Captain – Chapter 316 – The Curtain Rises

Chapter 316: The Curtain Rises

Vivian accepted this reason, though she found it contemptible.

She no longer watched the young man’s retreating figure, but instead came to the railing, vaulted over it, and plunged into the ocean like a fish regaining its freedom. Transformed into a dark shadow, she headed toward the ice plains and quickly disappeared into the increasingly dense, cold ice mist.

Meanwhile, Richi ascended to the helm, approaching the splintery, somewhat uncomfortable wheel. He grasped it and looked down at the water ghosts from his elevated position.

“Raise the sails, full speed ahead.”

His words were identical to Longfellow’s earlier command, the only difference being his hoarse voice devoid of any emotion.

Yet this plain order seemed to contain some magical power, causing all the stationary water ghosts to spring into action, even Longfellow who had always looked at him with disdain.

Because this was the authority granted by the Lady, as well as the temptation brought by hunting that mermaid.

The Death Silence resounded with dull footsteps, the sharp, grating “creaks” of old wooden planks and masts, and the “flapping” sound of the tattered flag in the howling cold wind.

The eerie warship broke through the waves, sailing toward the dim, lightless sea.

Before it, the turbulent sea parted silently. Countless phosphorescent fish gathered together, like a silver river fallen from the sky, separating all huge waves and whirlpools. Even the oncoming wind and rain became much gentler.

At the end of this path of light was the Mermaid.

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This was the miracle bestowed by Lady Annisdora, which had previously helped Caine and his companions break fate and catch up with the Mermaid. Now, although the recipient had changed, the target remained the same—still that beautiful mermaid.

The two warships followed the beam of light piercing the night sky, one behind the other on the dark icy sea. The distance between them was quite far but gradually closing, like the most patient hunter pursuing a red fox through a dark forest.

No matter how cunning or agile the fox, how could it escape a hunter who had set careful traps?

Lightning snaked down from the horizon like a white-hot serpent. The flash of light swept over the shore like a tide, illuminating everything upon it, causing the young man’s indifferent blood-red eyes to light up slightly.

Looking at the ship’s silhouette like a distant dot, Richi’s face showed no emotion, with only a slight ripple in the depths of his eyes that no one could see.

Thanks to the Lady’s divine blessing, even across such a vast distance, he could still see through the flashes of lightning the beautiful and familiar outline of that ship, and the figures—some familiar, some strange—bustling about on deck.

He could see clearly the young man at the helm.

Caine Howard, heir to the Howard family, Auran’s youngest ever Admiral and Navy Commander, as well as the Imperial Lion whose name struck fear across the four seas.

In the Lady’s materials, each of these brilliant titles and awe-inspiring deeds was recorded with utmost clarity and detail. Richi naturally knew this man’s background, but what he cared about wasn’t these great achievements, but rather one particular identity.

That this young man was now the Golden-Eyed Devil’s first mate.

That was originally my position… but it doesn’t matter. After this chess match, everyone on that ship will die, and you’re certainly no exception.

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By then, the Mermaid will return to my hands.

Richi thought silently. Although the flood of lightning had receded, his blood-colored eyes remained bright, as if a violent fire of blood burned in their depths, determined to consume everything in its path.

On the lower deck of the Mermaid, in a narrow, warm room.

Bivis stood before the porthole, watching the rolling, surging sea—sometimes ink-black, sometimes illuminated by lightning—maintaining a deathly silence.

He had maintained this state for a long time, as if truly transformed into a wooden statue.

His white robe trailed far behind him, and the books and scrolls were no longer only on his desk but scattered throughout the room. Everything was so disorderly, as if he had returned to his time alone on the Victoria.

In fact, he was indeed alone at this moment, but not lonely.

“Alone” and “lonely” differ by just few letters, yet the difference is vast.

He stayed alone on the Mermaid, using his wisdom and tricks to maneuver and play chess with those people. He was isolated and vulnerable, possibly capsizing like a small boat at any moment, hence alone.

But he carried the Lady’s token, could sense her presence and will at all times, and had his beloved by his side. Even if cast into solid ice, he wouldn’t feel cold, thus not lonely.

Now, with Satin Island in sight and the Death Silence approaching, the chess game spanning hundreds of years would reach its conclusion. Yet this mermaid showed no sign of hope, awaiting only his move to meet destruction.

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With such a situation, who wouldn’t be delighted?

With this thought, the scholar’s mouth twisted into a grin. That smile was no longer awkward, nor forced in any way, but instead arrogant and unrestrained to the extreme. It was truly as Roy had once said—he bore the indelible mark of a pirate.

After all, he had never been a scholar, but rather Isaac Hedler, the first mate capable of playing chess with the devil.

At the top of the Acherousian Lighthouse.

The golden fire burned steadily, releasing light and heat, making it much warmer inside. In its illumination, even those mysterious, gloomy, and terrifying reliefs and murals softened considerably, even bringing a sense of warmth.

Confirming that the lighthouse fire was lit and the door to Satin Island was open, Roy sighed slightly in relief, with no intention of staying longer.

She released the siren’s hand and said softly: “You’re free.”

At some previous moment, though no unusual phenomenon had occurred, the captain still heard a crisp ring that seemed to be etched deep into her soul, like the sound of shackles breaking, or perhaps…

The end of the curse.

Although Roy didn’t possess the same great power as her ancestor, she too had been cursed by him and could sense this subtly.

Of course, this might also have been the devil’s original intention, his method to please her and simultaneously resolve Bivis’s psychological attack.

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Since the curse had been lifted and the invisible chains broken, the siren naturally regained her freedom and could leave the lighthouse, returning to the vast world.

So go, go as far away as possible, don’t let that devil catch you again.

The captain thought secretly, but to her surprise, what the young woman before her displayed wasn’t the joy of regained freedom or the daze of unexpected delight, but only bewilderment—complete confusion.

She suddenly remembered that the other couldn’t understand Auran.

With a gentle smile and shake of her head, Roy approached the arched window and cupped her hands together. Sensing her intention, Alfie swooped down to perch on her palms, briefly ruffling its rain-dampened feathers before lifting its gaze skyward to the impenetrable darkness above, as if seeking something beyond the veil of clouds.

In one fluid motion, the captain raised her arms and set the raven free. Alfie’s wings unfurled against the gloom as it ascended, swiftly vanishing into the intensifying downpour, its silhouette melting into the boundless night until nothing remained visible.

This simple yet profound gesture—a descendant of the devil releasing the bird to the endless sky—stood as a quiet testament to the power of freedom.

What had been confined could once again experience boundlessness; what had been caged could finally be set free.

In the devil’s hands lay captivity; in hers rests liberation.

Translator Note

What a beautiful scene