Captain – Chapter 525 – “Deception”

No result.

No matter how hard Roy thought, she couldn’t recall what the original portrait on this blank space had been, as if that segment of memory had been deliberately erased.

“Forget it.”

Knowing that staying here any longer would only waste time, and time was what they lacked most, the captain stopped obsessing. She lowered her hand, sighed softly, and said indifferently: “Regardless of whether this is some kind of omen, let it be.”

“We have more important things to do.”

To find that shield, and preferably return to the ship to fight before that monster appeared.

Then… it was time to part ways.

No longer concerned with that mural, the girl turned around and looked at her first mate, who had waited for her quietly for a long time without showing the slightest impatience, confirming with feigned casualness.

“Caine, you haven’t forgotten what we agreed on, have you?”

Hearing this, the young man nodded slightly, glanced at the young dragon clinging to her trouser leg, and said softly: “Of course, you go up and I go down, Nidhogg comes with me.”

Although there were no signs at this fork indicating which path led to heaven and which to hell, with the information discussed in that captains’ meeting, the two didn’t need to guess to distinguish where each stairway led.

Heaven was above the waterfall, hell was at the bottom of the deep sea. Knowing this was enough to differentiate, especially since the one who had carved out these paths was a devil who preferred directness.

With his pride carved into his very bones, he would never set such inferior, crude traps. Therefore, at least in this regard, Roy and her companion didn’t need to worry much.

“Correct, but you only said half.”

Using her boot to nudge the young dragon’s body toward her first mate, the girl first clapped her hands in approval, but then immediately added.

“Half?”

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Caine repeated, seeing the captain nod seriously, he couldn’t help but frown and ask with some bewilderment: “Then Captain, what’s the other half you’re referring to?”

“I don’t recall that on our way here, we discussed this any further…”

The young man didn’t finish speaking before being interrupted by the girl’s sudden, somewhat forceful embrace. He felt her warmth, her strong but emotionally tense arms, and after a moment of stunned silence, he gently embraced her back.

“Idiot, you also said you would bring back that shield… alive.”

“Don’t forget, and don’t you dare forget.”

Hearing the girl with her face buried in his shoulder making this muffled request, the first mate said nothing, only held her tighter, as if expressing his determination through this action.

Before long, the two separated again.

“Rest assured, Captain. How could I forget words I said myself? But you, don’t let your guard down because of this. That person might pull some dirty tricks.”

As if to sever the reluctance in his heart, the young man stepped back a few paces, getting closer to that path to hell. After saying this with a smile, he gave her a final nod, left a very carefree “I’m going,” and turned toward the stairs.

With his back turned, he didn’t forget to raise his hand and wave.

Just like in the past, when the girl would leave to keep those appointments from which she might not return.

But this time, Roy didn’t turn around as decisively as before to rush toward her own destiny. Instead, she stood rooted in place, watching that figure gradually moving away, becoming increasingly blurred in the dim environment.

For some reason, at this moment, her heart was suddenly filled with intense emptiness and heartbreaking pain, as if she were about to lose something precious, leaving only memories.

Why… would she have such a feeling?

Breathing somewhat rapidly, the girl felt as if she were being submerged by overwhelming seawater, gradually unable to breathe. This feeling that made one unconsciously dazed and even desperate—she had only experienced it a few times, and each time was when…

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Losing someone beloved.

Just like that rainy night when her mother fell into eternal sleep, that moment when Richi closed his eyes leaning against the ship’s rail.

Because of those oppressive, dark memories, Roy almost immediately remembered something—recalled that ominous sign she had forgotten but should never have overlooked.

That’s right, not only Enzo, but Caine could also…

Understand the Mourning Tongue.

Recalling the unease that had surged in her heart when she looked at the Night Curtain Captain’s back before leaving the Ghost Scythe after the captains’ meeting ended, Roy seemed to catch onto something. She suddenly felt very cold and without the slightest hesitation raised her hand forward.

She wanted to call out to her first mate who was about to rush into hell.

But… it was already too late.

The direction she was looking was completely empty—where was the young man’s shadow? It seemed that during her moment of distraction, he had already taken the young dragon and walked toward the seabed.

Toward that certain death trap.

Elizabeth, how could you be so foolish?

Lowering her hand somewhat weakly, Roy pressed her lips together, then suddenly gritted her teeth and cursed silently—how could she only realize now that she had been deceived?

The devil’s chess game was already decided, the final moves of the pieces had become inevitable… or rather, a death trap. Being so, how could one speak of rewriting what was destined?

Like a book whose story was already set, now the only thing still vacant was…

Just the role that would accept fate.

Is this the first time you’ve lied to me?

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Looking toward that profound depth, silently watching the passage that had inexplicably twisted after her first mate left, where even the downward stairs could no longer be clearly seen, Roy clenched her fists, letting her nails pierce her palms until they turned white.

She bit her lower lip lightly, thinking, so all your analyses were false. You never had confidence in rewriting everything, but were just thinking of taking over my fate.

Then I suppose that question about “whether to continue” was also something you had planned long ago?

You really… are something.

After being angry and vexed with herself to the end, only a helpless bitter smile remained. The captain took a deep breath, turned around, and walked toward the upward stairs.

Things had come to this point—any regret was already too late.

There was no way to turn back.

Then let her walk down and see what lay at the end of this heavenly path, and whether she could truly wake up before everything became irreversible.

That was all she could do.

The surroundings were completely quiet, making the girl’s footsteps and breathing particularly clear. She walked along the steps for a long time before her heartbeat finally calmed down.

She was very clear that if this path was a deceptive move, or rather an obvious useless route, then that wicked ancestor would definitely be waiting for her at the end.

Of course, as before, it would be an incarnation.

For what purpose?

Perhaps to amuse himself with her, or perhaps to deliberately delay some time, because if he had set up this trap, he must be certain that she would ultimately walk toward hell.

Even if she came to heaven with some hope, even knowing that the seabed must harbor deadly traps, for Aegis, for going to the Cursed Sea, she would inevitably press forward.

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As such, mocking her in this “intermission” would probably be good entertainment.

Only…

Thinking of that guy who had “stolen” her fate, the girl’s eye twitched and she nearly burst a blood vessel again, hastily taking several deep breaths to calm her emotions.

Yes, she admitted that ancestor absolutely couldn’t have predicted that it would be Caine stepping onto the seabed path, because even she hadn’t been able to see through that guy’s thoughts.

Calm down, calm down…

In just a moment, the captain regained her composure. She knew that to face that devil, she absolutely couldn’t show any flaws, and might even need to buy some time for her first mate.

This might be the only thing she could do now.

Casting aside her complicated emotions, Roy walked with her head down, not knowing when she would reach the end. But just when she thought this peaceful, tranquil journey would continue for a long time, a strange sound suddenly reached her ears.

“Clatter, clatter…”

The sound was very faint—even if she stopped to listen carefully, it was hard to catch. If not for Roy’s exceptional hearing and perception, it would probably have escaped her notice.

Stopping her steps and pressing her ear to the wall, the girl frowned slightly and listened for quite a while, confirming that the strange sound truly existed, yet she couldn’t distinguish what it was no matter what.

But she could at least be certain it wasn’t the sound of flowing water.

Because it came from inside the waterfall, and there was a subtle difference from water sounds.

Instead, it was more like…

The sound of a light breeze stirring iron chains.