The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

Compared with the last time we met on the Far Sea, Garrett Gielgud was no longer downcast and depressed. Now he seemed to be in high spirits, as if the world made him feel interesting again.

He casually threw his luggage at his feet, stared at Siles for a while, and stared at Qindo for a while, showing a subtle smile.He said something again.

Johnny translated: "He said... didn't expect to see you again at this time."

"We were invited by Foster." Siles replied, "I didn't expect you to participate in this voyage."

Garrett shrugged, he said something casually, then looked at Qindo with burning eyes, and said a long paragraph.

"He said he just thought it was interesting," Johnny said, "well, and then he said he noticed that Mr. Cinder seemed to have got some information... Is this possible to share with him? He means, he and You've known him much longer than Foster, and you can trust him."

The sea in the distance is like a piece of slowly flowing cement that is about to solidify.Seagulls made ominous and continuous calls.Several ships have already gone to sea, but they are floating very slowly on the sea.

Foster Longey has not returned yet.The three sailors stood together, while Alpert squatted there alone in a daze.Isaac stood beside him, looking around from time to time.

On Siles' side, the four of them almost formed a circle.

Qin Duo looked at Siles and got the tacit answer, so he opened the paper ball.He read for a moment, then smiled amusedly.He crumpled the paper up again and threw it to Garrett.

Garrett made a gloomy expression, then tore up the ball of paper.

"Those three sailors were hired by Foster after he came to Kingsley. But he was not hired here at the port." Cindo said, "He was wandering by the sea, and first met those two suspicious sailors.

"The two sailors said they could go to sea with Foster, but Foster felt that they were not trustworthy at the time, so the two sailors brought another companion, that is, the one who quarreled with Foster last night. A sailor to prove his credibility.

"Foster finally believed what they said and decided to hire. However, their employment method...was quite sloppy. Generally, sailors would register their identities at the port, but these two sailors did not. Their identities are indeed suspicious. "

Johnny kept translating Qindo's words into Middleton, his voice was very soft and fast, as if he was afraid of being noticed what they were talking about.

Listening, Garrett put on a puzzled look and uttered a short syllable while Johnny explained something - Siles suspected he might be asking about the "quarrel".

Soon, Johnny finished speaking, and Garrett showed a subtle disdainful expression.

In this way, Siles thought thoughtfully, the two sailors would have sent them to the door themselves.This seemed to further deepen the possibility that they might be the monitors sent by the Langxi family.

...Of course, it is also possible that they have other purposes.

Siles turned his eyes away and looked at the three sailors.The sailor who had quarreled with Foster yesterday, Nigel they called him, was looking out to sea, frowning with concern.

The other two sailors looked at the port building in unison.One of them noticed Sirius' gaze, so he looked over and happened to meet Sirius' gaze.His gaze was quite calm, without any personal emotion at all.

Siles just nodded slightly towards him, as if to say hello, and then looked away as if nothing had happened.

Garrett said something, and Johnny slowly translated it.

"He said... since you also participated in this trip to sea, you should know what happened more than 30 years ago. He didn't want to say more about this matter. He just suspected that Foster Long's actions this time might repeat the same mistakes."

Siles nodded and said, "We think so too."

Garrett clearly thought of something with them.It seems that Foster Longey went to sea to investigate the truth, but he may also embark on the old path of his predecessors.People's fate is always like a circle.

During the conversation, Foster Longey returned.

Foster's expression was rather dull, but perhaps it could also be described as deadpan.He gathered everyone together and said something.

Isaac translated casually: "He said that the people at the port said that a storm might be coming and advised him not to go to sea at this time."

These words made Sirius couldn't help but look at the distant ocean.The sky nearby looks calm and bright, but in the distance, dark clouds have gradually gathered.

Qin Duo whispered: "It does seem like a storm is coming."

Foster Runcie took a deep breath.At one point, there was even a resolute expression on his face.Siles stared at the young man, already aware of his final choice.

Foster spoke again.Isaac hesitated before translating it: "But he thinks we must go to sea now. If there is a storm, maybe we can get around it—that's what he said."

