Chapter 33 Fish

This breakfast tasted like chewing wax—and its texture was even worse than wax.

After an unsatisfactory meal, Duncan felt no better despite having filled his stomach. On the contrary, information inadvertently mentioned by Goat Head had triggered a mess of wild speculations, making him slightly irritated.

He glanced at Ai Yi, the pigeon strolling leisurely on a nearby rack, feeling his random thoughts become increasingly absurd.

He had always believed that this pigeon, constantly uttering "Earth speech," was born because it possessed the soul of an Earthling. He thought it was during his travels in the Spirit Realm that "Zhou Ming" reacted with the brass Compass, consequently giving rise to the bizarre bird Ai Yi.

But what if... things weren't really like that?

What if, as Goat Head had said, the pigeon was nothing but a phantom from a "deeper" place that had just happened to take shape near him?

Then, the "Earth speech" that Ai Yi occasionally blurted out would be unrelated to "Zhou Ming's" memories, instead becoming a projection of a historical record ingrained in this world...

The possibilities behind this bothered Duncan.

Alice stood up, her voice interrupting Duncan's wild thoughts, "Do you need me to wash the dishes?"

Duncan looked at the doll lady somewhat surprised; she awkwardly scratched her head, "I just feel that since I've boarded the ship, I should find something to do, otherwise I am just freeloading…"

"But you don't eat," Duncan reminded her, "Though it is nice of you to offer—take the dishes to the scullery and have a word with the sink. If it doesn't mind, then go ahead and wash."

After saying this, he didn't wait for Alice's response and stood up, heading towards the captain's quarters while casually saying, "I'm going to inspect the deck, don't disturb me if it's not important."

The pigeon that had been strolling on the rack immediately flapped its wings and landed on Duncan's shoulder, leaving the room with him, leaving Alice staring at Goat Head over the navigation desk.

"Is the captain in a bad mood?" After hesitating for a moment, Alice cautiously asked Goat Head.

Goat Head's tone was deep, "The captain's mood is like the weather over the Endless Sea, don't guess, just accept it."

Alice didn't wait for Goat Head to continue, hurriedly asking, "About the captain saying I should negotiate with the sink… how do I do that?"

"Simple, you start washing, and if you end up drenched, it means the sink doesn't like you—by the way, do you know how to wash dishes? If not, I have some theoretical experience…"

Before Goat Head could finish, Alice had swiftly cleaned up the dishes on the table and rushed toward the door yelling, "No need, I'll learn, thank you Mr. Goat Head, goodbye!"

The captain's quarters suddenly fell quiet, leaving only the dark figure of Goat Head at the table, gazing emptily at everyone's departing direction.

After a long while, a sigh came from the navigation desk, "How nice it would be if I had legs…"

Then, its gaze returned to the sea map.

The fog surrounding the Homeloss was still dissipating slowly and steadily; the steering task left by the captain still had to be properly carried out.

Under precise control, this enormous and "alive" Ghost Ship skillfully adjusted the angles of its sails, continuing its voyage on the Endless Sea, with Goat Head humming an old shanty—rough and gritty, like noise resonating in the captain's quarters:

"Raise the sails, raise the sails, the sailors leaving home proceed forward;

"In storm and clamor, we are but a plank away from death;

"Stow the jib, spread the mainsail, let loose the ropes, hold fast to the bulwarks! We are in the midst of the great sea!

"Stay away from the fish, keep away from the fish, the sailors must cross those progeny-occupied lines;

"Stay far from the fish, stay far from the fish! We want to reach the shore safely—spirits and stove just ahead…"

Duncan wandered around the supply storage, then in the kitchen, before finally returning to the mid-deck of the Homeloss.

No matter how much he searched, he couldn't find anything more edible on the ship than dried meat and cheese.

The good news was that he didn't have to eat maggot-infested biscuits like those sailors in the Age of Sail on Earth, but the bad news was that this ship didn't even have maggot-infested biscuits.

