PC08B

Dammit, can't we just take any ship to go after it?

It's a research vessel. It can't possibly be very fast…

This'll be difficult.

Even if it is a research vessel, I'm sure it was constructed during the golden age of Iberia. No average ship can keep up with it.

Haah… which is a problem, because I doubt we have any ship that can travel at the same speed. We only have a few small vessels left… which are all anchored too far from this location to be feasible options.

Do we have any recourse?

No, not unless we can identify the exact location of the vessel.

Which is the real problem. We can find ourselves a ship to go after them, yes… but most Eyes of Iberia, the lighthouses, were lost during The Profound Silence.

Wait, when you say most, do you mean that there's some left?

Just one, as far as I know. The one in Gran Faro, but…

That lighthouse cannot be used at this moment.

… There's another.

There's a lighthouse you can use.

<…!>

Really?

Haah... Are you really going to give one of the villagers the benefit of the doubt?

Y-yet young Skadi hath already confirmed her to be safe.

All I confirmed is whether she's a Seaborn or not. Can't know if she's a cultist.

'Tis… true. Yet…

Once we saw that Mayors was left all on her own, we decided to have her accompany us at all times and keep her within Irene's eyeshot.

We couldn't possibly blame her for what happened, given Skadi's confirmation that she doesn't have anything to do with those sea monsters. Besides, they'd all left her behind.

But Irene still seemed to harbor a bit of suspicion.

The problem with the Ægir is that she simply knows too much. Where could she possibly have gained access to all that information?

…….

See? She can't even answer that question.

<… But let's think about it this way. What if we were to ask her what we don't know?>

<The location of that lighthouse, for example.>

They're ticking rapidly... what did they say?

Dante says that… we should approach it differently and ask her what we don't know, like the location of the lighthouse…

That seems like a reasonable suggestion to me. Or… does the Inquisitor have an alternate solution to this conundrum?

Ngh, no, but…

Fine, let's hear it. I won't interrogate you about how you have access to things that even us Inquisitors don't know. At least not right now.

Faro Muerto, 'dead lighthouse'. That's our village name.

Somewhere a little ways off from the coastline, there's an intact Eye of Iberia on the sea - though it was almost destroyed when the Profound Silence swept through.

Off the coastline…? Is it not connected to the land?

I think it used to be, until it sank.

We should be able to procure ourselves enough wooden material from the village to build a raft.

Is it near enough for a raft to be the means of access?

… The weather's not great today, but it should do. It's not very far from the coast.

Even you? You're going to trust the Ægir?

I don't see why I shouldn't. I understand that Iberian mistrust of the Ægir is quite profound, yet such sentiment is hollow to the rest of us.

Inquisitor Irene. What did you feel when you saw the Rhodes Island Operator?

If you're talking about the Cautus, nothing in particular. Other than slight annoyance when she accused me of being inhumane.

So you didn't harbor any hostility nor disgust. Not that you would have felt any sense of sympathy or empathy, either.

I thought...

I have no history of feelings for or against the Ægir. Such must be the same for the outsiders.

… What's she on about?

She is conveying that, in matters in regards to Mayors, our opinions are more objective than Irene's.

Finding the vessel Fabius commandeered will be of benefit to all.

Limbus Company will gain an opportunity to return to the City via the dimensional door, while Rhodes Island will have the chance to study it at a closer proximity.

And the Inquisition will gain possession of the vessel in which the technology from the Iberian golden age is contained.

… What? You're going to just hand that over to the Inquisition?

Why should we covet what was once Iberia's?

... While there certainly are aspects to that vessel that draw interest, I already have a state-of-the-art masterpiece known as Mephistopheles.

... As long as that can be guaranteed, I see no reason to refuse.

Irene eventually agreed to put her trust in Mayors.

We are in luck, Executive Manager. It is quite fortunate that our interests aligned exactly with that of the first strangers we encountered in a strange land.

<Lucky is right. Imagine if we were back in the City, it would've taken them like... three, four free Distortion hunts for us to come to this agreement.>

Sorry about having to saddle you with this, Mayors. Please, lead us to the lighthouse.

Ok, happily.

So when you said 'almost destroyed'... how 'almost destroyed' is it?

I heard that the light faded from the lighthouse a long time ago, but the shape still stands. At least it was, when I saw it a few months ago.

If the lighthouse is in an inoperable state… we're going to need an expert technician to get it back in working order.

The technology it's based on is completely divorced from the popular application of Originium technology, so I doubt there's anyone out there who can work it anymore. Then…

You needn't worry about that.

Here, we have an engineer and a researcher who are geniuses even among those in the City, so we should be able to manage most mechanical failures.

… Today is just revelation after revelation, huh.

I can vouch for Limbus Company's skills.

I can… also work on the simpler tasks. I've learned a thing or two helping out gramps. Stuff about the lighthouse or various tech stuff.

W-well, then should we all head to the lighthouse together?

No. I'll be leaving the group for a moment. Amiya will accompany you instead.

What!? After all that, you're just going off on your own?

Yes, to join the Doctor. It is imperative for the successful execution of this mission.

Of course, that hinges on Amiya and Skadi remaining behind here to assist the rest of you.

Thus, I will leave it to the rest of you to take the Eye of Iberia - the lighthouse - back.

<… Wait, what do you mean take back the lighthouse?>

<Is there someone or something out there that's taken over the lighthouse called the Eye of Iberia?>

A likely supposition.

Amiya. What did the manager of Limbus Company say?

They're asking if the lighthouse has been taken over by something.

Not a bad intuition.

Yes, there is a high likelihood that the structure has already been overrun by Sea Terrors.

I don't know about 'overrun', but… I've encountered them a few times when we approached it too closely.

Normally, this is hardly enough personnel to attempt a raid on the lighthouse, but…

Answer me this. Are there any limitations to their revival?

There are no restrictions as long as Dante, the manager, survives. However, do note that battle efficiency depreciates with prolonged battle due to mounting mental stress on the manager.

No need to change the plan, then.

Amiya. Use this communicator to alert me as soon as you are able to identify the coordinates of the vessel from the lighthouse.

If luck would have it, we should be able to reduce the time it takes to complete the retrieval mission.

… Okay, as long as you're not taking everyone with you. If it's just her who's leaving, then go ahead.

<I think we should be fine, too.>

Then… let us commence mission 'Vessel Masas retrieval'.

Right-o. Step one of the plan's the raft, right? Let's get on with it.

It's done. Let's go.

Hmm…

What? Why are you looking at us like that? Is there something bothering you?

Must you ask? Just look at how proactive and quick she is to jump to action. Certainly lives up to the image of an employee working for a large corporation.

T-thanks, Outis, for that charitable view, I guess.

Thanks to Skadi, who had already finished the first step of the plan, we were able to move on to step two immediately.