"We went down to the warehouse, but we didn't see you until everyone gathered on the deck. What were you doing during that time?" Anne asked.
"I went to the stern, and the woman named Betty told me that she had something to show me."
"What is it?" Zhang Heng asked.
"A gift."
"A gift?"
"She said that she was an ancient Celtic god who controlled the storms of the sea. If I chose to worship her, I could receive a portion of her divine power." Seth hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly took out a shell from his pocket.
Zhang Heng took the thumb-sized shell. From its appearance, he couldn't tell what was so special about it. It looked just like any other white shell that could be found on the beach.
However, the system notification that rang in his ears confirmed that this was indeed a game item with supernatural powers.
[Betty's Shell (Unidentified)]
Zhang Heng couldn't tell what it was used for, but he also noticed that Seth mentioned an ancient Celtic god.
Celtic mythology was one of the three major European mythologies, alongside Greek and Norse mythology. It was originally passed down among the Celts.
Strictly speaking, the Celts weren't a single race. In ancient times, they were a mixture of many different ethnic groups. They shared a common culture and language to form a single ethnic group. They were the first people in Europe to use ironware, and they were also skilled in architecture.
The Celts originated from the Seine and the upper reaches of the Loire in eastern France and the Rhine and the upper reaches of the Danube in southwestern Germany. They infiltrated and expanded throughout the European continent, crossing the Alps. They were warriors, merchants, blacksmiths, troubadours, and artists. Today, France, Spain, Portugal, and other places were all their areas of activity.
It wasn't until the rise of the Roman Empire that Julius Caesar occupied Gaul, the center of the Celts' culture. More than a million Celts were killed, and the Celtic civilization gradually disappeared from the European continent. Many Celtic legends were lost, and that was why Celtic mythology wasn't as famous as Greek or Norse mythology.
Now, the only Celtic myth that people were familiar with was the story of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone.
Zhang Heng wasn't familiar with Celtic mythology, either. His father majored in Greek and Norse mythology, and his mother studied Christian mythology. He had heard a lot about these three mythologies when he was young.
This was also the reason why he didn't think much of Betty's name when he saw it in the collection of love poems.
"You said she wants you to worship her. What should you do?" Zhang Heng continued to ask.
Seth's eyes flickered when he heard this question. "I … I don't know. I need to complete the test first and find the three notebooks. Only then will she tell me what to do next."
"Heh, you still want to lie at a time like this?" Annie's expression was unfriendly as the knife inched closer to Seth's throat. "Wasn't that storm related to you?"
"I can promise in the name of the captain that I won't hold you accountable for what you did, but you have to tell me what you did. You saw what happened on the carrack. I'm sure you don't want everyone to disappear for no reason because of you, right?"
Seth felt the chill on his neck, and he didn't dare play any more tricks. "I carved her name on the mast of the Jackdaw in Celtic as per her request. This means that from now on, the ship is under her protection. I also asked her about it, and she said that what happened on the carrack was an accident."
"An accident?"
"The people on that ship were too greedy. All these years, they've been using her power to summon storms. That way, they could sail twice as fast as other merchant ships, earning them a hefty profit. However, there's a price to pay. Controlling the storm requires anger from the bottom of their heart, and they lost themselves in their anger. In the end, they could never escape from the storm. The crew nailed the doors and windows shut, but they could still hear the wind and thunder outside. In the end, they had no choice but to jump into the sea in despair."
"One last question. How did you get in touch with her? Did you see her face?"
"I can't contact her. All I can do is pray to her, but it's up to her to decide whether or not to respond. After we left the carrack, she only responded once. Just like before, I could only hear her voice. I've never seen her face."
As soon as Seth finished speaking, Sean and Trish rushed over. Both of them had no idea what happened. Seth had suddenly left the second floor, and Zhang Heng and Anne were hot on his heels. Both of them were confused, but when they saw Seth, who was forced into a corner, a worried look appeared on their faces.
Zhang Heng glanced at Anne, and the latter sheathed her saber. "Don't gamble on the ship again. Since it's your first time, I'll let it go this time. But the next time you go to sea, you'll get half of your loot."
…
To avoid causing unnecessary panic among the crew, Zhang Heng had no intention of telling anyone else about this incident.
He wasn't worried that Seth would spill the beans. After all, the latter had secretly kept Betty's shell and carved Celtic words on the mast, bringing danger to the Jackdaw's crew. If he was smart enough, he would keep his mouth shut.
Sure enough, Seth didn't say anything, tacitly agreeing to the bet.
After the three of them left, Anne spoke again. "You don't seem to fully believe what he said. Do you think he's lying?"
Zhang Heng shook his head. "In this case, the possibility of him lying is very small. But the other person might not."
"That Betty?"
"She obviously lied to Seth about the carrack. Those who disappeared didn't drown themselves in the sea. At least, not all of them did. That doesn't explain the locked captain's cabin and the scratch marks on the cargo hold."
"Even gods lie?"
"That depends on which mythological system they belong to," Zhang Heng said. He wasn't familiar with the Celtic mythological system, but he was no stranger to the Norse and Greek gods. Rather than gods, they were more like powerful mortals, represented by Zeus, who thought with his own body. Each of them lived their lives as they pleased.
However, this ancient Celtic goddess named Betty was not one of them. She seemed to be very cautious. There were seven people who boarded the carrack, but she only chose to whisper to Seth, who was alone. Zhang Heng did not know if it was because of her personality or if she was hiding from something.
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