The world controlled by dice [Western Fantasy]

The dark storm cloud was getting closer and closer to them.The beautiful and delicate hull of the Crystal, floating in the turbulent waves, looked small and pale.

Little did they know when they set out that they would have to face a serious face-to-face conversation before even spending their first night at sea.

It was late at night on July 7th.The ship lights of the Crystal have been turned on, but they can only illuminate a small piece of sea water and an isolated island not far away.It seems that there is a night fog, and the hazy light makes everything around seem obscure and dull.

In this viscous silence, people slowly gathered in the deck-level dining room.

Some people had fallen asleep, but were woken up by knocking on the door, and were dragged over to participate in the conversation in confusion.Some people planned to camp on that isolated island, but are now also being asked to return to their boats.Some people were aware of the problem on board from the very beginning and came to the dining room early without a word or sleep.

Foster Langhe stood alone on the deck, with his back to the isolated island, looking at the distant ocean.Foliohai responded to his concentration with silence.He wasn't part of the conversation in the restaurant.

...Until this moment, Siles and Qindo didn't have much sense of participation.

As time goes by, the atmosphere in the restaurant is gradually becoming more intense.Every Middleton was speaking in their language, and every one of them exuded a strange agitation.

There are a total of 10 people here, three sailors, Garrett, Alpert, Isaac, Johnny, Captain Golden, and Siles and Cindo.If you count Foster, there are 11 people who directly or indirectly participated in this conversation.

Siles and Qin Duo remained silent and did not express any opinions.But they did sense that there was an odd vibe pervading the ship.

The interpreter Johnny sat beside them, broadcasting the progress of their conversation to them in real time from the very beginning: "Uh, just now the captain said that we need to go to the restaurant to gather, there are some things we need to discuss.

"...the storm is coming. He thinks it's time to turn back, but Foster doesn't like it. A middle way is that we all abandon ship and go to the island and spend a night, or a day or two on the island. .The supplies on board are sufficient.

"Yes, Foster disagreed with the idea.

"Foster thinks we can start now and go around the storm clouds. But this approach is too dangerous, because no one knows which direction the storm will go, and we may not be able to go around it. The captain does not approve of this. choose.

"...Yes, now we have three options, stop here, continue forward, and return. The captain wants us to make a choice. He took a pen and paper and asked us to make a mark on the plan we each support .

"Forster has given his answer and he's got to move on. He's not going to engage in this conversation because he doesn't want to change his mind. His answer is out there.

"So it's just our answer. The captain looks very angry. He knows that staying in the Folio Sea when the storm hits will lead to disaster... Even staying on an isolated island is an unwise choice.

"...they were asking the captain why he didn't force the ship back.

"...how... oh, it's really bad... The captain said that Foster returned to the ship from the isolated island earlier than any of us, so Foster locked the door of the captain's cabin on the second floor while he was not paying attention, It's Foster's own lock. So he can't steer the boat now.

"Foster demanded that he not return, saying that the captain had lied to him and that if he did not continue the voyage, then Foster would not pay the rest of his employment fee.

"Uh... Foster also said that he has money, and he can even use the money to buy off the sailors on the ship. Even if Golden is not willing to continue sailing, the sailors will be willing.

"...In short, Foster's request is that he cannot return. If most people want to stay on this isolated island for a night or a day or two, then he will wait until the storm has passed before opening the door of the captain's cabin. He is only willing to accept this compromise.

"...Uh, Foster's friend, Alpert said, since staying on the isolated island is also a long wait, why can't we follow Foster's idea, bypass the storm cloud and continue on.

"Mr. Garrett Gielgud was very... angry, that's how I should describe it, he insulted Alpert, saying that no one knows what will happen to the sea when the storm hits, and we can't take risks.

"Alperte stopped talking, but he chose to move on... It seems that he intends to support his friend... But his approach silenced everyone else. Garrett also gave his own answer, He chose to return.

“…that way there was an even balance of support for going back and going. Foster and Alpert chose to go and Golden and Garrett chose to go back.

"...Nigel (in Middleton)...uh, the sailor who quarreled with Foster before, he also chose to return. So far no one has chosen to stay on the island, which seems a bit embarrassing.

"And then those two sailors ... oh, they ... they chose to move on."

