Arknights story · Stultifera Navis
SN-5 Lighthouse Control Room
The Eye of Iberia is rekindled, and the conspiracy in Gran Faro seems to be drawing to a close. The ocean is always touching this land, pushing everything into the abyss.
2 scenes, 423 lines
1. Before Operation
210 linesCan't wait any longer?
......
If what Kal'tsit said was true, then none of us can really afford to wait around.
Even while we walk this land, we are still a part of the sea. Those corrupted descendants are... in the process of changing the 'environment.'
In time, none of us will be spared. All we're doing now is sitting around waiting for the end to come.
We're not the only ones sitting around though, and everyone's reasons are different.
Think about it more broadly. Who knows, maybe these lands aren't suited for our survival?
Time to mix it up, all for the tunes!
(Riffs in agreement)
So what exactly do you have in mind?
Uh... Well, we're not exactly accomplishing much over here.
Just treat it as a little pre-concert workout. Don't swim too far out, Frost.
A workout. Huh. What about the rest of you?
I think I'll pass.
Too lazy.
I can feel the inspiration on its way. It's so close. Just a liiittle bit more.
*pant*... *pant*...
No, what did that woman and the Inquisitor do? How could they so easily erase the gift of the sea?!
Ægir... It must've been the Ægir. What the Ægir left behind, those strange machines! They must be destroyed!
(Makes a slithering sound as it clings to the cultist's calves)
That's right, my brother, the Penal Battalion has this place surrounded, and we've failed to break through... We've nowhere to run.
But... our exalted prophet has returned to the sea.
All that's left... is to pave the way for Her.
(Impatient slithering sounds)
If they seek to hold back the tide, then let them dash against the rocks. My life is but one brick in a lengthy road.
Eek!
Don't panic, it's just me. Why haven't you taken refuge yet?
M-Mayor Thiago... I was drunk and out as cold as a gloompincer, so I didn't hear anything.
By the time I woke up, everything had gone to shit, and these disgusting things were all over the place.
What happened here? Has the Inquisition sent anyone yet? What's going to happen to us?
...The great ocean is not guilty of any crime, but the Inquisition does not agree. They control the so-called law, and have condemned us as sinners.
Soon enough, the Sea Terrors will return to the ocean. But I cannot allow the Inquisitors to condemn Gran Faro to death just like that.
What are you talking about? Have you gone mad?
Mad? I'm not the one who's mad! I simply need to know! What can we do before the Inquisition destroys this town and rounds us all up to stand trial?!
An Inquisitor has already arrived. I saw that clearly when hiding in a little alley. I've never seen one that old before, and they gave me the chills...
What are you gonna do then, Thiago? Go up to them and try to reason with them?
We'll have to choose sides again, right?
When the Ægir were taken away, most people looked on, just like that. They had a chance to stand up for them, but nobody stepped forward.
Thiago, you—
Now, we have another chance. Either watch the Inquisition put everyone in Gran Faro on trial, or—
Have you lost your marbles?! Inquisitor! Hey, Inquisitor! He can handle us all without raising a hand!
Take me to them.
...What are you talking about?
Drop the act. How long do you think I've lived in this town?
......
Alright, follow me. If your goal really is to take revenge on the Inquisitors...
......
Just what are you up to, Mayor Thiago?
......
Almost there.
This is already taking too long.
S-Sorry.
It's not your fault. It's mine, for not having enough patience.
......
Um... Doña Inquisitor, if you're worried about the others, you can go help them. I think I can handle things up here.
The High Inquisitor gave me a order to protect you. As you've seen, those monsters are everywhere. I can't just leave you alone.
But I don't want to be what's holding you back from joining the battle... I just—
As long as you can light up this tower, then the High Inquisitor will have made the correct decision. I simply defer to his judgment.
...I understand.
Did your knowledge of the Eye of Iberia come from your parents?
Yes. Or more precisely, it's the sum of all of Gran Faro's past. They gathered all the best lighthouse engineers in all of Iberia, or at least that's what my uncle told me.
The territory used to be demarcated by the Inquisition, until it was abandoned after a string of incidents involving the Ægir and the Church of the Deep.
