Captain – Chapter 152 – Awakening Before the End

“Tell me, Alfie, where is she now?”

Although he had already learned the captain’s true plan from the proprietress, when the raven briefly described Roy’s reunion with Old John up to her departure for the feast, Caine’s heart tightened. He supported himself on the wooden table and slowly rose, like an awakening lion.

The raven flew gracefully to the First Mate’s shoulder, its eyes gleaming like black pearls: “The western harbor of Yadris, and by now she has probably already boarded the Mermaid, First Mate.”

The young man turned to look at Cecilia: “There’s another port on the Yadris shoreline?”

“Yes, it was specially built by Captain Roy for the Mermaid.”

The proprietress nodded slightly, and after a brief contemplation, her amber eyes brightened as she said decisively: “From the port, follow the visible coastline westward for about three nautical miles, and you’ll see that harbor. You must hurry, Mr. First Mate. If the Mermaid sets sail, then everything will be too late.”

After a moment of silence, Caine nodded grimly: “I understand.”

With that, the young man briskly left the hall, leaving only the forcefully lifted curtain dancing anxiously behind him.

“So, Captain Rex, what are your plans? Surely you don’t intend to stay here drinking all night?” Turning her gaze from the fallen curtain, Cecilia looked at the one-eyed captain who seemed quite amused, her tone cold.

“Oh, of course not, beautiful lady. For such an interesting affair, I certainly want to play a part. But before that, might I trouble you for a bottle of rum? The cheapest kind will do.” Rex grinned, making his unhurried request.

“Five copper coins,” the proprietress said expressionlessly.

Rеaԁ on КаtRеαⅾіngСαfe

“Uh, well, I’m sorry, ma’am, but before coming ashore, we used our last silver coins to pay the docking fee. You know, after this island changed hands…”

“Damn it.”

Rubbing her forehead with a headache, Cecilia clearly had no patience to hear the one-eyed captain’s excuses. She turned to the liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of dark rum, and slammed it down in front of Rex, then glared at his scruffy face: “Now, immediately, get out. Get back to the sea.”

“As you command, my lady.”

The one-eyed captain laughed heartily as he took the bottle, carelessly tossed the cork back onto the table, then rose and staggered out of the hall with his guard.

“Each watch consists of fifteen men, positioned as before. They change guard every three hours, which creates a gap of about five minutes. From what I overheard when I disembarked, the next guard change should be in less than twenty minutes.”

“As for the lookouts doubling as snipers, there’s one on each crow’s nest atop the masts, three in total. I trust you know how to find the blind spots in their field of vision.”

Roy listened to Old John’s report with an emotionless expression. Only when she saw him trembling as he reached into his breast pocket did her eyes, like dying magma, brighten slightly with vigilance and killing intent.

The old sailor panted as if his strength was depleted, seemingly oblivious to the captain’s increasingly cold gaze. He fumbled around for a while before finally producing an old, rusted pocket watch.

Taking the pocket watch that Old John carefully handed over, the young woman opened its cover and looked at the three silver hands rotating: “Isn’t this the old antique you treasured so much? What, want to leave me a memento before you go?”

Reαⅾ oո КαtRеaԁіոɡСаfе

The watch’s exterior was severely corroded, and several decades had passed since its manufacture. But since it was a treasure brought by the old sailor from the Empire, crafted by a master artisan of Auran, the precision machinery hidden beneath its surface remained as good as new, functioning normally.

In the past, this spy master had regarded this pocket watch as a treasure, never showing it to anyone. Anyone who dared to set their sights on this watch ultimately paid a terrible price.

At that time, Roy had assumed this was because the watch was invaluable, perhaps worth thousands of gold coins as legends said, which was why the old vulture guarded it so fiercely. But when she actually opened it, she realized her guess was wrong.

Inside the watch cover was a yellowed old photograph – a portrait of a young woman holding a baby.

Without having to guess, Roy knew this woman was his wife, and the infant in her arms was the girl she had seen with her own eyes just days ago. This portrait, filled with time and beauty, was the old sailor’s true treasure.

