Chapter 65

“Y-You’ve worked hard, Auriel.”

“Not at all. It’s the infiltration team that’s really put in the effort.”

Franklin and her group were moving toward the port, taking care of Auriel as per the plan.

Magellan, Elkana, and Ambasha made up the total of five+ members, all wearing masks as they stealthily crossed the alleyway.

They were the ones who moved quickly before the Pirate King made his appearance.

Thanks to that, Franklin and her group were able to carry out their mission quietly without any interference along the way.

“By now, Father must have started fighting, right?”

“That’s likely. Let’s hurry, senpai. They’ll soon come flooding this way.”

Given the chaotic situation where they were busy fighting each other, the chances of them putting up a desperate fight against the Pirate King were exceedingly low.

They would definitely be trying every ounce of their strength to escape.

If they were caught up in that mess, it would surely lead to troublesome complications, so Franklin’s group decided to enter the port as quickly as possible.

Before their eyes was the port, with the pirate ships faintly visible beyond it.

Once they got there, the mission would be complete, and they began to feel their tension ease a bit.

Just then…

“…Wait a moment.”

“Huh?”

Franklin suddenly signaled for them to stop.

They all huddled down, halting their steps.

At that moment…

-Whooosh!!

“!”

“Wh-What’s that?”

A signal flare shot up into the sky all of a sudden.

It wasn’t the usual gold color used by pirate crews.

Seeing that it glowed with a red light, an ominous feeling started to take hold of them.

And then…

-KABOOM!!!

“!!”

The sudden booming sound echoed in the distance—not from here, but far away outside the port, causing Franklin and her group to momentarily freeze in confusion.

“W-What’s happening?”

“What is this…?”

In a situation where the port was surrounded, pirate ships suddenly started fighting.

With most of the ships docked, they wondered who in the world they were fighting against.

However, it didn’t take long for their curiosity to be answered.

“Are those the Benessa Navy?”

“Ah… no, why are they there?”

The Benessa Navy, which they thought would be docked either to the west or east, had suddenly appeared and started a battle, leaving them understandably baffled.

Then…

“Finally… I’ve got you.”

“!”

A chilling voice echoed suddenly.

At the same time, Franklin infused her sword with magical power.

And then.

-Swish!

-Kwadduk!!!

The sharp flow of wind reminiscent of a blade echoed around them.

As she used a barricade to block it, Franklin furrowed her brows instinctively at the sound.

That voice just now…

And the one who attacked in this way…

There was only one person she knew who did that.

“… Achroiel…”

*

Right after discovering that Blue Queen had been attacked, Achroiel swiftly moved her troops outside the Sharden region.

This was the first step in executing her planned Plan B.

‘The forces they have are no longer useful. At this point, all I can do is use them as bait…’

Having concluded that, Achroiel prepared to move to the next stage.

However, just then…

She realized she didn’t need to lure the Pirate King anymore.

The reason being, as soon as the Benessa fleet had set sail from the port, Achroiel had already spotted them.

The pirate ships approaching Sharden castle, which she had intended to lure the Pirate King with.

‘I’ve never had this kind of luck in my life…’

The enemies appeared at a timing so exquisite it seemed almost scripted.

While she was briefly struck by surprise, Achroiel swiftly began her plan.

Yet, charging directly into battle was reckless.

The naval strength she possessed was only about half of theirs.

Moreover, considering the combat ability of the pirates, especially the overwhelming power of the officers and that Pirate King, the already serious gap would certainly widen.

However…

She never intended to engage them directly in the first place.

That was what Plan B was all about…

“Phew…”

Achroiel extended her magical power widely.

Circle of Magical Power.

She began to feel the movements of all the enemies vividly in the area.

While she couldn’t move or fight during this focused state, that was hardly a concern in the current situation.

They didn’t yet know her nor the location of the Benessa Navy and Achroiel.

Carefully tracking them through the Circle of Magical Power, she could distinctly sense the powerful presence of the Pirate King.

And…

The target of this operation, that distinct yet faint presence of the child…

Was Ambasha.

‘Elkana’s presence is so plain it’s hard to distinguish… but there’s no help for it. For now, I need to save whoever I can…’

*

“W-Why is he here…?”

Approaching with dozens of soldiers was Achroiel.

Her face lit up with anticipation, filled with malice as she gripped her sword tightly.

And then…

“No matter how much you hide, it’s pointless. I know everything. You there, little one… Ambasha, right?”

“!”

“Hmph…”

Achroiel recognized her instantly, even though she wore a mask.

In response, Ambasha instinctively flinched and hid behind Franklin.

“Don’t be so scared. Even if you’ve become a pirate, you haven’t done anything wrong, little one. You must have been tricked or threatened by those deceitful ones.”

-Snap!

With that remark, Achroiel lightly snapped her fingers.

At that, the soldiers waiting in the wings drew their weapons simultaneously.

“Just wait a moment; I’ll save you right away.”

“… Hmph….”

“No… I’ve felt it for a while now, but what the heck is that guy thinking?”

“It seems he’s made a huge misunderstanding… but it’s a bit complicated to explain.”

In any case, speaking would probably be futile now.

With that conclusion, they knew they had no choice but to fight.

“Attack!”

“Hyaaah!!!”

Following Achroiel’s command, the Benessa Navy swarmed in.

Comprising elite warriors averaging around Grade 4, they were formidable opponents…

But…

“Ugh!!”

Franklin’s group was also no pushovers.

Averaging Grade 7 Advanced Warriors, with Franklin at the brink of Grade 9 leading the charge, they held their ground against Achroiel.

-Crack!

“Could it be… Franklin?”

“… Tch.”

“From your reaction, it must be you… Where’s Elkana? If you hand over my friend and Ambasha, I might let you go.”

“I refuse. Those two are… now mine.”

“You… Even if you’re a pirate, how can you be so shameless? How can a human do such ridiculous things, dragging people against their will and spewing such nonsense?”

“… Ha…”

Franklin felt no need to explain herself to the enemy.

She stopped any further conversation and focused only on the battle before her.

-Crack!!!

Overall, the battle was in Achroiel’s favor, yet Franklin wasn’t any weaker.

Not yet at the level of a Grand Warrior…

Recently, after confessing her feelings to that man, Franklin began to grasp something.

While she couldn’t defeat Achroiel, Achroiel could not easily overcome her either.

-Slash!!!

“Tch!”

“Ugh….”

After glaring at each other with fierce eyes, both swung their weapons once more.

The magical waves they unleashed made it difficult for others to approach them.

Meanwhile…

“Hahaha!”

“Ugh!!”

Magellan, at Grade 8, and Elkana, who had just reached Grade 7.

They were matching up almost equally against the overwhelmingly superior numbers of the Benessa Navy.

“Haha! Now I see why they call them advanced warriors. There’s real joy in stabbing and collecting with the dagger fitting so well in my hand.”

“Shut up. You’ll get us caught. If they find out we’re here, things will get even weirder.”

“Whew… that might be quite entertaining too…”

For now, the two of them concentrated on blocking the Navy without saying more.

And…

“Hmm…”

Ambasha, having just reached the threshold of Grade 3.

Though she was on the cusp of upgrading, at this moment, Ambasha was closer to being protected rather than fighting.

Their claim of “We’ll rescue you” was no mere bluff, for they were fixated on targeting Ambasha.

While Elkana and Magellan held off the enemies in front, Ambasha’s combat capability would only serve as a hindrance if she entered the fray.

As the chaos continued, Ambasha inadvertently started to step back toward the bushes behind her.

Then…

“Hmm?”

“… Hehehe… so it’s you, huh… the one Duke Ocleang has been so eager to get…”