Luckily enough, Arthur was able to get back to his quarters after witnessing the murdered guard. Some of the soldiers had already arrived to keep everyone in place, accompanied by Deff himself.Arthur avoided the old man altogether. If Deff truly possessed the strange perception Arthur suspected, he was likely to sense that the spellbook had returned to its rightful owner.It was still difficult to understand what had truly happened. Arthur had seen the murdered guard with his own eyes. It looked as though the man's eyes had been ripped straight from their sockets. The sight alone was enough to haunt anyone.Yet somehow, it remained less disturbing than the pile of slaughtered mermaids lying inside that refuse hall. That dreadful image had refused to leave Arthur's mind. More than anything else, he needed answers.Arthur was just about to devote himself to studying when the horn resounded across the vast sea once again. He groaned quietly and knelt to pull his bag from beneath the old

Seated on one of the royal chairs now, Arthur fought the urge not to look at Raka. She was staring at him, still chewing that berry with deliberate calm, as though silence itself was another language she had mastered."Good evening, Your Highness." Arthur said.But the Empress never answered. It was the third time he had tried to pay reverence to her since he'd been seated, yet she offered no reply. At one point, Arthur argued within himself that perhaps he should never have sat down, even if the maid had instructed him to. It might be that sitting before the Empress without her permission was considered rudeness.Or maybe, he had been stealing glances when he should not have. With that latter thought, Arthur kept his eyes fixed on his legs beneath the table. Silence would be an understatement, because the absolute stillness was slowly crushing every part of him."Look at me." She cooed.Arthur looked at her. Now that he finally had the grace to observe the Empress closely, he realize

It was becoming really difficult to believe either Asuka or Kara while Arthur remained where he was. Even if Asuka was still looking in his direction with that innocent gaze, it was becoming increasingly clear that she was hiding something herself."Arthur? What's wrong?" Asuka whispered from her cell.But Arthur never answered her. He remained mute and motionless beneath the Invisibility. If one had to think wisely, there should at least be a feeling that both Asuka and Kara were lying. Alongside that feeling came another dreadful realization—that trusting either of them could become the greatest mistake he would ever make."Arthur? Do you think I'm lying?" Asuka's quiet, strained voice softened."Who wouldn't?" Arthur grinned silently at her while remaining unseen."Try to trust me. That lady... I mean, woman doesn't want the best for you." Asuka said.Maybe Arthur had not been recognizing it until now, but for some strange reason, he had been gaining mysterious importance aboard th

The dramatic exit Kara had chosen didn't really come as a shock to Arthur. She was an undercover agent after all, and one of her most important traits should naturally be those well-workshopped disappearances.The rest of the carrying became a little lonely. It appeared the space Kara had left behind was more significant than Arthur wanted to admit. Still, as time slipped by, working without the entertainment of their little conversations gradually became normal again.And then the sky brightened. Surprisingly enough, the night hadn't carried any tumultuous experience with it. In fact, the tides had remained so gentle that everything looked almost ordinary, as though the sea itself had decided to rest."Hey, Arthur? Hope you enjoyed your stay. And I believe no one bothered you." Emerson, the commander, approached again when the Night Crew finally called off the shift."Yes. I enjoyed every bit of it." Arthur nodded."Good to know, good to know. Just don't hesitate. Whenever you need t

Staying for another minute would definitely have stirred attention. So Arthur forced himself to leave. Yet the thought of Asuka refused to leave him, not even for a brief second. He even wondered why these people could not be a little kinder by killing her completely. At least, she would not have to endure such a horrendous torture over and over again.Returning to his quarter, Arthur sat on the edge of his bed and pondered. With everything already brewing around him—things he could neither explain nor fully understand—fleeing this ship appeared to be the only sensible choice. There seemed to be no other path left for him.To escape the mysterious Kara, Empress Raka's sudden kindness, and the unbearable pain of watching Asuka tormented day after day, Arthur convinced himself that leaving the vessel was the wisest decision. If fortune showed him enough mercy, he should be able to manipulate a broad sheet of metal and travel across the ocean. Yet the true dread was the sea itself. It st