And now, he had gifted this treasure to her.

“This will provide you with the exact time, Captain.”

After saying this, Old John’s lips quivered, seemingly engaged in some difficult internal struggle.

The captain closed the watch and coldly observed the trembling old man.

According to the old sailor’s report and the time shown on the watch, there were only about sixteen minutes left until the next guard change. If she wanted to sneak in during that gap, now was the best and last opportunity for her to depart.

Rеαԁ оո ΚαtRеadiոɡCаfe

Rain mixed with cold sweat slid down the old man’s forehead. After what seemed like an eternity, just as Roy began to show signs of impatience and was about to ask about Richi’s whereabouts, he finally spoke: “I’m betting on you. I… I’m betting on you.”

As if having made up his mind, Old John’s deep brown eyes no longer showed any hesitation or difficulty. Like someone wanting to pour out all the truth and fear weighing on his heart, he spoke rapidly: “Please forgive me, my Captain. I betrayed you. I told Captain Richi all about your plans. Right now, what awaits you on the Mermaid is nothing but a vile trap.”

“They’re all waiting for you to board. Deep in the shadows, one hundred and thirteen fighting men lie in ambush. On the lookout posts, Victor and two other gunmen, each with six pistols beside them, are quietly waiting for your arrival.”

“But you must believe me, while I leaked your information, I also didn’t conceal anything from the Mermaid. Everything is proceeding according to both your and Captain Richi’s wishes—only neither of you… neither of you knows the full picture.”

Having said so much in one breath, Old John breathed urgently, staring at the puddle in front of his boots, which rippled constantly from the raindrops, anxiously awaiting the young woman’s response.

“Betting on both sides—that’s certainly your style, old man. Continue.”

Hearing the captain’s unsurprised, calm tone, the old sailor’s face paled slightly: “It’s not that I wanted to betray you. My daughter may seem free, but in reality, she’s tightly controlled. By now, she’s probably already been secretly taken away. Your people couldn’t save her in time.”

Trembling as he stole a glance at Roy, seeing her thoughtful expression, Old John breathed a slight sigh of relief: “Additionally, I’ve passed on the false information as you instructed. Although the Constantine is lying in ambush in the strait not far from here, according to the agreement between the two parties, the Black Emperor and his crew are tasked with intercepting a well-armed twin-masted warship, not a merchant vessel.”

“Though they might still notice, it should provide some disguise. If you can seize control of the Mermaid quickly, you could even coordinate with your current crew to surround and attack the Constantine, eliminating those damned scoundrels in one stroke.”

“Sounds good,” the captain raised an eyebrow, her words still indifferent, showing no reaction to the old sailor’s last-minute choice.

Rеαd оո KatReαdіոɡСаfе

Because he had yet to mention the most important point—Richi’s exact location.

“The captain’s cabin. Captain Richi is in the captain’s cabin, and surprisingly, there are no ambushers near that room. Everyone is hidden around the deck; he seems to have made himself the poisoned bait.”

Though there were no ambushers near the captain’s cabin, in reality, the Mermaid’s captain’s cabin directly faced the deck. At the slightest disturbance, it would take less than three minutes for the fierce pirates to block the door completely.

Therefore, as long as the portholes remained closed, if the Blood-Eyed Butcher could hold the young woman for three minutes, the captain’s cabin would become the cross that nailed the devil.

But… three minutes?

Roy smiled coldly: “What’s so surprising about that? The little bastard has grown up. He wants to have a private meeting before eliminating me, either to prove something to me or to have a one-on-one fight. It’s all perfectly normal.”

“But forgive me for saying, three minutes is too long—long enough for me to kill him five times, so…”

Lightning illuminated the captain’s fair face, making her dark golden pupils glow intensely. She smiled gently, patted the old sailor’s shoulder, then walked toward the Mermaid, leaving only the old man shuddering in the downpour and one cold remark:

“Congratulations on choosing the right side, John Davidson.”