Chapter 39
-BOOM!!!
The deafening sound of cannon fire echoed as the pirate ship unleashed its barrage in all directions.
At the center of the chaos, Auriel, who had been aboard for barely thirty minutes, found herself utterly lost, unsure of what to do.
“Reload, everyone!”
“Reload!”
The pirates echoed the command as they stuffed gunpowder and cannonballs into the barrels.
After infusing the cannonballs with magic, they lit the fuses.
And then—
“Fire!”
-BOOM!!!
Another sharp volley of cannon fire tore through the air.
Though it was Auriel’s first time witnessing such a naval battle,
Even she could easily grasp the current state of the battle.
Out of the five navy warships, two had already sunk, while the remaining three were in poor condition.
At this point, the outcome was clear.
Despite their inevitable defeat, the navy soldiers persisted, refusing to give up and continuing their assault.
“Ugh!”
A cannonball came hurtling straight toward her.
Sensing the danger, Auriel frantically released her aura in an attempt to block it.
But then—
-BOOM!!!
“Huh?”
A green aura, shaped like a sword, suddenly flew in from somewhere.
The sword-like aura intercepted the incoming cannonball, detonating it mid-air.
The resulting explosion was far greater than anticipated.
Auriel realized that even with her aura defenses, a direct hit from that would have been quite dangerous.
She immediately turned her gaze toward the source of the aura sword.
Standing there was a woman enveloped in a remarkable aura.
Recognizing the face vaguely, Auriel approached her rescuer and bowed her head.
“Th-thank you. You saved my life.”
“Don’t block cannonballs head-on. It’s better to intercept them mid-flight. No matter how strong your barrier is, the firepower of a cannonball isn’t comparable to bullets.”
Even amidst the storm of cannon fire, her voice remained calm.
With a faint smile, the woman released her aura once more.
Several chunks of aura formed around her, taking the shape of swords,
Which shot out in all directions.
Their targets were more incoming cannonballs.
And then—
-BOOM!!!
She intercepted at least a dozen cannonballs in mid-air.
Auriel couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of amazement.
Though they both used aura, the divine power emanating from this woman’s body surpassed even that of Auriel, who was revered as a saintess.
Moreover, the destructive power on display differed fundamentally from Auriel’s aura, which focused on healing.
Feeling a wave of curiosity,
Auriel cautiously asked in a soft voice.
“Excuse me… Who are you? Judging by your remarkable skills, you must be a high-ranking priest… or perhaps a paladin?”
“I’m just a regular pirate. Someone in a similar situation to yours.”
“Ah…”
The answer immediately resonated with her.
Auriel began to feel a sense of camaraderie with this pirate woman who also wielded divine power.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Ah, yes. My name is Auriel Stardust. Have you perhaps heard of me…”
“Auriel?… Don’t tell me, the one known for singing so well?”
Unlike the Pirate King, this woman seemed to recognize her.
That recognition filled Auriel with a mix of subtle joy and relief.
“Yes, that… That’s me. I’m Auriel.”
“I see. I’ve been wanting to meet you.”
The woman briefly showed a slightly surprised expression amidst her calm demeanor.
However, she soon erased her emotions, smiled gently, and said,
“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Remine Migdal. I’m the first mate and the doctor aboard this ship.”
“Ah… So you’re the first mate. I… I look forward to working with you.”
“Likewise.”
With that, Remine turned her gaze back to the front.
Auriel quietly observed her at work.
Releasing her aura continuously, Remine intercepted the incoming cannonballs mid-air.
Despite the navy’s desperate offensive,
The pirate crew suffered minimal damage thanks to her efforts.
It was like witnessing the epitome of defense in action.
Marveling at how aura could be used this way,
Auriel turned her attention to the nearly resolved naval battle.
_
And then…
“…Ugh…”
The burning ships,
The floating corpses between them.
Her initial admiration gave way to a clear realization of the horrific death surrounding her.
