Chapter 1456: A Future with You
Nightingale spread her blanket, turned, and blew out the candle.
The room went dark.
She found herself quietly amused — after so long with electric lights and luminous magic stones, she’d grown mildly uncomfortable with candles, though they had once been simply ordinary. Strange, the things one forgets to miss before they’re gone, and the things one forgets to expect before they return.
There was no remedy for it. The schedule had left no time for a full electrical lighting system on the island. Even the rooms — carved from rock by Aphra and the others, lined with Soraya’s soft weather-sealing layer, furnished simply with wooden tables and cabinets, with mattresses laid directly on the floor — were plainly functional. Isabella was aboard the island, but all available magic stone illumination had been redirected to the factories running at full production. Residential areas would have to wait.
None of it was unbearable. Each person had their own room — the privacy alone was more than expected — and there were standalone toilets, ventilation shafts drawing fresh air directly from outside, and a shared reading area at the end of the corridor. That last held little appeal for Nightingale. The other amenity at the corridor’s end did.
Pasha’s people had found the location somehow: a stream descending from the mountaintop entered the rock and formed a natural clear spring deep in the cave. The pool had been extended outward to the cliff face, so that the edge hung open to the world. Leaning against the stone and soaking, you could see everything — plains below, sky above, distance in all directions. Since the island had taken flight, this had become the finest vantage on the continent.
Every day, Nightingale slid into the water after bathing and watched the land move past beneath her.
Compared to that, no candlelight mattered.
She was settling toward sleep when the knock came.
Late. The corridors would be empty. She lay still a moment, cataloguing possibilities.
The most likely candidate: Wendy. The Witch Union’s caretaker had a precedent for late-night visits with a particular loose-limbed warmth that followed a few drinks.
Nightingale relit the candle and opened the door.
Anna stood in the passage, holding a small wooden bucket. Towel. Toiletries. She said: “Can you come with me to the bath?”
She’d already bathed before bed. But the question clearly wasn’t about the bath. “Of course. Give me a moment.”
She gathered her things and followed Anna down to the public bath — vacant, the two of them alone, water dripping from a stalagmite somewhere in the dark and making the quiet deeper. They undressed. Nightingale stepped into the pool and felt the warmth rise up around her like an answer.
The island’s fuel constraints meant no unlimited hot water here; a magic-power boiler supplied a steady temperature throughout the day, without the wasteful abundance of Neverwinter’s baths. They moved through the white mist toward the cave’s open edge. The night air came in and took the heat off their faces. Beyond the rock lip: stars, and an enormous silent darkness.
Nightingale drew breath.
The feeling was something she had no precise word for. The spring, the height, the sky — together they made a kind of intoxication.
Anna seemed to feel it too. She exhaled slowly, stretched her arms, looked out.
“Where’s Roland?”
“Most likely in the Dream World.”
“I see. He’s always working…”
“He is. Everyone says I never stop — but compared to him, I look like someone on holiday.” Anna laughed, low and genuine. “He works through the night.”
“You’re just as impressive, in your own way.” Nightingale lowered herself until the water reached her shoulders. “A few years ago you were a girl who knew nothing. Now you’re carrying this much.”
“That’s too generous.” Anna’s expression shifted — a rare, real embarrassment. “I’m only capable in specific areas. Without Barov and Teacher Karl, the Ministry of Engineering would be a shambles.”
You can’t just announce your own shortcomings without hesitation like that.
Watching Anna, Nightingale felt the tangle she always felt, the one she’d learned to carry without examining too closely. She couldn’t say there was no bitterness; she’d known Roland earlier, had more proximity to him, and yet had ended up — somehow — one step behind. But she could not bring herself to hate Anna. The honesty, the directness, the stubborn purity of her — the longer one knew Anna, the more dazzling she became. Nightingale had spent her whole life moving through people, from common citizens to nobles of every stripe, and not one of them had anything like it.
She respected her. Fully. Without reservation.
A silence passed between them, easy and undemanding.