......
I'm not trying to reopen old wounds, but I've been thinking. Before I left, I read the dossier about the sentence handed down at the time. ...No, never mind.
Do you hate the Inquisition?
Um... To be honest...
If there's anything that always hangs over the heads of the people back home, other than the ubiquitous dark clouds, it would be the word 'Inquisition.'
The town once glimmered, giving us the confidence to rebuild our homes. The workers and engineers gave everything they had to fight the disaster, but the Inquisition took everything before it even struck.
And do you still believe that today?
It's the place I grew up in. Everything I've ever seen or heard has only reinforced that lesson.
And, um, I'm sorry, ma'am.
You are simply stating your lived experiences, citizen. It is your actions that will prove your loyalty to Iberia.
...Still, I'm astonished you had the guts to say all that in front of an Inquisitor.
I never would've dared, not until I came here... But, then I saw the Eye. For the longest time, it's only appeared in my dreams, nothing more than a sculpture sitting in the plaza.
Everyone in Gran Faro who came before me has passed this all down. Our duty, what we must do...
It's all surging through me right now—
—Um, ma'am, do you see something glimmering at the base of the lighthouse? Something blue, and sparkling like stars...
That's—
—The nethersea brand!
Do you really think you can fight me, Mister Knight?
......
You only care about the lighthouse. Why? Why do you cling to it so?
Monstrous waves... Swallowing the sky...
...Even the stalk of wheat... consumed by silence. All things great and small... returned to nothing.
(Agitated slithering sounds)
He can speak, but not command his kin. The Sea Terrors are in disarray.
Let us put an end to this.
(Rasping roar) —!
—What a surprise, Mister Knight. You're not moving like you were before.
......
Those are human movements. A charging wind-up, unique to Kuranta knights. What exactly are you?
......
The knight continues to ignore his two opponents. His attention is solely on the third.
Even with his attack, the towering lighthouse does not even shake. If even the Profound Silence failed to destroy the Eye, what chance does a lone knight have?
It bewilders him. It pushes him to try even harder.
(Rasping murmur) Clouds, rolling hills, pillars of ash... arrayed across a hotbed of decay.
The tides... unending...
(Violent slithering)
You're injured, and the Sea Terrors are drawn to you.
Step aside. You're no longer fit to fight.
Dario's eyes quickly dart across the Abyssal Hunter in front of him. Her movements had paused unnaturally a few times during the previous clash.
He's heard reports about her. She was involved in the Sal Viento experiments, but the woman who stands before him is completely different from the one who emerged from that fierce battle.
Who was she? And who is she now?
They've hardly touched you, yet you seem barely able to stand.
Maybe an illness you contracted in Sal Viento?
...The scent of the sea is rather intoxicating, that's all.
...Knight ...Comrade. Why, why must you gag on the air, and endure the heat? You'll never taste... the fruits of civilization.
Urgh...!
The ground is shaking.
Energy long-lost floods through the pipelines and into the broken body of the Eye of Iberia, prying open its eyelids.
It has awakened. The entire island whispers the groans of its first light. Slowly it shakes off its winter, as if waking from centuries of hibernation.
...The cycle of all existence...
Does not belong to the sea...
The knight lifts his head, gazing up from the shadow beneath the great lighthouse.
He is perplexed.
That... is not the monstrous waves.
Where... are they?
Without drawing a single breath, as naturally as a shadow slants in the direction of the light, Specter brings down her weapon.
But the humanoid Seaborn in front of her avoids it, with logic-defying explosive force.
In midair, the knight looks far out into the distance.
He is listening, listening for the coming of new waves. And he will break them.
...Ishar... mla...
(Rasping growl) —Roci—nante—!
(Braying) —!!
(Unintelligible sounds) Chase!
Turns out, Mister Knight is afraid of the light.
Don't pursue him. He's not the only Seaborn like that out there. Our only duty is to defend this lighthouse.
He's only lost interest in the lighthouse.
I don't care about the motivations of monsters.
Are you saying... I'm also a monster?
You?
You are undergoing a transformation. I don't know whether this is something that happens with every Abyssal Hunter.
