Captain – Chapter 119 – “Surprise”

Old John had been feeling uneasy lately.

With his fox-like cunning mind and nearly thirty years of experience as an intelligence agent, this sailor approaching fifty was particularly sensitive to inconspicuous clues hidden within various pieces of information.

He could catch a thief who had sneaked into the captain’s cabin just by noticing the slight deviation in the direction of a quill pen in its holder and half a strand of hair left by the cabinet leg. Yet he couldn’t determine the identity of a captain who dared to challenge Captain Solomon while simultaneously receiving Cecilia’s unreserved support!

This was absolutely terrible.

These two conditions weren’t deliberately concealed or difficult-to-detect minor clues, but major events that could affect Yadris’s future direction. Either one alone would be enough to leave people astounded and incredulous.

Yet now both these major events had occurred with the same person, and he didn’t have the slightest clue. This kind of bewilderment and vague sense of panic was something he hadn’t felt for many years.

Heaving a deep sigh, Old John cast aside the names flashing through his mind and pushed open a heavy, old wooden door with effort. With a harsh creaking sound, the door swung open, revealing a dilapidated courtyard behind it.

Forget it, regardless of that person’s background, meeting the proprietress this time should provide answers. This way, he wouldn’t have to spend his days and nights in a state of unease and anxiety.

Struggling to close the wooden door, Old John caught his breath and thought to himself.

In today’s Yadris, only he and Cecilia could exchange information secretly, making plans for the future while evading the eyes of those two captains.

In fact, even his former captain, that proprietress’s man, didn’t know that secretly, this old fellow had engaged in multiple transactions with her, whether concerning his past or certain more confidential matters.

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Recalling that name buried deep in his memory, Old John’s entire body trembled. An irrepressible fear welled up from the depths of his heart. He supported himself against the doorframe and took a long time to regain his composure, breathing heavily.

Could the person who killed Bazel in the Banshee’s Eye and requested a private conversation with Cecilia be…

After a moment of unease, a terrifying conjecture emerged in his mind, but Old John dismissed this possibility almost immediately.

Impossible, absolutely impossible. Even the Empire’s First Fleet was annihilated in such a disaster. No matter how strong that man was, he had no hope of escaping alive.

Old John repeatedly reassured himself. He strode across the courtyard, entered a long-abandoned wooden cabin, moved aside the wooden table placed in the center of the narrow reception room, lifted the iron trapdoor beneath it, and quickly climbed down the rope ladder.

In the Southern Islands, Captain Roy’s death was common knowledge, but the true reason for his death remained an eternal secret in many people’s hearts.

Those unwilling to keep that secret had already had their throats cut by Captain Richi and been sent to the bottom of the sea. The others, if they wanted to survive, could only let the truth rot within them.

Thinking about the events of recent months, Old John sighed deeply.

In the end, he had stood by Captain Richi’s side, digging out the disruptive elements for that butcher, then witnessing as the other applied his butcher’s knife, watching the blood of former colleagues spill across the deck and flow into Yadris’s water channels.

Old John knew that everything Richi did was right, at least for them.

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If word spread that Roy had died because of their betrayal, no one could imagine which direction events would develop. Perhaps the wise and decisive Great Captain would still coldly observe from the sidelines, but who knew how the captains who had past dealings with Roy would react.

Well, even if the Mermaid feared none of them, they still had to be wary of that night curtain hanging over the Western Seas.

Captain Enzo.

Casually picking up a lantern and lighting it, Old John walked quickly toward the opposite end of the secret passage. During this process, he silently repeated this name, his heart growing increasingly heavy.

Yes, perhaps people might not dare to make trouble for the Mermaid for fear of the Blood-Eyed Butcher’s notorious reputation, but Night Curtain Enzo definitely would.

Could the Mermaid, having lost the Golden-Eyed Devil, plus the Constantine, which was far from its former strength, really stand against the Ghost Scythe?

Old John had no confidence. Richi might already have sufficient courage to serve as captain and control Yadris, but compared to Enzo, this kid was still too green.

After about two minutes, Old John reached the end of the secret passage. He nimbly pushed open the wooden trapdoor, similar to a skylight, moved aside the straw pressing down on it, and climbed out.

Outside was a small alley with one end sealed off. From the other end, the brilliant lights of the Banshee’s Eye could already be faintly seen.

Closing the trapdoor and restoring the straw to its original state, Old John sat on the dusty ground, wiping sweat from his face, then grinned, revealing somewhat yellowed teeth, and laughed silently.

Fortunately, Captain Enzo would never know this truth, nor would others who, like him, were extremely close to Captain Roy, just like Cecilia.

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This was good. This way, he wouldn’t have to bear any risk, and that girl would continue to help him foolishly in the shadows. Yes, this was good. Just a little more time…

Old John didn’t continue this train of thought. He stumbled to his feet and walked toward the end of the alley.

Finally, he came to a secret door that was nearly the same color as the gray-black wall, almost impossible to notice without careful examination. He knocked lightly.

After waiting for a long time, there was no movement from behind the door.

What was going on? Typically, there was always someone guarding this secret door. Why was there no one today? Had they been pulled away because of that recruitment event?

Old John was stunned, and his sensitive nerves quickly detected something unusual.

No, that’s not right. How could the Banshee’s Eye be shorthanded, especially today? Given the proprietress’s mindset, knowing his schedule, she would absolutely not make such an oversight.

Something was wrong, something was definitely wrong!

Old John’s light brown pupils contracted slightly as he slowly backed away.

His instinct told him that without knowing what was about to happen, it would be best to leave quickly, to get as far away from here as possible.

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But before Old John could turn and flee, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind the secret door: “Who’s there?”

It was Beck’s voice, the guard responsible for this door.

He must have stepped away briefly and that’s why he responded slowly. Yes, that must be it.

Old John took a deep breath, calming his rapidly beating heart, then laughed self-mockingly, feeling that he had truly grown old to harbor so many unnecessary doubts.

“Beck, it’s me, John.”

“Oh, Old John, I’m really sorry. I just dozed off, that’s why I responded slowly. I’ll open the door for you right away. Please don’t tell Miss Joyce.”

Returning to the secret door and listening to the mechanism sounds coming from behind it, Old John said with a smile: “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. It’s not your fault either, after all, this job is really…”

The words “extremely boring” never made it past his lips. Old John could speak no further, and the smile on his weathered face froze the moment the door opened. The wrinkles on his face trembled slightly, like a withered, yellowing agave.

The secret door opened, but waiting to greet him wasn’t Beck, but a burly man with a face full of thick flesh and a fork-shaped scar on the side of his face.

He was undoubtedly a pirate, with a fierce smile playing at the corners of his mouth.