Then Anna said: “What do you think the outcome of this Battle of Divine Will will be?”
There it was. The reason for the bath.
Nightingale gazed up at the stars, thinking carefully. Predicting the outcome of a battle lay well beyond her abilities, and she knew it — but saying as much, with the battle nearly upon them, would not help either of them. “I expect… it will go smoothly.”
Fortunately, Anna could not see through her.
“Oh.” Anna didn’t agree, and made no effort to pretend otherwise. “I don’t think so. Especially the final objective — the Bottomless Land. Legend calls it the land of God, and I think the risks involved there exceed anything we’ve estimated. I’ve had this feeling lately that Roland could disappear at any moment. The closer we get to the northern extremity, the stronger it becomes.”
Nightingale’s heart caught. Could Anna have sensed something about Roland’s waning life force? But that was tied to the Realm of Mind — and going to the Bottomless Land was part of the plan to resolve it. Not an inevitability.
“Perhaps you’re only over-worried.”
“I hope so.” Anna blinked up at the stars. “Do you remember our agreement?”
“Yes…” A pause, and then it struck her. “—Eh?”
“I’ve decided to bring it forward. After we defeat the demons, I’ll speak to him myself.”
“Why? Because of the uneasiness?”
“That’s part of it.” Anna’s voice was soft, without pretense. “But more because he needs you too. And I have never hated you.” She met Nightingale’s eyes across the steam. “In the war to come, I want you looking after him.”
”…” Nightingale sat with that for a long time. “Even so — why haven’t you tried to stop him from going to the Bottomless Land?”
Anna shook her head. The expression was calm, the way a decision is calm after it’s already been made. “This was the best plan after weighing every factor. Whatever the outcome, he’s already prepared himself. How do I stop that? Being afraid and running away changes nothing. The only thing I can do is help him with everything I have — and see the future with my own eyes.”
Chapter 1456 - A Future with You
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
After spreading her blanket, Nightingale turned around and blew out the candle flame.
The room immediately darkened.
She found it amusing that after being accustomed to lights and magic stones, she was slightly uncomfortable returning to using candles, despite it being a normal occurrence in the past.
But there was not a choice in this matter, the lack of time prevented the island from having a complete electrical lighting system installed, to the extent that even their resting places were drilled out of a wall by Aphra and the rest. Soraya then added a soft layer and isolated the moisture of the underground chambers and made the place into a bedroom. The furniture within were the most ordinary, with simple wooden tables and cabinets. As for the mattresses, they were laid directly on the floor.
Although Isabella was on the floating island, all the magic stone illuminations were used for the factories rushing to produce goods. It would take her some time to transform God’s Stone for the residential areas.
Despite the simplicity of the room, it was not unbearable. Aside from the privacy of having a room per person, there were even standalone toilets. There were even ventilation shafts that provided airflow directly from outside the floating island into the chambers, preventing the rooms from being too stuffy or humid. There was a shared reading area and a warm public bath at the end of the caves as well, enough to satisfy the witches’ daily use.
She wasn’t that interested in the former, but Nightingale found the latter wonderful.
God knows how Pasha and the others had found the location—the stream that came down from the mountaintop into a cave mountain formed a natural clear spring, and after having the pool extend out the cave’s cliff walls, leaning against it provided a perfect view of the scenery outside. After the flight of the island, this location became the best place to overlook the vistas provided by the land.
Every day, Nightingale would soak in the spring water after showering and enjoy the spectacular sight.
Compared to this, the lack of lights in the room was nothing.
Just as Nightingale was about to lay down, she suddenly heard knocks on her.
She was startled, it was already late in the night and the majority of the people were asleep. Who could it be?
“Coming.”
Nightingale responded and relit the candle, while thinking about potential candidates that might be at her door.
The most probable choice was naturally Wendy.
After all, this person in charge of the Witch Union had the precedent of coming to her for idle chats after having had a few drinks.
But the person standing outside completely stunned her.
It was Anna.
Holding onto a small wooden bucket with a towel and toiletries, she asked, “Can you accompany me for a bath?”
