I arrived inside Gerald’s workshop almost silently.
Gerald, on the other hand, never even bothered looking up.
The old man stood atop a floating platform with half a dozen formation circles revolving around him while streams of black material continuously flowed through the air like liquid rivers.
Every few seconds he would point toward a different section of the ship, causing another layer of intricate runes to carve themselves into the enormous hull before disappearing beneath fresh metal.
"You know," he said without turning around, "most people knock before entering someone else’s workshop."
"I would’ve knocked if I’d actually come through the front door," I replied with a shrug. "But honestly, I have no idea what the proper etiquette is when someone teleports into your workshop."
Gerald paused in the middle of carving a formation and tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"You know..." he said after a moment, "that’s actually a fair point. I’ve been using teleportation for thousands of years, and I’ve never once considered the problem of knocking."
"Maybe teleportation needs its own manners."
"Perhaps it does."
I pretended to think seriously about it before snapping my fingers.
"I’ve got it. Before teleporting, you send a tiny communication signal. That’s the knock. If the other person sends one back, you’ve officially been invited. If they don’t respond, you stay outside."
Gerald considered the proposal surprisingly seriously, his fingers unconsciously stroking his beard.
"It certainly solves the manners problem," he admitted. "But it’s terribly inefficient. Every teleportation would require a conversation beforehand. Imagine trying to escape a battlefield while politely waiting for someone to grant you permission to arrive."
I couldn’t help laughing.
"Well, every good system comes with a trade-off. You either value speed..."
"...or good manners," Gerald finished with a nod.
"Exactly."
The old man chuckled quietly before shaking his head.
"Civilization has advanced remarkably over the ages, yet apparently we’ve completely neglected the field of teleportation etiquette."
"Someone has to pioneer it."
"Just don’t volunteer me."
A reluctant smile settled beneath his beard before he finally turned around to face me properly. His gaze swept over me from head to toe, as though making sure I hadn’t accidentally blown up another part of the Soul Sea during my latest experiment.
"Now then," he said, folding his arms behind his back. "You rarely visit without a reason. So, what brings you here this time?"
A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"More importantly... what question is troubling you now?"
"So..."
I folded my arms while looking toward the enormous ship suspended in the center of the workshop.
"How’s our ride coming along?"
Gerald immediately became noticeably happier. He turned back toward the vessel with the unmistakable pride of a craftsman admiring his life’s work.
"Almost finished."
He waved one hand, causing several sections of the hull to rotate so I could observe the countless formation arrays hidden beneath the outer plating.
"The structural framework, spatial stabilizers, and concealment arrays are complete. I’m currently integrating the resonance dampeners and finishing the outer Soul Coating."
He lightly tapped one of the floating beams beside him.
"Give me another two days."
"No more."
I nodded approvingly.
"So we’ll be leaving soon."
"If everything else goes according to plan."
The old man remained silent for a moment before adding,
"And speaking of plans..."
He looked back toward me.
"The guests have already started arriving."
That caught my attention immediately.
"They’re here already?"
He nodded.
"Evelyn wasted no time after your meeting. Messages have been sent across every hidden settlement and every secret lineage willing to cooperate."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I underestimated just how many old friends she still has."
I looked out through one of the workshop’s enormous windows toward the distant settlement. Even from here I could see unfamiliar figures moving through the streets. Some possessed towering physiques unlike any Ironhart, while others wore robes embroidered with symbols I had never seen before. Every now and then another teleportation circle somewhere inside the settlement would briefly flash before depositing yet another visitor.
"The settlement feels different," I observed.
"It is."
Gerald nodded.
"For the first time in many centuries, representatives from multiple hidden races are gathering under one roof."
His expression became a little more serious.
"Most of them have never met one another."
"And some of them don’t particularly like each other."
"I assumed as much."
"Fortunately," he continued with a chuckle, "they dislike the Eternals even more."
That certainly helped.
The old man stepped away from the floating ship and dusted off his robes before looking directly at me.
"You should probably prepare yourself."
"For what?"
"I imagine Evelyn hasn’t told you yet."
"Told me what?"
"There’ll be a gathering tomorrow evening."
"A gathering?"
Gerald smiled knowingly.
"Evelyn insists on calling it a small welcoming party."
I immediately became suspicious.
"And what do you call it?"
"A diplomatic battlefield."
"..."
"It probably will be."
He folded his arms behind his back.
"The official council can wait until everyone has settled down. Before discussing expeditions, life-and-death plans or the Twelfth Soul Current, Evelyn wants everyone to meet one another properly."
"Over food?"
"Over food."
"And drinks?"
"Many drinks."
I laughed.
"That part sounds more like Roland’s idea than Evelyn’s."
"Oh, Roland has already volunteered to oversee the drinks."
"Of course he has."
"He even insisted that introducing his collection was a matter of strategic importance."
I couldn’t help shaking my head.
Gerald’s smile gradually faded into a more thoughtful expression.
"Jokes aside...You should attend."
"I was already planning to."
He slowly nodded.
"Good. Because while tomorrow may look like nothing more than a celebration.....everyone attending will actually be judging one another. Many of the guests agreed to come because they trust Evelyn."
"Others came because they trust me. But sooner or later..."
His gaze met mine.
"...they’ll have to decide whether they’re willing to risk their existence following someone they’ve never met before."
I understood immediately.
The welcoming feast wasn’t really a feast. It was my first test as the leader of the expedition. Gerald smiled faintly after noticing the realization in my eyes.
"So get some rest. Tomorrow you’ll be making far more than introductions."
"You’ll be making your first impression."
"And with the kind of people arriving..."
He chuckled.
"...it’ll be one they’ll remember for a very long time."