Deep Sea Embers

The ship may be difficult to sink, but it was not invincible. Just like everything in this world, the ship could be bruised and battered.

It was evident to the naked eye that the Sea Mist had experienced a vicious battle… Of course, if one recalled the intact state of the Vanished when the bell tower rang back then, then compared it to the current beat-up state of the Sea Mist, it’s not hard to understand how one-sided the battle must’ve been. Vanna didn’t know much about naval warfare, but even she could tell it’s a true feat for the steel ship to make it to port.

This was also because the Sea Mist used its powerful “unsinkable” ability to repair itself for an entire day.

Recalling the story of the Vanished and the cursed connection between herself and Captain Duncan, Vanna could already feel the headache coming. She rubbed her temple and jumped off the spiderwalker, then saw the springboard extending out from the Sea Mist in the distance. Several figures were already disembarking.

At the head was a one-eyed man wearing an imposing captain’s uniform. With slightly curly black hair and an eye patch, his face looked similar to Duncan Abnomar. However, compared with the oppressive ghost captain, Captain Tyrian, who was walking towards the trestle at the moment, looked quite tired and haggard.

Behind the famous pirate captain were several attendants, their complexions pale and the expressions on their faces stiff like a plastered statue. But overall, they weren’t as terrifying as the many thrilling stories made them out to be.

Vanna has heard a lot of rumors about the Sea Mist and its crew – due to its nature as being part of civilization still, the stories were naturally less terrifying compared to the Vanished. And among those rumors, the most mentioned were the undead sailors under Tyrian Abnomar.

Legend has it that these sailors were all men taken when Tyrian fled Frostbite during the rebellion. Some of them were even veterans of the Vanished fleet a century earlier. They, like their own captain, had been influenced by subspace – the curse that entrenched the members of the Abnomar family also effected their followers, turning the latter into the immortal living dead.

They could not die in the dimension of reality nor enjoy the warmth of the living. All these poor souls could do was wander the world, hoping that Bartók, the God of Death, would finally allow them passage to the afterlife one day.

But that’s not the only version. In other rumors, it’s mentioned that these undead sailors had no attachment to the earthly world and their former compatriots. The only reason they’re still around was due to the powerful oath they swore to the eldest son of the Abnomar family.

Vanna stared at the figures, watching them step onto the land of Pland, then turned towards herself under the leadership of Tyrian.

The living dead… By strict definition, are already the subjects of Bartók, the God of Death. Bartók belongs to the same camp as the other righteous gods, so these undead sailors are also allowed to set foot on the city-state’s land. However, this does not mean ordinary people could accept these creepy “former compatriots”, and considering these undead sailors are also inextricably linked to the “curse” of the Abnomar family, Vanna must always keep a vigilant eye on their movements.

It’s just that… what differences were there between the current Pland and the Sea Mist’s undead crew?

“Greetings to you, Miss Inquisitor,” Tyrian took off his captain’s hat and slightly bowed his head as a greeting. He was surprised by Vanna’s youthful nature and tall height. Nevertheless, it doesn’t hinder his desire to show his manners to the lady, “Thank you for personally greeting us.”

“Nice to meet you, Captain Tyrian,” Vanna quickly sobered up from her mind wandering and nodded to the man in front of her, who looked no older than thirty by appearance. Out of reflex, the lady had compared the son to his father, Captain Duncan, and realized the son wasn’t as tall nor imposing as the latter. “You answered Pland’s call for help, and for that alone, we must show our gratitude.”

“But we didn’t come in handy after all.” Tyrian sighed strangely and subconsciously raised his head to glance around the port as if looking for something.

“What are you looking for?” Vanna could vaguely guess what the other party was doing so her tone was calm and casual.

“With all due respect, have you received our message before we docked?” Tyrian nervously said while his eyes rolled around the area, “We encountered the Vanished on the way. Although we tried our best to intercept it, the ship still…”

“Your father came,” Vanna sighed, “but he left yesterday.”

As soon as these words came out, the big pirate opposite of her, Captain Tyrian, immediately stood straight like a stone sculpture. Even the cold and stiff faces of the several attendants behind him trembled slightly as if hearing a horror story.

