Chapter 51
“Alice Wonder Land, come forth and obey His Majesty’s command.”
“Understood. I shall do so.”
The declaration came from a young female general with golden hair and golden eyes, her voice as light as could be.
At first glance, her demeanor seemed carefree and nonchalant. But considering who she was speaking to, one could hardly take her attitude at face value.
The woman, smiling brightly—
She was the Grand Marshal of the Britannian Empire,
One of only two people, alongside the King, who had the authority to command her.
At her words, the pirate with violet hair—
Alice Wonder Land smiled lightly and gracefully knelt down.
And alongside her, ‘It’ also knelt down in the same manner.
—
“It is His Majesty’s command. Alice, the White Shark of the Britannian Empire, is to immediately move to the island of Sicily and carry out the mission.”
With those words, the Grand Marshal presented a scroll bearing the royal seal.
As she received it and checked its contents, the smile on Alice’s face gradually hardened into a serious expression.
“Hunting the Pirate King… What a grand endeavor you are attempting.”
“Indeed. This operation involves Bennessa, the Franz Kingdom, and even the Blue Shark.”
“Oh…?”
Alice’s interest was piqued at those words.
The Grand Marshal smiled as she continued speaking to her.
“What do you think? If all goes well, we may finally capture the Pirate King. You’re not thinking of refusing, are you?”
She spoke about capturing the King of the Sea as if she were planning a child’s picnic.
Alice responded with a cold smile.
“What I think doesn’t matter… The moment you arrived, my right to refuse disappeared, didn’t it?”
“Fufu. That’s true. After all, you are a privateer who swore loyalty to the Britannian Empire. You’ve been under the Empire’s protection all this time—don’t think you can suddenly wash your hands of it now.”
“Of course. Besides… this is indeed an opportunity. A perfect chance to settle an old grudge.”
Alice spoke in a calm voice.
However, for a brief moment, an uncontrollable desire flickered in her eyes.
A single emotion she had harbored deep in her heart all this time.
Seeing Alice’s reaction, the Grand Marshal quietly smiled.
“Then, I shall prepare immediately. According to the letter, I must arrive in Sicily within fifteen days.”
“Very well. I’ll be waiting for good news.”
With that, Alice and her crew rose from their seats.
And following behind her—
‘It’ also began to move.
Clad in black garments,
With short black hair and dark eyes, a woman followed in silence.
She left without even sparing a glance at the Grand Marshal.
Watching her leave, the Grand Marshal felt a small tinge of disappointment.
‘Not even a word…? We fought side by side, entrusted our backs to each other in battle, and now she’s acting like she doesn’t know me? That’s a little hurtful.’
***
“Then, General Pierre, I leave this in your hands.”
“Leave it to me, Duke Oaklean! I shall bring you the severed head of that filthy Pirate King without fail!”
Kneeling before him was Vice Admiral Pierre, a military officer.
Seeing his unwavering determination, Duke Oaklean smiled in satisfaction.
“I shall entrust this to you, then. Make sure you eliminate the Pirate King and bring back his treasures and slaves. Especially… that one I told you about.”
“Of course, Duke. I will repay the great favor of entrusting me with such an important task.”
After bowing deeply once more, Vice Admiral Pierre stood up.
And then—
“What is the meaning of this? I told you to wait!”
“I won’t repeat myself. Move aside unless you want to die.”
A commotion erupted near the door.
Then—
-Bang!
With a loud crash, the door was violently kicked open.
As a figure strode into the room, Duke Oaklean spoke in a calm, indifferent voice, as if he had expected this.
“Grand Marshal Raphael, what is the meaning of this insolence? A Marquis behaving like a common ruffian, causing a commotion like this?”
“Do you really not understand, Duke Oaklean? What are you thinking, making such a move? You changed the Supreme Commander of the Navy without even consulting me?”
“Changed? I merely proceeded with His Majesty’s approval! No matter how much authority you hold over the military, do you dare defy His Majesty’s will?”
“That’s a completely different matter! Did you really think I wouldn’t notice? You intend to take full control of the Pirate King subjugation operation by replacing the commander with your own man!”
With those words, Grand Marshal Raphael turned his gaze toward Vice Admiral Pierre, who was standing at attention.