Everyone was silent for a moment.A moist, viscous vapor hung in the air.They gathered outside the port building, and other people coming and going would cast a puzzled look at them.

They seem to be standing at the crossroads of their own lives, and they are pushed, willingly or unwillingly, to take a step.

Alpert looked left and right, as if he wanted to say something, but timidly dared not speak.

The sailor Nigel, who had just quarreled with Foster yesterday, rolled his eyes, just spread his hands, and said nothing.

The other two sailors remained silent, their eyes calm as if they were not the ones who were about to embark on the journey.

Garrett Gielgud said something with great interest, but judging from his tone, he did not object.

Isaac and Johnny set their sights on Siles.Cendo has always listened to Sirius.

After deliberating for a moment, Siles asked, "Have you met the captain of that ship?"

For Siles, going to sea this time is imperative.The Playa family will send a ship to follow them (Qindo's ability can ensure that the ship does not lose its way), so that they don't have to worry about it.

Therefore, the departure must be the departure.But Foster's statement made Siles feel a little confused-as if the transportation and "driver" they needed for this trip never existed.

They couldn't just step into the sea like this, they didn't have the underwater walking ability that Miss Garland had in her dream.They need a team to steer the boat for them.

The question was clearly unexpected for Foster.He looked at Siles in surprise and bewilderment, and after a while, subconsciously said something in Middleton.Realizing that he had used the wrong language, he couldn't help but pause before saying, "I...I haven't seen him yet."

Others also reacted one after another at this time.

Garrett stood there with arms folded, showing a very displeased expression.He said something in a tone that sounded quite questionable and suspicious.And Foster also responded a little impatiently.

He said to Siles again: "However, I have already agreed with the port side that we will leave at nine o'clock. Therefore, we can go to the dock now."

Ten minutes later, they met the ship named "Crystal" and the captain of the ship.

As Foster said before, the ship looked very beautiful, with blue and white paint on the hull, and strange decorations on the mast and cabin.Although the sails of the ship have not been raised yet, judging from some details, it is obviously... fancy.

Yes, the first impression of this boat is bells and whistles.That's an added value that has nothing to do with practicality, and it's even rarer in a country like Middleton.It should be said that this indeed fits the image of a rich kid like Foster Longhi to a certain extent.

Standing in front of the ship, they didn't know what to say for a moment.

Garrett stood there expressionless, seemingly pondering whether it was too late to quit.

Cindo stared at the ship for a while, and then said to Siles, "I seem to know who the captain of this ship is."

Siles turned his head to look at him, and before he had time to ask Qindo how he knew, a figure suddenly jumped off the boat, then walked unsteadily in front of Foster, talking loudly and vaguely What.

Siles looked over, was stunned for a moment, and then whispered: "This is a bit surprising."

Apparently that was the captain of the Crystal.He called himself Golden, looked about 40 years old, a little fat, dressed very sloppily, and came to communicate with Foster wearing only a dirty gray vest.

The most important thing is that his footsteps are unsteady, his eyes are cloudy, his face is flushed, and he holds a wine bottle in his hand, taking a sip from time to time with satisfaction.

... Foster Runcie looked taken aback.

A drunken captain, a bewildered traveler and his cowardly friend, an invitee who stays out of the way but has his own plans, two sailors with unknown origins and malicious intentions, and two strangers who come to search for secrets , three completely unknown companions...

This is the list of members of their journey this time.The future looks pretty bleak.

At nine o'clock in the morning, under the watchful eyes of the other sailors in Kingsley Harbor Dockyard, they set sail.

All are assigned rooms first.

The cabin of the Crystal has three floors, including two floors above the deck and one below the deck.The negative floor is for the sailors of the Crystal.

The second floor is used by the captain Golden and the first mate—a middle-aged man who looks very rigid and serious.That's where the rudder is, too.

Therefore, the only place where the guests of the Crystal can live is the deck floor.

The deck floor is the most complicated area on the ship. There are kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, etc. There are also seven bedrooms, each with two beds and independent bathrooms.

Foster and Alpert, Siles and Cindo, Isaac and Johnny, it was a natural arrangement.Of the rest, Garrett shared with Nigel, and the other two sailors.