The scene fell into a stalemate at this moment.

Garrett Gielgud narrowed his eyes, staring at the two sailors with a rather dangerous and hostile gaze.In fact, he was almost on the verge of doing it.

And that Captain Golden also widened his eyes at this moment.He tore away the mask of casual humility and looked at the two sailors with an almost grim look.

These sailors, crew, and captains who work at sea certainly understand the horrors of storms at sea better than anyone else.

So Garrett and Golden, and even Nigel, probably thought the two sailors would be on their side as a matter of course.

In this way, the choice of returning home can get five votes; they have a total of eleven people, even if Alpert will stand on Foster's side, it is impossible for the remaining four people to choose "move on ".

It should be said that on the premise that five of them have already chosen to return, if the remaining four also choose to return, then they will have an overwhelming advantage.

Although Foster locked the captain's cabin, he was just a noble young man with no power to restrain himself.At the end of the day, they're just not completely ripped off right now.These sailors sailing on the Folio Sea naturally have their own special powers.

They could overpower Foster and wrest the key from him.This also means risk. Who knows if Foster will give up on himself, for example, swallow the key in one gulp, or throw the key into the sea?

That's a pretty scary possibility.After all, in this vast sea, they only have Crystal to rely on.Except for Siles and Qindo, no one knew that the ship sent by the Praia family was following them far behind.

So they have to choose a more reliable way.

The conflict between "returning" and "moving on" is not only in the choice itself, but also in the position corresponding to this choice.They have to make a decision at this time.

However, the two sailors made a decision that was unexpected and definitely not in line with their identities.

Garrett stared at the two men for a moment, then sneered, and he said something, which Johnny slowly translated.

"...I know you are unreliable. But I hoped that you would not be so crazy at this moment. It seems that this is impossible, right, two followers of the old gods?"

When Johnny finished translating, he was a little surprised himself.He subconsciously looked up at Garrett.Almost everyone else did, but Garrett just looked at the two sailors impatiently.The anger had even disappeared from his face.

The two sailors said nothing, and even looked out of the window in boredom.

Nigel spoke at this moment, his face was expressionless, his tone was flat, with almost no emotion.Johnny recovered, still translating in a low voice.

"...I've known these two guys for a long time. They were always out of nowhere, but I have to say, I thought they were pretty reliable at the time, because I was a poor guy and they always gave me jobs, like this one now. Wading out to sea.

"I'm a little curious about their past, but not that much. There's always a lot of people coming and going in the tavern. Now we're on the Folliou Sea, but it's pretty much the same.

"We just happened to get together and then we had to work through these things together - to finish the drink together."

The two sailors suddenly turned to look at Nigel.They stared at each other.Even so, when they looked back, the two sailors did not change their choice after all.

I don't know who suddenly sighed at this time.

... Nigel burst out.He threw himself on top of the two sailors, and punched one of them hard and hard, and then punched the other.

The scene became a little chaotic at this moment.Garrett pretended to step forward to mediate, but from time to time he followed up with two punches covertly.The two sailors resisted hesitantly, but they were no match for the angry Nigel and Garrett who was behind the scenes.

Golden rolled his eyes and weakly told them not to continue fighting.

Alpert's eyes widened in horror, and he huddled in a corner without saying a word.His eyes looked at the piece of paper used for voting with some confusion, but he didn't say anything in the end.

In stark contrast to this chaotic scene, were the four people on Sirius' side.They still sat peacefully, without saying a word, as if they were completely unaffected by the quarrels and abuse not far away.

Finally, Garrett probably felt comfortable with the beating, so he pulled Nigel away.The two sailors had bruised noses and swollen faces, but they still maintained a strange indifference and silence.They just wiped the blood quietly with handkerchiefs.

Nigel sat back in his seat, his head bowed in silence.He gradually revealed a heavy, decadent aura.At this moment, fate seemed to play a joke on him.

He has sailed with these two sailors countless times. They may not be called close friends, but they are indeed quite familiar companions.But now, the companion has turned into a strange appearance.

He felt betrayed, but before he really admitted it, he had to ask himself: Has their friendship really reached the point where it can be described as "betrayal"?

