Chapter 379: The Road Back

"Tell me again why we have so many records."

Arthur stared at the growing pile of documents on the table aboard the Clarridge. Beyond the windows, the Wyvern sailed alongside them, keeping a steady distance as both ships made their way out of the Everglades.

Athena didn’t look up from the papers she was organizing.

"Because we investigated an ancient network, encountered five Mirrors, helped restore the World Tree, uncovered an artificial source of corruption, and discovered a connection between the southern hot springs and Luna’s village."

Arthur nodded slowly. "When you put it like that, it sounds like a lot."

"It was a lot," Vedas replied from his seat.

Melo leaned over the table and examined the stack. "I thought we were supposed to be returning from an expedition. Why does this look like we’re preparing to establish a research institute?"

"Because someone kept finding things worth recording," Athena said.

Everyone turned toward Arthur.

He raised both hands. "Why are you looking at me? I didn’t create the ancient ruins."

"You did insist on investigating every unusual thing we encountered," Mithra reminded him.

"And several things that weren’t particularly unusual until you started investigating them," Athy added.

Arthur looked offended. "Curiosity is an essential quality for an explorer."

"Knowing when to stop is another," Vedas said.

"That’s what the professors are for."

From the other side of the room, Professor Scolding closed a folder with a firm snap.

"An arrangement that has worked remarkably poorly so far."

Sun immediately straightened. "Fortunately, our expedition was successful despite the difficulties."

Mithra gave him a sideways glance. "You mean despite your attempt to carry three cooking pots at once?"

Sun’s expression stiffened.

"That incident has been discussed enough."

Kong, perched on the back of a chair, nodded solemnly. "The pot was innocent."

Melo burst out laughing. Even Athena had to hide a smile behind her notes.

Sun pointed at Kong. "I saved you from that kitchen. You should show some gratitude."

"You saved the soup," Kong corrected.

"That was a heroic contribution!"

Professor Roland rubbed his forehead. "I see the journey home will be just as exhausting as the expedition."

Arthur grinned and pulled a chair closer to the table. "All right, let’s finish organizing these records. If we get everything sorted before we reach the Academy, we might actually have some free time."

Vedas regarded him with deep suspicion.

"You said that as though you believe it."

"I do believe it."

"That’s the problem."

The first stretch of the journey passed peacefully.

The ships moved beyond the denser parts of the Everglades, leaving behind the enormous trees and strange vegetation that had surrounded them during the expedition. The landscape gradually became more familiar. The air was calmer, the route clearer, and there were no corrupted roots or mysterious purple formations waiting around the next bend.

Arthur stood near the railing for a while, watching the distant greenery recede.

When they had first entered the Everglades, he had expected an opportunity to explore an unfamiliar Secret Realm, study its Beasts, and discover new evolutionary possibilities.

He hadn’t expected to confront the five Mirrors, become entangled in the fate of the World Tree, or help Luna recover her home.

Nor had he expected the experience to change the way he approached an expedition.

"You’re quiet," Mithra remarked as she joined him.

Arthur glanced at her. "Am I not allowed to think?"

"You are. I’m just trying to determine whether you’re thinking about something important or planning to investigate the next strange object you see."

"Those aren’t mutually exclusive."

"I knew it."

She rested her arms on the railing beside him. For a moment, neither spoke. The wind tugged at her hair while the Wyvern continued sailing alongside their ship.

"It’s strange," Arthur admitted. "When we arrived, I was excited about all the things we might discover. Now I’m thinking about everything we need to understand before we go anywhere else."

Mithra turned toward him. "Because of the World Tree?"

"Partly. We couldn’t save it by destroying everything connected to it. We had to understand which connections were corrupted and which ones needed to be preserved. If we’d just attacked whatever looked dangerous, we might have made the damage worse."

"You did learn something, then."

Arthur placed a hand over his chest. "I am wounded. You make it sound as though I never learn anything."

"You learn quickly. You simply have a habit of forgetting that other people need time to catch up with your ideas."

He considered that before answering.

"That’s fair."

Mithra blinked, apparently surprised that he had agreed so easily.

Arthur smiled. "What? Did you expect me to argue?"

"I was preparing several excellent arguments."

"Save them for the next time."

