Captain – Chapter 674 – Bond or Noose?

The girl nodded, and the meeting naturally proceeded smoothly.

The Goddess Hestia, Nightmare King, and the fleet from the east all turned around together, heading south. Soon, the solitary island mentioned by the Crown Prince was approaching.

The island was very small, without vegetation or even sandy soil, looking like a fallen reef.

Though they had established a tone of peace talks, Roy’s group still maintained sufficient distance from those dozen or so warships, and the two hadn’t gone ashore first.

Only after arrangements were made on the other side—setting up a low table in the center of the solitary island, placing cups of wine, clearing away idle people and having the “main actors” arrive—did the captain and first mate leisurely set out.

Under countless watchful or amazed gazes, the small boat with ghostly candles burning at its bow, moving of its own accord, slowly carried the two toward that reef.

“Captain, if negotiations break down, how confident are you?”

During this time, looking at the increasingly near solitary island, looking at the strangely dressed foreign guests sitting and standing, Caine instinctively placed his hand on the curved blade at his waist and asked.

He could sense that the young man holding a small cup and drinking wine while facing the waves was no ordinary person—the nobility and imposing presence he unconsciously displayed could even subdue wind and rain.

In terms of life level and the great power within his body, the other party should already be close to the girl before her metamorphosis.

But this wasn’t much of a problem.

He was confident that using his curved blade, he could balance that person, and if Roy was added, even if they fell out on the spot, the battle situation on the island should be one-sided.

This was originally why he agreed to attend the meeting.

This seemingly fair meeting was actually always under their control.

So the “confidence” he asked about was naturally at sea.

In the battle situation where two warships seemingly had no chance of victory against that tower ship fleet.

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“Don’t worry, first mate. Isn’t Mango there?”

Hearing this, Roy, sitting opposite him, waved her hand dismissively: “Even without mentioning it, Nidhogg and our siren lady can control the situation. If that really doesn’t work, just have the Goddess Hestia cover our retreat.”

“Besides, the little rascal isn’t as frail as he looks. You couldn’t have…”

“Forgotten that cannon shot in the far north?”

Hearing this, Caine couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows: “Of course not.”

That stunning cannon fire in the ice sea, when that young man piloted the Death Silence across the endless whirlpool and nearly hunted down the “Mermaid,” had always remained in his heart.

But through Roy’s reminder, recalling this matter and the message conveyed to the Nightmare King before leaving the giant ship, the gravity in the first mate’s heart lightened considerably.

In his view, though the ship spirit could command the giant ship like an extension of her body, in judging situations and grasping human hearts, she still wasn’t as good as a “cunning” pirate.

Not as good as the Blood-Eyed Butcher, Richi Quake.

When Caine settled his mind and returned his attention to the approaching negotiations, the wooden boat naturally returned to quiet, while the giant ship with its already tense atmosphere became even more solemn.

“Tap.”

Because accompanied by a light landing sound, the young man in a blood-colored cloak boarded the deck, waved to the girl on the Nightmare King, then turned to face the gazes.

Looking around at everyone, seeing their faces, especially the complex emotions on the faces of the Mermaid’s former crew, Richi smiled slightly, then immediately returned to indifference.

Then he said in a slightly hoarse voice: “From now until they return, this ship is temporarily under my command.”

“Return to your positions.”

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The arrangements and personnel movements on the two warships were being implemented one by one. That cold young man made preparations even more decisive than his original captain.

Even before the peace talks began or broke down, the killing moves for combat had already entered the game.

The giant dragon soared into the sky and disappeared behind clouds, while nearly half the water ghosts on the Nightmare King entered the water—who knew how many swam toward the solitary island and how many dove to the seabed.

Of course, Roy knew all this, which was why she had made that earlier assessment.

But these were just interludes in the main flow.

As those preparations proceeded, the wooden boat carrying Roy and her companion had already reached shore. They came to the table and, like their counterparts, one sat while the other stood behind.

“Won’t you introduce yourself?”

As if there were no outsiders present, Roy casually picked up the small cup of wine poured before her, tilted her head back and drained it, then looked at the young man opposite whose emotions couldn’t be read.

In the past, those who negotiated with her either knew each other’s identities and backgrounds, or were big figures whose names were famous enough to shake the present world. This current situation was truly rare.

Of course, she was still using ancient Auran.

Hearing the girl’s flippant tone, the officer standing behind the Crown Prince’s eye twitched slightly, his expression not very good, but thinking of the young man’s instructions, he didn’t explode.

The Crown Prince himself wasn’t too resistant to this, and after a moment of silence, he introduced himself.

“Ziyao, Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.”

As the young man’s quiet words reached her ears, Roy, who had been thinking this wine was good but the cup too small, immediately came back to her senses, silently muttering that this name was really quite strange.

With the phonetics of ancient Auran, she didn’t even know how to write it out.

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However, her strange feeling didn’t last long, because she was soon attracted by the dynasty mentioned at the end of his sentence, not even hearing the next part.

Ming Dynasty? It sounded similar to the Empire—after all, having a prince presumably meant having an emperor too.

But since his status was noble, why would the person before her take such great risks, crossing countless waters and mountains to come to this godforsaken place to fight that ship of the dead to the death?

It made no sense no matter how you looked at it, unless…

He was a discarded piece.

After introducing the name of the person behind him as well, seeing the captain lost in thought without responding, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but frown and gently reminded her.

“Oh, I’m Elizabeth Roy, and this is my first mate Caine Howard. We’re both decision-makers of the Southern Islands. I just don’t know if my cheap ancestor mentioned anything about the islands to you.”

The awakened Roy spoke calmly, with no intention of hiding her true identity.

First, it wasn’t necessary; second, it was also to test the thoughts of the person before her.

Faced with such bombshell news, even the most steadfast person would presumably show some emotion—even just a slight pause could reveal much.

But contrary to her expectations, the young man before her showed no reaction whatsoever.

Whether from her appearance, her oceanic magical power, or having already made similar deductions earlier, or even regarding the dangerous situation her identity might trigger, that Crown Prince seemed unconcerned, merely nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

“Regarding the history and structure of the western world, Prince Deming left quite a few accounts. Perhaps things have changed over time, but presumably the general situation remains the same.”

“Just like the three-way division of the old world order. Also, the Prince Deming I mentioned…”

“Is what you call Edward Roy.”

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The young man’s nonchalant words and his attitude of complete indifference to her background instead aroused the girl’s interest. She couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“Shouldn’t you be wary? You know, I’m that person’s blood relative and descendant.”

“In other words, I might very well be on the same side as that broken ship you’re chasing.”

After hearing this, the young man put down his wine cup and shook his head: “No, I’m not particularly worried.”

“What’s your reason?” the captain continued to press.

“Before coming, Miss, you already said you also came for that ship. Though that might not be everything, at least you and that person wouldn’t be on the same side.”

“Because someone like you has no need to deceive me.”

Hearing this, Roy slightly narrowed her eyes without responding, but it could be considered tacit agreement.

And she thought the other party should have more to say.

Sure enough, after this “objective” reason, the Crown Prince lowered his eyelids, looking at his own reflection in the wine, remaining silent for a long time.

Then he quietly added a few sentences, his words cold as frost.

“There’s also the fact that presumably no one in this world understands better than I how laughable blood relations are.”

“Compared to being a bond, sometimes it’s more like…”

“A noose.”