Perhaps, in the eyes of these two sailors, Nigel is just a tool they use to prove that they are harmless and normal enough.It was because Nigel was so ordinary, so ordinary as any sailor who showed up in port, that they needed Nigel.

… Nigel squeezed his hand hard, the pain erupting and ebbing in the older man.Finally, when he looked up, he had become expressionless.

Garrett looked down at him and said something to him before turning around.

Johnny translated: "He said to Nigel, uh...don't let yourself be polluted with rubbish..."

Johnny was translating, and Garrett had already looked at Siles, and said something almost provocatively.

Before Johnny could listen, Isaac translated and said, "He said, it's time for you to say something."

Siles, who had been silently watching the development of the situation with his eyes lowered, finally raised his eyes.He looked around first, then at the time.

Zero o'clock.Exactly.

It's been a long day.He couldn't help thinking that.

"Do you think this is a moment of hopelessness?" said Siles.

Johnny scratched his hair, not knowing how to translate the word.He consulted with Isaac before relaying what Siles had said in Middleton.

Garrett stood there, eyes narrowed, and he and Sirius looked at each other for a moment, then sneered inexplicably.

He said something, and Johnny translated, "No, it's not. How can it be a storm without actually having it."

It seemed that no one present—except Gyndo—had any idea what their conversation meant.

Captain Golden's face was cloudy, he said something loudly, and Garrett responded impatiently.

Johnny translated on the side: "The captain asked why he didn't know the purpose of this journey... and Garrett said that if he didn't know, it would be a good thing, so don't know."

This obviously angered Gordon.The middle-aged captain stared at Garrett hard, but it didn't make Garrett change his mind after all.So he just sat down angrily, looking like he didn't even bother to care about the current situation.

And the current situation -

Qindo whispered in Siles' ear: "Four tickets for going forward, three tickets for returning, and zero tickets for staying on the island. And we have four tickets here."

Isaac and Johnny are clearly on their side.The choices of these four of them are enough to affect the final result.

Sirius stared out the window.The night was filled with fog, and he couldn't see anything clearly, which made him frown slightly.

He was lost in thought.

In fact, as the trip progressed, Siles felt that Foster's erratic mood took a large toll on him.This young man did not listen to advice, and insisted on going his own way; and these people present, they have different thoughts, some of them don't even understand it at all.

If this continues, their only ending is to get lost in the sea of ​​welfare.

What's embarrassing is that Siles and Qindo are not from Middleton, so they can't really gain the dominance.

……No.There is another way.

Siles thought for a moment, and exchanged glances with Cendo, and then they looked at Garrett Gielgud at the same time.

Garrett was a little puzzled when he received their gaze.

Qin Duo suddenly laughed in a low voice, and he said: "The Marin is not far away, Mr. Captain."

Johnny looked at them blankly before translating the sentence.Obviously, the "captain" here is not referring to Golden, but... Garrett Gielgud.

Garrett's expression changed in an instant. He looked at Siles and Cendo gloomyly, as if grinding his teeth, and then smiled suddenly.He said something.

Johnny translated: "He said, oh yeah, he almost forgot."

Garrett withdrew the smile on his face again for a moment. He walked to the table, slowly tore off the piece of paper used for voting, and then said something.

"... At this point, there is no need to hide it from everyone. Yes, when I set off, I thought that Mr. Foster Longey was not very reliable. Therefore, I let my ship follow near us."

In fact, there are many loopholes in his statement. For example, how did his ship know their voyage route?Another example, why would Siles and Qindo know about this?

Garrett himself knew these problems, so he made up for them in the following words.

"These two strangers from the far south country actually knew me much earlier than they knew Foster. I am also very surprised why they participated in this operation. However, we all know the problems of the Langhe family, so We reached a consensus."

Alpert, who had been silent all this time, asked a question timidly at this moment, probably asking what was wrong with the Ranci family.

Garrett rolled his eyes, obviously too lazy to explain the problem at this moment.

"... That's something else. Guys, please pay attention to where we are. The storm is coming, and we're wasting time here, not reaching a consensus.

"Let me be blunt, even if some people want to move on, my ship is waiting nearby, and I can bring others back at any time. And some people, you are guarding an unmanned ghost ship , and count on the sea to take you where you want to go."

