Even the Holy Knight Thought They Could Take Me On
One year later. The Nelson estate had undergone countless changes.
At first, the once-poor territory had been drowning in poverty. Now, it overflowed with wealth.
“Ugh… meat again? I’m sick of it.”
“Oh my! You must eat balanced meals to grow up into a great lord like me!”
Countless businesses had sprouted from the production of plague medicine and the massive profits it generated.
Read never left any of them untouched. He reinvested everything without a second thought.
Every single venture he touched had succeeded as if he had cast a spell upon it.
Some merchants even compared his investment instincts to divine revelation.
Thanks to that, the Nelson estate had transformed into a wealthy domain.
“All of this is thanks to Lord Nelson’s blessing.”
“You really know how to butter people up in front of the actual person.”
“Only flattery? Think about what Lord Nelson has accomplished—diamonds aren’t enough.”
“And your flattery is so good. Ahahaha!”
“I’m a bit like that too. Hehe!”
Read laughed and chatted with the knight captain.
The biggest beneficiaries of the estate’s newfound wealth were the military forces. Thanks to the lord’s massive investments.
“To protect an island from a sea teeming with pirates, elite soldiers and knights are essential.”
Thanks to that, the Nelson estate had become a territory filled with powerful soldiers and knights.
Among them was a talent Read had personally scouted.
“I’m always in awe of Lord Nelson’s judgment. Finding Ann was no small feat.”
A knight swung his sword. Pink hair swayed in rhythm with the blade’s path. It was Ann, the knight Read himself had appointed as her escort.
Her swordsmanship had already grown so advanced that no one in the estate could match her.
“Our Ann really is talented.”
“Haha. Talented? She’s a monster.”
The captain answered with a laugh.
“I haven’t seen much of the world, but I know talent like hers is rare.”
Of course it was. That was exactly why he had scouted her in the first place.
“…She’s grown stronger faster than I expected.”
Read knew her ceiling. Even so, she had become terrifyingly fast.
After just one month, she had defeated knights. Even Read had been speechless.
“Kyaaah!”
Even now, she was beating multiple knights under the guise of sparring.
How was that sturdy build moving so nimbly? Had she cast some spell?
Ann had cleanly won and trotted over to Read like an excited puppy.
“Lord Nelson! Did you see?”
“Mhm. Excellent work, Ann.”
“Ehehe!”
In truth, she had been thinking of something else the whole time. But seeing her smile, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“You’ve really grown strong.”
“Not yet. I still need to stand beside you, Lord Nelson.”
“You’re already more than enough.”
“There you go again. You’re just not wanting to put any burden on me.”
No. That was the truth. An escort for a single estate had become overwhelmingly powerful.
If she kept gaining experience, she might even become the youngest Sword Saint in history. But that was something else entirely.
“…Still, that’s not entirely bad.”
This was a world where every strong person clashed. There were plenty of fools who charged at the strong just to challenge them. Some wanted to steal their fame by defeating them. If Ann grew too famous, pirates might get ideas and get themselves in trouble.
“Ann, don’t overdo it. Tone it down a bit.”
“No! I’m still not strong enough! I have to become stronger to repay the grace Lord Nelson gave me!”
Ann shot a glance at the captain. “I want to train more, but…”
“Hmph!” The captain looked away and coughed awkwardly. He had taken multiple hits from Ann already. Even his precious subordinate, he didn’t want to use as a training dummy. Luckily, a savior had arrived.
“Lord Nelson! Pirates! Three ships full of them have appeared off the island!”
It was hardly the best timing. “Who are they?”
“Black Cow Pirates.”
The captain nodded. “As expected of Lord Nelson’s foresight.”
“Timing was perfect too.”
“I sometimes feel afraid around Lord Nelson. Like he can see the future.”
“Haha. That’s impossible. All of you just love me for being honest and kind.”
“Honest…? Kind…?”
Well, duh. A politician who never cheats is considered kind. “Anyway, we can finally deal with those troublesome bastards.”
“Exactly as you said.”
Even though pirates had appeared, the three of them remained relaxed. Everything had been foreseen and prepared perfectly. “Ann, shall we do live combat today?”
“Yes! It’s been a while since I spilled blood. I’m excited!”
Ann gripped her sharp sword and flashed a cold smile. Even her loyal escort sometimes found it terrifying. Was there a flaw in his training method? Read considered the issue seriously.
The captain of the Black Cow Pirates, Victor Joe, looked at the distant ship and smirked. “So that’s the merchant ship heading to the estate.”
“Yes. It’s said to be carrying enormous cargo.”
“Never mind the cargo. The important thing is gold and jewels!”
The Black Cow Pirates ruled an entire pirate island. Their fleet alone numbered three ships. No matter how they had acquired them, the scale was impressive. Each ship carried over thirty pirates. A force of more than a hundred. Even for pirates, sinking a merchant ship was child’s play. “Hehe! The Nelson estate is making big money from their business ventures.”
That ship heading there was a veritable treasure trove. With luck, one raid could keep them living off the spoils for the rest of their lives. “Normally approaching the estate is risky… but in that cowardly way, we can’t make real money.”
High risk, high reward. Considering the fortune they were about to steal, it was worth the gamble. “Captain! Ships approaching from the front!”
