Chapter 231: “The Reliable Messenger Perley”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com.
Ai flew into the store and perched on the stair railing, her chest puffed up, and her bright green eyes scanned the room.
The large parrot with vibrant tail feathers followed, landing on the counter next to Duncan. It strutted around confidently, as if it owned the place.
Duncan, surprised, looked at the parrot that had flown in unexpectedly. The parrot raised its head, meeting Duncan’s gaze, and after a moment, it suddenly flapped its wings, making a loud noise: “Ah! Perley!”
“Is your name Perley?” Duncan asked, curious. He didn’t expect a real response, thinking the parrot’s speech was mere mimicry. Yet, the parrot nodded and flapped its wings again: “Perley! I’m called Perley!”
Duncan’s face showed a hint of surprise, and he turned to Ai, who was watching from the stair railing: “Where did you find this… ‘friend’?”
“The friend came from afar,” Ai flapped her wings, one eye on Duncan, the other looking out the window, “Already here!”
“What does she mean?” Nina asked, curious.
Having learned the secrets of the Vanished and Duncan, Nina was aware that Ai could speak. She was initially surprised, but now she had grown accustomed to the dove’s odd phrases.
“Maybe it doesn’t know where this parrot came from,” Duncan speculated, translating Ai’s words in his mind. He then looked back and forth between Ai and the parrot. “Ai… I don’t mind you making friends, but do you realize you are different species? Maybe find a dove friend…”
“There is great tolerance among the vast stretches of rivers, for they all run into the ocean!” The dove shouted this profound phrase, tilting her head, “There is great tolerance!”
Duncan was speechless for a moment.
Talking with Ai often made Duncan reflect on life and question himself. It was astonishing how a bird with such a small brain could converse with him. He wondered if they were even on the same wavelength.
Shirley, Dog, and Alice were drawn by the noise and came over to see the bold parrot. Alice curiously poked at the parrot’s wings, but it quickly dodged and glared at the doll for her offensive gesture.
“What is it?” Alice asked Duncan, “It looks completely different from Ai.”
Shirley clarified, “Of course, it’s different. This is a parrot, and Ai is a dove.”
“What’s a parrot?” Alice asked earnestly. “Can you eat it?”
“No,” Shirley shook her head, turning to the puppet, “Why do you always ask about eating when you don’t even need to eat?”
“I’m responsible for the cap… cooking for Mr. Duncan!”
The chatter continued around the counter, but Duncan remained contemplative, observing the parrot who called itself “Perley.” He felt a vague sense of familiarity with the bird, as if he had seen it before.
“Where are you from? Why are you here?” he suddenly asked.
From their earlier conversation, Duncan sensed that this parrot could communicate with people, indicating it was not ordinary.
“Perley! Go, send a message!” The parrot turned its head, tilting it to the side.
“A messenger?” Duncan was surprised, growing more serious, “What kind of message?”
The parrot seemed to think for a moment before opening its beak, but Ai suddenly fluttered and shouted, “Make some fries!”
The parrot was startled, “Ah! Perley!”
“Make some fries!” Ai landed in front of the parrot, nodding seriously, “Make some fries.”
“Perley?” “Make some fries!”
The two birds continued this back-and-forth until Duncan intervened, “Stop! Ai, be quiet. Perley, what message are you delivering, and to whom?”
The parrot seemed momentarily stunned, hesitating before shaking its body and repeating, “Make some fries.”
Duncan realized that whatever message the parrot had was now forgotten.
As if trying to recall something important, the parrot suddenly jumped up, flapping its wings vigorously, shouting “tell the captain, tell the captain!” while repeating “make some fries.” It then flew towards the door and disappeared before anyone could react.
Nina wanted to stop the parrot but couldn’t move fast enough. She watched it leave with regret. Meanwhile, Duncan became serious upon hearing Perley’s mention of “the captain.” He suddenly remembered where he had seen the parrot before – in a cabin on the Sea Mist when the Vanished and the Sea Mist overlapped.
