The Imperial Princess Arrives in Atillain
While Narka was learning how to operate Nautilus, the giant whale had already arrived at the harbor of Atillain. Built in a bay formed by a blue hole in the middle of a promontory jutting out from the land into the sea, Atillain consisted of gentle hills connected to vast plains, flanked by cliffs on either side. Originally a mountain that had collapsed into a sinkhole, allowing seawater to flood in and create the bay, the terrain featured cliffs from the mountain range exposing various ore veins, with the sea right up against them. Atillain was a mountainous region producing food from the plains and metals mined from those veins.
Yet, with its narrow entrance surrounded by high cliffs, it was highly defensible—a harbor truly blessed by the gods. Leveraging this geography as a weapon, Lord Nemos Atillain had amassed enormous wealth through trade, food, and metal sales. Though he had earned his noble title as lord after being recognized as a knight, Nemos was more merchant than warrior. He preferred ornate jewelry over crude weapons and had a talent for calculating profits rather than swinging a blade. Even so, in this naturally perfect harbor, he spared no expense in building a navy. Investing most of his earnings, he trained knights and constructed a fleet. To gain real combat experience, Nemos had swept away all the pirates that appeared nearby. Thanks to this, Atillain's fleet was among the strongest of ordinary naval forces.
Normally, he would have dispatched his family's fleet at the mere report of pirates, but the issue was that these were the pirates foretold by the goddess. When a god, indifferent to human petty affairs, issued a warning, it meant something major. People ignore the full moon they see every month but marvel at a lunar eclipse because it rarely happens—something they might witness only a few times in a lifetime. Similarly, gods exist across vast dimensions with near-eternal lives and broad perspectives, so the fall of a single city to pirates was too commonplace to warrant a warning. For the goddess to specifically prophesy a pirate raid meant these were no ordinary pirates.
"Have you learned anything more about the pirate attack foretold by the goddess?"
"We've received reports that the number of missing ships departing from nearby ports has increased significantly."
"Then why didn't we know about it until now?"
"The disappearances rose gradually, and most of the ships were unregistered smuggling vessels."
"Hah, damn it. Those worthless bastards are useless in every way!"
Everyone knew major trading houses used smuggling ships to evade taxes, but enforcement was difficult, so it had been pushed to the back burner. Smugglers ignored all rules like safety regulations and departure reports, so even if they fell to pirates, it was impossible to tell if it was pirates, greed leading to sinking midway, or the captain absconding with the ship. Merchants who couldn't learn from pirate attacks refused to stop smuggling; instead, they armed their smuggling ships to fight back. Shipowners who lost to pirates anyway kept quiet, never reporting it, allowing the pirates to seize their cargo and weapons, growing enormously in the process.
"But this doesn't seem serious enough for a divine prophecy."
The stupidity of smuggling merchants was astounding, but even stronger pirates weren't enough to overwhelm Atillain, let alone warrant a god's prophecy. And that fact terrified Nemos even more. He knew nothing of the enemy, yet they clearly knew him well—and still dared to attack. Tapping his fingers on the desk, Nemos pondered.
At that moment, the butler entered. "My lord! Word from the imperial family—an imperial member is coming!"
The butler's words erased the worry from Nemos's face. If picking the empire's strongest faction, it would be the imperial family, and sending someone against pirates meant a military force. "Prepare quickly."
"Understood."
Nemos, who hadn't even washed properly while devising countermeasures after hearing the prophecy, sighed in relief and prepared to greet the imperial guest.
"Hmm, no suitable young ladies in Atillain, you say?"
"Yes."
Aurelia pondered her maid's words briefly before selecting a dress made from multiple layers of translucent fabric crafted by Nautilus's artisans. The dressing room, as spacious as a common residence on Nautilus, held countless dresses made on Nautilus and others brought from outside. Though large, it was modest compared to the imperial villa-sized space prepared for Aurelia inside Nautilus. The villa Suhyun had built occupied one full block—about 80m by 100m—and three stories high, roughly 70,000 cubic meters. Vast for a single building, but without gardens, it wasn't extravagantly so. Still, Aurelia preferred indoor tea times and reading over tending gardens, so it suited her.
Dressing in a gown that sacrificed convenience for beauty, Aurelia listened to reports on Atillain and smacked her lips regretfully. "Sigh, we failed in Aldamina, so I hoped to gain an ally here, but only married daughters and young children... such a shame."
Recalling how Daiyen had scooped up Hasina first in Aldamina, placing her beside Suhyun ahead of other ladies, the maid said cautiously with a displeased expression, "Shall I send a warning to Daiyen?"
Not overt enough for direct attack, but pressure citing Aurelia's displeasure was possible. Aurelia smiled. "No, that would be cheating."
