Deep Sea Embers

“You’ll also need to complete your homework while on the ship,” Duncan reminded, glancing in her direction. “I’ll personally supervise it here.”

Shirley hesitated: “Ah, then I…”

“You’ll need to do your homework in the city-state as well, and I’ll still be supervising it.”

Shirley frowned: “Then… I’ll stay on the ship, just for a change of scenery.”

“I’d like to stay on the ship too,” Nina chimed in, looking at Shirley and then at Duncan, her eyes shining with excitement. “I haven’t really adjusted to life on the ship yet; I couldn’t even last overnight the last time…”

Duncan nodded: “Hmm, you can return briefly to gather your familiar bedding. It might help prevent sleeplessness in an unfamiliar environment.”

“Alright,” Nina agreed, nodding repeatedly. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Can I bring my school’s vacation homework and textbooks on the ship? I’m afraid I won’t finish them before the new semester starts…”

As Nina spoke, Dog couldn’t help but hold its head with its paws: “We’re on the most infamous ghost ship in history to solve a supernatural mystery, yet it’s starting to sound more like a vacation trip…”

Duncan didn’t mind Dog’s grumbling. He pondered for a moment before cautiously telling Nina: “Shirley and Alice’s practice book can be brought on board, but your textbooks and homework might pose some risks. Reading books on the open sea can attract malicious shadows just as easily as reading in the city-state after nightfall.”

Nina thought for a moment, then raised a surprisingly practical question that even Duncan hadn’t considered: “If something emerges from the shadows, can’t you just defeat it?”

Duncan: “…?”

Dog and Shirley: “…Right!”

“I never considered that.” Duncan was taken aback for a few seconds before finally conceding, with a puzzled expression, that he had overlooked the possibility when he heard the goat head mention something about the “sea reading taboo.” Like everyone else, he accepted it as a rule but failed to explore other options. Now, it was Nina, a newcomer to the supernatural world, who demonstrated exceptional open-mindedness.

Nina, of course, was not constrained by conventional thinking—because on her first day encountering the supernatural, she saw her Uncle Duncan standing in the city-state, tearing apart the sun. The world’s most potent supernatural force was presented to her as being subdued and pinned down…

In any case, Uncle Duncan is unbeatable, and if something causes trouble, let Uncle Duncan handle it—Nina’s thought process was clear and straightforward.

“I need to confirm something,” Duncan announced abruptly before standing up and leaving the dining room.

He carried a large book to the captain’s quarters and dropped it with a “thud” in front of the goat head.

Startled by the sudden noise, the goat head inquired, “Captain…?”

“What typically happens when one reads books on the open sea?” Duncan asked directly.

The goat head hesitated for a moment before responding instinctively: “Well, reading on the open sea tends to draw the attention of various forces from the depths of the world, such as spirits from the spirit realm, demonic projections from the shadowy domain of the deep sea, and even whispers from subspace that exploits the opportunity. When the reader’s mind is relaxed and off-guard, these entities extend their projections into the real world, and… What are you doing?”

Duncan opened the large book about the folk cultures of various city-states he had brought from Pland and asked, without looking up, “When will those ‘invaders’ you mentioned arrive?”

The goat head, feeling its thoughts becoming tangled, still answered instinctively while trying to unravel them, “Generally, they should appear shortly after reading begins. Quite quickly in fact.”

Duncan flipped two more pages and glanced up, “So why haven’t they arrived yet?”

Goathead: “…”

“Nina wants to complete her winter vacation homework on the ship,” Duncan informed the goat head seriously, “If you can ‘attract’ those ‘invaders’ you just mentioned, bring them here. I need to discuss something with them.”

“How do you plan to ‘discuss’ with ‘them’?”

“Beat them up and continue doing so until they promise not to disturb Nina’s studies,” Duncan replied, adding cautiously after some thought, “Of course, this is just an idea of mine, and I’m unsure of its feasibility. You might have more expertise in this area?”

The goat head’s thoughts became tangled again, and after an even longer hesitation, it finally said, “I believe you may need to ‘test’ this a bit more.”

Duncan: “…?”

“Typically, the shadows attracted by reading possess a thirst for knowledge, which makes them ‘smarter’ than the average ‘invader’,” the goat head finally spoke smoothly, but its tone remained peculiar, “Being intelligent means having some discernment. Even chaotic and bewildered abyssal and spiritual shadows know to pursue benefits and avoid harm while seeking knowledge, so they won’t carelessly reveal themselves in front of you…”

“I see,” Duncan nodded, perusing the words in the book as he spoke nonchalantly, “So essentially, those who dare approach the Vanished ship won’t be mere insignificant underlings or fools, but formidable intruders who have confidence in themselves and have assessed the situation carefully. That’s actually beneficial; it implies I only need to defeat them once or twice to make the influential ones among them comprehend the circumstances without concerning myself with incessant nuisances from the foolish.”

“I believe your assessment is quite reasonable.”

Duncan didn’t acknowledge the goat head’s praise but continued to engross himself in the book he held. He leisurely flipped through the slightly coarse pages, his eyes roaming across the captivating and enigmatic folk tales of the southern city-states, permitting his mind to unwind and become engrossed.

Just like that, he silently awaited the knowledge-seeking invaders to catch a whiff of the enticing lure and breach this unguarded reality.

However, no intruders materialized.

“It doesn’t appear to be effective,” Duncan lifted his head and addressed the goat head, who sat quietly at the edge of the table, “Is there an alternative method?”

“Actually… I believe you need not fixate on this issue. With countless taboos across the vast sea, being unable to read is merely…”

“Nina wishes to complete her winter vacation homework,” Duncan stated softly, “She takes it very seriously.”

“You may want to let someone else attempt the reading, such as Mr. Morris. Followers of the God of Wisdom excel at controlling their minds, which is advantageous for both self-protection and setting traps,” the goat head quickly suggested. “The invaders likely haven’t appeared due to sensing your presence, but a well-placed trap should be effective.”

Duncan considered the idea and decided it was worth pursuing.

He promptly returned the book to the dining room, where everyone was still gathered. Nina and Shirley whispered and conjectured about Duncan’s activities, Alice and Dog reviewed each other’s spelling words, and Morris rested with his eyes closed, only opening them when he heard Duncan enter.

“I require a trap to draw in the knowledge-seeking intruders,” Duncan addressed Morris directly, presenting him with the folklore book. “Read this, create the impression of a vulnerable scholar, and entice a powerful knowledge-seeking evil spirit onto the ship. I wish to ‘communicate’ with the invader and discern its nature.”

Morris was taken aback. He had pursued academia for most of his life, and this was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre and implausible idea. However, in the next moment, he discerned from Duncan’s gaze that the “Ghost Captain” was earnest.

In truth, only a formidable subspace shadow like him would dare to genuinely contemplate this course of action.

After the initial astonishment, an odd mixture of excitement and anticipation welled up from deep within the elderly scholar’s heart.

He had to concede that he was suddenly intrigued himself.

What would unfold if, under the watchful eye of Captain Duncan and aboard the uniquely positioned Vanished, he deliberately read and enticed malevolent spirits?

Eagerly, Morris picked up the book.