Captain – Chapter 463 – The Path No One Has Trodden

“Sometimes I really don’t understand, child, why are you so… stubborn?”

In the instant the devil’s words fell, torrential rain poured down, striking the umbrella like a hail of bullets. With that sudden, rhythmless melody, this world came alive again.

Looking at Roy, who had raised her face slightly, staring at him like a small beast, the man sighed in frustration: “With your previous experiences, you should already be able to guess the truth of this grand dream, to see clearly the scenery at the end of this path. But why do you still want to…”

“Wake up?”

The devil’s voice gradually lowered, and by those final four words, it had intertwined with the sounds of wind and rain, making it difficult to discern whether he had truly said them. It was very much like half-real, half-illusory sleep talk.

“Are my reasons important?”

The captain spoke coldly, the indifference vaguely revealed in her tone was extremely inconsistent with her current age.

“Of course, child, at least to satisfy my curiosity.”

Hearing this, the troubled expression on the devil’s face vanished entirely, replaced once more with a frivolous smile.

The two faced each other in a gloomy, lightless world where even lightning was unwilling to appear. In their pupils, brilliant yet cold golden radiance shone, as if they were two undying ghosts, confronting each other with explosive tension at the end of time and space.

At this moment, they truly resembled father and son, or rather…

The same kind of being.

Devils.

Rеаԁ οո KαtRеаԁіոgCαfе

“That dead man knew the path ahead was treacherous, that even losing his life might not remove the curse you placed on me, but he still left, sailing toward that bottomless abyss.”

“First Mate Isaac knew he couldn’t change your mind, knew that even after waiting hundreds of years, what awaited him at the end might still be nothing. Yet when he left his beloved to enter the mysterious ship, he didn’t hesitate for a moment, not even looking back once.”

“Whether I know it or not, whether it concerns me or not, there are many such stories.”

Like those great people buried in ancient history, and the many more heroic souls who died at the devil’s hands.

Roy tilted her head slightly, examining the devil like a child, but that expression showed not a trace of innocence. There was only the cold-bloodedness that appears when a wild beast observes its prey’s throat.

“Their reasons are mine.”

While the captain explained the reasons for her choice, the man maintained silence throughout, and finally chuckled with emotion, as if even he was somewhat surprised by such an answer.

“Well, a very persuasive speech.”

As if deliberately treating the soul in the small body before him like a child, the devil smiled, praising her with great approval, and then, holding that small hand which had gradually changed from cold to scorching, led this “stubborn” descendant forward.

Standing there was a magnificent city filled with bright lights and alcohol, permeated everywhere with desire and sin.

Ilruwin.

“Then, let our journey continue.”

Rеαd οո KаtReаԁіngCаfе

Just as the captain appeared “stubborn” in the devil’s eyes, in Roy’s view, the man was equally obstinate at this moment. Even though she had already clarified her attitude and seen through the truth of this so-called “dream,” he still refused to give up.

“No, I think you’ve misunderstood me again, child.”

As if able to hear Roy’s thoughts, the man casually turned the umbrella, causing the water droplets on it to splash in all directions, like the water curtain of a falling fountain, blurring the surrounding scenery.

“This isn’t obstinance; it should be called… responsibility.”

As if performing magic, after the water curtain beside the umbrella had completely fallen, the two had already passed through the city gate and arrived on the streets filled with the scents of alcohol and perfume, as if the “city defense” system established by the local gangs, which was stricter than the regular army’s, did not exist.

Well, in reality, it was just a series of fee collections, like entrance fees, sightseeing fees, finding various ways to scrape away the copper coins from the pockets of outsiders or the weak.

At that time, Roy had put in considerable effort to avoid these layers of fees.

“You think you’ve seen through the truth of that path, seen through me, believing that anything unfavorable to you is a trick I’m playing. But that’s wrong, child.”

“I admit that I once put great effort into deceiving and bewitching you, but that’s all in the past. After the Ice Sea incident, I have no reason to put so much thought into you anymore.”

“Is that so?”

Glancing at the sincere, elegant Mr. Devil, Roy raised her chin slightly, questioning in a flat tone: “Then may I ask, my dear ancestor, what are you doing now?”

“Leading you out of a mental misunderstanding.”

Rеаⅾ oո ΚatRеαⅾіոɡCafе

Facing the child’s provocative manner, the man didn’t mind, the corner of his mouth still bearing a sincere smile.

“You’ve seen the true face of that path, even personally experienced the snowflakes dancing within it. At that time, you thought it was an illusion I deliberately created to make you afraid.”

“Thus, you would move further and further away from that path, making it more difficult for you to pose any threat to me.”

“But this is wrong.”

Hearing the devil’s conclusion, Roy pursed her lips, avoiding a drunkard coming toward them, and asked perfunctorily, as if dealing with a product salesperson: “So, ancestor, where do you say I went wrong?”

“Did I misunderstand your good intentions, or are those who claim to have my best interests at heart actually deceiving me?”

Are you suggesting that I should trust you, rather than myself, or elders like the Lady?

Isn’t that absurd and laughable?

Detecting the hidden barbs in Roy’s words, the devil didn’t get angry but followed her line of thought: “Trusting more in your own judgment and those close to you certainly can’t be considered wrong. But child, you must understand, we’re walking on an unprecedented path.”

“What kind of concept is this? It’s like science, which the scholars of this generation vigorously promote.”

The two passed through the crowded crowd. Those people gathered together, reveling and indulging, would be pushed away by a gentle, invisible barrier when they approached.

Glancing at the unfortunate person who was pushed into the crowd, causing a chain reaction of falls and fights, the devil withdrew his gaze and continued to explain patiently to the captain: “Each academic school is an endless path, and at its forefront, there is always a chaotic curtain of darkness.”

Reаԁ оո ΚаtRеαԁiոɡCαfе

“No light can penetrate through unless someone can push it forward, only then will it reveal the passable route to posterity, and these routes are generally called axioms or experiences.”

“But child, on the path we’re traveling, there has never been such a thing. Neither my first mate nor the respectable deity could have had the opportunity to tread on it.”

“Of course, with Lady Annisdora’s heavenly perspective, her judgments are not without reason. But theory is ultimately theory, with flaws and the probability of errors.”

“And child, you should also be able to feel that once you step on this path, there’s no possibility of turning back. In such a situation, any mistake could be fatal.”

“Since that’s the case…”

The two passed through the bustling streets and arrived in a remote, nearly deserted slum area. In this city where profit and violence reigned supreme, the disparity between the strong and the weak was infinitely magnified.

Those who had neither money nor strong fists, the weak in this place, far from receiving protection, struggled even to survive.

The devil’s pace gradually slowed as he led the captain into a narrow alley, finally stopping at a corner at the end. Everywhere there were rats foraging for food, unafraid of humans, because those who usually came here were too weak to deal with even them.

Like the child huddled in the corner, in tattered clothes, silent as a dead person.

“Why not come and ask me? After all, I’m also considered a pioneer who blazed this path.”

The devil’s voice gently spread out, finally softly falling on Roy’s ears, carrying a hint of amusement.