Captain – Chapter 122 – Playacting

“Well, considering you’ve been helpful to little Ceci, I’ll put aside old grudges for now.”

Roy lightly tapped the table with her finger. At a glance from the proprietress, Beck, who had been standing straight to the side, quickly left the secret room.

Shortly after, Beck reappeared before everyone, now holding two bottles of dark brown liquor. He placed the bottles in front of the two, then deftly removed the caps.

This wasn’t fine liquor—it was Black Rum, which Roy had selected beforehand.

Even among all types of rum, this was the lowest grade, almost like sugar water mixed with alcohol. Nevertheless, it remained pirates’ most treasured beverage.

How could one entertain a former bosun who had followed her for many years without this strong spirit etched in every pirate’s memory?

Clinking their bottles lightly, Roy and Old John emptied the Black Rum entirely into their stomachs in front of everyone.

Despite consuming an entire bottle of Black Rum in one go, both the captain and the old sailor only showed a slight flush on their faces.

Breathing out with satisfaction, Roy slammed the empty bottle heavily on the table and looked at Old John with narrowed eyes: “Since I’ve returned, what belongs to me, I’ll take back. You’ll help me, won’t you?”

“Of course, of course.” Old John rubbed the raised letters on the bottle, nodding eagerly.

“Good. Three days—I’m giving you three days. Whether it’s about that little bastard or intelligence on the Mermaid, I want everything down to the last detail.”

The captain raised her hand to stop Old John from speaking: “Don’t haggle with me. I know you have this capability.”

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Hearing this, Old John had no choice but to accept with a bitter face, though inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief. Since Captain Roy had given him this task, it meant he didn’t have to worry about his safety for now.

As for gathering intelligence within three days—well, the secrets about Richi and the Mermaid’s voyage plans were already hidden somewhere in his office.

Those were bargaining chips he had originally intended to trade with Cecilia, but now it seemed they would have to serve as a stepping stone to prove his renewed loyalty to Captain Roy.

“Oh, and I also want information about Solomon and the Constantine,” Roy added with a smile just as Old John was beginning to feel relieved.

“Captain, this…”

The old sailor choked in surprise. While the Mermaid’s every move was basically within his purview, but Captain Solomon’s Constantine? Thoroughly digging out intelligence on this old adversary couldn’t be accomplished in just three days.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me that after half a year, you can’t even handle such a small matter?”

Roy watched her rhythmically moving fingers, still wearing a faint smile, but hearing her seemingly nonchalant words, Old John was suddenly startled.

“No, no, of course not. I’ll strip that bastard Solomon down to his underwear for you.”

Old John kept sweating coldly. Though inwardly he was lamenting his situation, his weathered face displayed a malicious grin.

He knew the captain was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he couldn’t refuse, couldn’t even show the slightest unwillingness. He had already betrayed her once—if he showed even the tiniest bit of disloyalty again, the devil before him would have no qualms about grinding his bones to dust.

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“Thank you for your trouble then. But this time, don’t get the target wrong and start investigating the color of my underwear again, or I’ll twist your head around three times.”

Roy nodded with satisfaction, saying shamelessly under everyone’s strange gazes.

“Now that official business is done, let’s talk about personal matters.”

Seeing the forced smile on the old sailor’s face, Roy waved to the people behind her, indicating they should all leave.

Seeing this, the First Mate frowned imperceptibly, feeling something indescribably odd about the situation.

But under the proprietress’s urging gaze and Anderson’s impatient pushing and whispered “Don’t block the way,” he still left the secret room with the others.

With the dull sound of the iron door closing, the secret room fell into silence, with only the sizzling of the oil lamp’s burning wick echoing in their ears.

After the footsteps of the others could no longer be heard, this silence continued for another minute. Then Old John slowly withdrew his gaze from the ventilation hole in the iron door and pulled an ugly smile at the captain: “They’re all gone.”

The smile on Roy’s face had disappeared at some point. She picked up the empty bottle in front of her and tapped its bottom rhythmically against the table while pondering some matters.

On the seventh tap, the captain stopped and gave the old sailor a casual glance: “A good performance.”

“I learned it all from you.” Old John grinned with sparkling eyes.

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“Deceitful! Deceitful!”

The raven on Roy’s shoulder shifted its gaze between the two several times, then called out in a lowered voice, though its black pearl-like small eyes showed no sign of anger.

It had long figured out that all of their previous words and actions were merely playacting. This secret conversation between old partners from the Mermaid should never have had others present.

The captain had brought her core team, along with Cecilia and the guards, all to create a false impression for them—an illusion of conflict between herself and her intelligence officer, and to mislead them about the general direction of the upcoming plan.

Old John understood his captain intimately, even better than Richi did, which was why he had discerned Roy’s intentions and performed alongside her in this convincing drama.

“This is our own business; naturally, others can’t know about it.”

Roy brought the raven into her arms, gently stroking its small head, smiling as she said, “Understand?”

“Yes, Captain.” Alfie nodded cleverly.

“Alright, enough chattering. How’s the current situation?” After admonishing her pet, the captain looked up at the old sailor, chin slightly raised in inquiry.

The exchange of information between her and this intelligence officer was never committed to paper, as that would be too easily leaked. Besides, Roy believed that regarding Richi’s objectives and the Mermaid’s movements, this old fox had already memorized everything thoroughly.

“Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be about three months before the Mermaid finishes its raids and returns to Yadris. After all, this time they’ve chosen the Federation Council’s largest treasure ship, the Jenny Skate.”

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Besides merchants’ trading vessels, the Federation Council frequently transported gold and silver treasures to the Empire to exchange for silk, sea salt, and other specialties that the Pronora principalities lacked, for nobles and council members to enjoy or to amass wealth.

This created many heavily armed treasure ships carrying substantial wealth. Among these vessels—called merchant ships but nearly identical to military warships—the Jenny Skate was the largest in size and the strongest in combat capability.

“The little bastard’s appetite has grown quite a bit. But three months…”

Roy shook her head lightly: “I don’t have the patience to wait three months. Whatever method you use, find some pretext to lure the Mermaid and that bunch of bastards back for me.”

“I’m already impatient to see the little bastard’s face when he admits his mistake.”

Watching the cold smile spreading across the captain’s lips, Old John seemed to see again that powerful and cold-blooded man. Even after working with her for so many years, he still couldn’t discern the true nature beneath this captain’s disguise.

Gentle and kind or cold and cruel, nonchalant or eerily terrifying—the Golden-Eyed Devil seemed to have countless facades, and no one had ever seen what kind of person lay hidden beneath all those masks.

Living under disguise at all times, perhaps… even she herself would feel confused about this question.

Old John thought silently. He lowered his head slightly, dropping his eyebrows and eyes, displaying a humble and obedient demeanor.

“As you command, my captain.”