They occupied a total of five rooms, and the other two rooms were used to pile up some sundries and their luggage.

Of course, many people still carry their luggage with them.

After allocating the rooms and packing up her belongings, the Crystal has gradually left Kingsley's port.When it was close to noon, they left the room and went to the restaurant for lunch.

Siles noticed that Foster had been talking to the captain, Golden.Involuntarily, he took a look at the captain who still looked hungover.

Just when he was sorting things in the room, Siles heard some stories about Captain Golden mentioned by Qin Duo.

In fact, this can also be said to be a... legendary captain, more or less similar to the reputation of the former Garrett Gielgud.

This captain is dedicated to those noble children who want to travel, or go for a ride on the sea, or go out to have fun at sea, as well as children from rich families.It is for this reason that the Crystal is specially decorated in this style.

It should be said that compared to real exploration or fishing, the Crystal ship seemed a bit out of place from the beginning of its construction.It's just for service, for fun, for play, not for work at sea.

Golden is now in his early 40s.He started the practice ten years ago.He was once a serious sailor, but when he had the assets to build a career of his own, he somehow chose to do so.

This strange intention naturally made many Middletons feel disgusted.But for many young people, Golden's approach is pleasing to them.

In Middleton, the elders always exaggerated the significance of the Sea of ​​Folio, making the sea so heavy that it made people fearful and tense.It seemed as if one had to kneel before the sea of ​​Foley Ou in fear and fear before finding one's own shelter.

This approach is rightfully disdainful for many young people.For them, Fuli Ouhai is just a place where they played in the water when they were young. What is there to be so serious about?

Therefore, like the Crystal, take them to have fun at sea, fishing, swimming, and having fun with friends on the boat or on the beach of the island... This kind of thing is slowly becoming popular among young Middletons. become popular.

The Crystal usually looks for guests back and forth in the big Middleton cities like Kingsley and Bethune, but this time it just happened to meet Foster Langhe.

They came to the restaurant to eat.It should be said that a ship like the Crystal has at least one advantage, that is, the facilities, meals, etc. on board are much better than ordinary ships.

Johnny sat across from Siles and Cinder, and added some information to them in a low voice: "I just listened to the conversation between Foster and the captain.

"It is said that the captain was only mooring at Kingsley, and he did not plan to go to sea in the short term-it is said that the weather has not been very good recently-in short, he just learned that Foster wanted to hire he.

"He went to drink yesterday and didn't notice the notice from the port... Uh, how should I put it, these ships berthed in the port dock basically signed an agreement by default. If there are customers who want to rent a ship, these berthed ships will are available for selection.

"If you don't plan to go to sea recently, then don't stop at the dock at the port. But the captain seems to have not paid attention to this requirement, or maybe he didn't realize this problem. Anyway, he stopped here and happened to be blessed. Stuart chose.

"And the reason why he was drunk is also because he didn't know about Foster's charter before. He is apologizing to Foster right now."

Siles listened silently, then turned his head to look at Foster and the captain who were communicating on the deck.The captain seemed to be slowly waking up, and realized what he had done in a foolish way, so he showed a nervous expression that Foster would do whatever he said, for fear of offending the big customer.

He suddenly realized that if it was an ordinary Captain Middleton, he probably wouldn't do what Foster wanted.They knew how dangerous Foster's actions were.

But if it's the captain who looks a little dazed, hasn't fully recovered from the alcohol, and is worried about missing out on a big income...

Well, Foster Longey got his wish.

Siles sighed helplessly in his heart.

Qin Duo couldn't help sighing, he said: "It seems that this journey is really troublesome."

They ate their lunch slowly—by the way, the chefs on the Crystal prepared a good seafood dinner, and it seemed that they arranged their daily three meals according to the process of normal guests booking the Crystal.

After lunch, Foster and Golden came to the cabin.Foster's expression looked much better, and he announced with great satisfaction that he had discussed the next route with the captain, and the first sea journey would last three to five days, depending on how they progressed.

They might stop at some suspicious island and disembark to see what's going on...that might lead them to something.

Despite the cadence and ambition of Foster's tone, everyone in the room was absent-minded.They either ate without a ride, or stared out the window blankly.

