Chapter 49
“What… did you just say?”
“Who are you planning to capture?”
Grand Marshal Raphael’s voice was filled with shock.
In response, Arcroyal, maintaining a serious expression, spoke once more.
“I said we will capture this man. Ezra Drake, the one they call the Pirate King.”
“…Do you truly believe that’s possible?”
“Capturing the Pirate King? You must know better than anyone how terrifying that man is.”
Raphael—renowned as the strongest man in the Franz Kingdom.
Yet, at this moment, his voice carried a clear undertone of fear.
For a man who held complete military control over a traditional superpower like Franz Kingdom to react this way—
It was a testament to just how fearsome the Pirate King truly was.
However—
Despite Raphael’s reaction, Arcroyal remained unshaken.
“Of course, I know. In fact—”
“I know all too well. That’s exactly the problem.”
“Not long ago, Bennessa was completely overpowered by him, and we couldn’t do a thing.”
“And yet, you’re still saying this?”
Raphael let out a scoff.
“Regretfully, Franz Kingdom will not participate.”
“You already know our naval forces are weak.”
“If even Bennessa was crushed, why would we provoke the Pirate King?”
“We are not foolish enough to start a battle we know we cannot win.”
Raphael firmly rejected the proposal.
Meanwhile, the golden-haired woman remained silent, observing the discussion with an unreadable expression.
However—
It was clear that she, too, was not particularly optimistic about this plan.
A rejection and a silent bystander.
It was far from the reaction Arcroyal had hoped for.
But—
She had not called them here expecting an easy agreement.
“No, General Raphael.”
“It is precisely because of that reason—”
“That Franz Kingdom must join this effort.”
“What… did you just say?”
There was clear displeasure in Raphael’s tone.
But Arcroyal, undeterred, continued speaking seriously.
“You know as well as I do—”
“Even Bennessa was powerless against him.”
“Do you think the other nations’ ports will fare any better?”
“What about Marenseu? Carla? Toulon?”
“Those cities have small fleets and weak defenses.”
“What do you think will happen if the Pirate King targets them next?”
“Will Franz Kingdom just sit back and complain that its navy is weak?”
“Or will you actually do something about it?”
“…!”
Raphael gritted his teeth.
“This is an opportunity, General.”
“A chance to eliminate an enemy that will have to be dealt with sooner or later.”
“If we act together, we can get rid of him before he becomes an even bigger threat.”
“Please—”
“I urge you to reconsider.”
Raphael’s expression twisted in frustration.
Arcroyal’s words were unpleasant, but at the same time—
They were undeniably true.
Franz Kingdom had managed to barely maintain control over its territorial waters—
By relying heavily on mercenaries.
If someone like the Pirate King entered their waters—
That fragile control would collapse immediately.
“Damn it…”
It was a problem he could not ignore.
Especially considering a certain incident—
One that Franz Kingdom had tried to cover up.
‘Magellan…’
The memory resurfaced.
Even now, the sheer absurdity of it made his blood boil.
Magellan—the man who had maintained order near Marenseu—
Had been executed as a traitor.
All because he had angered Duke Oaklean.
Since then—
The morale of their mercenaries had plummeted.
And now—
Even maintaining the status quo was becoming difficult.
To make matters worse—
Trade routes through the Mediterranean were choking off.
The Franz economy was already struggling—
Between failed harvests and the aftermath of the American War of Independence.
If they lost control over their sea routes—
It would be an economic ruin.
“Still…”
Even knowing all this—
The Pirate King was simply too dangerous.
Even if they joined forces—
They would suffer massive losses.
And right now,
“We can’t afford that kind of risk.”
The storm approaching was far greater than the Pirate King himself.
Something far more dangerous was looming on the horizon.
Franz Kingdom needed to conserve its strength.
Raphael exhaled slowly—
Feeling his resolve solidify against Arcroyal’s proposal.
His gaze shifted—
To the golden-haired woman beside him.
Unlike Arcroyal,
Who at least had some positive history with him,
She was someone he would rather have drawn his sword against.
A mortal enemy of Franz Kingdom.
One who should be eliminated.
But for now—
Raphael held back his killing intent.
And waited for her answer.
“And you?”
“What do you intend to do?”
The golden-haired woman chuckled softly.
“Hmm~ Who knows?”
“Honestly, I’d love to help Arc—”
“But the people in Parliament aren’t too keen on grand ventures these days.”
“Even so, we cannot simply leave the Pirate King unchecked.”
“You know you have a debt to settle with him as well.”
“If we work together, we can finally repay that debt in full.”
The golden-haired woman let out a small sigh—
Then cast a brief glance in Raphael’s direction.
Raphael’s eyebrow twitched slightly—
But he chose not to speak.
Though the exchange left him feeling uneasy, he understood—
She was a high-ranking military figure herself.
She must have known about Franz Kingdom’s internal situation.
And about the inevitable event looming on the horizon.
‘If even she is reacting this way…’
‘Then there’s even less reason for me to get involved.’
Yes, the Pirate King was a real threat—
But at the end of the day, he was still a pirate.
No matter how much chaos he caused,
He wouldn’t march into the heart of the mainland.
Raphael felt conflicted, thinking of the coastal citizens who would suffer.
But for the greater good, some sacrifices were unavoidable.
‘Damn that Duke Oaklean…’
‘If he hadn’t made this situation worse, we wouldn’t be in this mess.’
Despite repeated warnings, Duke Oaklean had persisted in the slave trade—
Until he provoked the Pirate King.
Then, as if that weren’t enough—
He had eliminated Magellan, further destabilizing the kingdom’s control over the seas.
Raphael gritted his teeth in frustration.
But in the end, he knew—
The kingdom’s true priority lay elsewhere.
Taking down Duke Oaklean’s faction,
And preparing for the larger conflict ahead.
With renewed conviction, Raphael prepared to firmly reject Arcroyal’s proposal.
Then—
‘…Wait.’
A thought suddenly struck him.
As if the scattered pieces of a puzzle had finally come together—
His hand froze just as he was about to speak.
Then—
A few moments later—
“Very well. We shall aid you.”
“…What?”
“Grand Marshal Raphael, are you serious?”
“Have I ever spoken lightly?”
“As you said, this is an opportunity.”
“Franz Kingdom will contribute to eliminating the Pirate King.”
“T-Thank you!”
Arcroyal bowed deeply, her voice filled with relief and gratitude.
As she did—
The golden-haired woman, who had been silent, finally smiled.
“Oh? So Franz Kingdom is joining?”
“Then I suppose we can’t just sit back and watch.”
“…!”
“We’ll help too.”
“We can’t act directly, but—”
“There’s someone who can.”
“Someone who…?”
Hearing this—
Arcroyal’s relief turned into a deep frown.
“Hah. Don’t look at me like that.”
“He may be an outlaw, but he still serves the Britannian Empire.”
“…Can we trust him?”
“Even if the Britannian Empire vouches for him, he is still a pirate.”
“What if he betrays us instead?”
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that.”
“In fact, that’s exactly why we can trust him this time.”
“…And why is that?”
Arcroyal’s voice grew cold.
At her sharp question, the golden-haired woman simply set down her empty teacup—
And answered in a calm, measured tone.
“Because the one who gets pushed to second place—”
“Always waits for the chance to sink their teeth into the one above them.”
“…!”
Arcroyal’s expression shifted slightly—
As if she was finally beginning to understand.
Seeing this, the golden-haired woman chuckled softly.
“Two sharks to catch a whale. They may be dangerous—But you know their strength. Use them well.”
—
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