Garrett's tone was sarcastic.But his calm and sarcastic tone now really made some people feel shaken.

The two sailors, who hadn't changed their expressions when they were beaten, suddenly exchanged something with each other in a low voice at this moment.

And Captain Golden's expression changed.Obviously, Garrett meant that if he returned, he would abandon his Crystal.This is his life.

...In fact, if Foster hadn't threatened him with the rest of the hire money, he might have punched Foster down when Foster refused to return to the voyage, and then snatched the key.That's a storm in the Sea of ​​Foley!

In short, this sudden news made everyone change their minds more or less.

"...It seems that everyone has no opinion, then we will return..." Johnny translated Garrett's words, but stopped here.

Because Garrett's words were suddenly stopped.It's Golden.Golden said something that made everyone in Middleton look at him in surprise.

Johnny also looked at the captain in surprise, and then translated: "He said...he asked to stay on the island."

Siles and Jindo remained silent.

After Golden, Alpert and the two sailors also changed their minds one after another, and they also planned to stay on the isolated island.Nigel and Garrett's options remain unchanged for now.

Therefore, staying on the isolated island suddenly became the choice with the most votes.

Garrett said something first, then turned to Siles, and said something with a little irritability.

"He said that this is the final choice and cannot be changed." Johnny said, "Then, he wants the four of us to make a choice as soon as possible."

After the change, there is only one vote left for going forward, two votes for returning, and four votes for staying on the island.Obviously, the choice of Siles will suddenly determine their final path.

Sirius stared out the window.He saw the thick fog outside the window, and the dark night.

Qin Duo couldn't help but sighed.

"It's been a pointless vote from the start," he whispered.

Because, they have only one choice: to stay here.

When people quarrel, they have already ignored the outside environment.Under such a thick fog, they were already trapped, and they could not move on, nor could they return.

The seabird sat alone on the mast, making a dismal cry from time to time.

"...We chose to stay on the island." Siles confirmed their thoughts to Isaac and Johnny, and then gave his own opinion.

Garrett shrugged unsurprisingly, and announced the result quite logically.At this moment he became the ruler, the master of the ship.

After the result came out, Alpert got up immediately, and left the restaurant nervously and nervously.In the night, they could faintly see his back, and he went to Foster who was standing alone on the deck.People heard whispers in the fog.

The stagnant atmosphere in the restaurant lasted for a moment.

Afterwards, Gordon said something and left.The two sailors followed suit.Then came Nigel.

Johnny said: "The captain said that he is going to set up a tent on an isolated island now, and let us go with him."

Siles nodded, planning to go there later.To prevent accidents, they probably won't be able to stay on the Folio Sea for some time to come, even if it's just on the coast.

During the conversation, Garrett stood in front of Siles.He looked at Sirius with cloudy eyes, but in comparison, Sirius seemed quite calm.

After a while, Garrett sneered, but didn't say anything, but chose to turn around and leave.

"I'm afraid he intends to..." Qin Duo paused.

"Perhaps." Siles didn't deny the possibility, "However, we have to go to an isolated island to set up a tent first."

He thought for a moment, then turned to look at Isaac and Johnny.

He said very seriously: "This journey is becoming more and more dangerous, but it is completely unwarranted for you. After this storm is over, maybe you can return to Kingsley with the Marlin."

Johnny's eyes widened in surprise, and he couldn't help asking: "But, sir, what about the two of you?"

"We still have to continue this journey."

"Even if it's already so dangerous?" Isaac couldn't help but ask.Obviously, these two men, who had lived in Conster and Middleton, had already realized the danger of this journey.

Johnny added: "Also, if we leave, you won't even be able to communicate with them."

Siles thought for a moment, then smiled slightly: "Don't worry. If there are no accidents, Mr. Garrett Gielgud will be our helper later. As long as he can help us, then we will even There is no need to communicate with these people on board."

In fact, they are basically equivalent to Garrett's goals.

If they can survive this storm smoothly, then they don't have to worry so much.

Isaac and Johnny were slightly confused, but they didn't say anything more.They did feel the risk of this trip and the uneasiness condensed in everyone's heart.

They decided that it was better to follow the advice of Sirius, an insider, than to jump to conclusions themselves.

