In the rather spacious living room, Anna and Joyce, who had ended their hug, sat on different sofas, separated by the woman's parents.
Joyce sighed with a satisfied expression.
"Holy Lord of Steam, I'm so lucky to have returned alive and to see Anna again."
"My poor Joyce, what exactly happened to you?" Anna couldn't hold it in any longer as she probed with concern.
Joyce looked at his fiancée, his expression turning heavy.
"I'm still afraid to this day. I keep waking up from my dreams again and again. Five days after the Alfalfa left Caesar Harbor, we encountered pirates, terrifying pirates. The only thing to be thankful for was that their leader was named Nast. "
"The great pirate who calls himself the King of the Five Seas?" Anna's father, Mr. Wayne, asked in astonishment.
Although Joyce had come to visit half an hour ago, he didn't mention in detail what had happened to him. He appeared apprehensive, nervous, and uneasy until Anna returned and gave him a hug. Only then did he seem to have walked out of his predicament.
"Yes, the King of the Five Seas, Nast, claimed to be a descendant of the Solomon Empire. He abided by the virtue of not killing captives, and because of this, we were only robbed of our money and didn't lose our lives. His subordinates even left us enough food." Joyce recalled what had happened during this period of time.
His body gradually began to tremble, but he still persisted in describing the deepest and heaviest nightmare of his.
"I didn't lose much of my belongings. I originally thought that the misfortune was over, but in the voyage that followed, the Alfalfa's passengers and crew erupted in an intense internal strife. It went from arguments to brawls to pulling out revolvers and raising swords to kill each other … Those few days, my vision was filled with the color of blood. The people beside me fell one after another, their eyes wide open as though they would never close. Their limbs, hearts, and intestines splattered all over the ground."
"Those of us who didn't want to become beasts, the rational part of us, had nowhere to hide, and nowhere to run. We were surrounded by dark blue waves, an endless ocean … Some cried, some begged for mercy, some sold their bodies, but their heads were still hung on the mast."
"Anna, I was filled with despair at that time. I thought that I would never see you again. Fortunately, in such a nightmare, a hero still appeared. Mr. Captain led us to hide in the sturdy lower deck. With the water and food that we had prepared in advance, we managed to hold on until we reached the limit of those crazy guys. Mr. Tris encouraged us and bravely led us to attack those murderers …"
"After a bloody battle that I will never forget, we survived. However, the Alfalfa also deviated from its course, and only a third of the sailors remained."
…
When talking about the darkest and most terrifying side of the human heart, Joyce couldn't help but recall the "hero" who called himself Tris. He had a round, amiable face and was shy like a girl. He always liked to stay in a corner. Only those who knew him well would understand how talkative he was.
But it was this inconspicuous boy who stood resolutely in front of everyone during the worst and most desperate times.
"Oh, God of Steam, my pitiful Joyce, what a heart-wrenching experience you had. Thank God. Worship God. He didn't let us be separated." Tears welled up in Anna's eyes as she constantly tapped on the triangular Sacred Emblem of Steam and Machinery on her chest.
Joyce revealed a slightly pale smile.
"This is the reward for our devotion. The Alfalfa later experienced a storm, went through a loss of navigation, and passed one test after another before finally arriving at Enmat Harbor."
"Due to the serious murder that happened on the ship, we survivors were detained by the police and interrogated separately. We didn't have the chance to send a telegram home to inform our families of the situation. When everything was over, which was this morning, I immediately borrowed some money from a friend and took the steam locomotive back. Thank God for allowing me to set foot on the land of Tingen again, allowing me to see all of you again."
At this point, he looked at his fiancée with a puzzled expression.
"Anna, when you saw me, I could feel your joy and surprise. But what I couldn't understand was why you rushed to the door so excitedly after getting off the carriage. Heh, I was planning on giving you a huge surprise."
Anna recalled what had happened and still said in disbelief, "There's nothing to hide, Joyce.
"There's nothing to hide, Joyce. As I was worried about you, I went to the only Divination Club in Tingen City for a divination today. And that fortune-teller, no, the Seer told me that your fiancé has returned. He's in the house with the toy windmill."
"What?" Mr. and Mrs. Wayne and Joyce blurted out at the same time.
Anna covered her face and shook her head.
"I didn't believe what I saw today either, but it really happened. God of Steam, perhaps there really are miracles in this World."
"Joyce, that Seer asked for your name, characteristics, address, and date of birth. He said that he was doing an astrolabe divination. Then, he asked me if the house with the toy windmill was my house or yours. After I confirmed it, he said, 'Congratulations, Miss Anna, your fiancé has returned. He's at your house. Don't ask him about what happened, just give him a hug and comfort.'"
