Captain – Chapter 148 – Thoughts Like Rain, Cannon Fire Like Thunder

The downpour showed no sign of stopping.

Though the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, making it difficult to tell the time, the bronze clock hanging on the marble pillar continued to tick, its hour hand having passed “six” and now making its final effort toward the next number.

Night had fallen. In less than ten minutes, it would be time to act as agreed with Snow Lion.

Everything would proceed according to plan. Everything had been arranged perfectly. The sword of fate hung over the heads of those traitors, waiting only for a command to fall mercilessly.

Yet as he recalled this seemingly perfect plan, the young man leaning against the windowsill, gazing at the pitch-black sky, felt his unease growing increasingly intense.

Soon, the curtain of the grand show would rise.

Whether the opposition resisted or not, in an extremely short time, Yadris would fall into their hands. Once all concerns were eliminated, it would be time to set sail, seeking the perfect opportunity for a thrilling decisive battle with the Mermaid.

This was the young woman’s arrangement, like a brilliant script. And as the protagonists in this play, the captain and first mate, she and he, were surrounded by countless dancers, driven by songs from the horizon toward the center of the storm.

But… something seemed to be missing.

The other protagonist of this drama, who should have stood shoulder to shoulder with him witnessing this grand opening, was now without any news, whereabouts unknown.

Throwing his father’s teachings to the back of his mind, Caine tilted his head back and gulped red wine like rum, silently pondering.

Even though communications between the council hall and the outside world had been cut off half an hour ago, achieving the captain’s goal, why hadn’t she appeared? Where had she gone? What exactly…

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Countless questions filled his mind as Caine’s thoughts raced, analyzing the rare conversations he’d had with Roy about this war in recent days. But just as he seemed to grasp something, the sudden report from behind interrupted his thoughts.

“First Mate, it’s time.”

Turning his head to look at Harriet standing ramrod straight, at the raindrops sliding down her face, the first mate was momentarily stunned, as if seeing his former stern adjutant, while the men ambushed around the island were like resolute Auran soldiers.

At this moment, he controlled a force capable of overthrowing Yadris, controlling the fate of every person in this city. It was a heavy responsibility, but also…

A heavy shackle.

Caine suddenly understood. Everything connected into a complete string at this moment.

In these days, Roy had almost handed over all duties and powers to him, whether it was that enthusiastic recruitment meeting or this fervent power struggle, as well as the countless lists, intelligence, and materials presented before his eyes.

He had arranged everything, striving to handle all matters on the island, but for the core strategy of fighting against the Mermaid, Roy had only given him an extremely vague explanation.

“Caine, the battle plan is simple, that is, at all costs…”

“Get me onto the Mermaid.”

As if it were just a perfunctory response. Perhaps in the young woman’s heart, there was already a detailed battle plan, but among the executors of that plan, he was oddly absent.

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“First Mate?”

Caine let out a light breath, slightly relieving the frustration in his heart, and gave Harriet a command in a deep voice: “Notify everyone to move.”

“Yes!” Harriet responded loudly, striding out of the hall and disappearing behind the swaying curtain.

After giving the order, the young man returned his gaze to the window, looking toward the still-peaceful Horn of Plenty, with some mysterious emotions rippling in his azure eyes.

Before long, the roar of cannons suddenly erupted in the distance, like the beginning of a wolf pack’s howl at the moon. After that, dense cannon fire echoed through every street in Yadris.

The council hall, not far from the Banshee’s Eye, although a place for handling island affairs, was actually like a small castle, filled with weapons and gunpowder. On top of its thick walls were dozens of heavy cannons, with a firing range that could cover the entire Yadris.

It was a fortress that existed to prevent rebellion, but under the current circumstances, it had become a natural prison for those inside.

The island instantly fell into chaos.

The lights in the shops of Horn of Plenty quickly extinguished. Life-loving pirates surged toward the port, while fearless thugs sought opportunities to loot amid the chaos.

The cannon fire lasted only a brief time. After that, outside the windows of the Banshee’s Eye, only chaotic shadows remained, along with the increasingly intense sound of rain.

“Are you worried about her?”

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Footsteps sounded in the empty tavern, and a cold, pleasant voice reached the first mate’s ears from afar.

Caine turned around, looking at the approaching proprietress, and smiled with slight bitterness: “Worried? I don’t even know what I should be worried about.”

Coming to the young man’s side, Cecilia gazed at the fire burning on that tall building and the thick smoke rising as if connecting with the dark clouds, and said softly: “Sometimes, knowing nothing isn’t a bad thing.”

This was what the captain had once said when discussing that crazy plan.

Caine was silent for a moment, and then gave the same answer: “But that’s deception, isn’t it?”

“Then let me ask you, will you be dissatisfied because of her deception, and thus harbor resentment?”

The proprietress withdrew her gaze and stared directly into those ocean-like eyes.

“No, I’m just a bit… worried about her.”

Hearing this, Cecilia smiled, which was extremely rare. The frost on her face was half-melted, breathtakingly beautiful.

“Is this what they call emotion? The contradictory thing that Captain Roy most resists, that which makes people weak or strong. Even the Imperial Lion is captivated by it, confused. I must say, it’s truly a dangerous thing.”

Brushing aside the covering fiery red hair, the smile on Cecilia’s face vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. She said softly: “That night, the night she was so drunk she couldn’t find her way, she mentioned you to me and said something. Would you like to hear it?”

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“Yes, Miss Joyce.” Caine’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation.

“She was troubled, troubled by your fervent… affection. She said emotion is like a colorless, tasteless poison, mixed into many glasses of fine wine…” The proprietress spoke like a whisper, but before she could finish repeating that passage with her amazing memory, the young man took over.

“Those wines are so sweet, making people indulge in them, lingering without thought of return. But you don’t know after which glass you will suddenly… die of poisoning. ‘The Black Lotus and Wine,’ Act Two, Miss Abigail’s monologue.”

The young man looked at the scarce liquid in the wine bottle, pursed his lips, and asked: “Then what else did she say?”

Cecilia was first stunned, but quickly came to her senses: “She wasn’t sure if you would be that glass of fatal poisoned wine.”

The young woman also stared at the wine bottle: “Of course, it seems her final decision was to drink this glass, to drink it down straightforwardly as before. But I think that should be based on an equal exchange of benefits, shouldn’t it?”

“That is the source of her sense of security, but it’s also an inconspicuous yet difficult-to-break barrier. Even I don’t know what kind of past and pain are hidden behind it.”

The proprietress raised her eyes to look at Caine’s azure eyes: “So, if there were such an opportunity that might allow you to break through that solid wall…”

“Would you be willing to seize it at any cost, Mr. First Mate?”

Author Note

Seems like Little Ceci is passing on the torch.