561 Language of the Stars
Lato Guiaro struggled to keep silent, but the words burst out of him.
After a long internal battle, he finally responded, âHeâs the most powerful among us. Before joining the Fisheries Guild committee, he served as a deputy host on the sea sacrifice ship a whopping 11 times. He gained numerous boons and established a solid connection with the sea.
âHe can fly. If heâs not afraid of losing lifespan, he can temporarily take control of these waters on behalf of the Governor of the Sea. He possesses other special abilities, though theyâre rarely revealed. Weâre not entirely sure either. What we do know is that the failure of last yearâs sea prayer ritual significantly weakened him.â
Lato paused and couldnât resist adding, âFirst and foremost, we are astronomers. Our expertise lies in observing the starsâ transformations and calculating their patterns.
âKeep in mind that the annual sea prayer ritual doesnât have a fixed date. It could happen any day during the first week of November. This is because, to enter that special area that communicates with the sea, the stars need to be in specific positions to open the corresponding passageway.
âThe date of a similar phenomenon varies from year to year. Astronomers with sufficient knowledge must predict it in advance through observation and calculation.â
The idea of Fisheries Guild committee members being astronomers seems comical and absurd⊠Lumian didnât interrupt Lato Guiaroâs narrative.
The self-proclaimed astronomer continued his explanation.
âSecondly, we are humans who worship the sea and the cosmos. We can receive revelations and guidance of fate from the changes in tides, the waves of the sea, and the trajectories of the stars, avoiding danger and making the right choices. Many times, we refer to such revelations and guidance as the Language of the Stars.â
The Language of the Stars⊠sounds pretty dangerous. How do you know itâs not something risky like Termiboros or Ludwig winking at you? Lumian resisted the urge to shake his head and sighed inwardly.
âFurthermore, we are descendants of the sea and the cosmos, serving as clergymen who offer sacrifices to them.
âWe can manipulate the power of the land to completely immobilize the target or make them float.
âWe can emit rays from the cosmos, causing damage to the enemyâs body structure and weakening them. Without the corresponding superpowers to treat them, they will face an irreversible and agonizing death.
âWe can also create a powerful magnetic effect. Combined with the power of the land, we can generate a half-real illusion. We call it the Cosmic Void.â Latoâs expression gradually turned fanatical.
From a mysticism perspective, the Beyonder characteristics of the Children of the Sea involve the land and the cosmos. According to Auroreâs knowledge, it encompasses gravity, radiation, and electromagnetism. Furthermore, due to gravity and electromagnetism, they also possess some illusionary and spatial abilities. Lumian, rephrasing Lato Guiaroâs words for easier comprehension, couldnât help but criticize inwardly, Hey, youâre the Children of the Sea, not the Children of the Stars. Why donât I see many sea-related powersâŠ
Lato took a deep breath and continued, âWe are also the navigators of the sea and the cosmos. We can find the right path under any circumstances, guided by the performance of the sea and the stars. We can use this power to help others.
âWithout our guidance, ships canât enter that special water even on the correct date. Thatâs why Nolfi insisted on returning to Port Santa before setting off. Although she knew the coordinates and route of the sea sacrificial land from her mother, she would never have reached it if she didnât set off from Port Santa.
âThe spawn that come to land from the seabed also rely on our abilities in this area to survive the fog, vortex, and storms without losing their way in the sea route or being swallowed by darkness.â
Navigators⊠Lumian suddenly recalled the strange fish he had encountered on the Flying Bird, the Mutated Bannerfish, who could control the waves.
They were also known as Death Navigators!
âHave you heard of the strange fish known as Death Navigators?â Lumian interrupted Lato Guiaroâs account.
Lato hesitated for a moment before responding, âYes, theyâre also spawn of the sea. We all suspect that they were transformed from the Governors of the Sea who returned to the sea.â
Transformed from the Governors of the Sea? Lumian raised his eyebrows.
Lato swallowed and explained, âThey should still be fused with the sea, so future generations will be born, but their strength is inferior to theirs.
âIn the past, they only roamed those waters. In recent years, for some reason, they occasionally swam out and returned. After the sea prayer ritual failed last year, this situation became even more frequent.â
Did the failure of the ritual cause the Death Navigators to go out more frequently? Did the Death Navigators lure sailors to those special waters? Were they ultimately devoured by the sea? Lumianâs mind raced with questions, but he knew that Lato Guiaro couldnât answer them.
Lato returned to the main topic.
âWe can still manipulate the waves to a certain extent and influence the tides, but we canât compare to Juan Oro, much less the Governor of the Sea.â
Thatâs more like a Child of the Sea? Thatâs why they think itâs easier to bury me in the sea? Lumian pondered as he inquired about a few more details. He then lowered his right foot from his left knee and slowly stood up.
