HTWBB Chapter 31

The lid opened smoothly without the slightest resistance. Small air bubbles that had been trapped inside rushed upward toward the ceiling in a stream.

She stared at the jewelry box that finally revealed itself as the bubbles disappeared. On soft, white, gleaming fabric lay another box. It was a square container, about the size of an adult's fist, entirely jet-black.

"...This is a magical artifact I've never seen before."

Abel narrowed his eyes as he examined it. As he said, it wasn't the typical form of magical artifacts commonly made in the Empire.

The method of carving complex magic circles into each face of a tetrahedral structure to draw out maximally efficient magic was used in only one place.

"Because it's from the Eastern Continent."

"That sounds like there's another continent."

"Yes. It's not easy to travel back and forth because of the Maelstrom Sea, but it's definitely separate."

"So people who know how to use their heads live there."

"Which also means many of their items are difficult to use."

However, this time was an exception. Rietta ran her fingertips along the edges of the box. It was flawlessly smooth, but at one point there was a rough, catching section. Just as she expected.

When she pressed down lightly as if covering that spot, she felt a prick and blood that seeped out was absorbed into the box.

"What did you do? I smell blood."

"I opened it."

Abel let out a hollow laugh, immediately grasping the context of those three words.

"You're fearless. Who knows what magic might be on it."

"I've seen it used before. This is a storage magical artifact."

"Who would use such a suspicious device?"

Grace, without going far. Whenever she acquired items that weren't commission goods, or when an unintended incident prevented her from delivering items, she shoved them all into the guild warehouse.

And whenever she felt like it, she'd go in and organize them one by one, sometimes taking out useful items to try using them herself.

This Eastern Continent storage artifact was currently sitting on Grace's office desk, acquired through the same process.

"There is someone. Someone who likes this sort of thing."

"Then I can guess why you unnecessarily had to draw blood."

"To track who opened it."

Eastern Continent magical artifacts weren't classified as luxury goods for nothing. Rietta grasped the box that made a clunk sound along with a light vibration.

It wasn't the tightly sealed appearance from moments ago. When she tapped the top part, the container smoothly slid downward like a lie. It looked softer than liquid, as if it were a veil or extremely luxurious fabric.

With trembling anticipation, Rietta faced the contents that had been so preciously stored. The volume was unbelievably large for something that came from a fist-sized container.

The object, about the size of a human head, was a pure white, solid heart. Yes, it was a "heart."

"This is the mermaid's heart?"

"...No."

It would be a lie to say she hadn't hoped. That's why she couldn't hide her disappointment.

If she'd come purely for exploration or as a commission, she would have considered it unexpected good fortune. After all, wasn't it an item that somewhat matched the effects the Clémora merchants had been chattering about?

However, her mood naturally plummeted at a result completely different from her original purpose for entering. Rietta pressed her hands in front of the pearl-like, beautifully colored heart that didn't seem like an organ that ever had blood flowing through it.

The symbol of a miracle that even sailors who devoted their lives to the sea couldn't see until they drew their last breath.

"It's the heart of a rainbow whale."

A legendary panacea said to cure any illness except bringing the dead back to life.

"At least it's a 'heart.' Are you taking it?"

"Yes. It'll be useful."

Once discovered, leaving it behind wasn't an option. Grace's mouth would drop wide open if she received it, but for now, she planned not to tell her.

Rietta carefully lifted both the softened box and the rainbow whale's heart together. Once removed from where it had been placed, the box quickly returned to its original state. Whether compression magic was on it or not, the size after swallowing the heart again was as small as when she'd first seen it.

After carefully tucking the box away inside her clothes so she wouldn't lose it, she swept back the hair scattered across her forehead. Whether from disappointment or not, fatigue rushed in rapidly.

"What do you think about the upper floor?"

"As you know, it's dark. We'll have to go see for ourselves."

If something like this was hidden on the lowest floor, there was no need to examine other places. She didn't know how the ship's structure was built, but aside from the crew quarters and warehouse, the remaining places were just the kitchen and captain's quarters.

Rietta couldn't be certain whether returning to Clémora like this was the right choice. Mentally and physically, returning to Melian would be best.

However, her animal instincts were shouting to go upstairs. It was always better to follow this kind of intuition.

"Are we going?"

She firmly pressed her hand against the wounded area, then removed it. Fortunately, aside from the part already stained, no fresh blood was seeping out.

Except for the occasional pain announcing its presence, it was sufficiently bearable. Rietta nodded and put strength into her heavy body.

"Let's go. Follow me."

After deciding not to be trapped in a past she could no longer return to, Rietta tried to consciously focus only on the present. However, there were moments when fragments of those old days would suddenly surface without her realizing it.

