Captain – Chapter 454 – Eyes in the Heavens Above

Just as Mr. Rowell had said, even if some performances couldn’t fool anyone and lacked originality, they still had to be played out. The ship’s doctor, at the center of this charade, thoroughly agreed with this sentiment.

Thus, with his energetic “performance,” the warhorses they rode ran faster and faster, and the headwind grew increasingly bitter, to the point that even the captain no longer wished to question him.

Anyone who opened their mouth only to have it filled with wind would likely make the same choice.

The three galloped wildly, crossing vast fertile fields, passing through Hipalia’s seemingly undefended city gates, and racing recklessly for a long time on the deserted avenue before finally returning to the port.

Unlike the sparsely populated citadel, the port remained bustling even in the dead of night, filled with sailors loading and unloading cargo, and occasionally a few private soldiers patrolling among the crowds.

These poor souls who exchanged their labor for food had no opportunity to participate in the grand gathering.

In such a place, continuing on horseback became difficult.

So Anderson reined in his horse to a sudden stop, gave a meaningful look to the two behind him, then dismounted, took his cane, and without concern for whether the unattended warhorse might bolt, plunged into the sea of people without looking back.

This clearly implied that someone would take care of the horses.

Understanding the meaning of the ship doctor’s glance to “continue the act,” Roy pursed her lips, not bothering to fix her wind-tousled hair. She exchanged a glance with Caine and also dismounted to follow.

As for what “acting” entailed, it was simply playing hide and seek with the few patrolling soldiers in this vast plaza.

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This task required little skill, especially when the “seekers” were deliberately holding back. So before long, the three rendezvoused at the pier, boarded a wooden boat that had been waiting for a long time, and headed toward the warship.

Not long after the wooden boat entered the shadow cast by the warship, the Mermaid, which had remained as quiet as an ordinary merchant vessel for many days, finally weighed anchor and set sail, silently threading through the dense ship shadows toward the gap in the circular coastline. It reached the open sea without encountering any hindrance.

At this point, everyone, including Roy, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, compared to that brilliantly illuminated civilized metropolis, the lightless abyss of the great sea was the true home of all pirates.

“Alright, my dear young master, stop putting on that pitiful act. I’m the real victim here, okay?”

Looking at the ship’s doctor who, since boarding, had deliberately acted meek, following her wherever she went, the captain pointed at her own face and said irritably, feeling it was utterly ridiculous.

Earlier, on the small boat, with her excellent “interrogation” skills, the young woman had successfully pried open Anderson’s mouth, allowing her to penetrate to the core of this farce and witness the entire process of his self-directed performance.

To call it self-directed wasn’t entirely accurate.

Because this performance was more under Mr. Rowell’s control, although the family head seemed to have maintained silence from beginning to end.

But on one point, Roy wouldn’t wrong the ship’s doctor.

That was his so-called consideration over those two days, which was purely fabricated to fool people. And what infuriated her most was that his main purpose wasn’t even to move her.

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“Well, actually, I just wanted to leave an impression of being considerate to others in Emily’s heart.”

Upon hearing the ship doctor’s explanation, delivered in a particularly matter-of-fact tone, the young woman almost wanted to push him overboard. In the end, she grudgingly spared him only because of his promise that “although I don’t know why the old man changed his attitude, he shouldn’t freeze my… our funds.”

But seeing that the captain was still displeased after returning to the Mermaid, the ship’s doctor, knowing he was in the wrong, became like a piece of chewing gum, clinging to the young woman and begging for forgiveness until she protested in exasperation.

“Yes, yes, yes, I’m in your debt, Captain. I’ve been thinking of how to make it up to you or let you vent your anger.”

Seeing that the usually dignified ship’s doctor had even resorted to using honorifics, Roy gave him a withering look: “No need for that. If you’re truly sincere, just offer your face so I can punch it.”

Looking at the captain’s raised fist, realizing she was genuinely annoyed, Anderson left with a quick “Well, let’s not do that,” and vanished in an instant, clearly not believing his “delicate” cheek could withstand this little monster’s punch. It was better to avoid provoking her for now.

Having finally driven away the ship’s doctor, Roy sighed lightly, turned, and came to the mermaid figurehead at the bow, standing in her most frequent position, gripping the railing while gazing into the distance, her hands unconsciously tightening.

Unlike usual, at this moment, neither the familiar scenery, the slightly salty sea breeze, nor the singing of the crew members and the sound of flapping wings from the two little creatures frolicking overhead could calm her heart. That feeling of being watched rose again in her mind.

From now on, it would be impossible to shake off.

The Mermaid sailed south according to plan. It would take less than half a month to leave the Federation’s territorial waters. After ensuring no spies were following, they would turn westward, heading toward the terrifying Triangle. The Taranhof would be waiting to meet them outside.

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By all rights, after overcoming the hurdle of the Anderson family, everything should proceed smoothly.

As long as they disappeared into the vast sea, even someone like the Great Captain couldn’t track down the Mermaid’s whereabouts, let alone intercept them. This would be even more true once they entered the Death Silence Triangle.

But why… did she feel uneasy?

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood today?”

Shortly after driving away the ship’s doctor, another “piece of chewing gum” arrived.

Although Caine had been handling route-related matters for some time after boarding, it didn’t mean he was completely unconcerned about the young woman’s situation. After observing most of her interactions with Anderson, he knew without having to judge that she must have something on her mind.

Normally, her anger over the ship doctor’s minor discourtesies would have dissipated by now. After all, it was at most a small error of toying with one’s superior, without causing any major trouble.

Without turning her face to look at him, the young woman continued to stare ahead, where the Southern Islands lay at the horizon.

“I’ve told you before, Caine, my intuition has never been reliable, far inferior to that little troublemaker’s, and the big mistake I made on the Ice Sea precisely confirms this point. But for some reason…”

“I feel this time I might not be wrong.”

Looking at the young woman’s profile and her eyes that appeared somewhat dim against the backdrop of the night, the first mate guessed what she was about to say. After a moment of silence, he feigned lightheartedness: “You said yourself your intuition isn’t reliable, so why keep thinking about it? In my opinion, you’re just scaring yourself again.”

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“No, this time is different.”

Thinking the first mate didn’t believe her, Roy turned around to face him directly, looking into his azure eyes: “I have a feeling that ever since we returned from the Lady’s place, there have been a pair of eyes in the sky watching us. Because of this, everything started to feel wrong.”

“I think you…”

After hearing these words and seeing the flickering in the young woman’s eyes, Caine couldn’t help but reach out his hand to feel her forehead, wondering if she had caught a cold and was feverish. Ever since they had left the Anderson estate not long ago, her emotions seemed somewhat off, though he had initially thought he was overthinking it.

Now it seemed something was indeed wrong, but it wasn’t the circumstances—it was her.

Blocking the first mate’s hand, Roy said with slight anger: “I’m telling the truth, why even you…”

“Alright, I believe you, I believe you. Is that okay?”

Before the captain could finish, the first mate, under the widened eyes of her and the surrounding crew members, bent down and scooped her up in his arms, in a pose that looked just like a princess carry from fairy tales.

“But first, you need a good night’s rest.”

Translator Note

Caine and his pirate Barbie