Nodding at the Knight of Swords in Latoâs eyes, Lumian said to Lato Guiaro, âLast request, release Nolfi and Batna.â
With that, Lumian walked to the bedroom window.
Simultaneously, the Knight of Swords, who had possessed Lato Guiaro, vanished. The committee member of the Fisheries Guild regained control of his body.
As Lumian left, Lato Guiaro couldnât help but express his confusion, fear, and a hint of uncontrollable emotion, âI thought youâd kill me once you got the informationâŠâ
Otherwise, wouldnât it expose the fact that you have many hidden helpers, the secret of a faction behind you, and the uniqueness of your helpers?
Lumian didnât look back and continued forward.
On the way, he pressed down on his golden straw hat and smiled.
âTo you, this might be important, but not to me.â
Just as Lato Guiaro was about to say something, he saw the body of the adventurer, Louis Berry, suddenly turn black and thin, transforming into a shadow that disappeared from the crimson moonlightâs reach.
After staring at the darkness for a while, Lato adjusted the collar of his robe and left the master bedroom. He personally headed to the basement to release Nolfi and Batna.
Opposite the building where his family resided, beneath a row of verdant trees,
Lumian leaned leisurely against the black gas streetlamp pole, gazing at the glass windows illuminated by the light.
The disheveled, pale-faced Knight of Swords materialized behind him and asked in a deep voice, âAre you really not going to kill him?â
Lumian chuckled and said, âIf we kill him, whoâs going to inform Juan Oro that I have powerful helpers and the support of a powerful faction lurking in the shadows?â
He couldnât just toss tarot cards at Lato Guiaroâs corpse, could he?
Furthermore, the problem lay in the fact that no one knew that the adventurer, Louis Berry, was a Minor Arcana cardholder of the Tarot Club.
Upon hearing Lumianâs response, the Knight of Swords pondered for a moment before vanishing into the darkness.
Before long, Batna emerged from the house where Lato Guiaroâs extended family resided, clutching his rapier and revolver.
Upon seeing Lumian, they looked a little ashamed and approached him with slow steps.
âThank you for saving us,â Nolfi, adorable in a blouse and brown pants, expressed her sincere gratitude.
Batna said, âIâm well aware of Nolfiâs intentions and havenât been deceived by her. I sympathize with the tragic fate of these sea spawn and hope to help her end all of this.â
Lumian looked at Nolfi.
âWhat kind of tragic end will it lead to?â
The committee members of the Fisheries Guild seemed quite pleased.
Nolfi fell silent for a moment before saying, âAll Maidens of the Sea and Children of the Sea eventually transform into a lizard-like humanoid monster. Perhaps earlier, perhaps later, my mother passed away because she was attacked by assassins hired by the Fisheries Guild and wanted to die as a human. Not only did she refuse treatment, but she also inflicted some damage on herself.â
In that case, the humanoid lizard at RubiĂł Pacoâs house is a common sight in families around Port Santa. Why the need for secrecy? Lumian turned to Batna with a smile, asking, âDid you know Nolfi would transform into a humanoid lizard?â
âYes.â Batna expressed that he didnât mind.
At that moment, Nolfi inquired, âThen do you know what a humanoid lizard looks like?â
As she spoke, the rather attractive female adventurerâs eyes widened. Shimmering illusory scales appeared on her body, and her skin transformed into that of a snake.
Batna jumped in fright, taking a step back involuntarily.
Lumian continued to ask Nolfi, âWhy didnât you rent a boat at a nearby port and find a sailor to sail it over? Why choose a ship rental company in Port Santa?â
Nolfi undid the phantom scales, reverting to her original appearance, frustration and embarrassment evident in her voice.
âIn Port Santa, people often rent boats for fishing and sightseeing. This should be a very ordinary thingâŠâ
Lumian sighed helplessly.
âDid you know that last yearâs sea prayer ritual failed? The Fisheries Guild will be on high alert this year, investigating all unstable factors. Besides, the sea prayer ritual is only a few days away. Itâs inevitable to start paying attention to those who rent boats to go out to sea.â
Nolfi and Batna remained silent, resembling two students.
After a moment, Nolfi asked in surprise and suspicion, âDid the sea prayer ritual fail last year?â
Lumian didnât answer immediately. He thought for a moment and said,
âYou want to end the sea prayer ritual with just the two of you? What gave you the confidence?â
Nolfi pursed her lips and stated, âAs long as I can enter those waters and find the palace, I have a way to destroy it and end everything.â
âPalace?â Lumianâs eyebrows twitched.
Nolfi nodded.
âWhen my mother was possessed by the sea, she saw a strange palace through her spirituality and the connection between them. Itâs located at the bottom of the sea. Itâs the palace of the sea!â