บท 41: The arrival
Upon arriving at the dock, they noticed that the townspeople were not as welcoming and friendly to outsiders. Some cast strange and intimidating glances toward the ship. At that moment, a few guards arrived at the port to inspect the ship. Inmo exchanged a glance with Merlin, and they quickly understood the situation. They had previously discussed how to handle such situations.
Their plan was simple: while exploring the world, they posed as mere traders to move freely through different cities. Merlin, now in his original form as a 40-year-old man with well-groomed hair and beard, discreetly used his magic to change the ship's appearance to that of a merchant vessel.
When the ship docked, five soldiers boarded, while some remained outside. Merlin took the initiative to speak, as he would be the ship's owner and de facto leader due to his age. Franky was the second oldest, after Inmo and Diana. Since it was uncommon for someone so young to be in command during this time, Merlin assumed the role, a good decision since one of his strengths is deception, even though Inmo was still the best liar in the group.
"Welcome, knights. We come in peace as simple traders, bringing spices for trade," Merlin embraced his role fully, his accent prominent. I wonder if he already knew this language or if he's using magic. I use my divine powers for communication, so I have no language barriers. Franky has access to the Observer's database and knows all the languages of the current era. The Observers witnessed the rise of these new civilizations and analyzed and cataloged their languages.
As for Diana, I have no idea. She seems to have less control over her divine powers for that. Perhaps, like in other universes, the Amazons know all human languages. Who knows.
Watching Diana nod as she listened to Merlin's conversation with the soldiers, she seemed to have no language barriers. That's something worth asking about at some point. I hadn't thought about it until now.
While Inmo pondered this, the guards who were inspecting the ship returned and reported to the captain that everything was in order. They found the cargo and everything appeared normal.
"We are in the midst of conflict, so don't wander aimlessly. We are watching closely," warned the captain before they left the ship, leaving them alone. Merlin turned to Inmo, seeking answers. "Captain, what should we do?"
Inmo was contemplating his next move. He was here for the scarab, but something bigger was unfolding, which could turn into a major turmoil. What would an adventurer do in this situation? "Let's gather information about the scarab and the situation here. We'll split into pairs: you and Franky go this way, Diana and I will go the other way." That was Inmo's response.
As he spoke, Inmo realized he could finally determine if this was a universe of terror. If everyone comes back alive, then this is a normal universe.
Even after all this time, Inmo's humor remained fractured. Unlike his physical form, his sense of humor seemed undeveloped. As he and Diana walked through the city, they visited shops and markets to maintain their merchant disguises.
"Diana, it's not that we'll harm anyone. It's just that not everyone welcomes purposeless strangers on their turf." Inmo explained the deception once again. "No need to worry," he reassured. While they walked, Inmo noticed that the city was significantly different from his last memory. Things had evolved. He began to consider if this was another butterfly effect, but his thoughts shifted when he saw a mural depicting gods with animal heads. Strangely, one of the depictions portrayed five Thanagarians.
Approaching a bystander, Inmo asked, "Hello, these drawings are beautiful. What do they represent?" Seeing the foreigner, the native realized Inmo wasn't from here. "They represent our gods," the native answered.
Inmo pointed to the five winged beings and asked, "And these five here?" The native continued, "These five are our god-kings and queens who descended from the sky to help us. They reside up there." He gestured toward a grand monument in the city, a Thanagarian base. "But they are rarely here."
Intrigued, Inmo pressed on, "Why don't they stay here?" The native replied, "It's not that they dislike it here. They are at the forefront of the war." Diana, who had been listening quietly, interjected, "What war?" The native explained, "The war with the Wairdor." With that, the native departed, unwilling to explain further. Meanwhile, Inmo contemplated the puzzle pieces, trying to decipher the unfolding mystery.
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