But if necessary, this reef will be the last bit of land you'll ever step on.
You would still call this land, when we're clearly surrounded by ocean?
Disasters change coastlines, not national boundaries.
Every last centimeter of land swallowed by the Profound Silence is still subject to the laws of Iberia.
Laws, a virtuous word. Yet not all creatures recognize this virtue.
...Ready your blade.
J-Just a little bit more!
(Slithering sounds)
Hurry up then! If this drags out any longer, the lighthouse will be swallowed up by the nethersea brand!
...Ran into a little bit of a hitch!
One of the auxiliary structures might've been damaged, b-but that would take too much time to investigate!
Just booting up the core facility will suffice. We still have to retrieve the flagship's coordinates, ideally reestablishing a connection with the line running along the coast—
I, I know, but— Those things might be even higher up!
Then keep going! Hurry!
...No.
I have to stay here... Turning on the lighthouse is as simple as pulling the most conspicuous lever, but I need to stay here and oversee the power system rebooting.
You should go, ma'am.
What? But if you're attacked by a Sea Terror that slipped through the net, we'll all—
I know! But I, I don't want to come up one step short, not now!
Those monsters— They only lashed out against humans because we invaded their nest, right?
If that's the case, they won't keep destroying the facilities. If anything, getting into a fight will only make things more dangerous, so you should keep climbing instead!
...A conspicuous lever, right?
Yeah, it should be obvious. Flip that, and at least the main facilities, including the lighting equipment, will start up again. ...Assuming what the log said is correct.
Alright.
I'll be right back, Jordi.
The console... Well, this is it.
......
Nothing on the outside is visible from within the tower.
Could the Stultifera really not have sunk? How are they supposed to find that great dreadnought?
Is it too late for the Penal Battalion to come to their aid? Are the cultists of Gran Faro hiding even more secrets?
Just by pulling down on lever in her hand, all of these questions would be answered.
Irene should have been conflicted. She had accepted too much, learned much of the sea, and seen it all with her own eyes.
—Now's the time.
I hope you're ready, Irene.
Dazzling light penetrates the ocean, piercing through everything.
The light will lead the way. The light can dispel the darkness.
It worked!
Hey, Jordi! Did you see that? We did it—
(Slithering sounds, rubbing against the wall)
Merda...
I didn't think you still had it in you to appreciate this sculpture.
The Eye of Iberia... The offspring of the marriage between Ægir and Iberian technology. On land, each nomadic city can only seamlessly communicate within its own walls. Between cities, however, is like crossing a moat.
No system of communication can resolve the interference caused by Originium-rich zones. The only solution is to set up base stations that are at constant risk of being destroyed by Catastrophes.
I hear some countries have already adopted the technology of mobile base stations that navigate on a fixed route between cities. Their engineers are no different from those who guard our lighthouses.
Even today, humans still stumble about across this great land, blindly grasping for clues. We must still grope our way across Terra in near total darkness.
But, what of the ocean?
There is no Originium in the ocean. The Ægir's communication technology vastly surpasses anything we have on land. The Eye of Iberia is not just a set of lighthouses.
It is, of course, Iberia's vision. Very few people know that it was left to us by Breogan, as a microphone to connect all of Iberia.
It's been a while, sir.
Your work was invaluable in allowing the Inquisition to respond so quickly to Dame Kal'tsit's proposal.
How about you? Have you enjoyed your time in Gran Faro?
Compared to the other cities where our colleagues lay dormant, this place can hardly be considered dangerous.
......
So, what have you found here?
My sincere apologies, sir. I doubt I know much more than you and the Dame.
The order given to me by the High Inquisitor was to monitor Gran Faro for more potential enemies, those who would violate our laws and desecrate our country.
My conclusion being, no. Not for the time being.
When the Church's cultists appeared, you didn't notify your team in time.
Correct, I determined those cultists to be impotent, and took advantage of the Penal Battalion's withdrawal as a prime opportunity to go after their true mastermind.
And did you find them? Are there more... false bishops, presiding over the sea's invasion of the land?
Without concrete evidence, I can only speculate as to who their leader is.
