Episode 6: Interlude (A Distant Fisherman’s Tale)

That day, the air was unusually clear, and they could see all the way to the horizon under a brilliantly blue sky.

“It’s a clear one today. We’ll see the fish jumping from a mile off.”

They were deep-sea fishermen, part of a fleet traveling north on one of the few large magic-powered vessels built in their homeland. Their fishing grounds were further north, but sometimes they’d get lucky and encounter a migrating school of fish on the way. Given the shifting currents, three men were stationed atop the mast, each watching in a different direction.

“…Hey, what’s that over there? You see it?”

“Huh?”

One of the men, looking in the ship’s direction of travel, spotted something.

“…Could it be a storm cloud?”

A thin white line stretched up from the horizon.

“No, it’s too thin for that… and look, it’s glowing at the top. It’s… getting taller.”

“Hey, you don’t think it’s a new type of magic beast, do you?”

“How should I know… Hey, tell someone below! They’ve got a good telescope on board, right?”

A crew member quickly responded to the call, rushing to the telescope fixed on the bridge.

“I see it! What in the world is that?”

Through the lens, he saw the white cloud stretching upward, topped by a glowing point of light. It continued to rise, and eventually, the light went out. Slowly, the once-straight white column dispersed, shifting and bending in the wind.

“Get the captain up here!”

Soon, the captains and fleet commanders were in heated discussion about the mysterious cloud and the light at its tip. Some argued to approach and investigate, while others advised caution and a quick retreat, fearing it might be an unknown magic beast. In the end, they decided to stay on course, reasoning that the phenomenon was too far away and in a different direction from their destination.

The confidence in their flagship’s capabilities reassured them; even if it was a magical beast, they believed they could handle it.

Nonetheless, extra watchmen were assigned in case the phenomenon appeared again.

As it turned out, this precaution was unnecessary; they never saw the mysterious cloud again, even on the return journey. The crew assigned to the mast grumbled about the uncomfortable hours spent in the crow’s nest, but the catch that year was extraordinary. The “pillar of glowing clouds” became a legend among the fishermen, a symbol of good fortune, and a sign of bountiful harvests for generations to come.