Captain – Chapter 388 – The Song of First Birth

Hopes are easily dashed.

No matter how urgently the raindrops fell or how violently the thunder roared, in the end, Isaac’s knife-holding hand did not strike down, but instead…

Fell back to his side.

The “old pirate” lowered his head, opening his eyes somewhat wearily, his brown eyes tinged with the marks of time, showing hints of fatigue.

He suddenly felt somewhat lonely.

After thousands of years, he had finally arrived here, wielding the curse-breaking blade. All he needed to do was raise his hand and strike down to make amends, to recover…

What?

What could he recover?

Those familiar yet blurred faces, the Siren blood that had dyed the sea deep, or the suffering his beloved had endured for countless years?

Nothing remained.

All had become bygone scenes.

Isaac unconsciously loosened his grip, and that abyss-black dagger flowed from his fingers like dark sand.

This pirate traitor, savior hero, one of the most remarkable figures in history, could now only stand with head bowed.

Standing alone.

Thinking about it now, since everything had become past events, why did he still persist until today, and why was he so determined to raise the knife just a moment ago?

Perhaps because of loneliness?

Because he felt that the people he was most familiar with and closest to in his life would surely appear before the end, would meet with him once more.

At that time, it should be quite lively, right?

They would converse, laugh, be affectionate, feel melancholic, and might even have a big argument, but… it should all be resolvable.

Even if not, seeing each other one more time would be good, even if it was the last time.

But reality proved he was wrong.

No matter how long he waited, they seemed unwilling to appear, unwilling to see him, whether deity or devil.

Why?

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Apart from the Devil and Roy, the “old pirate” was the third person to raise this question. He stood lonely in the wind and rain, lost and bewildered.

Edward is unwilling to see me, which could be said that he despises me or doesn’t care about me, but why… are you the same?

Are you still blaming me, Annisdora?

Isaac smiled bitterly. That fierce-looking face now showed wrinkles, adding a sense of age and desolation.

Many people have said that deities are detached from the world, lofty and aloof, not caring about anything non-infinite, any non-eternal emotions.

Not caring about anything in the world.

Even the “old pirate” himself had said the same when mentioning his beloved to Roy.

But he knew that wasn’t actually the case, at least not entirely.

Deities are rules, existences completely different from mortals. Theoretically, they shouldn’t possess any emotions, let alone feelings.

Tracing back to the origin, this statement isn’t wrong.

But the problem is, when deities manifest in the world in the form of plants, animals, or even human images, they will be influenced by their forms.

Even the slightest influence is enough to give birth to emotions within them.

Therefore, some deities love humanity, detest baseness, anger at blasphemy, and some even remain unwilling to leave because they like it here.

And Annisdora fell in love with him.

The wind and rain grew stronger, the thunder more violent, and lightning like woven cloth tore through the sky, as if to rip apart this world, like…

Divine wrath.

But was the deity truly angry?

The lullaby resonated throughout this place, the entire Mermaid had fallen into slumber, and Caine, standing at the distant side of the deck, was likewise asleep.

He had his eyes slightly closed, still holding that wooden carving as before.

Just after the “old pirate” asked that bitter question in his heart, the goddess statue held in the young man’s hands, which had remained quiet from the beginning, suddenly lit up with a hazy, holy radiance.

As the thread-like light stream dispersed, the wind and rain-filled world gradually became peaceful, as if a pair of hands had smoothed away the heavenly authority.

The rain sound softened, the thunder calmed, and thus the lullaby became clearer and more moving.

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Sensing the change in the wooden carving, after a long hesitation, Isaac finally turned around, his gaze passing over Roy’s shoulder, looking in that direction.

As if guided.

The light stream, following the gentle wind, carried by the fine rain, floated to the “old pirate’s” front, gently wrapping around his fingers, caressing his face.

Just like countless years ago, when they were together.

“Is that so? I thought… it was just my delusion.”

Feeling the warmth, listening to his beloved’s heart words, the grief on Isaac’s face lessened somewhat, and he smiled carefully.

Those words used to describe deities to others were also his own wishful thinking, words used to comfort himself.

But now, she had pierced through that fog, the fog that arose after she was trapped at the world’s end and he imprisoned himself on the Victoria.

The fog that had separated them for hundreds of years.

