The ocean environment in this world was extraordinarily complex. Deep within its oceans lay mysteries humanity had yet to unravel, along with dangerous, enigmatic forbidden zones. All people knew was that they affected the shifting currents and unpredictable weather at sea.
Based on years of observations of air currents, some scholars of atmospheric phenomena had extrapolated their findings and ultimately drawn an overhead view of a vast, mysterious region deep in the ocean on their maps. It resembled an eternal, colossal swirling air mass.
Its effect on ocean currents could only be greater than its effect on air currents, and from then on, the name "Mysterious Great Vortex" became widespread.
All oceangoing vessels assessed the currents using atmospheric calculations and their own experience, and steered clear of the Great Vortex.
Driven by steam turbines, the Princess Niseriel had a displacement of nearly forty thousand tons and had been built more than twenty years earlier. Although she was no longer a top-tier luxury liner, in an ocean environment like this, the heavy, steady Princess Niseriel remained synonymous with safety and reliability at sea.
Mulan stood on deck as the sea breeze lifted his slightly long brown sideburns. As the ship sailed away, Dia Port first grew ever more delicate in his eyes, then increasingly indistinct.
"Hooooonk..."
Mulan turned and looked up toward the center of the ship. The three enormous funnels and the white clouds of mixed steam and exhaust rising from them inevitably reminded him of the Titanic. Although he did not believe merely thinking about it would bring bad luck, he hastily turned his thoughts elsewhere.
Leaving the Dia region also meant leaving the war behind, and Mulan felt a little more at ease.
The wind picked up, whipping the hair beneath the brim of Mulan's hat into disarray. After gazing into the distance a while longer, he finally picked up his suitcase and turned toward the cabins.
The Dilga Empire's territory was shaped like a slightly irregular pointed shoe. Dia lay at its southwestern corner, roughly at the toe, while Mulan's home was in Valentine, a large coastal city high in the northwest. Traveling overland was cumbersome, nowhere near as efficient or comfortable as taking a ship.
At the Princess's speed, and accounting for the choice of shipping route, reaching Valentine would take around four days.
Mulan's cabin was tiny: a bed, a fixed desk and wardrobe, and a strip of floor to walk through. There was no private bathroom.
The Princess naturally had much better rooms, but Mulan felt that, given his circumstances, there was no need for such extravagance.
By the time Mulan woke from his nap, it was already dinnertime. He got out of bed, draped his coat over his shoulders, straightened his clothes, and left his room.
Before boarding, he had learned that the ship had several dining rooms. The closest one was reasonably affordable and naturally attracted all sorts of diners. Compared with the quiet atmosphere of the upscale restaurants, it was livelier and less constrained by etiquette.
Before he even reached the dining room, Mulan could hear the growing din of shouting and laughter. It sounded exceptionally lively, and more and more people were passing through the corridor.
In one corner of the dining room, a girl was chatting and laughing with a companion who was also quite young. When she saw Mulan enter with his coat draped over his shoulders, she immediately perked up and whispered to her companion.
"See him? That one over there definitely has something valuable on him, and he looks like he has trouble moving."
"Yeah, he looks pretty sharp. Look at that curious expression. He's probably here to see what this dining room is like. Must be rich. Want to give it a try?"
"Let's go!"
The boy and girl walked toward the entrance, one behind the other, then gradually picked up speed, making it look as though they were playing around.
"Hahahaha! You can't catch me! You can't catch me!"
The girl ran and skipped ahead, while the boy followed in apparent frustration.
"Stop running!"
They chased each other through the crowd, dodging people as they went. The girl kept looking back and, seemingly not paying attention, collided sideways with Mulan just as he looked their way. She stumbled from the impact, while the boy came after her from the other side and bumped into Mulan as well.
"Ow."
"Ouch!"
Throughout it all, the girl kept her head lowered and smiled, while the boy's expression stiffened slightly before he pulled away. Mulan instinctively shielded his left arm, took a step back, and looked at them.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to, sir!"
"Me neither! Sorry, sir!"
The boy and girl kept apologizing. Mulan studied them for a moment before giving a faint smile.
"It's all right. Watch where you're going. It's crowded in here."
With that, Mulan walked toward the bar, while the boy and girl left the dining room together and quickly turned into another, nearly deserted passageway.
After looking around, the girl turned expectantly to her companion.
"Well? Get anything good?"
The boy looked a little uneasy.
"I felt a gun, and I had this feeling he'd noticed me. I really panicked back there..."
