Deep Sea Embers

He attempted to open his eyes multiple times during this experience, only to be met with a dim green glow and rapidly shifting shadows. After some effort, he recognized the sight of the city-state below him.

Had something transported him into the sky?

This thought flashed through his mind before he lost consciousness once more.

When he regained sensation in his body, he found himself in a stable location – lying on a cold, hard surface reminiscent of a cement floor. The dim light surrounding him was reminiscent of the poor-quality electric lights used to illuminate warehouses. Meanwhile, a blurry figure sat nearby, seemingly peering at him with curiosity.

Tyrian finally awoke.

However, he didn’t immediately open his eyes. Instead, he feigned unconsciousness while carefully assessing the environment, attempting to deduce his location from the humidity in the air, faint sounds, and slightly parted eyelids.

As he picked up on the distant sound of carriages, confirming he might be near a street, a familiar voice from before he blacked out suddenly rang out beside him, “You’re awake; your eyelids are moving.”

Startled, Tyrian knew he could no longer hide and reluctantly opened his eyes.

Afterward, he felt stiffness throughout his body, and the sight before him left him bewildered and amazed.

He saw the Frost Queen, Ray Nora – the same one from his memory, not the blonde woman with a distinctly different hair color he had seen earlier.

The silver-haired “Frost Queen” sat calmly beside him, her expression tranquil as she gazed at Tyrian on the ground. It took him several seconds of staring before he abruptly came to his senses and quickly rose.

However, the sudden sting from the head nearly forced Tyrian back down as he groggily tried to dispel the blur. He first verified that he was indeed awake, then quickly surveyed his surroundings, attempting to discern his location.

All he saw was a warehouse stocked with shelves and wooden crates – the neatly arranged shelves held antique items of uncertain age and origin, while the slightly disheveled crates were stacked against the wall. No windows were visible, and naturally, he couldn’t see outside. The sole door was located behind the chair where the “queen” sat.

It appeared to be a simple storage building, providing no clues as to its location within the city-state.

Tyrian’s attention then returned to the “Frost Queen.”

However, after the initial shock and excitement, the composed pirate’s first thought was suspicion. He recalled the blonde woman he had encountered earlier and her words, prompting him to furrow his brow, “You are not Her Majesty Ray Nora. Who are you?”

“I’ve told you, my name is Alice,” the silver-haired woman in the chair replied with a smile, “Ah, if you’re referring to my hair… I disguised it earlier because the captain said my appearance might cause trouble in the city-state.”

She mentioned the captain once more.

The first time “captain” was mentioned, Tyrian had felt only slight confusion. But hearing it again, he was filled with intense wariness and a sense of crisis. He had ruled out the possibility of a cruel joke or an absurd trap set by a resentful captain. Instead, his formidable father might truly be involved.

Tyrian cautiously stood up, eyeing the silver-haired woman who called herself “Alice” as he spoke in a deep voice, “Is it really him?”

“Yes, he wants to see you,” Alice rose from her chair and approached an antique mirror, “Captain, he’s awake.”

The following moment, a faint green flame flickered along the mirror’s edge. Tyrian seemed to hear an eerie crackling sound, and then the mirror turned black as a familiar, imposing figure gradually materialized from the darkness.

“Tyrian, we meet again,” Duncan’s voice emerged from the mirror.

“…Yes, we meet again,” Tyrian hesitated. Although they had met previously, speaking with his sober and rational father once more felt exceedingly awkward, “Why this way? Didn’t you say you didn’t mind communicating with me in the cathedral?”

“In the cathedral, we can reminisce but not discuss more private matters. There are some things I don’t want Gomona to overhear,” Duncan replied leisurely, glancing at Alice, “You’ve met Alice already. You must have many questions.”

Tyrian’s expression turned peculiar upon hearing his father mention the Storm Goddess’s name. However, his focus soon shifted to Alice, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the Frost Queen. After furrowing his brow and pondering, he suddenly recalled something and his expression changed dramatically, “Recently, the Explorers Association issued a warning to all captains in the Boundless Sea, stating that Anomaly 099 has lost control…”

“As you can see,” Duncan smiled, “She’s right before you.”

Tyrian immediately looked at Alice, whose face appeared innocent. He seemed to just now notice the inhuman features concealed in her overly refined and perfect face, and the ornaments on her body that clearly hid her joints. The next moment, he instinctively touched his neck.

As one of the most seasoned captains in the Boundless Sea and having a keen interest in information related to the Frost Queen, Tyrian was well acquainted with the attributes of Anomaly 099.

His actions didn’t go unnoticed by Duncan’s eye.

“Relax,” the voice from the mirror reassured him, “Anomaly 099 is now under control.”

“…You consider a puppet in a container waking up and roaming freely ‘under control’?” Tyrian carefully watched Alice’s movements while addressing Duncan, a shiver running down his spine, “How did you manage to employ such an early-numbered ‘anomaly’ and even suppress her beheading instinct?”

“Alice is a friendly puppet, not as fearsome as people believe, at least when she’s with me,” Duncan replied casually, “As for you, I thought you’d inquire about the Frost Queen first. After all, as far as I know, your days of loyalty to that queen even exceed your time with the Vanished Fleet.”

Tyrian slowly regained his composure, warily observing the figure in the mirror, “Do you want to extract information about Her Majesty Ray Nora from me?”

“Are you resistant to discussing it?”

“…I still don’t entirely trust your ‘humanity’.”

Duncan was silent for a few moments before speaking in a deep voice, “Do you know what my original plan was?”

“Your original plan?”

“I intended to have Alice impersonate Frost Queen Ray Nora directly, either pretending to be resurrected, creating a ghostly projection, or even entering your dreams – it would have been very easy for me,” Duncan gazed into Tyrian’s eyes, “I can assure you that you wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference and would have unwittingly divulged a lot of information. I could have easily obtained the information I wanted that way.”

Tyrian suddenly felt another shiver run down his spine.

He believed his father’s words, trusted that he could do it, and knew he would have fallen for it – even if he could detect inconsistencies in some details, he would have been deceived into revealing much information before that!

Because even just now, after seeing the “blonde Alice” earlier and knowing the person before him couldn’t be Ray Nora, he had almost believed that the opposite figure was the resurrected Frost Queen!

Tyrian instinctively lowered his gaze slightly, as though trying to avoid direct eye contact with his father, and asked in a deep voice, “Then why didn’t you do it?”

Duncan calmly regarded Tyrian.

What else could it be? Because Alice couldn’t memorize such lengthy lines or perform in such an extended act, she would panic and call for the captain to rescue her as soon as she forgot her lines… a staggering seventeen saves per second.

Unbelievably inept.

“Of course, it’s because I don’t want to deceive my children – even though I’ve already forgotten many things,” Duncan said gravely, his voice deep.

He paused and added, “I also don’t want to dishonor the monarch you once served with such a ‘farce’ – although I’m not acquainted with her, from my brief encounter with her, Ray Nora seems to be a commendable person.”

“Clap clap clap clap -”

Upon hearing the captain’s virtuous response, Alice immediately applauded from the side, even though she barely grasped what the captain was saying.

Duncan and Tyrian both stared strangely at the puppet.

“…Should I not clap?” Alice shrank back, cautiously glancing at the captain in the mirror, “I just think the captain is right…”

Feeling exhausted, Duncan sighed, “…As long as you’re happy.”

Simultaneously, Tyrian suddenly noticed a detail in his father’s words and was taken aback: “You’ve met Her Majesty Ray Nora?!”