They descended deck after deck, and Holly, who led the way, never stopped.
Unlike the spacious upper decks, the lower decks grew not only narrower but progressively lower.
Above lay the warship's command decks, with some of the grandeur befitting a flagship, while the lower decks showed what the warship was truly like. Most of the fleet's sailors worked in these low-ceilinged compartments, never seeing daylight all year round.
As they continued downward, even the gas lamps gradually dimmed, until there was no light at all. Only their supernatural physical abilities allowed them to barely make out their surroundings.
There, in the darkness, Holly stopped.
"Right here, Duke. Shall I open it?"
"Go ahead."
Holly nodded. The first thing she drew from her waist was not a key, but a longsword.
As spirituality surged, the blade seemed to burn slowly.
"Who taught you this? You're a supernatural person, and your enhancements focus on the mind and control, yet you use a sword."
"His Highness Sidney taught me personally. He said that learning the Radiance technique was all I needed as far as supernatural powers went, and that I should just hack people with a sword in combat."
Elliot's face twitched.
Holly's expression turned solemn as she activated Rationality Mode, and a faint white light rose from her hand.
She pressed her palm, gathering spirituality, against the door. Mechanical clicks sounded within as gears engaged, and a moment later, it popped open.
The door was so thick and heavy that it was practically a solid lump of iron. Elliot craned his head curiously to look inside.
The room was empty.
No, to be precise, there was nothing except a mirror in the center of the room.
Elliot looked at the mirror and raised an eyebrow.
It did not reflect his appearance,