Captain – Chapter 349 – Words and Thunder

The sounds of pouring wine, drinking, and praising the wine in the room continued in cycles without stopping, until that bottle of expensive red wine was completely consumed, bringing the session to an end.

Of course, almost all the wine was drunk by Richi.

Vivian had only tasted a shallow layer, tossed out a comment that it was “nothing special,” and never touched what was a treasure in the drinker’s mouth again.

“That felt good, at least better than hot milk.”

Looking at the empty crystal glass, the young man clicked his tongue with some dissatisfaction. His somewhat sickly pale face was covered with a light pink flush, yet he didn’t appear particularly intoxicated.

“Back then, did you… really listen to her so obediently?”

Knowing the “story” about milk and bread, Vivian instinctively pictured Roy’s face in her mind and asked with complex emotions.

In her view, to possess such courage and decisiveness, to open fire on the Mermaid amidst storms and above whirlpools, he could already be considered at the pinnacle among pirates.

Even among the captains chosen by the Lady, few could compare to him.

That such a figure would, because of that person’s single word, obediently change his breakfast from the most popular pirate fare of smoked meat and rum to hazelnut bread and hot milk seemed truly incredible, even laughable.

But from this, one could also see his deep feelings for that person.

That’s why the young woman’s emotions were so complex, mingled with a vague fear of that person, anger born from fear, slight mockery of Richi’s such behavior, and…

An inexplicable sourness.

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What exactly was this feeling?

Vivian didn’t know where this feeling came from or what it meant. She only felt that her heart, which had been deathly silent for countless ages, was now in turmoil, great turmoil.

“About that…”

His memories of the past stirred, the young man shook his head with a faint smile and explained: “I was still young back then, and most things were decided by her. I was only responsible for execution or… killing, so I didn’t have many opinions of my own.”

“When she said something, I naturally did as told.”

At this point, Richi shrugged and said: “Besides, she wasn’t wrong. Drinking milk and having a varied diet is indeed beneficial for growth. This is scientifically proven.”

Despite that, you don’t seem to have grown much taller.

Hearing his explanation, Vivian’s emotions settled somewhat, no longer a tangled mess, but soon another thought emerged.

The young man was indeed not tall, barely matching her height.

“That’s because I was malnourished as a child. No matter how much I compensated later, it couldn’t be fully recovered.”

Sensing the meaning conveyed in her eyes, Richi’s somewhat pale eyebrows raised, like a tiger whose whiskers had been teased, not particularly pleased.

“I’ve seen your past, so I understand even less.”

Knowing that height was a kind of taboo for him, just as the “scholar” was for the Lady, Vivian lowered her eyes and naturally changed the subject.

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What couldn’t she understand? Naturally, it was still that betrayal.

Richi’s past was miserable, yet also ordinary, not much different from countless children in the world who opened their eyes only to see the empty blue sky.

Not knowing the appearance, whereabouts, or even whether his parents were alive or dead, relying on begging and black market labor to get through each day, using all his strength just to stay alive—children like this could be seen everywhere, even in the incredibly wealthy Federation and Empire.

Their futures were also exceedingly clear and cruel.

Some would die prematurely on the path to adulthood, while others would grow up in a daze, and like those illiterate wanderers full of crude language, spend the rest of their lives accomplishing nothing.

Compared to the former, the latter could be considered fortunate.

Only an extremely small number, so few they could almost be ignored, would encounter and seize heaven-sent opportunities, break free from their shackles, and walk a completely different path.

Richi was one of them.

He met another similarly destitute youth, and quite unexpectedly, or perhaps as destined, became his companion—no, more than that, even closer.

They relied on each other for survival, moving forward together.

During this time, because he was younger and physically weak, it was that youth who cared for him and arranged his life. Later, before he could even help much, he was fortunate enough, thanks to the other’s connection, to be taken aboard the Mermaid by Red Beard.

Thus, the course of fate completely changed.

Whether viewed from the perspective of gratitude or a familial-like emotional bond, he had no reason to betray that person, let alone, after regaining life, once again choose to walk a path opposing her.

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Why was this? And why would the Lady be willing to trust you?

You clearly… had sworn that oath.

Vivian was very curious about this, but because of Richi’s pirate identity, and after seeing the intelligence reports about him, she couldn’t understand the reasons behind his choices or his true intentions. Therefore, she had remained vigilantly wary of him.

But now, having witnessed his merciless opening of fire on the Mermaid, and with some unknown emotion stirring in her heart, the young woman’s suspicion of the person before her had diminished considerably. Yet she still didn’t understand this question, which is why she asked about it.

Richi fell silent, as if touched somewhere in his heart by this question.

“Because I want to become someone like her.”

The young man was quiet for too long. Just when Vivian thought she wouldn’t get an answer and was about to change the subject, his slightly hoarse voice finally rose slowly.

I want to become you.

This was the answer he gave in response to Roy’s questioning when the Captain’s Duel on the Mermaid was nearing its end, as he was gradually sinking into deep slumber.

The young woman knew this answer.

When the Lady was looking back at the past, she had been standing beside the crystal ball, personally witnessing that duel devoid of any hot-blooded sentiment, left only with desolation. She had heard all the conversations between Richi and Roy, including this sentence.

But… what kind of reason was this?

Vivian couldn’t understand, and perhaps no one who had seen that battle or heard the legendary stories of the Golden-Eyed Devil and the Blood-Eyed Butcher could understand.

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“But this is the reason.”

Knowing the young woman’s thoughts, Richi recalled the scenes that occurred on that rainy night, a warm smile appearing at the corners of his mouth as he whispered.

Yes, this was the reason.

A reason that no one in the world could understand, yet the Captain heard it and immediately comprehended his intention, accepting it with gratification and even delight.

It had nothing to do with schemes or plots, nothing to do with the young man’s rebellious phase, nothing to do with those crew members or the Captain’s position on the Mermaid, nothing to do with anyone or anything…

It only concerned you and me.

Just between the two of us.

Watching the smile at the corners of the young man’s mouth, Vivian lowered her eyes again shortly after raising them. That strange feeling emerged once more from the depths of her heart, and so her voice grew considerably colder: “I can’t understand, but I remember you said you would never betray her again, so why…”

“What betrayal? It’s merely a different choice.”

Interrupting the young woman with words similar in meaning to what the “Old Pirate” had expressed, Richi looked at Vivian’s eyes, sensing the surprise born in those blood-red pupils and the terrifying colors rapidly gathering like storm clouds thereafter. The smile on his face gradually disappeared.

His next words were spoken with utmost seriousness, shocking like a thunderclap.

“If not for this, why would I have agreed to the Lady’s request?”