Just as the term 'Bleached World' suggests, the Earth's surface had become as blank as a sheet of paper.
As far as the eye could see, beyond the sky's unchanging azure, only the earth's whiteness remained. The distinction between ocean and land had disappeared, leaving only a vast, pure white desert across the surface, and dunes that resembled mountains but were merely towering piles of white sand.
Everything had vanished without a trace.
Both nature and civilization were gone, even the life that once thrived here—disappeared, or rather, was scraped away.
Then, near the region bordering the Scandinavian Lostbelt, Chaldea discovered an exceptional terrain.
Like a postmodern art installation in a museum, atop the dunes near the Scandinavian Lostbelt stood a building—remnant, yet incomplete. It looked like traces left behind after being carelessly erased from a blank sheet of paper.
"Apart from the structure and some leftover furniture, there's nothing else to see," Shiomi stated after conducting an on-site investigation.
"I was hoping there might be survivors, but it seems that won't be so easy." Olga Marie said, instinctively reaching to bite her finger but holding back due to Shiomi's earlier words. "The building is too clean inside and out. The ruins themselves defy common sense. It's more like..."
She was about to say that the destruction of the Fairy Kingdom in the Britannia Lostbelt looked more like a normal world, but that description felt too callous. Olga Marie swallowed her words back down.
"Like a faulty planet," Shiomi added offhandedly, unaware of her meaning.
"It's more than that." Scáthach crouched down, scooped up a handful of white sand, and let it fall, scattering in the wind. "This planet bears no traces of life anymore. Even the Sahara Desert holds a pulse of life, but these..." She left the sentence unfinished.
Beyond the Lostbelt, Earth had become a lifeless planet.
"Whether Bleaching mirrors Incineration of Humanity remains unknown," Shiomi said. He intended to lean against a building's wall but noticed the structure looked ready to collapse at the slightest touch. Out of empathy, he abandoned the gesture.
"And ultimately, the one who initiated the Incineration of Humanity was the King of Magecraft's created ritual, Goetia..." Olga Marie gazed at Shiomi. "Then whose handiwork is Humanity's Bleaching?"
Her implication was clear: she suspected the entity behind this ensuing crisis was also of Beast-class.
"That I cannot say," Shiomi replied, arms crossed as he surveyed the interior-like area within the ruined structure. "But there's one thing I'm not sure Baobhan Sith mentioned to you—Odin foresaw this outcome even before the Incineration of Humanity began."
"Oh?" Scáthach narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression turning amused. "That is true. Because Odin's actions always seemed to benefit Chaldea, and you personally, we overlooked this fact.
At the very moment Shiomi was sealed and unable to undergo The Awakening, Odin's proxy—Caster-class Grímr—arrived at the scene with perfect timing.
And according to Shiomi, when Morgan first struck the Pilgrim's Bell, the previous Grímr also arrived around the same time—even feeling he was a step too late to stop their actions.
"The Master said that Odin sacrificed one eye to gain wisdom, and the remaining eye possesses the power to see through countless dimensions." Olga Marie fell into thought. "If that's true, why did Odin, knowing all this would happen, only offer limited assistance instead of resolving the issue directly?"
Shiomi responded with remarkable composure: "The Age of Gods has long ended. This is humanity's era. Unless circumstances are exceptional, Divine Spirits do not directly intervene in the affairs of humans on this planet."
Therefore, what Odin did was significant, but one couldn't demand the great god handle everything personally.
"Hmm. Suppose Bleaching is an inevitable consequence of the Incineration of Humanity..." Scáthach's gaze gradually deepened.
Then, mid-contemplation, her eyes met Shiomi's. Both flinched slightly.
Undoubtedly, both master and disciple saw the same blind spot reflected in each other's eyes.
Regardless of what other divine spirits may think, if Odin has foreseen everything that has happened so far...
Olga Marie abruptly turned, gazing toward the Wall of Storms, just hundreds of kilometers away. That was the location of the Scandinavian Lostbelt.
To return to the Wandering Sea without undertaking Imaginary Numbers submersion, the shortest route would inevitably pass near the Lostbelt.
"Sooner or later, the Scandinavian Lostbelt must be addressed." After regulating her breath, Olga Marie stated decisively, "I originally planned to return to the Wandering Sea first with the Professor, allowing the Storm Border to resupply. But this matter cannot be delayed."
In truth, aside from entering two Lostbelts, the Storm Border had suffered virtually no combat losses.
"You are the Director of Chaldea, our commander," Shiomi smiled. "As long as your decision gains unanimous agreement, there's no issue."
Olga Marie smiled and opened the bridge communication:
"Romani, after retrieving our team conducting ground reconnaissance, hold a briefing on the bridge immediately. I've decided we won't return to the Wandering Sea next—we'll advance directly into the Scandinavian Lostbelt."
"Understood. I'll notify the rest of the crew resting onboard immediately." Romani mumbled his reply while sucking on a jelly straw, then suddenly added, "But this is truly wonderful."
"What?" Olga Marie asked.
"Ever since Mr. Shiomi returned, the Director seems much calmer and more decisive than before," Romani said with relief before cutting the communication. He had simply blurted out his thoughts from the perspective of an elder and a doctor, forgetting to consider Olga Marie's feelings.
Olga Marie's face flushed crimson as she looked at Shiomi helplessly.
"Te-teacher, Romani just... um..."
Her mind raced, but no reasonable explanation came to mind.
Instead, Shiomi gently embraced her, stroking her hair.
"It's okay. You've done well."
Enveloped in that all-embracing warmth, Olga Marie nearly lost herself in his scent, inwardly muttering that this fatherly treatment wasn't what she wanted at all. She quietly tightened her embrace around Shiomi, clinging to him like a child.
"We just received the rendezvous instructions. The Master's side—"
Then, Melusine, responsible for protecting the other area's survey personnel, walked right into the scene.