Chapter 204. The Glorious Return (1)
Haraine, the leader of the Sea Devil Pirates, gazed at the massive ship before him with a cruel grin.
"Those bastards might be big shots on land, but things are different at sea, hehe," he said.
A colossal vessel drifted gracefully across the open waters. Atop its mast flew the flag of the Azure Wolves—a symbol that Haraine knew all too well. It was the banner of the Ducal Family of Leston.
And yet, despite that, he had every intention of attacking that ship.
"Boss! Cannons are ready!" Haraine's lieutenant said.
"Start firing the moment they're within range. Pass down the order!" Haraine instructed.
"Yes, sir!" the lieutenant answered.
After giving his orders to his lieutenant, Haraine turned his gaze back to the ship.
It had sailed from the Southern Great Forest. For years, the Southern Great Forest had been a forbidden zone for pirates, because rumors circulated that anyone who dared enter would witness hell itself.
But recently, a lot had changed. The Ducal Family of Leston had begun trading with the Southern Great Forest.
And the very ship before him was a symbol of that trade.
"If we plunder that ship, we'll finally be free from this damned pirate life," Haraine murmured, his eyes gleaming with greed as he examined the Leston vessel.
It was a trading ship connected to the Southern Great Forest. That meant it wasn't just carrying precious goods; there was even a chance they could capture some elves.
"One big haul could change our lives. Isn't that worth a gamble? Am I right, you bastards?" Haraine cried.
"Hahaha! You're damn right, boss!" one of the pirates agreed.
"Are we finally done with this miserable life?" another pirate asked.
The pirates all roared with excitement. Haraine smiled, clearly pleased with their enthusiasm.
"The Queen? That senile hag isn't a pirate anymore. What kind of pirate looks at such a juicy prize and just walks away? Calling herself a Pirate Queen? What a joke," Haraine sneered as he recalled the orders that had come through the Queen's envoy.
"Do not attack any ship bearing the banner of the Azure Wolves."
The South Sea belonged to the Pirate Queen. Anyone who sailed into her territory had to be prepared to defend themselves. Countless pirate crews had sworn allegiance to her for the sole purpose of pillaging freely in the South Sea.
But now, she expected them to pick and choose their targets. Haraine didn't understand why any self-respecting pirate would follow orders like that.
"Pirates should be pirates," Haraine said.
Bite down on anyone who crossed their path and take whatever they wanted. That was what Haraine believed a true pirate should be.
"Boss, but if we plunder that ship, won't the Queen come after us?" one of his dimwitted subordinates asked, shifting his eyes nervously.
Haraine smacked his stupid subordinate across the head without hesitation and said, "You dumb bastard. After we raid that ship, we'll head straight to the smuggling port in the Kingdom of Zion. The Queen might rule the seas, but do you think she can chase us onto land?"
"Boss, I don't have a good feeling about this... The rum I had last night doesn't seem to be sitting well..." the subordinate added.
"You useless piece of crap!" Haraine shouted.
Thwack!
Haraine drove his gauntlet-covered fist deep into the man's gut. The unfortunate subordinate doubled over, vomiting as he stumbled backward.
"Those Leston bastards can't even think of setting foot in the Kingdom of Zion. All we need to do is offload the goods at the smuggling port and disappear deep into the mainland. Do you idiots know what happens when rats like us start worrying about tomorrow? We don't even make it through today. Got that?" Haraine said, his tone dripping with menace.
Haraine's reputation for brutality was well known. Faced with his threats, his men nodded reluctantly, their heads hanging low.
"Even if there are knights on that ship, they won't be able to do a damn thing once we blast them from a distance. What can a bunch of knights do against cannon fire?" Haraine added.
"You're absolutely right, boss!" one of his men chimed in eagerly.
"Do you morons really not understand what it means for the most prestigious family of the empire to personally oversee a trade voyage?" Haraine shouted, jabbing his finger toward the ship. "That ship is filled with gold. Even if we spent a lifetime pillaging, we'd never come across a prize like this again. Do you understand?"
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change their miserable lives.
The only reason the Sea Devil Pirates had been able to steadily expand their influence was because of Haraine's sharp tongue. He fueled his men's greed with promises of riches and rewarded their loyalty with generous spoils.
A perfect balance of carrot and stick—that was the secret to Haraine's success. And this time was no different.
"I'll give the one who performs best the honor of plundering that ship first. Now get back to your ships and prepare!" Haraine ordered.
"Yes, boss!" one of the pirates said.
"Understood!" another pirate added.
The pirate fleet consisted of six ships in total. Upon hearing Haraine's promise, the captains of each vessel grinned greedily and returned to their ships to prepare for battle.
