2
Chapter 2
The Port of Gerard, known as the pride of the South.
"Emergency! This is an emergency!! All hands to battle stations!!"
It was in a truly dire situation.
The waves, once so peaceful, were crashing more violently than ever.
As the black dots appearing beyond the horizon grew closer, a creeping sense of dread set in.
Seven flagships in total, all shrouded in black.
For those living in the South.
For those living by the sea, it was impossible not to know—'his' fleet was approaching the South.
—Clang—Clang——Clang———!!!
There was no helping the bells of the port fortress, ringing out like screams.
"S-should we fire?!"
The soldiers at the coastal gun batteries scrambled to aim their cannons.
But their hands were already shaking at the sight of the fleet's imposing presence.
It was only natural.
Who were they, after all?
It was the fleet of Haydam, Captain of 'Queen Marianne's Revenge.'
Countless fleets from the South and enemy nations had succumbed to their naval guns and were captured.
Countless soldiers and pirates had been swept away by his sword.
The Reaper of the Sea, whom the Navy of the Empire and the South hated and feared so much, was about to storm the South.
"Th-those bastards...! What on earth...!!"
One could easily think that they had finally gone mad and intended to turn the South into a sea of fire.
And then.
"H-he...! He has stepped onto the figurehead!!"
He, Haydam, known as the Pirate King, stood atop the Queen Marianne's Revenge.
—....
He looked down at the churning waves.
Beyond his coat, which whipped violently in the sea breeze, his Aura began to radiate.
"Th-that lunatic...!!! What the hell is he planning...!!"
The commander, well aware that he was rumored to be crazy and indeed frequently did insane things, shouted.
"R-release the chains! Deploy all the naval mines!!"
He immediately ordered traps to be set in the waters before them.
""Yes!!""
Following his orders, the mages waiting atop the walls.
—Whooooo......!!
Began using teleportation magic to plant bombs and various devices beneath the sea.
—Clink-clink-clink————!!
The massive iron chains submerged beneath the sea surged upward, taut, to block entry.
—Splash!
Numerous naval mines fell majestically upon the waves, as if to halt their advance.
Traps that would shatter even a standard Ship of the Line if they were caught.
Seeing this, the Southern soldiers felt a momentary sense of relief.
—....
Until he reached for his sword.
"...Th-that. He's trying to do something."
"...What? Give me that."
The commander snatched the telescope and gazed at the figurehead of that famous ship.
Then, as if recognizing him, Haydam wore a sly smile and drew the sword from his waist.
—Vrrrooooom....
A blue Aura flickered like flames along the blade.
"W-what is th—"
Then, he swung his sword in a wide arc toward the air... or more accurately, toward the various devices beneath the sea.
—KABOOM——!!!!
A massive slash erupting from the tip of his sword sliced through the ocean and struck the chains directly.
The chains shattered as if exploding, triggering a chain reaction among the numerous naval mines.
The barrier blocking the path collapsed uselessly and began to sink into the depths.
"Insane... is that even human?!"
"W-we must mobilize the entire army immediately! That madman is finally starting a war...!!"
The soldiers atop the fortress were struck with horror.
Regardless of their panic, Haydam's fleet continued to advance confidently into the harbor.
At a speed no human on foot could match, leaving the reinforcements barely able to keep up.
In that moment, the massive hull of Haydam's ship reached the dock.
—THOOM———!!!
A heavy shockwave shook the entire pier.
Standing at the edge of the docked ship's deck, Haydam unleashed his voice, infused with Aura.
—Admiral of the South, Leandro Silva!! I've come as promised! Are you ready for your guest?!!!!!
A thunderous, overwhelmingly loud voice.
It was a voice that drowned out the soldiers loading the naval guns and all the noise on the pier, echoing throughout the harbor.
At the same time.
—Clink, clank——!
Haydam's fleet aligned their gun ports toward the fortress in unison.
An arrogant and intimidating greeting befitting a pirate, signaling that the port would become ashes the moment they sparked a fuse.
The soldiers were first shocked that the 'Admiral of the South' was mentioned by his name.
"...Sigh, that lunatic."
They were further shocked to see the Admiral of the South standing among the reinforcements.
"Open the gates."
"...What?"
"Are you deaf? I said open the gates. We must welcome that madman."
When the Admiral of the South himself ordered the port gates to be opened, the soldiers were utterly appalled.
However, the soldiers had no choice.
The supreme commander of the South was the Admiral of the South.
If he ordered the gates to be opened, they had to obey.
—Screeeech——Clunk....
The massive iron gates swung open, and the South's elite knights lined up on either side.
"...Sigh."
Admiral Leandro stood in the center.
"Didn't I tell you to come alone?"
Leandro spoke to Haydam, who was watching him from a distance.
"Hahaha...! Now that's a joke."
Haydam laughed as if the suggestion were absurd.
—Thump—!
He leaped from the deck down to the ground.
"Do you have any idea what those Empire bastards are up to? If I don't make it back to that ship by today, the South will be a sea of fire. So let's try to make this a productive time, Admiral Leandro."
Leandro was truly speechless.
Of course, he had assumed some level of safeguard would be put in place.
