Captain – Chapter 298 – Dead Silence Below the Surface

Next to the Boen Grand Canyon stood a desolate island, home to Auran’s most impenetrable fortress, Fort Haynes.

It had existed for hundreds of years, used to resist and intimidate the Federation’s land forces across the way.

In fact, this stretch of sea before the canyon marked the boundary line between the Empire and the Federation, with the closest points of the opposing shores separated by no more than thirty meters.

For this reason, looking back through distant history, this was one of the most intense battlegrounds between the two sides. The soil on both sides had been stained red with blood countless times, and many brave army soldiers had been buried beneath it, resting in eternal sleep.

Such scenes were still occurring even just over a decade ago.

Only when the war ceased and Auran and Pronora established a peace treaty, bringing true peace, did this place finally regain tranquility.

After that, the Federation demolished the fortress on their shore and withdrew their heavy forces.

At the same time, the Empire also recalled most of its military strength, leaving only a small portion to maintain security around the fortress. They opened the gates of Fort Haynes, welcoming several Federation officers and an equal number of Pronora land forces.

From then on, Fort Haynes became the gateway guarding the Boen Grand Canyon, jointly managed by the Empire and the Federation.

This was naturally an astonishing development of extraordinary significance. It played a hugely positive role in the subsequent further peace talks between the two sides and in guiding public opinion, and to some extent, became a buffer zone against war.

After all, with a shared gateway, those harboring ill intentions and proposing war naturally couldn’t circumvent this thorny issue.

At the bow of the Mermaid.

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Roy leaned against the ship’s rail, gazing at that fortress—far more magnificent than Franrote Fortress, practically a giant city—and the countless cannon ports on its walls. Her dark golden eyes reflected a faint sense of emotion.

She knew this sea route.

Because this was the only waterway between the Empire and Federation without a warning line, especially at the front. As long as one didn’t approach the territories on either side, one wouldn’t even see a patrolling warship, and naturally, no one would come looking for trouble.

Therefore, when they needed to enter the Empire or Federation inland to gather information, the Mermaid would come here, transporting the captain and first mate near the border by small boat, then they would enter by swimming underwater. They had almost never failed.

Except for that one time Richi had mentioned to Cassius, when the two were surrounded by two hundred soldiers in Wistoga after the Federation somehow learned of their whereabouts.

Since then, the Mermaid had never returned to this place.

Since Roy knew this sea route, she naturally also understood Fort Haynes.

Against such a towering and solid defensive fortification, even warships known as sea fortresses would find it difficult to gain any advantage.

After all, no matter how hard a wooden hull might be, it could never be harder than city walls. No matter how many cannons a ship could carry, it could never have more than a fortress. What chance of victory could there be?

Therefore, she had never brought her ship so close to this fortress, nor had she witnessed its majestic form like a giant beast. Seeing it now naturally stirred some inexplicable emotions.

Compared to a true national machine, or rather… civilization, pirates were indeed far behind. At least the Southern Islands, even after hundreds of years, could never build such miraculous structures or possess killing machines as powerful as the Pilgrimage.

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Roy thought silently, suddenly feeling more worried.

She didn’t know if, when these civilizations truly united to sweep away the threat looming in the south like a ferocious beast, could the Southern Islands really withstand it?

Now there was no longer Captain Edward… or that scoundrel.

The raven stood on her shoulder, also gazing at the distant fortress, its small eyes constantly flickering, showing great unease.

The pirates on the deck felt the same way. Fear of warships and fortresses was deeply ingrained in their hearts, and even the greatest captain couldn’t solve this problem.

It was the natural fear of barbarism toward civilization.

The Mermaid slowly sailed toward Fort Haynes. The shadow cast by the fortress obscured the sky, enveloping the entire warship, making the atmosphere on the deck increasingly heavy and oppressive.

Soon, people came from the fortress.

Because ships rarely came to this place, and Fort Haynes feared no threat from warships, there were no large warships docked in its vicinity. What came was only a small two-masted sailing ship.

All kinds of procedures and permits posed no problem.

Since Fort Haynes was also part of the Federation, the Anderson family’s credentials were naturally effective. Combined with the transit document provided by Federo, the Mermaid was easily allowed to pass through.

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Only when they sailed into the Boen Grand Canyon, with the magnificent form of the fortress hidden by the blue-gray cliff walls and no longer visible, did the people on the ship finally breathe a sigh of relief.

When Caine finished handling all matters and came to the captain’s side, he found her frowning slightly, unusually worried.

“What’s wrong?”

The first mate’s concerned inquiry reached her ears, and Roy awakened from her thoughts about barbarism and civilization. She shook her head gently and smiled: “Nothing, just random thoughts.”

Indeed, it wasn’t a significant issue.

Since pirates had existed for hundreds of years without being extinguished, there had to be a reason. During this time, both Auran and even the Federation had attempted to deal with the Southern Islands, but in the end, they all retreated in failure.

Besides, if war really broke out, there was still the Great Captain. What was there to fear?

With this thought, the captain stopped thinking about it and looked ahead along the canyon walls.

The strengthening wind current blew her hair and robes, brushing past that still calm face now bearing an additional hint of coldness. The howling wind seemed to welcome her arrival.

Welcoming the beginning of the game between devil and deity.

The Mermaid continued forward, eventually disappearing between the overlapping, sight-obscuring cliff walls. Even if later observers used high-precision telescopes to look, they would no longer be able to see the ship’s silhouette.

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But likewise… the people on that ship could no longer detect what was happening behind them.

The wind current in the canyon suddenly intensified. The previously calm sea surface became turbulent like boiling soup, bubbling with countless white foam patches. But when this change reached its peak, the sea surface strangely returned to tranquility.

Brief tranquility.

Suddenly, a mast—corroded by seawater, tattered and dark in color—emerged from the water surface, bringing up large waves. Attached to it was a tattered flag depicting a grim skull, though the skull appeared unlike ordinary human bones, bearing a pair of sharp fangs.

Next, the waves continued to grow, and a complete crossbeam emerged, with a severely damaged sail full of holes, as deep as the night, tightly bound beneath it.

At this point, its true form was revealed—it was actually a mast!

With the thunderous sound of water parting and splashing, a dark ship, seemingly constructed of deadwood, burst from the water. On its body hung countless sharp wooden spikes, looking like a row of eerie fangs. Below these fangs, all cannon ports were open, revealing rust-covered bronze cannons.

Large amounts of water flow and fish poured out from the cannon ports and muzzles. Before long, the warship, which still had half its hull submerged, was completely afloat.

With the sound of wind and sails, the dark curtain-like sails all dropped at once. The warship slowly moved along the canyon, gradually becoming enveloped in mysterious white fog that appeared from nowhere. Its silhouette blurred in the mist, like a predator slipping into concealment before the hunt.

And its prey was the mermaid.