Chapter 83 The Basilisk She spoke sweetly of her ambitions, but those...

The storm is the sister of death.

The waves crashed over the small boat, making it rock back and forth like a toy in a basin of water.

Splash—splash—

The crew members gritted their teeth under the mooring lines. Only when the bow pierced the rain and sailed into a clear sky did they breathe a sigh of relief and collapse onto the deck.

"Cough cough cough! I almost died..."

"Oh God, we'll die, we'll die, we'll make things clear with her!"

Their miraculous escape from the storm only strengthened their resolve: they had to make that bastard know that as long as she wanted to get ashore alive, she absolutely—absolutely couldn't do without them!

At this moment, whether they were the lowest-ranking sailors or the first mate who had miraculously survived, everyone exchanged glances with a shared hatred, determined to show the new captain why the sky and sea were so blue!

But then again... they cursed angrily for a few moments, then rubbed their backs and groaned, all showing embarrassed expressions.

They called her the new captain, but they didn't even know her name. That guy was pulled from the water—a complete bastard!

At first, they thought it was a corpse that had risen from the dead, but later they concluded that it was a nobleman who had luckily survived the drowning.

This time, I guessed right, but who knew that this seriously injured noblewoman was so ruthless! She killed the red-haired man who came to deliver food without warning.

The crew didn't notice, and so the horrible monster, after killing the people, lurked in the cabin with the corpses.

They didn't discover that Red Hair was missing until evening, and found her body in the hold.

The captain ordered all crew members to assemble immediately and conduct a thorough search, but after a chaotic search, they found nothing but rats.

Strange things began to happen one after another. The chef discovered that some food was missing from the kitchen at breakfast time the next day.

The following night, more bodies appeared in various corners of the ship. The bosun and her two trusted mates lay dead on either side of her.

The reason the three people died in that way was because their body parts were neatly cut into pieces and scattered relatively evenly on the deck and in various cabins.

Everyone cried out in terror, "Captain! Captain! Something terrible has happened!"

The first mate pushed the door open—

Squeak... Crackling sound.

The captain's head rolled out, his body still sitting upright in the chair, as if he had no time to react before his head was severed by astonishing arm strength.

"No--!!"

The Black Lotus was thrown into complete chaos.

Ships are a territory on the sea, and the captain is the temporary ruler of this territory.

If it were a merchant ship, things would be a little better. In order to maintain trade routes and continue business, the crew would quickly elect a deputy captain so that business could continue.

But this is a standard pirate ship.

According to unwritten pirate rules, all valuables are distributed by the captain.

Theoretically, the captain gets 50%, and the remaining 50% is divided among everyone.

The captain is dead, and everyone is curious about where her treasure is buried. It's a huge sum of money!

The dangerous noble bloodline, the captain's throne, the abandoned treasure map... a strange atmosphere stirred everyone.

The crew's infighting didn't last long, as corpses began to appear in every corner of the ship. It was as if a man-eating monster lurked in the mist, satisfying its horrific appetite with flesh and blood.

One, two, three... ten... twenty!

Finally, the dead outnumbered the living on the ship—the remaining crew members knelt on the ground, wailing.

Instead of hiding, they lay on the deck and begged the monster in the shadows for mercy.

"Keep playing! Why aren't you moving?"

Clang, clang.

Even though the pure gold chains had been discarded in the captain's cabin, everyone still heard the crisp clanging of the infernal chains when the golden-red demon emerged from the shadows.

Her arms hung limply, her right hand holding the captain's usual scimitar, the blade stained with blood and bits of flesh.

On that very day, the ship—the Black Lotus—welcomed its new captain, their new owner.

The new captain had striking good looks and fiery eyes.

Her stunningly beautiful right cheek was like a painting meticulously crafted by a deity, but a deep slash ran down the corner of her left eye, extending all the way to the corner of her mouth.

The scar no longer bleeds, but a raised, festering layer remains at the edges, creating a comical, even eerie, contrast with the stunningly beautiful right cheek.

The crew members dared not look directly at the alluring captain; they groveled more humbly than dogs, huddled on the deck, kowtowing and begging.

The lookout, the smartest of them all, yelled, "Sir, spare our wretched lives! The Black Lotus needs sailors to get it ashore—"

The new captain stood frozen in place, his eyes vacant, as shavings from his knife fell to the ground with a pattering sound.

She stood there for a few seconds, then turned and left without saying a word.

She didn't mention becoming the new captain, let alone introduce herself.

Everyone just assumed she was the new captain: since she wouldn't tell them her name, they would just call her Captain.

Although the crew members secretly used derogatory terms like "scumbag," "bastard," and "old rotten face" in their hearts, every time they saw him flash by on deck, they would immediately straighten up, bow deeply, and shout with great enthusiasm, "Good morning, Captain!"

......

After drifting at sea together for several days, everyone discovered that the captain was bad in every way, except for one thing: she was very good at fighting.

It wasn't that no one wanted to ambush her while she was sleeping; they all ended up being thrown into the sea to feed the sharks.

Everyone immediately realized that this new captain not only possessed extraordinary martial prowess, but also genuinely didn't treat his crew members like human beings. The only reason they were allowed to live was simply because someone was needed to steer the ship.

They quickly quieted down, after all, there was still a group of prisoners and slaves in the lower deck responsible for rowing when there was no wind.

If they really angered that mentally unstable new captain, she might actually kill everyone.

But today's storm has made the crew stand tall again:

She should realize their value by now. They are highly experienced and skilled sailors, not some beasts to be killed indiscriminately!

"Let's go, let's go. If she dares to leave us, she'll die in the storm next time."

A sailor rallied her companions, walking with her head held high and speaking with particular fervor: "You have to give us a promise! Who do you think you're scaring with that arrogant attitude!"