The cannons were soon ready to fire, and before long, the Leston vessel drifted into range.
"It's been too long since I've seen Imperial blood spill," Haraine murmured, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He raised his hand to signal the attack and shouted, "Fire at will once the cannons are ready!"
But just as he was about to give the order...
"B-Boss! L-Look at that!" the fool who had been knocked out earlier shouted, pointing frantically at something in the distance.
Haraine scowled and said, "This idiot still hasn't learned his lesson. I swear, you bastards never listen until I beat you up."
"B-But it's real this time!" the man stuttered.
Haraine followed the man's trembling finger and turned his gaze toward the horizon.
Then, after a moment, he froze.
"...A wave?" Haraine wondered.
There was a monstrous wave, large enough to swallow the entire pirate fleet whole, surging toward them.
Haraine didn't know what was happening, but it seemed there was some sort of mage on that ship.
"M-Mage! Get the mages to block that wave!" Haraine shouted to the pirates' mages. But the mages aboard his ship only shook their heads, their faces pale with fear.
"We... We can't block that," one of the mages spoke up.
"T-That's not magic... That's something else!" another mage added.
But their fear didn't end there.
The same subordinate who had first spotted the wave pointed at something atop the surging water. He screamed, "There's... someone on that wave!"
"You crazy bastard! How the hell could anyone be on top of the wave?" Haraine snapped as he snatched up a spyglass, determined to see for himself.
What he saw left him speechless.
"...There really is someone there," Haraine murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
A lone figure stood atop the crest of the towering wave. It was a young knight clad in black armor.
The sight defied all logic, turning Haraine's mind blank with confusion. He didn't understand what was happening with the wave, and now with the knight as well.
"B-Boss! Give us orders...!" his subordinates said.
There was no time to think.
Haraine threw the spyglass to the deck and roared in frustration, "What the hell are you bastards doing? Fire! Fire now, damn it—!"
But it was already too late. The monstrous wave had already reached the fleet and was swallowing the pirate ships whole.
Boom!
A massive impact struck the flagship where Haraine stood, causing it to lurch violently. By some miracle, the ship didn't capsize, but the pirates who had been preparing to fire fell to the deck like ragdolls.
Haraine was no exception. The overwhelming force slammed him to the floor, and he rolled across the deck.
"Guhhh...!" Gritting his teeth, he barely managed to channel mana into his legs to regain his balance. Well... He tried to stand, in any case.
I have to counterattack right away... Haraine thought, but he never got the chance.
Thuuuud.
"Just stay down. Relax," came a voice, laced with mockery.
A foot pressed down firmly onto Haraine's back. The playful yet cold voice echoed in his ears, "So... I thought the Queen had complete control over the pirates. Guess I was wrong. Then again, expecting pirates to follow orders? Yeah, that was never going to happen."
It was a young voice. But despite the tone, Haraine couldn't move a muscle. All he could do was hold his breath and listen intently.
"If you want to live, nod," the voice said.
Haraine, desperation filling his eyes, nodded frantically.
This knight was a monster. He had conjured a wave that devoured an entire fleet and rode it straight onto the flagship.
Haraine knew that no one could possibly go against someone like that. He thought, Survive. For now, I just need to survive.
Instinct—the very thing that had kept him alive all these years—was screaming at him. It told him not to resist. That if he resisted, he would die.
So, Haraine chose to obey that instinct. He begged in a trembling voice, "P-Please... Spare me."
The knight chuckled, then said, "I'll let you live."
"T-Thank y—" Haraine began, but was cut off.
"But you should've just chosen death instead," the knight interrupted.
Thud.
The knight's sword plunged deep into Haraine's thigh.
"Ahhhhhh!" Haraine screamed, his voice echoing across the deck.
"I heard sharks have a great nose for blood. Guess I'll test that theory with you. You don't mind, do you?" the knight asked, his tone dripping with amusement.
Only then did Haraine realize the truth. This was the reason the Queen had ordered them never to touch the Ducal Family of Leston's ships.
"You're bait now. Bait number one," the knight murmured softly. "Are you ready to be the sharks' food?"
A demon was whispering into his ear.
***
Only one-fifth of the pirates had survived Caron's wrath. Out of the six pirate ships, Caron had sunk five, sending the rest of the pirates to the bottom of the sea.
It could hardly even be called a battle. The pirates had barely managed to put up any resistance, and Caron had easily cleaned up the mess before returning to the Ducal Family of Leston's trade ship.
" Hmmm. Caron. Pirates are a bunch you can never trust. Even the ones who swear loyalty are always looking for an opportunity to stab you in the back," the Queen said.