The weather was sweltering, and everyone felt an unpleasant and stagnant mood spreading on board.

Foster seemed completely unaffected.He said that today he will drive on the sea for most of the day, and he may arrive at an isolated island in the evening.

He also added very triumphantly that, according to Captain Golden, that isolated island had never been actually visited before.And this time they will set foot on that land.

... Foster's mood seemed strangely excited.Siles pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking.

In any case, the destination of the next journey has been determined.Some people scattered.

Foster's friend Alpert also seemed relieved. He yawned. I'm afraid he didn't sleep well last night, so he went back to his room early to catch up on sleep.

Foster also left.However, he still seemed very interested, as if he planned to continue discussing the next itinerary with Captain Golden.

Soon, there were only a few people left in the restaurant.

Garrett Gielgud sat across from Sirius, stared at him and said something.Then he realized that they would have to communicate through an interpreter, and he grimaced.

Johnny also yawned, and then translated: "He asked, what do you think of the prospects for this trip."

Siles was silent for a moment, then said: "There is no prospect."

Johnny couldn't help laughing before translating the words to Garrett.Garrett's mouth twitched.

Qin Duo was fiddling with the spoon and said, "I don't think they will find anything. But seriously, I hope they will find something."

What he meant was that it was fun.

Johnny also translated this sentence, and Garrett suddenly showed an expression of approval.He stared at Sirius for a while, as if about to say something, but he looked at Johnny again, rolled his eyes, and chose to leave.

Looking at the back of him leaving, Johnny frowned, and whispered, "He thinks I'm too much of a hindrance here?"

"Maybe it's just that he thinks this way of communication is troublesome." Siles said objectively.

Johnny shook his head. He said, "It's really stuffy...I'm going outside to get some air."

Siles nodded.Now, only he and Qin Duo are left in the restaurant.

Siles said: "The isolated island that we arrived at this evening... will there be any discoveries?"

"But Garrett doesn't seem to respond." Qin Duo said thoughtfully, "I think he should have explored all those suspicious islands."

Siles also agreed with this possibility, he looked at the rather delicate tableware used in the dining room of the Crystal sailing ship, was silent for a moment, and then said: "Maybe the captain deliberately made a gimmick to please the guests on the ship. "

He didn't think there would be islands that had yet to be explored among those areas that could be explored.Maybe it was just an uninhabited island with little development value, so it was used by the captain of the Crystal.

Obviously, in a hurry, it is probably impossible for Golden to know the purpose of Foster's sea trip this time. He might just listen to Foster's talk about the chosen route, and then propose a ship that happened to be nearby. isolated island.

... This logic is quite smooth, but it also seems to mean that the two sides are talking with each other.Maybe Foster really thought he was going to a mysterious island full of secrets.

Siles shook his head helplessly, then turned to ask: "Where is the Praia family?"

"They've caught up," Cinder said.

Siles was a little surprised to hear this, and he was very curious about how Qindo communicated with the Praia family.

Qin Duo pointed out the window and said: "The seabird. That seabird has been following us, and occasionally stops on the mast. That is the... messenger sent by the Praia family? It should be said so."

Only then did Siles suddenly understand, and he couldn't help asking: "Beast taming?"

"I can't say that completely." Qin Duo thought for a while, "You know, the Praia family was inseparable from things like journeys, post stations, and transportation at the earliest, so I also studied the various means of information transmission. .

"It should be said that using seabirds or other animals is only one of the ways. If it really doesn't work, I can also communicate with them using the bloodline manuscript. A solution can always be found."

Siles nodded, understanding.

They gradually felt that staying in the cabin was very stuffy, so they also left the dining room and went to the deck.Surrounded by the endless sea, in the distance is the storm that is gradually gathering.The sea breeze washed away the heat, but it also brought a touch of boredom.

"...seems like there's going to be a storm."

At some point, Foster appeared on the deck, walked up to Siles, and said to them.

"However, it looks like we're far away now," Siles said.

Foster stared blankly into the distance, and said, "Not necessarily... maybe, it was just a one-night effort. The Sea of ​​Foley is always... always so magical. I don't expect us to be able to escape unscathed."

