Captain – Chapter 375 – The Final Question

“I’m not stupid, Ancestor.”

Gazed upon by those eyes containing bizarre magical power, Roy momentarily lost her focus, feeling as if her thoughts and intentions were completely transparent.

But upon regaining her senses, she showed no surprise on her face, only speaking softly.

At this moment, the divine light in the Devil’s eyes dissipated. He frowned slightly, slowly leaning back into the soft high-backed chair.

He remained silent for a long time before murmuring: “Why?”

He was asking the young woman, but also himself.

The “why” referred to Roy’s gentle words, her intentions, and equally to his inexplicable failure.

The Devil had just used his great power to see through everything about the young woman—her body, her thoughts, even her immediate past.

She had indeed obtained that wooden carving from Isaac, but he couldn’t find any trace of it anywhere.

The wooden carving simply wasn’t on her person.

There could be only one explanation.

From the beginning, the young woman had guessed that the carving was key to everything, guessed that he would inevitably be tempted and… act on that impulse.

One thought from the Devil would generate great power.

In such a situation, she would have no power to prevent him, nor could she keep the wooden carving.

Therefore, she simply hadn’t brought it.

“Because I didn’t know how you would react to the temptation of that key.”

Reαd οո KαtReaԁіոɡCαfе

Roy calmly said: “I didn’t dare, couldn’t risk it. So even knowing it would displease you, I still left it on the ship.”

Looking at it now, this decision was correct.

The young woman didn’t say these words, but the Devil could sense it from her demeanor.

“Child, isn’t giving it to me your best option?”

The Devil didn’t show anger; even his furrowed brow relaxed. He said with an ambiguous smile: “This way, you would no longer need to worry about these troublesome matters. Wouldn’t that be good?”

He wasn’t wrong.

The wooden carving falling into his hands wouldn’t be a bad thing for the young woman.

Once he broke the seal and achieved divinity, everything would end. This game of chess that had continued for hundreds of years would finally conclude.

And at that time, would he harm the young woman, turn his back on her?

No, quite the opposite.

With the great matter concluded, between him and her, there would be no more entanglement of interests, no more need to guess each other’s intentions or engage in overt and covert struggles—only the purest kinship would remain.

By then, all her requests, even her dreams, could be realized.

Wouldn’t this… be the most perfect ending?

“Ancestor, you know, before coming here, I hadn’t decided whether to choose you.”

The young woman apologetically said, though this was just a tactful way of speaking. From the beginning, her heart had already turned away from him.

Rеαԁ οո KαtRеаԁinɡСαfе

But now there seemed to be a change, though its genuineness was uncertain.

“In fact, even now, I still haven’t made up my mind.”

Roy looked directly into the Devil’s eyes, saying: “I want to wait until the final moment, until First Mate Isaac reveals his intentions, before making the clearest choice.”

“Just as you hoped.”

Hearing this, the Devil narrowed his eyes slightly, remained silent for a long time, then said indifferently: “Very well.”

This matter was considered settled.

Whether it was the young woman’s initial choice, her wariness and caution toward him, or his triggering of her bloodline, seeing through her everything with a glance…

It was all in the past; from now on, they would only look forward.

This was the consensus reached between them.

So the Devil continued on the matter of the magical box: “Since you have obtained the wooden carving, what follows isn’t complicated. You just need to find some way to destroy it.”

“Destroy it?”

Roy was slightly stunned, then asked in confusion: “But didn’t you say it was the key to the magical box? If destroyed, how can the box be opened?”

After all, the magical box wasn’t a lock that could be picked, nor did it have a keyhole for inserting a wire. Once the key was gone, it might never be opened again.

“The magical box is like a cabinet, locking within it immense magical power. Once opened, the magic will disperse into the world and be used again by a deity.”

The Devil explained unhurriedly: “And my ability to absorb that power relies on the deity’s tear within the wooden carving.”

Since Isaac had already given the wooden carving to the young woman, he naturally would have introduced it, presumably not omitting this crucially important tear.

Read oո KatReaⅾinɡСafе

This way, the Devil could save some words.

“It’s a medium. Only through that tear can I transform and assimilate the power of the magical box, ultimately claiming it as my own.”

“Now, I am trapped on a lonely island, caught in a seal, with all my perceptions suppressed. Thus, that wooden carving constraining the tear has become my shackle.”

“So, I need you to break that shackle.”

Reaching the crucial point, the Devil said seriously: “Then, drop that tear onto the magical box, and I will sense the magical power through it, completing the final ritual.”

“But Ancestor, that’s a deity’s tear.”

After listening, Roy couldn’t help but remind him, feeling that since it was the Lady’s tear, how could it serve him if freed from its shackle?

Hearing this, the Devil smiled dismissively: “Yes, a deity’s tear, but the question is, how much divinity does she have left now?”

The young woman thought for a moment, feeling this was indeed the case.

Her ancestor was now close to divinity, while Lady Annisdora was as weak as a mortal. In a contest for a momentary advantage across the vast sea, she might not win.

Even though the tear originated from her, who knew if her ancestor had means to restrict it?

“Stripped of great power, unwilling to leave, merely trapped in a mortal body—such a deity is no different from mortals.”

Edward added indifferently, seemingly reassuring the young woman, yet also mocking the Lady.

In fact, even he didn’t understand what that deity was thinking.

Deities are lofty and absolutely detached.

Rеаԁ oո KαtReаԁіոgСαfe

The victories and defeats of the mortal world, even life itself, were mere dust to her. The various emotions depicted in legends were nothing but empty talk.

Whether facing betrayal, deception, or exploitation, she would show no emotion, watching indifferently, not caring at all.

Even love was like this.

The Devil was also such an existence.

Therefore, he couldn’t understand why she hadn’t left, why she still contested with him, continuing the struggle for hundreds of years.

What meaning does this have for you?

With this thought, the Devil couldn’t help but sigh, feeling some weariness: “Child, this is the method to break the seal. I wish you success. As for that gift you mentioned…”

“Regardless of how you choose, it will end along with this matter.”

If he won, the divine gift would be withdrawn.

If the Lady won, the curse would also dissipate.

So you needn’t worry about this. Go, end it all, end this long, boring, wearisome struggle.

Draw the final period, regardless of the outcome.

Tucking the not-so-large sea chart at her waist and taking the magical box from the table, Roy pushed back her chair and stood up, but didn’t leave immediately.

She still stood at the table, a bitter, desolate smile appearing at the corner of her mouth: “Ancestor, I…”

“Have one last question.”