I had already exchanged magical communication codes with Hyperion. Moreover, before the regression, I had memorized the codes of major institutions, including those of all the naval branches of the Western Continent.
This meant I could preemptively send a magical communication to Naval Branch 103.
‘I thought I was going to puke while memorizing all that.’
The memory resurfaced, and I couldn’t help but frown slightly.
I sent a short letter to Naval Branch 103 requesting help. Since there was no guarantee they would read it, there was no need to go into excessive detail.
The key point here was Hyperion. Coincidentally, today was the Day of Earth, the day Hyperion would meet Steve.
Meeting Steve meant he would go out. It was like a rare holiday for the few naval trainees.
I asked Hyperion to request assistance from Branch 103, providing a plausible explanation for how he obtained this information.
Currently, Branch 103 was stuck in a vicious cycle, unable to achieve results, which led to isolation and a gradual loss of motivation.
‘The smoke rising from the fire I lit at home must have been barely visible to Branch 103.’
They probably found it suspicious, but not enough to take action.
However, if Hyperion sent the letter, the situation would change.
Even though Hyperion was young, he was a Pharus and the Admiral of the future. Unless Branch 103 was a collective of fools, they would surely act.
“How do you know the naval branch codes?”
“I asked Rion.”
Hyperion probably hadn’t memorized all the naval branch codes yet, but no one else needed to know that. I replied shamelessly.
“Captain, if what Lala says is true, they should arrive soon. Since Branch 103 is slow with their work, it’ll take about a week.”
Isaac backed up my words. Some crew members still looked at me with suspicion, but Isaac’s authority was stronger than theirs.
“Thanks to Lala, we found the source and rescued the children. The residents of Odlo Island are both grateful and fearful of us. So, I think it’s reasonable to stay here until the navy arrives.”
If we weren’t careful, the situation could repeat itself. Addiction isn’t something that’s easy to break away from.
“Then, Lala, why don’t you try making the medicine? It’s fine if you fail. The navy will figure it out once they arrive anyway.”
Nereus motioned to Ethan as he spoke. It seemed like Ethan was going to help me.
“Lala already solved the incident on our ship, didn’t she? Maybe she’ll pull it off again this time too.”
It’s okay even if you fail~ Nereus hummed. I grabbed Nereus’s face and pulled it close.
“Dad, can I ask you one thing first?”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“About the box I brought.”
“Yeah.”
“What was inside it? You didn’t open it while I was sleeping, did you?”
“Oh, that? I already opened it~”
Judging by his mischievous tone, he must have broken it open with force.
“Since Lala found it, does Lala want to keep it?”
***
The sea is Cormare’s domain. In the Western Continent, there is a belief that Cormare, the god of the sea, holds greater power than Deira, the god of the earth.
The reason is that the sea is more unpredictable and possesses mystical power compared to the land. Ordinary compasses often failed on the sea, so sailors were fundamentally required to have the ability to navigate by observing the sky.
Over time, people frequently discovered wave-like stones in the sea, called ‘Oceanis’. These stones were initially regarded as mere beautiful gemstones, but their unique properties were revealed by a scholar centuries ago.
That property was the ability to read ocean currents.
‘Oceanis’ was a remarkably transparent stone with wave patterns that shimmered inside. While the patterns seemed to change erratically, it was later discovered that they followed a certain predictable pattern.
This discovery led to the use of refined ‘Oceanis’ as a substitute for compasses, and it came to be known as the ‘Compass Stone.’
However, even with the Compass Stone, some islands remained inaccessible. Certain hidden seas or islands were concealed by the power of the ocean.
To address this, the ‘Eternal Compass’ was developed through further research. It was a marker designed to point to only one predetermined destination.
The Eternal Compass allowed sailors to locate islands not even marked on maps. While it could be used for general destinations, it was essential for reaching hidden islands, making it a high-stakes gamble for pirates looking to secure a good fortune.
‘But what’s this?’
