Chapter 2374: "Test Subject

Chapter 2374: Chapter 2374: "Test Subject

After breakfast, Shard bid farewell to the ladies at home and went to Moon Bay. As usual, he took coins from the Dragon Altar. Just as he stepped out of the cave at the Dragon Nest, he was choked by the thick fog outside:

"Cough cough, what is this?"

This fog didn’t just appear in the northeastern part of the city; in fact, the entire Moon Bay area was shrouded in fog this morning, including the near-dock waters of Moon Bay Harbor.

After entering the city, ordinary people could barely see ten meters ahead, with only the dazzling lights visible in the fog in every direction.

Because of this, even carriages dared not proceed quickly. The carriage lamps swayed as the driver cautiously guided the horses forward, moving slower than Shard walking on foot.

The fog itself lacked any elements, carrying a pungent smell of burning and industrial waste gases. Since arriving in Moon Bay, Shard had never seen such a thick fog.

The local carriage driver explained:

"Sir, autumn is the season of fogs in Moon Bay. Although this city isn’t known for its Steam Industry, it is actually more developed than most cities domestically. It’s my first time seeing such heavy fog in summer... Take it slow, please don’t rush, safety first."

Today, the Belindel Estate was receiving guests from the Church, so Shard’s destination was Moon Bay Dock. Because the carriage was too slow, Shard disembarked midway and transformed into a nimble cat, swiftly traversing the rooftops.

On this foggy Sunday, there was no worry about being seen this way. Even if spotted, there was nothing strange about a cat scurrying across rooftops.

At the Moon Bay Dock, sailors and workers were diligently working through the fog. The reduced visibility made the once vast sea appear as if it were shrouded by a translucent gray curtain, yet finding the "Radiant Messenger" from the dock was still easy.

The time was already nine in the morning, and the girls on the ship had woken up. Though the cruise ship wasn’t particularly large from the outside, entering it revealed the unchanged original interior of the "Radiant Messenger."

This was reportedly the largest vessel ever built by mortals in that era.

"Good morning, Shard."

The captain’s room was extremely spacious, divided into three levels by two sets of low steps. When Shard arrived, Megan and Luviya were standing at the helm on the highest level. He then heard that Miss Aphrola and Miss Eles were in the power room at the bottom of the ship, intrigued by its structure.

"Wait, isn’t this ship powered by Miss Eles’ spirit? Power room?"

Shard queried suspiciously, and Megan responded with a smile:

"Yes, it’s true the power room is redundant, but that is the ship’s original structure. Although unnecessary, it can still function if fueled, and Miss Eles has prepared fuel on board just in case. Hevy was curious about the steam power system from that time, and naturally, I’m also curious about this ship built in the Fifth Era."

"This ship is truly vast. Even with dozens of us aboard, it still feels empty. Last night I wandered around the ship and nearly got lost,"

Luviya said with a laugh.

"During our time in the Sea of Darkness, Miss Teresa said this ship carries 2,224 passengers and 892 crew comfortably, but it can actually accommodate more."

Curious, Shard touched the wheel in the captain’s room; Mia slid down his hand with perfect balance, perching on the wheel.

"This could completely serve as a maritime base."

Megan continued:

"Before sleep last night, we chatted in the dining room about this. Even if all thirteen Grand Witches of the Witch Council gathered, along with all key followers, this ship could house them all. However..."

Her voice lowered slightly:

"Before you came, Luviya and I discussed something else. Interestingly, this ship is still a complete cruise ship, aside from being armed with dozens of cannons against pirates, its structure and other parts are unmodified by Witch Power or Fifth Era Power."

Luviya continued:

"Miss Eles herself said that after leaving the Sea of Darkness with you, she lived with the Witch Empress for many years before falling into a long sleep. During her active years, logically, she would have modified the ship. She mentioned to us she could modify it without affecting her."

Shard pondered for a moment:

"That is indeed strange... Couldn’t you just ask her directly for the reason?"

"No."

Megan immediately shook her head:

"Luviya and I have already speculated, perhaps if this ship was stained with too much power from the Fifth Era, Miss Eles and it would simply be unable to reach the present Sixth Era.

What exactly happened at the end of the Fifth Era is still a mystery to this day. Too much information and records were lost at that time, as if civilization was suddenly severed, leaving only fragments that formed the Sixth Era."