She shook her head, smiling despite herself. "You really are impossible."

"And yet, you came out here to talk to me."

"I came out here because the room was noisy."

"Of course."

Mithra nudged his arm with her elbow. "Don’t look so pleased with yourself."

"I wouldn’t dream of it."

The exchange was light, but Arthur found himself appreciating the moment more than he expected. The Everglades had given them plenty of reasons to rely on one another. They had fought through dangerous situations, protected their partners, and made difficult decisions when the consequences were uncertain.

Now they could stand beside each other without having to watch for the next attack.

For the moment, that was enough.

Mithra glanced toward the other ship. "Do you think the next expedition will be easier?"

Arthur followed her gaze.

"I hope so."

"You hope so?"

"I’d prefer a straightforward exploration. Strange Beasts, interesting environments, a few discoveries, and no threat to an entire region."

"That sounds reasonable."

"Maybe a hidden ruin or two."

Mithra slowly turned her head.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Small ruins."

"Arthur."

"What?"

"You realize that every time you say something like that, we end up facing something much worse?"

"That’s an unfair coincidence."

"It’s happened too many times to be a coincidence."

Vedas appeared behind them, carrying two cups of water.

"I agree with Mithra."

Arthur accepted one of the cups. "I didn’t ask for a vote."

"You would have ignored the result anyway."

Mithra laughed as Vedas handed her the second cup.

Arthur took a drink and looked between them. "You two have become remarkably comfortable criticizing me."

"Experience," Vedas replied.

"Years of experience," Mithra added.

Arthur stared at them, then shook his head.

"Fine. Next time, I’ll let someone else decide where we explore."

Vedas and Mithra exchanged a glance.

"No, you won’t," they said together.

Arthur couldn’t help laughing.

Later, the group gathered around the table again to finish sorting the expedition records.

Athena had divided the documents into several categories. Confirmed findings were separated from observations that still needed verification. The records concerning Ronin and the artificial corruption were placed together for the professors to review, while the information about the five Mirrors and the World Tree’s natural circulation was organized into a separate file.

The discoveries beneath the southern hot springs received their own section.

"We should be careful about how we present the uncertain findings," Athena explained. "The ancient network appears to connect several locations, but we haven’t established its full purpose. We should not claim more than the evidence supports."

Professor Roland nodded approvingly. "Good. A discovery becomes less useful when people mistake a hypothesis for a confirmed fact."

Arthur leaned forward. "But we should still include the possibility that the network extends beyond the locations we’ve visited."

"Certainly," Athena replied. "As a possibility, not a conclusion."

Athy examined the markings copied from the ancient stones. "The records from Luna’s village and the hidden pool share a pattern. That gives us a reason to compare them further, even if we cannot yet explain the connection."

"And we have the faint signal from the ridge," Arthur added. "We should make sure that doesn’t get buried in the other findings."

Athena immediately marked the relevant page. "I’ve already included it. The reading was stable, but we couldn’t identify its source."

"Good. I want that on the list for a future expedition."

Vedas folded his arms. "You have just been told not to draw conclusions without evidence, and your first response is to plan another expedition."

"Planning an investigation is not the same as drawing a conclusion."

"Technically correct," Athy admitted.

Arthur pointed at her. "Thank you."

"That does not mean I support your decision to start planning before we’ve finished the current report."

His hand slowly lowered.

Melo leaned across the table. "This is wonderful. We’ve discovered a new way to defeat Arthur."

"Which is?"

"Let him explain himself until he realizes everyone agrees with him and still refuses to help."

Kong nodded thoughtfully. "Does it work on food?"

"No," Athy said.

"Then it’s useless."

The room filled with laughter again, and even the professors seemed more relaxed.

Beneath the jokes, however, the work continued. Athena checked references, Athy corrected a copied marking, and Professor Roland reviewed the final report. Arthur contributed when he could, resisting the urge to wander off and inspect every unfamiliar instrument aboard the ship.

It was a small thing, but Vedas noticed.

"You’re staying at the table," he observed.

Arthur didn’t look up. "Should I be somewhere else?"

"Usually, by this point, you would have found a reason to investigate something."

"I can focus when I want to."

Vedas studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I know."