But Mayor Thiago, a worker from the Iberian hinterlands, is nominally the mayor of this town.
Since the Eye of Iberia project was scrapped and the Inquisition made quick work of the traitors in Gran Faro, it's been no secret that he has been a pointed critic of the Inquisition.
Thiago... One of Gran Faro's laborers, sheltering the cultists. It would seem we have our next target, Dame Kal'tsit.
......
There's one other thing. Umm, Lord Carmen, the Penal Battalion seems to have come under attack.
What...?
They've invested a Tercio just to quash the evil writhing in Gran Faro, to the point that it's a rare luxury to see even a single badge. What could they up against?
The nethersea brand has seeped through the ground to the surface, drawing a circle roughly fifty kilometers around Gran Faro.
And, it's a perfect circle, almost as if it was drawn with a compass...
It's not the town that's been surrounded, though. It's us.
2. After Operation
213 linesWe're almost at our destination.
......
What? You'd never would've reached the Stultifera in one piece without me. The children of the sea would've ripped you apart, crushed you, or bound your limbs as they dragged you off to their nests.
You're not like Quintus.
What might could you be talking about? My skin? This sack of flesh?
None of that matters.
What are you trying to accomplish?
And what are YOU trying to accomplish, Hunter? Your kind already loathe your enemies while simultaneously doubting the purity of your own blood. But still... you pretend to be calm.
What are you trying to get out of me?
......
Silence. A wise choice. Ægir are not a sociable lot, it is known. But it seems there are exceptions.
Or, are you just a bit of an unpopular grump?
......
I can answer your question. Quintus wouldn't, nor will other humans. But the Seaborn will. Like Heralds, we come to understand things. We are not limited by the way humans think.
I don't need your riddles.
Hmm...
Before coming here, I was in the midst of translating a literary classic from Ursus. It was about race and nations. About history. I was putting it into Iberian and Victorian.
Take a look, Mister Hunter.
Ulpianus's gaze follows the woman's hand, his eyes subconsciously drawn towards the ocean.
A pitch-black sea. Dense with dark clouds. Oppressive. And yet, a vague outline of the starry sky is visible.
Even the Ægir rarely look out across the ocean from the water's surface. Different races, different countries. The land is fractured in every sense, and its conflicts are neverending.
But when you look over the boundless sea, do you see anything representing those divides?
Tch... These damn monsters!
Jordi! Are you alright?!
(Slithering sounds, rubbing against the wall)
G-Get away from me—!
Seems like activating this facility has made these poor creatures realize that this place doesn't make a very good nest.
High Inquisitor!
Keep ascending, Ægir. Your hands are for wielding tools, not fire and steel.
The plan is unchanged. Go with Irene and find what the Inquisition and the Hunters are seeking.
I, I know! Please be careful!
Do you really think we can find that ship?
It can only pass through Iberia.
I don't understand... If it is a place like Rhodes Island, why hasn't it tried to return in sixty years?
We too are lost, unable to find a way back home. Is that not so?
(Sounds of stirring, slapping the water)
The children are increasing in number.
...Are you alright?
Me? Why do you ask?
You didn't speak a single word on the way to Iberia.
Have you always seen me as a chatterbox, Skadi?
......
Skadi stares deeply into Specter's eyes.
When she'd finally found Laurentina on land, her eyes were clouded over.
Then she saw it in Sal Viento. A fragment of Laurentina as she was. But it was short-lived. After returning to Rhodes Island, she seemed to have fallen back into the abyss.
But now, Skadi begins to find herself unable to distinguish which corner of Specter's mind she is currently dealing with.
She has an ominous guess.
One that has always swirled through her mind.
What's the matter?
......
No need to overthink this, Skadi.
And the same goes for you, my sleepy little mermaid. We don't have much time. You will awaken.
Will I?
You will.
For the time being... Go with Shark and take out the small fry. Their numbers are endless, so remember to adjust your breathing and conserve energy.
You should already know that I prefer it that way.
...Must we be in such a hurry to perform again? The storm is not yet ready.
Heh, but it seems our dance partner won't be kept waiting.
