Hearing Saul's description upon his return, Kate stuck out his tongue in surprise and licked around the corner of her mouth.

"Drowned in a basin? Really... there are all kinds of ways to die."

Saul was still leaning against the single bed, still holding the book he had been reading before leaving.

But he wasn't reading. Instead, he was looking at the empty air in front of him with a puzzled expression.

He seemed to be explaining to Kate while also organizing his own thoughts.

"I examined the white porcelain kitten. There was no magical power inside or outside. The overall construction materials were just the most ordinary clay and the most ordinary pigments—not magical materials either."

"Then it could also be murder." Kate said. "This person was swindling people everywhere—he probably made quite a few enemies."

Saul lightly tapped his chin with the book's spine. "I checked his luggage and found large-denomination notes hidden inside. But his luggage hadn't been touched by anyone, so it shouldn't be for money or revenge for being swindled."

Kate originally didn't care about some swindler's life or death at all. But he suddenly noticed that Saul was investigating very seriously.

He seemed very concerned about the swindler's cause of death.

This made Kate sit up and prick his ears to listen to Saul speak.

"I also examined his soul, wanting to understand his cause of death by exploring his consciousness." Saul stopped tapping his chin with the book spine. "But his soul was gone."

"Meow?"

"His soul disappeared very thoroughly, cleanly—like a bowl you've licked clean."

"...As long as you're happy."

Saul chuckled softly, lay down on the bed, and covered his face with the book, actually looking like he was going to sleep.

"In any case, this journey probably won't be boring."

Seeing Saul lie down, Kate also curled up on the chair again and closed his eyes.

"In any case... as long as you're happy."

A third-rank boss on an airship—even if something unexpected happened, to him it would be like watching a drama.

What did he, a cat, have to worry about?

The next morning, Kate understood why Saul said this journey wouldn't be boring.

Because their room door was violently pounded early in the morning.

"Mr. Saul! Mr. Saul! Are you in there?"

Saul slowly opened his eyes.

He had only slept for one hour last night, spending the rest of the time meditating.

The reason he hadn't gotten up yet was that a normal person should be very drowsy at this time and wouldn't immediately wake up to answer the door.

Kate had been awake for a while too. He ignored the increasingly loud knocking and stretched like a cat, then turned to look at the scenery outside the small round window.

Just when Saul thought the timing was about right and he should go over, the room door was suddenly opened silently.

At the same time, a weak magical fluctuation spread in through the keyhole.

"Hmm? Door Opening? Quite skilled."

Saul sat up, the book on his face falling to his legs. "Is there something wrong?"

He looked expressionless, appearing as if he hadn't woken up properly.

"Why did you open my door without my permission?"

His gaze swept over the three or four people outside the door, finally settling on the middle-aged man standing against the left door frame.

That man should be a wizard apprentice. Judging by his mental power fluctuations, he had reached third-level and no longer needed to worry about the thirty-year-old apprentice mutation problem.

The other party had a gloomy face and looked more like someone who had been woken up early in the morning than Saul did.

Saul looked puzzled and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The attendant who had once guided Saul spoke first.

"Mr. Saul, a guest on the airship has had an accident. We'd like to understand the situation with you."

"Hmm?" Saul showed appropriate surprise, then pointed at himself with his finger. "Me?"

Five minutes later, Saul was brought alone to an empty room on the upper floor.

The room was very clean, with only a wall full of cabinets, a long table, and two chairs.

Everyone else left, leaving only that gloomy man.

He had Saul sit down while he sat across from Saul.

"I'm Paul. I'll ask you a few questions. Don't try to lie."

The third-level wizard apprentice named Paul placed a candle on the empty table, lightly touched the candle with his fingertip, and it ignited with a "hiss."

Saul stared fixedly at the candle until Paul also pulled out a chair and sat down, then looked back at Paul.

"You're quite bold, but it doesn't matter. As long as you tell the truth, I won't make things difficult for you." Paul leaned back in his chair, looking like he wasn't too concerned about interrogating Saul.

"Are you a wizard apprentice, sir?"

"You just need to answer my questions." Paul said in a low, firm voice. "What's your relationship with the merchant Mike?"

So Mike's death had indeed been discovered by them.

Such high efficiency.

He had died in his bedroom at night, and they discovered the problem in the morning.

Did they check passengers' vital signs every day?

"I met Mike when we were waiting in line together before boarding the airship and had a few words with him." Saul said truthfully. "Did something happen to Mike?"

Paul still didn't answer Saul's question but asked again, "Someone saw you meet in his room again after dinner. If you were just people who talked while waiting in line, why meet again after dinner?"

Saul immediately shifted his body and sat up straighter.

Paul across from him saw Saul's reaction and immediately narrowed his eyes.

Saul's gaze wandered for a moment, then he suddenly took a breath. "Well, actually, thinking about it now, I find it quite incredible myself. If I tell the truth, I'm afraid you'll think I'm still lying."

Paul glanced at the candle and said in a deadpan voice, "You don't need to worry about that. As long as you don't lie, I can guarantee that innocent people won't be implicated."

Saul suddenly found it somewhat interesting that this Paul was actually making guarantees to an ordinary person.

Was this guarantee just lip service, or was it sincere?

"Alright."

Next, Saul told Paul about all his conversations with Mike in the room.

Of course, regarding the dice throwing, he only said he was quite good at it, without explaining the specific reasons for his skill.

Paul was obviously not interested in Saul's past. He seemed to rely on the candle on the table to confirm that everything Saul said was true.

But when he heard that Mike had brought out a white porcelain kitten, his body, which had been leaning against the chair, suddenly sat up straight.

"White porcelain kitten?" He stared intently at Saul. "What color were the kitten's eyes?"

"Red."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, that white porcelain kitten was entirely white with only red eyes, so I remember it very clearly."

Paul seemed somewhat restless.

This made Saul even more interested. "Sir wizard, have you also heard of 'the cat's gratitude'? Can that white porcelain kitten really bring people luck?"

But Paul still didn't answer him and instead asked Saul one final question.

"When you left the room, was Mike still alive?"

"Alive... are you saying he's dead now?"

But Paul stood up. "You can go."

Saul opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. "Alright."

He got up and walked out of the room.

Outside the door, several attendants who had followed them over were still standing there.

They looked very surprised to see Saul come out unharmed and all looked toward Paul inside the room.

Paul made a gesture, and these people finally cleared a path.

Saul glanced into the room. The only wizard apprentice inside was frowning deeply, thinking about something.

(End of Chapter)