Captain – Chapter 306 – Feeding the Sharks

“Without souls, there naturally wouldn’t be any method to break the curse. In this regard, the Lady, though a deity, was far more merciful than that devil.”

As he said this, Bivis unconsciously placed his right hand on his chest.

Inside the inner pocket of his robe lay a small pouch, and quietly resting within it was, of course, that lifelike statue of the goddess.

“At least the Lady doesn’t harm the innocent without reason. For forgivable blasphemers, while bestowing punishment and suffering, she also offers a path to redemption, just like… in my case.”

“But that devil is different. He never considers these matters. Whether killing or scheming, in his eyes, it’s all just a game.”

Bivis sighed softly and said quietly: “Those sirens died, and that was that—how could any souls remain? The reason he spoke to that ‘lucky one’ this way, giving her a choice instead of personally freezing her, was only because…”

“It would be more interesting that way.”

Looking at the captain, the scholar added with complex emotions: “Just like your experience—nothing more than his prank to dispel boredom, nothing more.”

Roy knew which incident Bivis was referring to.

He wasn’t talking about the wager the devil had made with her, but about how he had changed her gender, turning her into a woman.

Besides causing her considerable trouble and weakening her combat abilities—leading to several close calls—this transformation served no purpose.

If not for amusement at her expense, then what?

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Thinking of this, Roy couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the siren trapped in the lighthouse. Perhaps it was a sense of shared suffering, of empathy?

But… at least she had gained something.

Thinking silently, the captain glanced at Caine for the umpteenth time, then asked Bivis: “I think I understand the siren’s situation now. One last question—you said earlier that the song doesn’t come from her lips. Where does it come from, then?”

This was the most puzzling thing to her. Since the scholar said it was a siren’s song, it naturally should come from a siren’s mouth. What else could possibly replace it?

“Nothing can replace that heavenly voice.”

As if seeing through the captain’s thoughts, Bivis shook his head gently and explained: “I did say it wasn’t her singing, but that doesn’t mean the song doesn’t belong to her.”

This time, Roy didn’t urge him to be more specific. After a brief moment of thought, she asked uncertainly: “The Little Mermaid?”

The scholar smiled and nodded, and everything became clear.

The Little Mermaid was a fairy tale from the Federation, though its ending wasn’t as happy as typical fairy tales, concluding with the mermaid turning into sea foam—deeply tragic.

Roy mentioned this fairy tale not because of its sad love story, but because a certain scene seemed to fit the current situation.

In that story, the mermaid traded her beautiful voice to the sea witch in exchange for becoming human.

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Now, that song floated above the icy sea, not sung by the siren—naturally, she had given her voice to the Pirate King, or perhaps…

Like her broken wings, it had been cruelly taken by the devil.

“How pitiful indeed.”

The captain sighed in a rare display of emotion, though it was unclear whether she truly felt sorry for the siren or was dissatisfied with Captain Edward who had done all this.

But Captain Roy was never overly sentimental, and any such displays were fleeting.

So after lightly patting her cheeks, the young woman regained her composure and thanked Bivis very sincerely: “Thank you for your story, Mr. Scholar. If I can find some proof at that lighthouse, I’ll consider your suggestion.”

After saying this and giving Bivis a final nod, Roy turned and walked toward the helm.

Watching that figure, somewhat blurred by the rain, the scholar’s expression gradually relaxed, and a faint smile appeared in the depths of his eyes.

He knew Roy wouldn’t trust him so easily, nor did he expect that with just one conversation she would completely change her position and become the devil’s enemy. But as long as she harbored doubts about him, even the slightest bit, it would tip this chess match in his favor.

Yes, in his favor—not the Lady’s.

In the scholar’s view, this chess game should be played by him.

If one considered understanding of Edward and experience in psychological battles and direct confrontations with him, he was the most suitable opponent for that devil in the world. In this regard, even Lady Annisdora was far inferior to him.

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For this reason, he had chosen to travel with Edward’s chosen one, leaving that eternal prison in advance, rather than… waiting for the Death Silence to arrive.

It was finally about to begin.

As his gaze followed the young woman up to the helm, watching her take the wheel from the master helmsman and begin listening carefully before turning it, Bivis thought silently. Then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, breaking into a somewhat ugly but uniquely rugged smile.

“I didn’t know you could smile like that.”

A cold voice came from nearby, interrupting Bivis’s thoughts. Only then did he realize that the first mate who often followed the young woman was still standing before him, watching him.

However, because the young man had been so quiet for so long, not saying a word during the previous conversation, even he had forgotten there was someone listening.

“Well, I really didn’t expect the captain to accept my words, so I got a bit carried away and smiled awkwardly,” the scholar explained somewhat embarrassedly, suppressing his smile.

Caine nodded slightly at this explanation, unclear whether he accepted it or was noncommittal, then asked expressionlessly: “Was everything you said true?”

“How would I dare deceive the captain? Of course, there wasn’t the slightest falsehood.”

Those stories came from the Lady’s own mouth, so they were naturally the truest facts in the world.

The first mate didn’t know what the scholar was thinking, but his tone didn’t seem false. So he simply gave an “Hmm” and turned to leave, returning to the young woman’s side.

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Seeing this, the scholar secretly breathed a sigh of relief, looked toward the ice plains ahead of the Mermaid, and when no one was watching, slapped himself hard.

Feeling the burning pain on his face, Bivis’s gaze flickered intensely, warning himself not to make such a stupid display again.

Although he had gained some acceptance now, he still couldn’t eliminate the young woman’s suspicions of him. His position on the Mermaid remained precarious.

He couldn’t give them even the slightest evidence, otherwise…

Thinking of that possibility, the light in the scholar’s eyes gradually dimmed, and the red mark on his face quickly faded, soon returning to normal. After a long silence, he turned and left the bow, soon disappearing from the deck—presumably returning to his room.

But from beginning to end, he never knew that before Caine went up to the helm to join the young woman, he had spoken to Harriet.

“Bivis is suspicious. Keep a close eye on him.”

Hearing the first mate’s order, the Fighting Squad Captain who was leaning against the mast perked up, grinning to reveal a ferocious smile: “Then, First Mate, if he really does anything suspicious…”

“Throw him directly into the sea.”

Caine’s voice was somewhat cold. Then, remembering the captain’s habitual threat, he paused for a moment before adding three more words.

“Feed the sharks.”