Captain – Chapter 432 – Messenger

That slender clock tower, similar to the Acherousian Lighthouse that served as a prison, was also named after a deity—specifically, Rhea, the Mother Goddess of Earth.

The Ria Clock Tower stood at the front of the central street, facing outward toward the inner lake and beyond the gap in the ring of islands to that unpredictably changing sea; facing inward, it overlooked the entire mighty city, presumably representing watchfulness.

Like other buildings in the city, the Ria Clock Tower was also ivory white throughout, with countless strange stones inlaid between the almost invisible seams, capable of reflecting all light.

As the seasons changed and the sun, stars, and moon shifted, the scenery it presented was completely different, just as it was now brilliant with starlight.

And amidst the changing colors, the ancient clock moved steadily, telling tales of time immemorial.

It could be said that even looking across the world, past, present, and future, this miraculous clock tower would certainly stand at the pinnacle of art.

Because of its fame, magnificent views, and how it attracted the gaze of outsiders first entering Hipalia, the Ria Clock Tower had always been a popular destination for tourists and city residents alike.

Therefore, even though they had reached the vicinity of the clock tower, Roy and Caine still couldn’t enter because there were simply too many people ahead of them.

Perhaps to protect the ancient monument, the number of people allowed to ascend the tower at once was strictly controlled by soldiers at the entrance, limited to thirty or fewer. What was more curious was that there was no time limit for viewing once inside.

Upon learning this rule, the captain, with her weak sense of public morality, was quite puzzled. She thought that if thirty people stayed inside without leaving, wouldn’t the tourists outside have to wait forever?

“Generally, such a situation doesn’t occur. Even if it does, it’s extremely rare… people of rather poor quality.”

Learning of the young woman’s confusion, Caine explained thus.

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Feeling that the first mate’s explanation, although calm, seemed to implicitly point at her, the captain glared at him unceremoniously.

“What do you mean by that?”

Hearing the young woman’s questioning, Caine merely shrugged, not responding immediately. Just before she became increasingly displeased, he reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling them slightly closer together.

Startled by this sudden “attack,” when Roy came to her senses, she found an elderly gentleman walking hurriedly past with his head lowered, passing through the exact spot where she had been standing before.

If Caine hadn’t pulled her aside, she would likely have been bumped into head-on by that person.

Sure enough, just moments after Roy moved aside, the elderly gentleman collided with a younger man further back, instantly causing considerable disorder in the crowd.

“How would I dare to implicitly criticize you, Captain? Isn’t this what you wanted to know?”

Looking at the small commotion in the crowd, the captain hadn’t yet understood the full cause when the first mate’s deep, slightly magnetic voice sounded in her ear, accompanied by a warm breath brushing past.

That slight tingling sensation made her whole body tremble slightly. Roy widened her eyes a bit, turning to look directly into those blue eyes so close to her, tentatively saying: “You’re… you’re acting strange today.”

“Hmm?”

Hearing the first mate’s questioning nasal sound, the captain moved even closer, practically burying her face in his chest, then questioned like a thief: “Be honest, did you suddenly have regrets?”

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“Regrets about what?”

The elderly gentleman stumbled to his feet, clearly having taken a hard fall. His package had fallen to the ground, its contents fully exposed.

Looking past the young woman’s hair at the colorful powders contained in transparent containers within the package, Caine guessed something, slightly furrowing his brow while instinctively responding to the young woman in his arms.

Tilting her head slightly upward, similarly “attacking” the young man’s neck with warm breath, Roy said softly: “Regretting that thing, you know. I still remember how firmly you refused back then.”

“To suddenly act like this on the street today, have you finally…”

Just hearing the first sentence, Caine was somewhat confused, but upon hearing the mischief hidden in the captain’s words and her now blatant insinuation, he finally disregarded the commotion and directly pushed her head down forcefully.

“Mmph…”

With her head pushed into his chest, Roy naturally couldn’t continue speaking, only able to make a muffled sound before forcefully breaking free from the young man’s hand.

And before escaping the first mate’s embrace, she didn’t forget to leave him a mark.

“Are you trying to suffocate me?”

Forcefully pushing Caine away, the young woman bared her teeth like a provoked little beast, fiercely asking, faint crimson visible between her teeth.

“I just didn’t want you, Captain, to continue acting crazy in this public place, saying things… that can’t be brought to light and would damage your reputation.”

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Rubbing the spot below his collarbone where he’d been bitten, the first mate inhaled sharply, then spoke with a cold and serious face, showing no sign of reflection.

“Hey, you…”

Roy pointed at the young man’s nose, the picture of someone gritting their teeth in anger.

Just as the two were about to enter their daily routine of arguments, they were interrupted by a sudden exclamation behind the young woman, along with increasingly serious chaos. They could also hear some arguing and footsteps.

Turning around with slight confusion, the captain found that the elderly gentleman had long disappeared, leaving only an old package, while the young man who had been bumped into and the observing crowd were agitated, with even soldiers arriving.

“What’s… going on here?”

Hearing the young woman’s bewildered self-questioning, the first mate stepped forward to her side, then as if nothing had happened, wrapped his arm around her waist, nodding toward the package: “Inside should be hallucinogens.”

“Hallucinogens?”

Not minding the first mate’s small gesture, Roy softly repeated the term, then raised her eyebrows slightly, saying: “So that old man was a smuggler, and he was trading these contraband items?”

The purpose of hallucinogens need not be explained; as the name suggests, they cause people to fall into hallucinations. Depending on the dosage, they can be used for pleasure or to knock people out, though they also have some medicinal value.

But whether in the Empire or the Federation, such drugs were nationalized and absolutely prohibited outside, with no circulation allowed.

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Due to their rarity, there were black-hearted merchants who smuggled hallucinogens for profit. The elderly gentleman from earlier was presumably such a person.

“I think that’s about right. That person probably thought he could trade more safely by taking advantage of the limited number of people at this clock tower. I wonder if those soldiers checked too strictly, preventing him from slipping through.”

After hearing the first mate’s analysis, Roy added: “Or perhaps the deal was already completed, and he was too excited, or too impatient? Anyway, this trouble has nothing to do with us.”

“Let’s just queue properly. That’s what you get for entering a civilized capital, right?”

The disturbance caused by the elderly gentleman was just a small interlude. After the soldiers confiscated the package, order was restored outside the clock tower.

As the hands of the clock moved, time flowed like water, but the people waiting outside showed no signs of impatience on their faces.

Of course, the captain was not among these people.

The clock hands had moved who knows how many times, and the people coming and going had changed several rounds when, with the young woman’s exclamation of “Finally, it’s our turn,” the two followed the flow of people and disappeared behind the somewhat dark entrance.

What they didn’t know was that the old butler who had just met with them and seemed to have left long ago was now hidden in the crowd, silently watching them, his face showing no emotion.

And at his side, a person stood with lowered head, never once looking up. Judging by his attire, he must be a messenger.

Only, it wasn’t clear where he came from.