Daiyen was the type who held no grudges if competing fairly. She even grew fond of worthy rivals. Competing honorably with her was a gain even in loss—it could open doors to Suhyun. Aurelia was certain this was more effective than using an obscure Golden Sand Tower elder's granddaughter. Impressed by Aurelia's scheming, the maid mentally discarded the letter to Daiyen.
Winning gambles showed heroic qualities; rigging the board for profit in any outcome was a ruler's trait. Aurelia possessed it fully.
"Hmm, how do I look?"
"Beautiful as always."
"Beauty alone isn't enough. Men tire of it quickly but always delight in novelty."
Wearing a wave-like dress of blue fabric adorned with foam-white gems, Aurelia smiled and exited through the main gate. Suhyun, dressed nobly, waited by the carriage.
"May I have the honor of escorting you, Princess Aurelia Valentina Volontarius?"
"The honor is mine, Mage Lee Suhyun."
Taking Suhyun's hand into the carriage, Aurelia greeted Daiyen, already aboard, with an eye smile. In exchange for introducing Daiyen to the emperor-loyal Viscount Atillain, Aurelia had bargained for Suhyun's company. Sitting beside him opposite Daiyen, she asked, "Oh? Aren't Hasina and you coming together, Miss Daiyen?" (Where did you sell off the Hasina you shoved into my plans?)
"Hasina lacks confidence in noble etiquette, so she's staying at her workshop, Your Highness." (Hasina's one of ours—don't touch her.)
"Oh, what a pity?" (Hiding her already lest she gets stolen?)
"Not everyone enjoys meeting nobles." (You know Suhyun hates nobles, so why force it?)
"One can't always do just what they want." (You know this is necessary.)
Suhyun, watching their veiled battle of wits, glanced around awkwardly. "Huh? The mood feels a bit off?"
Glancing outside to avoid tension, Suhyun spotted armed merchant ships and voiced concern. "Whoa, something's weird—these merchant ships are loaded with weapons."
Merchant ships carried minimal arms. Weight slowed speed, prolonging voyages and risking food shortages or safety. Merchants loaded only essential cannons, powder, shells, and minimal food. But the ships Suhyun saw were being retrofitted with stern cannons, stirring unease. That foreboding became reality upon meeting Atillain's lord.
"Thank you truly for coming to our aid, Your Highness."
Aurelia inwardly sighed at the lord's ornate wartime armor, dressed for ceremony rather than habit. What does that herald even do for a living? Even if the herald arrived early, ignoring obvious troubles was inexcusable. Smiling, she said, "Thank you for the welcome, Viscount Atillain. I came ahead since I was nearby, but I lack details. Could we review the information first?"
"Of course. I'll send my butler with the compiled reports."
As Nemos stepped out, Daiyen glared at Aurelia. "Did 'introducing' mean foisting mercenaries on me, Your Highness?"
"Please know that was never my intent, Daiyen—and Mage Lee Suhyun. I'm as shocked as you."
"Best to learn what's happening first."
Soon, the butler brought reports. The group read them, Daiyen's and Aurelia's faces twisting.
"Pirates worth a goddess's prophecy..."
Talented criminals occasionally caused havoc. Even with the empire favoring the strong, the dissatisfied always emerged, gathering followers to topple territories. In a world where individuals could surpass groups, the powerful naturally attracted devotees. Even reform gangs had those revering Suhyun; Nautilus's residents were drawn by his strength or the whale's potential. Criminal bosses gaining fans was no surprise.
Aurelia imagined Suhyun turning to crime: Nautilus burrowing underground, bursting forth to unleash thousands of martial artists. Hmm, thinking of criminal Suhyun makes these prophesied pirates seem like harmless hill bandits.
"What do you plan? We can evacuate residents to Nautilus."
Aurelia looked troubled at Daiyen's words. "We must hold until other imperial kin arrive."
"Hah! With no timetable for reinforcements or pirates, we can't wait indefinitely. You know Nautilus loses fortunes from even a day's delay."
Nautilus shipped vast cargo at near-zero cost; unplanned stops meant massive losses. Spotting Daiyen's intent as Nautilus's treasurer—no tolerance for losses—Aurelia countered. "Help, and I'll pay. Commission Viscount Atillain doubly too—weapons and food prices have spiked from pirate fears. Secure gold via contract, plus loot from victory."
Daiyen's arms stayed crossed. Aurelia played her ace. "Sigh, aid us, and I'll convince Father to cut Nautilus's taxes—citing supply and military ease for such crises."
Daiyen's stern face bloomed into a merchant's smile. "As imperial subjects, we can't forgive pirates harming the empire! Highway robbery on the seas? We must wipe them out!"
Regretting using a card saved for bigger moments, Aurelia consoled herself it paved ties with Daiyen, sighing inwardly at her report to Father.