Chapter 653: Blue Light Stone
Having significantly improved my mental state on Blue Spirit Island, I set out to search for the Traveler’s Stone.
I arrived at the southern island of Iswael, a nation nestled between Shulm and the Land of Ruin, known for its long-standing trade with the Northern Lands and other countries.
Iswael is often mentioned in connection with the King’s Branch, a significant artifact of the Earth Folk. While the Earth Folk have become somewhat more open over time, they were once quite reclusive. Ships venturing north of their island were often met with hostility, their cargo seized and vessels sunk. It served as a port for trade and maritime defense.
As time passed, it seems the area transformed into a settled nation. I vaguely recall tales of a legendary strong female leader from this place.
Now, I find myself on an uninhabited island further to the west.
I didn’t want to arrive at night, and being in a populated area would draw too much attention, so here I am. The island’s coastline is alive with the sound of small stones dancing and clattering as the waves ebb and flow.
“I’m here to ask for your help. If there are any blue stones among the belongings of sunken ships in these waters, could you please find them for me?”
I plunged my hand into the seawater, sending out a weak pulse of magic power as I made my request.
The magic spread, swirling as if being pulled by the waves and drawn into the stones, thin and slow to avoid gathering in one spot.
“What’s that?”
“Blue stones?”
“From a ship?”
“There are some, but they’re deep down!”
“I can’t dive!”
“There’s a lot of stuff down there!”
“Shells are all over it!”
“And there’s a lot of sand too!”
“Some are buried!”
“If the big waves wash them up…”
“If the small waves wash them up…”
“First, let the currents move them!”
“Can you tell blue from black?”
“Everything’s pitch black!”
“What’s blue?”
“You can’t tell without light!”
It seems the spirits in the shallow waters are having a hard time, but they’re relaying my request in a game of telephone.
I’m not keen on diving into the dark sea, knowing full well the distance is significant.
After the Earth Folk parted ways with the people of the Land of Ruin, they must have passed through this area for trade. It seems they also raided the inland seas, but there’s likely more treasure sunk there, so this might be the quicker route.
As I trace the path of ancient cultures, it appears they’ve been moving northward from the continent where dragons soar.
“If you find anything else along with the blue stones, I’d appreciate it… as long as it’s something I can carry.”
I add that last part, just in case they decide to bring back an entire ship.
“Okay!”
“I’ll ask!”
“I’ll inquire!”
The spirits of the white waves return to the depths. The bubble spirits burst, merging with the atmosphere spirits, while others shrink and grow as they wash back onto the shore.
The spirits in the moving waters change form rapidly, cycling through existence and disappearance. They feel like new spirits, yet they seem to retain half of their memories.
Listening to the sound of stones being washed, I wait while conversing with the spirits.
“How about this?”
A golden ring set with a deep blue stone appears.
“Nope.”
“What about this?”
A piece of horse gear—perhaps a saddle or armor—set with a blue stone.
“Nope.”
“How about this?”
A brooch shaped like a bird, adorned with a bright blue stone.
“Nope.”
“What about this?”
Several bracelets, each set with a blue stone.
“Nope.”
“How about this?”
A necklace adorned with numerous large blue stones. Sapphire? Spinel?
“Nope.”
This back-and-forth continues for a while, with treasures piling up. The Traveler’s Stone, which points the way, should be one or two at most. The amount of treasure is impressive!
“How about this?”
A disk with an unclear handle. The surface is decorated with jagged edges and blue stones, with a needle-like pointer in the center.
Oh? It looks like a sundial. This could be it! The blue stone attached is small, appearing more decorative than functional.
“How about this?”
As I ponder, the next item arrives.
A round, dark stone with a translucent blue stone set in the center. White patterns are etched into the black stone surrounding the blue gem.
…
Which one is the true pathfinder, the Blue Light Stone!?
I express my gratitude to the spirits and share some magic power before heading to the Island Tower with the treasures.
After some deliberation, I had them retrieve both the disk and the dark stone, along with a few similar items.
I spread out the collected treasures on the workbench in the collection room. First, I’ll observe and categorize them.
Since the treasures were submerged in the sea, they carry the influence of the sea spirits. It seems the blue stones had a good affinity, as some even contain spirits within them.
If they’re dirty or misshapen, the spirits might be grumpy and not wake up, so I’ll start with some cleaning. I’ll remove any rust and make them shine.
I’ve prepared Spirit Gold and Spirit Silver. However, the disk is wooden, so I’m unsure what to do with that. It might look better left as it is, decayed and all, so perhaps I’ll just display it.
The opaque black stone with the blue gem also contains a spirit. When held up to the light, I can see a spirit in a deep blue dress, flowing like a fish’s fin.
“Hello.”
“What is it?”
“It’s been a while since someone peeked at me.”
When I spoke, they split into two identical spirits.
“What kind of spirits are you?”
“Us?”
“You want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“We dislike the sun.”
“We love the sun.”
“Is that so?”
They don’t seem like sea spirits.
“When the sun shines, one of us hides.”
“When the sun shines, one of us is hidden.”
“Even on cloudy days, we find the sun.”
“Even on cloudy days, we seek the light.”
“Are you called the Blue Light Stone?”
“That’s what we’re called.”
“Indeed, that’s our name.”
Yes!!! This is the Blue Light Stone!!! What a relief!!!