Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Mia nestled further into Shard’s embrace, leaving only the top half of her face exposed. As she looked around, her eyes caught sight of the burning campfire, the flames seeming to be suspended in the amber eyes of a cat, yet it did not leap out from Shard’s embrace.

Because cats dislike rain.

Of course, it was so dark all around that Shard did not notice that when Mia appeared, the deity fishing at sea seemed to turn slightly to glance over. But that didn’t matter, as he, along with Miss Teresa, had already awakened the other three ladies.

Their spirits were in very poor condition, much worse than Miss Teresa, who could still cry, blush, and be curious. Upon awakening by Shard, they couldn’t recall what they did while unconscious, and only felt somewhat invigorated when they stretched out their hands to warm themselves by the campfire.

Fortunately, their memories were still intact, remembering what happened when Shard last visited and the fishing and "investigation into the Radiant Messenger’s" sinking.

Shard only had half an hour and didn’t have time to guide each one psychologically. So, once they temporarily regained their composure, he asked his questions:

"Did you recall any new details during my absence? Before the ship sank, were there really no signs? Miss Teresa just recalled that Her Majesty Violet once mentioned that on the route of the Radiant Messenger, the presence of the Evil of the Deep Sea - Seven-Tailed Player was seen two months ago, but it wasn’t the main body."

This was actually learned last time while fishing, from the memories of the Golden-haired Girl.

Miss Maxim, Professor Ivins, and Miss Malone, with pale faces, recalled once more but didn’t yield any more specific results.

Shard then asked a question they should have answers to:

"The shipwreck happened at night, so before you went back to your rooms to sleep, what did you all do?"

Miss Teresa knew Shard was verifying these three people’s identities, so she spoke first:

"I had dinner with Vaine, and then, as usual, we took a walk on the deck. Since it was cloudy at night and we couldn’t see the stars and moon, we didn’t stay outside for long and returned to our rooms at eight. We lived together, and I read for a while. Vaine went to the kitchen to get me hot tea. Around nine-thirty, it started raining, and I fell asleep to the sound of the rain."

The maid, Miss Vaine Maxim, also nodded and said:

"Having dinner, I stayed with Miss Teresa the whole time. When I went to fetch hot tea, I heard from the kitchen servants that a storm was coming; they heard it from the ship’s sailors. After Miss Teresa fell asleep, I didn’t rest. Around nine forty, I went to the kitchen again to confirm the breakfast details for the next morning and retrieved the stored clothes from the laundry room. By ten ten, I rested too, as it had already started raining outside."

This sounded without suspicious points.

Next was Professor Ivins, whose life during her solo trip was quite simple:

"After dinner, I returned to my room to read until nine-thirty when I washed up and rested. During that time, we didn’t meet anyone nor leave the room."

First-class rooms were equipped with separate washrooms.

"Did you notice anything unusual?"

Shard asked again, and the professor thought for a while:

"Around nine, something seemed to happen outside. Though the cabins are well soundproofed, for a High Rank Witch, that makes no difference."

She pointed to her ear; she was a genuine Twelfth Rank Witch, holding a lifetime position at Zaras Literary Academy in the current Late Fifth Era. This era marks the last glorious days for witches, and being a professor at the academy in such times, she indeed had great skills.

"I didn’t go outside to check, but judging by the noise, it seemed like there was a thief on the ship, though I don’t know the specifics."

When she mentioned this matter, Miss Maxim added:

"I also heard about it when I was fetching hot tea in the kitchen; a lady living in a first-class suite had been robbed. She was traveling alone and reportedly found things in her room had been used—not just the teacup but the jewelry box, clothes, notebook, drawing board, and dressing table had all been touched. She later checked and found valuable items missing, but I don’t know more details."

She had only heard this occasionally, and if Professor Ivins hadn’t mentioned it, she might not have remembered.

"Hmm... the missing item wasn’t a flawless blue gemstone by any chance?"

Shard asked hesitantly. The question was odd, but none of the ladies present knew.

Lastly, it was Miss Magie Malone’s turn; though an ordinary person, she didn’t live in the first-class cabins, but her nightlife was much richer than those witches in the first-class:

"After dinner, I also went to the deck to relax. Around seven, I returned to the cabin and played dice with the girls next door. Then... I snuck a bottle of wine from the kitchen."

