Chapter 36
“So… you’re telling me that the two of you broke into this place on your own?”
“Th-that’s correct, Captain…”
Elkana finished her explanation in a timid, shrinking voice.
Meanwhile, Ambasha, listening beside her, smiled and spoke proudly.
“Ha… But look at this! It was a bit dangerous, but we managed to bring back so much treasure! Sure, we got a little hurt, but doesn’t this count as a job well done?”
“…Hah…”
“…F-Father?”
The Pirate King Ezra Drake let out a deep sigh in response to Ambasha’s words.
She had expected him to be pleased, but instead, his heavy demeanor left her feeling both puzzled and uneasy.
And then…
“For now, let’s head back and discuss this. This isn’t a place we can linger for long.”
“A… ah… Y-yes.”
Though she felt something strange, Ambasha decided it wasn’t worth dwelling on and prepared to move.
Ezra Drake crouched down and extended a hand toward her.
“There’s no time to waste. Hop on. As soon as we’re outside, we’ll need to move quickly.”
“Understood, Father.”
“Elkana, hand me the bag as well. You won’t be able to carry that with your injuries.”
“T-thank you, Captain.”
With Ambasha on one shoulder and the bag of loot on the other, Ezra Drake stood up, ready to leave.
Elkana followed behind him, attempting to walk.
But then…
“Ugh!”
-Thud!
A sudden surge of pain forced Elkana to collapse on the spot.
“Are you okay?”
“Y-yes… I’m fine… ngh…”
Blood flowed freely from her mangled leg—a wound sustained while saving Ambasha from the surging crowd earlier.
The release of tension seemed to amplify her pain. Gritting her teeth, Elkana tried to stand again.
At that moment…
“What?”
“Tch… They’re faster than I thought.”
Suddenly, the thick smoke began to clear.
In an instant, their obstructed view brightened, revealing the interior of the auction hall.
And at the same time, a group of people came into sight.
As soon as Elkana recognized them, her face hardened.
“Ah… Arcroyal…”
There she was, Arcroyal Warspite, flanked by numerous navy soldiers.
Faced with an undeniable confrontation, Elkana frowned.
Still, she didn’t feel particularly threatened.
After all, standing before her was none other than the Pirate King himself.
‘This is Ezra Drake, the man who toyed with both Franklin and Magellan. No matter how formidable Arcroyal and her soldiers are…’
Prepared for either a fight or a swift escape, Elkana glanced around cautiously.
But then…
“Elkana, are you okay?”
“…Huh?”
Instead of showing anger, Arcroyal asked with genuine concern.
She then turned her gaze to Ezra Drake, dressed in his plague doctor outfit, and drew two pistols from her waist.
“Just hold on a little longer! I’ll save you and Ambasha right away!”
“…? W-wait… what are you even…?”
Elkana was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the situation.
But before she could voice her confusion, Arcroyal and her navy soldiers charged forward.
At that moment…
-Whoosh…
“!”
An immense amount of magical energy gathered at Ezra Drake’s feet.
The brilliant mana radiating from him sent chills down Elkana’s spine.
***
Seeing the scene before her, Arcroyal was consumed with a deep fury.
Elkana lay injured on the ground, and standing before her was the towering plague doctor.
In one hand, he held stolen treasures.
In the other, he carried Ambasha, who appeared to be unconscious.
It was as if the clearing smoke revealed the truth that had been hidden until now.
This man was clearly the mastermind behind the entire incident,
And her dear friends had been hurt trying to stop him.
“Everyone, capture that man!”
If he had incapacitated Elkana so easily, he was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.
Determined to go all out from the start, Arcroyal infused her pistols with magic.
But then…
“!! W-what the…?”
A sudden surge of overwhelming power radiated from Ezra Drake.
The dazzling light emanating from his feet stunned Arcroyal and her navy soldiers.
A primal sense of dread washed over her.
Realizing the danger, Arcroyal shouted a desperate command.
“W-we’re in danger! Everyone, ret—”
And then…
“Get lost.”
-Boom!!!!!
“!!”
A massive shockwave erupted in an instant.
Arcroyal hastily deployed a magic barrier, but she had been caught off guard and failed to absorb the full impact.
“Ugh!!”