But this... a posture that seemed ready to risk an entire war.
It was a decision that could never come from a sane mind.
"...."
Yet, that was exactly why Leandro had chosen him.
To utilize him.
To keep the man known as the Pirate King as his own personal instrument.
"Now, I've come to make a deal, so lead the way. I need to see the promised territory... and where that daughter is."
"...Follow me."
Hiding his discomfort, Leandro slowly guided Haydam.
*
The Admiral of the South, Leandro Silva.
I had heard that name quite a long time ago.
Was it around five years into my life as a pirate?
I had heard he was the supreme commander of the nearest nation.
And only after we smashed their warships.
Was I finally able to gather information about him.
And it was only after hearing his name that I realized roughly what kind of world I had come to.
Because he was the 'Admiral of the South' from some romance fantasy novel whose title I could no longer remember.
In truth, he was called the Admiral of the South, but it was easier to think of him as the Viceroy of Nueva España during the Age of Discovery.
The highest rank within a colony, ruling it on behalf of an Emperor or King.
Therefore, in the South, he was practically a king.
That was the position Leandro Silva held as the 'Admiral of the South.'
Perhaps because of that, his court was truly lavish.
The marble floors reflected the sound of boots with vivid clarity.
'...Hah.'
The nobles in the portraits hanging on the walls were captured with striking lifelikeness.
After walking those corridors for a long time under Leandro's guidance.
"Take a seat, Haydam."
We finally arrived at Admiral Leandro's office.
"...Hehehe, you have a look on your face as if you don't trust me."
Seated in the place of honor, Leandro wore a relaxed smile.
Finding him quite irritating, I threw myself into the sofa, tossing etiquette to the wind, and asked.
"Let's get to the point. Why me?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Empire is crawling with successful noble bastards, isn't it? Why let a pirate like me into the South and make me your son-in-law?"
I couldn't understand it.
Why me, specifically, as a son-in-law?
Not the captain of some other nation's privateer, but a true, pure pirate?
The terms of the deal were rationally incomprehensible.
Because of that, I desperately wanted to know his intentions.
Then, Leandro set down his teacup and narrowed his eyes.
"Nobles calculate too much. However, pirates like you are quite simple. Those who spend their lives between the sea and islands naturally crave land and stability, do they not?"
"...."
"I can provide that. In exchange, I want your strength and your fleet. The most brutal pirate to wipe out the other pirates and privateers threatening the Southern seas."
...Aha.
Only then did I understand his intentions.
The daughter he intended to hand over to me was a kind of hostage.
And I knew exactly why he was forced to give up his own flesh and blood.
'...Pirate activity has certainly become more prominent lately.'
First of all, the South and its surrounding waters were even more chaotic than the Age of Discovery in the real world.
What happens when a superhuman capable of using Aura is on a ship?
They can ignore naval guns entirely and take on a hundred men alone.
And to make matters worse, there wasn't just one or two of them.
Because of that, the South was becoming increasingly isolated and was on the verge of being cornered.
'So, he wants to give a title to the most famous pirate and use me as his hound.'
It was almost the same context as when Francis Drake was granted a knighthood.
"...Not a bad deal."
Once my thoughts reached that conclusion, my verdict was that it wasn't a bad deal.
Honestly, I didn't want to continue the pirate life for much longer.
Regardless of the adventure, piracy is a business with far too many risks.
I was certain that few people, unless they were completely insane, would want to keep it up.
"You will marry my daughter, Ines. She carries my blood... but well, her standing within the family is quite precarious. She'll be perfect for a man like you to take control of."
At Leandro's gesture, a maid approached to guide my way.
For a moment, I wondered if I should simply follow the maid's lead.
"Look, Haydam. If you die here, your fleet waiting outside the harbor will turn the South into a sea of fire, won't they? Why would I take such a gamble?"
His logic was sound enough.
"...Fair point."
I nodded and followed the maid.
The corridor was long and dark.
It was a place far from the main building, like a sequestered annex.
When we arrived, the maid opened the door with trembling hands and a shaking voice.
"Y-you must enter by yourself here. The young lady... is a bit sensitive."
The maid then vanished as if fleeing.
"Hah, why are the servants of the South so cowardly?"
I scoffed at the maid and flung the door open.
"Well, it's none of my business now. Let's see just how arrogant the Admiral's daughter—"
The rest of the sentence died in my throat.
The room was chilling.
No, 'chilling' wasn't the right word.
Despite it being daytime, the scent of death, the kind one might smell on a battlefield, seemed to linger.
And on the bed inside, a woman lay there.
No... it was more accurate to say she was 'restrained.'
Her slender arms were bound by handcuffs and fixed to the bedposts.
The ankles exposed above the orange linens of the South bore vivid, red chafing marks.
Her vacant eyes were fixed on the ceiling.
She didn't even flinch at the sound of the door opening.
She lay there like a doll whose soul had been ripped out.
"......."
I stared blankly at the scene.
The golden egg that would bring me a title and territory.
The glamorous noblewoman who would scrub my past clean.
'...Damn it, this girl is my wife?'
Something felt very wrong.