The simple response made Arthur pause. Vedas wasn’t teasing him this time. He was acknowledging the difference between the person who had entered the Everglades and the one returning from it.

Arthur gave him a small smile before returning to the documents.

As the ships continued their journey, the conversation gradually shifted toward the Academy.

Sun wanted to resume training as soon as they arrived. He claimed that their expedition had proven the importance of maintaining their strength, although Mithra suspected he simply wanted an audience for his latest accomplishments.

Kong wanted to find the nearest dining hall.

Melo planned to visit the Academy district and see whether anything interesting had changed while they were away. Athy wanted access to the research facilities, while Athena intended to begin comparing their findings with the Academy’s existing records.

Eden, who had been resting after her exertion during the World Tree crisis, listened from a nearby seat.

"I want to see the Academy again," she said. "And I want to spend some time with Star without anyone asking me to use Future Manifestation."

Star bounced happily on Arthur’s shoulder, apparently approving of the plan.

Arthur smiled at her. "That sounds like a good idea. You deserve some time to recover properly."

Eden looked relieved. "You won’t ask me to help investigate anything?"

"I won’t ask you to do anything that puts your recovery at risk."

Vedas gave Arthur a look.

Arthur sighed. "And I will try not to bring an investigation to you by accident."

"That’s more believable," Eden said with a small laugh.

Athena closed her folder. "Once we return, we should also arrange a proper review of the findings. The professors will decide which records can be shared with other researchers."

"That means people will hear about the expedition," Melo said, her eyes brightening. "We might become famous."

Athy raised an eyebrow. "Famous for what? Nearly getting trapped in a corrupted Secret Realm?"

"For saving it!"

"Those are two different descriptions of the same event."

"People prefer the exciting version."

Kong leaned forward. "If we’re famous, do we get free meals?"

Athy stared at him.

"Is that the only thing you care about?"

"No. I care about food, my friends, and food with my friends."

Sun nodded solemnly. "A sound philosophy."

"Please don’t encourage him," Mithra said again.

Arthur laughed along with the others, but his thoughts had already moved toward something else.

Utopia.

And the Cronwell Tribe.

Both had continued developing while he was away. He had left them with their own responsibilities and plans, trusting the people there to make decisions without waiting for him to supervise every detail.

He was eager to see what had changed.

"I’m looking forward to checking their progress," he said.

Vedas turned toward him. "You mean Utopia and the Cronwell Tribe?"

"Both. I want to know what they’ve accomplished while we’ve been away."

"Then you should be prepared to read a great many reports."

Arthur grinned. "I can handle reports."

Athena glanced at the enormous pile of documents in front of him.

"Can you?"

Arthur looked down at the table.

"I’m beginning to understand why you ask so many questions."

"Good," Athena said. "That means the expedition was educational."

The familiar landscape around Pathfinder Academy finally appeared in the distance.

The students began gathering their belongings, and the professors checked the ships’ approach. After everything they had experienced in the Everglades, the sight of the Academy brought a welcome sense of normality.

Arthur stood near the railing, watching the buildings grow clearer.

He was ready to train, to explore the Academy’s research facilities, and to discover what had changed in Utopia and the Cronwell Tribe. He was even ready to face the inevitable questions about their expedition.

Probably.

A soft chime interrupted his thoughts.

A notification appeared on his communication device. Several messages and reports had accumulated during their time in the Secret Realm, their arrival drawing close enough for the delayed updates to come through.

Arthur opened the list.

His smile widened at the first few entries, then he began scrolling faster.

Vedas noticed the change in his expression and leaned over his shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Reports from home."

"Which home?"

"Both."

Arthur opened the first message, then another. His eyes moved rapidly across the summaries, taking in the separate updates from Utopia and the Cronwell Tribe.

Behind him, Mithra noticed his expression and stepped closer.

"Good news?"

"I think so," Arthur replied. "There’s a lot to read."

Vedas stared at the growing list of unread messages.

"Of course there is."

Arthur continued scrolling, excitement building with every new entry.

The Everglades had been an adventure he would never forget.

But while he had been saving a Secret Realm, the world beyond it had continued moving.

And now he was finally going to find out how much had changed.

Vedas watched him open another report and sighed.

"I have a feeling the journey home was the easy part."