Captain – Chapter 69 – White Fog

Captain Roy had never failed when it came to teasing people, and this time was no exception.

Just as Roy was considering whether—no, how—to use force to escape her first mate’s embrace, the door to the captain’s quarters was kicked open forcefully, followed by Daniel’s slightly high-pitched voice that had not yet broken.

“Captain, First Mate, something’s wrong! Outside…”

The boy ran into the captain’s quarters, breathing heavily. Before he could wipe the beads of sweat from his forehead, he was so shocked by the heart-stirring scene before him that he couldn’t speak for a long moment, maintaining only his wide-open mouth.

Compared to the boy’s stunned reaction, the raven on his shoulder responded more intensely. It flapped its wings and shrieked: “Hit his nose bridge! Hit his nose bridge!”

Clearly, the little creature still thought of the captain as that towering man of the past, assuming she would use her powerful fists to shatter the nose of any man who coveted her body.

Roy had initially thought the same, but after her eyes darted around and she recalled her first mate’s shy disposition, she slowly unclenched her fist. She merely raised an eyebrow at those ocean-blue eyes, her face revealing a hint of mockery.

Being able to resolve the predicament without bloodshed, and without having to cover the first mate’s medical expenses—this seemed like a good deal no matter how one looked at it.

Just as the captain had anticipated, upon hearing the commotion outside, Caine’s arms around her had already loosened considerably. Now, seeing the boy burst through the door, along with the raven’s shrill cries and Roy’s suggestive glance, he instinctively stepped back.

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This step made it look as if the captain had been forcing herself on him.

Feeling the boy’s gaze, filled with curiosity, trepidation, and admiration, Roy stretched lazily with an unconcerned air: “What’s happened to make you so flustered?”

Daniel cautiously glanced at the first mate, whose expression was not particularly pleasant, thinking he had stumbled upon something extraordinary. He stammered: “It’s… it’s nothing too serious. If you two are busy, we can drop anchor and wait for a while…”

“Oh, don’t be afraid of him. Our dear first mate is just a bit shy. Come, Captain me will follow you to see.”

Roy left the captain’s quarters with Daniel. Listening to their receding footsteps, Caine’s unpleasant expression finally softened. With complex emotions, he touched the side of his face where the captain’s hand had lingered, and sighed softly.

It seemed… somewhat regrettable.

This twin-masted sailing ship, named the Osprey, had a very simple layout. The captain’s quarters were on one side of the deck, so upon pushing open the oak door, Roy arrived on the deck, where about twenty uneasy sailors had already gathered.

A gentle cold wind that made one’s hair stand on end blew against her face. Roy understood the problem with just one glance. Her vision could only reach less than ten meters in front of the Osprey, with dense white fog filling everything beyond.

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Not only was the surrounding area obscured, but even the intense sunlight from above had been blocked by this eerie white fog. A dim and chilly atmosphere permeated the deck, making everyone’s hearts uneasy.

Hearing the captain’s steady and natural footsteps, the sailors gathered near the deck railing turned their gaze toward her.

Ben, who had been appointed boatswain, quickly walked up to her and asked for instructions: “Captain, this fog came very strangely. A few minutes ago it was bright and sunny, but now we can’t see even a hint of light. Even the compass has malfunctioned. Should we drop the anchor and wait for a while until the fog disperses before continuing?”

The burly man’s reasoning was sound. Sailing in this white fog with visibility less than ten meters, they would have no time to react if they encountered obstacles like reefs. Not to mention they couldn’t determine their direction at all now.

Moving forward in such adverse conditions was virtually no different from courting death.

Hearing the boatswain’s suggestion, several timid sailors chimed in with agreement. But just as everyone thought Roy would concur with this proposal, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

“No, we cannot stop here.”

Roy, who was about to respond, raised her eyebrows upon hearing these words and turned her curious gaze toward the speaker.

Though dressed as a sailor, the crucifix hanging around his neck and the thin book of confessions he treasured in his chest pocket clearly indicated he was a devout follower of the Holy Faith.

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Or as he would say, he was a missionary.

Although the captain didn’t know why a missionary would want to travel to the Southern Islands, a place of chaos without faith, she had allowed him aboard due to his sincere attitude and acceptable conditions, but kept a deep impression of him.

Seeing this missionary speak with a trembling voice, Roy’s interest was greatly piqued, and she smiled as she asked him: “Mr. Missionary, everyone agrees to stay here for a while. Why are you unwilling?”

Hearing the captain’s question, the missionary thought he had offended her, and his already trembling voice became even more subdued: “Because this is… this is the guidance of the Auran Goddess.”

The deck fell silent for a moment, then suddenly erupted in laughter.

Even in such a solemn atmosphere, the missionary’s faith in the ethereal Auran Goddess still made these non-believers roar with laughter.

In their view, all this reverence and fear of gods was just something for people with too much time on their hands. Even if you prayed devoutly day and night, the Auran Goddess wouldn’t give her followers a single gold coin, a piece of bread, let alone guide them out of this fog.

Roy gently pressed her hand downward, and the laughter on the deck gradually subsided. She gazed at the missionary’s pale yet resolute face and softly prompted: “Continue.”

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The missionary was startled by the encouraging look in the captain’s eyes. He then swallowed and his voice grew stronger along with his courage: “The Holy Book, Volume 76, Chapter 365, Section 10 states: ‘If strange white fog is encountered during a voyage, one must gather courage and break through the mist. Otherwise, one may encounter unclean entities and face mortal danger.'”

The Holy Book was the foundational text of the Holy Faith, allegedly written by the first Pope while listening to the teachings of the Auran Goddess. The complete work comprised 105 volumes with over 2,400 chapters, covering an incredibly broad range of topics including life, faith, commerce, navigation, and nearly all other aspects. Its complexity was beyond imagination.

Due to the enormous volume of the Holy Book, even the bishops within the Holy Faith only needed to study the first 32 volumes containing the doctrines. For this missionary to recite the contents of Volume 76 so clearly and quickly demonstrated a faith so steadfast it was truly astonishing.

Listening to the missionary’s powerful declaration, combined with the heavy, impenetrable white fog surrounding them, it did seem to have a flavor of divine prophecy being fulfilled.

Thus, the remaining whispers on the deck completely disappeared. The sailors looked around with some apprehension, fearing that some ghost or monster might emerge from somewhere and drag them into the water.

With crisp applause, Roy praised the missionary’s courage and faith, and once again drew the sailors’ attention back to herself. With her smile unchanged and in a relaxed tone, she announced her decision.

“Although there are some discrepancies with what’s recorded in the Holy Book, according to legends circulated among pirates, we indeed cannot stay here too long. Otherwise, when sunset comes and stars appear, we might truly be trapped here forever.”

“So gentlemen, to your positions. Captain me will personally take the helm, and we’ll charge through with one mighty effort.”