Afterwards, the four of them also left the dining room, washed up in the bathroom on the ship, and then went to claim their own tent, and chose a location on the isolated island to set up camp.

The former use of the Crystal allowed them to have enough tents and living supplies at this time, at least they can rest assured to stay on this isolated island for a day or two.What the future holds, of course, is another question.

Siles noticed that Foster also participated in the tent-raising procession and seemed to accept the path.

Several people went to talk to Garrett, and Garrett couldn't help showing obvious impatience.He dismissed those people, and then stared at Siles and Qindo for a moment.

Finally, at two o'clock in the morning, they almost sorted out a sleeping and resting area, located in the center of the isolated island, about 300 meters from the coast.

Everyone on the Crystal, including the sailors, came to the isolated island, leaving only the Crystal moored on the shore.

Some yawned and went straight to bed; others were preoccupied and chatted casually by the campfire.Some people who played an important role in this matter, such as Garrett and Foster, instead went to sleep in their tents early.

Siles was not in a hurry to sleep, he stood on the edge of the isolated island with Qindo, silently staring at the dark night in the distance.In the thick darkness, there are only occasional light spots and sounds.

"...Are you worried?" Qin Duo whispered.

"Yes. However, I'm not that worried, I'm just thinking..." Siles paused at this moment, "Have we reproduced something unintentionally?"

Qin Duo's eyes widened in surprise.

"The storm, the island, the people on the island," said Siles. "We've already achieved it, haven't we?"

Qin Duo looked back almost subconsciously, he was silent for a moment, and then whispered: "That's right...it has indeed been realized. So the next thing may be..."

"But there are no natives here," said Siles. "That doesn't fit the bill."

Qin Duo nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

"But..." Sirius hesitated.

"...What?" Qin Duo asked, "The more you try to keep things secret, the more uneasy I feel."

Siles laughed, and he said, "What is this in front of you?"

Qin Duo looked at it for a while: "Fuli Ouhai. Dark night... wait, you mean?"

"The Sea of ​​Darkness." Sirius' tone was quite flat, "And the Sea of ​​Darkness does have 'natives'. Something is always moving in the darkness."

Qin Duo was silent for a long time, and then he sighed: "For the first time, I hope that your guess is wrong."

Instead, Siles looked at him, thinking that he doubted the statement—about the number of times.

They did not continue to discuss this possibility any further.The truth is, they have unintentionally stepped into the trap of fate.Siles was also quite interested in what would happen next.

The sea breeze at night caressed their cheeks.The heavy storm clouds in the distance seemed to be getting closer and further away from them.

Siles asked, "Where is the Marlin now?"

"They should be in the southerly waters, completely away from this storm area." Cinder said, "It may have returned. But the seabirds are still following us, so after the storm, they will come back."

Siles nodded, this is good news.The ship would be their backing, at least for a short time, and they could use it as an excuse.

...Of course, if the Marlin does not appear for a long time, then this statement may also be doubted.However, for at least the next day or two, this event will keep some people from acting rashly.

This bought them a chance.

Siles thought for a moment, then said, "We'll go to the dreamland later. You can go to Tau's cemetery and pay attention to the condition of that canoe."

"Will someone stray into the Dark Sea at this time?" Qin Duo whispered.

"It's just being prepared," Siles said. "It's hard to say for sure if something like this is actually going to happen."

Qin Duo nodded.

Soon, they returned to the campsite.It was close to three o'clock in the morning, and more and more people had already gone to bed.There are only a few sailors left on the Crystal, who are still carousing, drinking, and playing cards without knowing anything.

…yes, Noel Solitaire.

Siles couldn't help but stop for a while as he passed them, and then continued walking as if nothing had happened.Qin Duo let out a low laugh beside him.

Siles and Cindo are, of course, a tent.When he returned to the tent, Siles didn't mention Noel's cards.

Qin Duo also changed the topic very considerately, he said: "It's almost three o'clock now, and we have to wake up at four o'clock later."

"Go back to sleep after waking up." Siles also sighed helplessly.

A kerosene lamp hung in the tent.Of course, they turn it off when they sleep.Qin Duo stared at Siles for a while, the dim light softened Siles' always cold expression.

