Deep Sea Embers

Even as ghosts, they were once part of the real world. A century ago, the Vanished, lost in subspace, was a ship crafted by the hands of real-world artisans. Just like Captain Duncan, who was once human before becoming a shadow in subspace.

For ordinary sailors, everything associated with the Vanished was inevitably shrouded in a veil of “curse” and “strangeness.” The terrifying ghost captain seemed like a creature born directly from subspace, and no one wondered whether a natural disaster roaming the Boundless Sea had personal emotions or interpersonal relationships. The “Captain Duncan” in the minds of many people was even like a symbolized natural phenomenon – existing as it was, without the need to trace its origins.

Fear built high walls in the hearts of mortals, making them subconsciously avoid thinking about the details on the other side of the walls.

But as a inquisitor specialized in combating this fear, Vanna knew how to distinguish the true parts from a series of legends, exaggerations, and murmurs.

The terrifying captain of the Vanished… when he was still human, before the Veserlan Thirteen Islands incident, he had his own close friends and family members. He had loyal sailors and officers under his command, and he also needed to go to ports to maintain supplies and interact with city-state authorities.

He couldn’t have been born as a mobile calamity.

Captain Duncan had a son named Tyrian Abnomar and a daughter named Lucretia Abnomar, and they are still alive today.

It was said that some curse prolonged their lives, allowing the two captains to wander the world eternally like their terrifying father.

Each of these captains commanded a powerful ship and spent long periods on the fringes of civilized society. Their relationship with all the city-states was distant, even subtly antagonistic, to the point that many people couldn’t even imagine that Captain Duncan had a pair of children active in the world. Only a few people who understood history and were rational enough knew about them.

On the other hand, despite their distant relationships with the city-states, these two captains at least still stood on the side of humanity—the dreadful curse of the Vanished didn’t lead them down the same path as Captain Duncan.

Lady Lucretia Abnomar, in command of the resplendent Brightstar, was a powerful pioneer exploration vessel. She’s passionate about pushing the boundaries of the world and was said to have reached the farthest edge of the known world, witnessing unimaginable wonders there.

No one knows exactly what she was seeking at the edge of the world, but on very rare occasions, she sends envoys to certain city-state explorer associations to share some of the knowledge she has discovered on her voyages. This occasional act of goodwill was evidence that she still stands on the side of humanity.

It was said that the Explorer’s Association even awarded this mysterious lady an honorary membership badge, but no one knows whether she accepted this… “honor.”

Tyrian Abnomar, on the other hand, was a more “connected” yet more dangerous presence to the human world. Over half a century ago, he served in the northern seas under Frost, and now he was the most formidable pirate captain in the frigid waters.

The volatile captain controlled nearly half of the major sea routes in the frigid waters. With the flagship Sea Mist and over ten warships under his command, he had essentially become a semi-official force in the frigid seas, aside from Frost and Cold Harbor. The islands he occupied had developed to the point where they could rival the city-states, surpassing the concept of a mere “pirate fleet.”

As for how Captain Tyrian transitioned from a commander under the Frost Queen to a pirate leader, there were various rumors and speculations.

Some claimed that he was the mastermind behind Frostbite Rebellion half a century ago, the one who personally brought the Frost Queen to the guillotine. They said he looted the city-state’s wealth afterward, using it to establish a powerful pirate fleet.

In contrast, another theory painted a completely different picture. A few scholars believed that Tyrian Abnomar fought for the Queen until the very end during Frostbite Rebellion. They claimed that he became a pirate afterward and frequently attacked ships between Frost and Cold Harbor out of disappointment and a desire for revenge on the Queen’s behalf.

Vanna wasn’t sure how much truth or falsehood there was in these swirling speculations. Considering the personalities of those two captains, they probably weren’t interested in explaining themselves to the world. However, one thing was certain: the reappearance of the Vanished in the world was definitely a matter to be concerned about, even requiring vigilance, preparedness, and full-scale readiness.

After all, the siblings betrayed the Vanished with their respective ships over a century ago, and now their furious father had returned from subspace.

Of course, as Dante Wayne said, it was just a backup plan. It would be better if it could be useful, but hope couldn’t be pinned solely on that card.

What they could truly rely on was their own strength.

…

As the bell tower of the neighborhood church chimed, the distinct rhythm of a special steam whistle also broke the silence of the night. The city, which had been silent all night, gradually awakened.

Sunlight spread along the distant buildings, causing the “World’s Creation” in the sky to fade and disappear. The sounds of carriages and pedestrians echoed through the streets. This city, surrounded by the Boundless Sea, had experienced another night and peacefully greeted the sunrise.

Nina had already prepared breakfast early in the morning. The aroma of mushroom sauce and toasted bread helped dispel Duncan’s fatigue from his human body in the early light. Listening to the sound of bicycle bells from the street, he suddenly said, “Do you want a bicycle?”

“A bicycle?” Nina was momentarily surprised and then waved her hand. “They’re expensive… and I don’t really need one.”

“It would be more convenient for school,” Duncan said. “Don’t worry about the money; I’ll figure something out.”

He had seriously considered this issue. Although the antique shop didn’t look impressive, judging from the rotation of goods in the warehouse and the cash stored inside, it should have stable sales on regular days, more than enough to support two people. Nina’s current financial struggles were solely due to her late uncle donating over half of the family fortune to a cult, while the remaining money was squandered on liquor, gambling, and drugs.

Now that this decadent life had come to an end and the excessive expenses were cut off, all Duncan needed to do was to maintain the business of the shop to ensure that Nina could have a slightly better life than before.

Of course, he didn’t know how to run a store, and his memory of the few known channels for obtaining goods was a bit hazy, but… he could adapt slowly.

The most crucial thing was to let Nina truly settle down and get used to the transformation of her “uncle” becoming reliable again.

Nina lowered her head and took small bites of the slightly hardened bread. After a while, she repeated, “They’re expensive…”

Duncan was about to say something when he suddenly heard a knocking sound coming from the first floor.

“So early… someone’s here before we even open?” Nina was momentarily surprised by the knocking sound and muttered subconsciously. Then she got up and walked towards the door. “I’ll go down and see what’s going on!”

The girl quickly ran downstairs while Duncan casually broke off a piece of bread and threw it to the dove pacing on the table. “What do you say… apart from running the store normally, was there any other way to make money quickly? How about you start a logistics company?”

The dove immediately jumped two steps to the side, flapping its wings in frustration. “Can’t you spare me from being entertained?”

Then it started babbling, something about “Daiyu becoming furious and wielding an eight-span snake spear,” and then “Elder Tang unleashing a pair of fists, directly causing Jiu Qianren to spin like a top,” followed by “When I looked up, a blood bar appeared above Buddha’s head, filling the entire screen, and the three brothers broke out in a cold sweat”…

Duncan was dumbfounded. “…”

He understood that the dove couldn’t speak in the presence of Nina, so it must have been holding back for quite some time. But he couldn’t comprehend the change in its brain structure after holding it in for so long—what a mess in its vocabulary!

But before he could speak to the dove, Nina’s voice suddenly came from the first floor. Her tone sounded somewhat nervous. “Uncle Duncan! There… there are two gentlemen from the security bureau here to see you.”

“Security bureau? Two security officials coming to see him early in the morning?”

Duncan was taken aback. He immediately instructed the dove to stay in the room and then rushed downstairs.

Upon reaching the first floor, he saw Nina, who looked nervous and turned her head to glance at the stairs, as well as the two security officials standing at the entrance of the antique shop, dressed in dark blue uniforms.