Chapter 542: Alices Simple Theory

Chapter 542: Alices Simple Theory

Since their reunion, this was the first time Lucretia had seen such a complex, heavy, and warm expression on the face of the man she knew as her “father”.

Before this, he had smiled at her and shown many human-like gestures. But for some reason, she always felt an underlying sense of discord behind those smiles and actions. It felt as if these were forced “familiar gestures” he put on after losing his memory due to some spatial vision. This unsettling feeling always lingered at the back of her mind.

Yet now, she could finally discern a genuine emotion from his face—a sense of remorse and a kind of regret that others might not understand.

However, she was uncertain if this regret was meant for her.

“I still don’t know enough,” the young witch sighed lightly, “I thought I had somehow caught up to your pace.”

“...The Vanished has ultimately fallen into subspace. It’s good that you haven’t caught up,” Duncan replied, shaking his head. He then took one last look at the quietly floating “moon” and turned to walk towards the bridge leading off the platform. “Let’s go back, Lucy.”

Lucretia looked surprised, “Aren’t you going to study it further?”

“I’m not a scholar. I don’t have the professional methods or equipment,” Duncan dismissed with a wave, “I just wanted to see it with my own eyes. The real task of uncovering its secrets will be left to the experts.” He paused for a moment before adding, “I’ll be staying in Wind Harbor for a while. I’ll keep an eye on your progress with the ‘moon’. Also, if something happens to any other beings like what happened to Taran El, inform me immediately.”

“I understand,” Lucretia nodded immediately. After a brief hesitation, she asked, “Can I inform Governor Sara Mel about your visit? Of course, I won’t reveal it to many...”

“Do as you wish,” Duncan nodded, “Whoever you tell—it’s none of my concern how they react.”

Lucretia bowed her head slightly in acknowledgment.

Moments later, on the Vanished which was anchored near a glowing geometric body on the sea surface, a spiraling flame door suddenly appeared on the front deck.

With a series of crackling flame sounds, the door opened, and Duncan’s figure stepped out. Alice, who was nearby energetically scrubbing the deck with a large mop along with several other mops, immediately ran over with joy, “The captain’s back!”

Duncan dispersed the flames behind him with a simple wave of his hand. He looked at the gothic puppet in front of him, her face lit up with a cheerful smile and a mop in hand, and gave a nod, “Yes, I’m back.”

“Was your trip successful?” Alice casually threw the mop aside and looked at the captain with excitement. “You were gone for so long. Did you have an extended chat with Miss Lucretia? Did you visit that ‘sphere’? What did it look like... Ah!”

The mop that Alice tossed aside suddenly sprang to life. It hopped up and smacked Alice squarely on the head with its wooden handle. Then, as if cleaning itself off, it jumped into a nearby bucket of water.

Rubbing her head, Alice looked at Duncan with a mix of confusion and hurt, “Why did it hit me?! It nearly knocked me out...”

Watching the emotionally transparent puppet—seeing her initial joy shift to bewilderment—Duncan felt a surprising lightness. Some of the weight and melancholy that had been accumulating in his heart seemed to lift.

Alice, however, still appeared aggrieved.

“...You might want to check if that mop is meant for cleaning the deck. Perhaps it ‘works’ in the dining area,” Duncan chuckled, patting Alice on the head. Then, out of curiosity, he asked, “I’ve always wondered, with mops and buckets on this ship capable of cleaning by themselves, why do you insist on scrubbing the deck?”

“I’m helping!” Alice declared proudly, puffing out her chest, “They get so tired doing it all by themselves!”

A twitch appeared at the corner of Duncan’s eye. He glanced over to see other mops and buckets hurrying to clean, seemingly afraid that if they were too slow, a particular puppet might catch them and “help”. After a brief silence, he shook his head and said, “As long as you’re happy... that’s what matters.”

“Hmm?”

Duncan pondered for a moment. Initially, he was trying to think of how to explain the concepts of the “moon” and “stars” to Alice. But now, he realized he didn’t need to delve into such complexities with her. “Suppose you lived in a place, and there was something unique to that place, something that could never come from or belong to anywhere else. Whenever you see it, you’d know instantly where it’s from...”

Alice considered this and then curiously remarked, “Like how I now live on the Vanished, and you are the only captain of the Vanished?”

Duncan paused, then cautiously replied, “Your analogy isn’t quite right... but it’s a somewhat similar idea.”

“Oh, so what’s next?”

“...And then, you left that place, unable to return,” Duncan’s tone suddenly grew somber. “You find yourself in a distant and unfamiliar land. Everything here is different from home. You’ve lived in this place for a while, always seeking a way back. But then, you unexpectedly encounter ‘that thing’ — an object that should only exist in your homeland and should never appear in a foreign place...”

As Duncan’s voice trailed off, Alice seemed lost in thought. But after a short while, her face broke into a bright smile.

“That means I must’ve returned to the Vanished!”

“Returned to the Vanished?”

“You said it yourself. Think about it — you’re the only captain of the Vanished. If one day I was taken far away from it and couldn’t find my way back, but then suddenly saw you, it would mean I’m home! After all, wherever you are, there’s the Vanished.”

The doll grinned confidently at Duncan, “You mentioned an object that could only appear at ‘home’. If it’s in front of you now, then you must be home!”

Alice proudly presented her theory. Then, she swiveled around on the barrel, leaning forward with her chin resting in her hands, her face lit up with a brilliant smile, “Captain, is this a riddle?”

Duncan was momentarily stunned.

He stared at the doll perched on the barrel across from him. As the sea breeze brushed past, Alice’s silvery hair fluttered like her perpetually cheerful spirit.

Then, he broke into laughter.

“Yes, it’s a riddle, and we’ve both figured it out,” he jumped off the barrel, smiling at Alice, “There’s also one more thing.”

“Hmm?”

“Your posture is quite unstable.”

Still leaning forward with her chin supported by her hands, Alice looked puzzled: “Huh?”

The next second, a slight ‘click’ sound emanated from the vicinity of her neck.

“Oops—”

With a couple of soft thuds, Alice fell in two parts to the deck. Following that, her signature stuttering voice called out:

“Captain, help, help... save...”