North x Northwest
Chapter 122

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Ed thought he and Cesar had made eye contact before the captain’s cabin door closed.

‘No, now that I think about it, he did that on purpose, didn’t he? It was with a very deliberate sneer.’

It was a look that distinguished Cesar, whom Lil allowed into the captain’s office, from Ed, who remained outside. A sense of superiority against inferiority. It may have seemed childish at first glance, but it made Ed feel dirty somehow. In addition, it was a specific type of dirty. It’s been a long time since their LeBrun days. With his naive lens, Ed couldn’t even imagine that his insignificant palpitations back then were more than just a way to pass the time.

A shameless thought entered his mind.

‘If I had shown my face in front of Liloa back then, things would have changed dramatically.’

But Ed was unable to. Blood and bodily fluids from numerous corpses, as well as lumps of life-threatening cells, covered the hand that he wanted to reach towards Lil. It had appeared to him that if Lil’s light hit him, his shameful past would be revealed. His ugly and shabby past. With such a chasm, putting Lil and himself on the same line was impossible. In that period, he had been satisfied with just the intellectual longing for the one who was preoccupied with the truth and a cautious sense of sympathy. But during those foolishly wasted years, someone else had a fruitful time by her side.

What he felt now was much more than mere jealousy. If envy was a blade, it would have torn the seat next to Lil in pieces. Had he known it would turn out like this, he would have done things differently in LeBrun…

Ed turned around, gritting his teeth. He was already suffering enough even without Cesar’s provocation.

‘But he didn’t hesitate to kindly remind me of it…’

He clenched his jaw even tighter and went downstairs.

‘With the way he sets up our boundary so openly, there’s no way he isn’t plotting something. The most important thing now is to replace my missing oils and medicine bottles as they can be used against me at any critical moment. I’m already in a dangerous situation because my threats against Liloa’s life have proven useless. Cesar must also have noticed that I’m unable to reveal my identity. Of course, if Liloa discovers that Cesar knew my identity all along, he will suffer consequences as well, but I have far more to lose… That’s why I need to replace those bottles before one or both of them tries to kill me… I came too far to end things with bloodshed…’

So during the anchorage, Ed had searched every nook and cranny where Cesar could have hidden his belongings.

‘It’s impossible to believe that Cesar left them behind in Panichi because it’s his only weapon against me. I’m pretty sure it’s in his cabin, but that doesn’t mean I should ignore other possibilities…’

Ed had already spent several days searching the docks and warehouses, but it was all in vain. As a result, only the navigator’s cabin remained.

Ed pressed his hat down and walked quietly across the darkened sleeping deck. There was no time for everyone on board to truly fall asleep. A watchman must awake at all times, so even a minor movement could result in dozens of witnesses. That was why a day like today, when a quarrel occurred, was a lucky break not to be missed. Moreover, it was uncommon for even the captain to become involved in the commotion.

It created the perfect opportunity as the old and new crew were busy keeping an eye on each other.

‘The time to break into the cabin has come.’

Because the situation on the upper deck was so tense, Ed was able to slip down unnoticed. The sound of snoring and sleep-talking was heard from the dim gun deck. All the murmurs he heard were cursing their fellow sailors, meaning no one was interested in Ed. Making the next steps simple. After passing through the sleeping area, which was surrounded by bulkheads, Ed moved between the dangling hammocks and the sleeping sailors on the floor. He passed another set of bulkheads, and eventually found himself in front of the navigator’s cabin.

There was no sign of life beyond the door. If no one was present, the inner bar, which works as a lock, wouldn’t be hung. So Ed could gently turn the door handle and push the door open. With the shutters open, the inside was bright. He slipped right into the room. Even though it was an empty cabin with no owner, he wasn’t planning on dragging on the search longer than necessary. He trod carefully, taking care not to accidentally step on the fragile parts of the floor. The cabin was quite spacious, with a bed, desk, and even a dresser. As expected, it was the personal space belonging to the person with power only second to the captain. It was probably even bigger than the cabins of the other officers combined. Because it was larger than expected, he needed to plan his search more effectively. He scanned the interior quickly and decided to open the dresser first.

Ed abruptly came to a halt as he approached the closet. His eyes rolled down like stiff hinges. He stood motionless with his gaze fixed downward. A chest that reached just below his knees stood next to the dresser. Ed could suddenly hear the sound of hasty breathing and felt a faint presence. In the plain square box similar to the one put under the bed and used as a closet, seems to be a person. Startled, Ed slowly moved the side of the chest and remained as silent as possible. Eventually, the chest opened rather smoothly and soundlessly, as if it had been well-oiled just recently. Then someone inside looked around the room through a gap thinner than the thickness of a finger. Ed could easily guess whom he was dealing with.

‘There aren’t many people on the Bell Rock who can fit into such a small space. No way that Liloa is inside, so that leaves me with only one person.’

Shallow breathing could be heard through the gap that gradually widened.

‘I don’t recall having seen him a lot these days, so he must’ve been doing this kind of job.’

Ed pondered, standing as close to the wall as possible.

‘What am I going to do with this guy?’

Ed thought he could literally hear the observing eyes rolling. The rolling eyes that looked around the room gradually became more vivid. Eyes that would only stop after confirming the cabin’s intruder.

Ed stared into the air for a moment.

‘I can’t believe Cesar has him hiding inside a chest instead of in the room. This is intentionally done to create a witness. A witness who saw something that can’t be refuted. If Cesar has Courant to testify that I did something suspicious, he can get rid of me without getting his hands dirty. Simply the fact of searching Cesar’s cabin will be enough for Liloa to kick me off the Bell Rock… Judging the situation, the bottles will be in the chest with Courant…’

Ed was thinking about closing the shutters and subdue Courant in the dark.

‘No, he will probably be taught to shout when he replaces someone. Cesar, who has been preparing this in advance, and other well-trained sailors will then launch an immediate attack. That has to be the worst possible ending ever. It will be better to stab him through the middle of the lid, giving him no opportunity to scream. Even though Cesar won’t give up so easily, he will need time to set something similar up again.’

Ed promptly clutched the hilt of his sword, but then stopped.

‘…He’s part of Liloa’s original crew… A sailor who didn’t leave even after Liloa offered their severance, and is still with her.’

His fingers had given up the hilt and were clenched in the air.

‘Courant chose to stay on the Bell Rock. He made the decision to join Liloa in a possible naval battle against the Admiral… Shit. So, what now? It will be a problem if Courant comes out of the chest, but it would be equally difficult if he remains inside it. If he comes out, I will undoubtedly be caught. However, if I leave him in this position, he can open the lid at any time while I continue my search. I also can’t talk him out of it, nor can I appease him. Courant harbours nothing but resentment toward me.’

Ed gradually lowered his arm. He gently pressed the gradually rising lid with the tips of his tense fingers, trapping the sound of faint breathing within the closing chest. He then gently closed the open ring, thereby locking the chest…