Normally, an Eternal Compass, once refined, would fade and darken over time, but it never shattered.
‘So why is this one?’
The contents of the box seemed to be fragments of a shattered Eternal Compass. The colors were slightly dull, but the undulating wave patterns confirmed its authenticity.
‘But it doesn’t make sense for it to be broken. Historically, no one’s ever heard of a shattered Compass Stone.’
Caelum, having already examined the contents, found them intriguing but considered them mine and refrained from coveting them.
For now, it was fortunate that no one else took them. However, the issue was, ‘What exactly is this?’
‘Isn’t this just garbage?’
No, that couldn’t be. Who would carefully store garbage in such a securely locked box?
“Ugh…”
“Polaris, can you take a look at this? It’s reacting.”
“Oh.”
Hearing Ethan’s call, I pocketed the fragments of the Eternal Compass and decided to focus on the task at hand.
Our current task was to create an antidote for ‘Angel’.
‘More precisely, it’s more like a neutralizer.’
When ‘Angel’ was mixed with certain reagents, it produced distinctive reactions. Ethan and I recorded these reactions and compiled a list of herbs that exhibited similar properties.
‘Now, mix it with this quick-acting sedative we used earlier.’
The quick-acting sedative, first encountered and used persistently since the ship auction, was made from the horn of a horned rabbit. The raw materials were relatively easy to obtain.
However, its strong bitter taste and complex manufacturing process made it unpopular for general use.
‘But I’m going to use it.’
Since we weren’t trying to create ‘that’ sedative, there was no need for the tedious manufacturing process.
The problem now was that neither Ethan nor I had ever made this medicine before. Looking at the array of reagents before me, I chuckled dryly.
‘Now it’s nothing but endless research and experiments.’
All the fundamental knowledge was stored in my head. At this rate, I could finish it within three days.
“Ethan, help me!”
“Alright, alright.”
Ethan seemed to mumble, ‘Is she really just six years old…,’ but it wasn’t important at the moment, so I decided to ignore it.
***
Hyperion fiddled with the letter he had received.
The single-page letter was densely filled with tiny words. The content at the beginning was so long and difficult that young Hyperion couldn’t make any sense of it.
‘She told me to just copy it as it is and send it to Branch 103.’
Hyperion found it astonishing how smart Polaris was. She was much smaller and younger than him but incredibly reliable and reassuring.
‘The food and snacks she sent me this time were delicious too…’
Thanks to the antidote Lala sent for Pralet, Hyperion was able to enjoy delicious meals. He couldn’t help but wonder how she even knew about the navy’s training regimen.
In truth, not all naval training programs were the same, even among naval families. Members of established naval households didn’t typically consume Pralet.
Only those deemed lacking in their understanding of ‘justice’ were required to consume Pralet in the navy. Hyperion, however, was an exception. Despite being promised the position of admiral in the future, he did not have the full support of the Pharus.
As an illegitimate child of the Pharus, a ‘half-blood,’ he had to consume Pralet to prove himself as more just and capable.
However, thanks to Lala pre-arranging things with his mentor Steve, Hyperion was able to enjoy tasty meals weekly without becoming addicted to Pralet.
‘I want to be of help too.’
After meeting Lala, Hyperion learned what pain was. He also began to understand happiness and what it meant to be accepted by others.
Meals with Caelum weren’t particularly refined, but they didn’t feel dirty or rude either.
‘I want to see them again.’
Although he didn’t fully understand what they did, they seemed carefree and happy.
No matter whom he thought of, they all seemed stronger and more reliable than Hyperion himself. It was natural since they were adults, but as a young boy still growing, he pouted slightly.
This time, all he did was copy and forward the letter as Polaris had requested.
‘Next time, I’ll be of more help.’
Someday, when he grew up, he wanted to be remembered by Polaris—not just as a fleeting acquaintance but as someone significant.
Because from the moment they met, Hyperion knew he could never forget Polaris for the rest of his life.
