"Hm?"

Hearing Roland’s murmur, Trevor turned and followed his gaze, asking curiously.

"Roland, do you know that lady?"

"I do."

Roland peered for a moment, confirming that the silver-haired woman leaning against the ship’s railing was indeed Teresa, then gave a slight nod.

"She’s my... hm..."

He furrowed his brow, thinking for a good while, but couldn’t find a precise way to define their relationship.

After all, including their meeting in Wuxi Town, they had only seen each other twice. They could hardly be called familiar.

So, after careful consideration, he finally spoke slowly.

"I guess you could call her... a friend."

"A friend is a friend. Why the hesitation?"

Trevor glanced at the striking and beautiful face in the distance, a teasing smile instantly appearing on his own. He deliberately drew out his words.

"I get it, Roland. So it’s like that..."

"Trevor, it’s not what you think."

Seeing the suggestive look in the other man’s eyes, Roland immediately understood his mistake and shook his head in resignation, explaining.

"We’ve just worked together to eliminate Demons a few times."

"Alright, alright..."

Trevor gave a noncommittal shrug of his bushy eyebrows and tactfully changed the subject.

"Still, it’s thanks to that lady that we managed to reach the River Domain smoothly..."

As if recalling a very unpleasant experience, the Half-Elf Captain clicked his tongue, a flicker of fear crossing his face. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"What happened, brother?"

Hobbit noticed his brother’s strange mood and quickly pressed him, his voice filled with concern.

"Don’t even ask. On the return trip through Wailing Gorge, the entire ship nearly lost their lives!"

Trevor habitually ruffled Hobbit’s hair, his brow tightly furrowed. The Shadow of Fear still lingered on his face.

"The main rudder’s steering shaft snapped without any warning. The ship charged toward the jagged reefs like a wild horse! By the grace of the gods, a wave from the side knocked us off course by a hair’s breadth. The bottom of the ship scraped past a hidden reef. It’s a miracle we didn’t fall apart!"

He wiped his face, still shaken by the memory.

"We thought it was a mechanical failure and chewed out the chief engineer, but we couldn’t find the cause. The atmosphere on the ship grew so tense that everyone started looking like a traitor. Just when the paranoia was at its peak..."

At this point, Trevor’s gaze shifted to Teresa, his eyes filled with awe.

"That lady stepped forward!"

"As if she could see right through souls, she plucked that... ’thing’ right out of the crowd! It was acting more innocent and more terrified than anyone else!"

"It?"

Roland keenly caught the unusual word choice.

"That’s right. A Demon that can look exactly like anyone!"

Trevor’s voice was laced with a chill.

"Not just the face! It could even steal memories, habits, and even the little mannerisms unique to a person! Gods know how long it was hiding on the ship, and gods know if that ’accident’ was a carefully planned murder!"

"If that lady hadn’t exposed the viper in the Shadow..."

Trevor’s voice dropped low.

"The next ’accident,’ we wouldn’t have been as lucky as we were in Wailing Gorge! Forget returning to the River Domain, we wouldn’t have even found a plank of wood to float on!"

After a long sigh, the Half-Elf Captain waved his hand dismissively.

"Anyway, we’re all back safely now, so let’s not talk about it."

Trevor tilted his chin slightly, gesturing in Teresa’s direction.

"Oh, Roland, since you know the lady, why don’t you invite her to dine with us? I’ve got plenty of good food and wine!"

He lowered his voice, muttering to Roland with a hint of grievance.

"You have no idea. I sincerely brought her my best food and wine to thank her, and what happened?"

He rolled his eyes dramatically.

"She accepted all the food, sure, but no matter what I asked, all I got was ’Mhm,’ ’Ah,’ or ’Oh.’ I could say ten sentences and not get a single word out of her. She’s like a block of ice..."

Listening to Trevor’s griping and thinking of the silver-haired woman’s somewhat detached personality, Roland chuckled, then waved his arm toward the ship’s railing.

"Teresa."

The silver-haired woman leaning against the railing turned at the sound of her name. The moment she saw Roland, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes.

Immediately after, the frosty demeanor that kept everyone at a distance melted away. A brilliant smile bloomed on her face, bringing her entirely to life.

The rest of Trevor’s rant about the "block of ice" got stuck in his throat. His face, frozen in a complaining expression, went slack-jawed, his eyes wide as saucers.

He looked at the radiantly smiling Teresa, then at the calm Roland beside him, and finally down at his own gesticulating hands.

The Half-Elf Captain silently closed his mouth, swallowing the rest of his complaints.

"Mr. Roland..."

Teresa’s stride was as graceful and swift as ever. Before the words had even faded, she was standing before Roland.

The silver-haired woman seemed a bit self-conscious as she tucked a stray strand of silver hair behind her ear and spoke softly.

"I didn’t expect to run into you here."

"Me neither..."

Roland nodded slightly, a small lift at the corner of his brow.

He keenly sensed a subtle change in Teresa.

Not in her appearance, but in her overall presence.

If before she had been like a drawn sword, all sharp edges, now she felt more like a keen blade resting in its scabbard, poised to strike.

Her overt sharpness was gone, replaced by a contained intensity.

"Is your journey in the Golden Valley Kingdom over?"

Roland asked, then, remembering Trevor’s suggestion, extended an invitation.

"Captain Trevor was just about to treat me to a meal. Would you like to join us?"

"Captain Trevor?"

Hearing the name, Teresa finally noticed the Half-Elf brothers standing nearby and offered Trevor a polite bow.

"So your name is Trevor? And you’re the captain here... How impressive!"

’This lady doesn’t even know my name or my title?’

’But I’m sure I told her...’

Recalling his attempts to strike up a conversation, the Half-Elf Captain grumbled to himself but wisely swallowed his complaints.

He simply gestured with his arm.

"Miss Teresa, thank you again for your help the other day. I was just about to treat Mr. Roland, and I’ve prepared some delicious sea fish and fine ale. Would you do us the honor of joining?"

Perhaps influenced by the respectful, yet somehow indescribable, way Teresa treated Roland, Trevor found himself becoming more reserved.

"In that case..."

At the words "delicious sea fish," a distinct glint appeared in Teresa’s eyes.

"Then I thank you for your generous offer, Captain Trevor."

Watching Teresa readily accept the invitation, her gaze never leaving Roland, Trevor opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately decided against it. He simply turned and led the way, relieved.

Roland, meanwhile, fell into step beside Teresa, chatting idly about how Sean and the others were doing.

The cabin door swung open, and an enticing aroma wafted out.

The charred fragrance of grilled fish mingled with the rich scent of butter and spices, enough to make anyone’s stomach rumble.