Out on the Conquest Sea, the Radiance Church's pilgrim fleet was speeding northward toward the mainland. Having just completed the rescue operation of the Shimmering Pearl, every ship in the fleet was now packed with evacuees. The passengers, visibly unsettled, were crammed into every corner—not just the decks, but the corridors and hallways of each vessel were full as well.
At this moment, aboard the flagship cruiser leading the fleet, Jord—the Church fleet commander and a high-ranking deacon—was speaking with Costa, captain of the Shimmering Pearl. Upon learning their current destination and travel time from Jord, Costa blinked in surprise.
“What? Navaha? That’s our destination? And we’ll arrive in just about a day?”
Inside the captain’s quarters, Costa responded in astonishment. As far as he knew, the Shimmering Pearl had been deliberately diverted far south under his manipulation. Reaching Navaha should’ve taken longer.
“Yes, Navaha,” Jord said as he returned to his seat and began preparing tea.
“According to the sea charts, it’s the nearest port to our current location. It’s a small city and the harbor isn’t large, but it should suffice to offload some of the passengers.”
As Costa listened, his expression darkened. A tide of emotion churned within him.
He had long wondered why they’d run into the Church fleet in such an off-course region. From what Jord just said, this area was actually quite close to Navaha. If they’d truly been following the original course toward White Tear Island, they shouldn’t be anywhere near this location. The only explanation was that the Church fleet had remained on the standard route, while his ship had unknowingly veered back toward it. And the only one who could’ve pulled that off… was Thief K.
Realizing the truth behind their “chance” encounter with the Church, Costa’s anger flared, but he was also deeply confused. How had the thief managed to alter the Shimmering Pearl’s course without him noticing? He’d personally inspected the bridge multiple times and never found anything unusual.
While Costa stood there, lost in thought, Jord finished steeping the tea and took a sip. He turned toward Costa again and asked casually, “By the way, some of my subordinates overheard passengers talking. Apparently, during the voyage, something strange happened aboard the Shimmering Pearl? A thief calling herself ‘Thief K’ publicly stole a priceless gem during the exhibition? And no one could stop her? Captain Costa, is that true?”
The question caught Costa off guard, but he quickly composed himself.
“Ah, yes… you must be referring to Thief K. She’s a very clever thief. Both I and Mr. Massimo, the gem collector, were fooled by her. She managed to steal the Deep Blue Heart. If we’d been a bit more cautious, we wouldn’t have fallen for her tricks.”
Costa replied in a neutral tone, as if it were merely an unfortunate incident. But Jord wasn’t done. His gaze sharpened slightly.
“So you were present during the theft. Did she display any abnormal abilities? Excessive strength, unnatural speed, perhaps even strange phenomena? And… do you believe the boiler room explosion might be related to her?”
“Exceptional strength or speed… hmm… She was agile, sure, and pulled off some difficult maneuvers—but nothing beyond what a circus performer could do. As for strange phenomena? Not really. The most she did was use a smokescreen, like a magician’s smoke bomb, during her escape.”
“As for the boiler room… I doubt it. We conducted a search immediately after the theft and discovered one lifeboat missing. That suggests Thief K fled the ship before the boiler issues started. Her goal was the gemstone—she had no reason to sabotage something as dangerous as the boilers.”
Costa’s explanation was smooth and convincing—portraying Thief K as nothing more than a highly skilled, ordinary thief. Jord finished his tea and nodded thoughtfully.
“I see… In that case, it seems she had nothing to do with the boiler incident. A shame—we’ve lost a potential lead that might’ve explained the cause.”
“Captain Costa, I appreciate your cooperation. You’ve given me a clear picture of what happened aboard the Shimmering Pearl. You’ve done well under pressure. You should get some rest.”
“Thank you for hearing me out, sir.”
After offering his final thanks, Costa exited the captain’s quarters. Once the door closed behind him, he let out a long breath.
Back on the cruiser’s deck, surrounded by huddled evacuees, a shadow crossed Costa’s eyes.
If it weren’t for their temporary alignment of interests, he never would’ve defended Thief K before Jord. But now that he was aboard the Church’s vessel, the priority was making sure the Church didn’t suspect any supernatural activity had occurred on the Shimmering Pearl. He had to cover up the truth—that Thief K was a Beyonder.
As much as he loathed the damn thief, Costa had no choice but to lie for her. It twisted his insides.
Right now, both he and Thief K were insects trapped on the same string. However unwilling he was, he had to cooperate with her. If Jord even suspected that mystical elements were involved, he’d initiate a full-scale investigation—and then no one would get out.
Costa now understood full well that the final reckoning between him and the thief would have to wait until they reached Navaha—and in that coming clash, he and his people held the advantage.
“Just wait, Thief K.”
With that thought in mind, Costa tightened his grip around the button in his pocket. The fleet continued forward, swiftly closing in on long-awaited land.
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Author’s Note:
Things are a bit busy these two days—today’s update is just around 2,000 characters, a half-chapter. Tomorrow might be the same depending on how things go, but regular updates will definitely resume the day after.