Chapter 230: “Warm Daily Life in subspace Lair”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
A large, colorful-tailed parrot flapped its wings and swiftly departed from the Sea Mist, heading toward the city’s center.
“First mate, what should we do? Should we wait here?” a sailor on the bridge of the Sea Mist asked as Perley disappeared from view.
“…We have no choice but to wait,” Aiden replied, looking down at the ground beneath his feet. After quickly considering his options, he added, “We can’t reduce the number of sailors on the ship, especially after sensing the strange situation in Pland. Any contact between the crew and the city-state could awaken the ship’s soul, driving it to madness. Additionally, we can’t let the Sea Mist send a direct signal to the city or contact the city-state authorities by telegram, as it may alert the hidden elements within the island.”
Letting Perley the parrot deliver the message was the least risky option. However, Aiden hoped the captain would return soon and not get trapped or captured. In the worst-case scenario, he would wait a day before sending a crew team ashore.
……
While sitting at the shop counter and flipping through the newspaper, Duncan suddenly paused and looked up at the window.
“Mr. Duncan, what are you looking at?” Alice asked, noticing his gesture and stopping her own paper flipping.
“…I thought I sensed something looking this way,” Duncan said, frowning slightly. “But it’s gone now.”
“Oh, I know what that is! It’s called the ‘senses of the strong’! Mr. Goathead told me about it before!” Alice said excitedly. “He said that strong people are instinctively aware of their surroundings. Even a gaze will trigger their instincts, so a powerful person like you will constantly feel this…”
Duncan put the newspaper down and looked at Alice blandly. “Did he really say that?”
Alice’s smile froze instantly. “…The last part was my own deduction.”
“Don’t make unnecessary deductions,” Duncan replied, then focused on tracing the source of the “stirring.”
He didn’t dismiss that fleeting sensation as an illusion—after spending so much time in this strange world, he had developed a habit of investigating any “sudden intuition” thoroughly.
One significant detail he obtained was the location: the southeast port.
“…Tyrian’s ship?” Duncan was surprised upon recognizing the source of the aura. “Why is he here?”
He then recalled his previous encounter with the steel battleship, the ship’s position at that time, and the intentions shown in the battle. After a brief thought, a slightly odd expression appeared on his face.
The Sea Mist appeared near Pland and initiated an attack on the Vanished. Could it be the “reinforcements” called by the authorities? Were they here to intercept him?
Vaguely guessing the matter’s cause and effect in his mind, Duncan felt a mix of amusement and frustration. He didn’t know whether to lament the father-son relationship or Tyrian’s dedication as a reinforcement. Despite nearly being sunk in the fight, Tyrian still guided the steel behemoth over.
What kind of unwavering spirit does he have? Is this the reason for the Sea Mist’s unsinkable nature, or does he have a superhero tendency to maintain world peace?
“You’re in a daze again, Mr. Duncan. Do you want to go outside?” Alice asked.
“No,” Duncan shook his head while maintaining his perception of the Sea Mist. Since it had not yet become part of his “collection” like the Vanished and Pland, he couldn’t perceive the details of its contents. But given his “connection” with the Sea Mist and Tyrian, he began to search for the location of his “eldest son.” Alice wouldn’t understand these complex matters, so he kept quiet. Instead, he frowned at the doll who was tilting her head. “Don’t tilt your head. Your head will fall off.”
Alice quickly nodded. “Oh, okay.”
A rustling noise suddenly came from the storage room as a petite figure strolled out.
“Mr. Duncan,” Shirley patted the dust off her skirt and greeted him with an eager look, “the storeroom has been cleaned! All the clutter you pointed to has been packed and organized on the shelf!”
“Mmm, well done,” Duncan said, keeping some attention on the other side of the harbor while turning back and nodding at Shirley. “You have a little ash on your shoulder.”
“Oh,” Shirley turned her head and patted the dust away, then made a slightly nervous face again. “Mr. Duncan, wh-what should I do next?”
