Captain – Chapter 75 – The Cursed One

Captain Roy never surrendered—that is, when she could see a possibility of success.

After three turns and one complete about-face, Roy looked at the magnificent vessel appearing for the fifth time before the Osprey and sighed resignedly.

Rubbing her temples in frustration, the captain turned to her still-calm First Mate with a bitter smile: “It seems we’ve truly been targeted.”

“I warned you before the second turn, Captain.”

Caine shrugged, looking up at the massive ship flying the imperial flag. His azure eyes showed no gravity—rather, they held curiosity and longing: “If, as you say, what stands before us is the Victoria, then perhaps it’s trying to tell us something.”

“Or maybe it wants us to help break its curse, allowing the ship’s wandering souls to truly rest?”

Roy spoke before the First Mate could finish his conjecture, then shot an irritated glance at the former Auran officer: “Caine, can you stop being so naive? The legend of the Eternal Ship isn’t some fairy tale—it’s a dark history filled with bloodshed and gunpowder, curses and conspiracies.”

Hearing the captain’s merciless reproach, Caine’s expression darkened as he looked at the girl: “Then, Captain, please explain why the Victoria is blocking our path?”

“Do you even need to ask? Obviously because…”

Roy fell silent midway. She recalled Enzo’s judgment and sighed softly.

Anyone who wasn’t immortal or chosen by the Victoria—fortunate or unfortunate—wouldn’t have the honor of boarding. Conversely, once the Eternal Ship selected its target, no amount of fleeing would allow escape.

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Roy was no blind optimist. She wouldn’t harbor wishful thinking or unrealistic fantasies. In her view, the Victoria had come specifically for her.

Because she had once been cursed by the devil.

Captain Edward had opened Annisdora’s Box, releasing disaster enough to destroy the imperial fleet, thus creating the eternal Victoria. It became enveloped in fog that would never dissipate, a ghost ship existing outside the world.

Now it had come, following the scent of another cursed one—like a shark that had smelled blood.

“Because of what, Captain?”

Noticing Roy’s uneasy expression, Caine realized this perilous situation might not be so easily escaped. He grew serious, deliberately softening his voice as he questioned her.

“Because it’s come for me, for the great Captain Roy.”

Roy quickly emerged from her downcast mood, breaking into a smug smile. She turned the helm, guiding the Osprey toward the Victoria, and commanded loudly: “Gentlemen, furl the sails and drop anchor!”

The Victoria’s shadow engulfed the entire Osprey. A strange atmosphere, mixing eerie coldness, spread across the deck, making the sailors’ hearts pound. Recalling the priest’s earlier warning, they trembled, wanting only to get as far away from this terrifying entity as possible.

So naturally, nobody moved. All eyes turned toward the girl on the bridge, filled with surprise, fear, and perhaps some discontent.

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Roy certainly noticed the sailors’ unusual behavior. She secured the helm, walked to the railing, and gently tapped it while her gaze slowly swept across the deck, lingering briefly on each sailor’s face.

The sound of her tapping was soft, but in the near-deathly silence of the white fog, it was remarkably clear, each tap striking the sailors’ hearts.

No one dared meet the captain’s gaze. A month ago, this seemingly unthreatening girl with her exquisite beauty had already demonstrated her ruthless methods.

If the First Mate hadn’t intervened, that sailor who had abandoned his post and defied authority would have been flogged unconscious.

After that brutal whipping, in front of the remaining twenty-nine sailors, the captain had smiled like a devil and said: “This is just a reminder, so I went easy on him. But if anyone else knowingly defies me, then jump into the sea yourselves.”

“Oh right, did I forget to mention? I’m not a merchant, much less a philanthropist. I’m a… pirate.”

Recalling the captain’s final remark, the sailor who had suffered the punishment began breathing rapidly. He smiled ingratiatingly at Roy and responded loudly: “Yes, Captain!” before running off to furl the sails.

Seeing this, Roy stopped tapping the railing and smiled with satisfaction: “Your name is Willy, right?”

The sailor who had been the first to step forward paused briefly, then quickly recovered: “Yes, Captain.”

“Although you really irritated me last time, I must say, you’ve done well this time. When we reach Yadris, get five—no, ten silver coins from the First Mate.” Roy spoke casually, as if ten silver coins meant nothing to her.

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Roy truly loved gold and silver, but she never stinted when spending was necessary.

Willy was stunned by the captain’s words. Only when he felt his comrades’ envious glances did he realize it wasn’t his imagination, and he gratefully responded with a flushed face: “Thank you, Captain!”

With someone taking the lead, and knowing the captain was generous, the sailors all sprang into action. The Osprey soon came to a halt, less than ten meters from the Victoria’s black hull.

“Fine, fine, budget reduced by another ten silver coins.”

Roy muttered under her breath, her tone rather displeased. She turned back toward the spiral staircase, but before she could leave the bridge, Caine firmly grasped her wrist.

“Listen, I know we need to economize, but this is for the journey ahead. A carrot after the stick is never wrong.”

The captain turned her face, explaining to her First Mate, who also served as quartermaster.

“That’s not what I meant, Captain. I just want to know—where are you planning to go?”

Caine didn’t release the girl’s hand despite her explanation. He frowned as he questioned her, his words carrying an unusual gravity.

“Go… where?”

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Roy’s eyes shifted slightly as she pretended to speak naturally: “To the deck, of course.”

“And then?” The young man persisted.

Defeated by her First Mate’s serious gaze, the captain had to reveal her true intentions: “Where else? Obviously to see what’s on that wretched ship. As long as it won’t let us go, no matter how many times we bump around in this white fog, it’s meaningless.”

“But how can you be so sure it’s looking for you?”

Caine’s brow furrowed even tighter. Though his subconscious told him that since the girl had stated it so confidently, it must be true—after all, in the past months, her decisions had never been wrong.

But influenced by his emotions, he was unwilling to let Roy board that ghost ship alone, which prompted his question.

“How am I sure…”

The young man’s thoughts couldn’t escape Roy’s notice. The corner of her mouth curved upward as she brought her face to the First Mate’s ear, whispering softly like a dream murmur.

“Because this captain is one of the cursed.”