The next second, the captain yanked Horamick by the collar and bolted out of the bedroom with him in tow.
Boom!
Stone and dust erupted, filling the room with smoke and debris.
Flat on the floor, Horamick's face twisted in disbelief. "Captain???"
The captain hauled him upright by the arm. "Remember this, Horamick: our enemies in the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery are all dangerous Beyonders. When you're facing people like that, don't be rigid or play by the rules. Your safety comes first, always. After all, the Machinery Hivemind never lacks firepower."
He grinned. "No matter what kind of traps or mechanisms they set up, just blast your way through with firepower!"
As the dust cleared, the two stepped back into the bedroom. The fireplace was gone, blown apart by the grenade. In its place yawned an opening leading down underground.
The captain smirked with satisfaction. "See? Simple."
Horamick still didn't understand, but he was deeply shaken.
Moments later, the captain emerged from the hole with a grim expression. "Everyone, pull out. Guard the perimeter. I need to return to the Church immediately!"
———
Late at night, in Bernadette's room.
She stood before her mirror, gazing at her reflection—a small boy, entirely unlike her true self. She struck a few cool poses, admiring her transformed appearance.
"Had enough of admiring yourself?"
"That wasn't admiring myself." She pulled a silly face. "It's just…so amazing. I look completely different!"
"You said you wanted to see your father, right? You can't exactly show up looking like yourself."
"I thought we were going to see the mermaids?"
Edward grinned. "Because of that dance you gave me, tonight we'll see your father first—then the mermaids."
"Yay!"
The little girl bounced with joy.
Go on, laugh now, Edward thought to himself. Years from now, when you look back on today, let's see if you can still laugh.
"Let's go."
He extended his hand. Bernadette clasped it tightly, and in a blink her vision shifted. Once again, they passed through that inky, surreal space—yet quickly emerged into a bustling scene.
They stood on a lively street, not particularly wide but crowded with people. Shops lined both sides, lanterns and lamps ablaze with light.
This was one of the port islands of the Aurak Archipelago. Most Intis vessels used it as their first stop to resupply and rest.
At that moment, Roselle had anchored here with his Four Horsemen.
Hand in hand, Bernadette trailed alongside Edward, her wide eyes darting curiously about. The closer they drew, the brighter her smile became.
"I'm about to see Daddy! Heehee, he'll never know I came to see him secretly!"
"Mr. Sparrow, what should I say to him first?"
"Do you think Daddy's been missing me these past few days?"
"Ah, I wonder if he's lost weight already…"
Before long, they arrived at an outdoor tavern. Bernadette's eyes lit up instantly as she spotted Roselle seated not far away.
"Daddy's right there!"
At the same time, Roselle was glaring at Grimm, his face thunderous, jabbing a finger at the two women Grimm had brought along.
"Grimm! Who the hell do you think I am? What do you mean by bringing them here?!"
Grimm looked baffled. "Captain, but it was you who—"
Roselle flung his arms in frustration, looking as if he might explode. "I told you to find me beauties—beauties! Tell me, what part of them is beautiful?!"
Grimm: "…"
Edward & Bernadette: "…"
Bernadette turned to Edward, her face blank, her voice flat. "I suddenly don't want to see Daddy anymore."
Edward was momentarily speechless. He should have known Roselle couldn't keep himself out of trouble, but of all times, Bernadette had to stumble upon this the moment she arrived. She'd been so full of joy and anticipation on the way here—only for this?
When he didn't answer, she tugged at his sleeve with a pout. "Let's go. Let's see the mermaids instead."
"Alright."
Just as they turned to leave, they saw Edwards also returning, accompanied by two women.
Bernadette's expression soured instantly. Her small fists clenched tightly.
Edward coughed lightly. "Ahem. Pretty angry, aren't you?"
"I. Am. Not. Angry. At. All."
"Do you want to teach Roselle a lesson?"
Bernadette froze, then asked, half-hesitant and half-expectant, "How do we teach him a lesson?"
"Don't worry, we won't really hurt him. Just enough to let him learn from his mistake."
After wavering for a while, she clenched her teeth. "Alright!"
On the other side, Roselle's order for Grimm and Edwards to "find him beauties" wasn't because he truly couldn't control himself. It was simply that after being cooped up on a ship for days, surrounded only by brawny men, he was desperate for some eye candy.
But the two women Grimm brought? Forget eye candy—Roselle felt his eyes were being gouged out!
Grumbling, he downed a mug of beer. When he turned his head, he spotted Edwards returning—also with two women in tow.
