Deep Sea Embers

Chapter 102 “Goat Head’s Nemisis”

Duncan had to hand it to this gothic-styled doll. Alice not only calmly accepted the fact that her box had been transformed into a part of the Vanished, she also tossed the idea of her being the Frost Queen to the back of her head in no time flat. It’s a level of open-mindedness that Duncan cannot match.

According to Miss Doll, she was so calm because it was beyond her control. So whatever happened in the past did, and she’s not going to dwell on the issue since she’s here now.

“I’m staying on this ship now anyway, and I’m not going to leave in the future. It’s not a big deal for the box to become part of the Vanished. As for the matter with the Frost Queen, that’s even simpler—I don’t even know her.” Alice sat back down on the lid of her wooden box with a pleasant smile on her face. “I don’t know if I’m her, and I don’t know what kind of person she used to be. Regardless, it was half a century ago… Let bygones remain bygones. It’s just history now.”

“It’s good that you have a big heart.” Duncan just looked at Alice’s lilac eyes, then slightly nodded after a long silence.

In the end, he remained hesitant about mentioning what the Frost Queen said to him during the execution scene.

After all, even if it was mentioned, this puppet most likely knows nothing…. It’s good that she’s so carefree instead.

“Let’s leave it here. We now have a preliminary understanding and control of your ‘coffin’. Whether the decapitation effect is from you or the coffin, that will need to be tested further at a later d ate.” Duncan exhaled softly, “I’ll go first.”

“Uhh, captain, you go slowly~~.”

Leaving Alice’s room, Duncan returned to the deck, where he gradually came to the Captain’s quarter. He’s sorting through all the things he learned and needs some time alone.

He originally wanted to find out whether the “decapitation” power of Anomaly 099 was controllable, but in the end he failed to solve this problem and accidentally touched upon the incident from half a century ago… The Frost Queen, executed by the rebels, accusations of collusion with the Vanished, and a mysterious hidden “Abyss” plan, these things swirled in his mind and wouldn’t disappear.

And in addition to these, there was another thing that concerned him

Duncan reached out and took something out of his arms.

It was a small hairpin shaped like a silvery-white feather surrounded by waves.

In any case, it doesn’t look like something that a rough male seafarer would have.

In addition, he kept getting this vague nostalgia when staring at this hairpin… It seems to have a special meaning for the once real “Captain Duncan”.

Duncan’s mind had questions, but he knew that the goat head could not answer the matter.

Putting away the hairpin, he entered the mapping room, where the goat head was diligently controlling the ship. To Duncan’s surprise, the dove Ai, who was supposed to stay in the bedroom, was with the statue and standing atop of the thing’s horn while chirping merrily.

“When did you two have such a good relationship?” he asks curiously.

The bird flapped its wings and did not open its mouth, but the goat head with his obsidian eyes clearly showed a glint of desperation: “O great Captain… Can you get some fries the next time you take a spirit walk?”

Duncan was stunned: “… Why are you starting with the whole make some fries thing?”

The goat head voice almost trembled as it grimaced: “Please, bring some fries back… if not to keep the bird’s mouth shut….”

Duncan looked at the combination of bird and goat with complexity. After a good minute of confusion and amazement, he suddenly chuckled in amusement: “So you finally met your arch nemesis?”

“I went through seventy-six topics! Seventy-six! I exhausted my lifelong learning experience, gone through thousands of years of history, and issued poems of wonders, yet all I ever get in response is make some fries from this dove!” The goat head exclaims in agony, his voice quivering with defeat. “How do you ever communicate with this bird?”

“Simple, just talk to it less. If you don’t talk to it, it will quickly quiet down,” Duncan spread his hands out, “I guess you can’t.”

The goat head thought for a moment and sighed: “… Then I guess it’s better if we stick to making some fires.”

Duncan was noncommittal and only beckoned for Ai to come over. Fluttering her wings, the dove landed on his shoulder and casually chirped in delight. Nodding at the bird for doing a good job, the ghost captain returns his attention to the goat head: “The ruler of the Frost city-state from half a century ago, Frost Queen Ray Nora – do you know anything about her?”

