Chapter 355: Disturbance in the Depths of the Abandoned Waterway

In the company of a gravelly voice echoing from the past, Duncan picked up a flurry of metallic clattering from within the cabin, much like the hurried scramble of someone rising abruptly and consequently displacing a number of items. Not long after, the patter of footsteps advanced, and an elderly man hunched with age, sporting wispy white hair, dressed in a soiled gray overcoat, and decorated with deep lines of age across his face, materialized by the doorway.

The aged individual, known as “Old Ghost,” remained within his caretaker’s cabin, his posture stooped and his sight slightly clouded as it roved the exterior. His sight seemed inadequate to make out the silhouettes of the visitors loitering outside his cabin, yet he promptly commenced a string of mutterings, “The Queen has descended for an inspection... I am ill-prepared... The aides are showing increasing incompetency, not to mention the messengers...”

“Old Ghost!” Nemo found it necessary to intrude on the old man’s ramblings in a raised tone, “The Queen is not here! She is not due for a return! We have visitors today, esteemed guests arranged by Captain Tyrian. Enough with the rambling, they’re here to visit you.”

With these words, Nemo swiveled his head towards Duncan, expressing regret in his gaze, “I apologize. As you can observe, his mental state is rather unstable, and he often recollects incidents from the distant past. However, don’t be misled; he exhibits remarkable clarity when it comes to handling pipes and valves.”

“Lucid? I am perfectly lucid!” In the midst of their discussion, “Old Ghost” seemed to comprehend the situation and cast a glance at Duncan and his companions, murmuring, “Guests... even unfamiliar faces can access this place... Have you ensured the tokens and passwords are correct?”

“Assuredly, we have,” Nemo was quick to respond, stealing a cautious glance at Duncan, “These guests are highly respected; please treat them as if they were Captain Tyrian himself.”

“Ah, well then, enter, although there isn’t much of interest here,” Old Ghost grumbled, making room for them, “It’s nothing more than a collection of aged relics if that doesn’t bother you.”

Vanna shifted her gaze to Morris, who kept his attention fixed on “Old Ghost.”

Following a brief pause, Morris shook his head and whispered, “It’s difficult to determine. His mental condition is abnormal, and his memory seems to be sporadic.”

Upon hearing Morris’s muted analysis, Duncan’s expression remained stoic as he trailed the elderly man’s prattling into the deserted caretaker’s resting quarters.

The quarters were confined but well-illuminated by the light of a gas lamp. Predictably, the room was cluttered with an array of items, a lone bed tucked away in one corner being the only discernable piece of furniture. Even an experienced gymnast would find it challenging to navigate the disorder without injury – the floor was dominated by grotesquely contorted shelves and boxes, spilling over with an assortment of mechanical components, backup valve sets, and various tools.

“What a disarray,” Alice murmured, unable to contain herself as she took in the chaotic spectacle of the room, “I’m sorely tempted to start tidying up...”

“Oh, my deepest apologies!” The Old Ghost, previously engaged in navigating his cluttered surroundings, spun around instantly and bowed deeply, “Your Highness, I’ve been somewhat remiss in my duties of late, and as a result, the cabin is in a state of disorder...”

Alice recoiled slightly, “What?”

“From here? That’s unfeasible. There’s an entirely pitch-dark, polluted road in between, and all the alternative routes have collapsed, so we have to travel above ground. But now, there are rebel lackeys lurking everywhere on the surface, so one must exercise extreme caution...” Old Ghost rambled but abruptly shrieked, “Queen’s Guard! The rebels are on the move; we need to obliterate the vertical shaft immediately!”

The elderly man jerked upright from his bed, scanning his surroundings anxiously as if expecting a rebel onslaught at any moment. However, he paused and turned his gaze towards Alice.

“My apologies, I was mistaken; the Queen is evidently safe...”

Alice was visibly disconcerted and hastily waved her hands, “I... I’m not the Queen...”

Duncan’s gaze grew intense as he watched the elderly man standing next to the bed, who quickly sank back into his previous trance-like state. After a few seconds, he peered at Alice with a somewhat vacant look, “Young lady, who might you be?”

“Old Ghost, you’re seriously confused now. This isn’t merely a repercussion of the toxic smoke from the past but also a manifestation of your failing vision!” Nemo’s voice punctuated the peculiar silence. The informer, Mr. Nemo, gave Duncan an apologetic nod, “I apologize, Old Ghost usually exhibits some eccentricity, but he appears exceptionally so today. He likely hasn’t had any interactions with outsiders in a long time, and the sight of you has excited him, leading to a mix-up of past and present events.”

“...It’s alright,” Duncan responded impassively, slowly shifting his gaze away from the elderly man.

He wasn’t overly concerned about whether the old man truly perceived a semblance of the Frost Queen in the disguised Alice— was it a brief lucid moment amid his muddled mental state? Had he seen through the pretense? Or was it merely a random jumble of memories? In the grand scheme of things, it was immaterial.

If the senile old man truly perceived an inkling of the Frost Queen in Alice, and this perception bestowed upon him a fleeting moment of tranquility, then that was a welcome outcome.

Suddenly, Nemo appeared to recollect something important, his forehead creasing into a deep furrow, “Odd, why hasn’t Crow returned yet?”

“Crow? He ventured off to inspect the northern passage,” Old Ghost gestured nonchalantly, “That fellow is notoriously sluggish; he habitually takes his sweet time whenever he ambles off into the exterior.”

Nemo’s brow didn’t unfurrow at this information, “...No, even factoring in his habitual slowness, he should have returned by now. The lighting in that region is notoriously unreliable, and his lantern lacks the longevity to last for such a duration... Old Ghost, when exactly did he depart?”

“Two or three hours ago?” Old Ghost pondered for a moment, his demeanor appearing to take on a hint of seriousness, “Now that you bring it up, it does seem he’s been absent for a prolonged period.”

“I have a bad feeling; Crow has been submerged within the waterway for far too long,” Nemo’s tone shifted to a considerably grave one, and he lifted his gaze to meet Duncan and the others, “I believe I need to go in search of him.”