4.
"Prepare to set sail! Prepare to set sail!"
Two large ships, three medium ships, and three small ships.
Hundreds of naval officers moved to their assigned positions as if by prearranged agreement, unfurling the sails.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
"Hurry up and get on board!"
The noisy bell rang incessantly.
"Huff, huff!"
"Mary! What took you so long?"
"I was grabbing my harpoon gun...!"
"Don't make excuses!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Even Marigold, who arrived a step behind the others with her back laden with supplies, was filled with determination in the marines' eyes.
"Fifteen minutes until departure!"
This wasn't about some righteous zeal to communicate with vicious pirates. It was different.
For those in the marines, who lived on meager wages, this was their only chance to make a decent haul.
This was why some of the loot seized from pirates often ended up back in their hands.
"Everyone to your stations! Let's make this a big haul!"
The reason the news of pirate sightings filled them with excitement rather than fear was precisely this.
"Lancel, why don't you come along? You don't have a formal position yet, so you're probably bored. But any experience is good experience."
"Hmm."
Lancel hesitated briefly at Baron Coral's suggestion.
The sea was a far more dangerous environment than it appeared. Even for someone like Lancel, a shipwreck would mean certain death.
It wasn't like he hadn't faced death before, but deep down, Lancel preferred to avoid it if possible.
Treating life too lightly would only erode his humanity even faster than it already has.
‘Naval combat really isn't my cup of tea.’
His worries were soon resolved.
===============
[Game Guide]
—The list of obtainable endings has been updated!
Fish Food Marigold.
Slave of the Pirate Base Marigold.
Wife of the Pirate Ship’s Captain Marigold.
Lonely Bones Marigold of the Underwater Prison.
???
—Unobtained achievements have been discovered.
Ghost of the Sea.
From Pirate Grunt to Pirate Captain.
Naval Sergeant (Promoted Two Ranks).
Slave of the Pirate Base.
???
※ Very high probability of bad ending.
===============
‘Damn it!’
Lancel immediately grabbed his coat upon seeing the uniformly bleak routes.
"Are you leaving?"
"I'll board a medium-sized vessel."
"Your enthusiasm is commendable. Go have some fun."
Baron Coral suddenly clapped Lancel enthusiastically on the back.
‘Is it actually true that there isn't a single proper ending or achievement?’
It was always one of two options: death or slavery.
Even more difficult, to become a pirate's plaything? That was something Lancel couldn't bear to watch.
When he belatedly boarded the medium-sized ship where Marigold was, a familiar face greeted him.
"Lancel Dante! Why are you on my ship?"
"Let's share it. It's not like it'll wear out."
"What?"
Rox Ruin, from the adjacent cabin, was glaring at Lancel with furious eyes, welcoming him with hostility.
"Get off my ship! I decide who will be a part of my crew! Get off now, hurry... aaaah!"
Lancel turned as if to leave, then casually struck Rox in the groin with his sheathed sword.
With a sharp cry, Rox clutched his groin and collapsed.
"Lancel… Dante...!"
"My mistake," Lancel muttered, offering a hollow apology as he snatched Marigold's canteen. Ignoring her protests, he tilted it back and drained its contents in one gulp.
The sweet liquid slid down his throat.
"Prepare to set sail!"
"Set sail! Strip those pirates down to their underwear!"
.
.
.
Boom—!
The warship rammed into the pirate ship's flank.
The hull shuddered violently from the massive impact.
Seawater surged over the deck, cascading down like a torrential rain.
"Grab them!"
"Surrender!"
"Board them! Get the harpoon guns!"
"Hooks!"
It was utter chaos.
Dozens of grappling hooks flew toward the pirate ship, connecting the two vessels with thick ropes.
Of the three pirate ships that had been desperately fleeing the overwhelming firepower, two were already ensnared in the encirclement.
"Seize them!"
"Hand over the loot, you vile pirates!"
No sooner had the makeshift bridges been secured than the naval officers swarmed onto the pirate ship's deck, their eyes gleaming with avarice for the spoils.
"Ugh, ugh!"
Lancel hovered near Marigold, who was frantically scrambling around.
Marigold, wielding an absurdly large sword and charging into close combat, looked like she was perfectly setting herself up for an ending described in the game guide.
‘No way… seriously, combat just isn't her thing, is it? She should stick to delivering letters—something she's actually good at.’
Kwaaanng—!
The ships collided again, sending the pirate ship lurching violently.
Losing her balance, Marigold tumbled across the deck, crashing into the railing.
"Ugh!"
"What's this? You? You’re a marine too, this sardine-sized girl?"
"Eek!"