“Frost Queen? The one that was executed by the rebels half a century ago?” The goat head was stunned for a moment, “I’ve heard about it, and it seems that we fought with them decades ago… But aside from this, there’s nothing else to say. Why did you bring this up all of a sudden?”

Duncan calmly peered into the goat head’s eyes and knew there were no lies in the “first mate’s” words.

Goathead really didn’t know about the Frost Queen, and the Vanished had no connection with the Frost city-state.

Not only was there no contact, but the Vanished even clashed with the guards of that city-state—just as it clashed with ships from other city-states and other shipping routes.

In that case, it can only mean the rebels made up the story of the Frost Queen colluding with the Vanished. The entire crime is fictional nonsense.

Of course, it may be too early to draw this conclusion, after all, the event did occur over half a century ago. There may be twists and turns buried within history that no one knows about. The first mate may be telling the truth, but that doesn’t mean the truth represents the entire picture.

Duncan doesn’t intend to overturn the case for the Frost Queen from half a century ago. He just wants to know about the Vanished and Alice.

“Did you know? Alice’s appearance is exactly the same as the Frost Queen, and the so-called Anomaly 099 is most likely born after the executed Frost Queen became cursed by the Boundless Sea,” he said casually while teasing the dove on his shoulder with his fingers. “And the main ‘crime’ of the Frost Queen when she was executed by the rebels was collusion with the Vanished.”

The goat head appeared taken aback, a sight rarely seen thus far.

“Colluding with the Vanished?! Do the foolish humans have to make up such a ridiculous reason for even betraying their monarch?” After a few seconds, the goat head finally broke out laughing. He obviously thought it was ridiculous, “Don’t blame me for laughing Captain, those humans are just too stupid and weak. I wouldn’t put it past them to blame the Vanished if they go out and drop on their head!”

Speaking of this, he paused before continuing, “But you say that Miss Alice looks a lot like the Frost Queen? This is really… incredible! If Miss Alice was really transformed from the Frost Queen… that’s a lot of irony in the story.”

“Yes, if they really have this connection, it is ironic.” Duncan leaned back against his chair using a comfortable position. “The Frost Queen had never been in contact with the Vanished during her lifetime, yet she was charged by the rebels using collusion as an excuse. Now, half a century later, Alice really did become the crew of the Vanished, the very crime those rebels placed on her head.”

“No wonder you rushed to find Miss Alice when you came back. Turns out you found some key information regarding Anomaly 099.” The goat head immediately began to flatter the ghost captain, “It’s really worthy of the great Captain Duncan to return with a heaping mountain of booty! This reminds me, a navigator once said, or maybe a….”

Duncan immediately glared at the goat head to halt the rambling. Then taking the bird off his shoulder, he places Ai down next to the statue: “You two talk.”

Goat’s head: “…!?”

……

In the central cathedral of the city-state of Pland, Vanna handed a document she had just signed to her entourage: “Send this document to the Western Church – this is the last search warrant.”

The young guardian took the file and bowed: “Yes, Inquisitor.”

Vanna exhaled softly, cracking her neck due to the stiff job of reading all day with the paperwork. She’s feeling more tired than wielding the greatsword she used to behead those heretics.

“I hope there won’t be any more trouble tonight.” The young young lady inquisitor couldn’t help but grumble while stretching her waist.

As if in response to her mutter, a slightly urgent and sharp bell suddenly rang from the direction of the main building!

The guardian, who didn’t have time to leave yet, stopped and glanced at the window in the direction of the main church. “How come the hour clock is ringing at night… what could’ve happened?”

“It’s the summoning bell,” Vanna quickly discerned the message based on the rhythm and timing of each ring. “Seven consecutive short rings, it’s coming from the ‘Tomb of the Nameless King’… Could it be the discovery of a new anomaly or vision?”