Ernest begins talking to the crew.
It's slow going at first, but Mercutio soon sees that he's having difficulties and tags along behind him. Having their employer along with him adds a measure of respect and legitimacy, and the crew seems much more receptive to questioning then. Mercutio, to his part, is careful to look neutral and stay quiet. He knows that he needs to stay out of this as much as possible.

An hour or so of interviewing later, you've got a good picture of things. The crew is pretty tight knit, and spent the vast majority of the night in a tavern, raising a ruckus. Their stories all corroborate each other, and most of them acknowledge that nearly everyone was there. Two exceptions are noted, commonly mentioned by the interviewees. They're all close enough that the loss of a single one is immediately recognized and remembered through a night of inebriated revelry.
The first is Tiny Pete, a gigantic man who mumbles his words and seemed to be shy during your questioning. He was too bashful to get out a proper explanation of what he was doing away from the group, but you can piece together that it involved a woman and something about a flower.
The other is a rather average man by the name of Aaron, with small black eyes and a permanent neutral expression. He looks like he'd have to put in effort to manage a smile.
His story is he got bored of the festivities, and headed out for a walk of fresh air. That's all he has to say.

Taking Aaron to the side, he repeats his story. Pressed for details, he notes that the sky wasn't very cloudy. You get the sense that he's not lying, just a bit dull is all.

Moving back to Tiny Pete, Ernest and Mercutio take him to a private cabin, away from the other crew. There, he opens up a bit more.
Apparently, he met a very pretty woman near the bar. Long, flowing silken brown hair, a beautiful face that grabs the attention of anyone who sees it, and a laugh like tinkling crystal. Pete had stepped out for a breath of air, seen her walking outside the bar, and was immediately smitten. He then got an idea that must have seemed good at the time, making a small bouquet of wildflowers and presenting them to her. After hunting around the arid town for several minutes, he found a single flower, growing behind a barrel shop, and brought it to her.
She was touched.
The rest was apparently a blur, as they talked for a while and had a nice time, just the two of them, with the woman doing most of the talking and Pete being mostly smitten.
Pete then admits he doesn't even know her name, but would like to meet her again perhaps.


A strong shiver goes down Dov's back, making her look around confused.

"Ca-captain! CAPTAIN! W-we need you on deck! Now!"

Markus and Arthur laze about the deck, letting Dov and Ernest handle the talking. The sailors mill about the ship, anxious and excited that a rescuer has finally arrived, bringing a bit of hope back to the ship. The crew member and former captain are less excited, wondering if they'll get to actually do anything besides sit and wait for the others to finish talking.
Then, one of the sailors starts shouting in alarm. The rest of the crew looks over, and begins shouting as well. Annoyed, Markus and Arthur look as well. They then understand the reason for all the shouting. Flying towards the ship is an angel. Or, maybe a demon.
It's a human woman, wearing a set of gleaming light armor plates over her rugged looking clothes. In her hand, she carries a long, bone white spear with a very large, multi tiered triangular head. Most striking though, are the huge glowing purple batlike wings coming from her back.
She slowly drifts towards the deck, wings flapping as she descends, and as she lands her wings fold around her, then flap outwards in a grand flourish, disappearing as they fold towards her back. The woman looks around.

"Does this ship belong to Mercury Traders?"

Mercutio arrives, along with Ernest, just in time to hear the woman ask about Mercury Traders.
"Yes? Yes, this is a Mercury Traders ship. I... I am Mercutio Emporos, the owner and captain of this ship."
Though clearly nervous, he steps forward to face the strange woman boarding his ship, taking the responsibility a captain must. She, on the other hand, looks completely calm. A bit bored even.
"Then this is the ship. Alright, I'm Naomi Overlim, I'm here to make sure the missing Mercury Traders ship, or at bare minimum the package it was carrying, makes it back to port safely.
You DO have the package, yes?"
"A-ah... That is good news..."
One of the crew members suddenly speaks up, looking wide eyed and awestruck.
"Wait... Naomi Overlim... Wait a minute. Y-you're not, you're THE Naomi Overlim? The SWORD SAINT?!"
She chuckles, then hefts her spear over her shoulder and looks over at the sailor, now with a wry grin.
"Well well, about time my name got around."
The crew then proceeds to explode into chatter.

For those just joining us, everyone on the ship knows what a Sword Saint is. The readers and players however, could use a briefing.
The Sword Saints are a group of the four most powerful Willpower warriors in this area of the Sky, any one of them powerful enough to sink a battleship, take on an army, or slay a dragon single-handedly. Often thought of as the counterpart to the Wizard Council, the Sword Saints are considered the most powerful 4 people in all of the Sky, and common word is that if the four were to all team up and fight all out, they could sink islands and end nations. Though incredibly dangerous, they are commonly looked upon as heroes and celebrities, and enjoy a favorable public opinion.
The Sword Saints are more frequently known by their titles than their actual names; Five-Star, Lightning Blade, Dragon Lance, and Mirage Step.
Five-Star is a brawler who wields a self-developed style of fighting that incorporates the elements.
Lightning Blade is a swordsman who, unsurprisingly, uses extremely powerful electrical attacks.
Mirage Step is another swordsman said to be able to fight in many places at once, as though there were multiple of him.
Finally, Dragon Lance, a fierce spearwoman who can channel the raw might of a dragon.
It is not unheard of for a Sword Saint to take a regular job or commission, but either the cost will be astronomical or the danger of the job enormous. Often both!

"Wait. Wait! You're... Why would he hire a SWORD SAINT!? W- Just what is that package?!"
"Don't know, he didn't say. Though he did mention the package could be dangerous, even to me."
"Wait, cap'n, what's this about a dangerous package? I thought this was a normal cargo run!"
"Oh Sylph help me... Gather up men, emergency meeting. *sigh*
Sir Tarleton, this could take a bit. Don't feel obligated to stay any longer if you don't wish, I think our safety is assured with a Sword Saint here... Yes yes, calm down you lot!"
Mercutio addresses the group of sailors, tasked with the unenviable job of explaining why the ship was secretly carrying an extraordinarily dangerous and valuable package.

Well, that happened. What do you all wish to do? You could simply leave and head back to Madosa to collect on this job. Then again, meeting a Sword Saint is not an experience one gets to experience often, if ever.