Chapter 236
Chapter 236
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: Chapter 236
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 236
Chapter Title: The Pirate's Judgment
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“Well, no answer, huh?”
Artis slung the blood-dripping cutlass over his shoulder, not bothering to hide his grinning expression even a little.
“...How long... have you known?”
Artis shrugged at Jemi's question.
“Hmm, that's not what I asked, though. Well, it was fun, so I'll answer specially. From the very beginning. From the start.”
Artis gazed at the blood seeping up from where Maki's corpse had sunk as he spoke.
“I already knew you were clever. And that you'd try to run given half a chance.”
The high tide that had filled the beach moments ago was now receding just as quickly, as if it had never been.
“That idiot was my plant from the start. I figured the brats were banding around you. So I hatched this plan. To wipe them all out at once.”
Artis shook the blood from his cutlass and extended the blade long.
“And ta-da! You fell right into it, nice and neat.”
“Kekekekekeke!”
“Aw, that fake-smart bitch. How's she fall for it so easily? Damn.”
“Hand it over, punk.”
Clink clink!
The pirates on deck were laughing their asses off, passing coins back and forth.
To them, this life-or-death plan for survival wasn't just sniffed out—it was reduced to a mere gambling game.
Jemi squeezed her eyes shut.
'Completely played.'
But Artis gave her no time to wallow in despair.
“Alright, that answers your question, right?”
Swish!
Artis had closed in on Jemi in an instant, pressing the cutlass to her slender neck.
“What should I do with you?”
Drip drip!
He'd barely touched her, but the razor-sharp edge drew blood from her delicate skin anyway.
“Huh? Answer me.”
“......”
Grip!
Jemi clenched the hem of her pants in furious frustration.
She was pissed.
Utterly pathetic, being toyed with by trash like this.
Part of her wanted to just scream for him to kill her.
But glancing at her trembling siblings behind her, she couldn't spit out the words.
Swish!
Artis pulled the blade from her neck, eyeing the trickle of blood from her bitten lip like it was the funniest thing ever.
“Just kidding, kidding. You think I'd kill you? Who do you think made our crew strong? I'm not that shameless.”
Artis patted Jemi's shoulder.
“Hey, everyone's gotta make a rash mistake now and then, right? Let's just let this one slide.”
He turned and sauntered off.
The beach was long dry now. No escaping, no matter what.
Thud!
“Oh, right.”
Artis's voice rang in Jemi's ears as she collapsed, strength drained from her body.
Flash!
A streak of light sliced through her hair.
“I can forgive you, but not the other brats. This is your punishment.”
Where the light passed, red petals bloomed from the foreheads of several children, scattering in the air.
Thump! Thump!
“Ah... ah...!”
A beastly wail tore from Jemi's throat as she watched them crumple lifelessly.
“Not killing them all?”
First Mate Olga asked calmly, even amid the carnage.
“Heh, Olga. What if she flips out and offs herself after we kill 'em all?”
Artis leered vilely at Jemi sobbing over the fallen children.
“That girl's brain ain't like our thick skulls. To squeeze her dry till she drops dead of old age, we need hostages.”
“Ah, got it.”
“Load her and the brats on the ship before we sail tomorrow. Once we take Olivia as His Majesty ordered, we'll need that brain even more. We're not the types for land or paperwork anyway, right?”
“Kek, true enough.”
The last two months proved it. Trying to handle logistics with just their muscle would've left them floundering still.
War prep was nothing like raiding.
Thanks to Jemi's talent, they'd finished mobilization in just two months since the king's command. Endless uses ahead.
“Eh, leave the brats be. Round up the kids and bed 'em down. If they can escape a ship like that, they'd be too strong for us anyway.”
The ships sat high and dry below. No launching them now.
Impossible to flee.
“Kekeke, Captain's a real villain.”
“Aw, such praise.”
As Artis and Olga cackled and fired a signal flare, the pirates disembarked leisurely and headed to barracks.
“Aw, too bad!”
“Coulda escaped!”
“Next time!”
Even mocking Jemi as they passed the cooling kid corpses.
But Jemi's ears were deaf to their jeers.
She desperately stanched the wounds of the surviving child, blood bubbling up.
“Si...s. I was... wrong.”
“Quiet! You can live. You can!”
“Cough! But... getting to talk... to you... one last time... is enough...”
Unlike the other two, pierced dead-center and instant, Sam—the next oldest—was stocky enough that the blade hit his neck instead, letting him linger.
But Jemi knew: Artis had aimed there.
To mock her. To drown her deeper in grief.
“Please, no more talking. The wound'll open.”
Sam grabbed Jemi's pressing hands and shoved them aside.
“Sis.”
His voice cleared, eyes sharp. The final clarity before death.
“Never... give up. No matter how hard... a hero will come save us someday. Got it?”
Before Jemi could reply, Sam met her eyes steadily and spoke plainly.
