The soldier struggled to regain his composure.
"What is it that you've found?" Kyeong'ui pressed. "You said it was unusual."
"Well, Your Highness," the soldier stammered, "it resembles a large pearl... but it's difficult to describe. It's not something we could simply ignore. I thought it best to show you first, so we haven't brought it up yet."
Despite his efforts, the soldier's explanation remained vague. Kyeong'ui was unable to grasp what exactly had been discovered or why it was deemed so extraordinary. The soldier himself seemed unsure. Further questioning within the confines of her tent would prove fruitless. Kyeong'ui rose to her feet.
"Prepare to depart," she instructed. "I'll accompany you to see this discovery for myself."
Soon, Kyeong'ui, along with her retinue, boarded the Cannon Ship and set out for the coast. Three vessels in total had been dispatched in the early morning hours, one bearing a red flag. As they approached the flagged ship, officers and soldiers lined the railings, bowing their heads in respect. One of the officers then raised his voice.
"Your Highness, look below!"
Kyeong'ui, gripping the railing tightly, leaned forward. She gazed into the depths of the water, a prolonged silence falling over the group. The water, despite reports of considerable depth, was remarkably clear, the seabed seemingly within arm's reach. And there, nestled amongst the rocks, lay a massive white sphere. A giant pearl, indeed. Seeing it with her own eyes, Kyeong'ui understood the soldier's earlier comparison. Its shape was perfectly spherical, its surface shimmering with an iridescent sheen. It seemed impossible that such a flawless object could have formed naturally in the depths of the ocean. Even if it were crafted by human hands, the sheer scale and artistry defied comprehension. Its ethereal beauty, swaying gently in the underwater currents, held Kyeong'ui captive.
"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Hongyoo's voice, though respectful, held a note of grave concern.
The search had yielded an unexpected result, one that filled them all with a sense of foreboding. Kyeong'ui herself felt a shiver of apprehension. What had begun as a simple search for artifacts had taken an unforeseen turn. Her gaze flickered towards Hongyoo, then settled on the officer.
"Do we have any skilled divers among our ranks?" she asked.
"They are all strong swimmers, Your Highness," the officer replied hesitantly, "but diving to such depths..."
Hongyoo interjected smoothly, "Perhaps we could enlist the help of local fishermen. I've often seen them diving in these waters around this time of day."
Kyeong'ui nodded curtly. "Find those capable of undertaking this task immediately. Have them secure chains to the object. We will raise it."
"As you command, Your Highness," the officer acknowledged with a bow.
Before he could move to carry out her orders, Hyeok stepped forward, blocking the officer's path. Leaning closer to Kyeong'ui, he lowered his voice.
"Are you certain you want to bring this thing to the surface? Perhaps it's best left undisturbed," he said.
"Are you suggesting we ignore what we have found?" Kyeong'ui retorted. "Is that what you learned at the Sanctuary?"
"While I admire your thirst for knowledge," Hyeok pressed, his usual flippancy replaced by a seriousness that surprised her, "I have a bad feeling about this. What do you intend to do with it once it's raised? This could stir up all sorts of unrest and rumors."
Kyeong'ui shook her head. "If we can find it, so can others. If it's truly something dangerous, it's better that we secure it first."
"Even so, involving the locals..." Hyeok began, his brow furrowed in concern.
Kyeong'ui cut Hyeok off. "We have a considerable number of soldiers present. Regardless of what it is, we can't keep it completely secret."
"Even so," Hyeok insisted, "there's a difference between our soldiers and those islanders. Surely you don't see the soldiers of the Shadow Legion and these superstitious islanders as the same."
Hyeok stood firm, and Kyeong'ui fell silent. His words held merit, preventing her from dismissing him as she might normally have done. Yet, she remained hesitant. If it were merely an object of unusual appearance, the commotion would eventually subside. But what if... Kyeong'ui mentally shook her head, pushing aside the creeping doubts. Such suspicions were akin to treason. Dahn, after all, was a nation that followed the light of Reason and Intellect, a light brighter than the sun. There was nothing to fear, nothing to hide. Yet, a nagging premonition lingered, a sense that this decision might be irreversible.
Hongyoo, who had been quietly observing Kyeong'ui's predicament, stepped forward.
"Allow me to address this matter, Your Highness," he said, offering a gentle bow. "Proceed with enlisting the locals. I'll ensure their discretion."
Kyeong'ui nodded her assent.
Hongyoo boarded a small boat and headed towards the shore. He spotted a group of fishermen preparing for their morning dive, a mix of young and old, perhaps a family. Accompanied by his guards, Hongyoo approached them. Recognizing his fine attire, they bowed respectfully. Hongyoo's eyes scanned the small nets they carried, each with a gourd attached to aid in their dives.
"Fishermen, are you?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," one of them replied.
"The Princess requires your services at the camp," Hongyoo informed them. "You'll be handsomely rewarded, twice your usual earnings for the day."
The eldest among them tilted his head, his brow furrowed. "All of us, sir?"
"Every single one," Hongyoo confirmed. "Are there others from your village joining you today?"
"No, sir. Just us."
A faint smile played on Hongyoo's lips. "Excellent." He pointed towards a dark, isolated rock jutting out from the waterline. "Wait for me behind that rock. I'll bring the boat around shortly."
With another respectful bow, the group headed towards the designated spot. Hongyoo returned to the camp, changed into more practical attire, and then collected the fishermen, bringing them back to the main vessel where Kyeong'ui awaited.
As the divers worked to secure the chains, Kyeong'ui stood by the railing, her gaze fixed on the underwater scene. Finally, the last diver surfaced, gasping for air. His words to the soldiers in the boat were faint, carried away by the wind. As he hauled himself aboard, the soldier relayed the message.
