Captain – Chapter 379 – What If?

The “opening fire” the youth mentioned was naturally those two shots in the rainy whirlpool, with timing and trajectory judgments precise to the extreme.

But perhaps the truth was even more shocking.

“You hit me earlier because of this, right? But Captain, you should be able to tell I held back.”

Shifting his gaze back to the captain’s face, the youth calmly explained: “I shot through the dungeon level, the impact wouldn’t be significant.”

Those two ghostly glowing cannonballs had no explosive capacity and only shattered the rear of the bottom cabin, causing damage that was nearly negligible.

But… more crucially, there was that ghostly fire.

If not for the Siren’s help, that difficult-to-extinguish ghost fire would absolutely have consumed all life aboard the Mermaid.

That was the true killing move, and also what Vivian and the water ghosts had plotted.

“That fire doesn’t spread quickly. Starting from the bottom cabin, it would probably take quite some time to completely engulf the Mermaid.”

Seeing Roy still looking at him like an “ungrateful wretch,” Richi guessed her thoughts and spread his hands, saying.

“No matter how slow, there’s still an end.”

The captain countered the youth’s “sophistry” with words Caine had spoken.

“Captain, you can’t look at the problem that way.”

Richi wasn’t discouraged and said leisurely: “According to my calculations, you would have at least eight hours before supplies were consumed.”

“By then, the Death Silence would have been forced to retreat, and the Mermaid would have no external enemies in the short term, only needing to find a way to resolve the internal threat.”

“And if…”

The youth lifted his face slightly, saying softly: “In such a long time, you still couldn’t figure out a way to extinguish the fire, then you might as well surrender.”

Hearing his indifferent tone, Roy frowned slightly. Though somewhat uncomfortable, she didn’t refute.

Because he was right.

“Captain, the Mermaid can’t flee forever.”

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Richi explained flatly: “Whether in the process of seeking, fighting for the magical box, or fleeing with it, you would eventually be caught by the hunter.”

Without the Devil’s arrangements, with the Lady’s miracles descending again, the Death Silence’s speed would once more surpass the Mermaid’s.

Thus, the Mermaid would eventually have to face the hunter.

And if they couldn’t even solve the problem of the ghostly fire, the Mermaid would have no chance of victory, not even able to prevent the opponent’s advance.

On this icy sea, a warship is both an isolated island and a vessel carrying hope.

If the Mermaid were destroyed, or its people forced to abandon ship, it would mean abandoning hope, and even the fruits of battle, making it no better than surrender.

But those water ghosts wouldn’t accept surrender.

“Moreover, I don’t believe that just with that small fire, you would be at a loss, or that Captain Edward’s calculations would fail.”

Saying this, the youth smiled: “Just thinking about it seems unrealistic, doesn’t it?”

Yes, unrealistic.

The Death Silence had been searching for followers for the Lady on the sea, punishing evildoers for hundreds of years; the Devil couldn’t possibly not know of its existence.

Knowing this, how could he not have made preparations?

Looking at it now, not just the young dragon, but even the Siren at the ice tower was one of the Devil’s preparations.

He had already calculated that the young woman wouldn’t be willing to kill the Siren, and what choice the Siren would make after gaining freedom.

With the sea creature’s magic, the Death Silence’s fire would naturally extinguish.

One link after another, truly without flaws.

Roy silently sighed, no longer thinking about her ancestor, and instead said: “But there’s always a possibility, what if the fire wasn’t extinguished?”

She wanted to ask what he would do if she truly lost.

“You’re not stupid. If the fire couldn’t be extinguished, would you stay on the ship waiting to die?”

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Seemingly dissatisfied with the captain’s “persistence,” Richi pursed his lips and said: “The Mermaid has lifeboats, after all.”

“But after escaping, where could we go?”

Roy persisted, still clinging to this question, determined to get to the bottom of it.

“But the fire was extinguished, wasn’t it?”

“I said, what if.”

Hearing this, the youth smiled wryly and said: “Since when did you become so stubborn?”

The captain didn’t speak, just quietly looked at him.

It wasn’t really stubbornness.

Being able to see the little bastard again, her feelings were complex, but the joy within was absolutely genuine.

But then she learned he was working for the Lady.

So that terrible feeling of being betrayed by the youth, which had seemingly faded, surged in her heart again.

Therefore, she had to know, had to hear him say it himself: in that situation, who would he choose?

Me, or the Lady.

Perhaps this was also possessiveness at work.

“Why must there be a choice, Captain? You know I’m worst at making choices.”

Richi lowered his head slightly, reaching out to stroke the quietly lying cat, feeling its puzzled gaze, and couldn’t help but smile.

He wasn’t good at making choices, and Roy knew this. So back on the Mermaid, important decisions were always made by her.

Even after he betrayed her, most affairs were handled by Cassius.

Until she came back, he began learning to make choices, and finally…

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Chose her.

So this time, would it be any different?

After the youth fell silent, the captain seemed to recall many past events—the good ones, the bad ones, the experiences they had faced together.

She didn’t want to put him in a difficult position and didn’t ask further.

The room fell into a brief silence.

“You will… be fine.”

Suddenly, Richi broke the silence, his expression gentle as he spoke.

The captain gazed at the youth’s face, no longer boyish yet still childlike, her mood softening slightly, finally feeling as if she had let something go.

In the time since he left… left forever, she rarely mentioned him, rarely even thought of him, but that didn’t mean she had forgotten.

She just kept it in her heart, deep in her heart, hidden very, very deeply.

It seemed that regarding his departure, departure in any sense, she understood, she supported, but could never come to terms with it.

Perhaps… only time could dilute it.

That was Roy’s thought at that time.

Until now, when he incredibly returned, came before her, and then said these words.

She could finally let go.

Not because of time flowing like water, not because she knew regret was useless, but because he had finally…

Come back to her side.

“Since I woke up, met with the Lady, and learned about these things and her intentions, I’ve had an agreement with her.”

Richi’s slightly hoarse voice no longer sounded detached and cold, but warmer: “I can agree to her request, but…”

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“She has to spare one life, your life.”

The youth looked at the captain and said gently: “From beginning to end, the Lady’s target has always been just the magical box, not you.”

Hearing this, Roy blinked, temporarily suppressing the relief and warmth in her heart, and moved the magical box in her hand a bit farther away.

“Let me state first, little…”

Thinking for a moment, the young woman changed her wording: “Richi, if you want to come back, I can welcome you, though I don’t know what the crew will think.”

But that wasn’t important either. For pirates, being enemies one moment and friends the next was common.

As long as she gave the word, as long as the little bastard could make up for his actions in the coming events, keeping him wouldn’t be difficult.

“But, the magical box, I will absolutely not give to the Lady.”

“Look at what you’re saying. Since I’ve come to see you openly, how could I be thinking of robbing… stealing your things?”

Richi explained helplessly, thinking to himself that trying to steal something from a monster like Captain Roy would be too fantastical.

“Really?”

Roy still doubted, feeling that this seemingly obedient youth, whose level of roguishness matched her own, wasn’t very honest.

“Really.”

The youth said flatly: “Not just the magical box, I don’t even care about the outcome of this matter, just treating it as a game.”

“With that attitude… aren’t you afraid the Lady will punish you?”

Despite being Roy, she couldn’t help but be speechless at his irresponsible attitude. After a moment, she asked somewhat awkwardly.

Though you’ve always been this way, at least she gave you new life. Aren’t you afraid of angering the Lady and being thrown back into hell?

“What’s there to fear?”

The youth smiled indifferently and said: “You should know that the Lady, our divine majesty, cares even less than I do.”