Fantastic Beasts of Records: Lecherous Prince Of The Sea

Chapter 182 Weighty Decisions

Unexpectedly, Ag'na's body began to expand in the vast, empty space until he returned back to his original form and stared at me through his transparent, ghostly eyes. "I am a magical beast, an animal that obeys the rules of nature. And let me tell you, nature is unkind. Strong or weak, beautiful or ugly, ferocious or tame, it treats all things impartially. That is something that I cannot escape from, nor will it ever change, no matter how strong I grow".

"What are you trying to say?" I asked.

"Nothing much" Ag'na replied. "All I am saying is that I am a beast, and I have several reasons for my actions" He locked his gaze with mine. "But you... you are human, driven by your greed or lust, selfishness or hatred. Surely, for taking things this far, you must have a reason?".

I began to think. I couldn't fault him for his words since he was a beast, which meant that his views were more skewed than mine from birth. However, before I could think deeper, Ag'na suddenly shrunk down to his miniature form and sighed tiredly.

"For you to have thought about it this much, it must mean that you are truly doing this simply because you can... all because you can and feel that you should" Ag'na spoke with wonder in his voice as his body slowly disappeared and returned back to Bone's mindscape. Then, with a deep sense of respect, Ag'na spoke once more "Congratulations, Captain Prince Wyatt. I, Ag'na, the sleepy behemoth, have finally decided to regard you as the master of my inheritor".

His last words echoed in my mind. "From a magical beast to a fellow beast in human skin. I might be a beast, but you are more of a beast than I am...".

...........

As the 'Terrain creation' was shrouded in a thick veil of mist, he paced restlessly back and forth on the creaking wooden floorboard of the ship. His eyes darted nervously towards the fog before he withdrew his gaze and stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought. With each step, his anxiety mounted, and he repeated his actions and behaviour, unsure of what else to do.

What to do!

What to do!

What to do!

His mind was racing, his thoughts colliding with each other like waves in a storm. The strange mist had appeared out of nowhere, and within moments, it had swallowed Captain Wyatt and fallen king Kanit. Half an hour had passed, and yet, he still hadn't been able to understand or even grasp the situation of what was going on in there. The tension in the air was palpable, like a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

They were as blind as a pirate, blindfolded in the midst of a raging storm.

What to do!

What to d…..

But before he could continue, a throat-clearing "Ahem!" interrupted him.

He stopped.

He came to a halt, turning his gaze to the woman who stood nonchalantly at the side. Although she was now his fellow crew member, and the second strongest ascendant in their crew after his captain, he had yet to discover any likeable characteristics about her.

And even though she was an ascendant, he no longer feared being locked up in the same room with one, even if he was to be crushed like a bug under their immense power.

He stared at her and asked "You want to say something?".

She nodded. An audible sigh escaped her lips as she continued "I don't believe that anxiously pacing around will solve anything. Besides, we already knew what he was going to do....".

"Your point is?"

Annabelle looked at him with surprise etched on her face. It was clear that she was taken aback by his directness, especially considering that he was addressing an ascendant with such frankness.

Still, she responded with a measured tone. "My point is that the captain is much stronger than he appears. And although fallen king Kanit is stronger, I can assure you that this is something the captain could easily handle".

Jerry raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. "Don't you think I already know that?" He snorted in derision.

Annabelle imitated his actions and raised her own eyebrow in response. "Then why are you..." She began, but before she could finish, Jerry cut her off.

"I know you're new here, so I'll only tell you this once. You better listen carefully" His tone was serious. His voice was firm and commanding.

Annabelle frowned, still unsure of what Jerry was getting at. Nevertheless, she managed to nod in response and listened attentively.

Jerry cleared his throat before continuing. "You see, I've witnessed captain Wyatt dive into the sea while being engulfed in flames, charging headfirst into the jaws of a Tiger whale, despite having no chance of surviving such an encounter. Yet, he returned days later to save us, defying all odds and common sense as he rode the same Tiger whale and commanded it as easily as a shepherd controls his flock".

Annabelle's mind raced, trying to place the event in context "Was that when...".

"Yes" Jerry cut her off again. "That was when we unknowingly crossed into the borders of the Crimson Eye's territory".

She swallowed hard, the next words sticking in her throat. Wasn't this exactly the kind of information that Captain Crimson Eye was expecting her to provide? A detailed account of Prince Wyatt's life, spoken from the mouth of a man whom he trusted implicitly.

This was it!

Jerry continued his story, his voice tinged with pride. "Despite everything, the captain still managed to save us and the ship. He delivered an overwhelming victory that left you unconscious in the end. He even struck a deal with Captain Crimson Eye, the most territorial pirate under Captain Silver-Tongue, and sailed his sea untouched while Captain Crimson Eye watched from afar".

Jerry paused, his gaze fixed on the dense mist as though he were reliving the events of the past. A sudden pride began to swell in his chest.

After a while, he tilted his head and continued "Though I am unaware of what transpired during your time in the Vrymath Kingdom or what caused you to flee, I have witnessed this man perform miracles time and time again" He threw a sidelong glance at Annabelle, adding, "...miracles I'm certain you've also witnessed".

Annabelle didn't know when her expression suddenly lapsed into a daze.

Jerry noticed and let out a chuckle. "I'm more concerned about whether he'll slaughter the shipwright in cold blood or dispatch him before he's done repairing our vessel" He said, folding his arms and staring out at the mist with confidence. "I don't care how he indulges his desires or how many women he chooses to take aboard with him. All I ask is that he does so in a finely furnished ship".

Meanwhile, Annabelle's thoughts were careening wildly within the confines of her mind.

Who was she kidding?

When Captain Crimson Eye had initially offered her the mission, she hadn't anticipated any of this.

'Miracles' She thought.

Prince Wyatt had in his possession a magical beast —a "common rat"—capable of holding its own against the sleepy behemoth, a beast that had once taken the combined might of three fallen kings to defeat.

Was that not a marvel of heaven-defying proportions?

Annabelle's thoughts screeched to a halt as her mind suddenly grew fatigued from the tumultuous thoughts swirling inside her head.

What had she been thinking? At the end of the day, Captain Crimson Eye was correct in his assessment, and Prince Wyatt, the famed banished prince, was truly a frightening individual.

Internally, she quaked with fear, trying desperately to maintain a facade of indifference as her heart wrestled with the two most significant choices she had ever been forced to make in her life.

Should she venture back to the Crimson Black Eye crew and provide Captain Crimson Eye with a meticulous report of everything she had witnessed and heard, thus putting her life and his at risk? Or should she relinquish her ties to her former captain and fully immerse herself within Prince Wyatt's crew, divulging every detail of her experiences in order to attain some semblance of inner peace? Or should she simply observe from the sidelines and await the outcome before deciding which side to join?

Once more, her body quivered with trepidation and uncertainty.

Three options. Three choices. None of which had ever crossed her mind before this moment.

Annabelle inhaled deeply, struggling to calm the chaos within her mind.

Prince Wyatt was truly a dangerous man.

"BAMMMM!!" "SPLAASSSHH!".

An explosion rang out.

Everything and everyone….

Stopped!

The earsplitting explosion reverberated throughout the surroundings, as if some colossal, weighty being had plunged into the water, creating a sonic shockwave that compelled all gazes to turn toward the mist.

The noxious, suffocating mana that had clogged the air began to dissipate, gradually releasing its choking grip on the surroundings.

The thick, oppressive mist that had hitherto blocked all vision began to thin, albeit at a languid pace, allowing their eyes to gradually peer through the shroud.