He momentarily put aside those earlier intrusive thoughts. Accompanied by the quiet Ai Yi, he made his way to the edge of the deck.

Gazing upon the endless sea, he constantly calculated in his mind:

"...No matter what, I must find a way to restock the essential supplies on Homeloss... Living on a Ghost Ship, one shouldn't be too particular about the quality of life, but I can't live like a ghost...

"Alice might need a change of clothes, and there are no suitable dresses for her on this ship.

"I must establish contact with a City-State on land as soon as possible... Homeloss has been drifting on the sea for too many years, the City-States on land might have developed beyond what even that goat head could have foreseen. From what I saw before in that sewer, Plunder City-State is a powerful and advanced metropolis, and the revolvers carried by those Heretics also indicate the technological advancement of human society...

"The old Ghost Ship may no longer be invincible in front of a civilization that has developed for a century, Homeloss still holds some influence, but it would be troublesome if that's all that remains..."

Duncan glanced at Ai Yi on his shoulder.

Perhaps... today I should rest and gather strength, and then try "Spirit Realm Walking" again.

"Co-coo?"

Ai Yi cocked her head, finally making some noise fitting for a normal pigeon.

Duncan couldn't help but smile, but just then, he noticed from the corner of his eye that there seemed to be a flash of light on the nearby sea surface.

Attracted by the movement, he instinctively looked over the ship's side a few more times, subsequently noticing something indeed seemed to be swimming beneath the nearby water.

After hesitating for a moment, Duncan suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Hey! What am I thinking... This is in the sea! Aren't there fish in the sea!"

The sudden "possibility" immediately lifted Duncan's spirits. He realized establishing contact with the land and providing a stable supply of goods to Homeloss were not tasks that could be completed overnight, but couldn't the vast Endless Sea itself help a bit?

There were fish in the sea—and he had had enough of the ship's dried meat and cheese!

Duncan's enthusiasm sparked, he remembered that there was a heavy fishing rod suitable for sea fishing in a storehouse below deck, and places on the deck's railing where one could secure a fishing rod. As for bait... perhaps the dried meat and cheese would suffice?

Thus, while the cursed doll washed dishes in the galley and the talking goat head concentrated on steering, the captain of Homeloss busied himself between the deck and the cabin.

Duncan soon found what he was looking for. He carried three heavy fishing rods and the accompanying "bait" back to the deck, and somewhat awkwardly secured the equipment to the edge of the railing. After baiting and casting the rods, he brought over an empty bucket to use as a seat while waiting.

Duncan actually had no experience with sea fishing—his entire fishing knowledge was limited to ponds and the small river back home. He didn't know if his impulsive action would really catch any fish, but since he was idle anyway, why not give it a shot?

He took it as a chance to rest before the next Spirit Realm Walking and to maintain hope for future improvements to their meals.

Duncan sat among the fishing rods, and as he waited, his mood gradually returned to calm.

The sea today was relatively stable, the sky somewhat cloudy, but there were no signs of a storm.

Duncan sat on the wooden barrel, leaning against a winch used to secure the ropes, slightly squinting in the gentle sway of the ship.

Sometime, he fell into a half-asleep, half-awake state.

He dreamt that he was barefoot on the calm sea surface, the water azure blue, the sunlight warm.

The familiar and "normal" sun hung high in the sky, bright, yet not scorching.

He heard the sound of splashing water and looking in that direction, saw fish suddenly jumping out from the nearby calm waters.

They were a group of golden-colored fish, palm-sized, blowing bubbles in the air and waving their tails as if swimming in water, slowly circling around Duncan.

The fish swimming in the air slowly moved closer, Zhou Ming curiously watched them, observed their round eyes, their delicate scales, their mouths opening and closing, and the water ripple-like patterns lightly drifting behind them.

Zhou Ming suddenly found the fish very beautiful, and...

very fragrant.

They must be very, very fragrant.