Siles frowned slightly.

"Are you waiting for a storm?" Cindo asked sharply.

Foster fell into a long silence.After a while, he whispered, "Me too...I don't know. I just feel...maybe...it is. Maybe it should be."

His expression can more or less be described as apathetic.It seemed that after the burst of excitement just now, he had completely lost that unstoppable vitality.

The sea breeze brushed over his cheeks, lifted his hair, revealing those eyes full of confusion and anxiety.

Siles considered his tone and said, "Does Captain Golden know what you're thinking?"

"Him?" Foster's tone changed slightly, "He looks even more ignorant than me."

"But he did make some arrangements. For example, the isolated island." Siles tried to keep his tone as calm as possible so as not to provoke Foster. "Are you going to continue this journey according to his arrangement?"

If so, then at least they don't have to worry about their personal safety for the next period of time.

Foster did not answer the question for the first time.He was silent for a while, watching the storm clouds in the distance.After a while, he whispered, "What do you think I should do?"

Siles didn't hesitate too much: "Follow that captain's arrangement first."

No matter how much Foster wants to explore the truth of the past, he is still a complete novice to Ocean.He couldn't get acquainted with the ocean and sailing in such a short time.

Siles thought that he could gradually understand the various precautions for sailing in the open sea, instead of just drawing a line with a chart and planning to set off.

But Siles' statement seemed to anger Foster.He took a step back suddenly, then widened his eyes and said, "So, do you also think that my decision to go to sea this time is just a child's play?"

Siles froze for a moment.

Cendo looked at Foster warily.

Foster, on the other hand, gave a rather contorted, perhaps what might be called obsessive, smile."But I think ... I think it's time to do what I think," he said.

After speaking, he strode away.

There were other people on deck at the moment, such as the sailor named Nigel who had quarreled with Foster the night before.He noticed that Foster seemed to be in conflict with Siles and the others again, so he couldn't help showing a sarcastic smile.

But he didn't seem to care about it, and quickly turned his head to look at the sea again.He seemed to regard this trip to sea as relaxation.

Cendo frowned visibly, Foster's behavior and tone irritated him.He took a closer look at Sirius again to make sure that Sirius wasn't angry.

"It seems that something stimulated him." Siles said thoughtfully, "Just during our conversation just now... It should be said that the source was before this trip to sea."

Siles recalled the two words Foster said just now, and then suddenly realized the problem.He and Qin Duo looked at each other, and said at the same time: "'Also'."

"So, before he set off, some people thought that his trip to the sea this time could not yield anything, and it was just a child's play." Qin Duo said, "...to provoke? This kind of statement seems to deliberately stimulate him, let him go those dangerous places."

In fact, a long time has passed since Foster decided to go to the Sea of ​​Folio, to when Siles was invited to join his team, and now they actually went to sea.During this period of time, what exactly Foster encountered is also a very important thing.

Siles thought for a moment, then said: "I'm afraid we will have to ask that Mr. Alberto Francisco."

Alpert was taking a lunch break, so they waited until after three o'clock in the afternoon before calling the translator Johnny and knocking on the door of Alpert's room.

Alpert is already awake and washing his face.He opened the door suspiciously.

He was alone in the room.Foster Longey was missing.Perhaps he was studying the future route with Golden in the captain's cabin.

But this also made Sirius breathe a sigh of relief.If Foster was there, it would be a bit embarrassing and difficult to ask for information about Alpert.

Johnny dutifully talked to Alpert.

In fact, Johnny didn't know the real purpose of Sirius finding Alpert so suddenly.He had always thought that this was just an ordinary outing - of course, now he may have gradually realized the problem.

Facing Alpert, Johnny's words were quite cautious.He just said that Siles was a little confused about what Foster Langci did, but he couldn't find Foster, so he came to ask Alpert if he knew the relevant information.

Alpert froze for a moment, then opened the door to let the three of them in.He sat on the bed, rubbed his face tiredly, and then began to speak.He spoke for a long time.

Johnny directly used the No.1 name to translate: "I don't know what's going on. Foster seems to have completely changed his appearance in the past. At first he said, when we took advantage of this vacation to go to sea, I thought it was kind of fun.