"The chains are secured!" he shouted towards the Cannon Ship.
On deck, an officer barked orders. "All hands, stand back! Raise it slowly. Keep the ship steady!"
At the officer's command, the soldiers heaved in unison. The chains grew taut under the strain of the sphere's weight, and despite the thick protective padding, the ship's railing groaned ominously, threatening to buckle. The Cannon Ship itself listed slightly to one side. Slowly, the smooth, white surface began to emerge from the water, inch by agonizing inch. Then, with a sudden jolt, the sphere broke free of the surface, shooting upwards as the taut chains recoiled violently. The soldiers, caught off guard, stumbled backwards, releasing their hold as the sphere soared skyward.
"Clear the deck!" the officer roared.
The sphere, as if obeying his command, plummeted downwards. Hongyoo, reacting instantly, threw himself over Kyeong'ui, shielding her body with his own as they rolled away from the point of impact. Hyeok, equally agile, dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the falling sphere. But one soldier wasn't so lucky. He lay trapped beneath the massive object, his body pinned to the deck. A collective gasp arose from the onlookers, their faces etched with horror. Then, to their astonishment, the soldier, with a grunt of effort, shoved the sphere aside. A stunned silence followed as they struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. The officer, breaking free of his paralysis, rushed to the soldier's side.
"Are you alright?" he asked in disbelief.
The soldier, equally bewildered, stammered, "I... I think so."
The officer, still in shock, nudged the sphere tentatively with his hand. The immense weight that had required the combined strength of a dozen men to lift was gone. The sphere, though massive – its circumference requiring several men to encircle it with their arms – was now impossibly light. A single person could lift it with ease.
Kyeong'ui, emerging from Hongyoo's protective embrace, cautiously approached the sphere. "What is this?" she whispered, her clothes and hair dripping with seawater. She was oblivious to her own discomfort, her gaze fixated on the enigmatic object.
Suddenly, a rogue wave rocked the ship, causing the sphere to roll towards Kyeong'ui. Hyeok, reacting swiftly, lunged for a trailing chain, yanking it taut. To his surprise, the chain felt unusually heavy, sending a shiver down his spine. Kyeong'ui, momentarily stunned, quickly regained her composure.
"Return to camp," she ordered.
The officer relayed her command throughout the fleet, and the Cannon Ships, along with its escort vessels, began the slow journey back to shore. Hongyoo, boarding a small boat, departed before the main vessel, arriving alone at the harbor sometime later. Hyeok, watching from a distance, noticed the emptiness around Hongyoo. As Hongyoo disembarked, his hands clasped behind his back, Hyeok approached him.
"Where are the fishermen?" he asked.
"They didn't make it back to shore," Hongyoo replied, his eyes crinkling with a chilling amusement. He continued walking, leaving Hyeok frozen.
Hyeok, snapping out of his stupor, rushed after Hongyoo, grabbing his arm. "Wait," he hissed.
Hongyoo, feigning innocence, bowed his head. "Yes?"
"I don't particularly care for these islanders," Hyeok spat, "but they are still Dahnian. You can't just murder them! The Princess didn't give such an order!"
Hongyoo let out a soft chuckle. "Are you afraid of vengeful ghosts?"
"What?" Hyeok sputtered, outrage rising in his chest.
Hongyoo spoke in a gentle tone. "Of course, Her Highness shouldn't be giving such orders," he soothed. "Would you have the future queen's hands stained with blood? All that matters to her is the result. The methods are of no concern to her, nor should they be. We take care of those details."
Hyeok's brow furrowed. "We?"
"Didn't you say it yourself?" Hongyoo countered smoothly. "That we are in the same boat? I have fulfilled every one of Her Highness's wishes, provided for her every need. This time she required silence, so I ensured it. In the most efficient way possible."
Hongyoo threw out a subtle challenge. "Surely, as her future consort, shouldn't you do the same?"
Hyeok's jaw tightened, his lips forming a thin, angry line. Hongyoo offered a polite smile and continued on his way.
The sphere, shrouded in concealing clothes, was transported to the camp. A separate tent was erected on Kyeong'ui's orders, and within its confines, she contemplated the enigmatic object. Hyeok, growing impatient after watching her motionless form for what seemed like an eternity, opened his mouth to speak, but Hongyoo raised a hand, silencing him with a subtle shake of his head.
Kyeong'ui struggled to organize her thoughts, but the more she pondered, the more confused she became. Why is this discovery, born from the depths of the clear blue sea, so shrouded in mystery? She searched her memory, recalling all she had learned in her lifetime, but found no answers. There were no legends, no tales that even remotely resembled this. Neither Dahn nor Sung, with all their technological prowess, could have created such a thing. The inexplicable lightness she had witnessed on the ship defied explanation, as did its purpose. Kyeong'ui remembered her father's teachings – that knowing one's limitations was a valuable skill.
"This is beyond my understanding," she conceded, turning to face them. "It's time I sent my first official report to my father. I will request a scholar from the Sanctuary."
"I will make the arrangements, Your Highness," Hongyoo replied with a brief bow.
"But first," Kyeong'ui added, "I need to speak with Lord Myeonghyeon."
Hyeok winced. Hongyoo, equally displeased, was grateful for Hyeok's impulsive nature.
"Surely you don't intend to show him that thing?" Hyeok blurted out.
"The Scripture may hold some clue about it," Kyeong'ui explained. "If so, he will know."
Hyeok retorted in disbelief, "Surely you know how dangerous your thinking is."
"...I do," Kyeong'ui admitted quietly.
Her unexpected compliance rendered Hyeok speechless. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine," he conceded. "I'll go and fetch him."
"Don't be rude," Kyeong'ui warned.