Chapter 496: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, Chapter 8: Hayreddin

```

"Heh, a slacker from Sparta? I don't think I've ever heard such a joke. Spartan men are never cowards or slackers, they bravely face everything that comes their way, no matter the situation, don't they? Could it be that Captain Portalan's lifelong aspiration is merely to captain a small passenger vessel?"

Komer searched for his opponent's emotional weak spot with his sharp words, capable of sensing the hidden wounds deep within the other's heart. Though they were well-concealed, nothing could escape detection by Komer, whose intuition was extraordinarily keen.

The Bearded Captain's facial muscles twitched slightly, a sign that he had been pricked in a sensitive spot. His complexion grew somewhat strained as if struggling to find the right words to deflect the conversation. He thought about turning his head away but probably felt it impolite, and his gaze gradually became somber, as if laden with too much regret and pain.