Of course this judgment was somewhat arbitrary, but he could not think of any other possibility.
He couldn't think of it, but Ethan did. The old man pondered for a while and looked up and asked: "But that submarine doesn't have the autonomy of the Pierre. How did it..."
"They made some cheap wooden boats and hung submarines underneath them to sail across the ocean," Hitzfeld said immediately. "Before leaving, Alvin told me about this, which also includes data on wooden boat fleets and submarines encountering sea monsters over the years... You can find this information in the second row of the second bookcase on the left side of the entrance to the library. There is a sea chart sandwiched between the books."
"This... I have indeed heard of the legend that some fishermen always see ghost fleets in the fog when fishing near the coast..." Cybert muttered to himself in a low voice. Others did not expect that the truth of the legend would be like this.
It is possible, but just imagine how huge the sacrifice would be.
Wooden boats cannot withstand strong waves and are difficult to survive various disasters. The reason why wooden boats are used here is easy to understand - because they are cheap, they are used as "consumables".
It turns out they are not the only ones fighting hard...
Torres was originally quite reserved, but now he frowned unconsciously, clenched his fists, and looked like he couldn't wait to find a fight with the evildoer.
"Sea monsters do exist." Another light sentence flew out from the notebook.
"I thought you should have guessed it long ago, gentlemen... You can imagine that the Pierre has so many functions, its steel plates are so thick and so hard, and it even has so many means to fight the enemy... Where does this standard come from?"
"The first Voyager program began in 1836." She put down the book and looked around at everyone. "It ended when Marpa Kinsa returned with the Holy Stone Tablet."
"You may think that the Second Plan started now, not long ago, but it did not start that way. It started when Charuni was still king."
"While we were investigating the case on land, many people were also investigating the truth here. They paved a path for us with their blood and bones - the underwater route that the Pierre has been sailing on so far is derived from this."
"What exactly do you want to say, Aisuen?" Baliu couldn't help but speak. She glanced at Leon and found that Leon was also looking at her.
"Let's just say it." Li Ang agreed, "We've seen submarines this big before... We can hold on."
"There are monsters in the sea?" Xia Yibing was already making a guess. "Although Mal died soon after his return, he came back. Did he bring back information about the sea? Did Sarah know what was in the sea from that time on?"
She felt that this was the only way to explain why the second Voyager program took so long and involved so much investment - Sarah's urgency was obvious, but what were they afraid of?
Monsters in the sea?
Aisuen said that the Pierre was not built simply based on imaginary enemies, it has a standard and is benchmarked against something?
"You have been training for the last three days, and I have also learned a lot from His Majesty." Hitzfeld simply found a place to sit down and motioned for others to sit on the sofa before speaking: "This includes the process and results of the first Navigator Project."
"Remember the Holy Stone Tablet? We only know that Mal brought it back, but we don't know how it was brought back or where it was found."
"Elwin explained it to me clearly at the time: She said that this thing came from the bottom of the sea, and they didn't find it on purpose, but it was just a coincidence... it was caught when they were pulling up the net."
Ships always have to catch fish from time to time during their voyage to replenish their food supplies. Mal's fleet was casting nets and caught this thing when they were pulling up the nets.
"Is it really like this?" Everyone was a little surprised, and Torres and Cybertrooper were the most shocked.
After all, the two were from the Order, and they knew a little about the origin of the Holy Stone Tablet. They knew earlier than Hitzfeld that this thing was brought back from overseas, but they didn't know... it was just a coincidence.
But why is the sacred stone tablet at the bottom of the sea?
Where is the seabed?
She mentioned sea monsters before, so what does it mean when she suddenly mentions the sacred stone tablet?
There were too many doubts, and everyone stared at the girl, expecting her to give a follow-up answer.
"When the slab was salvaged, the fleet was still relatively intact, and those people quickly realized its extraordinaryness. But soon... according to Mal's description, a riot broke out in the entire sea area nearby."
"It's 'riot'... That's what Alwin said." She paused here, and changed her tone to describe: "'The sea breeze suddenly stopped, and the sea water calmed down all of a sudden, as if some extraordinary power smoothed everything out, and then it erupted even more violently.'"
"'That thing emerged from the waves. I saw it clearly. It had eight arms, each of which was longer than the ship. Its body was hidden in the mist and I could not see it clearly. I could only see some golden spots flashing in it. I didn't know what it was, a monster, a human, or a bug, but it destroyed us. It broke up the fleet with just a few blows.'"
"Then... our Captain Mar-Bakinsa bravely used his ability to escape. They made many detours on the sea and actually escaped from the monster's pursuit and successfully returned to the waters near Sara."
"What else?" the white-haired priest asked nervously, "What is that monster? Is this why the royal family is so eager to explore the deep sea? What does this have to do with the Holy Stone Tablet?"
"Who should I ask?" Hitzfeld spread his hands.