Nightingale had taken a bath prior to heading to bed, but knew that the main point was clearly not the bath. “Of course, please give me a moment.”
Nightingale packed her things and followed Anna into the public bath, which was completely vacant and empty aside from the two of them. Occasionally,
water droplets splashing onto the stalagmites could be heard, emphasizing the serenity of the night.
After stripping, Nightingale stepped into the pool and immediately felt the warmth envelop her entire body. Unlike Neverwinter, the island’s fuel was limited; thus, the public bath employed the use of a boiler that relied on magic power to ensure a steady supply of hot water the entire day.
The two walked through the white mist and slowly arrived at the entrance of the cave. Instantly, the refreshing night breeze swept the heat away as the world before their eyes opened up into a wide panorama. It was no longer edges and corners of the mountain stone, but stars and an endless night sky.
Nightingale gasped slightly.
The feeling was intoxicating.
Anna seemed to be content and heaved a sigh. She then proceeded to stretch.
“Where’s Roland?”
“Most probably in the Dream World.”
“Is that so? He’s really busy…”
“That’s right. Everyone claims that I’ve never stopped to take a break, but compared to him, my work is nothing.” Anna chuckled. “He even works through the night.”
“You’re equally as impressive as he is.” Nightingale lowered her body until the water reached her shoulders. “In the past, you were a young lady that knew nothing, but now, you’re able to assume so much responsibility.”
“It’s really nothing much.” Anna revealed a rare embarrassed expression. “I’m only good at these aspects; if not for Barov and Teacher Karl’s help, the Ministry of Engineering would be in a mess.”
Hey hey, you can’t just declare your shortcomings without any hesitation.
Looking at Anna, complicated emotions rose within Nightingale—it was impossible to say that she did not feel indignation; clearly she had come into contact with Roland much earlier than Anna and had more opportunities, but in the end, she was still a tad slower. But regardless of everything, she could not bring herself to hate Anna; her honesty, earnestness and her straightforwardness… The longer one interacted with Anna, the more one could sense her purity. Nightingale had met countless people before, from ordinary citizens to nobility, yet none of them were as dazzling as her.
She had complete respect for her.
After a short silence, Anna changed the topic. “What do you think will be the outcome of this Battle of Divine Will?”
Nightingale realized that this might be the reason for being invited to share a bath.
“I guess… very smoothly?” She gazed up to the stars in the sky. In all honesty, inferring or predicting the outcome of a battle far exceeded her scope of abilities, and she did not know how to answer. But with the battle approaching, saying such things didn’t seem too appropriate. Fortunately, Anna could not see through her lie.
“Oh.” Anna did not echo her thoughts. “I don’t actually think so. Especially when the last objective is the Bottomless Land. Legends state that it is the land of God and I’m afraid that the risks involved with it far exceeds our estimates. For some reason, I feel that Roland might disappear anytime, and the closer we get to the northern extremity, the stronger this uneasiness becomes.”
Nightingale’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Anna might had sensed Roland’s waning life expectancy? But that likely had to do with the Realm of Mind, and heading to the Bottomless Land was also a means to resolve the problem. It was not something that was inevitable.
“Maybe you’re just over worried about it.”
“I hope so.” Anna blinked. “Right… Do you remember our agreement?”
“Yes…” Nightingale was taken aback for a moment. “—Eh?”
“I’ve decided to bring it forward. After we defeat the demons, I will talk to him personally.”
“Why? Because of your uneasiness?”
“That’s half the reason,” Anna replied gently. “But more of it is that he needs you too. And I… have never hated you. In the coming war, you’ll have to take care of him.”
“…” Nightingale was momentarily at a loss for words. She muttered after a long time, “Even so, why are you not stopping him from going to the Bottomless Land?”
Anna shook her head with a calm expression. “This was the optimal plan after considering many factors, and regardless of the outcome, he has already made his preparations. How can I stop him? Being afraid and running away will not change anything, so the only thing I can do is to aid him with everything that I can, and witness the future with my own eyes.”