Her body was flung backward by the destructive force.
Clenching her teeth, Arcroyal braced herself to stay on her feet.
‘Damn it! What kind of power is this… Who the hell is he?’
The sheer strength of this man—enough to make even her falter—indicated he was at least a 10th rank warrior, if not higher.
Realizing just how dangerous her opponent was, Arcroyal’s sense of urgency deepened.
And…
“Huff… Huff…”
Amid the dissipating shockwave, Arcroyal stood trembling, catching her breath.
Though she managed to narrowly deflect the attack, a gaping hole had been left beside her.
Calling it a hole was an understatement—the outer wall itself had been blown apart.
However, there was no time for Arcroyal Warspite to feel relief at having blocked the attack. Her eyes were soon consumed by despair.
“No… this can’t be…”
A trembling voice escaped her lips involuntarily.
At that moment, her eyes beheld a sight she desperately wished to deny.
The plague doctor stood there, holding Ambasha in one hand and Elkana—her face contorted in pain—in the other.
And then…
“No! Stop—!”
In an instant, he vanished through the hole in the wall, making his escape.
Arcroyal tried to stop him, but with her friends held as hostages, there was nothing she could do.
Watching her friends being abducted before her very eyes, a deep despair settled over her heart.
“This… this can’t be happening…”
Scenes flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
In hindsight, all of this was her fault from the very beginning.
It was her misguided intuition that had brought the two of them here.
Her suspicions and surveillance of them had ultimately led to this tragic outcome.
Overwhelmed by guilt, it felt as though a blade had pierced Arcroyal’s heart.
At that moment, her subordinates shouted urgently beside her.
“Admiral! This is no time to be standing still! We must pursue him immediately!”
“No matter how far he runs, this is Bennessa! It’s not too late—there are only so many exits he can take!”
“!”
Their words snapped her out of her despair.
Hearing that there was still a chance, Arcroyal gathered herself and stood up.
“…That’s right… This isn’t over yet…”
If she gave up here, her friends’ lives would truly be in jeopardy.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, she had no choice but to throw everything she had into this pursuit.
“Contact the fleet. Inform all navy forces and ships in Bennessa to blockade the harbor immediately.”
“Yes, Admiral!”
“And deploy all remaining forces to chase and capture that man. Do it at once.”
“Understood!”
The soldiers moved swiftly upon receiving their orders.
And then…
“Phew…”
Arcroyal closed her eyes briefly, then began releasing her magical energy.
A vast amount of energy surged from her body.
The power extended outward, covering a radius of 4 kilometers, allowing her to sense countless presences within its range.
A magic detection field.
The shallow waves of energy spread out instantly, and within that web, she successfully located her target.
The man, carrying what appeared to be Elkana and Ambasha, was moving rapidly.
As soon as she pinpointed his location, Arcroyal opened her eyes and immediately began her pursuit.
“I won’t let him escape… I will save you both, Elkana… Ambasha…”
***
“Father, is this too heavy for you?”
“I’m sorry, Captain… I…”
“It’s fine. Just hold on tightly.”
Carrying two of his subordinates and their stolen goods on his shoulders, Ezra Drake moved as quickly as possible to escape the area.
At that moment…
“Captain!”
“Elkana!”
He heard familiar voices.
There, running toward him, were two figures wearing noble masks.
Though their disguises had changed, their familiar voices and builds left no doubt about their identities.
“Ah! Sister!”
“Magellan!”
The two, who had been waiting at the agreed-upon meeting point near the southern plaza, immediately took over carrying Elkana and Ambasha.
“Elkana! What happened?”
“It’s nothing… just a scratch… ugh!”
“Tsk, hurry and get on my back. Thank you, Captain. Once again, I’m in your debt…”
“Don’t worry about it. But…”
-Dong! Dong! Dong!
“!”
Suddenly, the sound of bells echoed throughout the city.
Everyone present knew what the emergency alarm meant.
“We’ll discuss everything once we’re out of here.”
“Understood.”
Arcroyal was likely using her detection magic at that very moment, pinpointing their location.
Even now, enemies were probably converging on their position.
Before setting off, Ezra Drake briefly took out the pocket watch from his coat.
“Time left… 30 minutes…”
—
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