Chapter 330: The Strength of the Pirate Group

As the bustling grandeur of the court banquet drew to a close, the nobility began to drift away in staggered trickles.

Earlier that morning, Romon had received a summons from His Majesty the King, and under the escort of the guards, he had been led into the sovereign's private study.

"Take a seat, Romon,"

Bruno said with a warm smile. "I hear that last night, Carradav chose to pledge his allegiance to you?"

Hearing such an opening gambit, Romon could not help but feel a sudden touch of awkwardness.

Philemon was the Commander of the Royal Knights, and his expression of interest to Carradav was almost certainly an instruction from His Majesty himself.

For Romon to extend an invitation and ultimately succeed was, in a sense, a polite way of cutting in line.

Facing Bruno's question now, he chose to answer with complete candor.

"Yesterday, when the tournament began, Knight Reese of Spire City introduced me to Carradav. When I learned he had not pledged himself to any noble, the desire to recruit him took root in my mind. Later, during the championship match, I extended the invitation, though he did not agree to it at the time."

To tell the truth, Romon truly feared Bruno might ask him to part with his new retainer as a personal favor, a request he would scarcely know how to answer.

After all, during this journey to the royal capital, many of his gains had been courtesy of the King’s favor, and the upcoming matter of the Torrent Island rested entirely on Bruno's shoulders.

Under such circumstances, if the King asked him to give up Carradav's allegiance and Romon chose to refuse, it would seem far too ignorant of worldly wisdom.

Fortunately, Bruno said no such thing; he merely chuckled and chided playfully, "You rascal, you certainly beat me to the punch. I had originally intended to recruit him into the Royal Knights myself!"

Romon’s heart grew light, and he let out a soft laugh. "I did not know Your Majesty had an interest in Carradav, otherwise, I never would have spoken of recruitment to him on the field."

Bruno waved his hand dismissively.

To him, Carradav was merely a knight of decent potential. If he truly prized the man, he would not have agreed to Luther's request and withheld approval for his entry into the Royal Knights.

Now that Carradav’s allegiance to Romon was known to many, asking Romon to surrender him would be a loss of face, and the outside world might even perceive it as the crown using its status and power to coerce a noble out of a follower.

"Since Carradav has pledged himself to you, I shall no longer assign any highly powerful knights to you for these two matters regarding the annihilation of the White Whale Pirates and Torrent Island."

Bruno paused in thought, then added, "Though the White Whale Pirates struck at you this time, their target was a guest of my royal house. When you set sail, I will arrange for someone to bring several knights to accompany you to sea."

To the King, no matter who the mastermind behind the curtains was, he needed to make his stance absolutely clear, ensuring these factions understood that anyone targeting a guest of the crown would pay a heavy price.

"May I ask what the strength of the White Whale Pirates amounts to?"

Although Romon had already obtained Reese's consent for a knightly squad from the newly arrived Dennis family to accompany him on this mission, many days had passed since he came ashore, and Romon remained in the dark regarding the interrogation results of the assassins.

Even though the royal knightly squad was by no means weak, Romon still harbored some anxiety.

After all, they needed to strike at the very lair of the White Whale Pirates this time. If the enemy proved too formidable, the disadvantage of a landing operation would be immense, and he had no desire to capsize in an unexpected ditch at the very end.

Bruno cast a glance at Philemon beside him, who understood the cue and spoke, "The interrogation results have already arrived from Horn Bay. This band of pirates is hidden upon a small island. It is said their captain is a wanted criminal who fled after murdering a scion of nobility; though his strength is not poor, he is merely a Gold Knight."

"Aside from him, there is a Silver Knight—the vice-leader, Caraway, whom we captured—as well as three Bronze Knights and a dozen or so knights below the senior rank. Their overall strength is not particularly fearsome."

Romon was somewhat surprised. "I heard that the White Whale Pirates were one of the premier forces in the Screaming Sea. How is it that the scale of their combatants is only on par with a single knightly squad?"

Romon had originally imagined the enemy to be vast in number, never expecting them to have so few men.

Philemon replied with a chuckle, "Such tales are merely spread by the merchant vessels. To the great nobility, a pirate band of this caliber is hardly a force that can amount to anything."

Romon nodded slowly, realizing upon deeper reflection that this made sense.

When pirates grew too powerful, it generally signified that the politics of the region were in utter chaos, whereas the capital sat on one side of the Screaming Sea, and the Earl of Screaming Island governed the center, keeping politics relatively stable.

Such a landscape naturally restricted the growth and expansion of pirate factions.

At this, Bruno smiled and said, "So you have no need to worry. With a pirate band of this scale, once their base is confirmed, we can dispatch two ships at any moment to wipe them out."

Romon stood up and offered a formal bow. "Romon thanks Your Majesty for your care and protection."

"Broll has already arranged the accompanying knights; go and meet with them in a short while."

Bruno waved his hand in dismissal. "Once you are ready, set forth."

Romon bowed and retreated. For all intents and purposes, this journey to the royal capital had drawn to its close.

...

Horn Bay, a small courtyard near the main urban district.

Those who could afford to live here were not nobility, yet neither were they the commoners of the lowest strata.

Over the years, Carradav had worked as a mercenary, braved the Magical Beast Mountain Range alone, and served as an instructor at the Horn Bay Transcendent Academy, allowing him to amass a certain amount of wealth.

Though his parents were simple farmers tilling the soil, relying on his financial income, they were still able to purchase a courtyard in a relatively prosperous area.

Upon returning from the capital, he broke the news of his plans to his parents.

"No matter what decision you make, your mother and I will support you, my boy!"

Carradav's father patted his son's shoulder. In truth, they were already well content with the achievements their son had managed to attain.

However, they also knew their son possessed his own ambitions and could not remain in Horn Bay forever.

"Your father and I are both overjoyed that you can become the follower of a noble, it is only that this Earl Romon’s territory is simply too far away."

Carradav's mother had tears swelling in her eyes; a mother’s anxiety follows a departing child for a thousand miles, a truth that remained unchanged in any world.

"Once you leave this time, who knows when we shall ever see you again."

In an era where transportation was so poorly developed, a single parting could sometimes mean never crossing paths again in this lifetime.

Carradav comforted them, saying, "Rest easy, Father, Mother. The Earl told me that he will establish a fleet, and I will have opportunities to return and visit you when the time comes. Furthermore, once I have established a foothold in the North Crow Territory, I can bring you both over to live there if you are willing."

Hearing these words, the sorrow of their impending separation lifted slightly.

"Go with a clear mind, then. Your mother and I shall await your glorious return!"

Carradav nodded heavily, slung his traveling pack over his shoulder, stole one last deep look at his parents, and then turned to walk firmly out the door.

After drifting about Horn Bay and Golden Feather City for seven or eight years, he had finally chosen to leave the city of his life behind, stepping into a new existence.

He hoped that when he returned once more, he truly would be as his father blessed, draped in glory.