Captain – Chapter 315 – Reason Not to Go

The blazing gold flame grew with the wind and rain.

Soon, the previously dark top floor of the lighthouse was bright as day. Even the outer walls, which had dimmed earlier, began to glow brilliantly, blue as the sea and sky.

In the next moment, the dazzling golden light converged, falling on that paper-thin lens and transforming into a beam of light that shot out through the arched window at the top of the tower. Like a road of light, it broke through the eternal night, pierced the vast curtain of rain, and landed somewhere at the distant horizon beyond sight.

As the lighthouse radiated light, dark clouds churned and the icy sea surged. Violent waves crashed against the smooth cliff walls below and the knife-like reefs, splashing countless flecks of white foam, like sudden snow or as if disturbed by something emerging from the water.

It was, of course, Satin Island.

Though no one could see beyond the horizon, everyone familiar with the situation near the lighthouse had already guessed its emergence.

The wind and rain intensified, no longer warm as before but cold as snow, pattering on the Mermaid’s deck and on the sailors’ bodies, causing the temperature to drop significantly.

The Mermaid was a ghost ship blessed by the Ocean Goddess, naturally unaffected by storms. No matter how fierce the wind or violent the waves, its course remained perfectly steady, unwavering.

Withdrawing his gaze from the beam of light cutting through the night, Caine unhesitatingly turned the wheel, guiding the Mermaid to follow its direction. His rain-soaked face showed no emotion, and his azure eyes were colder than the snow and wind.

“Gentlemen, full sails, load the cannons!”

He commanded loudly, and the crew responded immediately.

The sailors hoisted the sails, the gunners methodically opened the gun ports, pushed out the cannons, and loaded ammunition. Even the Fighting Squad, idle for so long, came fully armed onto the deck, guarding various positions along the railings, prepared for any strange creatures that might appear.

During their previous journey, the first mate had finally informed Lance and others about the greatest danger they might face on this voyage. This information was quickly relayed by Ben, reaching all crew members even before the lighthouse was lit.

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Another ship was following the Mermaid—a terrifying warship truly carrying bizarre entities.

When first hearing this news, the sailors were shocked. Even someone as fierce as Harriet was somewhat unprepared, as they had never experienced confronting such beings.

Only Lance and the veterans who had sailed the seas with the Golden-Eyed Devil maintained their composure, even displaying strong confidence, feeling “it’s finally here.”

Because they had seen such things before, fought such things, and never been defeated… if retreat didn’t count.

Well, that was fleeing, but fleeing also had its principles.

Now amid the storm, as children of the storm, the Mermaid with its divinely granted speed should be invincible. Even if the enemy could somehow overcome this advantage and press the Mermaid with strange methods, if they truly wanted to escape, who could catch them?

With such thoughts, Lance and the others naturally showed no fear. This acted like a strong stimulant for the panicking sailors, considerably calming their hearts.

As the first mate’s orders were passed down one by one, people quickly set to work, no longer thinking about these concerns. The Mermaid instantly united, becoming like an impregnable fortress.

Seeing everything proceeding smoothly, Caine no longer focused on the deck but glanced at the young dragon getting to its feet.

Receiving the first mate’s signal, Nidhogg responded with a low growl, then flapped its wings and flew away from the Mermaid, heading toward the black sea of clouds now flickering with lightning.

The Acherousian Lighthouse had been lit, Satin Island had risen from the seabed, all curtains of rain and fog had been pulled back, and the eternal night had naturally come to an end.

Just as the Mermaid began arranging for battle and sailing toward where the lighthouse beam shone, the sea area not far from where Roy had disembarked suddenly began to violently churn. Countless ripples spread outward, and thousands of bubbles rose and burst.

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“Boom!”

With a tremendous sound and continuous water noises, the Death Silence, seemingly built of dead wood, emerged from the water, appearing amid wind, rain, and lightning.

“The lighthouse is lit, Satin Island has surfaced. From now on, that ship has no use. Let’s catch up, sink it, and kill everyone!”

“For the great Lady Annisdora!”

Hoarse, strange calls unlike human voices echoed throughout the Death Silence, immediately met with more frenzied and ferocious responses from the water ghosts. Anyone seeing the scene on deck would have thought it was hell on earth.

“Raise the sails, full speed ahead!”

Longfellow spread his arms, ghostly light seemingly flickering in his eyes, hysterically giving orders.

But this time, there was no response from the deck, nor footsteps executing orders. The water ghosts silently looked toward a certain place where two blood-red figures stood.

Vivian and Richi.

One was the true master of all water ghosts, the other was personally appointed by the Lady as the current captain of the Death Silence. Without their word, the water ghosts naturally wouldn’t act, even if the one giving orders was their former first mate.

Seeing this, Longfellow also closed his mouth, his gaze unstable as he looked at the two “people,” or more accurately, just stared fixedly at the young man.

“Longfellow is right, we should eliminate potential threats in advance.”

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The pale-faced young woman looked at Richi, who was leaning against the creaking wooden wall that seemed like it might break at any moment. She appeared to be asking his opinion, but her tone brooked no argument.

Because this was the Lady’s will, even as captain, he could only comply.

“I don’t think so, at least not the way he puts it.”

Looking back at Longfellow, Richi said expressionlessly, then quickly added before Vivian’s expression could change: “But don’t misunderstand, I just have some objections about sinking that ship.”

Dropping his arms and standing straight, the young man turned to face those blood-red eyes similar to his own, saying calmly: “Not to mention that ship was originally mine, you should also be very clear that the threat the Lady spoke of isn’t the Mermaid, but… her.”

Vivian knew who “she” was.

The Lady, with just a thought, could rescue her from the Death Silence Triangle, salvage the sunken Taranhof and transform it into the terrifying Death Silence. Naturally, she wouldn’t care about the Mermaid, even if it too was a ghost ship with a divinely blessed mermaid figurehead.

In her eyes, the only true threat was the devil who could command wind and rain, or rather… the person carrying the devil’s blood.

Captain Roy.

She was the threat that had to be eliminated.

“Even if the Mermaid sinks, the Lady can make it resurface. As for the lives of those aboard, I don’t think you care about them.”

After a moment of silence, the young woman said in a slightly hoarse voice.

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“Fair point.”

After a similar silence, the young man responded in an equally hoarse voice.

With these words, he slowly walked past Vivian toward the spiral staircase leading to the helm, leaving behind an emotionless statement: “I’ll deal with the Mermaid, you go kill Roy.”

“Why not you?”

Hearing the young woman’s somewhat cold question, Richi’s steps faltered slightly. He turned sideways, his face showing a helpless expression: “I don’t want to fight her.”

“Why?” Vivian’s follow-up question remained cold, even more insistent.

“I can’t defeat her, much less kill her.”

“You said that was because you held back.”

Vivian was referring to the captain’s duel on the Mermaid when Roy returned and faced Richi.

In that battle, the young man hadn’t used schemes or tricks, hadn’t sought advantageous terrain, had no poisonous insects or underhanded methods, not even a pirate’s shamelessness. He had been as honorable as an ancient knight, naturally holding back.

Hearing this, Richi shrugged and turned to climb the spiral staircase, explaining quite naturally, as if he had never said those words before.

“That was just bragging. Even without holding back… I still couldn’t beat her.”