Talking to Duncan here, her expression was noticeably less apprehensive than on the Vanished, but there was still some obvious nervousness. It seemed that this tension couldn’t be entirely eliminated despite knowing the truth. Nevertheless, it was far better than when they first met.
Intellectually, Shirley knew Duncan treated her kindly and didn’t warrant such behavior from herself. The main issue was resolving Dog’s nervousness that was affecting Shirley.
Duncan nodded and then glanced at Alice, who was rummaging through the newspaper but didn’t actually know a word.
An illiterate.
He then glanced back at Shirley on the other side.
Another illiterate.
Dog was also hidden in the shadows next to her. Although the dark hound hadn’t appeared openly, his aura was becoming increasingly hard to hide.
Still, a third illiterate.
Sighing inwardly, Duncan wondered how fate could be so cruel. He had three helpers, yet none could read, write, or manage the accounts. Then, an idea struck him, reminding him of his old profession as a teacher.
“Come on, all of you sit here. Shirley, sit to Alice’s right.” Duncan casually pulled a chair from the side and placed it next to the counter. “Dog, squat behind the counter. Stop hiding, I can see you in the shadows. Come here, I have an arrangement for all of you.”
Shirley quickly sat down obediently, and Alice finally put down the newspaper she couldn’t understand. “Ah, what arrangement?”
“Well, since Nina hasn’t returned from shopping, and I’m free, I’ll teach all of you to read,” Duncan said, then patted his chest. “You can’t be illiterate forever.”
Shirley never expected Captain Duncan’s “serious arrangement” to be this. She was immediately stunned, while Alice’s purple eyes brightened with curiosity. As for Dog, he was squatting behind the counter, looking back and forth between Duncan and Shirley, question marks clearly visible in his eyes: “But I’m just Dog…”
Duncan glanced down upon hearing this, and before he could say anything, the dark hound straightened up: “But I can try to be a cultured dog. I have the enthusiasm and confidence…”
“That’s good,” Duncan said pleasantly. Then, while keeping an eye on the port, he reached under the counter and pulled out a few blank notebooks, distributing them to his “students.” “This will be your alphabet book. Let’s start with the most basic letters…”
Shirley took the book Duncan handed over with a confused look.
Then, she became even more confused.
Letters, spelling—a completely incomprehensible new world.
After just a few minutes, Shirley confirmed one thing: fighting Dog and cultists was easier than learning!
But Duncan didn’t seem to notice Shirley’s distressed expression, or rather, he was already accustomed to it.
On the contrary, he felt happiness—the joy of encountering something familiar while wandering in a foreign land.
However, this happiness didn’t last long. Just as Shirley was struggling with the fourth letter, a crisp bell rang, followed by brisk footsteps approaching the front door.
“Uncle Duncan! I’m back!” Nina’s cheerful voice sounded at the door.
Duncan looked up from his pleasant teaching and saw Nina rushing in, then noticed something flying in behind her.
“I saw Ai on my way back,” Nina said cheerfully, “and it seems like Ai brought a friend!”
“Friend?” Duncan frowned slightly and saw Ai flying into the store after Nina, followed by a large parrot with colorful tail feathers…
Duncan: “…”
..Parrot, that…. that is the opposite of where you were meant to go.
How do you mess up this badly?
Parrot said “the enemy of my friend/allies is also my friend” ?
But there are fries!
It was told to go and deliver a message to the captain.
it wasn’t told which captain to deliver it to.
Perley is alive, but has he been contaminated by the evil god Fry?
Uh…
*Looks at his comment last chapter*
*Sweat drop*
I was kidding, I didn’t really think Ai would convert Perley to the Fry Cult!
“and digging into the bottom of it” -> “and dug into the bottom of it”
“Are they here to intercept him?” -> “Are they here to intercept me?”
“Corrected: Shirley never expected” -> “Shirley never expected”
Bro stfu please
Stfu yourself. Shit being ungrammatical is taxing to the eyes, and I appreciate someone besides me notices that as well.