Chapter 219: “New Crew”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation

Duncan returned to the cabin, proudly carrying the results of his recent hunt. He placed a sizable catch on the floor with a soft thud, indicating its weight, and spread out an assortment of smaller, peculiar-looking creatures he had netted earlier.

“Today, the fish put up quite a fight. But luckily, I have the upper hand in strength,” Duncan declared with a smirk, wiping his brow as if removing sweat, even though it was dry. “Come and see today’s haul. These special sea delicacies aren’t often on display. Don’t be put off by their bizarre looks—they might not be pretty, but they’re a treat for the taste buds. Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Duncan’s attention shifted to the trio—Shirley, Dog, and Morris—huddled in a corner of the cabin, looking fearful. While Dog’s dark, bony head was inscrutable, the distress on Shirley and Morris’s faces was evident.

“Uncle Duncan!” Nina, ever cheerful, rushed over to embrace him.

She glanced at Duncan’s catch, recognizing them as fish but noting their stranger, more grotesque appearance compared to the usual fare her uncle brought home.

“My, they sure are ugly,” Nina remarked, wide-eyed. “They look even stranger than when they’re dried. Are these the same ones we’ve eaten before? How did they end up looking like this?”

Pointing at the visibly shaken trio, Duncan inquired, “Why do they seem so terrified?”

“It’s probably because of your… let’s say, unique method of fishing,” Nina replied, her tone light and playful, her cheeks reddening as she recalled the commotion. “I was quite surprised by the ruckus you caused… your approach to fishing is… quite dramatic.”

“Do I really make that much noise while fishing?” Duncan questioned, a crease forming on his forehead, starting to realize he might have overlooked something.

Morris cautiously stood up, edging closer to Duncan’s large catch. After ensuring it posed no threat, he hesitantly voiced his concern, “Mr. Duncan, is there a possibility that you have some sort of vendetta against the prominent creatures of the ocean? Enough to cause them to transform into this state?”

The weight of Morris’s question dawned on Duncan. He looked at Nina and asked slowly, “Are you saying that what I caught isn’t exactly… a fish in the traditional sense?”

“It is now, but it wasn’t before,” Nina replied cheekily, sticking her tongue out playfully. “You were grappling with something enormous earlier, just like this…”

With enthusiasm, Nina extended her arm, imitating the movements they had witnessed. To the average observer, the creature might resemble a squid due to its many tentacles, but the numerous eyes covering its body gave it a menacing appearance, making it eerie and repulsive.

“That’s pretty much what it looked like,” Nina said, concluding her demonstration. She turned back to the odd-looking fish, musing, “We never imagined it would actually transform into a fish…”

Duncan furrowed his brow in deep thought, murmuring about a creature he was familiar with: “Sounds almost like a gigantic octopus…”

Shirley, who had remained silent and out of sight, peeked out curiously and asked with genuine intrigue, “Octopus? What’s that?”

“Well,” Duncan began to explain, “it’s something you can eat. While it might look intimidating, when cooked, it has a pleasant flavor and is often stewed because of its chewy consistency.”

Hearing this, both Shirley and Morris’s faces lit up in astonishment.

But Duncan barely noticed their reaction; his mind was preoccupied with processing the newfound revelation. This insight would definitely influence his future underwater expeditions.

“So, rather than an ordinary ‘fish,’ I caught an offspring of the deep sea? A creature that sailors fear? Why did it morph into a fish once I reeled it in? What triggered this transformation?”

Though many questions swirled in Duncan’s mind, he distilled them down to one primary concern: Is this transformed creature still edible?

He was in a quandary. One part of him wanted to continue enjoying the ocean’s delicacies, while another part felt unease, realizing he might have been feasting on a sea monster. Yet, it was hard to deny that despite their grotesque appearance, these fish tasted delicious. Plus, he had previously enjoyed them at dinner, blissfully ignorant of their origins.

Ultimately, his hunger prevailed. If necessary, he thought, he could always ask Alice to cook the meat a bit longer to ensure its safety.

Observing Duncan’s internal struggle, Shirley and Morris saw his facial expressions shift from uneasy to resolute as he decided, “In any case, I’ll have these sent to the kitchen.”

Throwing caution to the wind, Shirley blurted out, “You really intend to eat those?!”

“Why the strong reaction? Haven’t you had them before?” Duncan responded, looking at Shirley quizzically. “It turned out fine the last time, didn’t it?”

Shirley was rendered speechless.

