Deep Sea Embers

Duncan, who was walking into the captain's cabin, stopped suddenly and turned his head to look behind him.

There seemed to be some movement in the direction of the bow deck. According to the subtle perception from the Lost Home, the movement was caused by Shirley and Agou.

But there is no problem there.

"It's so hard to do homework." Duncan muttered, shook his head, and walked towards the chart.

The goat's head, which was carefully steering the helm at the edge of the nautical table, suddenly made a creaking sound of wood rubbing. It turned its head to look at Duncan, and its two dark obsidian eyes seemed to brighten up: "Ah! The great Captain Duncan came to his loyal big Side by side - your harvest today..."

"There are no fish today." Duncan glanced at the goat's head. "As far as the movement before the frost, I'm afraid we won't be able to catch fish here for a while."

The string of compliments that the goat's head had just brewed was immediately suppressed, and the wooden neck creaked and shook left and right, and it took a long time to hold back a sentence: "Ah... then you have at least gained a leisurely morning, today The sea breeze is comfortable and the sun is very good. It is a good day to roam the sea. If you are interested, we can go to the vicinity of Cold Harbor..."

"I'm not interested. I don't plan to let the Lost Country approach any city-state for the time being." Duncan interrupted the goat's head who was about to start chattering, and his eyes fell casually on the sea chart in front of him.

The hazy mist slowly undulated on the chart, and amidst the mist, another clear route was marked, which was the route marked by the Lost Homeland heading north, and it symbolized the Lost Homeland's route. Around the phantom of the ship, you can see the projection representing Frost, and the Sea Fog emitting a faint green fire.

The latter is docking at the edge of the Frost City-State at the moment.

"The Sea Mist looks quite quiet..." Duncan's eyes fell on the projection of the Sea Mist, and the corners of his mouth suddenly turned up a little, as if thinking of something pleasant, "It seems to be going well."

"Successful? Ah, Captain, I feel that you seem to have a great plan again?" The goat's head immediately perked up, stretching its neck towards the direction of the chart and making noise, "What plan do you have? It is to subvert the weak Or take the opportunity to completely recapture the Haiwu that left the fleet without authorization? As expected of you, what you plan is not only..."

Duncan silently glanced at the goat's head: "Do you only have these ideas of robbing houses and conspiring to subvert them in your heart? Isn't there some positive possibility?"

The goat's head thought for a while, and then changed the phrase: "Are you going to personally help Frost reorganize the order to overcome this difficulty? Or are you going to guide Tirian to get rid of his current dishonorable rebellious status and return him to the correct and great path?" superior?"

Duncan looked at this guy with a strange look: "How did you think of this?"

"Captain, maybe you haven't noticed, but I still have some observation skills, and I'm getting to know you better after spending time together," the goat's head slowly turned its neck, and the pair of dark eyeballs couldn't reveal it. It doesn't show any emotion, but its tone is obviously full of complacency and relaxation, "You won't leave today's Frost alone - unlike Prand, Frost suffered more serious damage in this disaster, really If you leave it alone, something big will happen, and you..."

It stopped suddenly when it said this, as if it was looking for a suitable wording. After a while, it continued to speak unhurriedly: "And you are full of humanity."

Duncan didn't speak for a while, just calmly staring at the goat's head's eyes that were so dark that they seemed to be able to swallow light. After a long time, he broke the silence softly: "The power of observation is very keen."

The goat's head hesitated for a moment, and suddenly there was a rattling sound from its neck: "This, this, this... sounds like it's about to be silenced..."

Duncan laughed and shook his head slightly: "Look, you still don't know me well enough——I don't mind guys with keen observation skills, which can save me a lot of thought."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand and didn't care about the subsequent reaction of the goat's head, so he got up and looked at the simple round mirror not far away.

The faint flame rose quietly in his eyes, and the mirror surface became deep and dark. In the calm and spreading light and shadow, Tirian's hurried figure was gradually becoming clear.

"Good morning, Tirian, I hope I didn't disturb your rest." Duncan looked calmly at the "big pirate" who was obviously trotting all the way in the mirror, with a smile on his lips, "How did you rest last night?"

Tirian in the mirror was obviously a little nervous, and he took several breaths before calming down, with a stiff smile on his lips: "Father...Father, good morning, I was just looking for you—oh, I had a good rest last night , thank you for your concern."

"You talk too far away from me, don't be so nervous," Duncan adjusted his sitting posture, looking at the figure in the mirror with a half-smile, "Why, did that posture scare you?"

