Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"...The royal family has disappeared, hahahahaha... Iberia without the royal family, sixty years... sixty years..." Alfonso laughed at first, then repeated the number sixty years with some resignation, "I've forgotten how long I've been on this ship. I didn't expect it to be sixty years already."

"...Captain Alfonso, your deeds are still sung today. You are a hero of Iberia... It is my honor to meet you." Facing a true senior, Elini lowered her composure. "We need this ship right now, and we need your help. We need to retake the coastline and recover our lost technology—"

"You want me to sail back?"

"……Yes."

"My Iberia is dead." Alfonso looked at Elini. "The moment I set out to sea, I never thought of returning. This ship is my Iberia!"

"...But!" Eileeny became excited. "This ship is Iberia's property! You can't!"

"Shut up, girl! You don't understand what Iberia is! And you don't understand this ship!" Alfonso shouted. "I don't know why the first mate brought you here, but I want to tell you - girl, this is my Iberia, I am the king here, I am the captain here! Everything here belongs only to Captain Alfonso! Do you understand?"

Alfonso's roar resounded through the sky, and the scimitar in his hand flashed with cold light, but at this moment Noah finally smelled a familiar smell.

——Alfonso has a strong smell of the sea...

Chapter 34: Home

There is no doubt that the reason why this Iberian hero, the captain of the Fool, was able to last on this ship for sixty years was because he himself had become a seaman. Although the severity may not be as severe as that of the first mate he mentioned before, the smell alone cannot deceive people.

Before, Noah had always ignored a problem, or she herself was unwilling to think about it. I think it was the same for Elini, that is, sixty years - if there were really survivors on this ship, how did he get food?

Sixty years... No matter how much food the Fool brought when it went out to sea, it would have been consumed within this time span. So in this situation, how did these people survive each day of hunger?

——If you don’t choose to eat humans, you can probably only choose Haisi’s flesh and blood.

Then, there is an explanation for Alfonso's transformation into a sea creature, as well as the first mate's transformation into a sea creature... They had no choice but to hunt and eat sea creatures, and gradually lost their human form. The first mate's condition was obviously more serious, but Alfonso could at least still maintain her human appearance... She had almost completely become a sea creature.

Under such circumstances, it is almost impossible for Alfonso to maintain his sanity. His paranoia, madness, and hostility are probably due to the mental impact of the continuous sea culture.

Time... Time will erode everything. No matter how strong your will is, it will be crushed by time.

Even heroes... are like this.

Elini was obviously disappointed as well. The hero in her mind was definitely not what she saw now.

Alfonso might be a hero, but he wasn't the hero Elene had in mind. As an inquisitor, she saw him more like a paranoid old man, clinging to what he held, defying the march of time. He believed he was still clinging to the glory of the past, like an aging dragon clutching its treasure.

For someone like this...it would be meaningless even if he returned to Iberia.

Elini drew her sword—

"Alfonso - no, Captain, if you think this ship is your treasure, then I will take it back from you! This ship! Belongs to Iberia!" Elini's blood boiled, her eyes widened, anger dominated her body, defeating her cowardice. At this moment, she had a sharp look on her face, holding a rapier, facing Alfonso, who was much taller than her, and issued a challenge.

"Challenge - are you challenging me? Challenging your captain?" Alfonso looked at the guy in front of him who could even be called a tiny thing to him and laughed. In Iberia, if a sailor questioned the captain's decision, he could choose to have a fair duel with the captain. This was a very old tradition. After Iberia became a world power, such duels were almost abolished.

But - in front of Elini was an old sailor.

The old sailor was very happy to accept Elini's challenge.

"I'll tell you, I am Iberia." Alfonso stood in front of Elini. There was a big difference in their body sizes, and the shadow he cast almost covered Elini, but Elini did not show any sign of cowardice. Instead, she raised her swift sword according to etiquette and stood straight.

Alfonso, holding a long sword, also followed the rules and took the initiative to stand in the circle on the floor with Elini - this was certainly not drawn for a duel, but the duel was implicitly limited to this circle, and whoever stepped out of the boundary would lose.

"...Elini." Noah felt that there should be a certain gap in the strength between the two, so she reminded her.

"Ms. Noa, don't interfere in the fight between the Iberians." Elini said without turning back, "This is a duel between Captain Alfonso and me. No one else can get involved!"

"You're so courageous! I don't mind if you all come at me all at once—but I'm starting to look up to you, young Inquisitor of the Tribunal."

It happened so quickly that after the two of them saluted each other, they immediately turned into two afterimages. The swift sword in Elini's hand was extremely fast, and she had a slight advantage in the duel. She stabbed at Captain Alfonso's flaw, trying to score with one blow, but Alfonso was a hero after all. The long sword in his hand was like a flying wild goose, slashing from the diagonal direction. Neither of them had any intention of defending, and they were attacking with all their strength from the beginning.