Tch, there's no end to them.
Doña Irene!
You're still alive! So that flash of light was from the High Inquisitor's lantern after all!
Um, he wanted us to continue on... But what exactly should we do? Keep searching for the ship's location?
I was originally planning to wait for the technicians to arrive, but seeing how you got this big fella started all by yourself—
Hiss... Hiss...
—Make every second count!
Thiago? So you're finally seeing clearly.
Why haven't you fled? The Penal Battalion and that Inquisitor have been lying in ambush in town.
Then why haven't your proud townspeople returned?
......!
The Inquisitors have already taken away all the confused, directionless residents of Gran Faro, and you already know what's going to happen to them.
You know all too well.
But I can't sit by and watch Gran Faro go up in smoke. I have to do whatever I can.
You? Fight the Inquisition? Fair enough, Thiago. But that will only hasten the town's demise. Iberia will never tolerate an act of treason.
While we welcome all into our fold, but the weak do not have that right. This 'determination' of yours is but a sick joke your mind is playing on you. You understand nothing. Who do you think you're talking to?
Who? If I'd cared enough to investigate, you would've been flushed out by the Penal Battalion long ago.
Tell me then, what can people like you offer Gran Faro?
In the end, this town is... a mere human settlement.
What we seek to offer up to this land is of a much higher calling than your meaningless baubles.
(A slithering sound emerges from cracks in the building)
You've been followed.
Hiss...
Hah, these Sea Terrors have pretty sharp senses.
An outsider? We will allow it. Your flesh and blood shall become nourishment for our wounded. We all give back to this land.
Tch, the nethersea brand has already reached this far. The walls, the stairs, it's all over the place!
Are you still not done yet? They're getting closer!
Almost there!
How does this make any sense? Even after all these years, the signal-receiving devices are still operable... But why? How?
Oh, the logs—
—Woah, there it is! Now let's take a look—
Hiss...
Ugh—
(Their numbers are exploding! They're moving through the nethersea brand, as if they've merged with the ground entirely!)
(At this rate, even Maestro and the Hunters won't be able to stay in this branded place for much longer...)
(Rough sounds of slithering across the floor)
Damn it— Underneath us! Jordi!
Wh-What?!
Continue.
Ah, um... Okay...
Abyssal Hunters!
You're too weak. Swarms like this require swifter movements. Spare yourself the energy to breathe.
Like so.
Urgh...!
How much longer, Ægir?
Th-There are no records in the logs of how to operate these information terminals, so I'll have to keep searching—
—There's some data here... I don't understand what it means, but it keeps popping up!
Keeps popping up? Even if that's from the Inquisition's last attempt, that should've been years ago!
I, I'm not sure. I assumed the data loss was caused by a power outage, b-but—
If my hypothesis is right...
There's a ship that's been sending signals to this lighthouse for decades!
What...
How far away it is?
I know, I'm looking... Ugh, where are the navigation records—
......
What is it?
...It's very close.
How can it be... so close?
Waaaah!
Wh-What happened?!
I'm afraid the underground portion of the tower has been swallowed up by the nethersea brand.
We need to make our decision, now!
Decision? What decision? If we have the means to locate the ship, then we will go.
No! We should eradicate the Sea Terrors to ensure that the Penal Battalion's reinforcements can arrive safely!
Impossible. You will merely wear yourselves out before the stronger prey can even join the hunt.
Or do you mean to say that Iberia has hundreds upon thousands of people willing to hold the line to their dying breath, like the High Inquisitor below us?
No, but—
Opportunity waits for no one.
......
Have you confirmed the coordinates?
Ah, um, I can determine an approximate range, but I don't know why it's spinning around, or if that means—
It is being kept afloat by aberrant ocean currents. See that square surrounded by Seaborn? That's what the ship looks like now.
But, that ship is the only vessel we have.
You can have it. We don't need it.
No.
Go with them.
High Inquisitor?! What did you just say?
The Eye of Iberia has already been activated. There should still be some working safeguards in place.
Lord Carmen will arrive to purge the evil remaining along these shores. We don't have time to waste on these endless hordes.