"No...no!" Tirian immediately sat up straight, like a student who was suddenly called up in class, "I just have a little more respect for you..."

"It's okay, I just want you to relax a bit—no matter what posture you take, it shouldn't make you so nervous," Duncan shook his head. "You said you were looking for me? What's the matter?"

Tirian hesitated for a moment, as if he was sorting out his thoughts and considering how to speak. After a while, he hesitated and said, "It's about Frost. I don't know how to explain it to you, but they seem to want to..."

The big pirate was a little stuck, as if he was not sure whether something should be said, but at this moment, Duncan's voice suddenly sounded, interrupting him: "Let me guess, what will you do next?" Identity—the general of the Frost City State? The high-level of the city hall? Or...they simply let you be the consul?"

Tirian, who was struggling with how to choose words and sentences, was taken aback for a moment, and raised his head in astonishment.

"How could you..."

"It's very simple, because this is what I suggested - let the sea fog fleet enter the city," Duncan said calmly, "Otherwise, do you think there are other factors that can make the chaotic town hall act so quickly and unify their views? ——You know their business process."

The expression on Tirian's face became exciting to the naked eye, and there was a kind of emotion brewing in his eyes, "I've been scratching my head and scratching my liver all night thinking about life and future results, and I was surprised to hear that my father is a fun person", but he looked at the front of his eyes. I opened my mouth several times in the mirror, but in the end I still didn't dare to express the disrespectful thoughts in my mind, and just looked at Duncan with a tangled and incomprehensible look: "Why did you do this..."

"It's very simple, because Frost needs you, and you need Frost," Duncan put away the smile that belonged to the fun of the corner of his mouth, and turned to look at Tirian with a serious expression, "From the inside, the chaos of the city The situation needs a strong enough force to calm and appease. From the outside, the Frost Navy has suffered heavy losses, and the entire city-state urgently needs strong protection. Then who has both strong wrists and management experience, and a strong team? What about the fleet?"

Duncan adjusted his position slightly, leaning forward, looking into Tirian's eyes.

"It looks like you've accepted their invitation, and like I said, Frost needs you—and you need it."

There seemed to be a hint of dodge in Tirian's eyes: "Fifty years, I've been a pirate enough, and it doesn't seem bad to change my way of life."

"Tell the truth."

"... After all, you also personally protected that place, I don't want to see your painstaking efforts go to waste..."

"Tell the truth."

"I appreciate the tenacity shown by the people of Frost—they didn't flinch in the face of disaster, and they never surrendered even when you didn't help. I admit that I don't want these people to suffer in the days to come. .”

Duncan didn't speak, just looked at Tirian quietly.

Tirian shrugged: "On the other hand, I don't want to see the place that Her Majesty Le Nora once protected fall into a long and debilitating dark age."

Duncan still didn't speak.

"Okay..." Tirian finally sighed, looking helpless, "All of the above."

"Very well, be an honest person, especially in front of me," Duncan retracted his gaze, and relaxed his posture again, "So, what is your current identity?"

"They let me be the consul," Tirian twitched his lips with a complicated expression, "even... came up with a lot of plans that had been prepared a long time ago."

Duncan didn't speak for a while, and seemed to be in a short thought. After a few seconds, he exhaled softly: "It's a little more bold than I expected."

Tirian hesitated for a moment, with a trace of inquiry in his eyes: "Do you have any suggestions for me?"

"Why do you ask for my advice?" Duncan laughed, "You have followed the Frost Queen, commanded the Sea Mist Fleet for fifty years, and dealt with every city-state on the cold sea. What advice can I give you on the matter of 'serving as consul'?"

"I just want to hear your opinion."

Duncan pondered, and after a short thought, he spoke softly: "Then do it well and do your best—in this cold world, there are very few things people can rely on."

"……I see."

"Well," Duncan responded casually, then suddenly turned his head and glanced at the chart next to him, "Also, there is one more thing."

When Tirian heard this, his expression quickly changed: "Please tell me."

Duncan looked at the chart, and saw that the phantom of the White Oak was rapidly emerging on the position almost overlapping with the Seamist.

He turned his head and glanced at Tirian with a smile on his face: "Stand firm and support me later."

Tirian was taken aback: "Huh?"

Duncan waved his hand, and scattered the flames in the mirror. The moment the flames dissipated, Tirian's faint exclamation came from the opposite side of the mirror——

"Hey me... what's going on?!!"