Deep Sea Embers

After lunch, Duncan watched Nina clean up the dining table. He wanted to help wash the dishes, but was forcibly stopped by the other party on the grounds that "uncle is not in good health and the doctor told him to avoid contact with cold water", so he had to lean on the stairs Near the entrance, while reading the newspaper bought in the morning, I watched the girl busy in the kitchen.

This kind of daily scene, which seemed like an ordinary family, made him feel a little weird.

At this moment, Nina's voice came from the kitchen: "Uncle Duncan, is there any news in the newspaper?"

Duncan looked down at the newspaper, and the first thing he saw was the date "August 14, 1900 in the New City State Calendar", followed by the news that the church judge led a team to arrest dozens of heretics: , this should be the most important front page news.

"It says that the judge led a team to arrest dozens of sun heretics," he said casually, "it also said that this is the largest heresy gathering that the church has successfully cracked down in the past four years, and there are some reminders to the citizens to pay attention to night safety, Pay attention to identifying things of heretical beliefs around you."

"Ah, I also heard about it on the way here!" Nina swiftly put the cleaned bowls into the cupboard, "It's really scary, I heard from my teacher before that those cultists who worship the sun even It will do the thing of sacrificing living people to the sun god... Who do you think would believe in such a sect so madly?"

Duncan didn't know what to say for a while, because no matter what he said, he felt that this matter was too delicate-should it be said that he had experienced the sacrificial package immersively on that altar not long ago, or should he say that you Uncle is such a mad cultist?

However, one thing is obvious. From Nina's reaction, she obviously doesn't know the fact that her "uncle" is a heretic of the sun—she even has the normal three views of ordinary people, thinking that the sun god believes in the kind of living people Sacrifice is a terrible thing.

The "uncle" in her perspective is just a little grumpy due to illness, a little drunk, and some "weird friends".

Perhaps the body he occupied was once a bloody rotten person, but at least he did raise Nina to this day, and so far he has protected this girl from the belief of the Sun God.

Perhaps one day in the future, a certain cultist named "Ron" will really degenerate to the last step, dragging his last relatives in the world into this endless abyss, but at least before today, all this has not yet happened. occur.

It won't happen in the future either.

"Uncle? Why did you suddenly stop talking?" Nina was a little curious about the silence behind her. She looked back with concern in her eyes, "Are you feeling uncomfortable again?"

"No, I'm just a little distracted," Duncan reacted and shook his head, "You're right, it's really a crazy thing... The newspaper also mentioned asking citizens to pay attention to safety and report heresy around them in time. You also try not to run around outside of school and home."

Nina nodded, but then said "ah", with a hesitant look on her face: "But...but I have an appointment with a classmate, and I will go to the museum to visit in two days..."

"Museum?" Duncan asked casually, "What museum?"

"It's the one near the school, near the Maritime Museum on the edge of the upper city," Nina explained. "I heard that offshore mineral specimens are being exhibited there recently... is that okay?"

"Go if you want," Duncan thought for a while, nodded and said, "Now there are church guards and city-state sheriff's patrols everywhere, and those cultists won't be so bold as to jump out these two days."

Nina nodded happily: "Yeah!"

"Are you still going to school this afternoon?" Duncan asked again.

"Well, it's history class in the afternoon. I don't want to miss Mr. Morris's class." Nina nodded and said, "That's a well-known expert in the field of history...but it's really strange that a famous old man like him, Why don't you give lectures at the university in the upper city, but come to the public school in the lower city? More than half of the students in the class don't like history class, and they all sleep when the old man is in class..."

Duncan shook his head frankly: "I don't know."

A joke, not to mention the old Mr. Morris who taught history, he even just met Nina - he would have to wrack his memory for a few hours to figure out where the public school Nina went to...

And even the original owner of this body probably didn't know much about his niece's recent situation-by the time Duncan took over his life, he had obviously been stuck in Sun's heresy for too long.

Nina still had classes to attend in the afternoon, so she didn't stay in the antique shop for long after lunch. After hurriedly packing up her things, she took the textbook she had left at home, and the girl trotted away from home—— It was nearly an hour's journey from the antique store to the downtown public school, and she had to waste every minute to avoid being late for old Mr. Morris's class.

Of course, there is public transportation in the city. Even in the relatively backward downtown area, trams and trolley buses driven by steam engines will drive through the streets, but these require a ticket fee of four to six pesos.

Nina smiled and told Duncan that running more is good for health.

Her commute to school would be a lot easier if she had a bicycle — something Duncan had seen riding on the streets of downtown.

In a society that has already developed steam machinery, bicycles, an industrial product, are not too expensive for ordinary people to afford, but they are definitely not cheap for the residents of the downtown area. A common bicycle may cost a three The family's living expenses for half a month to a month... can be regarded as a burden.

Duncan didn't know where his current identity would go in the future, but seeing Nina trotting all the way and disappearing around the corner of the street, he always felt... as long as he had spare energy, he should treat this girl well point.

Even for the vegetable soup and salty pancakes from before.

What's more, she is still a studious student.

Maybe I should think about ways to make money in this "civilized city-state".

With various thoughts in his mind, he put down the newspaper in his hand and walked slowly to the end of the corridor on the second floor. After opening the narrow window, he looked at the city streets under the sun in a daze.

In this world, "abnormalities" and "visions" have long been accompanied by the progress of civilization. Neither the authorities nor the church have concealed things in the supernatural realm from the public. Even a girl like Nina who is still in school can learn from textbooks. Directly learn the content related to anomalies and visions.

She even knew the anomalous and anomalous classification standards left by the ancient Kingdom of Crete and still in use today, and she also knew the public numbers and names of some anomalies and anomalous phenomena whose laws had been proven.

Yes, this part of knowledge is even open to the whole society - although not all.

The authorities and churches of each city-state have recognized a list. On this list, the most famous or dangerous anomalies and visions have their own special numbers. These numbers are not permanent. Under special circumstances, they will be Some anomalies and anomalies are eliminated or transformed due to various reasons, and their numbers may also be transferred or vacant, but no matter how they change, there is one thing that is generally certain:

Anomalies and visions that can have independent numbers and names must have their own special dangers or strengths.

The authorities released the list of some of the anomalies and anomalies. On the one hand, it is to ensure that every citizen is aware of these specific dangers, so that all people have common sense of self-protection. On the other hand... because of some anomalies and anomalies It is too close to people's lives.

These things have even penetrated into every corner of ordinary people's lives and every aspect of social operation. People can see them at any time, and there is no way to hide them, and there is no need to hide them.

Duncan raised his head and stared silently at the sky.

Vision 001, the sun.

The huge light body running in the sky, the great vision that dominated the sky in the deep sea era, was born in the early morning of the second day after the collapse of the ancient kingdom of Crete.

The scope of influence—the whole world, the unit of influence—infinite, it operates and moves on its own, and cannot be interfered by human beings, which meets the definition of vision.

According to historical records, on the day when the ancient kingdom collapsed, the sea was turbulent and the city-state was shattered. All members of the first dynasty died generously in the dark, and their blood soaked the sea. Then the vision 001 rose from the sea. Since then, the boundless sea has appeared. The tranquility of the day.

The ancient kingdom of Crete, the first city-state civilization established by the survivors after the opening of the deep sea age, lasted only a hundred years, but left countless legacy, blessings to this day.

The word "Crete" means "eternal night" in ancient Chinese.

It was a night that lasted for a century.

All this is written in Nina's history textbook.