Elini was forced to put away her sword and retreated flexibly. She supported herself on the ground with one hand, flipped backwards, turned around, and reached into her arms. Immediately, a silver hand cannon appeared in her hand.

boom!

There is a big difference between the Iberian hand cannon and the Lateran firearms. If the Lateran firearms are high-precision launchers that fire etched bullets, then the Lateran hand cannon is a weapon that does not fire anything, but simply uses the lethality of the Originium energy itself to deal with the enemy.

This thing looks similar to a firearm, but its range is extremely short, in exchange for enormous power.

Using a hand cannon in a duel might seem unsportsmanlike, but facing a hero like Captain Alfonso, Elini would definitely not have the time to show any respect for martial ethics.

The hand cannon could be said to be Elini's trump card, but Alfonso's response was beyond her expectations. Alfonso held the long sword across his body and used the sword to block the attack of the hand cannon.

——This is a hand cannon!

At this distance, Elini is even confident that she can penetrate any Hai Si's reinforced shell!

Even if it didn't penetrate, the force was definitely not something a human could withstand. Elini wanted to use this hand cannon to knock Alfonso out of the circle directly, but who knew that the opponent actually caught the power of the hand cannon with one wrist.

"Tsk - this thing is quite powerful." However, Elini underestimated the power of the hand cannon. Even after Alfonso took it, he felt his wrist numb and sore. If it weren't for the sea transformation that strengthened his body, this hand cannon might have knocked the knife down.

"...You...are Carmen's disciple?"

Looking at the hand cannon, Alfonso actually asked.

"...No, but the hand cannon was indeed first used by the Saint, and then became popular among the Inquisitors." Elini answered honestly, "...Do you know the Saint?"

"Saint?" Alfonso's eyes were a little clearer. "Saint...what is it? What on earth is Carmen now..."

"The Saint is one of the founders of the Inquisition and the first Inquisitor to wield a hand cannon—he's also a Saint of the Iberian Inquisition. Unlike Lateran, the Iberian Saint system is independent," Eileen explained. "...The Saint is still alive today. If things hadn't delayed him ashore... perhaps you could have met him."

"...Saints...Haha, that kid Carmen might actually be able to carry the banner one day." Alfonso laughed. "So, you were all sent by Carmen?"

"Yes." Elini nodded. "Bringing the Fool back... was also Carmen's order."

"Hahahahahahaha—" Alfonso laughed out loud. He didn't know if he was amused or just sighing. He laughed for a long time before he said loudly, "The Inquisition, the Inquisition formed by that kid Carmen! Very good! Very good! Okay, I agree to send the Fool back. I want that kid Carmen to come to me in person! Come and invite me in person!"

It looked like the Saint of Carmen might be an old acquaintance of Alfonso's—but if a fight could be avoided, it would be avoided. Noya breathed a sigh of relief. Alfonso's abilities were already top-tier, and with the added bonus of Healdization, Elini's hand cannon was the only unexpected weapon. Otherwise, there was no way they could threaten Alfonso. A peaceful resolution was, of course, the best outcome. Furthermore, Alfonso was clearly not a madman; he was simply lost in the past of Iberia.

The Inquisition formed by the Saints of Carmen obviously aroused his interest - although it did not mean that this would allow Alfonso to return to Iberia, but at least it was much better than fighting.

"Captain, we have three companions in this ship... I don't know..." Noah was still worried about the three deep-sea hunters, and spoke at this time.

"Three, ha, first mate, we have three more guests, you bring them over--" Alfonso was happy, and naturally didn't care how many guests there were. He immediately waved his hand and asked the first mate outside the door to do it for him.

"As for you, tell me first, what is the current situation in Iberia? What is the Inquisition created by that kid Carmen, and what are the Saints?" Alfonso looked at Elini and asked.

"This...it's a long story." Elini scratched her head hesitantly, "But if you want to know, I will explain it as clearly as possible."

Alfonso relented, and Elene's anger subsided. Ultimately, her anger stemmed from a mixture of disappointment and anger that her hero had attempted to seize Iberia's wealth. Now that Alfonso had agreed to return the Fool, her anger naturally faded. Had she known that citing the Saint of Carmen's name would be so effective, she would have said so.

Although she was curious about the relationship between Saint Carmen and Captain Alfonso, her reason told her that the less she knew about such things, the better.

It was obvious that Elini wanted to have a long chat with the captain. After Noah and Mace breathed a sigh of relief, they found a place in the hall to rest first - waiting for the first mate to bring the three deep-sea hunters back, and then consider other things after they reunited.

