Donna jerked backward, her pupils contracted sharply, her mouth opened halfway, and a scream was already on her lips.
If she hadn't had the experience of seeing the "messenger" before, she would definitely have lost control and stood up in a panic, regardless of whether the tables and chairs would tip over.
Fortunately, she was no longer the clueless little girl who first boarded the White Agate; her voice had only become slightly higher-pitched as she pointed out the window and stammered:
"Yes, there are Living Corpse!"
"A headless Living Corpse!"
She used the image of Living Corpse, a common creature in folklore, to describe the terrifying thing she had just seen.
Cecil jumped to his feet, took two steps to Donna's side, looked out the window where the wind was howling, and scrutinized her carefully for a few seconds.
"There's nothing there," she said truthfully.
Donna shrank back, mustered her courage, and cautiously leaned forward to get closer. She saw that the trees outside were swaying, debris was flying everywhere, and there wasn't a single pedestrian in sight.
"Just now, just now there really was him, he was wearing a black cloak, headless, and bleeding from his neck!" Donna said, gesturing as she spoke, trying to convince the adults present.
Her father, Urdi Blanche, stood up, leaned on the table, walked to the window, gazed at it for a moment, and said:
" Donna, you're not allowed to read that ' Vansi Horror Story Collection tonight!"
"But... but..." Donna tried to protest, feeling wronged.
Just then, Krivis came up to the second floor and approached, saying:
What happened?
" Donna said she saw Living Corpse outside, headless Living Corpse," another bodyguard Teague, explained with a chuckle.
Krivis paused for two seconds, then nodded to Donna:
"It's okay, it will pass."
"It's very windy outside, and it's even more dangerous. Let's wait until it calms down before we leave."
In Donna's eyes, Uncle Krivis's words showed that he believed in himself and had chosen the safest solution, while Uldi, Teague, and others saw it as a clumsy trick to comfort a child.
Seeing that Donna was still a little nervous, and the real employer was not very satisfied, Krivis pulled out a chair and sat down, saying calmly:
" In Bansy Harbor, there is a peculiar custom: on nights when the weather changes drastically, one should not leave the house or respond to any knocking."
"If Door Opening, will we be captured by that Living Corpse?" Denton, who had met the Bone Messenger with his sister, asked suddenly.
"That's one way to understand it." Krivis picked up his glass of water and took a sip.
So that's how it is... Donna calmed down, believing that as long as she didn't leave the restaurant, she wouldn't encounter that terrifying Living Corpse.
It was only then that she realized the surrounding diners had all turned their attention to her because of the commotion.
Feeling extremely uncomfortable under the gazes of everyone, Donna instinctively wanted to lower her head and hide from everything.
"I didn't do anything wrong! I really saw it!" Donna stubbornly straightened her neck and looked around.
She saw gentlemen in tailcoats and ladies in elegant dresses withdraw their gaze, and then they lowered their heads, picked up spoons, and scooped dark red blood clots containing several spices into their mouths.
Their lips were stained crimson, and their faces appeared quite pale under the light of the crystal chandelier. The stark contrast between the two inexplicably filled Donna with a sense of panic.
She quickly turned her head to the right spot, waiting for dinner, and secretly prayed to the goddess, hoping the storm would stop soon.
Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office.
Just as Elland and the first mate finished sending the intelligence report to the Navy, they noticed the wind howling outside, causing nearby doors and windows to rattle loudly.
"Honestly, the weather here is always so unpredictable," Elland sighed and chuckled as he put on his boat-shaped hat.
His first mate Harris, laughed heartily and said:
"Otherwise, how could it have the title of ' Weather Museum '?"
"You'd better not go out; legend has it you'll lose your heads," a brown-haired woman working at the telegraph office warned slowly.
"I know, but I've tried a few times and nothing has happened." Harris nonchalantly turned to leave.
Elland stopped him, and after a moment's thought, said:
"Is it alright to go to the church next door?"
"Your telegraph office is probably closing down, right?"
"No problem." The woman with brown curly hair maintained her usual leisurely demeanor.
Elland nodded, opened the telegraph office door, and struggled against the fierce winds that could whip up a child, toward the Storm Church a few dozen meters away.
First Mate Harris, adjusting his hat, stood beside the captain, seemingly suggesting they could head straight back to the White Agate.
But as soon as he opened his mouth, a gust of wind blew it in, silencing all his voice.
After stammering for a while, he wisely shut his mouth and stopped making obviously unrealistic suggestions.
It was still 15 minutes before 7 p. m., which was only evening. The doors of Storm Church were still open, facing the worshippers.
The gale subsided considerably upon reaching this point, at least Elland and Harris no longer needed to worry about their hats falling off at any moment.
Upon entering the church and walking down the dark and somber corridor, the two stepped into the main prayer hall, where they saw a man in a dark blue priest's robe sitting in the front row, quietly gazing at the enormous " Storm Emblem" on the altar, composed of symbols of gales, waves, and thunder.
Elland smiled and moved closer, patting the familiar figure on the shoulder:
" Jies, where is your bishop?"
After being patted like that, the pastor's head visibly shook.
Then, it fell forward and landed on the ground with a thud, rolling over several times.
