Chapter 142: The Golden Bell Tolls
“Obei Obei! Look, it’s the Golden Bell!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Look, such thick golden pillars!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Look, there’s a Poneglyph under this base!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Look, I didn’t expect there to be such a large area of buildings under that super huge vine!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Look, I didn’t expect these Maya pyramid-like houses to be completely covered in gold on the surface!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Look, even the floor here is made of gold. It really is Golden Island!”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Will you help me eat all the vegetables that Sister La requires from now on?”
“Mm.”
……
“Obei Obei! Will you call me Sister Lord from now on?”
“Mm… Mm?”
“You this guy—”
Obei finally pulled herself out of her jumbled thoughts, but before she could say anything, she was drawn to the scene before her.
A huge bonfire was lit in the plaza before the resplendent golden pyramid temple, with flames and golden light shining together, appearing solemn and sacred.
The sun had set at some point, and through the island clouds above that had been dispersed by someone, a magnificent night sky could be seen.
Countless Shandia people gathered around the bonfire. They were not singing and dancing as they had the previous night, but instead looked solemnly at the huge Golden Bell in the center of the plaza.
At the bottom of the steps on both sides of the Golden Bell Tower, the Shandia Chieftain and the Warrior Captain stood on either side, one holding a staff and the other a spear, both with solemn expressions.
The Warrior Captain wore a gorgeous red feather cloak, the Chieftain a majestic wolf-head skin hat, and both were bare-chested at this moment.
Their chests and faces were painted with intricate ancient patterns using red pigment representing war and green pigment representing fertility.
……
“Where is this? Isn’t it daytime now? And what are they doing?”
Countless questions spilled from Obei’s mouth; she was completely baffled by this scene that seemed like a settlement CG.
“Huh? Obei, what nonsense are you saying?”
“This is the Golden City we’ve been looking for—Shandora.”
“And it got dark half an hour ago; it’s already seven at night~ Did you zone out or something?”
Aoxi, full of worry, frowned and reached out with both hands to pinch and pull at Obei’s cheeks, inspecting them closely as if to find some ailment.
Her own dazed little sister seemed to be in auto-pilot mode today, absent-minded all along, and now acting like she had amnesia… as if all the important plot had been skipped.
“Mmph~ Stop it~”
Twisting her little head to escape Aoxi’s clutches, Obei rubbed her slightly reddened cheeks.
“So what now? What are they doing?”
“Waiting for you~”
“Waiting for me?”
“That’s right. They seem to want you, the ‘hero’ who helped them reclaim their hometown, to ring that Golden Bell yourself.”
Aoxi nodded toward the bell tower, and only then did Obei notice that Warrior Captain Zannick, the Shandia Chieftain, and all the surrounding Shandia people, regardless of age or gender, were looking at her.
“Miss Obelisk, please come forward.”
“Please ring this Golden Bell that has been silent for nearly four hundred years for us and reignite the lights of Shandora!”
The Chieftain directly called out Obei’s full name; it must have been Aoxi who told her.
“Yes! Benefactor, please come forward quickly!”
“Go ring the Golden Bell! We can’t wait to hear the sound from four hundred years ago!”
“Miss Obei!”
“Benefactor!”
“Goddess Sister!”
Hundreds and thousands of voices from men, women, elderly, and children, trapped in the High Heavens, rang out around Obei.
The sense of awkwardness from being watched by the crowd magically dissipated in these words filled with gratitude and anticipation.
Thus, under the crowd’s eager gazes, step by step, the blue girl walked across the gold-paved floor to stand before the huge and sacred Golden Bell Tower.
Having hung from the vine top for so long, the entire bell tower was covered in some vines and moss, etching a bit of the passage of time onto the stable material of gold.
Passing the Poneglyph embedded in the base, ascending step by step up the golden stairs…
Obei arrived before the body of the Golden Bell, slowly stroking with her hand the miracle of ancient civilization that had crossed a thousand years.
Not daring to use force, the young god merely lightly tapped with her finger on the surface of the Golden Bell engraved with ancient patterns.
Dong~
Dong~~
Dong~~~
More melodious than any musical instrument, more solemn than any hymn, the miraculous bell sound was like the Earth singing.
Shandora, Angel Island, and even Gaya Island below…
Shandia people, Sky people, Pirates…
All living beings at this moment lifted their heads toward the direction from which the soul-cleansing bell sound rang.
……
“Chwee—! Chwee—!” The south south see bird was calling.
“Hiss hiss hiss hiss!” Giant Snake Nolan was hissing.
Beneath the Golden Bell—
The Shandia Chieftain smiled and looked up.
“Great Warrior Kargra… did you hear it? The resounding voice of ‘Shandora’s lights’.”
Warrior Captain Zannick bowed his head and covered his face.
“Wambrough Roronoa, did you hear it? If you have descendants, may this bell sound reach your progeny as well.”
Angel Island—
All Sky people put down what they were doing and looked toward Shandora.
“God, this sound… could it be Apayaado?”
Gan Foll did not answer, but closed his eyes to listen carefully to the bell sound, murmuring to himself:
“What a wonderful sound~ Such beauty should no longer become a call to war…”
Inside the tavern in Magellan Town—
“Boss, another bottle… Hm? What is this sound?”
“Customer, is this your first time on the Island?”
“This is the Song of Sky Island.”
The tavern boss, wiping a wine glass, smiled and said to the young pirate who had asked.
“Haha! Boss, you’re bragging again!”
The other elders in the tavern immediately started jeering~
Gaya Island’s west coast—
“Captain, this sound is…?”
“Mm, it’s that red-haired brat. She must have found Sky Island.”
Fulaihai’er, draped in a coat, sat in the captain’s quarters, holding a pen and calculating the expenses needed for departure.
“Really! I knew that guy could do it!”
On Shandora Plaza—
“What a beautiful timbre~ It can even rival Miss La’s voice.”
Wright emptied his mind, focusing on enjoying the wonderful bell sound.
“This bell sound seems to have the effect of pacifying the soul; it’s indeed similar to Sister La’s voice.”
Aoxi nodded; she was quite sensitive to this aspect, so she fully agreed with Wright’s statement.
Even Cinder at this moment slightly relaxed, unconsciously stretching her wings.
……
And the closest one, Obei who had personally rung the Golden Bell, had now withdrawn her finger.
She stood silently in place, saying nothing.