So… you truly don’t blame me.

Recalling during that time, what he had heard, her indifferent transmission that chilled his heart, Isaac silently recited, unable to help but tremble.

Then came regret, heart-wrenching regret.

For countless mistakes.

“My love…”

Even his voice carried a slight tremor, as the man, across the deep rain curtain, called inaudibly to the wooden carving at the end of the light stream.

Then, he received a response.

The same two words, my love.

Unconsciously, the “old pirate” took a step forward, then another, his pace slow but not particularly heavy.

With the deck’s rise and fall, he walked past the bow, passed the fore mast, following the direction connected by the light stream, walking toward the wooden carving.

During this time, he brushed past Roy, moving further away, without any intention of stopping to look back at her.

As if they were now standing on two different paths.

As if he had become a ghost in the ship.

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On the helm of the Mermaid.

The sea creature took in this scene completely, knowing her hopes had been dashed. If she continued to wait, everything would be irredeemable.

But what could she do?

Her wings had been broken by the Devil, her voice taken away. Apart from what he couldn’t take—the sea’s love for her—she had nothing left.

Moreover, there was blood hatred between her and the Devil. Now seeing everything slipping out of his control, his impending failure and even demise, why should she worry?

Isn’t this good?

Yes, this is good.

As if trying to convince herself, the Siren silently recited in her heart, her slightly hurried breathing gradually calming, the pallor that made her skin more bloodless slowly fading.

To avoid attracting that ghost’s attention, the young woman forced herself to look away, to look at the now peaceful sea, the ripples on the water.

To look at the world in the lullaby, at those sleeping people, at how they could set aside their worries and be carefree.

Then, she saw that young woman.

That young woman sleeping in the rain, lonely and dependent on no one, who awakened her and granted her freedom, who looked so resolute and strong…

Yet pitiable.

Devil’s descendant, near-divine child, possessing an almost perfect body, bearing boundless great power—each of these was a heaven-sent fortune.

But for her, these meant shackles, constraints, a miserable, dependent life, drifting like duckweed.

She seemed strong, yet seemed to never be able to control her destiny.

“Meow.”

Awakened by the cold cat’s call, the Siren turned her face slightly and saw the Siamese cat that had somehow approached her.

At this time, the self-proclaimed noble cat was lying on the wooden rail, its form extremely stable, raising its face interwoven with gray-white and deep black, looking at her with impatient eyes.

That look was like someone who had watched half a play, seen all the supporting roles, but still hadn’t seen the protagonist appear—urgency.

“Meow.”

It called again as if urging.

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Unlike Roy, Richi, and others, the Siren didn’t need to sense the Siamese cat’s meaning, but could truly understand its calls.

Like now, it was saying, since you think that girl is pitiful, why aren’t you helping her?

A bland call could express such complex meaning—for ordinary beings, this would be extremely difficult to imagine.

Perhaps the young dragon could do it, but a cat…

Although amazing, at this critical juncture, the young woman had no time to think about these things. She only slightly lowered her eyebrows, indicating she could do nothing.

What help could a sea creature unable to sing provide?

But for this fundamentally unsolvable problem, the cat seemed unconcerned. It licked its paws, groomed the fur on its face, then leisurely “meowed.”

This time, its expressed meaning wasn’t complex, just two words.

Try it.

Seeing this, the sea creature seemed to understand something. Her eyebrows lowered further, looking weak and pitiful, but there was no hesitation in her eyes.

Even the most delicate young woman has moments of strength.

Especially a Siren.

The young woman lightly touched her throat, took several deep breaths, until she confirmed that the emotions in her heart had completely receded, calm enough, then slowly closed her eyes.

At some point, the deep blue light points that had disappeared reappeared around the young woman, surrounding her, dancing gently and gracefully.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her lips finally parted.

But no sound came out, let alone a heavenly song.

Seeing this scene, the Siamese cat couldn’t help but widen its eyes, thinking perhaps it had guessed wrong, that the Devil’s arrangement wasn’t her?

Then could it be… me?

As it was thinking wildly, somewhat at a loss, the cat’s ears suddenly twitched.

An extremely low, slightly sharp sound with no trace of beauty arose, drifting amid the wind and rain, like the cry of a newborn infant.

Or like… a sound silent for a thousand years.

The Siren’s song.