“Not your fault.”
With that, his hand slipped from hers, limp.
“Ah... aaaah!!”
Bloody tears streamed from Jemi's eyes. Plan failed. Three siblings lost.
The sky lightened slowly.
Before Jemi: her siblings' cold bodies. Far off, Maki's corpse rolling in the shallows.
'A hero will come save us someday?'
“...Please.”
Sam's last words echoed relentlessly.
“If heroes really exist.”
Please, save us from this hell. Please.
Flip!
“...Hmm.”
The second report from the Information Guild.
My furrowed brow stayed knit the whole read.
“Another bust?”
Dwayne asked casually, noting my sour face.
“Damn. Didn't think it'd be this hard to find.”
“Just give up already. Geez.”
“Leave me be. I'll find her out of spite if I have to.”
“Fine, do what you want. Oh, right—booze and hides from Millen Kingdom arrive big-time today. Remember?”
“Why so late? Marquis Midas sent the official notice ages ago.”
“Well, distance, plus borders with the Empire. Must've been tough prepping. Ease up.”
Dwayne shot me an annoying look amid my grumpiness and turned to papers.
Ugh, irritating bastard.
Two months since Sapan and the guild request.
The territory had undergone development—no, full overhaul.
Inevitable. Olivia now flooded with alliance aid.
Royalty sent Prince Julius with the 3rd Royal Knights and 2,000 skilled workers.
Marquis Midas, iron supplier, dispatched Philador techs for Colmar's massive reclamation—fitting their ag expertise.
The other three Five Nations, eyeing Fran and Sharon's examples, followed Midas's lead(?) with more support. Olivia transformed faster than others' weeks or months.
I'd foreseen this, rushed the Jeremiah hunt.
But the guild struggled tracing her.
Many green-haired women with sisters, none shone like her.
“Hey, no clue how great she is, but we can slow down now? Admin's stabilizing.”
Dwayne tried lightening my gloom.
He wasn't wrong. Trained ex-slaves from Sharon with admin experience; two months in, systems solidified.
Dwayne's face even sleeker than before.
“...Yeah, true.”
Forced agreement, hiding regret. Time amplified my longing for Jeremiah.
Dwayne's no slouch, but she'd carve this workload with inhuman efficiency, zero waste.
That irked me.
Knock knock!
“Come in.”
A castle maid entered.
“Baron, unidentified guest. Says mention 'Seed Arapaima from Sapan Territory' and you'll know. What now?”
Seed Arapaima.
Guild's code for me.
“Send them in. Proper guest.”
“Yes, prepping now.”
Soon, an unfamiliar old face entered.
“Long time, Baron.”
But that voice—I knew it.
“From Sapan. Face is different.”
“Haha, new disguise. Reuse the same, tails catch on.”
The informant chuckled lightly—pleased I recalled his voice—then bowed.
“My apologies, Baron. Trusted us, and we failed miserably.”
“No. Expected it might be tough. Don't sweat it.”
Though not this long, honestly.
“So, what's up?”
Face unseen, but high rank in Sapan guild—maybe branch chief. Personal visit meant weighty.
“Well, after the fourth report, we late-caught your target's lead.”
“!”
Crash!
I bolted up, toppling my chair.
“Ah, sorry. Details?”
Straightened it, calmed my pounding heart.
“Confirm first, Baron. Green hair, late teens to twenties. One younger sister. Correct?”
Known info, but he double-checked meticulously.
“Yes.”
“Hmm... Take a look?”
Swish!
He slid me thin papers.
“This...”
Finished reading, eyes locked on him.
“Why so hard: she was kidnapped abroad young.”
Now the delay made sense.
Ancient overseas snatch? Hell to investigate.
Finding this was miracle territory.
“Culprits?”
“Suspected: Kibele Pirates.”
“Why?”
“Assuming features match, her abduction timing aligns perfectly with Kibele's rise.”
Crumple!
Report wrinkled in my grip as he spoke.
Thinking a key comrade from Stigma Mercs and Carlos Group suffering under pirates? Mood soured.
No—furious.
'Pirate scum dares kidnap my battle-brother?'
Suppressing chest rage—
Bang!
“B-big trouble!”
A frantic guard burst in yelling.
“What's the panic!”
Dwayne snapped at the sloppy entrance, but the guard ignored, breathless.
“Pi-pirates! Massive fleet entering Olivia seas—urgent!”
“......!!”
Quiet post-Neptune smash, now stirring again?
“Which crew?”
Guard hesitated at Dwayne's question—flags similar, emblem unclear.
“Features?”
Informant asked the guard calmly.
“Uh... Ah! One-eyed! Skull with one busted eye!”
Informant eyed me.
“...That one-eyed pirate flag the guard described. Kibele Pirates' trademark.”
“......!!”
My eyes flashed murderously at his words.
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