“…we all thought it was fun and a lot of people wanted to get involved, but Foster ended up picking just a few of our closest friends. But that’s when things started to go wrong too.

"Foster said that he will make all the preparations and let us rest assured. I have a friend...you may not have noticed, in short, he wanted to ask Foster before, what is the route we are going to sea this time.

"But Foster was hemming and hawing, just telling us to trust him...we, we did. His last name was Longey, and that alone made us trust him.

"We took it as a trip and fun. We didn't think there would be any problem with it. Fuliouhai... yes, Fuliouhai, the Fuliouhai we are familiar with.

"Then... it was yesterday. They had a fight and left. I know what they were arguing about, and I knew they must have hesitated. Before that, we had hesitated. We all felt that Foster's plan Too hasty.

"...How should I put it... It seems that his thoughts on this trip do not lie in the trip itself...not in ships, routes, or supplies, but in what is other than these things.

"So he picked a random boat. We all thought it wouldn't be very reliable at the time. But he decided that if it made him look good, that would be enough.

"Until the day we set off from Bethune, Foster hadn't settled on the final route. Of course, at that time we thought that maybe this matter should be discussed with the captain, after all, Foster and we have no what experience.

"But...but that's what he decided. So inexplicably...even the old sailor didn't agree!

"I know, at that time, my friends were discouraged. They felt that Foster was a completely unreliable person, and there was no need to participate in such an endless and inexplicable journey. So, they chose to leave."

Having said that, Alpert was silent for a moment.Johnny took the opportunity to ask a question, and then said to Siles, "I asked him why he didn't leave."

Alpert didn't answer this question immediately, he just looked at the sea outside the narrow window of the cabin, was silent for a moment, and then said something softly.

"He said..." Johnny looked at Alpert carefully for confirmation, "He doesn't want to give up this opportunity. He wants to come to the Sea of ​​Folio."

Siles was originally listening thoughtfully, but this statement made him raise his eyes for a moment and stare at Alpert.

Alpert added something, and Johnny translated: "He said that every Middletonian wants to come to Folio once while they're alive."

There was a brief silence in the room.

Later, Siles asked a question: "How many people know Foster's plan to go to sea this time?"

Alpert thought for a moment, then answered the question.Johnny translated: "Not many, probably only the students at Bethune University, and Foster's own family. Foster didn't spread the word about it."

"Do you know the Foster family's attitude towards this matter?"

"Well... they seemed pretty objectionable at first. But then they changed their tune. I remember Foster running up to the school one day in a rage and saying he had to make this trip, and he wasn't kidding, he Take this journey quite seriously.

"He was totally angry at the time ... I would say, that's when we first wondered if the trip was a little off. Foster was so emotional.

"Later, when he calmed down a bit, we asked what happened...Foster was unwilling to say what was going on. But then...someone heard that Foster didn't reply for several days. home, live in a hotel outside.

"But a little later, Foster seemed to be reconciled with his family, and began to plan this trip with great interest."

Alpert said, gradually revealing a confused expression.He seemed very curious about why Siles would ask about these things, but because of the language barrier and his own introverted personality, he was a little afraid to ask.

Siles nodded thoughtfully, and he told Alperte the reason for his inquiry, especially the unexpected quarrel on the deck just now.

Alpert suddenly realized, and he said a few words in a hurry.

"He's talking...well, he's explaining to Foster." Johnny translated, "He said that Foster doesn't have this kind of personality, but he's been under too much pressure recently, or maybe he's been affected by something. Stimulate."

In fact, they all agree with this conjecture in their hearts, but they have different opinions on its origin.

Alpert may feel that Foster really wants to come to Foster Sea, but there are many obstacles in the process, so Foster becomes more stubborn and excited.From this perspective, Alpert more or less substituted some of his own ideas.

However, Siles and Qindo had a completely different idea.

Foster's family, are they provoking him on purpose?

If the Lanci family had nothing to do with the old gods, but were just ordinary aristocratic families, then Siles might really feel that their words were really just because they thought young children were too mischievous.

But what happened more than 30 years ago remains a complex and murky mystery.In this case, Siles is very suspicious