"Many things that should have continued to appear in the Sixth Era never appeared again after the last era ended. Those Witch Empresses seemed to perish together at the same moment, without any powerful witches appearing at the beginning of the Sixth Era. And for Miss Eles to successfully open her eyes in the Sixth Era, I think there must be a reason, it can’t merely be due to good luck."

Luviya looked at Shard, her expression very serious;

"If Megan and I are correct, she is an ’experiment.’"

"Sorry, what?"

"Miss Violet and Miss Teresa used her as an experiment to find out how to enter the Sixth Era and meet you. Miss Eles surely knows this, and the most important part of the experiment is her cooperation. Since she hasn’t mentioned it to us, we can’t ask, because there are too many unknowns and we must be cautious."

Megan looked up at the spacious captain’s quarters and the Fifth Era styled decorations inside:

"She can’t be the only girl who successfully came to the Sixth Era. Shard, after Luviya and I considered this possibility, we even suspect that those ancient witches who once encountered you might be lying somewhere quietly sleeping, waiting for the time that fate allows them to awaken and appear by your side again."

"I look forward to that day too."

Shard nodded, not feeling surprised:

"We will meet again, I knew that from the very beginning. If Miss Violet and the others can exist in the Sixth Era, then when we face the ultimate final, our strength will be greater."

"Shard, do you hope for their appearance simply because you need help? Alright, no teasing you, it’s still too early to think about this, but if Thirteenth Rank Witches or even Demigod Witches can appear, it will ultimately be good for us."

Luviya patted Shard on the shoulder, her purple eyes smiling at him:

"So, do you have any plans today? This kind of foggy weather is prone to accidents. Are you staying on the ship or planning to go into town to do something else?"

Shard had planned long ago:

"I will go to Margaret’s Manor later to see how Emilia and Angelina are doing. Of course, I’ll also visit Margaret. Since she came here, I haven’t had the time to chat or take a walk with her. Oh, by the way, Megan, can you prepare some Age Enhancer for me? But there’s no rush, whenever you have time."

After all, Miss Gawder is coming at the end of this month or the beginning of next, and even if Shard doesn’t send a photo, the lady will see that cat when she arrives herself.

Megan nodded in agreement, while Luviya said:

"Then go quickly, you can stay for lunch at Margaret’s Manor. We have things to do on the ship too, so take more time to be with everyone you care about before the eventual final battle comes."

Margaret’s original purpose for visiting Moon Bay was to show the Carolind’s Royal Family’s conciliatory attitude to the people of Moon Bay City and to help the Royal Family gauge the attitudes of the Seven Great Families and liaise with other local nobles.

But due to last Sunday’s unrest, all the original purposes turned into "representing the Royal Family for post-disaster comfort." Because as long as this one thing is accomplished, all of the above goals can be achieved.

The transformation of three tasks into one made Margaret even busier. The unexpected accident caught everyone off guard, rendering much of the preparatory work prior to visiting Moon Bay void, and many things had to be reconsidered from scratch.

Due to these reasons, that morning when Shard met the Blonde Princess at Margaret’s Manor, she appeared somewhat haggard. It was only when she greeted Shard in the library of the estate that she managed to perk up a bit:

"Now I truly admire my father, handling various tasks with such high intensity for years on end. Even with more people around to assist him than I have, I can’t imagine how tired he must be. Luckily, Teacher Sylvia and Miss Lathis can occasionally come to help me, otherwise, this time, I would really be exhausted."

Besides Margaret, Emilia and Angelina were also there. The Elf Girl was tending to a decorative potted tree by the window, with the "Time Flute" inserted into the tree, as the Little Unicorn lay on the coffee table eating an apple. Angelina was frowning as she worked on writing a speech draft beside the desk, a serious expression on the Little Princess rarely seen by Shard in such situations.

"Angelina really is remarkable."

Margaret, sitting on the sofa, praised the Little Princess when she noticed Shard looking at her:

"Her command of the Casenric Language and grammar is at the level of professional writers I’ve seen, and she is very skilled and methodical in handling matters. Speaking of, the current generation of Princesses from the Cavendish Family are quite outstanding, and I’m aware of Lecia’s abilities too. Could it be that having many offspring really fosters more excellent descendants?"