Chapter 13: The prize
Vlad promised to watch over the tigers, and he always kept his promises. Reflecting on his past, he realized that protecting this big cat family wasn't just an obligation—it was something he genuinely wanted to do. As he observed them resting, he thought about the fire, their walk around the ship, and the treats they ate from May. They must be really thirsty, he thought. Suddenly, fetching water for them became his top priority.
Meanwhile, May and Cheryl remained in the command room. Cheryl was acutely aware that her earlier presence there had made her look suspicious to the captain. Similarly, Cheryl couldn't shake her own suspicions about May.
May, however, was adept at hiding her thoughts and emotions. She had her reasons for entering the competition and her own secrets to guard. Her enigmatic aura only fueled Cheryl's curiosity further. Cheryl knew she needed to tread carefully, gathering more information before making any accusations.
The fire wasn't part of the competition. Based on the crew's investigation and the captain's suspicions, it seemed unlikely to be an accident. Cheryl's mind raced; she was determined to uncover the truth."
"What if the fire wasn't an accident," Cheryl asked looking at the captain. She knew he thought about it before, and she wanted to make him share as much information as he had.
"You mean that there's someone responsible for it," he replied looking at her.
"Yes, I… I believe it's an option. Is there a way to know for sure?"
"You seem very curious about this fire. Is there any specific reason for it?" The captain seemed sincerely interested in Cheryl's response.
"I guess I just like to know the truth," she said quietly. She really did like knowing the truth about the things and people surrounding her.
The captain smiled.
"You ladies decided to participate in the competition, and you both, as well as your partners, were trying so hard: I admire that." He was looking at both May and Cheryl.
"What is especially interesting for me… None of you named the prize as your motivation for participation." He was looking at them without blinking.
Here it was again, the prize. Cheryl tried to understand why the captain said that. He seemed to be hinting at something, but she couldn't understand what.
Taking a deep breath, Cheryl mustered the courage to inquire further. "Captain, forgive me for asking, but why do you find it interesting that none of us mentioned the prize as our motivation?"
"I'm letting you two know: you are among the suspects in this incident." The captain seemed almost pleased as he spoke. "Moreover, I find both of you quite interesting."
"Curious statement to make." May looked a bit confused.
"I think you're cool," added Cheryl. She thought the captain was cool from the very beginning, especially after he said that he knew all his passengers. He was like a comic character, and she liked that.
"What I'm trying to say here," continued the captain, "I suspect that this is connected to the prizes of the contest."
"What are they, anyway?" Cheryl finally asked.
"You don't even know?" The captain seemed confused for a second and then started laughing. "Either you're lying, which is pretty bold in this situation, or you really don't care about the prize, young lady!" He continued laughing, then turned to May.
"And you?"
"I've asked an employee named Maria about the prize. Unlimited travel with you for 5 years is very exciting, the money, the glory, and the map seem nice as well. I, although, don't necessarily need any of these things," May seemed calm as usual.
Cheryl was listening very carefully. She knew, that May was hiding something, but she didn't seem to lie now.
"Your brother doesn't need any of it either? You guys must be rich," Cheryl decided to check.
"We come from a well-off family, so we can buy all we need even without the prize," May replied.
"Must be nice," Cheryl said, though she still couldn't discern May's exact involvement in the fire.
"Did someone steal the prize?" May looked back at the captain.
"It is a possibility. Some money is burned, but we don't know if the rest of it was burned or stolen," the captain replied not looking at them.
"Why would someone burn money?" Cheryl was genuinely curious.
"I assume, to make it look like an accident," May replied. The captain nodded.
"What also disappeared," the captain seemed to hesitate for a second, "was the map."
"Don't you have another one? What was special about it?" Cheryl couldn't get why it was important.
The captain smiled.
"It indeed was special," he said slowly. "It was the new map of the Three Kingdoms and all border countries with the updated transport paths. It was one of a kind and you don't want to know how much it could cost on the dark market auctions."
"And the ship is going right to the city of this year's Convention," Cheryl couldn't believe she didn't ask about the prize earlier.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone