novelraw Chapter 239: Arrival
Chapter 239: Arrival
Thick plumes of smoke billowed from the steamship's wide funnel, dissolving into the night sky.
The steamship veered to starboard, beginning its change of course. Lu Li made his way to the stern, followed by the elderly man, with the captain a few steps behind.
Reaching the stern, Lu Li stopped at the railing, gazing at the silhouette of the Isle of Gaze as it slowly faded into the darkness.
His sea voyage and his time on the Isle of Gaze might have been over, but the experience had stripped Lu Li of his last vestiges of hope for this world.
The frequent supernatural occurrences and the sinister aura spreading across the land created an oppressive sense of an impending apocalypse.
And that day, it seemed, was not far off.
It was a shame Friday was no longer with him. If she were here, Lu Li might have been able to ask her about it—she had always seemed to know everything.
Regardless, upon his return, he needed to begin setting up his shelter immediately.
“Something seems to be troubling you,” the elderly man observed, coming to stand beside Lu Li and resting a hand on the rail. He stared thoughtfully into the dark abyss over the side.
“Can you read my troubles from my back alone?” Lu Li asked, his gaze still fixed on the darkness, as if he could still see the Isle of Gaze.“I'm fifty years old,” the man chuckled, a hint of worldly experience in his tone. “Perhaps I can help?”
Lu Li couldn't share his apocalyptic premonitions, but he did have other questions.
“I saw a wooden house on the Isle of Gaze,” Lu Li began. “It was empty.”
“A long time ago, there was a lighthouse on the Isle of Gaze, one of Belfast's distant beacons,” the man replied. “But the sea and the desolate places grew too dangerous. Ships couldn't manage the long voyages, so the isle was abandoned. Not too long ago, the Alliance stationed someone out there. I remember the fellow—he had an old monkey, about as old as he was. But he went missing a while back.”
“A rescue team went looking for him, but I don't know what came of it. I doubt they ever found him. The sea is only getting more dangerous, as you can see. I imagine you got a good sense of that on the Isle of Gaze.”
Lu Li had indeed felt it, and then some. He was beginning to think the world itself didn't have much time left.
“There was a strange shadow in the house on the Isle of Gaze,” he said. “Could it be connected to the keeper's disappearance?”
The man's expression grew serious. “Can you describe it?”
“It might affect your Mind Level.”
The man shook his head. “Normally, only forbidden knowledge, warped entities, and a few other special cases can affect one's Mind Level. If the shadow you saw doesn't fall into one of those categories, it's nothing to worry about, even if it's an Evil Spirit.”
With that, he raised a hand, revealing the Mind Level counter on his wrist.
“Besides, we have these,” he added.
Lu Li nodded and described the shadow's form and the way it had attacked.
“It could be a vengeful spirit, or maybe a spirit of defilement...” the man mused. “Thanks for the information. I'll report it to the Alliance. And don't forget to sell what you know to the Traders. They'll buy anything.”
The man's familiarity with the Alliance's inner workings prompted a question from Lu Li. “Were you an Investigator once?”
“No,” he said. “I was with the Night's Watch.”
Lu Li didn't press him further. Instead, he asked, “What happened to the ship that brought me here?”
A moment of silence passed. The man hesitated before answering quietly, “It's gone.”
“We found no trace of it in the surrounding waters. Our liaison can't make contact with the crew, either.”
After he spoke, silence settled over the stern.
It didn't last long. The gazes of both men snapped to a nearby section of the deck.
An oval black shadow materialized on the deck, rolled toward the ship's edge, and tumbled into the sea.
A flicker of understanding crossed Lu Li's mind. He calmly looked away from the spot, turning his attention to the older man, only to find the man watching him in return.
“Did you see something?” Lu Li asked, hoping to beat the man to the question.
He couldn't reveal the state of his Mind Level—not until he'd earned a few more shillings, at least.
“Just old wounds acting up, you know. I am ‘retired,’ after all,” the man replied, suspecting nothing. He tapped his temple. “Right, let's head inside. It's dangerous to linger on deck at night.”
They turned and headed for the cabins. “Inside, you can wash up, get a full meal, and have a proper night's sleep,” the man continued. “We'll arrive in Port Roadster tomorrow morning.”
“Do I need to report to the Investigators' headquarters myself?”
Lu Li hadn't forgotten his assignment—one he may or may not have actually completed.
“No, the Investigators' review board will be waiting for you at the port. They'll assess your condition and ask for the details of the incident. After that, you'll just have to wait for them to calculate your mission's completion rate and your reward.”
The man exchanged a nod with the captain, and the three of them returned to the light and warmth of the ship's interior.
The captain escorted Lu Li to a cabin door on the upper deck. The room wasn't as luxurious as the one on the sailing ship three days prior, but it was still quite respectable. Not wishing to disturb him further, the captain and the elderly man took their leave.
The firelight from the hearth warmed body and soul. Lu Li drew the curtains over the porthole and sat at the table to wait. A few minutes later, two sailors arrived with a bucket of water for washing and a set of clean clothes.
Once they had gone, Lu Li locked the door, then unstrapped his holster and placed it within easy reach. He wiped himself down with a damp towel and picked up the clothes the captain had provided: a white shirt, black trousers, and a frock coat.
Lu Li ignored the coat, but the shirt and trousers were his usual style. The sturdy seams and smooth fabric told him the clothes were expensive—far better quality than anything he bought in the shops on Sailor Street.
Unfortunately, the clothes were a bit snug, and Lu Li found it difficult to move freely.
Perhaps he could ask the Traders if they'd buy it when he got back.
A short while later, a knock came at the door, and a serving trolley was wheeled into the cabin. One by one, dishes were set upon the table.
Roast chicken, foie gras, a large bowl of caviar, and a plate of white bread that smelled warmly of wheat.
A chef even appeared with a carving knife to slice the chicken for him.
Lu Li ate at a steady, ungraceful pace. He chewed in silence for a moment before asking, “Will we have any trouble on the return journey?”
“No monster would dare trifle with the Maria, sir,” the chef replied with a proud, almost naive smile.
The last person to say something like that had been aboard the Kodasserlsen, which was still listed as missing.
Lu Li only sampled the caviar and foie gras, preferring the simple chicken and bread.
After finishing his meal and seeing the chef out with the trolley, Lu Li locked the door and climbed into the soft bed, practically sinking into it.
Hopefully, the night would pass peacefully.
With that thought, Lu Li gradually drifted off to sleep.
He was in a light doze, rocked by the waves, and it felt as if no time had passed at all when a soft knock came at his door, followed by a polite voice from the other side:
“Mr. Lu Li, we'll be arriving in Belfast shortly.”