Chapter 13
Chapter 13
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: MadScientist Chapter: 13 Chapter Title: The Pirate King Appears ----------------------------------------------------------------- Xfuck, why is that bastard showing up here? Colonel Garden, Navy Admiral of the Franz Kingdom. He'd come to execute Mazelan, the bounty hunter guilty of high treason, and now he was gripped by intense excitement.
"Kehu-hut... What luck. I was worried at first, but it seems the gods haven't abandoned me... or us!"
They'd suffered greatly from the typhoon right from the start—an unlucky ordeal—but fortunately, they'd spotted the enemy's ship sooner than expected. Mazelan's vessel, badly damaged by the storm, was creeping along with the currents at a snail's pace. Garden flashed a broad smile and issued his command.
"Prepare to fire. Turn that filthy traitor's ship into a pile of ash."
"Yes, Admiral!"
"Remember this: even damaged, that bastard out there is an upper-grade warrior. Don't get cocky and approach like idiots. Take him out cleanly from long range."
"Understood, Admiral."
Whether they'd actually committed treason or not, he had no way of knowing. But the Mazelan that Colonel Garden of Marnseu knew—the pirate hunter—was someone far removed from such scandals. Given the Franz Kingdom Navy's chronic manpower shortages, they had no choice but to hire mercenaries and bounty hunters to maintain security in nearby waters. Mazelan was the standout among them, the most skilled pirate hunter of all. That said, apart from his prowess, the man cared for little beyond booze, women, and brawls. The odds of him pulling off something as grandiose as treason were exceedingly low. Moreover, killing off such a capable man could negatively impact security not just in Marnseu and Franz Kingdom waters, but across the entire Mediterranean Sea. But truth be damned, and future sea lanes be damned—Garden was dead set on claiming Mazelan's head this very moment. The order had come straight from Duke Ocleang himself. A direct command from one of the kingdom's three power brokers who could sway its politics at will. It wasn't an order he could refuse in the first place, but the promised reward for success made Garden charge into this with fire in his veins. 'A whopping 4,000 talants! That's enough to quit this godforsaken navy and live like a king for life!' For someone perpetually mulling resignation or jumping ship, this was a golden opportunity for early retirement and a life of luxury. Ignoring how exhausted his crew might be, Garden dreamed of his rosy future as he ordered the gunners, now ready to fire.
"Open fire!" -KABOOM!!! At Garden's command, the cannons roared in unison. It was a mid-sized brigantine, barely qualifying as more than small, with armament more for show than substance—fewer than four gun ports. Even so, it was more than enough to sink Mazelan's crippled ship. The broadside struck home, turning the enemy vessel into an inferno in seconds. Garden watched with a satisfied laugh.
"Hahaha! Burn them all! This is the grave of those filthy traitors!"
His glorious future as a man of fire shone as vividly as the blazing flames. In his joyous fervor, Garden ordered continued fire. But then... -BWOOOOO!!!!
"What? What the hell...?!"
A sudden, deafening blare assaulted their ears. Garden and the Franz Kingdom navy men whipped their heads toward the sound... And the faces flushed with triumph drained to pale rigidity.
"Wha... what is that?"
"No way... how is a ship that huge...?"
"That's not the point! Look at the flag!"
A colossal warship had appeared out of nowhere. Nothing like their showboat brigantine—easily three or four times larger, with dozens of visible gun ports. A true capital ship. And what terrified them more than its size... was the flag. A black field emblazoned with a golden skull. It could only mean...
"P-Pirate... King?"
"This is insane! Fuck! Why is that bastard here?" No mere passerby—this was no coincidence. The Pirate King's flagship was bearing straight down on them. Its mere presence didn't just crush their will to fight; it pulverized it to dust. His adjutant cried out in desperation.
"A-Admiral! We need to retreat right now! Give the order!"
"B-But... Mazelan's still..."
"We've hit him that hard—he's probably dead! And that's not the issue anymore! Mazelan or not, do you want to end up as shark bait?!"
"R-Right... you're correct!... Retreat! Turn this ship around and get us out of here now!"
Garden shook off his regrets in an instant. As the saying goes, fear comes with knowledge. Garden and his men knew full well that facing the Pirate King and his crew with their current forces was suicide, plain and simple. He might forfeit the bounty without Mazelan's head, but dying by the Pirate King's hand was out of the question. Just as Garden's ship veered sharply away...
"Huh?"
"Wh-What's that...?"
A golden wave surged from Mazelan's half-wrecked ship. Even from afar, it was starkly visible, sending chills down the spines of Garden and his navy men. An immense flux of mana that warped the atmosphere in an instant. Twisting skyward like a dragon's ascent, it heralded something ominous.
"N-No way... the Pirate... King?"
"Damn it! Don't just stand there! Turn the ship! We have to escape somehow..."
The navy sailors spun the wheel frantically at Garden's order. Then... -FLASH!!! A golden blaze blinded them in a heartbeat. Heat like the sun exploding before their eyes. A light so intense it was eerie. It enveloped them all in a searing instant. The blaze stretched that split-second into eternity. As it finally ebbed...
"Ugh..."
"We... lived...?"
They realized they still drew breath, even as burns like sun-scorched flesh agonized them. Garden and the navy men slowly opened their eyes. And...
"Gasp!"
"Gulp..."
What met their gaze... Their brigantine's forward third... simply gone. Thankfully, the keel and lower hull remained, but the deckhouse and upper works had vaporized. They couldn't fathom what had done it, but everyone there knew: this was the Pirate King's power. If they'd been just a tad closer... No—even if they'd retreated a moment sooner, delaying the turn... The whole ship would've been erased, not just the bow.
"What are you gawking at?! Hurry—hoist the sails! One more hit like that and we're done for!"
"Y-Yes, Admiral!"
Terror-stricken, the navy men threw everything into maneuvering the ship at Garden's bellow. Of three sails, only one was torn; the rudder held. The missing bow threw off balance, but she could still barely make way. To retain seaworthiness after such damage was a miracle. Genuinely thanking the gods, Garden abandoned any lingering attachment and fled with all haste. Fortune favored them: the wind was on their side. And either by further luck or the aftershock of that monstrous strike, the currents shifted too, letting them escape swiftly. 'Pirate King... I'd heard the rumors, but he's a monster... H-How can such a thing exist...' Without the fierce wind and sheer luck prickling their skin, survival would've been impossible. Firmly resolved to tender his resignation upon return, Garden drove full speed for Marnseu Port. * 'Tch... they got away...' I frowned slightly, feeling a twinge of regret. The Franz Kingdom navy ship fleeing rapidly before my eyes. I'd have loved to nail them for good, but the range was too great from the start, and wind plus currents were in their favor. Pushing further risked provoking not just Franz forces, but Britannian Empire patrols lurking nearby. No need to force it in this situation. Besides... small fry like them weren't my priority.
"Elkana, snap out of it! Please... just open your eyes!"
Mazelan shook the woman's limp, deathly pale form. Seeing their battered state, I furrowed my brow again. 'So this is it... the reason I was drawn here...' With that thought, I pulled up the status window I'd tucked away. Oddly quiet even after encountering Mazelan, our trusty system. But this guy, who'd suddenly started chattering after I woke up a few days ago, had been giving me an ominous vibe right up to this moment.
📜 HIDDEN QUEST 📜
Fate's Crossroads
Should I kill him?'