Captain – Chapter 191 – A New Chapter for the Mermaid

“Besides Old John and Miss Edith, there’s one more person who’s leaving.”

Standing at the doorway of the residence, watching Old John and his daughter disappear through the manor gates, Caine tilted his head slightly and gazed at the young woman’s profile, brilliant in the sunlight, as he reported softly.

“Who?”

Roy frowned and turned her head, somewhat surprised.

Recalling the image of the solemn sniper standing before him with his pack, the First Mate answered: “Victor. He said he has completed the mission entrusted to him by Captain Ilias, and that the Mermaid no longer needs someone like him as an observer. So he’s leaving, and said you needn’t see him off.”

Blinking, Roy seemed unable to process this for a moment, until she felt her First Mate’s concerned gaze. She clicked her tongue and said indifferently: “He can go wherever he wants. I couldn’t care less about him. As for seeing him off, please, is that guy taking himself too seriously?”

Although the girl’s words sounded completely unconcerned, her dissatisfied tone was impossible to hide.

After speaking, Roy’s eyes flickered slightly as she asked with feigned casualness: “Where is he going? Did he tell you where he’ll be settling down? I hope he hasn’t joined his father’s pirate ship.”

Seeing the captain’s reaction exactly as Victor had predicted, Caine shook his head with a sigh, feeling that the marksman indeed understood her personality well. He smiled and explained: “Providence. He’s going to Providence. He said he wants to find work under the Great Captain, to live his days in leisure.”

Providence was located at the center of the Southern Islands and was truly the political heart of pirate forces.

The Great Captain resided there, and the Empire, Federation, and even forces lurking in the shadows like the Black Raven Society—anyone wanting to reach an agreement with the Southern Islands would inevitably have to go through that man.

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“Truly lacking ambition. Staying beside that idle fellow, one day even his bones will grow soft. As a pirate… how can one yearn for stability and pursue a leisurely life?”

Hearing about Providence and the Great Captain from her First Mate, the dissatisfaction in Roy’s eyes gradually dissipated, and she let out a light sigh.

As a strong leader like herself, she naturally couldn’t accept having one of her best guns fall into the hands of another captain, or worse, an enemy. But if that person was the Great Captain, that was different.

In the girl’s view, since she herself was merely one of the stars guarding the Great Captain, then if Victor wished to retreat from the turbulent seas, following that man was the most appropriate choice.

Understanding this point, the captain gazed somewhat dejectedly toward the distant horizon: “Let them go, let them all go. Just leave me alone in the past, solitary on the Mermaid.”

After the young man had fallen into eternal sleep, the old sailor had departed with his daughter, and now Victor had laid down his gun and chosen a path completely opposite to hers. With this, the three most capable officers from when she first commanded the Mermaid had all left.

Just like when Red Beard passed away, another page had turned in the Mermaid’s story.

Though Captain Roy still stood at the bow of the warship, those who once stood behind her, creating legends and glory with her, were no longer there. It was as if an era had ended…

But that also meant the beginning of another era.

“Captain, I don’t think you’re alone.”

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Looking at her First Mate’s earnest expression, Roy’s lips curved slightly: “Indeed, I have you, Alfie, and many, many others… With partings come encounters. I’ve separated from many people, but met even more. Perhaps this is the greatest fortune in my irritating destiny, which is like shattered glass.”

“So, my dear First Mate, how are the affairs in Yadris being handled?”

Just like the miraculous recovery speed of the girl’s body, Caine’s arrangements for Yadris were unexpectedly smooth, taking only a dozen or so days to conclude ahead of schedule.

“Reporting to Captain, everything has been arranged properly.”

“What about the Mermaid and the crew?” Roy nodded with satisfaction and continued asking.

“All weapons on board have been inspected, and we’ve prepared enough provisions and water to last three months. As for the crew, they all returned to the ship yesterday after their shore leave. At your command, Captain, the Mermaid can weigh anchor and depart at any time.”

“Excellent.”

Stretching her body, Roy smiled and said: “After staying on the island for so many days, my bones have almost grown soft. The sea truly suits me better.”

“Caine, pass down the order for the men to prepare. When I step onto the Mermaid’s deck, it will be time for us to set sail.”

“Yes, Captain.”

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Without asking if it was too hasty, or whether she should bid farewell to those who cared for her, the young man accepted the order without hesitation, then stepped down from the stairs in front of the house and walked away across the pasture.

His robes danced gently in the breeze, inadvertently revealing a formidable presence.

That presence wasn’t as cold and stern as a naval admiral’s, but rather like a true solitary lion—languid yet majestic.

It seems after killing Solomon, you’ve changed quite a bit too.

Roy watched Caine’s retreating figure with narrowed eyes, and after a long while, smiled with satisfaction before letting out a loud whistle.

Soon after, the raven flew out from the house, holding its head high as it landed on the girl’s shoulder, surveying the pasture as if inspecting its own territory.

With her trademark smile, as the young dragon ran swiftly to her side, Roy firmly closed the wooden door of the residence: “Well then, little ones, it’s time for us to depart.”

“Set sail! Set sail!”

Accompanied by Alfie’s sharp, spirited calls, the snow-white sails were unfurled and pulled taut. Then, a flag with a black background and mermaid emblem was raised high, announcing the true master of the Mermaid’s return.

With a slight tremor, the anchor was raised, and the Mermaid’s pearl-white hull pushed through layers of waves on the calm sea, slowly moving forward under the gaze of the people gathered at the port, heading westward.

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Watching the captain standing at the bow, grinning and waving vigorously toward her, Cecilia stood at the front of the pier, her expression as cold as ever, seeing that figure grow more and more distant.

Only when the Mermaid turned past the reef and the captain’s heroic figure could no longer be seen did she fold her hands before her, silently blessing the other woman, just as she had done at every parting.

“Please don’t die, you bastard.”

Taking her gaze away from Yadris, Roy gripped the ship’s railing, her fingers tapping rhythmically.

Not far from her, Nidhogg coiled its body, gazing at the sparkling sea surface, its amethyst eyes full of curiosity and excitement.

Hearing the familiar footsteps drawing closer, the captain asked without turning: “What did Bivis say?”

“He only told us to head north, but regarding the specifics, he wants to discuss them with you personally,” Caine stopped at the captain’s side, looking forward just as she was.

“Hey, what an insincere fellow. It seems he’ll never speak up voluntarily unless we ask,” Roy shook her head and said with a cold smile. “But no matter. Let our scholar wait patiently for now. Before heading to Satin Island, there’s something I want to confirm first.”

“Caine, notify the helmsman to set course for Bone Harbor Bay.”