Roselle's eyes lit up. "Edwards, now you have taste."
"???"
Edwards was momentarily dumbfounded, looking at the two equally unremarkable streetwalkers he'd "brought", unable to tell if Roselle was mocking him or had suddenly developed a new preference.
Roselle quickly beckoned the women to sit on either side of him. "Come, come, sit here."
What followed was a familiar routine: persuading the prostitutes to leave their trade—phrases like: "You're so pretty, why work in this line of trade?"…"Have you thought about your future?"…"It's better to stop now and find a good man to marry."
The Four Horsemen exchanged puzzled looks, unable to decipher Roselle's true intentions. But since he was the captain, they could only watch.
Meanwhile, Bernadette and Edward sat at a nearby table, each sipping a glass of milk as they watched Roselle gesticulating passionately.
"You used that magical ability—like with the Pinocchio and Snow White dolls, didn't you?" she asked suddenly. Then her face fell in realisation. "So in Daddy's eyes, those women must look very beautiful, right? But wait—you said this was to teach him a lesson. Isn't this rewarding him instead?"
"Be patient," Edward said lightly.
——
Twenty minutes later, after several bottles of alcohol, Roselle was swaying drunk. The two streetwalkers offered to escort him back to rest. Roselle gladly agreed and staggered away with them toward the inn.
His Four Horsemen exchanged glances. Surely…he isn't that desperate?
But they couldn't spoil their captain's "fun," so they trailed behind.
Roselle soon led the women into his room, shutting the door in the horsemen's faces. "What follows is the part you pay for—still want to come in?"
The four fell silent.
Forget it. They'd confirmed the women were ordinary humans. Perhaps Roselle truly was pent up after so many days at sea. Fine—they'd stand guard outside.
"Mr. Sparrow!"
Bernadette grew anxious and tugged Edward's sleeve.
The two of them slipped through the wall into the room. Inside, Roselle lounged on a sofa, basking in the women's massage.
Ten minutes later, he yawned and waved them off lazily. "Alright, you can go now. Remember to get your pay from Edwards—the one who brought you here."
He admitted the women fit his aesthetic, but he wasn't so desperate as to actually bed streetwalkers. Even if he'd long since invented condoms, he still didn't feel safe.
Just as he was drifting into a stupor, two figures suddenly loomed before him—two hulking men, nearly two meters tall. Both wore sleeveless undershirts that displayed massive, blocky chests and thick tufts of chest hair. One was bald, the other close-cropped, and both bore eerie grins.
Roselle shuddered, instantly sobered. "Who are you? How did you get into my room?"
Though he didn't cry for help outright, his words were a coded signal for the Four Horsemen outside: The captain is in trouble—get in here now!
The bald brute chuckled. "We walked in, of course. Your men are all drunk outside, snoring away."
"No way! Grimm! Edwards!"
The two advanced, cracking their knuckles. "Go on, scream all you want. Scream until your throat bleeds—no one will hear."
"You don't know—we've been tailing you since you landed. Took us this long to get the perfect chance. Hahahaha!"
Roselle glanced at the women and suddenly realised. "Oh…a honey trap!"
He whipped out a wad of cash and threw it at them. "Fine! I admit defeat! Take the money and get lost!"
But one of the brutes smacked the bills aside, grinning. "We don't need money. What we lack is someone like you—fresh from the big city."
"??? I'm a man!" Roselle blurted.
"Hahaha! If you weren't, we wouldn't be interested."
Roselle's face drained of colour. His breath caught. "You…you…"
He sprang up, pulling a revolver from his coat and levelling it at them. But before his finger touched the trigger, one brute slapped the gun from his hand.
Roselle tried again, channelling spiritual power into his fingers, unleashing every mystical item he had on him—defensive, offensive, auxiliary. None of it worked. The two men ignored everything, kicking aside the sofa as they closed in.
This time, Roselle truly panicked. Backing into the corner, he shrieked at the top of his lungs. "Help! Grimm! Edwards! William! Poli! Get your asses in here and save me!"
"Help!"
"Somebody help me!!"
Trapped, helpless, he cowered as the two towering shadows loomed over him.
"Hahaha—come on!"
Rip!
The men reached for him with gleeful grins.
"No! No!!"
Shriiiik!
One brute hoisted him effortlessly and hurled him onto the bed. Before Roselle could react, both bodies crashed down on him, his head smashing into the bedframe—darkness engulfed him.
A single tear slid from the corner of his eye.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.