Chapter 314

The battle has ended.

The conquest of the island has just begun, but anyway, tonight’s battle is over.

Cariosa entered the mansion where Aquila was staying as the new owner, placed a throne in a spacious conference room with a view of the sea and the port, and received reports from her subordinate knight officers.

“Your Highness. We have defeated 7,000 out of 11,000 corrupted prisoners. The Dragon Knights are on the field conducting bombardments using single-use flame magic tools. We will deal with the remnants using adventurers later.”

“Well done, Jul. Proceed with that. You’ve responded well to unexpected situations. I commend you greatly.”

She instructed the cleanup of the prisoners covered in barnacles.

“Your Highness. We have eliminated 1,288 out of 1,355 merfolk attempting to invade through the underground passage. Thanks to you defeating the high sorceress of the merfolk—”

“I dislike flattery. That’s enough. I can’t believe those pitiful creatures have come back up here. We must show them a lesson.”

They handled the merfolk that had emerged from underground.

“The pirates and their gang are fleeing in all directions. According to aerial reconnaissance, the number of torches heading east towards the island exceeds about 54,000. The actual number of heads is estimated to be comparable to 90,000.”

“Communicate to the Black Dragon Fleet. This time, we neither need to capture nor surrender. I will unleash a storm with more fury around the island. If any manage to break through, tell them to sink them all.”

She showed the remnants of the pirates what for.

“On the breakwater at the port, the Giant Octopus Guardian and the starfish sea worm have appeared. Lady Trentia of the Silver Knight Order and Duke Valenciaunos have defeated them.”

“I owe another debt. It could have damaged our landing ships. I dread to think what that rogue might ask for. Understood. I will personally commend and thank them.”

She acknowledged Lady Trentia’s efforts.

I entered the dazzling conference room, dragging Arins, who I had hidden in the underground cave, and the Blue Robe Priestess I captured at the breakwater.

“Valenciaunos! I’m grateful yet sorry.”

As the wind and rain lashed against the glass windows, Cariosa stood up suddenly from her seat at the end of the long table, arms wide open, and approached me.

She embraced me, and I cautiously placed my hand on her back, glancing at the eyes of the surrounding eastern knights.

“Your Highness…!”

Fortunately, the surrounding knights did not react as if a rogue from the capital was harassing our lord.

Noticing my thoughts, Cariosa let out a chuckle in my ear.

“You think too much.”

“Ha, haha.”

“Do you think they will disregard my insight?”

“That is true.”

I hugged her a little tighter.

The stingray leather coat and iron armor were damp and hot, and a refreshing scent of the sea wafted from her nape.

Cariosa brushed her fingers over the scales that had grown on my neck.

“I thought it would break.”

Her nails glided along the scales and snagged at a small scratch.

I inhaled sharply.

“I couldn’t help it. I was bound hand and foot and was sawing with a mana blade.”

Cariosa sang in anger.

“Now there’s one more reason to kill those damned sea worms.”

“Yes, indeed.”

I answered in a whisper.

It was not the atmosphere to ask her to spare Tarti.

Cariosa released her hold on me and pointed to the seat next to her.

“First, sit down. Ah, I’ll treat your knight separately. I was surprised. To fight the Giant Octopus Guardian head-on.”

I sat down and smiled.

“You can’t tell them to come to the eastern region.”

Cariosa flinched her shoulders and giggled.

“Do you think I would do something so childish?”

“Was that a slip of the tongue? ‘Would I?’ is a proper sentence, isn’t it?”

“Are you just prodding at inedible fish? Do you know that saying?”

“Why would I probe if I can’t eat it?”

We locked eyes.

My pupils were still vertical, and hers had always been vertical.

“Not a single human here.”

“The king isn’t human. Why act like you don’t know?”

We exchanged giggles.

As our laughter subsided, Cariosa asked.

“So what’s this about merfolk and elves?”

***

In the wide conference room, there were about a dozen high-ranking knight officers, including Cariosa’s lieutenant, Jul.

They were a fate community that shared life and death with Asenorta, essential cogs in the machinery known as the Storm Fleet.

Even if I were to dismiss them all and only speak to Cariosa, they would eventually all find out through the planning process.

Therefore, I did not hesitate and called Lady Trentia.

“Lady. Come here.”

Lady Trentia entered the conference room.

She was wearing her platinum helm at her side, and her short red hair was damp, showcasing her youthful charm.

However, contrary to her prince-like appearance, she was dragging a single chain.

Clank, clank.

On that chain were the elf archer Arins and the merfolk Blue Robe Priestess.

One had his legs tied while the other had no legs.

Thus, instead of walking on their own, they were dragged, shackled by mana-sealing magic tools.

I pointed to Arins, with blonde hair and green eyes and long ears, and the Blue Robe Priestess, who had black hair and a multi-colored shimmering tail.

“I’ll introduce you. This is Arins, the elf and pirate admiral. This is the merfolk pirate admiral and the Blue Robe Priestess who called the merfolk.”

Cariosa’s mouth dropped open.

“Ha.”

The sight of her revealing sharp teeth was intimidating, but I knew it was an expression of disbelief.

The eastern knights all gasped in surprise.

“No way. Are they really an elf and a merfolk?”

“Isn’t this the first appearance in several hundred years?”

“Shouldn’t we take a look at their ears and tails? They might just be made of leather and playing a trick on us?”

“Why are they engaging in piracy?”

“Jul, isn’t one of the ancestors of your family a merfolk?”