Snap.

A young apprentice sailor stumbled, his voice trembling as he said, "Captain, that face... uh, I don't mean her, she can't see or anything, she... she smiles when she kills..."

"What did you say?" The sailors rolled their eyes and laughed loudly at her, as if that would prove their courage.

The trainee sailor gritted her teeth, unsure how to explain to these roughnecks that she was terrified of death and had therefore carefully observed the details of the monster captain's expressions, hoping to find a way to move him emotionally.

Good heavens, she discovered that the captain's eyes weren't focused at all.

That monster was usually in a daze, its thoughts unknown, only revealing a terrifying smile when it killed someone, after which it would quickly cool down...

The captain kept pacing back and forth in certain areas with a furrowed brow, clearly lost in some strange, unknowable thoughts.

She instinctively felt this person was very dangerous, and looking at her companions, she stammered, "Maybe we should go back and leave her alone..."

"Tch!" Nobody paid her any attention; they shoved the coward away with disdain.

The first mate and the lookout, representing the crew, walked into the captain's cabin one after the other, chests puffed out.

......

The former captain's body had been cleaned up. The golden-red demon propped his head up with one hand and glanced at them as they approached.

Thump!

The two of them knelt firmly on the ground.

"Sir, we are severely understaffed—"

"Captain! We really can't afford any more deaths! This storm almost made it impossible for us to even raise the sails, waaaaah!"

Andra leaned back in her chair, her eyes vacant, and after a long while, she slowly turned her gaze to their shoulders... or whatever.

"Then open the lower deck and release those prisoners and slaves for proper training."

Her concise words startled the two of them, causing their pupils to dilate in shock.

That won't do. Not to mention that a seasoned sailor needs years of training, if he really teaches these slaves, this guy will probably kill even more enthusiastically!

They weren't stupid; they naturally noticed what the trainee sailors could.

The captain felt pleasure when he killed.

No, perhaps it's not that killing is "pleasurable," but rather that killing makes her less pain. Her excitement doesn't seem like that of a born killer, but rather like an escape from some unspeakable pain.

Of course, these words only lingered in their minds for a moment, because the captain's gaze seemed to wander over them almost imperceptibly, and he asked a question as if he were talking to himself.

"How much longer until I reach the other side?"

"The other side" is a very broad term; which specific "other side" is it referring to?

"Captain, where do you wish to go?"

Andra closed her eyes. "I want to go...to places I've never been before."

Asking was pointless; they could only guess that she wanted to go to another country or city. After all, there was no intercontinental navigation these days, so it was best to forget about crossing the ocean in a sailboat.

Well, it's probably some young city lord who failed to seize the throne.

The first mate cautiously replied, "If you mean the nearest island... well, about three days. If you want to land in another country—like Aita—it will take at least twenty-five days."

Andra nodded, her calm voice slightly hoarse, as if it had been scratched with a knife. But this hoarse voice sounded strangely magnetic to them, possessing an irresistible charm.

"Twenty-five days, fine. Open the hold and teach them whatever you like."

This is not a discussion, it is an order.

The first mate jolted awake and looked up. The man in front of him seemed to have regained some of his senses and was not as frantic as he had been a few days ago.

She thought for a moment, then decided to take the opportunity to test the waters. She lay on the ground and whispered, "But those slaves are all stupid; we might not be able to teach them..."

"Actually, the difference in intelligence among most people isn't as big as you imagine. Many slaves grew up in impoverished environments, which is why—"

哢哒.

Andra flicked her nail, completely ignoring the bloodline at her fingertip.

She said in a hoarse voice, "You all remember this well: no one is allowed to talk to the slaves. Let them come up and work carefully."

The two were overjoyed: that meant they wouldn't be replaced!

"Yes, yes—please believe in our loyalty!!"

......

"Mother, please believe in my loyalty to Norlana."

Eleanor leaned weakly against Eva, more alluring than any of the other concubines—and more in need of the king's comfort.

Instead of comforting her poor daughter who had just lost her lover, Eva picked up her cup and took a sip, letting the aroma of datura carry away her deep-seated pain.

"call......"

After an unknown amount of time, the queen awoke from her dream. She opened her eyes and saw her daughter leaning against the long couch, just like her.

The mother and daughter stared at the ceiling in the same position, but Eva was the first to laugh out loud.

"Haha, why are you making that face?" She clapped her hands lazily. "I don't believe you would let your most precious person just fall into the sea so easily."

In an attempt to save her beloved Princess Eleanor of Nornana, Princess Andra of Hertuya perished upon entering the water—such a thing could only fool the ignorant; the actual cause of death was far more complex.

However, whether it was Eva or Hertuya's Aguno, they only cared about one thing: who was responsible for Andra's death, and what her death could bring.

Eva loves mandalas, but that doesn't mean she's willing to give up even a single gold coin for Andra.

"Mother, I've made up my mind."

Eleanor sighed, leaned close to her, and whispered, "I'm going to marry Hetuya."

“…” Eva looked over with annoyance and saw—a sinister smile.

Her youngest daughter transformed into a slithering snake amidst the fragrant mist of mandala.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of such a wonderful princess as Andra to Hetuya."

The snake coiled up her arm.

“To repay Andra for saving my life and to compensate for Hetuya’s losses, my daughter is willing to marry another princess—oh, or even King Hetuya! I only want to be Queen of Hetuya… It doesn’t matter who the king is.”

She spoke of her ambitions in a charmingly innocent way, but those ambitions were nothing more than the sweet flesh on the pit.

The small black snake opened its mouth and hissed out highly venomous liquid.

“Mother, would you be willing to go to Hetuya again? Just to pave the way for Ophelia.”

"...What if I say I don't want to?" she struggled against the snake's tempting words.

The snake laughed and said, "Then—for yourself?"