"How is the situation?"

Seeing the doctor come out, Jeanne couldn’t wait to rush up and ask.

This Hilov is Jeanne’s good companion, akin to family, she was more worried than Horn.

In the town clinic of Black Pottery Town, the doctor who came from Joan of Arc Castle had a complex look.

Because at this moment, he was sandwiched between two Cheka on either side, just to see a patient, why so nervous?

"Breathing has resumed, the body’s condition is stabilizing, it should be a sudden cardiac arrest..."

Stepping aside from the door, Hilov lay on the bed waving to everyone outside, Jeanne was the first to rush in.

Looking at Hilov’s pale face, Horn didn’t squeeze in but casually found a spot in the room to sit down.

His gaze fixed on Hilov, but his mind drifted elsewhere.

Sure enough, his guess was correct, Hilov’s symptoms were because she was too far from the Mechanical Palace or rather Autumn Dusk Island.

This range was roughly around the vicinity of Daze Village.

As for the reason, the doctor explained it clearly, cardiac arrest.

Does this mean that the gear heart is not a perpetual motion machine but has an invisible power source?

Most importantly, this power source does not come from internally but externally.

Is there a signaling tower-like presence in Autumn Dusk Island constantly transmitting energy to Hilov’s heart?

Or is Hilov’s heart itself connected to the astral realm, directly drawing ether from it?

No, if that were the case, how could she suffer cardiac arrest when venturing far from the Mechanical Palace?

So does this mean that the tiny gear on Hilov’s heart is a smaller version of an astral-forged gear?

But that brings another question, how does the ether power her heart?

Did Hilov’s mother possess such powerful means to draw ether directly from the void and solidify it?

This time the Holy Father’s invisible hand truly manifested.

Just as Horn was deep in thought, he noticed Hilov suddenly turning her gaze towards him: "Horn, I have something to tell you... privately."

Everyone else exited the room, Jeanne’s cautious yet worried face slowly concealed behind the closing door, leaving only Horn and Hilov.

Sitting on the hard bench, the cold wind from outside blew through the cracks in the window curtains.

Horn walked to the bed, glanced at Hilov lying on the white sheets, gently holding her cold hand: "What do you want to say?"

"You’ve realized something, haven’t you?" Hilov stared intently into Horn’s eyes, "What is really happening to my body?"

"Don’t overthink." Horn didn’t take advantage but gently patted her head, "You’re fine, when did you first feel something was wrong physically?"

After pondering for a while, Hilov replied, "Probably near Joan of Arc Castle, I only felt dizzy then.

But later, after leaving Joan of Arc Castle, the farther south the ship sailed, the dizzier I felt, with breathing difficulties."

"Then why didn’t you say anything?"

Hilov remained silent for a long time before answering, "I thought it was just seasickness..." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Horn was almost certain that Hilov’s range of activity was restricted to a circle with ry Court Barracks to Joan of Arc Castle as its radius.

So was it her grandmother who severed her legs to prevent Hilov from venturing out, causing self-harm?

Why not simply tell her? Did it have to be through such a dreadful method as severing her legs?

As Horn pondered, Hilov propped herself up on the bed, looking blankly at Horn, "Horn, can I ever see the sea again?"

It was only at this moment that Horn suddenly realized, hastily spreading his arms to embrace Hilov’s frail body.

"Don’t worry, there must be a way."

With her head buried in Horn’s embrace, Hilov’s shoulders shook.

It’s not setbacks that kill, but expectations.

If she had accepted being confined within the Mechanical Palace, she naturally wouldn’t feel pain now.

But she had already seen the sky, the plains, waiting and waiting, given time, she could see the sea!

Yet fate told her she merely exchanged one larger cage for another.

The walls of the Mechanical Palace were visible, but the invisible wall before her was not.

Horn held Hilov for a while, soothing her back, until her tears gradually stopped.

Using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes, Hilov sat back, "Sorry, I lost my composure."

Looking at Hilov’s pitiful appearance, after much deliberation, Horn couldn’t bear to tell the truth about the mechanical heart.

Upon hearing this, Hilov was not emotional but rather realized, "No wonder you could find me that day!"

Hilov referred to the miracle of Horn discovering her secret room.

"Strange, the sound shouldn’t have been loud, how did you hear it?"

Horn helplessly spread his hands, "How would I know? Maybe because of my large mana capacity!"

Hilov nodded thoughtfully, her thoughts shifted, "So, within the range of Autumn Dusk Island or Daze Village, there must be a place transmitting ether to me from afar?"

"Yes."

"Then how is it transmitted? Where is it?" Hilov spread her hands, "The land area required for ether pump technology isn’t small, even if my grandmother could calculate the daily fragile points of the astral realm, who would operate it? Autumn Dusk Island isn’t very large."

Horn similarly fell into contemplation.

Indeed, after occupying Daze Village, they had thoroughly combed Autumn Dusk Island to avoid the reappearance of the Long-haired Zombie.

He was certain there were no additional Ethereal Towers on Autumn Dusk Island.

Could it be underground? The engineering difficulty is high, but maybe we can explore when we return.

Or... both Horn and Hilov unconsciously looked up at the sky outside the window simultaneously.

Could it be?

Shaking his head, Horn returned to reality, "There are too many doubts, it’s hard to figure out instantly; let’s talk it over after we go back."

"Aren’t you going to Black Snake Bay?" Hilov asked back.

"Since you can’t go to Black Snake Bay, why should I?"

But Hilov shook her head, "Do you think Cynthia anticipated this situation when she asked you to bring me here?"

Horn suddenly raised his head, his eyes growing sharper, "Are you saying...?"

"You should go there," Hilov retracted back into the quilt, covering her lower face.

Now, what was initially a duo’s trip turned into a four-person journey, but she wasn’t among them!

Hilov’s ears drooped in sadness, almost reaching her eyes, making Horn feel both heartache and amusement.

He only reached out to ruffle her hair, comforting her, "You go around and have fun near Joan of Arc Castle. After all, we rarely get an outing; why return so soon?"

"Okay, I’ll wait for your return." In such moments of vulnerability, Hilov seldom took the initiative to nuzzle Horn’s hand with her head.

......

The next day, Saint Sun’s Ship set sail again, this time not leisurely but at a starry pace unfolding.

In less than two weeks, Horn once again arrived at Long Embankment City.

Amidst the morning mist, as Horn walked onto the deck, the distant Long Embankment City became closer.

"What is that?" A few quick steps brought Horn to the bow, blinking in disbelief.

On the embankment of Long Embankment City, was there a dragon...

No, wait, was that a dragon’s head?!