She pursed her lips:

"It seemed like rum. Afterward, I got drunk, and when I muddily woke up, the shipwreck had already happened. Debris blocked the doorway, so I had to escape through the window."

"I remember you said you went on vacation with your sister?"

Shard asked, curious as to why there seemed to be someone missing from her description.

The black-haired girl slightly lowered her head, her side profile reflected in the firelight:

"Yes... but she’s not my biological sister, we’re friends who call each other sisters. I’m worried about her, but I have to leave here first to figure out a way, maybe she has already been rescued through other means."

Shard and Miss Teresa exchanged a look, about to press further, when unexpectedly, the black-haired girl spoke again:

"I got drunk early, so I don’t know about the theft they mentioned. But when I was playing dice with the girl in the neighboring cabin, I heard them say the captain of this ship is very strange. During dinner, a girl who didn’t go to the dining room due to dieting noticed the captain and first mate carrying a crate covered with tarpaulin when watching the sunset on the deck. That’s abnormal, right? Why didn’t they get the sailors to move it?"

It was indeed suspicious, but Shard felt like these suddenly brought-up clues were attempts to divert his attention. As he stared at the black-haired girl, she shyly averted her gaze, not daring to meet Shard’s eyes:

"That’s it, I’m not lying."

Now, not only Shard and Miss Teresa, but even the lethargic Miss Maxim and Professor Ivins noticed her odd demeanor.

Under everyone’s gaze, the black-haired girl pursed her lips and looked at Shard, aware that this strange man was the leader here.

"Do you have anything else to tell us?"

Shard also looked at her, and under his gaze, the girl "retreated":

"If I tell the truth, can you guarantee my protection?"

"Did you kill someone?"

"Of course not."

"Then at least on this ocean, I can assure you that no one will harm you."

Miss Malone lightly nodded, pressing her lips:

"Actually, I don’t have any sister, nor was I going to Silver Beach Island for vacation."

Her voice was very low:

"I must have hit my head when jumping ship, and I have lost a lot of my memory before boarding. I only remember somehow getting hold of a boarding ticket, then boarding this ship, trying to get something I didn’t have... it’s true this time, I’m not deceiving you all."

Professor Ivins nodded at Shard, a Twelfth Rank Witch was enough to discern if an ordinary person was lying. Besides, professors at the Academy are used to facing students who lie due to being late or not handing in homework, detecting lies comes naturally to them.

So, it appeared that Miss Magie Malone’s former profession was a thief.

"I actually didn’t eat during the dinner before the shipwreck, instead, I wanted to take the opportunity while everyone was dining to try my luck in the first-class cabin, to see if I could find what I wanted."

"So, the thief that the professors heard about, was that you?"

Miss Teresa, nestled beside Shard, asked, and Miss Malone quickly shook her head:

"No, absolutely not. Please listen, I went to the first-class cabin because I’d heard there was a witch on board, I didn’t dare to break the lock, and it happened that a door wasn’t locked, so I went in. But there was someone in that room at the time! A beautiful girl with blue eyes sitting at the vanity."

She tried hard to describe the girl’s beauty:

"She was really beautiful, with golden hair, blue eyes, wearing a white dress. I was startled, she turned and smiled at me, and then I just dazedly walked in... I swear I didn’t steal anything."

"What did you do in the room?"

Shard asked, the black-haired girl blushing, stammered:

"She was really beautiful, I felt it from my soul. She also complimented me on my looks and invited me for a walk outside. We went to the deck to watch the sunset, she told me about her fear of death. The sunset was truly beautiful, afterward I don’t really remember how we got back to the room. Then... she said my clothes were too dull, took out clothes for me to change into, did my makeup, and then... she said she wanted to paint an oil portrait of me.

Seeing five pairs of eyes — the cat also watching — on her, she pursed her lips again:

"The kind of bare oil painting. Around seven o’clock we wandered around the ship together again, I mentioned feeling lonely, she also talked about her love for this world, then... we returned to my cabin. The lower-class cabin had four beds per room, I was lucky since the noise near the steam engine room caused the other beds not to sell, so it was the two of us in that room... after that, I fell asleep. When I woke, it was pitch black, the ship was shaking violently, and she had disappeared, then I had to jump ship, struggling to swim towards the firelight to get here."