“There is one in our ancestry too. Which eastern knight is not of mixed ancestry with merfolk?”

“A few months ago, some sailor claimed to have seen a merfolk, and I told him not to spew nonsense…”

The heterogeneous races had oppressed humans until a thousand years ago and remained hostile toward them.

Hence, their perception among foreign countries and subjects was dreadful.

“Don’t enter the Great Forest recklessly. Monsters that look like humans will eat us.”

However, among the imperial nobles and knights, the perception of heterogeneous races was somewhat complex since they also were the ancestors who bestowed strength and traits upon them.

Especially, elves were a crucial bloodline among knightly families, and for seamen, merfolk were beings of longing in many ways.

Thus, despite revealing that they were pirate admirals, Cariosa did not throw them into a boiling pot of oil.

“Ah…”

Cariosa repeated herself, trying to say something, but her lips sealed multiple times.

Yet, being the future king of the Nayt Archipelago, she quickly regained her composure.

“First. You said you were an elf, Arins?”

Arins trembled and bowed his head to Cariosa.

“Yes. Yes, Your Highness.”

“Can I take your piratical actions here to be representative of all elves?”

“!”

Arins’ green eyes quivered.

His already pale face turned even whiter.

As the most notorious among heterogeneous races, even an archduke of Cariosa’s stature could declare this matter public and vow to burn down the elven autonomous zone together with the Church, leading to their potential extinction.

“No! That’s not it!”

“Then speak. Why is an elf here on the sea?”

***

A moment of silence passed.

Arins squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again.

“I am an explorer seeking new lands.”

“An explorer?”

“As you may know, our race lives in the southeastern autonomous district, thanks to the empire’s grace.”

“Right.”

“However, recently, a great magical realm opened up, causing considerable damage. Taking that opportunity, nearby lords invaded and took our children. We thought we needed new land to live quietly.”

“And that led you to piracy?”

“I came to the Nayt Archipelago for a foothold to ascend to the graveyard of ships. But then… it happened unintentionally… -.”

Arins trailed off.

Cariosa clicked her tongue.

“So you ended up as a pirate admiral unintentionally?”

That made no sense.

Yet, Arins lifted his head as if he had something to say.

“I have never participated in plunder. I was acknowledged for my archery skills and was responsible for the hunting party during land development, and once cooperation with the Eastern Kingdom and Aquila was initiated, I was appointed commander of the Ballista Fortress on Wing Island. And that ballista… never got to shoot even once before it was burned to the ground. Daughter of the Storm, great White Shark! Please believe me.”

Bang! Bang!

He slammed his forehead until it bled.

The eastern knights frowned.

“……”

It was unclear what was true and what was false, but it seemed that the elves genuinely wanted new land.

Of course, it was hard to believe word for word that they had suffered due to the magical realm incident.

Elves were not a race friendly with Infiltrators, but they were a race that could easily succumb to corruption.

It could be that a faction decided to take revenge on the empire using the power of corruption and ended up going berserk.

Did Cariosa share the same thoughts? Her face bore suspicion.

“Valenciaunos. I would like to ask for your judgment as a member of the imperial family. The imperial court is the ruler of five races.”

“I never expected the day would come so quickly when we would rule over races other than humans.”

I sighed softly.

Arins looked at me with the gaze of someone who saw a lifeline from the heavens.

“…… For now, an investigation into the movements of the heterogeneous races may be necessary.”

Cariosa nodded.

“That’s true.”

“Whether the events of a thousand years ago will repeat or not is still unknown.”

“That is true.”

“Then how about we keep them alive until then? After all, being an elf, isn’t it fine to imprison them for about 100 years?”

Arins’ face flickered between joy and dismay.

“Your Highness? I need to return to my homeland—”

I stretched out my hand and lifted Arins’ chin.

“You voluntarily submitted to the pirates, didn’t you? You must pay for your crimes. Plus, who decides to abandon the land we’ve granted? Don’t you know that if a serf tries to escape, the penalty is execution?”

Twitches ran across his handsome face.

“This, this!”

I pulled down his chin to make him lower his gaze.

Cariosa arched an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you going to take him?”

I turned to her and nodded.

“You are the lord of this land. If you truly haven’t committed plunder… How about sentencing him for complicity?”

“Complicity?”

“Whether by mixing blood to create a new mage family or by using him as an instructor to train spirit archers or spirit knights. Well, the treatment is up to you, of course, but you need to be cautious.”

“That’s not bad. So treat him as a minor pirate? That’s clear.”

Cariosa grinned broadly, showing her teeth.

Hearing that straightforward laughter, I had mixed thoughts.

Cariosa is a noble who can engage in dialogue.

Since she allowed elves to serve in her court, she would likely permit me to take Tarti and Sayah Yan.

Arins looked at me with a myriad of emotions in his eyes.

“……!”

I held a finger before his lips.

“Just know that I saved you. Smile.”

He bit his lip and managed a weak smile.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

I immediately turned my gaze away from that tear.

“Alright. Now that we seem to have resolved the elf issue, shall we discuss the merfolk?”

Cariosa grabbed her nape dramatically, as if already feeling frustrated.

“Yes. Actually, merfolk are more of a problem at sea. We are not even sure what their relation to the merfolk is. Is this individual’s deviation, are the merfolk slaves of elves, or are they the same from the start… We know nothing.”

“So let’s keep them quietly imprisoned. We can learn gradually.”