Unconsciously, Auriel began to make the sign of the cross.
At that moment—
“Don’t pray for their souls.”
“…Huh?”
Remine’s voice, cold yet calm, interrupted her.
Looking at the confused Auriel, Remine continued in a composed tone.
“You are no longer a clergyman serving the gods. You’re just another pirate on this ship like everyone else. Do you think you have the right to comfort the souls of your ‘enemies’?”
“…Th-that’s…”
Her words struck with undeniable logic.
Auriel hesitated, unable to come up with a response.
“This is advice from a senior. Start by changing these kinds of habits. It’ll make things easier for you as a pirate.”
“…”
The reality of her current situation sank in once again.
Auriel responded in a trembling voice.
“I’ll… try my best.”
Biting her lip slightly, Auriel bowed her head.
Leaving behind the junior who still had much to learn,
Remine’s gaze turned from the now-destroyed enemy ships to the port.
The navy soldiers swarmed in like ants.
While in ordinary circumstances, they would stand no chance against the Pirate King,
the issue lay with the subordinates around him.
Every single one of them was injured or exhausted.
Protecting them while continuing the fight was a challenge, even for the Pirate King.
Originally, those subordinates were supposed to return at the same time as Auriel,
and Remine had plenty of things to say about why they were still there.
‘Well… I’ll save that conversation for later. For now…’
***
“Ugh… Sis… you… your arm…”
“Ugh…”
Franklin’s arm was deeply wounded, as though an invisible blade had slashed through her.
I couldn’t help but frown at the sight of the injury.
An attack that managed to penetrate my defenses and land a successful hit.
In this situation, there was only one person I knew of who could pull off such a feat.
“Those persistent bastards… But this ends here.”
A woman’s cold voice spoke as smoke rose from the gun in her hand.
Arcroyal.
She reloaded her gun skillfully and aimed it at us once more.
Her weapon, surrounded by a ferocious wind visible to the naked eye,
-BANG!
Enhanced by wind magic, her shots were far from ordinary.
The bullet flew straight toward Franklin, aiming precisely for her head.
This attack wasn’t something a magic barrier could block.
If it hit, it would mean instant death.
As despair flashed across Franklin’s face—
-Thud!
A golden aura-covered hand intercepted the bullet.
At the same time, blood splattered, and Franklin’s face was filled with shock.
“C-captain!”
“Tch.”
A sharp pain stung my hand, and I instinctively frowned.
The magic surrounding my hand was like an iron wall, capable of deflecting bullets and even cannonballs.
The fact that my hand was injured, even slightly, was proof that Arcroyal was no ordinary opponent.
She was undeniably a warrior of the same caliber as me.
At that moment—
“…Now I know for sure. I know who you are. There’s only one person on these seas who could block my attacks like that.”
Arcroyal’s cold voice cut through the chaos.
She quickly reloaded her weapon with expert precision and aimed it at us once more.
Her attack, now infused with even more magic than before, was brimming with murderous intent, as though she had encountered her mortal enemy.
“This is your final warning. Let the two of them go.”
Her resolute voice left no room for negotiation. In response, I had only one answer.
“I don’t know what nonsense you’ve been spouting.”
My reply, while blunt, was entirely sincere.
Without another word, Arcroyal fired again.
The bullet flew straight toward us and I moved to block it with my hand once more—
But in an instant,
The bullet veered off course, slipping past my hand as if it were alive.
“!”
It flew directly toward Franklin.
A moment of panic crossed my face as I realized what had happened.
Then.
-Thud!
“!!”
The bullet stopped mid-air.
Encased in a faint green barrier, the bullet gently rested on someone’s hand.
“A magic bullet… It’s been a while since I’ve seen one.”
A calm voice spoke with familiarity.
I smiled and addressed the figure who had appeared before me.
“You’re late, Remine.”
“Hehe…”
—
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