“I… I didn’t hear clearly,” it took a few seconds for Tyrian to react, looking at the young inquisitor in front of him with a ghostly expression, “Miss Inquisitor, you said that my father was here yesterday…”

He deliberately emphasized the word “father”, as if afraid Vanna would play some joke with him on this fateful issue.

“The situation is very complicated and will need some explaining,” Vanna sighed again. “The Vanished has indeed appeared, but it is very different from the situation described in the letter we originally sent you. Pland has just experienced a huge… change. Please come with me. Bishop Valentine is already waiting in the cathedral. We need to go over some urgent details, and I presume you also have countless questions that need answering.”

Feeling that all the plans he had conceived on his way had been disrupted, Tyrian appeared almost confused and dazed when following Vanna’s footsteps. Eventually, they were in front of a black steam car with the church’s insignia parked on the side of the road, a vehicle specifically prepared for them as the church’s guests.

“…… To be honest, I thought you would stop me in the pier area,” Tyrian said in a self-deprecating tone. Perhaps it’s to break the awkward atmosphere or relieve some kind of unprovoked pressure, the dreary captain actually cocked a joke for once due to his inner turmoil. “After all, under normal circumstances, the city-state authorities will reject a pirate to dock or simply prepare a noose for the pirate.”

“It’s not Frost here, and the arrest warrants from the northern city-states do not apply in Pland. Well, that is unless you commit something huge and are jointly wanted on the entire Boundless Sea one day,” Vanna said casually, spreading her hands like she didn’t care. “But until that day comes, you are just a captain who is eager to help Pland and…”

While speaking, she turned her head and glanced at the Sea Mist that still exuded a majestic aura even though it was battered and scarred.

“And seriously, even in the northern seas, who would dare bring a noose to place on your neck?”

Tyrian thought about it and laughed.

“When I land, the city-state guards would politely call me the boss of the ‘Sea Mist Ventures’ and advertise my visit as a business deal between the city-state and the Sea Mist Fleet when doubts arose. Did you know that pirates have this proverb about warrants: the small pirate will be unable to sleep when they’re wanted, and a big pirate will feel like they’re stepping on needles when they see their poster, but a top-level wanted warrant will be used as table cloths in a pub?”

The big pirate paused, then spread his hands out helplessly: “Except for Frost, I can calmly step on the land of any northern city-state at my leisure.”

Vanna raised her eyebrows: “Except for Frost?”

“…… Her Majesty Ray Nora ordered me to leave the former Frostbite Kingdom,” Tyrian retracted the smile on his face, “she never withdrew this order.”

Vanna glanced at the other party and saw that the expression on the big pirate’s face became solemn. As a smart lady, she didn’t comment on the subject, knowing there’s a history behind the man and that city-state. Instead, she stepped over to the black steam car and opened the passenger door: “Please take a seat in the car, Captain Tyrian.”

After that, she turned around and jumped on a spiderwalker next to the vehicle, leaving the captain and subordinates to enter the vehicle independently.

“Captain,” one of the attendants noticed his boss’s behavior and couldn’t help but look over curiously, “Are you alright? Just now, I felt that you were a little tense… You have never been so nervous when dealing with other famous captains or city-state officials.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but when I talk to that young inquisitor, I keep feeling an… indescribable pressure.” Tyrian did not hide what he had just felt in front of his closest subordinates and heaved a long sigh. “This feeling is completely different from when dealing with those city officials in the past, and I never felt this strange pressure even when I brushed by the Death Temple during a cruise.”

“Was there?” The subordinate frowned suspiciously, “Why didn’t I feel it… Although the inquisitor is indeed a little tall, she does look quite powerful…”

“It’s not that type of pressure,” Tyrian shook his head, “okay, let’s drop this discussion. The power of a Saint is extremely strong. She can likely hear you from this distance.”

When the subordinate heard this, he immediately shut his mouth and nervously glanced around, afraid the lady might pop his head off for the tease.

Tyrian didn’t say much during the ride, only peering out the car window as the vehicle drove through the streets and showing him the skipping scenery.

During their childhood, he and Lucretia had stayed on this pearl of the sea for a brief while. Though that part of his life was already a century ago, he couldn’t shirk off the reminiscent emotions swirling inside. Those were some fond memories he could never get back…