"God …" Joyce felt that this matter was simply unimaginable and incomprehensible. "Could it be that he knows me? Did someone send him a telegram? Is he familiar with the police at Enmat Harbor? No, this is still inexplicable. How did he know that I'm at your house? How could he be so sure that you're going to get a divination? Did you make an appointment in advance? "
"No, I chose it at the last minute," Anna answered blankly.
"Perhaps a good Seer needs to have a wealth of information, even if it can't be used in a short period of time. Perhaps there really is something magical about divination." Anna's father, Mr. Wayne, sighed and concluded. "In the known thousand years of history, as well as the unclear Fourth Epoch, divination has always existed. It has never disappeared. I think there must be a reason for it."
Joyce shook his head slightly and asked, "What's the matter?
"What's the name of that Seer?"
Anna thought for a moment.
"Klein Moretti."
…
In the reception hall of the Divination Club.
As Klein had controlled his volume, Angelica tactfully didn't approach. Therefore, she only saw Anna leave as though she had lost her soul. She only saw Anna's expression of shock and confusion.
Angelica walked to the sofa with small steps and asked curiously,
"A good result?"
She didn't dare to ask about the exact outcome, afraid that it would violate the unspoken rules of the fortune-tellers.
"Yes." Klein nodded and took out three copper coins from his pocket. "One-eighth of a soli is one and a half pence?"
"Yes." Angelica looked at the copper coins and saw that one was a penny and two were halfpence. She quickly returned them. "There's an extra halfpenny."
Klein smiled faintly.
"Thank you for taking care of my guest. She tipped me, so I should tip you too."
This is also my way of thanking you for your recommendation … he added silently in his heart.
"Alright then." Angelica felt an inexplicable fear of Klein. Seeing that the reason was appropriate, she didn't reject him.
Klein returned to the meeting room, thinking that there would be more people seeking divination.
However, he didn't see a second customer until forty minutes past five.
This wasn't to say that the Divination Club's business wasn't good, but that most people had a clear goal and had chosen their own fortune-teller.
They must have been recommended by someone, and they had long decided on who they would get for divination … In short, I don't have enough reputation … Klein used gaming terms to make a self-deprecating comment.
He finished his third cup of Sibe black tea, put on his half top hat, and slowly walked out of the meeting room with his silver-inlaid cane.
Angelica recalled Glacis's exhortations and hurriedly went forward.
"Mr. Moretti, when will you be coming to the club next? Mr. Glacis wishes to thank you in person. "
"I'll come whenever I'm free. If fate allows us to meet, then he will definitely meet me," Klein replied in the tone of a charlatan, as though he was in character.
Following that, he ignored Angelica's reaction and walked out of the Divination Club. He took a public carriage home.
After entering, Klein saw Baansen reading the newspaper. Melissa was using the evening sun to piece together some gears, bearings, and springs.
"Good afternoon. Did Mrs. Shaud come to visit?" Klein asked in a relaxed tone.
Baansen didn't put down the newspaper and only looked up.
"Mrs. Shaud stopped by for a quarter of an hour. She brought some gifts and was very pleased with the muffins and lemon cake we had prepared. She invited us to visit her house when we had the chance. She is a kind, polite lady who knows how to make conversation."
"The only problem is that their family believes in the Lord of Storms. They believe that girls shouldn't go to school and can only be home-schooled," Melissa mumbled softly.
It was obvious that she was rather displeased with the matter.
"Don't mind her. As long as she doesn't interfere with us, she'll still be a good neighbor," Klein consoled his sister with a smile.
The Kingdom of Rouen was a country of many religions. It wasn't like the Feysac Empire in the north, which only obeyed the God of War, nor was it like the Feynapotter Kingdom in the south, which only worshipped Mother Earth. It was inevitable that the believers of the three major Churches — the Lord of Storms, the Evernight Goddess, and the God of Steam and Machinery — would have some conflicting views and habits. However, after thousands of years, they restrained each other and didn't end up in a situation where they couldn't coexist.
"Okay." Melissa pursed her lips and cast her gaze back at the pile of components.
After dinner, Klein continued revising his history knowledge. He waited until Melissa and Baansen had showered and returned to their rooms before he cleaned himself up, entered his bedroom, and locked the door.
He wanted to sort out and summarize the problems that had arisen during this period of learning to prevent himself from forgetting or neglecting the crux of the matter. Only then could he have a clearer train of thought to deal with the subsequent developments.
Klein flipped open his notebook, picked up a fountain pen, and began writing in Mandarin, one word at a time.
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