Captain – Chapter 453 – Bird Escaping the Iron Cage

No one could have imagined that Victor Varen, the former marksman of the Mermaid, would attend the Anderson family gathering, let alone appear in the most central area.

This indicated that he was also viewed as one of the most important guests, perhaps even comparable to Sand Fox.

The words spoken to him by the family head implied numerous earth-shattering undercurrents hidden in the shadows. If Roy could have heard them, no, even if she had merely glimpsed from afar this crew member who had gone to Providence standing alongside Mr. Rowell, she would likely have deduced everything in advance.

She would have foreseen that massive hand extending from the depths of the islands, capable of blocking half the world’s sun.

Unfortunately, she could not see it.

“You are correct.”

Taking the letter handed over by the family head, the young man said expressionlessly: “The Great Captain sent me here to use my eyes to see whether my former captain has any intention of settling down.”

“But in my opinion, this is completely unnecessary.”

“Oh?”

Hearing this, Mr. Rowell turned to look at the large lake in front of the mansion, watching the light and shadows reflected in it, and asked with interest: “Mr. Victor, why do you hold such a view?”

“It’s simple.”

Looking at the unsigned envelope in his hand, Victor said flatly: “Because this is an obvious play. Anyone involved can more or less guess the other’s thoughts.”

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“Roy knows the Great Captain won’t let her act recklessly, and the Great Captain is even more aware of her usual behavior. In his eyes, and in the eyes of many, the Golden-Eyed Devil has never been an obedient child.”

“So, there was never anything to discuss from the beginning, and my trip was inevitably wasted.”

After checking the envelope and confirming there were no visible flaws, the young man handed it to the raven.

This raven, named Carlos, was the Great Captain’s beloved pet and had accompanied him for who knows how long. In the eyes of those who knew that man, Carlos had been by his side since he appeared on the world stage, serving as his spokesperson when he was too lazy to speak or move.

Incidentally, the reason Roy chose Alfie as her pet was also because she had seen this raven that frequently spoke for the Great Captain, thinking that having such a gloomy and terrifying bird as a pet would both facilitate issuing orders and maximize the display of her authority.

However, she hadn’t anticipated that the intelligent raven she had painstakingly found at the bird market would have a temperament vastly different from Carlos, often undermining her instead.

“Yes, disobedient.”

As if agreeing with the young man’s assessment, Carlos said darkly, then made several sounds like low laughter before taking the envelope from Victor’s hand. Without needing any signal, it spread its wings and disappeared into the night.

It flew in exactly the same direction that Roy and the others had gone.

Only when the sound of the raven’s wings could no longer be heard did Rowell withdraw his gaze from the lake to look at Victor, who was still gazing into the night, and smile: “Sir, your insight is truly penetrating. However, even if both sides understand each other perfectly and the performance lacks any novelty, it still must be played out.”

“After all, being close relations, it’s inappropriate not to leave some room for maneuver.”

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“I naturally understand the family head’s reasoning.”

Patting the wooden railing he was leaning on, the young man sighed lightly: “It’s just that in the end, it’s always us who bear the burden.”

The “us” here referred to the supporting actors in this obvious play, like himself or Sand Fox.

“Having rushed here as soon as you received the news, it must have been exhausting. Now that matters are settled, do you plan to stay a few days and rest adequately before returning, or will you leave tomorrow?”

Hearing the family head’s gentle inquiry, Victor pushed away from the wooden railing and stood straight, looking at him calmly: “With this matter unfolding, the Southern Islands will soon be in turmoil. I’d trouble you to prepare a vessel, as I must depart tonight.”

“Indeed.”

As if having anticipated the other’s intentions, Rowell wasn’t surprised and didn’t offer any polite suggestions to stay longer. However, upon hearing that the islands would be in turmoil, his gaze sank slightly, and only after a long while did he sigh and say:

“I hope… no major trouble erupts.”

The winter wind hit their faces, feeling like countless ice blades, cutting their cheeks painfully.

Roy and her two companions rode jet-black warhorses along the marble-paved avenue at a rapid pace. As Theodore had said, there was not only no one coming to stop them, but not even a single figure could be seen until they approached the eastern gate, where some private soldiers became visible.

After passing another group of guards who stared into the distance like wooden posts, showing no reaction to the arrival of the three riders, the captain, looking toward the approaching city gate, called out to Anderson who was following closely at her side: “I must say, young master, this situation is too strange!”

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All along the way, she felt something was amiss.

Even if, as the ship’s doctor had said, the old butler was truly on his side and could settle most matters for him, with Sand Fox “diligently” occupying the family head’s attention, what they had seen along the way was too abnormal. It was as if everything had been arranged in advance, pushed forward by an invisible hand.

The sense of contrivance she “sniffed out” didn’t come from the old butler’s words about “clear roads,” but was formed by countless subtle clues woven together.

That letter delivered by the Federation Message Bureau, the inevitable conversation three days ago, the family head’s deliberate permissiveness, the problems encountered when planning the escape, and the perfectly timed solutions…

Looking back, each step seemed exactly like a play.

But this play involved too many people and too many matters. Even though the captain keenly sensed something unusual, she couldn’t articulate any specific analysis, not even discerning the primary from the secondary. She couldn’t even judge whether the protagonist of this farce was Anderson or…

Herself.

With this thought, the suppressed doubts in her heart erupted all at once. Roy felt that ever since arriving in Hipalia, no, since the ship’s doctor had proposed that plan, everything had started to feel wrong.

It was as if someone was guiding her from the shadows, just like when the devil had pulled the strings of her fate in the past.

As if a pair of eyes was watching her from the heavens.

Who was he, and why was he doing this to her?

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The captain’s thoughts raced, feeling as if she had caught onto something, with a faint light visible in the depths of her dark golden pupils, as if ready to burn through the unclear strands of the web on the difficult path ahead.

But this state was quickly interrupted.

“Captain, do you really think I’m stupid?”

The ship’s doctor, accustomed to a life of luxury, although skilled in the noble sport of “horsemanship,” was still wincing from the bone-chilling wind, shouting back: “Do you think I don’t know this is all the old man’s doing? I just didn’t want to say it to save face!”

“So you were acting for our benefit earlier?”

Hearing Anderson’s words, Roy glared at him fiercely, feeling he was jeopardizing their situation for the sake of his pride.

As the captain questioned him, the three had already ridden through the shadow cast by the city wall and arrived at the gate. The towering city gate had already been opened before their approach, and even the drawbridge had been lowered.

“No, I was acting for everyone to see!”

Taking the lead across the drawbridge, Anderson abandoned his previous suffering expression and laughed heartily.

Just like a bird escaping from an iron cage.