Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

Chapter 335 Wishes, Jumping into the Sea, and Wooden Planks

"What else do you want?"

The Maze Lock had already been deployed, and although its power couldn't be maintained for too long, it was enough for Shard to gain the upper hand.

He looked past the delicacies on the table and the snowflakes drifting in the air, at the merman captain sitting opposite to him, wanting more:

"I want to gamble with you fairly, a wager for each round, playing cards to compare sizes. For the first round, I'll bet on the method to lift the 'Song of the Mermaid' curse from this lady by my side."

The cards on the table were straightened by him, with the falling snowflakes landing on them but leaving no trace. The curse on Miss Princess and the power of the pirate ship had the same origin, and the other party must know something.

"Fine! I bet on your departure!"

On this long table set up in the Snowfall street, the situation was completely different from before. The captain reached out to draw a card from the pile in front of him, this time relying purely on luck:

"I am the Sun 10."

Shard didn't move, but instead, a little girl appeared on his left, carrying a basket and barefooted. She wanted to draw a card but couldn't reach the cards even when standing on tiptoe because of her height.

With a look of grievance on her face, she then walked to the right side of Shard and tapped Miss Princess. The latter's eyes widened, and then she appeared somewhat dazed as she picked up the girl.

Her Highness the Princess couldn't make heads or tails of the situation at all.

"The first wish, Flower 13."

Shard said, and the girl he was holding drew the first card, which indeed was Flower 13.

"The answer is the Sea Return ritual. As the crimson waves crash, prevent her from entering the sea. Once the sea returns to normal, whether the ritual has proceeded successfully or not, the marked curse will be lifted!"

"For the second round, I bet on ten of your powerful coins."

Shard's behavior was, in essence, extortion, so he needed to gauge the extent the other party would tolerate.

The captain breathed heavily, anger nearly visible on his swollen face, his voice deep and hoarse. But now, it wasn't him who had the advantage:

"I bet on your departure."

The captain's large fingers pressed down on the cards in front of him:

"Flower 13."

The girl held by Miss Princess reached for the cards again, and Shard softly said from his golden seat:

"The second wish, Queen."

The girl turned over the card, and it was indeed the Queen.

Almost without thinking, an old drawstring pouch was flung high by the captain, falling next to Shard's hand and emitting a dull thud upon the white tablecloth.

"For the third wish, I want to know why you chose the cruise liner I was on for your raid!"

This question had been plaguing Shard; he didn't believe his luck to be that bad, and he certainly wasn't The Chosen One.

"The third round's wager, you must leave!"

Both parties drew their cards at the same time.

"Quick, go!"

When the hunger-tortured Shard opened his eyes, above was the deepest and most enchanting night sky, and the last few snowflakes fell from the air, alerting Shard with their icy touch.

He was lying on the deck, and someone was tugging at him.

Struggling to his feet, he saw it was Miss Princess. They were now on the edge of the deck of the banquet cruise ship, and everything around them had returned to normal. The night sea breeze blew from a distance, warm and moist.

The pirate ship was nowhere to be seen, but under the profound night sky, wisps of black air penetrated every awakening person's body. Even Shard and Miss Princess were no exceptions, and a voice near their ears immediately warned:

[Even if you leave that ship alive, you will be cursed. The power of the curse is very similar to the curse your companions were originally exposed to.]

"So now, everyone here is afflicted with the Curse of the Song of the Mermaid?"

[You are not, such curses entangled with the soul are ineffective against you. You should be worried if it was a curse against the body.]

The guests on the deck were awakening, and the Circle Sorcerers among them, sensing the curse, were the first to leap off the ship. Because in the distance, several warships bearing the flag of the Draleon Kingdom were approaching, with the golden Spiritual Light characteristic to the Divine Arts twinkling aboard. The True God Church from the Coldwater Port Parish was coming.

Considering the incident occurred outside the harbor, their speed was indeed very fast.

"Quick, go!"

Miss Princess said briskly, stomping on the deck, forcefully tearing off a plank before pulling Shard and jumping into the sea. In the last moment before leaving the deck, Shard saw the regular people on the deck screaming and laughing madly. Most of them had died on that eerie ship, and those who were rescued were mostly driven insane.

As the two fell into the water, Shard's Sorcery "Underwater Breathing" activated instantly. Though Miss Princess seemed capable of swimming, she clung to Shard nervously upon hitting the water. Once they came up to the surface, the princess's red hair clung to her face as she awkwardly held onto the plank:

"Swim to the east, someone will meet us there. I had people follow the cruise ship precisely to anticipate this situation."

Although Her Highness was keen on adventure that day, it was unthinkable not to care about her own safety.

Their current location was very far from the port of Coldwater Port; if Shard had to swim back with Miss Princess, by the time they returned it would be a matter of days. Hearing that she had preparations, Shard also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shard, never tell stories on a ship again!"

She shouted out Shard's real name without a care, acknowledging her identity. Her wet red hair stuck to her face, her green eyes gazing at Shard:

"See, just like the ending of your story, sure enough, after we fell into the sea, we're clinging to a plank and fighting for survival."

Just as the Little Match Girl's story corresponded to four wishes, Shard, within the Maze Lock, apart from having the Maze Lock master's advantage, also had the power of four wishes—it was the Trait of his Maze Lock. Miss Princess seemed to be recovering well from the last wish; right now, she could even joke about it.

"Oh, Miss Princess, please hold this in your mouth and close it. We need to leave now."

Shard took a leaf from the waterlogged pocket watch and had the red-haired girl hold it in her mouth. Long periods of swimming in the sea can bring on terrible hypothermia. Due to "Underwater Breathing," Shard was very comfortable moving in the water, but Miss Princess was not.

"You still call me Miss Princess?"

The red-haired girl let Shard pull her through the water, her speech muffled by the leaf in her mouth. In the dark sea, they were as inconspicuous as the other Circle Sorcerers who had abandoned ship.

"I'd like to hear you declare your identity in person once today's journey has concluded."

The Outlander whispered, and then dived into the sea. Thanks to his Sorcery, his swimming ability was greatly enhanced once fully submerged.

And so, Miss Princess clung to the plank while Shard attended to her at her side, quickly moving away from the direction of the cruise ship. With the departure of the pirate ship, the water had calmed considerably. They did not dare to stop, moving swiftly eastward.

It took a full twenty minutes before they saw a small boat stationed in the distant waters. Miss Princess, still not completely restored, signaled subtly; Shard knew they were friendly and pulled her towards the small boat.