When she had similar experiences, or on days when her heart ached for unknown reasons, or especially times like now when she'd sustained difficult injuries—it was particularly so.

'Where did you get hurt this time? I've never seen such an accident-prone child.'

'Mother said I took after El.'

'...Anyway, that Doris blames me every time she opens her mouth.'

Though grumbling sulkily, the hands that embraced her were extremely careful and affectionate. Candle-flame eyes that couldn't quite settle on how to scold the small, young Rietta. In the end, after lightly bumping foreheads as if scolding, bubbles formed all around. Then the pain that kept making her cry would disappear somewhere.

'Now. Tell me what mischief you got into, my darling.'

And then, with a playful tap on her nose, reassured Rietta would unfailingly burst into tears she'd been holding back. Until the flustered hands summoned all forms of magic.

She possessed somewhat wildly rampaging magic power but knew how to make it endlessly gentle, so the magic she felt was always warm. Even if it carried aggression, enough that she wouldn't notice...

Rietta emerged from her reverie and rubbed her gritty eyes.

The pitch-black corridor began to brighten in sequence from the stairway side, as if lights were being lit. Enlarged orbs of light hung in rows on the wooden walls like candlesticks.

Rietta stood blankly before the corridor that had become bright as day, staring inside. Abel said he still had enough strength to use this much magic and created lights along the dark path.

Thanks to that, fortunately she was spared the trouble of having to stick to him with the magic bracelet.

'It's cold.'

Leaving the landing, Rietta stroked her cheek at the distinctly different temperature from the lower floor. It wasn't ordinary coldness, but a chill similar to when Abel had frozen the surroundings.

And also a bit of magic. Who on earth had gone to such trouble on an abandoned shipwreck?

She stared at the three wide-open doors. If they'd wanted to hide the rainbow whale's heart, they would have only worked on the lower floor with the warehouse, but the magic was cast on the entire ship except the deck.

There was definitely something here too.

"This place looks less troublesome."

"Don't let your guard down."

"We just need to pay attention to that side."

Abel pointed to the end of the corridor. At the dead end of the ship hung the merchant company's emblem they'd seen on the mast. Even someone unfamiliar would recognize it as where the highest-ranking person stayed. The captain's quarters.

To finish exploring quickly, Rietta decided to check the nearby left side first. If the lower area had been personal rest spaces for crew members, the upper area seemed to be made for communal use.

Well-used dishes and cooking utensils, a large hearth, a wide dining table and dozens of chairs. Without needing to investigate further, it was the kitchen.

Though a couple chairs were pushed outward, this place too was well-organized as if it had never been disturbed.

Rietta pulled her gaze away from the cutting board with half-chopped vegetables. The ingredients were fresh as if just harvested.

"Is there reverse-time magic here too?"

"Yes."

Abel flipped over a still-life painting hanging on one wall. Something was scrawled small in the lower left like an artist's signature. It was the same magic circle that had been on the lamp bottom.

"It seems magic was cast on the entire ship. Obviously not something done by an ordinary human."

"Same thought."

"What would they do all this for?"

Abel muttered the last words like talking to himself. Rietta left the kitchen as it was. For now, the range of what she could guess was limited. The important thing was to quickly look around the remaining areas. Her stamina and mental strength were nearly exhausted.

Abel followed without complaint when she moved. The remaining two open doors were an infirmary with various medicines and medical supplies, and a large warehouse storing the merchant company's goods.

Rietta kept her gaze on the warehouse a bit longer. Some of the neatly stacked boxes looked familiar.

They were the same shape as the broken fragments she'd seen in the cave. They were undoubtedly the liquor crates Nick had taken to land.

"'Mermaid's Heart.'"

Abel, confirming the picture drawn on the bottle, picked up the liquor. The old man whose time in Clémora had stopped seemed to have copied everything from the taste to the bottle.

Below the picture on the bottle without any contamination, it was written in ancient language as 'Moon Pearl.'

"A name as poetic as the taste."

"It suits it well."

"Have you tried it?"

"The Mermaid's Heart. It wasn't bad."

"If the imitation is that good, I'm curious about the 'real thing.'"

Abel tilted his head at an angle. He seemed to be contemplating what to do. He'd said preservation magic and reverse-time magic were cast on the entire ship except the deck.

The liquor on the deck might have been flung out by chance, or the one who cast the magic might have intentionally placed it there.

In any case, the crate of 'Moon Pearl' under some enchantment left the warehouse and fell into Nick's hands. As though it were destiny.

"Have you seen anyone who's eaten food with preservation magic cast on it?"