Th-Then, I'll stay with you, sir!
No. You ought to accompany them.
You should go see the ocean.
I...
What saved your life, what let the rescuers find you... wasn't me. It was the Scriptures you hold in your hand.
Make the right choice. Do not bring shame to Iberia.
Understood, High Inquisitor.
I will become Iberia's eyes, and return the Stultifera to our country's embrace.
Then go.
I look forward to seeing the moment you pass down the correct verdict.
Yes, High Inquisitor!
You should leave too. Go with them.
Sir... I don't want to. I want to stay here.
It's too dangerous.
I don't know a single thing about that golden vessel. The best I could do is bask in its magnificence, but... I don't think that's where my duty lies.
I, um, this might be a strange thing to say, but I... I only felt my own worth when I was exploring this lighthouse, so—
Please, let me stay here.
Exactly one hundred down. But nothing has changed.
They're like stars in the sky.
Breaking the encirclement would be simple, but defending the lighthouse? How long would we be slashing away?
What a fine, colorful carpet they make as their carcasses dissolve.
A carpet of life... Ah, this must be the most beautiful carpet in the land.
(True, the nethersea brand is spreading, which means...)
Your weapons cannot burn them, but mine can.
That's only a temporary solution. Cauterizing the tips of the seagrass won't stop it from growing.
It's good enough. Grab your people and get out of here. Steer the ship out, or you won't be able to get your bearings.
You realize what that means.
You don't need to tell me, Ægir.
That's the ship...
Gladiia's words slow to a halt.
Her hand caresses her neck. On her well-concealed skin is a patch that is rough to the touch.
The ship is right in front of her eyes. —No, don't be hasty, Gladiia. The ocean is still dangerous. Otherwise, it would not have trapped the three Hunters ashore.
But without a doubt, her heart is smoldering.
......
They've left.
That's right. Which means we're stranded here until the Penal Battalion's reinforcements arrive.
......
You've done well, Ægir, so you've earned the right to answer a question.
Ah, o-okay! I swear to answer truthfully!
Did you make your own decision to leave the shore, and come here with us?
You're just an ordinary person. Janitor or whatever, you are no warrior. Few can wander out to sea, let alone witness a battle against the Sea Terrors.
Yet... Look, your expression doesn't shake at all under the light of my lantern. What are you thinking? What do you want?
......
I can't even remember ever seeing my mother or father. Everyone always told me I'm an Ægir, and that we came here to repair the lighthouse. But it's all ruined.
I... Before all this, I didn't know a single thing. I was lost and confused. To be honest, when the Sea Terrors came, Thi— Someone told me to leave as soon as possible. But...
Truthfully, I didn't even know where I could go.
Because I'm an Ægir, all I can do is keep my head down as I trudge through life. And, um... just so you know, I'm actually a chapel nurse, not a janitor.
But that doesn't really count as work, does it? All the things Mr. Elysium talks about, the way he acts... Maybe that's what it really means to live life upon this land.
That's why... I felt like this was an opportunity.
Are you not afraid of death?
I don't think there's anyone who isn't, sir.
I should be frank with you. The nethersea brand has already completely engulfed the coastline. We don't have much time left.
Oh.
Lord Carmen and Dr. Kal'tsit may have their methods, but I'm not so optimistic.
When the others left, we were basically condemned to death.
Is... that why you insisted on me going with them?
It's too late to regret it now. You chose to defy me, of your own free will. But even if you die here, your death would be by no means meaningless.
......
You're not shaken.
Haha... Just a little bit, maybe. But even if I went with them, wouldn't I still have nine-to-one odds of dying?
As long as I stay here in this lighthouse, I can at least feel like I've already—
Don't be in such a hurry to give up.
The Eye of Iberia should have its own defenses. Go start them up.
Ah, alright. But, where will you go?
Now...
We are alone at sea, far from our homeland.
Again and again we arrive on this little reef, the weight of our lives and of our vessels so much heavier than the place itself.
...Hiss...
(Swarms of slithering sounds)
Between the ocean and Iberia, there is no such thing as justice... or evil.
Only sword and lantern—
Only me.