Chapter 237
Chapter 237
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: Pirates Approaching
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"Pirates are approaching..."
Come to think of it, it was overdue.
Clashes between the alliance's southern naval forces and the archipelago pirates were nothing new—they happened every day.
And in most of those skirmishes, the archipelago had come out on top.
With the war tilting that way, the annihilation of the Neptune Pirates—who handled the western front for Ikenia—was no small matter.
A dam crumbles from the tiniest crack that starts it all.
If they let a single pirate crew not just lose, but get wiped out, the navies on other fronts might start taking the pirates too lightly.
The fact that things had stayed quiet for two whole months was the real anomaly, which was why Dwayne and I could stay calm even as the pirates closed in. Instead, we focused elsewhere.
"The Cybele Pirates showing up right on cue like this... You really think that's just coincidence?"
The archipelago had countless subordinate pirate crews.
Out of all of them, the ones following up Neptune's disaster by raiding Olivia just happened to be Cybele. Too perfect to be chance.
"Probably not."
The intel guild's agent stated matter-of-factly.
"Over the past few years, the pirates dispatched from the archipelago to the front lines have racked up impressive results. No need for the Pirate King to summon his best back to base. Plus, the spoils from plundering let those crews grow their own forces, so they've got no reason to return home either."
The agent's eyes turned to me.
"What broke that long stalemate was you, Baron. And Cybele wasn't even on the front lines, yet they grew by standing out. If the Pirate King's head is screwed on straight, deploying them is the logical move."
"Not... coincidence, huh."
The agent's reasoning was airtight. Even Dwayne didn't object.
"That captain must be pretty sharp. Sharp enough to spot Jeremiah."
The agent wasn't fool enough to miss that Jerome wanted more on Cybele.
"Cybele's captain, Artis, has a rep for being cunning and tough. Unlike Neptune's brute-force swarm tactics, Cybele's a crew of seasoned elites focused on quality."
Small but elite, then. No spare bodies to leave guarding an empty base after sailing out.
"...Looks like they probably brought Jeremiah along."
"Safe bet. No way they'd leave talent like that to escape on his own."
We stayed cool, but I turned to the anxious soldier.
"Estimated arrival at Olivia's coast?"
"B-based on current speed, about half a day."
"Half a day..."
Tighter than expected.
Scraaaape!
"Round up everyone loafing around the territory right now. We need to brainstorm rescuing Jeremiah. Time to earn their keep."
"Yes, sir."
Dwayne and I sprang into action.
To get Jeremiah back unharmed, spotless, the plan couldn't have a single flaw.
No way cornered Cybele—or whatever they were—would leave him intact.
The soldier's warning about pirates invading? Already irrelevant.
The moment they hit Olivia, their fate was sealed.
Just that they'd snatched the man I wanted, putting him through hell.
All I could think about was how to "punish" these damn pirates.
A fleet slicing through the southern seas toward Olivia at full speed.
Every sail bore the flag of a one-eyed skull, its socket shattered.
The Cybele Pirates, successors to the smashed Neptune crew, on orders from Pirate King Ballak.
"Hmmm..."
Captain Artis stood at the prow, arms crossed, scanning the horizon.
"Why don't you head inside and rest? What's out here worth seeing?"
Vice Captain Olga approached.
"Olga, doesn't this feel off to you?"
"What's off? Sky's clear, sea's calm—perfect for a raid."
"...I'm no genius, but you... Never mind. Drop it."
"Hey, that's rude."
Artis smacked Olga's shiny bald head.
Smack!
"Idiot, you blind? Not a single minnow in sight."
"...Ah!"
Overcoming his irritation at the slap, Olga finally noticed.
They were gone.
The archipelago wasn't just big fleets battling navies head-on.
While giants traded blows, swarms of small-time pirates raided coasts.
Those routes were improvised, unknown even to frontline crews.
That unpredictability was the pirates' terror.
Yet on this run from archipelago to Olivia...
Not one small fry in sight.
It meant one thing: pirates were avoiding Olivia's waters.
"No way this is just because we bagged that moron Samuel."
Neptune had size and results, sure, but plenty scoffed at their human-wave tactics.
Crushing Neptune wouldn't scare off every small pirate's hit-and-run.
Yet here it was.
"...So, Olivia's spent the last two months terrifying pirates into steering clear?"
"Exactly."
Olga's jaw dropped.
