Dawn sunlight pierced the dense mist hanging over the Northern Pearl, shining upon the city that was about to awaken.
On the Terrarell River channel that ran through Tobesk, small cargo boats drifted quietly with the current from upstream to downstream. Not far away stood the cable-supported Disk Bridge, and Saint Derain Square was only a thirty-minute walk from here.
Workers preparing to begin their shifts had already appeared at the small riverside dock. On another boat in the distance, sailors who had just woken up were being urged by their captain to scrub the deck before breakfast.
No one noticed that the fog surrounding that unremarkable cargo boat was thicker than elsewhere. This was because the golden Holy Grail beside the black metal coffin on deck was continuously producing mist.
This Holy Grail, obtained by purifying the land on Green Lake Central Island, possessed the power to generate mist. The mist produced by the Holy Grail had properties extremely similar to the fog on that island.
The fog was clearly not very dense, yet one's gaze could not easily penetrate it. Furthermore, within the fog's range, most spatial powers would be interfered with.
Doctor Schneider, who had not slept all night, stood on deck watching the scenery along both banks. The vigilance on his face had not faded. Beside him, atop the coffin, the Silver Cat pushed away the orange-and-white Cat for what was probably the hundredth time. Little Mia wore a wronged expression, as though she did not understand why Shade disliked her.
"Shade, stop bullying your cat."
"First, I'm not bullying her. Second, she isn't my cat."
The Silver Cat spoke to Dorothy, and Miss Writer smiled as she continued sketching the two Cats "fighting" in her notebook with a pencil. She could have used a camera