Regardless of the varying opinions, that evening’s dinner featured this unique catch. For Duncan, this day would forever be etched in his memory as a supernatural one.

After being abandoned and silent for what felt like an eternity, the Vanished experienced a day buzzing with activity, and the once-forgotten dining room was brought back to life within a cabin at the ship’s heart. A luminous whale oil lamp illuminated the chamber, pushing back the thick shadows that had once dominated it. In this soft glow, a long table, now polished and gleaming, was set with the most lavish spread the ship had seen in years: freshly baked loaves of bread, a pot of warm vegetable soup, hearty pea stew, mashed potatoes topped with jam, two varieties of mild alcoholic beverages, a stronger spirit, and the pièce de résistance—FISH!

And of course, there was the special treat brought all the way from Pland: Ai’s favorite fries paired with tangy ketchup. The bird seemed absolutely delighted.

Duncan assumed his position at the head of the elongated table. To his right was Nina, with Alice on his left. Shirley, Dog, Morris, and the ecstatic Ai had chosen their spots along the table.

Despite the grandeur of the dining hall and the spread, the number of guests made the setting feel less lively than one might expect. Furthermore, among those seated, only Morris could be considered an average human, though that was debatable given his role as a devoted cleric of knowledge.

Morris studied the dish before him as Alice expertly sliced into the grilled fish. This particular fish, once the offspring of the ocean, now exuded an irresistible aroma, devoid of its previously menacing nature.

“Here I am, aboard the Vanished, dining alongside a being from another dimension and eating a creature from the abyss,” Morris pondered.

He almost began to recite an invocation to Lahem, the deity of wisdom, but stopped himself, fearing he might invoke an unwanted vision.

Sensing the palpable tension in the air, Duncan, ever the gracious host, decided to lift spirits. Raising his glass high, he proposed, “First and foremost, I wish to extend my warmest welcome to each of you. Our gathering here might be advantageous, but you are now part of the Vanished’s legacy. Let’s dedicate this drink to new beginnings.”

Feeling a mix of gratitude and apprehension, Morris swiftly lifted his glass in response. Shirley and Nina, ever eager, followed suit. Duncan, however, shot them a cautionary look, “You two should stick to juice.”

Shirley, not one to back down, quickly retorted, “I’m nearly grown up!”

Nina, more sheepishly, added, “Maybe just a tiny bit of the fruit wine for me?”

Duncan, feigning a stern demeanor, conceded, “Fine, but only a smidge for each of you. Alice will keep an eye to ensure you don’t overdo it.”

Nina beamed, “You’re the best, Uncle!”

Morris observed the playful banter between Shirley, Nina, and Duncan, his eyebrows raised in mild astonishment. The trio’s interaction, marked by familial warmth and casual teasing, served as a pleasant distraction from the ship’s enigmatic atmosphere, allowing Morris to momentarily let his guard down.

However, any semblance of normalcy was interrupted by Nina’s sudden bout of coughing from her daring sip of wine. Her mild distress, though concerning, had an unintended comedic effect, lifting the somber mood and injecting a dose of levity into the gathering.

Seizing this lighter mood, Duncan broached the topic of their upcoming plans. “Once we’ve finished our meal, I’ll have Ai escort you back to the city-state,” he announced, exuding a tranquil confidence as he scanned the faces around the table. “Mr. Morris, you can proceed directly to your residence. And Shirley, Dog, and Nina can head back to the antique store.”

Still catching her breath from her earlier coughing spell, Nina posed a question tinged with concern: “But Uncle… where will you be?”

With a knowing grin, Duncan replied, “I’ll be right there, waiting for you.” His eyes settled on Shirley as he continued, “It’s always been this way. I exist simultaneously here aboard the Vanished and back in the city-state.”

Shirley’s face registered confusion. She blinked, trying to piece the puzzle together. “So, after everything we went through in Pland, you won’t just abandon the city and sail away on new adventures? I assumed, like in the tales, the captain would just move on…”

Duncan gestured expansively to their surroundings. “The captain’s journey does continue. The Vanished still plies the vast expanse of the Boundless Sea. Yet, the captain never truly disconnects from the civilized world. And now, as part of the Vanished’s crew, you’ll get to maintain your life on land. The only change is that occasionally, you might be summoned back to this ship when needed.”

Shirley’s eyes widened in surprise, “Wait, so we have to return to the ship periodically?”

Nina, on the other hand, took a more optimistic stance, “You mean, we get the chance to return?”

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