"Huh? Forget it, then. Someone who brings a gun to dinner might be dangerous. Better leave him alone."
Although the girl found the boy's reaction somewhat surprising, she also felt that she had chosen the wrong target. They took a moment to calm down, then followed the passage for a while before opening a hatch and stepping out onto a relatively narrow walkway along the ship's side. Only a thin railing separated the one-person-wide ledge from the sea.
The ship was now sailing across the sea at night, and the waves outside looked rather high. Strong winds whipped the girl's hair about as the two made their way along the side of the ship, occasionally catching glimpses into cabins through the windows on their inner side.
The two knew the Princess Niseriel inside out and thought nothing of walking along such a dangerous-looking ledge.
"Whoooosh..."
A wave struck, and both of them crouched halfway down. Sea wind laden with salty spray swept over them. The girl merely tidied her hair and was about to stand when the boy grabbed her.
"What's wrong?"
Something was off about the boy's expression. He pushed the girl a step away, then gestured for her to stay quiet and be careful before pointing toward the cabins. Following his finger, she looked at a small round window, and her pupils dilated slightly.
Inside the cabin, a girl had been tied spread-eagled to a large table, with even her head secured. She was completely naked, with only her mouth gagged, but this was no ordinary sexual assault. Five people in strange robes stood around the table, each wearing a hood and holding a pointed knife aloft.
"Mmph, mmph..."
The girl struggled violently, her eyes filled with terror, but her limbs were bound so tightly that it did her no good.
The boy and girl on the outer ledge seemed to be watching a horrifying silent play. The knives in the five figures' hands plunged down almost simultaneously, striking the captive's hands, feet, and the space between her brows.
"Rrrrumble..."
A faint peal of thunder sounded, and lightning flashed outside the cabin. Like many of the other diners, Mulan looked up toward the windows, and the noise in the dining room subsided a little.
"There might be a storm coming."
Someone nearby said this, and someone else immediately laughed.
"This ship isn't afraid of storms!"
"That's right! To Her Highness the Princess!"
"I like storms!" "Hahahaha..."
The dining room grew lively again. Smiling, Mulan speared a piece of steak from his plate and stuffed it into his mouth in one bite-a piece an ordinary gentleman would have carefully cut into three or four smaller pieces. Then he tore off some bread, scraped up the sauce on his plate, and stuffed that into his mouth as well.
Shame there's no rice. This sauce is incredible. It would be delicious mixed with rice.
But after finishing this normal-sized meal, Mulan still was not full. He ordered a serving of stewed meat and a croissant and began eating again.
The waves outside seemed to have grown much larger, and the slight rocking had become more noticeable. Weather at sea changed incredibly quickly. Before Mulan had even finished his meal, the storm had arrived, following that first flash of lightning.
Suddenly, a beautiful melody reached Mulan's ears. It sounded like a woman humming, strongly nasal at first and then rising in pitch, but it certainly was not coming from inside the dining room.
It felt like watching a video indoors in the dead of night and hearing someone humming far away outside.
"Mmm... ahhh..."
The sound came again. A sensation like an electric shock ran through Mulan's entire body, and his heart began beating a little faster.
Although the singing was exceptionally beautiful, it filled Mulan with a faint sense of dread. It was both absurd and deeply eerie.
Mulan put down his spoon and bread, gulped down the food in his mouth, and looked around. Everyone was eating, chatting, and laughing. No one else seemed to have heard the singing.
At first, the singing sounded far away, but then Mulan felt it drawing closer and closer. It unsettled him enough that he reached back to touch the Ring of Light at his lower back, his gaze repeatedly shifting between the dining room's windows and the reactions of the other diners.
At that moment, Mulan suddenly looked toward the dining room entrance. The two youngsters who had bumped into him earlier had returned. Their faces were a little pale, their expressions frightened and anxious. Although they tried hard to control themselves after entering, they could not hide it.
"Mmm... ahhh..."
Another snatch of singing rang out, as though it were right against the ship's side. Mulan felt a chill shoot straight into his head, and goosebumps instantly rose all over his body.
At the same time, the boy and girl in Mulan's line of sight looked even more terrified. The girl abruptly clapped her hands over her ears. Both of them practically shrank against the dining room doorway in fear, a stark contrast to everyone else inside.
"They heard it too?"
That sense of unease made it impossible for Mulan to stay seated. Without even settling his bill, he stood, snatched the coat draped over his chair with his right hand, flung it over his shoulder, and strode toward the boy and girl by the entrance.