Chapter 62
As the full-scale battle began, Napoleona and Gardin chose to flee.
The two of them immediately ran to the port and boarded a ship that had been prepared in advance.
There, Gardin’s direct subordinates were waiting.
As soon as Gardin and Napoleona arrived, they unfurled the sails and began to depart the port.
“Damn it! What kind of disgrace is this… A general of the mighty Franz Kingdom, running away like this…”
“If you’re dissatisfied, you’re welcome to go back right now.”
“Ah… no. It’s not that I’m particularly dissatisfied…”
At Napoleona’s words, Gardin flinched.
Of course, going back now would be no different from returning to die again, so he no longer voiced any complaints.
“Th-That aside, is it really true? That Grand Marshal Raphael…”
“It’s true… but let’s talk about the details after we’ve escaped this place. If we run into Bennessa’s forces along the way, it’ll only be a nuisance—huh?”
At that moment, Napoleona’s face suddenly showed a trace of confusion, as if she’d noticed something.
“…? General. Weren’t Bennessa’s ships originally docked over there?”
“! Now that you mention it…”
In their haste to escape, they had failed to notice something important.
The warships that had been filling one side of the port—Bennessa’s vessels—had completely vanished.
Realizing this, confusion began to spread across their faces.
“No way… What the hell is this…”
“…I have a bad feeling. We need to get out of here immediately.”
“Ah… right. Let’s do that. Hurry! We must get out of here now!”
At Napoleona’s words, Gardin urged his subordinates even more.
Just as their ship began to drift away from Sharden Island…
“Hmm?”
“…What… is that?”
Something black suddenly appeared in front of them.
They couldn’t clearly make out what it was due to the darkness, but it was far larger than their small sailing vessel—like a massive wall blocking their path.
Just as unease and suspicion began to rise…
“Wa… Wait a moment. Don’t tell me…?”
–Fwoosh!
“!!”
Suddenly, brilliant lights began to illuminate the darkness.
At the same time, Napoleona and Gardin’s faces stiffened completely.
“The… Pirate King?”
“No… No way, how are they here?”
The appearance of unexpected enemies instantly threw them into confusion.
And then…
“Well, well… That’s not very nice. The main battle hasn’t even started yet, and you’re already trying to run?”
“!”
“No… No way… You’re…”
A chilling voice echoed from directly behind them.
Turning their heads, the two saw the figure of a man.
A man with golden beard, smiling coldly…
***
After capturing the deserters who had tried to flee right from the start,
Even from this distance, I could hear the sounds of battle and smiled with satisfaction.
“Honestly… I feel it every time, but our Pirate King really is evil.”
“We’re pirates, aren’t we? It’s only natural that we’d use whatever means necessary to achieve our goals. We’re no apostles of justice.”
To Remine’s words, I, as always, confidently laid down the facts.
“Well… True. The method was dirty, but in the end, it worked out for us. Still, I was honestly surprised. I never expected you to exploit the animosity between the Britannian Empire and Franz Kingdom like that.”
“Hayir Sasan’s infiltration team and Auriel played major roles. Thanks to them setting fires at just the right moments, it turned into a full-blown blaze.”
The infiltration team led by Hayir Sasan fired bullets from the shadows, and Auriel maneuvered events so they escalated naturally.
As a result, the small spark started by a single bullet quickly turned into a massive inferno, further fueling the conflict between pirates and navy.
And to finish it off, we even planted a terrorist attack at the home of their captain.
Now that blaze had become an unstoppable catastrophe devouring them whole.
“Then I suppose it’s time for us to move as well.”
“Got it.”
With that, I turned around with Remine.
There stood our subordinates, fully prepared for battle.
Facing them, I raised my voice with pride.
“At long last, the time of patience is over! Today! Here and now, unleash your fury to your heart’s content!”
“As the Pirate King commands!”
The pirates politely bowed their heads in response to my command.
Not only those aboard this ship, but also the captains of all the subordinate pirate fleets had gathered here.
Without delay, I began issuing orders to them.
“Samir will handle the Allied Fleet’s forces. Burn all their ships docked in the port.”
“Understood, Pirate King.”
“Franklin and her troops will move to the battlefield. Deliver the retreat order to the infiltration team and bring Auriel back safely.”
“I shall obey your command.”
“Remine and the rest will focus on operating the flagship. It’s highly likely the cornered enemies will make a desperate move, so don’t let your guard down until the end.”
“Yes, Pirate King.”
“All captains will leave only the crew necessary to operate their ships and disembark. Wipe out those foolish enough to challenge me and pillage to your heart’s content!”
