Chapter 56: Escape from the Sea

In a rather spacious living room, Anna and Joyce were seated on different sofas.

Joyce sighed. "Exalted Steam, I am so lucky to come back alive, to be able to see Anna again."

"My poor Joyce, what happened?" Anna asked.

"I still feel terrified to this day. I keep waking up from my dreams again and again. Five days after the Alfalfa left Caesar Pier, we came across pirates. The only fortunate thing was that their leader's name was Nast."

"The pirate that calls himself the King of the Five Seas?" Anna's father, Mr. Wayne, asked in shock.

"Yes, due to his declaration of being a descendant of the Solomon Empire, the King of the Five Seas, Nast didn't believe in killing captives. Hence, we were only robbed and didn't lose our lives. His subordinates even left us sufficient food," Joyce said as he recalled the ordeal and then continued.

"I didn't lose much of my wealth. I believed that my misfortune was over, but as we continued towards our destination, a heated conflict erupted among the Alfalfa's passengers and crew. From disagreement to fighting to drawing revolvers and raising swords to kill each other... I saw nothing but blood during that period.

Those of us who were unwilling to turn into savage beasts, the rational group, had nowhere to hide and nowhere to escape. We were surrounded by deep blue waves and the vast ocean... Fortunately, in such a nightmare, there was still a hero. The captain took us to hide in the sturdy keel of the ship, and we relied on the stored water and food there until the maniacs reached their limits. Mr. Tris encouraged us, courageously leading us in an assault against those murderers…"

"After an unforgettable bloody battle, we survived. But the Alfalfa strayed off course, and only a third of the original sailors remained."

"Oh, Exalted Steam, my poor Joyce, you went through such a heartbreaking ordeal. Thank God, praise be to God; He prevented us from eternal separation." Tears welled up in Anna's eyes as she constantly dotted three points to form a triangle, the Sacred Emblem for Steam and Machinery.

Joyce revealed a faint pale smile, "This is the reward for our faith. The Alfalfa went through storms, lost its course, and, after surmounting one challenge after another, arrived at Enmat Harbor. When they released us this morning after questioning, I immediately borrowed some money from my friend and took the steam locomotive back."

...

After the divination, Klein took the public carriage home. When he stepped through the door, he found Benson reading the newspaper and Melissa putting together bits and pieces of gears, bearings, and springs in the evening sunlight.

"Good afternoon. Did Mrs. Shaud visit?" Klein asked casually.

Benson lifted his head. "Mrs. Shaud's visit lasted fifteen minutes. She brought some gifts, and she was very happy with the muffins and lemon cake that we prepared. She also invited us over whenever we had the chance to. She is a friendly, well-mannered lady."

"The only problem is their belief in the Lord of Storms. They believe that girls shouldn't go to school but should be homeschooled instead," Melissa complained.

"Don't mind that. As long as she doesn't disturb us, she will still be a good neighbor," Klein said.

The Loen Kingdom was a multi-religious nation, unlike the Frosac Empire in the north, which only believed in the God of Combat, or the Feynapotter Kingdom in the south, which only worshiped Mother Earth. It was inevitable that the congregations from the three major churches of the Lord of Storms, the Evernight Goddess, and the God of Steam and Machinery had conflicts in beliefs and customs. After a thousand years of this, they restrained each other, making coexistence possible.

After dinner, Klein continued revising history. He washed up, entered his bedroom, and locked his door.

He needed to organize what he had learned and the problems that he encountered to prevent himself from forgetting or missing out on any critical points.