"It's as if His Majesty has finished talking to me."
"That's all - that's all I know. Your Majesty didn't hide anything, because Mal was killed before he revealed all the information. I know this matter seems very strange now, but what can we do? We can only speculate based on this."
"I have a bold idea!" Darent suddenly stood up and opened his hands excitedly, "Could it be that... that thing is guarding the stone slab?"
"Then how do you explain why it didn't catch up to the shore?" Ethan glared at him.
"Well... maybe there is more than one sacred stone tablet? There are a lot of them in the sea waiting for it to guard..."
Ethan was so angry that he laughed. This was indeed an assumption that only he could make.
"I think it might be related to the gray fog." Li Ang pondered. "So far, we all know the speculation about the gray fog area... Didn't we say in any of our discussions that this thing could include the evil god's territory?"
"Yes," Hitzfeld answered, his tone firm.
The corners of Li Ang's mouth twitched slightly, but he quickly pursed his lips: "Let's assume that's the case... Can we infer that the thing came from there, and the reason it didn't want to leave that sea area is because it wants to guard something?"
Darent was not happy: "What's the difference between this and what I said?"
"It's a big difference!" Ethan pulled him back to sit down, and leaned forward to stare at Li Ang: "Are you talking about... the Lord God's Secret Realm?"
"Similar, but definitely different." Li Ang nodded and shook his head, and continued to analyze for everyone: "Now we all know about religion and mythology... um (glancing at the cult duo), some secrets, and know those gods. They are essentially not much different from us."
Treason!
Torres was about to have a fit on the spot, but Cyber pulled him back and pinched his mouth hard.
"So can we conclude on this basis that the Divine Lord Secret Realm is some kind of created alien space?" Li Ang continued, "Some are created, and some are natural. What I mean is... if that thing really came from there, the 'road' that can accommodate it must be quite large. If its duty is to guard that road and ensure that more companions come later--"
Both Darent and Torres stopped struggling.
This guess is so fucking terrifying. Doesn't it mean that there might be a large group of sea monsters in the sea?
"Stop guessing." Hitzfeld had to stop the discussion.
The more they talked, the more outrageous it became. These people were really bold. The assumptions they made even scared her.
"Now you all know what we might be facing next. That monster... we can roughly estimate its height to be over 120 meters. Its width is hard to calculate, but each of its arms is over 70 meters long, and it has eight such arms."
"If we really encounter that thing, I hope you won't feel guilty about not being able to help. In the most critical situation, I will run away - I am sure we have the advantage in speed."
This is her biggest reason for daring to go fishing.
The entire submarine Pierre was designed according to the template for fighting that monster. It was originally just an abandoned semi-finished product because even if it was successfully manufactured, it did not have enough power and could not remotely detect the surrounding situation in the deep sea. Such a ship would sink quickly after sailing out, and the royal family at that time did not spend too much effort on it.
But with Irwin taking office, everything changed. The Apis Cube was developed with new functions, enough to act as an energy core. Sufficient electrical energy allowed the ship to reach a maximum speed of 35 knots in the water, equivalent to 35 nautical miles per hour.
This is already very scary. You should know that the speed of ancient sailing warships is basically around 10-15 knots, and even ironclad ships rarely exceed 25 knots. Since the broken ship of Mal-Bakinsa was able to escape the pursuit of the siren at that time, there is no reason why the faster Pierre could not do it.
She just wanted to know in advance whether the thing was still there. If anything went wrong, she would drive the Pierre away quickly.
The meeting ended in a depressing atmosphere, and it was clear that everyone was weighed down.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the Pierre did not succeed in fishing. It quickly turned off the unnecessary searchlights, surfaced to a suitable depth, and continued sailing in the southwest direction.
Hitzfeld could no longer operate the ship herself. She had been doing this for almost seven days and had to rest.
Xia Yibing took over the Apis Rubik's Cube. She tried her best to hold on for 8 hours, allowing Hitzfeld to get enough sleep, and then she couldn't hold on any longer and went back to sleep.
By the time the two of them completed a round of alternation, it was almost two days later.
The Pierre had already completed half of the planned journey. After studying the nautical chart, everyone discovered that there was a deserted island nearby that was connected to the "anchoring channel". They unanimously decided to let the submarine surface and take turns to explore the island.
Of course, although it is called exploration, the main purpose is actually to relax the body and mind.
Sailing on the open sea is very tiring. Of course, riding in a submarine can save you from the suffering of wind and waves, but the space here is still a bit crowded for more than 50 people. Everyone is eager to step on the beach a few times, which is good for everyone's physical and mental health.
Hitzfeld drove the submarine to the surface of the sea and raised the observation tower. Then he lay on the top railing alone, listening to the seagulls' cries and looking at the shore.
People went there in batches, which was also to separate the risks. This batch included Darent and two members of the cult. She could vaguely see a group of shirtless psychopaths chasing each other on the shore, and seabirds roaming over the deserted island.
