Chapter 43 “Good Morning Mr. Duncan”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
After carefully returning the book on the designated shelf, Duncan took a moment to further explore the room. His gaze drifted across the few items scattered around, eventually settling on two notebooks hidden in a desk drawer. Apart from these, the room appeared largely untouched, devoid of personal items or any decorative touches, making it seem almost neglected at first glance.
These notebooks, though, revealed a treasure trove of detailed notes on steam-powered machinery and various engineering principles. Interspersed among these technical notes were bursts of frustration aimed at her academic instructors and fellow students. This mixture of content led Duncan to conclude that the room’s occupant was probably a young woman, likely a student in engineering or mechanics, as evidenced by her meticulous notes and personal outpourings.
After ensuring he left everything exactly as he had found it, Duncan retreated to the larger bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the vast bed, he allowed his thoughts to wander into his past, reminiscing and reflecting.
Later, he stood and walked absentmindedly to a nearby cabinet. His hands expertly opened the cabinet door and rummaged through a drawer, searching for particular items: a collection of cheap liquor bottles and a half-empty box of various pain relievers and sedatives. These were remnants from a previous occupant, a man named Ron who had been part of an eccentric religious group.
Ron had suffered from a severe, terminal illness, finding scant comfort in these modestly priced alcoholic drinks and medications, which barely eased his journey toward death.
Despite his deteriorating health and dimming hopes, Ron had been drawn to the Sun Cult. Their charismatic leader had boldly declared the divine power of their Black Sun, promising cures for all mortal diseases. It was these grand claims that had lured Ron into the cult.
To some extent, the cult had delivered on its promises. Their rituals, although disturbing, involved transferring life energy from an innocent to a cult member. Duncan didn’t fully grasp how these rituals worked or their true effectiveness. However, from the fragments of memories he could piece together, it appeared Ron had felt some improvement after participating in one. This perceived benefit had driven Ron to donate a significant amount of his wealth to the cult, seduced by the mystery of their practices and the hope for a cure.
Yet, Duncan remained unswayed and detached from the tales of the former cult member’s experiences.
Continuing his search in the drawer, his fingers eventually located a well-kept revolver and a box of bullets.
In the city-state of Pland, the law permitted citizens to own firearms, but strict legal criteria had to be met. Considering these stringent requirements, it was improbable that an antique dealer, particularly one from the economically depressed lower district, had legally obtained a firearm permit. Thus, it was likely that the gun had been acquired through illicit means. Nonetheless, this firearm was now securely in Captain Duncan’s possession.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock of the front door downstairs.
At that very moment, Ai, Duncan’s loyal avian companion, disrupted the tense silence with an ill-timed chirp, “You have a new message!”
“Shhh~” Duncan whispered urgently, gripping the gun tighter. “Stay quiet and don’t move until I say so. This is particularly crucial when we’re not alone.”
Acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, Ai quickly flew to a nearby cabinet and perched there, responding cleverly, “Aye, captain!”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
As Duncan left the room and moved quietly toward the stairwell, he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps—quick and rhythmic—ascending the stairs. Then, a young girl’s voice, filled with concern, called out, “Uncle Duncan? Are you back?”
Soon, a young girl appeared, her presence modest yet noticeable. She wore a long brown dress over a white blouse, her dark brown hair cascading in waves down her back, glowing as though kissed by the morning light. While not stunningly beautiful, she had a youthful charm typical of someone around seventeen or eighteen. Her expression showed clear surprise as she saw Duncan at the top of the stairs.
From his vantage point on the second floor, bathed in soft light filtering through a narrow window, Duncan watched silently. After a moment, he questioned, with a hint of uncertainty, “What did you just call me?”
“Uncle Duncan?” The girl seemed taken aback, gripping the handrail tighter, her body tense. She squinted in the dim light, trying to discern Duncan’s expression. “Is something wrong? Have you been drinking again? You vanished for several days… and when I saw the light outside…”
Duncan paused, processing her words and comparing them to his own recollections. According to the memories of the body he now inhabited, this girl was supposed to be his niece, his only living relative.
What didn’t add up? Why did this girl, who theoretically should have been unaware of his true identity, address him as “Duncan” so naturally?
“Nina,” he finally said her name, “were you at school yesterday?”
“I stayed at school for the past few days,” the girl explained from the bottom of the stairs. “I thought you’d be away for at least a week, like usual. So, I packed my things and decided to stay with my classmates. Mrs. White, the dorm supervisor, allowed it. I only came back today because I forgot a book… Are you alright, Uncle? You seem a bit off today…”
As Duncan began his descent to the ground floor, a bizarre idea began to take shape in his mind—an idea so implausible he felt compelled to investigate its truth.
Crossing paths with Nina on the staircase, they shared a brief glance. It wasn’t until he reached the bottom of the stairs that Nina posed her next question, “Uncle Duncan, are you planning to leave again soon? Or will you stay home for a few more days?”
“That would depend on the circumstances,” Duncan replied, his voice fading as he turned away from her, leaving the future’s uncertainty hanging in the air. “I need to check the front door. If all remains quiet, I plan to stay home for the next few days.”
“Alright then. I’ll head to the market for some groceries. We’re starting to run low on supplies at home…” Nina responded quickly, then turned and dashed up the stairs, her youthful energy evident in every step.
By this time, Duncan had reached the entrance of his shop. He paused, drawing a deep breath to center himself before gently pushing the door open and looking up at the signboard above. The old, weathered sign read “Duncan’s Antique Shop” as though it had always been there, despite its obvious age.
A frown formed on Duncan’s face as he moved closer to the shop’s grimy glass window, seeking his reflection. Instead of the stern, resolute face of the ghostly captain he might have expected, he saw a weary, middle-aged man with a bushy beard and deep-set eyes staring back at him—the visage of Ron, the cultist who had met his end in the city’s dark sewers.
Before long, the vibrant sounds of the city began to encroach on his introspection. The urban symphony grew louder; first, the delicate chime of doorbells as nearby shops opened for the day, followed by the jingle of bicycle bells and the lively chatter of early morning pedestrians.
“Good morning, Mr. Duncan. Have you had a chance to read today’s newspaper? It seems the Storm Church has successfully obliterated a major cult hideout!” A cheerful passerby greeted him right in front of the antique shop.
Thanks for the chapters!
Yoooo, so swallowing his memories means swallowing his “identity” too!? Awesome! Thanks for the translations!
Wth, guy got power like Marauder pathway Destiny theft? Holy moly
From a perspective, Duncan assumes ‘Ron’ identity. For whatever reason the laws of the world perceived his identity as the “truth” thus editing everyone’s memories making them believe that everything is “normal”.
And so the plot thickens.
Wait…. Last time the tentacle monster became a fish and now ron became duncan??? What kind of reality warping power is this?
The MC is bending reality again. I repeat reality bender has breached containment. The tentacle became a fish, the corpse became “Duncan”.
So like Amon? WTF!
So that’s what goathead mean when it said, the Captain is always right?
So, the Gothead wasn’t lying when it said “Everything Captain said is truth”
Captains power is horrifying
Since the fish incident I was pretty certain that Duncan had some type of reality bending powers although I originally assumed it only worked on the ship. Scary part is he has no control over it and does it unintentionally, or maybe it’s not actually him doing it but Ai.