Qin Duo seemed to want to do something, but he hesitated suddenly, and looked at the kerosene lamp again.

...The figures in the tent can obviously be seen outside, and they can guess what they are doing.

Siles and Cendo looked at each other for a moment, and then said: "Okay, Cendo, turn off the lights."

Qin Duo cheered softly, and immediately extinguished the kerosene lamp.He threw himself into Sirius' arms, rubbed his shoulder affectionately, and then kissed his lips.

He had barely been intimate with Sirius this past day, and now that the night was dark, he knew he couldn't do much more, but he was counting on at least a hug, and a real kiss .

They hugged quietly for a moment, Cindo said something vaguely, and Sirius replied according to his own guess: "I love you too."

Qin Duo laughed softly and replied, "I love you too."

...it seems that he didn't mean "I love you".Siles asked, "What did you just say?"

"I said, I miss you," Cinder said, "I think it's okay to say 'I love you' to 'I miss you'."

Siles couldn't help but smile, maybe it was because of Qin Duo's miss, or because of his own crooked attack.He kissed Qin Duo's lips, and said, "Go to sleep. Good night."

"I think there should be another good night at four o'clock."

Siles thought for a moment, and then said very honestly: "You expect me to say, 'see you in a dream'?"

Qin Duo: "..."

He sighed, and couldn't help but say, "Seeing you in a dream...it sounds a bit sad."

Siles couldn't help laughing.

They soon lay down peacefully and fell asleep.

When he came to this lonely island that was eternally silent, watched by the eyes of stars, and lived with giant dolls, he even felt a little nostalgic.After only a few days away from Ramifa City, he already felt that the sea breeze from Middleton had penetrated into his soul.

As for the deep sea dream, it had to be said that it became a very familiar scene to him at this time.Although this place is also quite dangerous.

After all, in the real world, he can look up at the starry sky casually; but in the deep sea dream, the rotten star eyeballs are quite hideous and dangerous.

... Having said that, it should be safe to look up at the starry sky in the real world, right?

For a moment he doubted the question.

Then he shook his head, realizing that his thinking had gone astray.He looked at the plants on the island and noticed that Garrett Gielgud's dream bubble was hanging there, unsurprisingly.

I'm afraid Garrett has realized the problem.

So he went to the farm, took the No. [-] doll, and then entered Garrett's dream.

"Oh, we meet again." Garrett fixed his eyes on Mr. Ghost, "Should I call you Mr. Ghost, or, Professor Sirius Noel?"

"It's all right." Doll No. [-] said, "That's just one of my identities—oh, not my little doll, but a ghost."

Garrett froze for a moment.

Mr. Ghost's expression was still quite calm.It should be said that when he discovered that Garrett was also involved in this journey, he realized that his connection with Mr. Ghost might be exposed.

This is inevitable.Garrett had previously suspected the relationship between Mr. Ghost and Sirius Noel.They are linked too often and have similar faces.

Therefore, Mr. Ghost's handling of this matter is quite simple - there is no need to keep concealing it, but there is no need to really tell Garrett the truth.He hid the secret in this half-truth, maintaining his instinct as a keeper.

Who is real, Sirius Noel or Mr. Ghost?Who is the priority?

Garrett couldn't help frowning: "So, what are you... what?"

He looked like he was going to blurt out the description "something," but finally refrained and used a slightly more polite way of saying it.

The puppet said: "This is also related to the reason why I found you in the dream today."

"What?" Garrett said.

"Do you know 'Sea of ​​Darkness'?"

Translated into Middleton, this word is nothing more than an ordinary compound word.It should be said that at first glance, people may not be able to associate it with any supernatural power or old god story.

Garrett seemed to think so too. He frowned and thought for a moment, as if digging out some subtle traces from the corner of his memory, his face gradually changed.

He said: "There are some... rumors among old sailors, which seem to vaguely mention...an ocean in another sense. Someone strayed into it and never came back."

"Yes, and you..."

"We," Garrett said emphatically.

The puppet was unmoved: "You are now going to an isolated island because of the storm. To some extent, part of the past has been reproduced."

Garrett frowned involuntarily.

"So, the Dark Sea." The puppet said meaningfully, "Those residents from outside the territory."

Garrett was silent for a moment,