“Ai, go after that parrot.”
……
In a secluded reception room at the Cathedral of Pland, an old bishop named Valentine, dressed in civilian clothes, spoke to Tyrian, who was seated across from him on a sofa.
“The Vanished finally took the sun fragment, prevented the Creeping Sunwheel from descending, and eliminated the historical pollution’s impact on the city-state. Though we still can’t be sure of… your father’s intentions.”
Tyrian’s expression was subtle and stiff. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so bewildered. He understood every word the old bishop said, but he never imagined events would unfold this way.
“Did the Vanished really leave just like that? Did someone rescue them?” Tyrian asked, disbelievingly. “It took away the sun fragment… and then what? Is that all? Didn’t it do anything else?”
Valentine and Vanna exchanged a look, showing helplessness and hesitation. It was still difficult to tell Tyrian that “your dad stole half the city’s fries.”
“…Nothing else,” Valentine hesitated, “I understand your confusion, Mr. Tyrian. We are as perplexed as you are, and if you don’t even know what your father intends to do, then we certainly don’t.”
“Since a century ago, he has not been my father,” Tyrian shook his head slowly, speaking in a deep voice. “It’s just an imitation, torn apart by subspace and then clumsily reassembled. There’s no trace of humanity in that empty body…”
Tyrian abruptly stopped, remembering the moment when the Vanished and the Sea Mist overlapped. He recalled the cold, distant words he heard, “I’m busy.”
The pirate hesitated.
Was there really no humanity inside that shell on the Vanished? The voice he heard and the aura he felt… Was it truly just an echo of subspace’s empty madness?
As Tyrian was lost in thought, the young inquisitor’s voice interrupted, “The question of whether Captain Duncan has ‘human nature’ is exactly what we will discuss next.”
“Huh?” Tyrian looked at Vanna suspiciously, “What do you mean?”
“Actually…” Vanna hesitated, then exchanged a look with Bishop Valentine before nodding slightly, “We have communicated with your father more than once recently.”
Matters related to the Vanished were classified, especially conversations with Captain Duncan, which should not be disclosed outside the church. But Tyrian’s unique status made these questions pertinent.
“Communication? With my father?!” Tyrian was shocked, almost rising from the couch, “This is a bad joke if it is!”
“Please calm down, this is a very serious matter—no one would joke about this after the city-state almost collapsed.” Vanna looked at Tyrian calmly, then paused slightly, “Strictly speaking, I have had several exchanges with your father, and according to my observations… ‘Captain Duncan’ no longer seems as described in the records.”
Tyrian noticed Vanna’s solemn demeanor, causing him to quickly calm down and adopt a serious expression: “Miss Inquisitor, how did you establish communication? Why did he seek you out? And… what did he say?”
“It began as an accident… No, thinking back, it might have been your father’s deliberate arrangement.” Vanna gathered her thoughts, “I came into contact with the ‘flame’ he left behind and connected with it. As for why he chose me… Unfortunately, no one knows…”
Vanna avoided detailing her “imprint” and “irreversible contamination,” summarizing the process as “making contact.” She then shared with the pirate captain the details of several exchanges with Captain Duncan, the man who theoretically knew Duncan Abnomar best.
Indeed, Perley has been polluted by the heretical god of Fries.
Apparently there is at least one power greater and more insidious than subspace.
Perly is going to tell Tyrian to make some fries.
Ai brainwashed Perley with fries
Honestly, every time I picture Ai, I can only imagine a seagull and not a dove. Doves should be nesting in trees and cooing, not scrabbling through leftovers to hork down greasy potatoes.
Thinking of a pigeon, pretty much the same species
Ok guys, I made some ?.
I also want to make some fries..
you know what would be nice? if MC is actually his father, but without the prior experiences. so after they mention his nature, he goes like yep that’s Dad.
like all his memories were destroyed by the subspace, everything but his true origin. perhaps Duncan was a transmigator from the get go, and that could explain why he was so focused on finding a way to save the world.