Chapter 33 - Fish

Chapter 33 Fish

His breakfast tasted like chewing wax, yet the texture was worse than wax.

After finishing his unsatisfying breakfast, Duncan’s mood did not improve from having his stomach filled. Conversely, his mind was full of speculation due to the intel mentioned unintentionally by the goat head. Hence, he was getting somewhat frustrated.

He saw Ai strolling on the nearby rack. He felt that he was overthinking.

He always believed that this pigeon spoke the language of Earth because it was born with the soul of an Earthling. He believed that when he was in the Spirit World, the individual Zhou Ming reacted to his brass compass, giving birth to this weird bird, Ai.

However, what if the situation was not so?

What if it was as the goat head said? Was this pigeon just an illusion who escaped from the Deep End of the World and coincidentally took form beside him?

Then, was the language of Earth uttered by Ai from time to time unrelated to the memories of Zhou Ming? Perhaps Ai’s language was a projection of history recorded by this world?

The possibilities behind this made Duncan terribly upset.

Alice stood up. Her voice interrupted Duncan’s thoughts as she asked, “Should I wash the dishes?”

Duncan gave the doll a strange look. The latter scratched her hair awkwardly and said, “I thought that since I am already on this ship, I should make myself useful. Otherwise, it would appear like I am freeloading.”

“But you don’t eat at all,” Duncan reminded her. “Nevertheless, you have a good heart. Send the plates to the galley and talk nicely with the sink. If the sink doesn’t mind, you may wash the plates.”

After saying this, he stood up before Alice could respond. As he walked towards the captain’s quarters, he said, “I will go inspect the deck. Don’t disturb me unless you have something to discuss.”

The pigeon strolling on the rack flew down to Duncan’s shoulder and left the room with him, leaving Alice at the nautical table exchanging glances with the goat head.

“The captain doesn’t seem to be in a good mood, is he?” Alice cautiously asked the goat head after hesitating for a bit.

In a deep voice, the goat head answered, “The captain’s mood is like the weather of the boundless sea. Don’t speculate about it. Just accept it.”

Alice did not wait for the goat head to continue and quickly asked, “By the way, just now, the captain asked me to discuss with the sink. How should I discuss things with it?”

“Simple. When you try to wash the dishes, if you get drenched in water, it means that the sink doesn’t like you. That being said, do you know how to wash the dishes? If you don’t know, I have some theoretical experience…”

Before the goat head finished, Alice swiftly cleared up the cutlery on the table. As she dashed to the door, she replied, “No need, I will learn to do so myself. Thank you, Mr. Goat Head. See you again!”

The captain’s quarters suddenly became quiet. Only the black goat head remained on the table. It watched with a blank stare as everyone left.

After a long while, a sigh could be heard from the nautical table. The goat head said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I had legs…”

Its gaze then returned to the nautical chart.

The fog surrounding the Lost Home was gradually clearing up. The goat head still had to diligently carry out the task of manning the helm given by the captain.

With precise control, the gigantic ghost ship that was alive nimbly adjusted its sails’ angles as it continued to sail the boundless sea. The goat head started to hum a sea shanty passed down from some unknown age. A gruff, hoarse humming echoed through the captain’s quarters.

“Hoist the sails, hoist the sails, sailors away from home, continue on.

Among the waves, amidst the noise, we are but a plank away from death.

Trim the jib, and spread the mainsail. Let the ropes go and grab the ship’s rail. We have reached the middle of the ocean!

Stay away from fish, away from fish. The sailors want to chart a course across where the fish are entrenched.

Stay away from fish, away from fish. We want to reach the shore safely. Spicy wine and a fireplace await ahead…”

Duncan strolled around the supply room and the kitchen. He then returned to the center deck of the Lost Home.

No matter how many times he searched, he could not find anything more edible than jerky and cheese on this ship.

Fortunately, he did not need to eat maggot-infested biscuits like the sailors during the Age of Exploration on Earth. Unfortunately, this ship did not even have maggot-ridden biscuits.

