Much like when Angel arrived in Beckland three months ago, the busy platform was filled with a thick fog made up of steam from the locomotive's head and Beckland's own haze, but less pungent than usual.

"Due to the lack of workers, half of the factories in the eastern district have been shut down, and the docks are about the same, which is the fastest 'way' to eliminate smog compared to the environmental protection laws that have not yet passed."

Crane whispered as he leaned close to Angel as he walked towards the steam train parked on the platform. At this time, his short black hair was neatly combed to the side, and he was still wearing the gold-rimmed glasses, but he used the Faceling's abilities to adjust the details of his face, his face was thin and angular, and the beard that had grown for months was all gone, making him look like he was in his 20s and vigorous again.

"But they've increased their wages, even double the minimum pay required by the bill they just signed, and you see, a lot of workers from nearby cities have come to Beckland, and in less than a week, the factories will be open again."

Angel didn't know much about these things, but only a few days ago at the tarot meeting after the "education" of Mr. Hanged Man, and there was a companion next to him who was quite interested in current affairs, and he also knew a lot of the latest news.

The steam train they were going to take would enter Beckland from the north and continue south until it stopped at Pletzer Harbor, which was the first stop for the two of them to "escape from Beckland."

When the train came to a halt and the doors opened, a crowd of people squeezed out of the carriages, all of whom had come to try their luck in the big city after learning about Beckland's labor shortage in the newspapers.

Don't be in a hurry, go down first and then go up...... Angel thought silently in her heart, her eyes lingering for a short time on her faces full of anticipation and hope, and suddenly locked on the two passengers who were traveling with a man and a woman.

Through the black veil, she was not worried about being discovered by the other side, but she quickly looked away as if she was a thief, and then looked sideways at Klein, who also stared blankly in that direction, until the wave of passengers passed by themselves, and the flight attendant shouted loudly for the passengers who got on the bus to prepare to check their tickets, and then withdrew her gaze.

The sound of the two of them still talking to each other lingered in their ears.

“…… Let's take a look at the apartment and go back in the afternoon, it won't delay your exams, I calculated, now it's 20% cheaper to rent it in advance while the price is not high, it's 20% cheaper than coming back after the New Year......"

“…… North? Why is there a North End in every city, and wouldn't it be better to continue living in the West End? ”

"In contrast to Tingen, the western side here is the rich area, and the northern side has the cathedral of the Church of the Goddess and is closer to your new school......"

The voice of a man and a woman gradually drifted away, Angel looked at Klein with some concern, but the latter looked as usual, pressed the top hat on his head, looked back, smiled slightly, and said:

"Let's go."

"Aren't you going to see them?"

Seeing that Klein shook his head resolutely, Angel also sighed, took out his ticket, lined up for inspection, and boarded the train to Port Priety.

————

The Port of Prieze is the largest and most important port in the Kingdom of Rune, and together with the port of Emmatt to the northeast, it is responsible for more than two-thirds of the shipping tasks, making each day the busiest.

Angel and Klein arrived in the port city by the time Angel and Crane arrived on the one-hour steam train, and the two used their new identities to find a remote hotel to stay in.

Klein wanted to choose a double room, but after thinking for a moment, he thought about it for two or three days, and hesitantly changed it to two single rooms, which made Angel look sideways, not knowing what he was thinking.

Thankfully, the hostel's lunch, which wasn't a sumptuous lunch at the time, but was very local, made Angel quickly forget about it and enjoy the nostalgic taste of fish and chips.

After lunch, and taking advantage of the lack of people on the street at noon, they took a horse-drawn carriage to the Piertz Harbor Ticket Company in the White Rose District, a small three-story building that sold tickets for all passenger ships sailing from Pritz Harbor.

I thought that there would be fewer people during this time period, but as soon as they entered the hall, the two were dumbfounded, the spacious ticket hall has seven windows open for ticket sales, but there is a long queue in front of each window, and the longest one even lined up at the door.

"I'm going to check the ship information, you're lining up here." Crane whispered, nodding his head to Angel and walking to the sign beside him.

The latter found a small line at the end, looked around, and quickly stopped on a notice posted on the wall.

