The night wind was a little chilly. Shade glanced at Miss Princess beside him; that dress of hers clearly would not keep her warm. But she was a Fifth-Ring Arcanist, so she presumably would not fall ill so easily.
They found a moored boat in the northeastern part of the pier. After the two boarded, the Boatman in a straw hat rowed them away from the pier. This was merely a Small Wooden Boat, of course, not something that would carry them into the deep sea.
In Coldwater Port's harbor, a rather grand two-deck steam cruise ship was moored, its deck brightly lit. Its smokestacks rose above the deck, and a flag representing Kasonlik fluttered in the wind.
From its appearance, it was the private cruise ship of a wealthy merchant from Kasonlik, hosting a banquet tonight for guests seeking excitement. But in truth, influential local Ring Arcanists in Coldwater Port City had bribed the harbor administrators and were holding an auction for Ring Arcanist items aboard the ship tonight.
They boarded by this small boat rather than waiting for the cruise ship to dock and receive its guests because of the banquet's special nature. The invitation in Miss Princess's hand allowed no more than three people to attend together. If Shade had not appeared tonight, she had originally intended to attend the auction alone.
The small boat silently cut through the waves, carrying the three of them beneath the steam cruise ship moored in the middle of the harbor. They arrived under cover of darkness. After the Boatman gave a signal, a small Steam Engine on deck started up and lowered a cargo platform attached to cables. Once Shade and Miss Princess stepped onto it, the metal platform slowly rose amid the noise of the Steam Engine until it