Seeing the elderly man walking toward them, coupled with Liam's reaction, Byrne didn't need to guess to know that this was likely Liam's grandfather.
Byrne took a step forward, shielding Liam behind him. "My apologies. I was the one who asked; please don't blame him."
Liam emerged from behind Byrne, ran a few steps to the old man, and tugged at his clothes. "Grandpa, Brother Byrne isn't a bad person. He came from a place very, very far away. He has never seen our sea or heard the stories of the Mother Goddess. I was just telling him about it."
The old man's cloudy gaze fell upon Byrne, though there was no obvious hostility in his eyes. After observing him for a few moments, the old man smiled. "Young man, you misunderstand. I'm not here to scold you. I simply feel that these are just old stories passed down by word of mouth among my people; they aren't worth much talk."
As he spoke, the old man raised a hand to rub Liam's cheek. His cloudy eyes swept across the sea, carrying a trace of melancholy from a life long lived.
Byrne asked, "Elder, I came from beyond the stars. Having heard Liam's words, I am indeed interested in the legend of the Mother Goddess. Does that cursed deep sea truly exist?"
Liam's grandfather nodded. "It certainly exists. That sea area is a taboo etched into the very bones of us Louvielle. Since I was a child, the elders of the tribe repeatedly warned us never to approach it by even a single step."
Liam chimed in, leaning against the old man's bone cane. "Grandpa said before that there was a very brave diver who didn't believe in the Mother Goddess's curse. He secretly rowed a small boat to that sea area and never returned. Not even a fragment of the boat was found."
"Is that so? Then—"
Byrne's eyes lit up at these words. He was just about to ask more when someone else stepped forward. "This guest, the Captain is willing to see you. Follow me."
Every "Ship-Nation" functioned like a tribe; the Captain was the tribal leader and the most knowledgeable person. Upon learning this, Byrne had wanted to meet the Captain, hoping to ask him where Darussel was located.
The guide was a dark-skinned Louvielle with wave patterns tattooed on his arm. His expression was even more solemn than that of Liam's grandfather. After bidding farewell to Liam and the old man, Byrne followed the tattooed man.
The old man leaned on his fish-bone cane and watched Byrne's departing back. A complex look flickered in the depths of his cloudy eyes, as if he wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back down.
Beside him, Liam first looked at the receding Byrne, then tilted his head back. "What does Grandpa Captain want to say to Brother Byrne?"
The old man looked down and patted Liam's face. "Liam, how would I know? The Captain has his own thoughts. Just remember, do not mention the legends of the Mother Goddess to guests again, and certainly don't speak of that deep sea. Do you understand?"
Liam nodded, though he only half-understood. "Mhm, I'll remember. But Grandpa, Brother Byrne is a very good person. He's told me many stories about the world beyond the stars these past few days."
The old man sighed softly. Then, his gaze shifted back to the distant sea, and in a voice so quiet it was barely audible, he murmured, "Some people were never meant to come here."
On the other side, Byrne followed his guide through one narrow, cramped passage after another. The main ship of this Ship-Nation was more complex than Byrne had imagined. Along the sides of the passages were piles of dried seafood, old parts for repairing ships, and ornaments made from deep-sea shells. Several Louvielle were squatting on the ground, carefully polishing metal fragments salvaged from the sea.
After several days of interaction, many Louvielle had lost their initial wariness toward Byrne. Seeing him approach, people stopped their work and greeted him warmly.
A few minutes later, the guide stopped before a door nailed together from old ship planks. "Go in. The Captain is waiting for you inside."
After the guide left, Byrne pushed the door open and entered. The interior of the cabin was wider than expected. Broken oars, rusted metal fragments, and the skeletons of deep-sea creatures he had never seen before hung on the walls. The air was thick with the scent of sea salt and aged wood, so quiet that one could hear the rhythm of the waves lapping against the hull outside.
In the center of the cabin stood a rough wooden table, upon which lay a nautical chart drawn on dried fish-skin parchment. Behind the table, an old man with white hair and a face full of deep furrows sat in a chair, staring down at the chart. This was Puspe, the Captain of this Ship-Nation.
Hearing Byrne enter, Puspe did not look up. He simply gestured toward another stool in front of him.
"Sit, guest from afar."
As soon as Byrne sat down, he spoke gratefully, "Thank you for taking me in, Captain. Otherwise, I would have sunk into the sea to feed the fish long ago."
Puspe's gaze remained fixed on the chart as he shook his head. "Heh. Traveler from the stars, there is no need for thanks. We Louvielle rescue those lost at sea simply to follow the teachings of the Mother Goddess. During this time, you have also shown sufficient goodwill. Tell me, what do you wish to ask?"
Seeing that Captain Puspe was so direct, Byrne stopped beating around the bush. "Captain, do you know which sea area Darussel is located in?"
Hearing this, Puspe's gaze paused as if he were thinking. After a moment, he looked up at Byrne. "I'm sorry, but that name doesn't ring a bell. If I recall correctly, you mentioned before that you were an interstellar traveler who accidentally fell into Lusaka. How then do you know of a place called Darussel?"
Faced with Puspe's scrutinizing gaze, Byrne's expression remained calm, though he cursed inwardly. A mistake. I forgot to account for that earlier. Fortunately, Byrne's mind worked quickly, and he soon found a suitable explanation.
"I found a fragmented record in a crashed starship. It repeatedly mentioned the word Darussel and marked its location on this planet. I just didn't expect that when I actually arrived, the whole world would be an ocean. Now, I simply want to know where this Darussel is."
Seeing Puspe staring at him without speaking, Byrne suppressed the panic in his heart and looked back with a frank gaze. He knew very well that he could not show even a hint of flustered behavior. Once he was perceived as lying, it would be difficult to get any more information from this Captain.
After a while, Puspe withdrew his gaze. "So that's how it is. Wait a moment; I'll try to find it for you."
With that, Puspe turned toward the wall and pulled an even older nautical chart from a metal box. He returned to the table, spread out the old chart, and examined it carefully. After finishing the entire chart, Puspe sighed. "Regrettably, this is the oldest chart I have, and I still don't see the Darussel you are looking for."
Byrne's expression turned to one of disappointment. However, in the next second, Puspe shifted his tone. "However, you needn't be too disappointed. The seas of Lusaka are vast and boundless. My Ship-Nation is small, and the routes we have traveled are but the tip of the iceberg. In a few days, when we reach the Sea Market, perhaps you will find the answer you seek."