Chapter 160

Louis abruptly halted her hammering.

Before her stood a person she hardly recognized since boarding this ship, but at least she vaguely remembered their name.

‘Wasn’t it… Samir?’

According to her memory, this man was the second-in-command after Lemain aboard the ship and was said to be the brains of the pirate crew.

The fact that such a person had come to her made Louis feel a slight tension.

“What brings you here? It doesn’t seem like it’s for weapon maintenance…”

While unsure of the exact reason, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping over her.

With Louis, the Queen, feeling heavy tension, Samir spoke in a grave tone.

“I need your help, Queen Louis.”

“!…Ugh…”

Samir blatantly addressed her true identity.

Though there were no others around, the fact that this had slipped out while she was trying to conceal it embarrassed Louis significantly.

“Uh… How…”

“The captain informed me. He did tell me to pretend not to know, though…”

“Um…”

After the Lemain incident, Franklin’s group, including Louis, had been summoned before the Pirate King.

Despite clearly making eye contact, the Pirate King had not spoken to her in any special way.

Given the circumstances, it seemed he intended to keep her presence under wraps for the time being, and it indeed appeared to be that way.

Nevertheless, Samir’s current revelation about her identity made Louis realize he wanted to tell her something—not as the lowly pirate Chomski, but as Queen Louis of the Kingdom of Frantz.

“If you have something you want to say… go ahead.”

“Yes, regarding this war, I have one request for you, Your Majesty. Can you listen to me?”

“Well… What is it?”

Louis asked with a slightly stiff voice.

Samir began to explain in a serious tone…

The Queen’s face hardened as she listened.

“…Do you think that can be done at this point?”

“Of course. There is enough possibility. If you would just make the decision, Your Majesty.”

“…”

Samir spoke with a steadfast voice.

However, the expression on Queen Louis’s face remained grim.

“I’m not forcing you. I just want you to know this is the best strategy I can think of to minimize our losses.”

While he was showing humility, there was undeniably heavy pressure in his words.

Hearing this, Queen Louis spoke cautiously, her expression dark.

“Could you… grant me some time to think?”

“Yes, then I will wait for your answer.”

With those words, Samir exited, leaving a heavy burden in Louis’s heart.

And… Alone, Louis leaned against the wall, trembling quietly.

She was scared.

Scared of the situation she found herself in.

The reality that she could lose her life at any moment weighed heavily upon her.

However, at the same time, it was true that a different kind of determination was beginning to blossom within her heart.

Nobody felt a greater sense of responsibility for the past than Louis did.

If she could repay that debt in some way…

Even if she were to fail, just that thought seemed meaningful.

“Should I… try?”

“Don’t.”

“What!”

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in her ear.

Louis immediately turned her head toward the source of the sound.

“…C-Captain?”

The person looking at her with a cold expression was he.

He approached slowly and said firmly to Louis.

“Don’t even think about it. No matter how much Samir believes it’s the best plan, I cannot allow it.”

“Ha… But… Didn’t you say the chances were high? I think so too. If done right, we could significantly weaken the enemy’s forces…”

“Yes, and at the same time, you would be putting yourself in danger. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

Louis couldn’t reply for a moment to the Pirate King’s words.

This method could indeed severely weaken the Brittania Empire’s forces.

However, to do so, Queen Louis would have to re-establish contact with the Revolutionary Army of the Kingdom of Frantz.

The very ones who were already watching for her life.

It was essentially the same as voluntarily re-entering the lion’s den after barely escaping.

“I recognize the effectiveness of the method itself. But I cannot put another companion’s life at risk for this.”

“!…?”

The Pirate King’s words inexplicably made Louis’s face flush hot for a moment.

It wasn’t merely because this man was concerned for her.

What truly made her heart flutter was… the fact that he was acknowledging her as a companion.

“D-Companion… you say? Uh… I’m just a stowaway, after all. I’m just someone who got on the ship without the captain’s permission, wanting to leave… How can I…”

Hiding her racing heart behind forced words, Louis spoke.

To her, the Pirate King replied in a serious tone.

“Even so, it’s undeniable that you boarded this ship of your own will. And the many people aboard have accepted you as one of their own. I have as well.”

“C-Captain…”

“Therefore, do not think about leaving the ship on your own. For now, focus on weapon maintenance and preparing the meal as you have been.”

As the Pirate King lightly patted Louis’s shoulder while speaking, she felt her heart flutter again…

And she was able to more firmly decide what she ought to do moving forward…

*

“…What…? What do you mean by that?”

“They left. Last night, to the Kingdom of Frantz.”

– Bang!

Samir spoke in a quiet voice.

In response, the Pirate King slammed his fist down on the desk he was sitting at, filled with deep anger.

The desk now had a large hole in it.

With a cold voice, the Pirate King said,

“Please tell me you didn’t say anything strange afterward.”

“Whose order would I dare to disobey? Since the Captain opposed it, I didn’t mention it any further.”

“Ugh…”

Knowing Samir wouldn’t lie in such a situation, his words were undoubtedly true.

Nevertheless, Louis had gone back to that place, which was essentially like returning to a death trap.

But right now, we had no time to worry about her.

The pirate ships under our command were rapidly arriving from all directions.

Soon, the Pirate Lords, including Kangut from the Dark Sea, would also arrive here.

When that moment came, the war was bound to begin.

We needed to focus all our efforts on thorough preparations for it.

In the end, all I could do was hope that Queen Louis would finish her business and come back safely.

As I began to do so, I forced my gaze away, carrying the painful burden of having lost yet another companion before we even began…

*

It had been about three days since leaving Marinseu.

Feeling an increasing urgency as the day approached, Louis hurriedly moved toward the designated location.

Unlike when she was ruling as a queen, Louis was now dressed in a shabby outfit and appeared disheveled.

But in this situation, it actually helped her conceal her identity, so she continued to hastily head for her contact… Napoleona.

Then…

“Huh? What’s that?”

Soldiers blocking the street, causing the citizens of Pare to be herded to one side.

Feeling puzzled by this sudden situation, Louis cautiously asked a nearby woman.

“It seems something is happening… Is there a festival or something today?”

“It’s not a festival; it’s a funeral.”

“Oh… Is that so? But why is the procession so raucous? Whose funeral could it be…”

“Did you not hear? They say Queen Louis of the Kingdom of Frantz has died.”

“What? W-What do you mean…”

Caught off guard by the woman’s unexpected words, Louis was engulfed in intense confusion for a moment.

Having suddenly received this news in the very place of her own funeral shocked her into silence.

“I’ve heard she died bravely fighting against the enemies. I don’t know the details. Things have been so chaotic lately…”

“Oh, they’re coming this way.”

“….”