“Ships? Don’t tell me they can fight.”
“Yes! They look like warships sent by the lord!”
“Warships?” Even from afar, one ship was rapidly closing in. “It’s carrying soldiers. And most importantly, I see Lord Read Nelson!”
“Hmm… so that’s how it is.”
The response was faster than expected. Regular army against pirates? A pirate should avoid a straight fight. It was pointless and only brought unnecessary losses. But… “Just one ship? They must have been desperate.”
Their side had over a hundred men. Even if they were regular soldiers, they could win head-on. “The lord himself is coming into this? What a naive kid who can’t even tell courage from foolishness.”
Nobles who sat comfortably in their offices had no way of knowing the sea’s dangers. Acting without fear of the ocean’s cruelty was their mistake. “We can’t let such a good opportunity slip away.”
Even if the lord was a noble, his presence would only hinder the navy’s movements. Besides, they faced just one ship. Their own fleet numbered three. Strategically, a proper battle was unnecessary. “Good! Everyone prepare for battle! Today, let’s taste real blood!”
“W-What? You mean to fight the estate’s army?”
The sailor next to him jumped in shock. “Isn’t it better to just stay calm? Regular troops are too dangerous!”
“Tsk tsk. Born a pirate yet this scared? You don’t belong on the sea.”
This sailor was relatively new. Smart enough to half serve as an officer, but too cowardly. “Cowardice will never succeed in this sea! Only those who accept danger reap the fruits of victory!”
“...Attacking a merchant ship will cause serious casualties.”
“Puhaha! Human lives? Who among pirates cares about that?”
“Ugh… fine.”
The sailor drew his sword. Just as he thought the captain might listen. “Kyaaaaah!”
He had been stabbed from behind. The moment he realized, his arms were already pinned. A bone-chilling pain spread from his shoulder and arm. A sword pressed right against his neck. Red blood dripped down the sharp blade. “Wh-What is this…!”
“Rick! What are you doing?!”
“Even a captain like you would have better timing than this!”
“Everyone, step back. Or this sailor’s life is forfeit.”
Confusion spread among the crew. Just when a real fight was about to start, the captain was taken? No one left to give orders. Even sailors who hadn’t understood the situation stared in shock. “R-Rick?! You betrayed us?!”
“Not betrayal. From the very beginning, you were never on my side.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was a spy Lord Nelson planted among you pirates from the start.”
A spy? Had the lord really sent someone into their ranks? Wasn’t this insane? This wasn’t a war between nations! “If the pirate crew isn’t just a few… why us?!”
“Pirates like you are under Lord Nelson’s palm. He even predicted you would attack our estate.”
“That’s impossible! You’ve been infiltrating for us this whole time?”
“At last, I can retire from this tiresome life.”
A chill ran down Victor Joe’s spine. His impulsive decision to attack the merchant ship had been exactly what the lord had predicted. A spy? Even a normal noble could never think of that. Did Nelson see the future? “By the way, the spy is not just me. The moment I left, they took your family hostage.”
“Y-You mean my wife and daughter…?!”
“Yes. I heard your daughter is adorable because she looks nothing like you.”
“A noble of honor taking women and children hostage… against pirates?!”
“Even the Holy Knight thought they could take me on?”
“Heeek!”
The sword sank deeper. Just a little deeper and it could slice through. “Fortunately, our Lord Nelson is merciful. If you surrender, we will spare your family’s lives.”
“H-How can I believe that…?”
“No time! Are you going to let your children die, or are you going to live?! Your choice!”
“Grr…”
Victor Joe gritted his teeth. With no way out behind him, refusal meant he would die here. Then his family would suffer too. Pirates couldn’t afford such recklessness. “So you’ll keep your promise?”
“Our Lord Nelson values honor.”
“Damn it! Drop your weapons and surrender! We’re taking you to the Nelson estate!”
The sailors were shocked but obeyed. But a sudden betrayal occurred. Despite raising white flags, one ship charged toward the navy. “What? That ship isn’t stopping…”
“It raised the white flag and gave a message! Those idiots are acting on their own!”
Pirate crews weren’t strictly hierarchical. More like a loose board of shareholders. Betrayals by sailors were common. But Victor never imagined they would do something this stupid. What if the lord got hurt because of it…? “T-That wasn’t my order! They did it on their own!”
“I know. They must be trying to start a fight.”
Victor answered lightly, as if it didn’t matter. The calm surprised him. Wasn’t his lord under attack? “I-Is everything okay? If the lord is injured, you’ll be responsible too.”
“Injured? If you’d seen the monster beside our Lord Nelson, you wouldn’t say that.”
Soon, the navy and pirate ships collided. Only one person moved on the navy side. A woman with distinctive pink hair wielding a sword. Victor watched in shock as a single knight sliced through a ship. “Kwaaaang!”
The knight severed the ship with one swing. “Ann, please. Don’t be so ruthless.”
“You’re right. There’s no need to kill them all.”
“No. I thought that ship looked tasty. It’s all money if we seize it.”
“Don’t you care that the pirates are dismembered and falling into the sea?”
“Why?”
The captain stared at Read quietly. Raising a madwoman meant raising a madman, it seemed.