The night wind was somewhat cold. Shade looked at Miss Princess beside him; her dress was clearly not designed for warmth. However, she was a Fifth-Circle Warlock, so he figured she wouldn't fall ill easily.
They found a small boat moored in the northeastern part of the pier. After the two boarded, the boatman, wearing a straw hat, rowed them away from the pier. This was merely a small wooden boat; naturally, it was not intended to carry them into the deep sea.
Right there in the harbor of Coldwater Port sat a rather imposing double-decker steam cruise ship, its deck brightly lit. Chimneys towered over the deck, and the flag of Carsonrick fluttered in the wind.
From its appearance, it looked like the private yacht of a wealthy merchant from Carsonrick, hosting a banquet tonight for guests seeking excitement. In reality, a powerful local Warlock of Coldwater Port had bribed the harbor administrators to hold an auction of Warlock items on the ship tonight.
Boarding via a small boat rather than waiting for guests after the cruise ship docked was due to the specialized nature of such a banquet. The invitation in Miss Princess's hand allowed a maximum of three companions; had Shade not appeared tonight, she had originally intended to attend the auction alone.
The small boat silently sliced through the waves, carrying the three of them to the base of the steam cruise ship anchored in the middle of the harbor. They arrived under the cover of darkness. After the boatman signaled, a small steam engine on the deck operated, lowering a cargo platform connected by cables. Once Shade and Miss Princess stepped onto it, the metal platform slowly rose amidst the noise of the steam engine until it was level with the deck. Shade acted gallantly, supporting the blonde girl—whose hair seemed slightly faded—as she stepped across the gap.
Behind them lay the harbor with its flickering gas lamps; before them was the calm night sea under a sky with three moons. Lights shone everywhere on the deck. Guests wearing masks, just like Shade and Miss Princess, stood in small groups admiring the night view of the sea, or crowded around tables playing cards. As for the guests who had come alone, most stood before long tables selecting food.
The sound of a violin and the deep tones of a French horn rose together. To the music of the band in a corner of the deck, masked men and women leaned into one another and began to dance.
At a rough glance, there were already nearly fifty people on the deck.
"It seems the organizer of the auction is quite impressive. Is it a high-circle Warlock from the New Continent, or a local powerhouse from Coldwater Port? Oh, Miss Princess, how many Warlocks are here?"
The masked girl straightened her dress.
"Excluding us, probably around ten. The invitations weren't handed out randomly; one must not only be wealthy but also reliable. Do you know that the Church currently likes to disguise themselves as illegal Warlocks, posting various tasks on the black market to seize the opportunity to arrest those lawbreakers?"
In the homeland of the outsider, such a thing was called "sting operation" law enforcement.
After straightening her dress, Miss Princess looked at Shade and helped him adjust his tie.
"Let's get something to eat first. The boarding time is almost over, and the cruise ship will set sail soon. Once we leave the coast, the auction will officially begin. We cannot get the catalog in advance; we will only know the auction items once the event starts."
"That's fine. The possibility of what I want being here is very small," Shade said nonchalantly. He had come here simply to try his luck and broaden his horizons; whether he bought something or not was not important to him.
Shade and Miss Princess had arrived just in time. Shortly after they boarded, the moored cruise ship officially set sail, heading toward the open ocean, expected to return to Coldwater Port at midnight in four hours.
As the ship sailed, the lights representing civilization grew dimmer, and the dark, profound ocean seemed as if it would swallow the group. The dull sound of the steam whistle echoed around them, and thick black smoke was dragged toward the stern by the night wind.
Far from the gathering points of civilization, the deep and ancient darkness made Shade feel inexplicably uncomfortable. Although this ship would not truly venture deep into the ocean—only moving slightly away from Coldwater Port—for an outsider, being far from the lights of civilization in such a world still made him very anxious.
"Miss Princess, can you swim?"
To avoid being approached by boring people, the two were currently standing by the deck railing watching the night scenery. The blonde girl in the mask swirled the stemware in her hand, while Shade held nothing.
"Of course I can. Why?"
Shade didn't mention his anxiety regarding the midnight ocean.
"Do you think... this ship will suddenly hit an iceberg?"
"An iceberg?"
Even though only the eye-holes of the mask were visible, Shade could guess the astonishment on her face.
"Do I need to remind you that we are currently in Coldwater Port on the west coast of the north-central Old Continent, not the far north of the continent? Moreover, it is currently summer... An iceberg? Why would you ask that?"
She chuckled, and Shade shook his head sheepishly.
"I was just a bit worried. But speaking of icebergs, do you want to hear a story?"
Turning to look at the deck illuminated by candles and gas lamps, it was still just an ordinary masked cruise banquet for now. Men and women with various motives were chatting, playing cards, viewing the scenery, or dancing in a corner. The melodious violin music relaxed Shade's mood considerably, and the auction was not to take place for another forty minutes.
"To pass the time, I thought of a love story about a cruise ship, the ocean, an iceberg, and jewelry."
"Sure."
Miss Princess nodded, slightly swirling the slender glass of red wine with two fingers, then lifted her mask to drink.
The young girl suddenly gave Shade a playful smile, then with a light toss, she threw the glass directly into the sea. She tossed her hair back generously.
"I love listening to stories the most, but if the story isn't interesting, you have to have a drink with me."
She looked at Shade with eyes full of mirth.
"Although you claim you can't drink, one glass should be fine."
"Of course. Then I shall begin... Is it a bit unlucky to tell a story about a shipwreck while on a ship?"
Shade asked with some concern, but Miss Princess didn't care, her voice drifting into Shade's ears with the wind.
"If you don't tell the story, I'll go grab a glass right now. What would you like? Sparkling wine? Oh, that's for children."
"I'll tell it, of course. But I need to give this story a nice name. 'Hitting an Iceberg'? No, that's not elegant at all... 'The Poor Boy and the Rich Girl'? No, no, that won't do either... 'A Shipwreck Caused by Infidelity'? No, that's no good, the two things aren't connected."
Shade muttered to himself. He certainly didn't want to speak the name of that ship while on a boat; that would be truly unlucky. Miss Princess watched him with a smile, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"Does the jewelry you mentioned have a name?" the female Warlock asked softly.
Shade nodded.
"The Heart of the Ocean."