Just at this moment...

"...As expected...you are here too." In front of Gloria was Captain Ulpian, the third captain who had helped Saltwind City protect the camp before. He had also boarded the Fool at some point and found Gloria.

Obviously, the two have contacted each other many times since they got Yaoxiang Zhiyin's contact information.

This time, Gloria didn't find it surprising. Although Ulpian appeared cold and heartless, and usually trained his players to death, he was actually the most protective of his own team. He was the only one who could beat or scold his teammates. If someone bumped into him, he would hold up the anchor and give them a physics lecture. Gloria knew Ulpian's temper. "What did you mean when you said we couldn't return to Agor now?"

"It's hard to explain the details... but there are huge problems within Agor," Urbian replied succinctly. "The Deep Sea Church's infiltration may be deeper than you imagine. Even the current upper echelons of Agor have been tainted."

"...How is that possible?" Gloria frowned. "Is this just your speculation?"

"No, I'm sure it is... Do you know what I found in Haisi's lair?" Ulpian said, "It was because of that discovery that I realized this. Agor can no longer be trusted."

"Can I assume you're declaring your betrayal of Agor?" Gloria frowned. "Ulpian, your words are extremely dangerous. In fact, you raise even more doubts."

"I know it's hard for you to believe this, but I found an instrument left behind by the Agor people in Hai Si's lair—the Water Vein Meter. You know, this thing belongs only to those who roam the ocean," Ulpian explained. "I realized that someone had come to search for Hai Si before me. I have to admit that I thought too much at the time and missed the opportunity, ultimately allowing Skadi to complete the task—this was my dereliction of duty."

"...Water Pulse Device... How is that possible?"

"Facts are facts." Ulpian nodded. "Besides that, I've also investigated another matter. Haisi doesn't have just one god."

“…This is not good news.”

"That's why I have to stop you from returning to Agor. I don't want my team to become victims of the Deep Sea Church. Before the investigation is complete... I don't think it's a good idea for you to go back."

"How long will you investigate?" Gloria looked at Ulpian. "How long can you protect us? Ulpian, I'm a captain just like you. You have no right to give me orders."

"..."

"I'll pay attention to this matter. Thank you for your reminder. But I must return to Agor. As for the consequences of returning to Agor, I will bear them myself." Gloria snorted coldly, "Ulpian, you just need to take care of yourself."

There was a sudden silence between the two captains. When two stubborn people meet, it is always difficult to have a good result.

Even the blood-related deep-sea hunters are like this—

Does Golletia trust Ulpian?

Of course we trust each other, otherwise we wouldn’t meet alone.

But her trust in Ulpian had its limits. She was unwilling to doubt Agor, or rather, unwilling to believe that Agor had been completely corrupted.

Because this means that they all have no home.

The hometown of the deep-sea hunter is Agor, a connection that cannot be severed.

If they have no home, what should the deep-sea hunters fight for?

Where should we go?

Chapter 35: The Siren's Song

"I never thought that I would accept the guidance of a sea heir..." When Skadi and Ghost Shark broke out of the siege, they found First Mate Garcia who came to pick them up. This Iberian who had almost completely become a sea heir still maintained his sanity. Unlike her appearance, First Mate Garcia was wise, calm and careful. After making noise to lure away the sea heirs who were besieging Skadi and others, she relied on her almost sea heir body to bring Skadi and others out directly.

"Okay, okay, Miss Noah said that these are friendly forces..." Ghost Shark beside him smiled, "and if someone has a heart, then it's not Haisi."

"That's true..." Skadi said helplessly. However, the Deep Sea Hunter's surgery essentially involved transplanting some of the Sea Si's tissue into a human's body. So, strictly speaking, the Deep Sea Hunter was essentially a combination of Sea Si and human. Skadi had already known this when she met Quintus, so it wasn't that she couldn't accept the so-called human mind theory. But before that, she had fought the Sea Si for so long that it was inevitable that she still felt a little uncomfortable.

"As the saying goes, you can judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart. Maybe before she became like this, Miss Garcia was still a beautiful girl." Ghost Shark Biscatti could accept this situation. She mainly looked at more fundamental things. As a former sculptor, she deeply understood that, just like sculpture, what determines the value of a work is not the so-called appearance, but the charm. This charm is hard to explain - what's more, Miss Noah is endorsing her, so she has to believe it.

Skadi shrugged, "Whether she's a beautiful girl is secondary, but her condition is clearly dangerous - how long can this last?"

"If I stop absorbing the blood and flesh of the sea heir, this situation cannot be reversed... Unless I undergo Miss Noya's transmitter therapy. However, in this case..."

