Lin En's voice rose and fell with measured rhythm. In the dim, silent hold, his tone carried an almost hypnotic quality. As the captain subconsciously followed the story, immersing himself in the narrative, he nearly blurted out at the final question—
"There's definitely something wrong."
But precisely because it felt so real, the captain snapped back to his senses.
The story was absurd.
Absurd in the way only a true story could be.
No—more accurately, it was a true story.
His expression darkened instantly. He strode forward as if to storm inside and settle the matter, but the moment one foot crossed the threshold, he halted abruptly and spat out three words:
"You're. Playing. Me?"
Lin En's expression didn't change.
The sword in his hand, however, had already left its sheath. The blade pointed downward, hovering steadily above the stack of crates beside him—
That was why the captain had stopped.
He was confident he could subdue Lin En and Aikefei.
But those crates—those bottles of Les—wouldn't withstand the edge of that blade. One misstep, and at least thirty percent of the cargo would be lost.
In the captain's eyes, this ship was his domain. Absolute home ground. The other side, by contrast, were trapped beasts in a cage. In the enclosed hold, even leaping into the sea to gamble on survival was impossible.
There was no rush.
Dragging things out a little posed no problem.
Lin En understood his thinking perfectly.
But whether it was the situation or the numbers, he had no interest in correcting the captain's misconceptions.
As for stalling?
Coincidentally—
He had the same idea.
"I'm playing you?"
Half-shadowed in the gloom, Lin En lowered his eyelids slightly.
"Fine. Fine."
"Actually, I possess a special kind of perception. From the moment we boarded, I've known every word exchanged between you and your men. How's that for an explanation?"
The captain's expression shifted.
That sounded far more plausible.
But after the earlier "nonsense," he didn't buy it.
"Is that so?"
He replied noncommittally.
"Then you should also know why I set my sights on you."
If he had believed the claim, this would have been a test.
But since he didn't, it was merely idle banter.
However—
"Of course. Aikefei."
Lin En casually revealed information the captain had been certain he couldn't know, adding with faint mockery:
"I didn't expect that stumbling across a group of scum smuggling Les would also tie into that serial missing girls case from back then."
Crack—
The sound came from the lantern in the captain's grip.
He hadn't expected Lin En to be telling the truth—nor that he'd know this much. For a split second, he lost composure.
But someone reacted even more strongly.
"The serial missing girls case?!"
Behind Lin En, Aikefei stiffened.
The case had once shaken Fontaine. Though years had passed without progress and it had faded into occasional gossip, no one had forgotten it.
And now, to encounter a suspect here—
And to realize she herself had been targeted.
"Lin En, are you saying he's the culprit?"
Aikefei remained calm, Cryo cooling her racing pulse. She sought confirmation first.
"Mm…"
Lin En pondered briefly, then shook his head.
"Not the culprit. At most, an accomplice."
"As for the one behind it all… I doubt he knows."
Aikefei's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
With the tacit understanding between them, she sensed deeper meaning.
I doubt he knows it does not mean I don't know.
But since Lin En wasn't elaborating, she didn't press. She continued gathering Cryo energy in silence, ready to unleash a freezing strike at any moment.
The captain, meanwhile, felt a wave of relief—followed by ridicule at himself.
All he'd done was inform his men that Aikefei matched the "high-quality list" provided by higher-ups and was to be captured unharmed.
Perhaps he'd said a bit too much, allowing Lin En to infer a connection to the missing girls case.
But the mastermind's identity?
He himself didn't know it.
How could Lin En possibly know?
Yet once calm returned, his patience vanished.
The organization valued secrecy above all else. Regardless of the reason, this counted as a leak. If mishandled, the punishment awaiting him would be brutal.
No more delays.
They had to be subdued immediately.
"Mr. Lin En," the captain said in a low voice, stepping forward half a pace with resolve, "knowing too much is rarely a good thing."
Lin En acted as though he hadn't heard. His sword hand remained steady, tone unhurried.
"Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately, once I know something, I can't just forget it."
"Fortunately, I'm very cautious. I know what should be said—and what shouldn't."
The captain sneered.
"Oh? I didn't notice."
A trace of regret colored Lin En's voice.
"That's because your level's too low. The things we just mentioned? Hardly earth-shattering secrets. Saying them changes nothing."
"What, you don't believe me? Can't help you there. If your name were Zandik or Dottore, I wouldn't mind reciting something interesting on the spot as proof."
"But sadly, there's no 'if.' Honestly, that's something I'm rather grateful for. Perhaps you should be too."
"Oh—and don't ask who Zandik or Dottore are. Trust me. You wouldn't want to know."
The captain didn't respond immediately.
He was waiting.
His men had already arrived and were making final preparations.
A dozen seconds later, it was done.
He spoke again.
"Since you know so much, you must also know what awaits you next."
"One last warning. Put down the weapon and step out obediently. I might consider letting you and Miss Aikefei suffer a little less."
"Otherwise…"
Lin: En sighed softly.
"Otherwise what?"
The captain's tone hardened.
"Then you've chosen to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit—"
"Ah, wait—"
Just before the captain gave the order, Lin En suddenly lowered his sword and raised his other hand.
"Oh? Changed your mind?"
A cruel smile curved the captain's lips.
"That can wait."
Lin En resheathed his sword without concern, continuing calmly:
"Just as I know you were stalling for time—waiting for your men to finish preparing—you've probably realized something too."
"I was stalling as well."
He smiled faintly.
"Care to guess what I was stalling for?"