It is a scene that can be called a holiday wonderland.
If you ignore the hundreds of meters high gray fog wall at the back, it looks like this.
“Very free, isn’t it?”
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist and my body was pulled into a warm embrace.
"What about a boat that can sail forever... What do you think? If we drive it away, we can ignore the evil gods and Sarah, and go wherever we want. When we get tired, we can float up to enjoy the breeze, go to the island to play, and even if we provoke something, we can quickly drive the boat away... Do you like this kind of life?"
"I don't like it." Hitzfeld answered simply, "Freedom without constraints is not real freedom."
"I think we've discussed this topic before." Xia Yibing reached out to tidy up her hair and whispered in her ear, "Are you worried about the sea monster?"
Hitzfeld was worried, she could see.
Indeed, the girl was learning how to be a good captain, and she was doing a good job during this period.
But the price was that she was too stressed. In order to quickly leave her mark on the Pierre and in everyone's mind, she had to consider everything. Add to that the hassle of driving the ship, and she felt her nerves were too stretched.
This made her think of another kind of too tight.
"We have to do this in the early stages." Hitzfeld explained simply, "It will be fine later on. As long as they trust me, I don't have to do it all by myself. This is a process... you know."
There was a sound of flapping wings in the sky. As the strong wind died down, a half-man-tall northern sea eagle landed on the railing and called out to them.
This is Black Owl.
Considering that this thing could be released to serve as a scout when the Pierre surfaced, Xia Yibing brought it on board as well.
"There's nothing unusual nearby." The woman leaned down and put her entire weight on the girl's shoulders.
This action was almost like acting coquettishly. She was a very strong-willed person and would only do this when facing Hitzfeld.
"So you want to do something bad, huh?"
Hitzfeld sighed, remembering Madeline's advice to her.
"Don't worry, don't be on the journey for now."
"How long will it take?"
"When Goli is close to the sea and close enough to the coast, they can sail the ship there by themselves."
In fact, Hitzfeld could still understand Xia Yibing, because sailing in the deep sea in a submarine, without seeing the sky for ten days or half a month at any time, the mental pressure brought by this kind of life is really great.
There are only a few ways for people to relieve stress, and that kind of thing can be said to be the most natural. Sometimes, don't say Xia couldn't help it. When they changed hands, she saw the woman changing clothes, and her heart was stirring.
But it doesn't work.
The future is uncertain, so we should remain restrained.
The Pierre stayed in this sea area for a full four hours, giving everyone a great time.
The only exception is the captain, she cannot leave the ship.
Darent and others did not forget her. They brought her beautiful shells and hermit crabs in glass bottles. Baliu even picked a bunch of coconuts for her, which was really laughable.
In this way, with a slight sadness, they continued on their journey. After more than half a month of sailing on the seabed, the Pierre finally arrived near the coast of Goli.
This is a sea area located in the northernmost part of Goli and the southernmost part of Sara. The gray fog wall at this location is the thinnest and there is almost no obstruction in the middle, so Hitzfeld simply raised the boat and sailed on the water, allowing the crew to see both the scenery on the sea and below at the same time in the restaurant.
"The weather is great."
Ethan leaned against the window and sighed.
The sky above is a light blue, with few clouds visible on the horizon, only bright sunlight shining through the water.
The light was refracted by the water waves and cast a mottled shadow, which was like a dream in the restaurant, not to mention that they could also see the magnificent scenery of the shallow islands and reefs at the same time.
Even if it ends here, it can be said that the trip is worthwhile.
Everyone has this idea.
It's really a dream.
So far, they couldn't believe that they had reached Goli.
Chapter 39 Landing
[Except for those in manual positions, please assemble in the dining room. I repeat, everyone assemble in the dining room!]
The submarine finally arrived near the coast of Goli. Hitzfeld gathered the personnel as planned and intended to assign their respective tasks.
This is what she thought - since they were already near the sea, she planned to lead the people herself - or she could stay and guard for safety reasons. In short, the Pierre needed to send some people ashore to contact Aman and find a way to obtain information about Goli from Aman during this period.
"Her Majesty emphasized this matter." She said, "A few months ago, she sent a delegation to escort Aman back to Goli. Although the trade between Nanxinze and Goli has continued during this period, it is strange that she has not received a reply from the delegation."
"They might have had an accident." Ethan took a deep breath. "Combined with the fact that Armando Angelo is in power, does that mean he might have betrayed us?"
"This possibility cannot be ruled out, so you know that this matter is risky." Hitzfeld nodded, and asked Madeline to help lift up a wooden box.
So you are using me as a laborer, right?
Madeline was very unhappy. Although she had been confined to Wayne Port for many years and had few opportunities to go out, which resulted in her being far inferior to the captains of other teams in experience, and was therefore excluded from Hitzfeld's core circle, that was understandable.