He cast aside all these thoughts of his for now. He came to the side of the deck with a silent Ai.

As he gazed far out into the boundless sea, he kept thinking to himself,

“No matter what, I need to find a way to replenish the daily necessities on the Lost Home. Although I cannot be too particular about the quality of life on a ghost ship, I can’t truly live like a spirit.”

“Alice might need to wash and change her clothes. There are no suitable clothes for her on this ship.”

“I need to quickly establish relations with the city-states on land. The Lost Home has already been lost at sea for far too long. The city-states might have developed to a level that even the goat head could not predict. From the appearance of the sewer before, at least the City-state of Pland is a prosperous and advanced city. The revolvers carried by the cultists are proof of the technological advancement of human society.”

“An ancient ghost ship will not necessarily be that invincible before civilization with a century of development. The legacy of the Lost Home still exists, but it would be bad if that is the only thing it still has.”

Duncan looked at Ai on his shoulder.

After he rested today, he might need to attempt a Spirit World Walk again.

“Coo coo?”

Ai tilted its head. It finally acted like an ordinary pigeon.

Duncan could not help but smile. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly noticed a flash of light on the ocean’s surface.

His attention was drawn to the light. He subconsciously glanced over the ship’s railing. He then noticed that there was indeed something swimming beneath the waves.

After hesitating for a moment, Duncan suddenly slapped his forehead. “Sigh. What a fool I am! This is the ocean! Aren’t there fish in the sea?”

This sudden possibility immediately improved Duncan’s mood. He realized that wanting to establish relations with the city-states on land and a stable supply of resources for the Lost Home were not matters that could be resolved overnight. Nevertheless, couldn’t this vast ocean itself help him out?

There were fish in the sea. He already had enough jerky and cheese on this ghost ship!

Duncan’s passion for fishing was ignited. He recalled that there were offshore fishing rods stored in one of the warehouses beneath the deck. There were also holders on the shipboard that were used to secure the fishing rods in place. As for bait, he wondered whether jerky and cheese were good enough for the deep-sea fish.

While the cursed doll was washing dishes and the speaking goat head was focusing on sailing the ship, the captain of the Lost Home was busy gathering the necessary equipment he needed from below deck.

Duncan soon found the things that he needed. He carried three offshore fishing rods and the baits back onto the deck. He clumsily set up the fishing rods on the shipboard. After putting some bait on the hooks and casting the lines into the water, he moved an empty barrel towards where the rods were and used it as a stool.

Actually, Duncan had never tried deep-sea fishing before. His limited fishing experience came from fishing from a pond and a creek near his hometown. He had no idea whether his whim would yield any results. Nevertheless, since he was free anyway, there was no harm in giving it a try. He would use this moment as an opportunity to recuperate before he ventured into the Spirit World again. At the same time, he was hopeful of improving his diet through this.

Duncan sat in between the few fishing rods. He gradually calmed down while waiting patiently for fish.

The sea was calm today. The sky was rather cloudy, but there was no sign of a storm approaching

Duncan sat on the barrel and leaned against a winch used to hold the ropes in place. He slowly closed his eyes amidst the gentle swaying motion of the ship.

Unbeknownst when, he sank into a half-awake, half-asleep state.

He dreamed of walking on the calm ocean barefooted. The water was blue while the sun was warm.

The “normal” sun he was familiar with was hanging high above the sky. It was bright but not scorching hot.

He heard the sound of water splashing. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a group of fish leaping out of the calm water nearby.

The fish were tiny and golden in color, each the size of a palm. They blew bubbles while in midair. They swayed their tails sideways as though they were swimming in the water. They formed a moving circle around Duncan.

The fish swimming in midair gradually closed in on Zhou Ming. He stared at them curiously. Their eyes were round and covered in a layer of dense and tiny scales. Their mouths gulped for air. As they moved, ripples akin to water propagated in the space behind them.

Zhou Ming suddenly felt that these fish were beautiful.

They were also very fragrant.

They would definitely be very, very delicious.