"So, are you saying that you have no responsibility over this?" Caron asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"This has nothing to do with me. I warned them. I told them not to touch your family's ships," the Queen said.
"Is that really the extent of your authority? How... disappointing," Caron said.
He was speaking with the Queen through the communication orb.
"What would've happened if I hadn't been on this ship?" he asked.
"Are you blaming me now, cute little wolf?" the Queen asked
"If you got paid, you should at least do your job properly," Caron shot back.
"No respect for your elders, hmm?" the Queen remarked.
"Would you like me to curse at you? I'm in the mood right now. I could really let loose," Caron warned.
"Haha, you're adorable," the Queen replied.
There was one thing Caron hated more than anything—people messing with his belongings.
The only reason he had been able to establish maritime trade with the Southern Great Forest was because of the Queen's protection. If she couldn't keep the pirates under control, the losses would be enormous.
The route from the Southern Sea to the Western Sea was teeming with pirates. Considering the value of those trade routes, it was no wonder that these bottom-feeders were willing to risk their lives to plunder them.
"Just so you know, my elite pirate fleets won't touch your family's ships. But I can't be bothered to manage every single worm in the sea. And not all the pirates are under my control, you know?" the Queen explained.
Her humming echoed lazily through the communication orb.
"And if I start wiping out pirates left and right, what do you think will happen? Rumors will spread that the Pirate Queen is nothing but a lapdog of the Leston family. Do you want that?" the Queen continued.
"So, you're telling me to handle the small fry myself while you keep the big dogs on a leash?" Caron asked, his tone sharp.
"Let's not make this difficult, sweet Caron. I opened that trade route as a favor to you. But even a child should learn to guard his own bowl. I've already done more than enough," the Queen replied.
If the elites under the Queen's banner made a move, the trade with the elves would collapse instantly. They were trained hunting dogs. Even the Ducal Family of Leston, with all their power, would have a hard time against them at sea.
Caron had no choice but to back down. He said, "Fine. I'll handle the small fry myself, as you suggested."
The Queen chuckled softly in response." Hehe, now that's more like it."
"I'm hanging up," Caron said.
"Go ahead," the Queen responded.
Buzz.
As soon as the communication orb deactivated, Caron tossed it to the floor in irritation.
Leo let out a long sigh and asked, "Did things not go well?"
"She told us to deal with it ourselves. Seriously, you can't trust pirate bastards for anything," Caron muttered, shaking his head.
He wondered how he was supposed to deal with this mess.
This time, things had gone smoothly because he had been on the ship. But the next trade voyages were a concern. It was only a matter of time before the scent of wealth attracted an endless horde of scavengers.
"We need to take action," Caron said.
This couldn't go on. Trade with the elves wasn't just a business venture; it was a steady stream of wealth that lined his pockets.
Caron drummed his fingers on the desk, his mind deep in thought. How should I handle this?
As he pondered ways to suppress the pirates' greed, his gaze fell on the battered and broken face of Haraine, the pirate leader.
"Hey," Caron's voice cut through the tense air.
Haraine, still lying flat on the ground, barely managed to respond, "Y-Yes... Please speak, sir."
"Do you know any places around here where pirates gather? What do you guys call them again?" Caron asked.
"P-Pirate islands...? Y-Yes, there are a few. Smaller pirate crews dock there... to resupply, or..." Haraine stuttered.
"Perfect," Caron said as a wicked idea took root in his mind.
There was only one way to suppress greed: Replace it with fear. A fear so overwhelming that it crushed even the most insatiable greed.
"You know where all of them are, right?" Caron asked.
"Of course I do," Haraine answered.
"Good. You're going to lead us there," Caron instructed.
All he had to do was imprint a single, unshakable truth into the minds of every pirate: To never touch a ship belonging to the Ducal Family of Leston.
If they burned down every pirate island in sight, that message would be seared into their minds with terrifying clarity.
Caron's sinister smile was enough to send a shiver down Haraine's spine.
"What are you thinking, Caron?" Leo asked cautiously, sensing the dangerous glint in his cousin's eyes.
Caron responded with a bright, almost innocent smile, "Leo, have you ever thought about becoming the Pirate King?"
"...You're insane," Leo said.
"I'm going to be the Pirate King. You... should become my mate," Caron said.
"Seriously, you're completely out of your mind," Leo remarked.
Hell itself descended upon the pirates in the form of the unhinged Mad Dog that was never to be provoked.
And so, the name of Caron Leston, the Demon of the Seas, was created.
Two weeks later, rumors spread like wildfire—ten pirate islands had been burned to ash at Caron's hands.