Chapter 70 A Sheep For Slaughter

Sure enough, the Captain wanted to speak with her, if not what other reason would the jester come to her room for?

Standing up, she wobbled on her feet. Limping towards the door before her steps gained a steady stride, she made sure the concussion in her head was gone before pulling the locks open.

"What is it?" Does the Captain want to see me?" She asked, looking warily at the man that had knocked on her door.

Jerry, the second in command of the Crimson Black eye crew, and the only one closer to Captain Crimson eye than anyone on this ship. So although she didn't like, him, she had no choice but to give him the respect he deserves.

"Aren't you going to let me in first?" Jerry replied, his lips arching in displeasure at the woman's behaviour.

Her eyes shined with a glow of understanding. Bowing her head down as a sign of respect, she said uncaringly "And what would the second in command of the Crimson Black eye crew be looking for in my messy, and filthy room? The last time I checked, you left my room after I had invited you with a very darkened and disgusted expression on your face"

"I have no idea that you w...."

"Enough!" He interrupted her,

Annabelle raised her head, her lips curling upwards in amusement. In her eyes, there was nothing but pure scorn, mirroring the figure of the middle-aged man in front of her.

Gritting his teeth in deep irritation, Jerry didn't see any other reason to dwindle around here anymore.

"The Captain has been waiting to see you for over two hours now. Now that you are awake, you should go and meet him in his office" He said.

"Alright, I will" She uttered with a straight face, her voice no longer carrying any ounce of mockery it possessed before at the mention of her Captain.

Seeing this, Jerry wasn't pleased, at all. Irritation would always swell from within his heart whenever he watches this.

What does Captain Crimson eye have that he didn't also possess?

However, instead of voicing out his thoughts, he walked away. He buried the thoughts back into the deepest pits of his heart, along with the various other pits that he had dug tightly sealed shut, and threw the keys away.

Someday, he will find a way into her heart. Someday, he will make her his.

Someday. But not today!!

Because for today, he will walk away once more after a fruitless attempt.

"Try again later. She might one day see the love you have for her" He thought while stepping away to check the condition of the ship.

It was already nighttime, so he needed to make sure everything is in other and in place before he goes back to rest for the night.

Meanwhile, Annabelle didn't even spare a glance at him before closing the door shut and arranging herself before she goes to meet her Captain.

Even though there wasn't much to take care of. Splashing water over her face, straightening up her robe, rearranging her hair and making such the fallen strands are in order. In just a few minutes, she quickly did the needful before heading out to meet with Captain Crimson eye.

Time was of the essence, and although she had much of it, she didn't particularly feel like wasting any of her Captain's own.

Passing through various corners and dusty wooden thin floors, she arrived at the front of his office.

Struggling to hide her excitement and the fluttery feeling in her heart as always, the same way her heart always burst out in bubbles every time she came to meet with her Captain, she quickly shoved the emotions down her body like a glass bottle and shut it close with a tight metal cap.

All she needed was one push from her Captain to break her emotions out of the weak and brittle glass, however, until such a thing happens, she would forever keep it to herself, tightly sealing the lid until it was ready to burst open.

"Knock!! Knock!!!" She knocked.

A moment of silence breezed against her body.

"Come in!" Captain Crimson eye's voice sounded from the inside.

A quick intake of air was all it took to fill up her lungs and her body with the courage she needed.

"Click!!" Annabelle opened the door and closed it with one swift motion. Walking towards the desk in front of her, Captain Crimson eye pointed at a sit for her seat, which she took.

"I hope you know why I called you here" He asked, making his words short and straightforward.

Well, her Captain was not one for long talks in the first place, so it would be weird for him to dabble in one now.

She almost shook her head, however, her mind turned back in time to the memories of her previous battle, albeit weakly, she nodded her head.

"Good" He nodded his head. His tight lips opened up as he spoke out his next words, articulating them clearly for her to understand.

"What have you learnt from your battle with Prince Wyatt?" Captain Crimson eye asked.

"He… Ahem!!" Looking at her Captain, she paused.

She had almost forgotten that he didn't like long unnecessary words.

Any attempt to go in circles before answering his question would only earn her his disapproval and irritation. Of course, such a thing was not a big deal against an ordinary person, but for her, who wanted to break through the man's frosty heart and see what lay on the other side, to see the feeble man that stood behind the walls of an icy prison, such a thing wasn't something she wanted to see happen.

"Fighting against someone on the same ascendant rank as me has shown me the limitation of my abilities, and how lacking they are" She replied, shaking her head in disappointment.

'Good, he isn't displeased' she thought.

"Although I am a summoner, the fact that I could pick a less path as a Mage ascendant but yet still haven't done so till now, only shows how lazy I have become and is unbecoming as one of the main forerunners of the Crimson Black eye crew"She added.

This time, however, his head shook in disproval.

"There is no need to belittle yourself. I for one believe that you should focus and master the arts of being a summoner first before moving on to choosing a lesser path. And besides, you can't compare yourself to a Prince who possibly had a mountain of different techniques and spells to choose from and teachers to learn from" Captain Crimson eye said, admonishing her words.

"The circumstances between him and you are different, you had contracted a high-level spirit all by yourself just after crossing the veil. You have the potential, all you need is some polishing, trust me when I say that laziness isn't the main point in this topic".

Annabelle involuntary gulped. She had underestimated the effects that the Captain had on her. She was scared, afraid that if she let the reins of her emotions go to the winds, her heart might stop working from exertion and her lower body might flood and form wet patches against her robes

Her beating heart raged as she tried to calm down its tempest, choosing to savour the feeling of her Captain stopping her from belittling herself for later.

Nodding her head with a small embarrassed smile on her lips, with her eyes turning hazy by the minute, she spoke "I understand Captain. Then, I want to know what you thought about the battle".

She asked with her eardrums stretching wide open and ready for her to beat the echos of his reply into her mind.

It didn't matter if she bled, his voice would most likely heal her back and return her to normal.

"No, I don't" Captain Crimson eye replied, his tone and words not skipping a beat.

"Huh!!" Annabelle could only stare wide-eyed at the unexpected remark.

"I would have given you some advice if it were my area of expertise, however, it isn't. A battle between two mage ascendants isn't one where I can pour my decade-long knowledge and understand.. Sigh!! I am afraid that if you want to understand and find out how you can become stronger, you would need to talk to another ascendant in the class as you" He added.

For a moment, Annabelle's mind blanked out as she looked at her Captain in realization.

"Captain, you don't mean..." She asked, her voice almost cracking at the connotation of her Captain's words.

"Yes" He responded, nodding his head in approval "It's good that you are catching up fast".

She blinked. She didn't know which word to choose from and form a sentence. Fortunately, she didn't need to reply.

"I have given you the free rein to become part of Prince Wyatt's crew and learn from him. He is not only a Prince but the First Prince of Endossa, signifying that he is the most resourceful and most capable person at the moment that could teach you how to wonderfully make use of your abilities and give you the required training you deserve".