Garcia didn't reply, or perhaps it was because she'd been transformed into this state that it was difficult for her to speak normally. However, she knew in her heart that the two deep-sea hunters were right. She was no match for Captain Alfonso. Although she had maintained her sanity for so long, the power of the sea had already eroded her. She didn't have much time left. Fortunately, Noya and the others had arrived while she still had some sanity...

In fact, Garcia also understood that the reason why the captain did not take the initiative to attack Noah and others was because these people did not take the initiative to attack him - now the captain cares about very few things, and he is one of them.

If I were injured, the captain probably wouldn't be so easy to talk to.

After passing through corridor after corridor, Garcia brought Skadi and others to the banquet hall. The great Captain Alfonso was going to entertain these guests. These guests who came to the ship - Noah and others sat in their seats, looking at the fried, stir-fried, stewed and roasted sea creatures on the long tables and chairs with somewhat ugly expressions. Obviously, Captain Alfonso lived by eating these things. The sea creatures' bodies were unexpectedly versatile and could even be used to extract oil - that's why there were so many cooking methods.

However, Noah and the others obviously couldn't eat a single bite - only people like Captain Alfonso could eat these things at will. After all, he was already half-sea, so eating more wouldn't be a problem.

This reminded Noah of the situation in Saltwind City. In the previous chat, Elini had revealed all of Noah's family assets. When the captain learned that Noah had saved the almost destroyed Saltwind City, he decided to hold a banquet to entertain him.

However, the so-called banquet was just a formality, and he did not force the few people to eat Hai Si's flesh and blood. However, he did open a barrel of wine - these were sixty years old. Captain Alfonso had been saving them, but since he decided to return, Alfonso was not stingy and directly took it out for Noah and others to taste.

Noah no longer needed to forbid herself from drinking, so she took a sip. It should be rum, and the taste was very stimulating. Fortunately, the alcohol would be immediately decomposed by the gray matter after entering Noya's body, so she basically just tasted the alcohol.

After drinking a glass of wine, Noah's face didn't even turn red——

Elini also tasted it. Unlike cheating players like Noah, the bird stuck out its tongue after just one sip because of the spiciness. Rum is made of sugarcane, and the taste is also sweet. It is naturally not a bad wine that can be collected by the captain, but Elini is indeed not very good at drinking.

Fortunately, Skadi and others were soon brought to the banquet hall, which was rarely full of people. Captain Alfonso was obviously happy after sipping rum and even started singing the ship's song.

"The Golden Age will return!"

When Alfonso sang in that vicissitudes of life tone, the whole banquet hall was shaking. Although there was no accompaniment, it seemed as if the entire ship was responding to it.

Such ship songs are usually sung by a chorus. It is hard to imagine how heroic the Fool's ship song was when it was first sung. Now only the captain is singing this song alone, but his momentum is as if there is a large group of people singing in chorus behind him.

"I still remember the days of high spirits and vigor. Iberia's future was as bright as the blazing sun!"

The golden age will eventually return - but in a sense, since it is returning, it has already passed.

Noah lamented, "Royal power is not eternal. Iberia has lost its royal family and lost a lot - but it may not be impossible to rise again."

"Iberia won't fall either—" Elini said firmly, "I believe Iberia will survive the most difficult times."

"..." Noya hesitated to speak. In fact, in her opinion, the reason why the land countries did not invade Iberia was purely because they also needed Iberia as a barrier to the ocean. Moreover, the fertile soil of Iberia in the past has been covered by saline-alkali land, and the fishery resources on the coast have also been swallowed up by the sea. For the Terra countries that have begun to gradually understand the creatures like the sea, the existence of Iberia is necessary. No one wants to confront such a monster head-on.

Just like Sami, as a tribal country, Sami is loose, but no one has ever wanted to completely incorporate Sami into their territory - because the evil demons from the North still need to be fought against by Sami.

Iberia and Sami are actually very similar. In essence, they are the barriers that the Terra countries use to fight against certain monsters, and they are the Great Wall of Flesh and Blood.

If Iberia really fell, these people would take the initiative to donate blood...

This is like the border of Terra, and losing the border is not a good thing.

Of course, she didn't say these thoughts out loud, but Saint Carmen and others probably knew it well, so they placed their hopes on Agor. Compared with the Terra countries, Agor, who is in the same situation as Iberia, is more likely to reach cooperation.

The Terran nations hope that Iberia will be half-dead, no longer having the might of its former invincible fleet, but not to the point of collapse.

This is the game of the international situation, and this is the current situation of Terra.

Bringing the Fool back can only alleviate the situation in Iberia, but cannot cure it. The only way to truly alleviate the situation in Iberia is to re-establish contact with Agor.