Blood gushed from the priest's neck like a fountain, splattering all over Elland's face.
A cool, damp sensation entered his heart, and the intense, bright red color blinded Elland's eyes.
All he could see was a blood-red world and a head that had finally stopped rolling, its eyes staring blankly upwards.
At 7:15, Klein and Danitz, who had just emerged from the first-class dining room, found that the gale that had been making the ship rock so hard had subsided considerably.
After thinking for two seconds, Klein walked to the cabin entrance and asked the crew member guarding there:
Who else hasn't returned?
The crew member, who had seen the passenger and captain enjoying the delicious Merfolk flesh together, didn't hide anything and said:
"Except for the Blanche family and the Dimodo family who went to the Green Lemon Restaurant, all the other passengers returned before the wind picked up. Haha, it's quite far away, and the meal takes a long time."
"Oh right, the captain and first mate went to the telegraph office and haven't returned yet."
Klein nodded almost imperceptibly and silently returned to room 312.
He stood by the window, watching the waves whipped up by the wind. Even without consulting the mysterious space above the Gray Fog for Divination, his Spirituality intuition alone allowed him to vaguely sense that something bad was brewing and about to happen.
He waited another five minutes, but still did not see Captain Elland and Donna's family return.
Klein glanced at Danitz, causing the famous pirate, who was lounging in his armchair, to sit up abruptly.
Klein looked away, said nothing, and went into the restroom.
He skillfully closed the door, pulled out a paper figure, disguised himself, and came above the Gray Fog, preparing to perform another Divination.
Previously, he was considering the potential risks of Bansy Harbor; now, with the winds blowing, he intends to assess the current level of danger.
" Bansy Harbor is in danger."
Klein held the pendulum and began to recite a mantra.
After repeating it over and over, he opened his eyes and found that although the citrine pendant was rotating clockwise, the amplitude was small and the speed was slow.
There's danger, but it's within acceptable limits... This contradicts the previous revelation... Klein rested his elbows on the edge of the bronze table, muttering to himself in confusion.
He quickly realized a possibility: the current danger was not the same as the hidden risk. Unless something was triggered or something was discovered during a thorough investigation, the iceberg hidden beneath the sea surface would be revealed.
This latent risk may have existed for three or four hundred years, or even longer, and it didn't just appear because of my arrival... Well, the current danger may not even have anything to do with the latent risk. Unfortunately, lacking the necessary information, I can't make Divination based on this guess... After finishing the interpretation, Klein quickly returned to the real world, left the washroom, and found a chair to sit down.
He remained silent, hesitant, and made no move for a long time, which made " Blazing " Danitz feel inexplicably uneasy.
Ever since Gehrman Sparrow warned of the lurking dangers in Bansy Harbor, the notorious pirate had been somewhat worried.
The danger that could make this Monster change its mind and not go to the Green Lemon Restaurant must be terrifying... How could my vacation be so miserable? It's like I'm plagued by Misfortune! Danitz couldn't sit still any longer because of the almost frozen atmosphere, so he stood up and paced back and forth.
Just then, he saw that Monster Gehrman Sparrow, suddenly stand up, button up his double-breasted tuxedo, and walk toward the coat rack by the door.
Removing his top silk hat, Klein looked at " Blazing " and said expressionlessly:
You are free.
"Huh?" Danitz felt that this was not real at all.
He suddenly understood what the other person wanted to do, and blurted out in astonishment:
"You're going to rescue the captain, and those ordinary people?"
"You, you yourself said it's dangerous outside!"
Klein put on his top hat, picked up his black hardwood cane, and calmly replied as he turned the doorknob:
"They've worked with me before."
They kept my secret.
He treated me to Merfolk flesh.
"He helped me compensate ' White Shark ' for its losses."
... Danitz didn't react for a moment and subconsciously asked:
How much compensation was paid?
" Soli." Klein opened the door and went out.
"Lunatic! This guy is a complete Lunatic! He's Lunatic to everyone, including himself!" Danitz's mouth was half open, unable to utter a word.
Thankfully, I'm a normal person! I'll stay in a safe place! Danitz looked away, thinking with a mixture of mockery and pleasure.
The thought had barely formed in his mind when another gust of wind blew, making the glass windows creak and the candlelight inside flicker.
Looking at this dimly lit, turbulent scene, Danitz suddenly thought of a question:
This ship is docked in the port, which is part of Bansy Harbor, so it's not safe and could be at risk!
I'd rather stay here with that Monster than stay here alone. At least, at least he's powerful! Danitz's body moved faster than his brain. He dashed out of room 312 and caught up with Klein just before he left the cabin.
Klein glanced at him sideways, and although he didn't say anything, his question was very clear.
Danitz laughed heartily:
"If I choose to retreat because of such a small danger, I will be laughed at by all the pirates in the Sonia Sea!"
The excuse... Klein didn't call it out, and borrowed a lantern from the crew member at the door.
Carrying a dim lantern and holding a hardwood cane, dressed in a long black suit, he walked along the ship's side into the dimly lit harbor.
Danitz lamented as he stayed close by.
P. S.: Early update, please vote with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on Monday!