Originally, Pierre had been an admiral stationed at Carla Port. But now, he had been appointed as the Supreme Commander of the Franz Kingdom’s Navy.
And everyone knew whose man he was.
From the moment he entered public office, he had been a loyal vassal of Duke Oaklean.
The fact that such a man was suddenly granted command of the navy—
No, more precisely, was given full control over the expeditionary force to subdue the Pirate King—
It was blatantly obvious what was happening.
“Oh-ho! What nonsense is this about seizing control? Where do you get the audacity to spout such foolishness? Did I not already say that everything was done in accordance with His Majesty’s will? Instead of causing unnecessary commotion here, if you have complaints, take them up with His Majesty!”
Of course, such protests held no meaning against Duke Oaklean, who had His Majesty wrapped around his finger.
“…Just wait and see… I will not let this matter slide so easily.”
With those words, Grand Marshal Raphael left the room.
The chilling sight of the man who controlled this nation’s military authority turning his back—
Watching this, Duke Oaklean merely sneered at Raphael, who was backing down helplessly.
‘Hah… What can that fool possibly do? It’s all settled now. With this, everything the Pirate King leaves behind, including that woman Ambasha, will be mine!’
Filled with anticipation for the spoils he would soon claim, Duke Oaklean let his corpulent body sink into his chair and raised his glass in satisfaction.
At that moment—
He failed to notice the faint smirk that flickered across Raphael’s face as he walked away.
And at the same time—
He also failed to grasp the significance of his own actions…
That making an enemy of the one who controlled an entire nation’s military might was an act of sheer folly.
***
Sicily, the Heart of the Mediterranean
Countless warships were gathering at the island of Sicily.
Fifteen warships from Bennessa,
Five pirate ships from the Britannian Empire’s privateers, led by the Blue Shark.
And—
A surprisingly large fleet of fourteen warships from the Franz Kingdom.
Though most of Franz Kingdom’s warships were light vessels, making them strategically inferior compared to the other two factions, considering the kingdom’s historically weak naval power, this was the maximum force they could muster.
For Arcroyal Warspite, who had little expectation for their contribution, this unexpected show of force was both surprising and welcome.
With the imminent arrival of the White Shark’s fleet, their total forces would amount to forty warships—
A force powerful enough to blockade an entire coastline.
Watching as this massive armada continued to assemble, a deep smile spread across Arcroyal Warspite’s face.
‘Good… This is far beyond what I expected.’
Even if all the pirate ships lurking in the Mediterranean gathered, their numbers would not exceed thirty.
With these forces, they had at least secured the minimum conditions necessary to achieve their objective.
However—
‘Still… Even with these numbers, victory is far from certain.’
In sheer size, they held the advantage. But the Pirate King and his subordinates possessed overwhelming combat power.
Even his five division commanders were formidable foes.
And if the Pirate King himself decided to go on a rampage, their entire fleet could be annihilated instead.
‘Moreover, will these forces truly follow my commands…?’
Though Arcroyal Warspite had called for an alliance, she was no fool.
The Franz Kingdom had its own motives,
The pirates had their own schemes,
And even she—her primary goal was to rescue Elkana and Ambasha.
No one was truly aligned in purpose.
‘Then… Shall we test the waters a bit? See what their real intentions are…?’
***
A Voice That Resonated Across the Deck
“Stella Bethleem, Stella in excelsis
Miraculum amoris mediae noctis signum”
A beautiful voice echoed across the deck.
A voice so pure and ethereal that it seemed to reveal the essence of the Heavenly Voice itself.
The pirates, caught off guard, found themselves mesmerized by the unexpected auditory delight.
“Lumen de coelo luminosum Intret corda nostra
Stella felicitatis, Stella admirationis”
A voice praised by many.
A divine hymn expressing God’s mercy—
The most beautiful prayer a human could offer.
However—
“Stella felicitatis, Stella admirationis
Vides omnia post
Imple amore aetatis hominis
O lux o lux sancta
O lux divina”
Though she sang her hymn with such unwavering devotion—
Within her heart, Auriel Stardust felt nothing of the joy and reverence she once had.
‘It’s not enough… This alone… is no longer…’
—
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