<Nuh-uh.>

=Are sensors are going on the fritz...although, we can explain that the remnant [Chaos] in your cousins are prompting them to salute too. So there’s that.=

’Weird.’

[Notice: Would current Kaijin Lord like an explaination as to why you are saluting?]

’Oh, now the ship talks again? You were silent for days and now you have something to say...alright, why are we saluting?’

[The rock formation before you are not actually rocks, but the physical remains of ten of the twelve Storm Knights that swore fealty to the Storm Queen. They are the last pieces of living proof that these kaijin existed in this world and is a testament to their final duty: Protecting the Queen’s People.]

[...]

<=...=>

’...oh.’

Now that they knew the context, the backs of Zhen Liu and Kaijin got a little stiffer.