"You can't defecate in the open...... Would anyone really do this in public...... Canned wolffish cannot be eaten indoors...... Are you worried that the smell will be too good for hungry people to bear? ”

She guessed, but felt that she might be thinking in the wrong direction.

As the queue shortened, Crane finally returned to her, his face a little tangled.

"Selected?"

She asked.

"There are three passenger ships bound for the Rorsted Islands on the 15th, the White Onyx, the St. Theseus and the Breaking Waves, and I am hesitating which one to choose," Klein said as he looked at the notice board not far away, "The Breaking Wave is a pre-war unfinished warship refit, with large tonnage and strong guns, but the living conditions are not very good, so I think I should choose between the first two." ”

"What about the price comparison between them?" Angel is most concerned about this issue.

"The price is about the same, 35 pounds for first class, 10 pounds for second class, 4 pounds for third class, except for the first class, which is a suite, all single rooms."

"If you want two people, it will cost 20 pounds, so you might as well buy a first-class ticket directly...... And the St. Theseus sounds like it was named after a certain Sage, so it can't be a ship of the Church of the Storm, right? ”

"This lady, your vision is very accurate, the Saint Theseus is indeed as you said, from the captain to the sailor are all believers in the Lord of the Storm, of course, this is normal on the five seas, but it is also a cargo ship, if the two of you want to go far away, it will be better to choose the White Onyx."

A slightly exaggerated voice came from behind Angel, and the two looked back, a middle-aged man in a black and white plaid uniform and a black soft hat was holding a freshly printed leaflet with the words "White Onyx, Your Home at Sea" and other flowers.

Is this a salesman? His uniform looks like a guard at a ticketing company, and he seems to be working part-time to earn extra money...... Angel nodded quietly and asked rhetorically:

"What about the White Onyx? Does it have any advantages over other ships? ”

"It looks like a sailboat, but it has a steam engine, and it has a top speed of 16 knots, so many pirate ships can't catch up with it, and the captain is a boatswain of the Royal Navy, and there are many experienced sailors from the navy, and it has never been robbed by pirates!" Seeing Angel's interest, the guard began to introduce very quickly, "If you choose a first-class cabin, you can live in a suite with a servant's room, enjoy a first-class exclusive restaurant with a view of the sea, have a waiter who has received etiquette classes and a chef with excellent cooking skills, as mentioned above, the sea home ......"

As he spoke, he shook the flyer in his hand.

"Do you know the captain?"

Klein, who was carefully studying the contents of the leaflet, suddenly asked, causing the guard's face to stiffen a little, and after a moment he replied with a sneer:

"Before I retired, Captain Irlan was my boss, but don't worry, what I said is true, just now there was a passenger who returned to Byam from Beckland listened to my introduction and bought a ticket for the White Onyx."

"Thanks, we'll consider it."

Angel "dissuaded" the salesman with a polite smile, then looked at Klein, waiting for his decision.

A first-class ticket offers better environment, service and better-sounding food, but it's £15 more expensive than two second-class tickets.

However, if you book a first-class cabin, it is equivalent to living together?

The thought crossed her mind.

"Going to the Rorsted Islands to spend a week at sea, we ...... Or choose 1st class, right? ”

Crane, who had always been careful about his calculations, hesitated for a moment, and actually accepted the guard's pitch.

Glancing at him suspiciously, Angel went to the ticket window and booked a first-class suite on the White Onyx, which departed the morning after tomorrow.

"Canned wolffish? Oh, I heard the guard at the ticket hall mention it just now," Klein explained with a chuckle when he heard Angel's question on the way back, "It's a kind of Fursack's canned pickled fish, and the smell is very distinctive, and it is said that if you open a can in the ticket hall, it will be all over in ten seconds." ”

It sounds like canned herring, and I thought it was going to be a delicacy...... Angel felt a churn in his stomach, and quickly shook his head to drive this biochemical weapon out of his mind.

In the afternoon, they arrived at the shores of Plitz Harbor, where they found a lumber merchant near the dockyard and custom-made some flammable wood that had not been waterproofed, as well as a rudimentary wooden frame.

Angel deliberately set aside two days in Pritz Harbor in order to complete the promotion ceremony and take the potion to advance to Sequence 5 before boarding the ship and going to sea.

Today is a fine day, and it is a good day to be burned at the stake.

(End of chapter)