Chapter 200 37.1 Story Hooks?

SHIZU

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Shizu pensively sighed as she found herself staring out of one of the bridge's numerous windows. Her body still tingled from the rewards her Gods had designed to give her when she offered herself up to them a few days ago, and she found herself wanting to do so again if they should give her the opportunity to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, Moriya and Lady Guidance were quick to shut her down.

"My Princess?"

Shizu let out another sigh as she heard the man calling for her attention. Turning around, Shade's ever-present smile almost made her want to slap him. He was an unrelenting flirt, even if he said he was doing otherwise.

"What is it?" she curtly asked.

"Moriya and the rest are looking for your orders," Shade relayed. "We're currently out at sea, but we don't have any solid bearing on where to go."

Shizu blinked, her mind slowly reeling as she remembered that she was still supposed to be in charge of the crew. Having relegated her duties to the Gods, she was honestly expecting that she was going to be fine with only having a say on important matters instead of having to do the boring stuff that was to lead and take charge.

Then again, wasn't their destination an important matter anyway?

With a sigh, she turned to the main console, her eyes quickly noting that her Gods were currently shoulder to shoulder with one another. They seemed to be bickering about something, but the princess knew better than to judge a book by its cover. The smiles on their faces were more than proof enough that it was more of a lighthearted argument than any serious problem.

"Oh, Shizu, you finally turned around," Moriya chuckled, his smile almost making her heart skip a beat. "Care to give us a new destination? We haven't exactly resupplied back on the Island Sanctuary, and we'll need to find the nearest port."

The princess couldn't help but smile, a blush on her cheeks forming as the weight in her chest only swelled the more she stared at her Gods... Wait... That was new...

"Is that so? Then where do you suggest we go?" she brightly asked.

"I'd say we make our way back to Kattleyna, but Moriya here seems to think otherwise," Lady Guidance huffed, her dignified pout somehow making Shizu's eyes gaze anywhere but. "He wants us to go to the nearest port, which is located in Marquee territory."

Shizu almost found herself gazing blankly before she quickly blinked away her wonder. What was getting into her? She had never looked at her Gods this way before... What changed?

"Shizu?"

"I-Yes?!" she found herself yelping out at Lady Guidance, only to bite her tongue as the mad blush on her face spread further across the awkward silence.

"Uhm... Are you sure you're okay?" Moriya worriedly asked. "You can always get some more rest if you-"

"I'm fine!" she insisted, much to her own dignity as she fought the tremors of her madly-beating heart. "And we're going to Marquee!"

"Heh, I told you so," she heard Moriya gloat at his fellow God.

Shizu couldn't help but place a hand over her chest as she took a deep breath. She was only grateful that there weren't any more people on the bridge than Shade and her Gods. Having Shen fussing over her on top of what she was already feeling would've probably been too much for her to handle at the moment.

"Fair enough," Lady Guidance rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Still, we'll be needing a lot of things. I still have Shen taking stock of our inventory, and I only wish we have enough."

Taking a deep breath, Shizu was thankful that her Gods were too busy bantering with one another. Giving Shade a nod, she then quietly slipped out of the bridge, making her way to a quiet portion of the deck as she stared out to the black Deep. Her hand was still over her chest, her soft palm thudding against the irregular rhythm of her heart.

"What's happening to me..."

She had never felt a sensation so... deep before. She had always held her devotion to her Gods, but looking at them now... It felt as if she had more than religious zeal behind her actions now...

Absently, the princess let out a deep sigh. It wouldn't do for her to be distracted, especially after she had just told them that they should go to Marquee. Based on what little she could still remember from her future vision, there was something lurking deep behind the seat of power in the City-State. Marquee and Kattleyna were technically at war, but it was more of a token gesture based on what she heard back in the Imperial court.

But then...

"A weapon..." Shizu reminded herself with a whisper.

While Marquee had proven that they were far too busy with their so-called innovations and trade to wage a proper war, they were still an enemy of the Empire. If the possibility of the City-State having a weapon of mass destruction proved to be accurate, then she couldn't just stand idly by and let it be used. She had power now, and she would do her best to wield it for the sake of her home.

Tightly, she balled her fists, her grip on the [Rig]'s railings almost making a dent in the metal. Vestyge could wait. For now, stopping a potential weapon from tipping the balance of war far out of their favor was more important than taking the fight to the one that had instigated this needless waste of life in the first place.

"I've always wanted to see Centrax..." she humorlessly chuckled.

Then again, maybe she was just using it as an excuse to have an unplanned detour. Surely her father wouldn't mind her investigating one of the potential enemies, especially if they might have something that could suddenly blindside them when they least expected it.

Surely, she wasn't just trying to satiate her burning need for adventure.

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