After finishing a lively meal, Ethan went straight out of the cabin and onto the deck.
By then, night had completely fallen, and the sky was filled with stars. Ethan didn't bother finding a lounge chair and simply sat on the deck, leaning against the mast and gazing blankly at the star-strewn sky.
In the past, he could sit here without being disturbed. Even after Logan, Loki, Selene, and Ada had successively come aboard, none of them were particularly fond of chatting or making idle conversation.
That wasn't the case anymore. He hadn't been sitting long when O'Connell, who was bored inside the cabin, came over and sat down beside him, also leaning against the mast and looking up at the brilliant night sky.
"Is this really not my world?"
"I can guarantee it's definitely not."
Ethan didn't turn to look at O'Connell's expression, unsure whether he appeared lost or indifferent.
"It looks no different from the world I live in."
Since there was nothing else to do, Ethan gave him a brief explanation of this world's situation.
These few had arrived too suddenly. Ethan hadn't planned on bringing them back, so when they returned, he hadn't followed his usual procedures. He'd only arranged their accommodations and introduced the ship's crew.
He hadn't had time to explain the general nature of this world.
Ethan's explanation was thorough. While he was describing the world, Jonathan and Evelyn also came out onto the deck, so they ended up hearing it too.
"It's all seawater?"
"No wonder you live on a ship."
Islands that rose from the seafloor and quickly developed plants and even animals felt magical to Evelyn. She asked more questions, and Ethan ended up spending more time explaining.
By the time he was almost finished, Jonathan asked about Ethan's "destination." "So does that mean we'll just keep drifting aimlessly at sea, searching for those islands that suddenly appear?"
That kind of life sounded free, but there was always a sense of uncertainty, of maybe running out of supplies at any time. It didn't seem like an easy way to live. Jonathan was already starting to think about what kind of world he wanted to live in, rather than staying in this ocean-covered place worrying about the next meal.
Seeing his expression, Ethan could guess what he was thinking. He casually reassured him not to worry about food.
As for a destination, Ethan didn't have a good answer, so he first explained the situation with the Sea of Storms and the Sea of Miracles outside it.
Maybe everyone was bored, because the crew gradually came out onto the deck, each finding a spot to settle down.
Logan stood at the railing smoking a cigar, while Ada leaned against the wooden wall of the cabin with her arms crossed, listening to Ethan and the others talk.
Loki, whether on purpose or not, stood on the poop deck above, leaning on the railing and looking down at everyone on the main deck.
Even Annette, who usually preferred staying in her room doing research, and Laura and Sherry, who liked hiding away to play games, came out.
In a short time, the deck became just as lively as the dining hall had been earlier.
Of course, Logan and the others already knew everything Ethan was talking about. Ada, who had joined later, had also learned about it.
But for Jonathan and the others, this was all new, and they found it hard to imagine a circular ocean world.
"So after crossing that Sea of Storms or whatever, the environment won't improve much? Then why even go?"
Ethan looked up at the star-filled sky again.
"Because of the endless land."
"Wasn't that proven to be just a rumor?"
"The endless land does exist."
Ethan's answer was firm, which made Evelyn curious. Jonathan frowned in thought for a while, then gave up trying to understand. O'Connell waited quietly for the rest of the story.
Quick-witted people like Loki and Ada had already guessed what Ethan meant.
Sure enough, Ethan said exactly what they had anticipated.
"The so-called endless land is there."
Ethan extended his left hand and pointed to the star-filled sky. O'Connell, sitting next to him, and Evelyn, sitting across from him, both looked up in the direction he pointed.
"The stars?"
"That is the endless land."
At this point, perhaps only the real "ancients," Imhotep and Anck-su-namun, still didn't understand. But they kept a low profile and didn't ask, just quietly listened to what Ethan had to say next.
Jonathan stared at the sky for a while, then lowered his head to look at Ethan again.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course."
Jonathan opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Was he supposed to say "stop dreaming"? Even if those planets really had endless land and were fertile enough to grow crops, how would they get there? On this sailing ship? He doubted it could even cross the Sea of Storms, let alone reach another planet.
Evelyn, on the other hand, didn't think that deeply. Her first reaction after looking up was that Ethan must have some special magic that could take them from here to those distant planets.
After all, Ethan could already travel between different worlds and planes. Maybe this kind of thing was easy for him?
Compared to Evelyn, Annette, being a scientist, thought about things differently.
"I've heard Selene mention the situation in the Sea of Miracles. Are you sure we can leave this ocean world?"
A world filled entirely with ocean should be enclosed in some kind of energy barrier. Although she didn't know what surrounded it, she assumed there was something like an energy "lid" in the sky. If there wasn't, then there would be a strong gravitational pull beyond the ocean, sucking everything into space.
And space is practically boundless. This world didn't seem very large. If it were "leaking," it would've become a dead zone long ago.
The fact that it hadn't meant that even the space-like region above was enclosed by some form of energy wall. So even if Ethan set his sights on another planet, the first problem would be how to get out.
"That's not a problem for me."
Whether it was punching a hole in the energy wall, breaking it entirely, or simply opening a portal to leave, Ethan could do all of that depending on the specific conditions.
"What about travel and survival in space?"
Traveling through space isn't like sailing across an ocean. The issues are far more complex. Worse still, no one knows how long such a journey would take. The distances between planets are unimaginably vast, and restocking supplies is a serious concern.
"And... you'd also need a big enough spaceship."
"Those are all easy to solve."
Annette had wanted to keep raising concerns so Ethan would take space travel more seriously and not treat it like a joke.
But she quickly remembered that Ethan could already travel to many different worlds, including civilizations far more advanced than her own. Maybe he had already done extensive research on space travel?
Having spent so much time with him, she was certain Ethan wasn't from some "primitive era" with no grasp of "modern science." He had a solid understanding of space. Based on that, his confidence could only mean he already had a plan.
"If that's the case, then I'm really looking forward to the day it happens."
Countless people had dreamed of traveling to space. Even those who hadn't were still fascinated by the idea. Just a few words exchanged between Ethan and Annette sparked interest in nearly everyone on the deck.
Imhotep and Anck-su-namun still didn't understand what was being discussed.
As for Loki, who had already experienced countless space voyages, he naturally wasn't excited.
The others were all at least a little intrigued. Even O'Connell and Jonathan, whose understanding of space was much more limited than the "people from the future," became interested after Selene gave them a basic explanation.
As for Evelyn? She wasn't particularly interested in space. She was more curious about whether Ethan would go to other worlds. Would he visit Earth's ancient civilizations? Or had he already been to one?
"Camelot?"
"Wait a minute." Before Evelyn could react, O'Connell looked at Ethan in disbelief. "King Arthur's Camelot?"
"Yes."
At the time he'd visited, Arthur had still been quite young. Ethan wasn't sure whether the legendary city of Camelot was something Arthur built after inheriting the throne, or if it had already existed.
Now, after so many years, Ethan was sure that the city had indeed existed when he visited. Even if it wasn't supposed to appear that early, the "enhanced" Arthur had been fully capable of building it ahead of schedule.
"Any others?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
Ethan thought about it. Most of the time, he had been in modern or near-modern eras. The few older settings he had visited were not on Earth, like the Sanctuary world and Azeroth.
He hadn't expected Evelyn to suddenly make a very decisive choice after a few questions.
"I think staying on your ship will give me more chances to witness legendary history. So until I can return to my own world, I want to stay here."
Ethan nodded. He had no objections to that.
Evelyn's decision to stay meant that Jonathan and O'Connell would stay as well. It was clear that the Goddess of Dawn would remain lively for the foreseeable future.
(To be continued.)