The Sea of No Name, perennially engulfed in mist, rarely witnessed the presence of others.

Ronald and Pathfinder sailed in the direction illuminated by the lantern at the bow, encountering no unexpected incidents along the way.

There were no monsters living in the sea.

Nor were there sources capable of causing danger.

Likewise, there were no meaningful encounters at all.

The indifferent ocean and the lonesome journey encapsulated all that this world comprised, other than the ship and its passengers.

...

Ronald and Pathfinder had discussed quite a few pieces of information about the Sea of No Name, serving as a distraction during this dull journey.

Whether it was Pathfinder or other travelers wandering this lonely sea, the greatest torment stemmed from this dark, ignorant world and the pervasive loneliness, akin to the sea's nameless mist.

There were tales of people going mad in search of land to escape this place; others had spoken of the inability to face the cost of losing the past, ultimately diving into the sea never to be heard from again.

"Mr. Ronald, what is your world like?"

On the second night of their tandem voyage, Pathfinder posed a question to Ronald, "Over the years, I've also encountered many people like you. The worlds people live in seem to differ from one another."

Two days together.

The relationship between Ronald and Pathfinder was not as tense as when they first met.

He pondered for a few seconds, then half-jokingly countered,

"What aspect are you asking about? Politics? Civilization? Social scenery? When asking questions, it's best to be specific, or I might not be able to answer well."

Pathfinder had grown accustomed to Ronald's banter and continued,

"I'm probably more curious about the social scenery. After all, in this Sea of No Name, it's rare to witness the societal structures established by humans."

Ronald immediately began to explain:

"Generally speaking, the nobles occupy the ruling class. People with casting abilities, due to environmental changes, are now trying to alter the social structure, while ordinary people possess only a small portion of resources."

"Among those you've met, many must have been in a similar situation, right?"

Pathfinder began to reminisce:

"Ah, in any world, ordinary people are just the same. But the rulers of society differ, including clerics, merchants, and even societies controlled by machines."

"Hmm?" Pathfinder was about to continue his narrative.

Just then, the flames on the lantern at the bowsprit trembled slightly—not very bright, the firelight reflected on the surrounding mist, instantly indicating that something was about to occur.

Without waiting for Ronald to inquire, Pathfinder pointed ahead and said,

"We're almost there."

"The Divine Lantern of the Sea senses the source of its fire, so it's a bit unstable."

"We're almost there..." Hearing Pathfinder's words, Ronald ceased their conversation and naturally fixed his gaze on the flickering lantern at the bow.

...

The mist still dominated the majority of the view.

However, within a dozen breaths, Ronald saw a speck of light on the sea ahead. As the ship moved, the light grew brighter and the two would soon meet.

Pathfinder's introduction then resounded behind Ronald, "The Divine Lantern of the Sea, one of the rare artifacts capable of emitting light on the Sea of No Name, is said to symbolize hope because of its ability to seek the path ahead."

"..."

Ronald silently watched the approaching light.

Truth be told, he did not sense any particularly hopeful aura from this brightness. A flame was just a flame, and light was merely its inherent property—a simple physical phenomenon.

The thing mentioned by Pathfinder...

Perhaps it was the hope forcibly attributed by those trapped in the Sea of No Name amid despair.

Regardless, the two ships, large and small, continued to draw closer.

Ronald could see through the mist, the city-ship named Luduo emerging from the shadows, a massive vessel worthy of being called a city.

From the exposed sides of the ship, one could see the patchwork of targets, clearly made from the same type of small boats that Ronald and his companions were aboard.

This vast maritime city.

In fact, it was assembled over the years using these very boats.

"Such a large ship... Does it have a keel?"

Just as Ronald was starting to doubt the structural integrity of the construct, Pathfinder, who had come up behind him, took the initiative:

"As you see, Luduo is pieced together from these materials."

"Some of the materials are recycled from those who took their own lives. Others, wishing to settle here, contribute their boats to the city-ship."

Pathfinder clearly did not want Ronald to misunderstand the construction of Luduo; his timely explanation was naturally quite appropriate.

Ronald nodded in understanding.

The two of them then continued to approach Luduo, following the current.

The way into the city-ship was also different from ordinary boats. On the side of the giant ship Luduo, several gate-like openings were specially left, and those close enough could even jump directly aboard through these openings.

Moreover, the entrance had an even more extravagant design.

Inside the door holes, there were no barriers to stop intruders; they utterly lacked the capacity to prevent outsiders from entering. Hanging right above the door hole, a very dazzling hook was in place.

Pathfinder, already at the bow, treated this as completely normal.

He bent down for the first time to take the lantern from his boat, then holding the lantern, he called in the direction of the door hole:

"I bring a new traveler, hoping to receive a spark from the lantern."

"..."

The frigid door hole remained silent.

Then, Pathfinder repeated several times until a lethargic voice finally emanated from inside, sounding slightly curious:

"Ah, someone has come."

"It's you, the Dark Pathfinder..."

The curiosity in the voice quickly dissipated.

Recognizing the identity of the Dark Pathfinder, the Gatekeeper inside Luduo spoke with a more languid tone:

"Alright, alright, I got it."

"Come on in, I'll hang your boat up in a while."

"Let me see... there's nothing much to see. Since I've slept twice till now, you're the only one who's come to Luduo. The number doesn't matter; I'll just give it back to you when you leave."

Clatter—

As the words above concluded, a rope ladder slid out from the door hole.

Pathfinder was also accustomed to the other party's attitude.

With a slight nod toward the door hole, he immediately led Ronald up the rope ladder towards the city-ship.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do—Ronald had no unique idea of flying in on his own.

However, before climbing aboard Luduo, he looked back.

...

The hook previously hanging at the door hole was now being steadily lowered.

The operator quickly and skillfully hooked up the pair's boat for storage, displaying effortless precision in his actions.

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