The Goat Head was a dangerous fellow; Duncan had known that from the very beginning—not merely because it was an Anomaly of unknown origins, but because it had once served the true Captain Duncan and still acted and thought according to the old rules to this day.
In the Goat Head's eyes, the city-states on land were meaningless, the mortals within them ignorant and ridiculous, their weak fleets mere provisions, and plundering and hunting them... the Lost Homeland's rightful "daily routine."
Duncan did not know how long it would take to correct the Goat Head's habitual way of thinking, but he knew the process had to be gradual—using reasonable explanations to alter his own and the Lost Homeland's way of doing things was the safest approach.
He gave the Goat Head, quietly standing by on the navigation table, one last look. Only after confirming that it had taken control of the Lost Homeland's sails and helm systems did he open the door and enter his cabin.
Nina would return to the antique shop this afternoon, and before then, he needed Pigeon Ai Yi to complete more test items.
The door to the captain's cabin closed. In the dimness, the Goat Head silently watched the door for an unknown length of time. Only after confirming that the captain's consciousness had departed on a Spirit World Walk did it mutter softly, as if talking to itself, "He really hasn't been affected by Subspace..."
In the darkness, the wooden goat's head turned with a creak. It seemed to be surveying the room, yet its gaze also seemed to pass through it and sweep across the entire ship.
"Lost Homeland, Lost Homeland... what terrifying thing did you fish up back then..."
Duncan had returned to that familiar dark space. He felt his will