Chapter 37
Numerous auction items were visible in front of her eyes.
Though it seemed someone had already looted the place, plenty of valuables still remained.
The woman wearing the White Crow Mask gazed at the items and spoke with a calm smile.
“Whoever it was… the first visitor seems to have excellent taste. They carefully selected only portable items and packed them neatly…”
Some of the items were things she personally wanted, but she knew she had to give up on those.
There was no point in fretting over a bird that had already flown away when there were others still within her grasp.
Resolving herself, she picked up a small dagger from the shelf and began examining it.
At that moment…
“Who’s there?”
“You thief! You’ve come to steal the auction items!”
A group of people rushed in from behind her.
Comprising several navy soldiers and what seemed to be auction staff, they shouted fiercely, aiming their guns and swords at her.
“Don’t even think about making excuses now! Surrender peacefully!”
“…Hah…”
Having fled earlier in fear of the fire, these incompetent fools only showed up now after the situation had been somewhat resolved.
Their arrogance despite their tardiness prompted a small sigh from her lips.
“How pitiful… I encountered someone similar not long ago and gave them a warning…”
“What did you just say?”
“Stop mumbling and get on your knees! If you try to stall any longer, I’ll put a bullet in that skull of yours…”
-Thunk!!!
“…?”
In that instant, the navy soldier abruptly stopped speaking.
His vision was suddenly bathed in red.
A dagger, thrown with invisible speed, had embedded itself into his skull.
-Thud!
“!!”
“W-What…?”
The others froze in shock at the sudden turn of events.
But soon after, their faces, filled with disbelief, ceased any movement altogether.
Their heads rolled to the ground, severed from their bodies.
“What a pity. Originally, I had no intention of shedding blood here, but thanks to someone, my plans have slightly changed.”
A heavy silence fell over the storage room once again.
Within that silence, the woman began drawing something in the air with her hand.
And then…
-Snap!
With a snap of her fingers, a group of people seemed to rise from the ground around her.
“You called for us.”
“Take all the items here. Leave nothing behind.”
“Understood.”
The group immediately began moving to carry out her orders.
Watching them work, a deep smile spread across her lips.
“How considerate. Helping me in this way… I’ll make sure to repay this debt when the time comes.”
***
A small, swift vessel sped across the waters.
Powered by mana stones, it churned the waves noisily as it moved.
Inside, Arcroyal Warspite was drafting orders in real-time and sending them out via carrier pigeons.
“The current location of the targets is near San Mark Plaza, heading rapidly southeast.”
“Judging by their direction… it seems they’re headed for the harbor.”
“Yes, they likely plan to escape by ship.”
Responding coldly to her subordinate’s observations, Arcroyal continued maintaining her magic detection field to track the enemy’s movements in real-time.
Despite maintaining a detection field covering a radius of 4 kilometers—a monumental task—Arcroyal showed no signs of fatigue.
Only a 10th Rank Warrior like her could handle such a feat.
“However… their speed is incredible. Despite the forces we’re sending after them, they show little signs of slowing down… Clearly, they’re no ordinary individuals.”
“That’s true. Even the power of that recent strike… It’s hard to believe a regular person could produce such force.”
“Who could they be? The fact that they infiltrated the Grand Auction and caused such chaos suggests they come from an extraordinary background…”
“We’ll find out once we capture them and see their true face. For now, focus on stopping them by any means necessary.”
“Of course. I’ll continue deploying reinforcements.”
“We must recover everything they’ve taken—the auction items, and the hostages. After the humiliation we’ve endured from this disruption, it’s the least we can do to salvage our honor. Understood?”
“Yes, Admiral.”
Ending her conversation, Arcroyal refocused on the presence she sensed through the magic detection field.
Despite the many skilled soldiers engaged in combat, the enemy showed no signs of faltering.
However…
Even so, Arcroyal refused to consider the possibility of defeat.
This was Bennessa.
A place as good as resting on the palm of her hand.
No matter how fiercely the enemy struggled, they would never escape from here.
With that resolve,
Arcroyal fixed her sharp gaze on the location of the Black Crow visible on the map, her deep anger boiling inside.
‘I’ll make you regret this… Black Crow… I swear, I’ll get you…!’
***
The City of Water, Bennessa.
True to its name, the city was surrounded by canals on all sides, and its primary means of transportation were gondolas and other water vessels rather than carriages.
On ordinary days, it could be called a picturesque and beautiful place, but…
This unique environment could be incredibly frustrating for those trying to escape.
Just like right now.
-Bang!
“Damn! Already…?”
Magellan frowned, releasing a burst of magic.
Navy soldiers riding on boats in the canal fired at him, and he swiftly raised a magic barrier to block the attack.
There were no particularly formidable foes among them—just soldiers he could normally defeat single-handedly.
However, Magellan didn’t have the luxury of dealing with every one of them right now.
Magellan was currently carrying Elkana on his back, and beside him was Franklin, carrying Ambasha.
In such a situation, their combat abilities were naturally reduced.
Moreover, considering the sheer number of enemies pursuing them, these were just the tip of the iceberg.
The navy fired from their boats, swarming like ants.
And then…
“Magellan, above you!”
“Damn it!”
A navy soldier came down from above, launching a surprise attack.
Caught off guard, Magellan hurriedly raised his sword.
The soldier wielded a spear infused with magic.
A warrior of roughly the 5th Rank Intermediate level, their surprise attack could have placed Magellan in danger.
However…
“Arghhh!!!”
The soldier was flung away like a mosquito slapped directly by a hand, soaring through the air in vain.
Unfortunately for the soldier, Magellan wasn’t alone.
“Don’t just stand there. Keep moving forward.”
“Ah… yes!”
The pirates, snapping back to their senses at the Pirate King’s words, resumed their march.
This kind of situation had already repeated several times, but every time, the Pirate King’s strikes had sent the enemy flying with astonishing ease.
His combat power was such that one might think he could defeat the entire navy stationed here in a direct confrontation.
If not for the need to care for the wounded, this chase might never have been necessary.
As they marveled once again at the Pirate King’s prowess,
And as their nerves frayed under the increasing pressure of the tightening naval pursuit,
They pressed on toward their destination—the southern harbor.
At that moment…
“Ah! Over there!”
As they emerged from the alleyway, the harbor finally came into view.
The sight of the harbor unfolding before them brought a bright smile to Ambasha’s face, but…
“What?”
“This… can’t be…”
Ambasha’s smile froze in an instant, her face hardening.
At the same time, Magellan and Franklin came to a halt as well.
What lay before their eyes was…
Five warships stationed at the harbor.
And,
The Bennessa Navy, already in formation and awaiting them.
“We’ve caught you.”
From behind came a triumphant voice.
Arcroyal, who had arrived unnoticed, stood alongside hundreds of navy soldiers lined up in perfect order.
“Surrender Elkana and Ambasha! If you stop this foolishness and return them to their families, I may show you some leniency!”
Arcroyal’s commanding voice echoed.
To the listeners, however, her words felt like utter nonsense.
Yet in this dire situation, even such words seemed grave.
“Captain… how much longer do we have?”
Franklin asked in a quiet voice.
To this, the Pirate King replied just as quietly.
“Five…”
“…Five minutes? Then, in that case, you and I will have to buy time here…”
“Four… three…”
“…?”
Franklin stared blankly at the Pirate King’s continuing countdown.
And then.
“Two… one.”
—
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