A pirate lunged at Marigold, who had rolled right to her feet, and swung her sword down.
"Die!"
For some reason, nothing happened. It wasn't until the next moment that the pirate realized his right arm was gone.
"...Huh?"
His cleanly severed arm, lying beside Marigold, finally caught the pirate's eye.
Blood gushed from his empty shoulder.
"Aaaaargh!"
"Hyaaaah!"
The screams of the one-armed pirate and Marigold, who was clutching his severed arm, echoed through the air in a chaotic cacophony.
Lancel kicked the one-armed pirate off the railing, sending him plummeting into the sea. With a final death cry, he vanished into the seafoam.
"Get up. You'd be better off hiding quietly."
"Th-thank you, Sir Lancel...!"
Marigold steadied herself, her face pale as death.
Claaaannggg—!
The ship shuddered again.
It was during this moment, as Lancel regained his balance and briefly glanced away, that disaster struck.
Whirr—!
"Huh?"
A noose flew through the air and snagged Marigold by the neck. For a split second, confusion flickered across her face.
"What is this... hic."
The next instant, Marigold was yanked off the deck like a fish caught on a hook.
"ugh–ack!"
"...?"
Marigold was instantly yanked overboard, plunging into the sea.
The noose was connected to the only pirate ship attempting to flee among the three vessels. A shout rang out, "We've caught a woman!"
"Mary's being taken by the pirates!"
"Let her go! It's too late!"
"Living as a pirate's plaything isn't so bad!"
"I-is that so?"
No, that couldn’t be possible.
"...If she hadn't been taken, it would have been interesting to see how this would have ended."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lancel dove into the sea.
"Sir Lancel!"
5.
“Your Excellency Count Ruin. What brings you here unannounced? If you had given me advance notice, I would have personally greeted you."
Baron Coral, the Commander of the Naval Guard, hurried toward the approaching group of people.
A man of immense stature, easily towering over two meters, Count Ruin—reputed to be the archipelago's foremost figure—strode purposefully forward, flanked by a retinue of nobles.
He didn't so much as glance at Baron Coral, his gaze sweeping restlessly across the surroundings.
"Why is the base so deserted? Where has everyone gone?"
"Most of our forces have been deployed to the western coast, where pirates have reportedly appeared. Is there something urgent?"
"Damn it! I came to find my son." Count Ruin clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Listen, and don't interrupt. Her Highness the Third Princess is said to be arriving."
Baron Coral froze, his face paling.
"The... Her Highness the Third Princess? What could possibly bring her to such a remote place?"
"I don't know the exact reason yet. I heard she's already boarded a ship heading this way. I just received the news myself, so I'm in a bit of a panic right now."
Count Ruin sighed deeply, as if burdened by a headache.
The archipelago was a beautiful cluster of islands, but hardly a grand one.
This meant they lacked the resources to properly host a member of the Imperial Family, especially someone as high-ranking as the Third Princess.
"This is a serious matter. If the Third Princess truly lives up to her reputation..."
"Mind your tongue. That could be interpreted as an insult to the Imperial Family. If careless words reach the Imperial Court, even I won't be able to protect you."
"My apologies. I'll be more careful."
Third Princess Claria Arild Freesia. She was a woman renowned throughout the continent, not just within the Empire.
"And the rumors are likely true."
"As expected..."
The rumors stemmed primarily from scandals involving men.
It was said that she banished any man with an unsightly appearance from her vicinity.
There had also been rumors that she had gathered exceptionally handsome men to build her own palace.
There were rumors that, wherever she went, she would bed the most handsome man in the region and then evaluate the men one by one, indulging in her perverse hobby.
Though these rumors bordered on the absurd, they were too widespread to dismiss entirely.
This was why Count Ruin and Baron Coral were currently huddled together, deep in thought.
"She wouldn't have traveled this far for no reason. With the Imperial Knights and even the Imperial Navy converging here, she must have some purpose in mind. I just can't quite grasp what it is."
"Hmph, with that kind of scale, it's practically a declaration of war."
Baron Coral stroked his mustache and sighed deeply.
He sensed an unsettling shift in the peaceful waters of the archipelago, where only occasional pirate raids had disturbed the tranquility.
"We must prepare for the arrival of the Third Princess. Order every knight on the island to assemble immediately. Round up all the handsome men we can find as well. You know what happens if anyone displeases Her Highness, don't you?"
"Of course, Your Excellency. Lancel Dante of the Dante family has also recently joined as an officer."
"Excellent."
"Yes, we'll promote him to captain and have him ready as soon as he returns from clearing out the pirates. He may seem a bit unmotivated, but he's not bad to look at."
"I trust you completely."
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