Chapter 67: The Pirate King
After finishing her words, Airael walked past Mork.
She had already said enough and demonstrated her current strength to Mork.
Mork did not stop Airael.
He simply lay on the ground, staring at the sky, lost in thought.
Seeing Airael approach, Celia and Aurora both called out, “Your Majesty!”
Airael nodded lightly in response, “Celia, Aurora, let’s go.”
Celia and Aurora exchanged glances at the Mork still lying on the ground.
“Don’t mind him.”
Airael glanced at Mork as she spoke to them.
“Understood!”
Celia and Aurora responded immediately and followed Airael back to their ship.
“Your Majesty, have you convinced Mork?” Celia asked while steering the ship alongside Aurora.
“Not yet, but I believe Mork will make the right choice,” Airael replied.
Meanwhile, after Airael took Celia and Aurora away, Amons hurried over to Mork.
He looked at Mork, who was dazed and staring at the sky, his face filled with sadness. “General—!”
Hearing Amons’s unpleasant wail, Mork snapped back to reality and frowned, “Amons, what are you doing?”
“General, you’re alright! I thought you, I thought…”
Mork didn’t know how to respond as Amons trailed off.
“You thought I would do what? Die?”
“Not at all!” Amons shook his head vigorously, proclaiming, “There’s no way the General could be killed!”
Listening to him, Mork recalled his experience earlier, forcing a bitter smile, “I used to think so too; I’m afraid it won’t be like that anymore.”
Amons understood what Mork was referencing.
Remembering Airael’s display of power earlier, Amons had to admit that this Queen was indeed strong.
Even the General fell to her.
While the General was caught in her trap, setting such a trap already demonstrated her strength.
So, seeing Mork, who looked quite hurt, Amons felt at a loss for how to comfort him.
However, Mork didn’t need comfort at that moment.
He had already figured out many things when he snapped back to reality.
He then stood up, patted Amons on the shoulder, and said, “Let’s get moving!”
“Yes!”
Amons followed Mork aboard their ship, leaving the nameless island where significant events had transpired.
Though it was merely a meeting, the decisions made by both parties were enough to impact the entire world.
On the ship, as Amons steered, he asked Mork, “General, have we agreed to Her Majesty’s proposal?”
Amons felt he needed to clarify this.
It was related to the future of their Dark Elves.
“Mork, I’m asking, if, if given a chance to return to the Elven Race, would you be willing to go back?”
Mork didn’t answer Amons’s question; instead, he posed his own.
“Ah—!”
Upon hearing Mork’s question, Amons’s jaw dropped in surprise.
“Answer my question, Amons.”
Mork wore a serious expression.
Somewhat taken aback, Amons instinctively swallowed hard, then thought for a moment before saying, “General, before I answer, I want to ask you a question.”
“What question?”
“If this were true, or is it just a hypothesis?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it does. If it’s true, I’ll give you a realistic answer. If it’s a hypothesis, I’ll add some of my own beautiful fantasies, since it’s just a hypothesis.”
Amons replied with a grin.
Mork shot him a deep, discreet look. “I said it’s if, so that means it’s a hypothesis.”
“In that case, I would be willing.” Amons chuckled, “General, you probably know too. Life at sea is quite dangerous. While your protection lets us ignore some hazards, it doesn’t lessen the danger of life at sea.
Moreover, the Elven Race is our original homeland. To say I have no feelings for it would be a lie.”
As he spoke, Amons felt a bit teary-eyed.
Mork’s expression was complex as well.
However, he quickly suppressed his emotions and asked, “What if it were real?”
“Then I’d have to think it over carefully.” Amons displayed a bitter smile.
Upon seeing this, Mork didn’t press further.
Because reality was quite harsh.
Many among them were exiled for their wrongdoings; if they returned, could they still live as they once did?
Mork recalled Airael’s parting words to him.
Airael’s message was simple.
It was an opportunity for them to redeem themselves.
But could that really work?
Watching Mork lost in thought, Amons opened his mouth but said nothing, instead continuing to row the boat.
Before long, another month had passed.
During this month, careful observers would notice that the formerly troublesome Elven pirates had calmed down considerably.
When encountering passing ships, they no longer rushed to plunder but instead proposed protection fees.
As long as merchant ships paid some money as a protection fee, the Dark Elves would not trouble them during their voyage and would offer assistance to some degree.
Although the protection fees were not small, shipowners recognized the value of their lives and goods and chose to cough up the cash.
After collecting protection fees from these merchant ships, the Dark Elves then took action.
They swiftly destroyed several active pirate groups at sea.
This abruptly made the once chaotic waters far more peaceful.
At the Elven Royal Palace, upon hearing this news, Airael smiled happily.
This situation was clearly more conducive to trade.
With the deepening trade ties, the Elven Race’s development would accelerate immensely.
“It seems a Pirate King is about to emerge on the seas,” she said with a smile to Celia and Aurora beside her.
Celia and Aurora, seeing Airael’s beaming smile, couldn’t help but smile in return.
It wasn’t just because Airael was smiling; they were keenly aware of what this meant for the Elven Race as participants in these events.
Not long after Airael received this delightful news, she got another one that was uncertain whether it was good or bad.
The “Initial Selection of the Elven Queen’s Suitors” on the mainland had concluded, and the final trials would now take place among the Elven Race.
As one of the candidates who passed the preliminary round, Arthur would arrive at the Elven Race.