"No way. Minnows to us, maybe, but those vets have chowed down on archipelago scraps plenty. Newbies barely settled in Olivia smashed them all?"
"Wish I could say no. But the evidence says yes."
Artis leaned against the rail, muttering.
"Jerome von Carviot... Thought he was just some continent hothead."
Before sailing, he'd dug into the kid via intel.
Solved problems across kingdoms, bold enough to speak truth to empire. Prodigy material.
But so what? Fancy words meant squat at sea.
Artis had underestimated him at first, but the voyage changed that.
"Guess the rumors aren't total BS, huh?"
Artis's eyes gleamed. Good—first foe should be worthy. He was climbing to admiral someday.
No glory in trash-talking small fry on his historic debut.
"Tell the crew: loosen up early."
He turned toward the captain's quarters.
This prey was prime for a flashy stepping stone.
"Tomorrow night, we feast in Olivia's lord's castle."
Main course: fresh head of the young hero.
"Pirates invading?"
Saladin, back from Sharon Kingdom business and slacking off, sounded incredulous.
"Yeah, Cybele Pirates."
"Don't care if it's bugs or clams—one crew? That's it?"
Saladin couldn't wrap his head around it.
They'd seen Neptune obliterated, crew sold to slavery—yet just one crew dares Olivia?
"Probably scouting mainly. Unlike smashed Neptune, Cybele's elite few can retreat fast if needed."
"Hmph. Even so, does that make sense? Feels off."
Despite Dwayne's guess, most in the meeting hall just tilted heads.
All but one. And Jerome didn't miss that one's reaction.
"Okay, enough of that. Not the point right now."
He held off mentioning it. Promise was a promise.
"High chance they're holding the guy I've been after. So, I need everyone's help."
Jerome explained the meeting's purpose; all just groaned.
"Hmmm..."
Smashing foes was one thing—rescuing a hostage unharmed? Way tougher.
No clear ideas emerging when...
"H-how about this?"
Delro, navy chief attending the meeting, raised a hand.
"VIP rescue demands infiltration."
"True. But that's what we're stuck on—how?"
Spot on. Sneak via hull bottom or magic—but Cybele's captain would expect it.
"Then make 'em too distracted to care."
Thump!
Delro proudly thwacked his wrinkled chest.
"Leave smashing their ships to me. Once they're sinking, infiltration's the last thing on their minds."
...If our navy outmatched them, theoretically yes. Pure theory.
"Old man, how's two months of greenhorns gonna take sea-hardened pirates? If they don't panic, lucky us."
Saladin looked baffled.
Jerome agreed.
In this fight, smashing pirates was for him, Lampang, Princess Seira—not the navy yet.
Too soon for them in real combat.
But Delro thought different.
"I didn't train the Assei that soft. Trust me. I've got this."
"Assei... what?"
Strange term left everyone puzzled when...
"Why not give it a shot?"
"Dwayne?"
"We need real battle experience for the navy anyway. And distraction helps, right?"
Not like Dwayne—sloppy tactics weren't his style.
Then Dwayne winked.
'Ah, there's a reason, huh?'
"Fine. Delro handles the pirates. But to be safe, sail with everyone here."
Cover all risks, then refine the plan.
Glance.
Clock showed hours passed.
"Meeting adjourned. Oh—Delro, Dwayne, stay."
Room cleared; Jerome spoke slowly.
"Delro, those weird pirate moves—you've got a hunch?"
Post-Neptune smash, sane Ballak wouldn't send one crew.
And Dwayne's easy yes—he knew Delro's secret.
Delro's identity probably explained this mess.
"......"
Slurp!
Instead of answering, Delro sipped his tea.
Clink!
Throat parched, he downed three cups, hesitated long, then sighed deeply.
"...You already suspect my identity, Advisor. Don't you?"
"Oh? Why think that?"
"When this old fossil claimed he'd lead fresh Assei sprouts to crush veteran Cybele, you calmly approved. You wouldn't without knowing who I am."
Flip it: approval made sense if he knew.
That supreme confidence—only from mastery of a field.
"And it's been ages since you took over Olivia, Baron. Never once asked about me."
Clink!
"Your consideration's appreciated, but with pirates tied to me... Time to come clean."
Delro straightened, setting down his cup.
"I'm... a floating corpse, still trapped in past memories. A ghost unable to let go of time's flow."