"Donna, remember our agreement. Just say you returned to the ship with Uncle Sparrow and didn't run into me, okay?"
By the gangway, Angelica crouched down and quietly instructed the girl.
"Don't worry, I'll keep the secret, Miss Siren."
Now that she saw Angelica safe and sound, the girl, who had looked dejected earlier, broke into a happy smile.
"You should call me Sister Angelica."
After patting her on the head, Angelica stood up and vanished right before her eyes.
After everything that had happened tonight, Donna was practically immune to such "little tricks." She gave Klein a puzzled look, then headed for the gangway first.
Klein first escorted her back to Blanche's family's room. After declining their thanks, he returned to the deck and found Captain Erlan still holding that enormous blunderbuss as he directed the sailors in defending the ship.
"Donna has been returned to her parents. Cecil was injured and is receiving treatment at the church. They said she can return tomorrow morning."
He briefly reported what had happened in the Mountain Top Cave to Aierlan.
"That's the best news I've heard tonight." The captain smiled in relief, but then changed the subject. "But what about that female friend of yours? The one who went to the mountaintop ahead of you?"
"She disappeared. The Mandated Punishers refused to reveal anything else. They only said it was related to the Heretical Ritual."
"Disappeared?"
Aierlan repeated the word doubtfully, trying to spot some unusual expression on Klein's face after losing a companion. But Klein remained cold-faced and silent, making it impossible to tell whether he was angry or simply always like this.
"Fine, let's call it a disappearance." He nodded and stopped pressing the matter. "Those Mandated Punishers will definitely come here later to question me about everything that