“Understood! O mighty King of the Sea!”
All preparations were complete.
What remained was to commence the battle.
And so, the fleet of over thirty ships gathered here began advancing toward the port to strike the unprepared enemy.
***
“W-What the hell is going on?”
“Where are the generals? Admiral Gardin! Brigadier Napoleona! Where are you all?!”
In the chaos of the first clash, the key commanders had suddenly deserted.
As a result, the Franz Kingdom Navy began to descend into utter confusion.
Since the Commander-in-Chief was a powerless man who didn’t know how to command, it had been Gardin and Napoleona who had effectively led the navy.
Now that they had lost those commanders, the force rapidly began to collapse.
“Wh-What is going on?! Snap out of it! Don’t just stand there—fight! Fight, I say!”
Vice Admiral Pierre shouted in desperation.
But the soldiers, who had never truly listened to him, were in no state to heed his orders now.
“G-General! You must retreat! Our lines are falling apart!”
“W-What are you saying?! We still outnumber them! We have more troops than they do, so why—?”
“The command structure collapsed the moment the two generals disappeared! At this rate, even we are in danger! Please retreat!”
“Ghh… I-I understand. Th-Then…”
Even he could tell the situation had taken a dark turn.
Vice Admiral Pierre, now struck with fear, no longer hesitated and quickly made his escape.
With even the not-so-helpful Commander-in-Chief gone,
There remained only one option for the rest of the Franz Kingdom Navy.
“S-Surrender! We surrender!”
“W-We’ve lost! We admit defeat!”
The Franz Kingdom Navy dropped their weapons and collapsed to their knees.
But…
“No such thing! Kill them all!”
“! Wh-What…?! We said we surrender! So why—?”
“Shut up! Just thinking about the things you bastards did makes my blood boil!”
“Enemies of Higuma! I’ll kill every last filthy navy dog!”
The pirates, already filled with rage, didn’t care about things like surrender.
Fueled by the resentment from all the beatings they had endured until now, they continued their slaughter.
Realizing there was no going back, even the navy who had tried to surrender began resisting with all their might once more.
“Damn it! If it’s come to this, then fine! If I’m going to die, I’ll take you with me!”
They fought in pure hatred for one another, descending into a chaotic battle.
With no discipline or order left, consumed by madness, they focused all their efforts on killing the “enemy” in front of them.
And then—
Watching this scene unfold,
Auriel, who had taken a step back after Napoleona’s sudden escape, frowned slightly.
‘Things went according to plan… but it’s not exactly a pleasant sight.’
Following the Pirate King’s scheme, Auriel had infiltrated this place to provoke their frustration.
Even now, she acted as the “eyes” of the infiltration team observing the situation, using her Perception of Presence, a skill similar to the Sensing Magic Circle, though slightly more limited in range, to detect where the enemy forces were gathering.
The reason she was assigned to this mission was because among the pirates whose identities were unknown due to the lack of bounties, only she could use such a detection ability.
Moreover, even if she were discovered, thanks to her reputation on the other side, Auriel would have no problem escaping safely.
The risk was extremely low even within enemy lines.
However, despite knowing that—her heart still wasn’t at ease seeing the result.
People consumed with hatred, killing and being killed.
It was a logical outcome, especially considering those same enemies would one day target her and the people she cared for.
Even though she understood that, she couldn’t shake the discomfort born from human empathy.
‘But… I have to push through it. I have to overcome these feelings and become a great pirate…’
Resolving herself once more, Auriel instinctively moved to draw the Sign of the Cross, but then stopped.
Her gaze turned toward the one still fighting among the enemies—her friend…
Cheshire.
Right after the biggest threat, Brigadier Napoleona, had disappeared, Cheshire, claiming it was her duty, had rushed headlong into the enemy camp, leaving Auriel behind.
Every time she looked at her, Auriel couldn’t help but feel conflicted.
‘What should I do…? I don’t care about the others, but she’s the one I want to save the most…’
But what followed was already out of her hands.
Soon, her allies—the Golden Beard Pirate Group and its subordinate fleets—would storm in and wipe everything out.
If Cheshire had stayed with her, there might’ve been a chance.
But now, there was no way.
More than anything, Cheshire was one of the enemy officers.
And she held unwavering loyalty to her mother.
If Auriel revealed her true identity, Cheshire might feel sorrow— but she would not hesitate to swing her axe.
‘For now… all I can do is remember her presence. If there’s a chance someday…’
Just then—
As she continued using Perception of Presence, Auriel sensed the familiar presence of her comrades.
‘It’s starting…’
—
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