Chapter 331: Rendezvous and Departure

Upon the broad avenue outside the Golden Feather Palace, Ronin and Blanche were sharing their final farewells.

After spending five or six days in each other's company, and having shared moments of intimacy, their affections had blossomed rapidly, making this parting a lingering, reluctant affair.

Yet under the watchful eyes of the public, they could only exchange words of parting, strictly refraining from any display that was overly familiar.

Not far off, Knight Mixi watched the pair, a faint glimmer of envy passing through her eyes.

Before long, Ronin waved goodbye to Blanche, turned to mount his horse, and led his company onward toward Horn Bay.

"I had not expected His Majesty to appoint you to lead the vanguard at sea with me."

Ronin rode abreast with Mixi.

Truth be told, when he first learned that the royal knights were to be commanded by Mixi, he had been rather astonished by Bruno's arrangement.

Knowing full well the history between Karada and Mixi, could it be that Bruno was so fond of matchmaking that he had taken up the mantle of a marriage deity?

"Nor did I expect it."

Beneath Mixi's armored visor, her expression remained hidden. "Nevertheless, I must extend my thanks to you."

"Thanks for what?"

Ronin could not help but tease. "For creating an opportunity for you and Karada?"

Mixi turned her head to cast a glance at Ronin, her eyes bearing a quiet warning, though she did not utter a word of denial.

"At times, I harbor a certain disdain for the divide between nobles and commoners. It blinds my father to everything but profit, preventing him from seeing me simply as his daughter. Moreover, it chains my freedom, keeping me from doing what I truly wish to do."

"Your thoughts are perilous, Knight Mixi," Ronin cautioned. "Do not tell me you intend to overthrow the aristocratic class."

Such words, which Ronin himself would never lightly give voice to, had today fallen from the lips of a woman.

To topple the nobility was to touch the very core of their privilege, an act that would inevitably bring down the wrath and condemnation of every lord in the realm.

"Haha, you do love to jest, My Lord."

Mixi shook her head. "I am merely giving voice to my laments. Where would I find the strength for such a feat?"

It was only because of Blanche and Karada that she felt a sense of kinship with Ronin, allowing her to speak so freely of her inner thoughts.

What she had always strived for was to strengthen herself and master her own destiny; she had never harbored visions of upending the social order.

Ronin offered a suggestion: "Knight Mixi, if you and Karada should come together in the future, what say you to pledging your loyalty to me? His Majesty has promised to grant me several gryphons, and when the time comes, I shall place them under your charge."

When a woman wed, she typically followed her husband to his home.

Which meant that if Karada and Mixi were to succeed, the Northern Crow territory would gain a young, silver-ranked female knight—one possessing years of aerial experience, no less.

Beneath her mask, Mixi's cheeks flushed slightly. Ignoring Ronin, she urged her mount forward to take the lead.

Yet within her mind, she could not help but ponder the possibilities of his proposition.

...

While Ronin was still making his way toward Horn Bay, Rhys Dennis, who had set out ahead of him, had already reunited with his family's forces.

Upon the deck of the Dennis I, he stood before the captain of the First Knight Squadron of Cape City, who was also his childhood tutor, Baron Lurch Boggs.

At that moment, however, they were locked in a sharp disagreement over a certain matter.

"Rhys, pray forgive my bluntness. Though we harbor a deep enmity toward the Beluga Pirates, you ought to have consulted your father, Lord Victorino, before arriving at such a decision."

Baron Lurch Boggs pressed his grievance to Rhys.

His mandate for this journey was solely to escort Rhys safely back to Cape City; Viscount Victorino had given no orders regarding the eradication of the Beluga Pirates, much less a landing upon Torrent Island.

Had it merely been a matter of destroying the Beluga Pirates, he might have grudgingly accepted it, for the pirates had struck at the Dennis family at sea, sealing a blood feud between them.

But rendering aid to Ronin upon Torrent Island was a matter entirely unrelated to Cape City.

Though he commanded the squadron, he dared not act rashly without an official decree from Viscount Victorino.

Even if the request came from the future heir of Cape City himself, it changed nothing.

For should they suffer grievous losses, the burden would be far too heavy for him to bear.

"Rest easy, Master. I have already dispatched a letter to inform my father. I believe his reply will arrive today or tomorrow."

Rhys possessed no direct authority to command the knights; to accompany Ronin to sea, he required Lurch’s cooperation.

After a lengthy deliberation, he finally managed to sway the elder man.

"Very well, I shall yield to your arrangement for the time being. I will have the crew prepare the provisions for our voyage at Horn Bay, which should take a day or two."

Lurch let out a weary sigh. "Yet I must reiterate, regardless of the depth of your friendship with Ronin, nobles must ever look to their interests. We gain nothing from this business at Torrent Island; instead, we squander our coffers and place our knights in mortal peril."

Rhys nodded in assent. "I understand. I shall present the conditions you have just spoken of to Ronin."

Lurch’s fealty belonged to Cape City, and his actions were naturally dictated by the welfare of his home.

Thus, during their council, he had dictated three distinct terms based upon the circumstances:

First, Ronin must bear the full cost of all resources consumed during the campaign after the pirates were routed, primarily concerning grain and provisions.

Second, should any casualties occur during the fighting, Ronin must provide the appropriate reparations to the families.

Third, if more than a single vessel were to be destroyed in battle, Ronin must compensate them for the loss of the ship.

These three terms were straightforward, and each was entirely reasonable within the bounds of custom.

After all, though Ronin bore the name of Wushan, he was not the liege of Cape City, and without the explicit sanction of Wushan Castle, he possessed no right to summon their banners.

Under such conditions, requesting aid necessitated proper recompense.

Lurch’s presentation of these three points was considered rather tactful.

Particularly the third clause; the Baron had likely taken into account that Ronin had secured a ship for Cape City during the previous naval engagement, which was why he specified "more than a single vessel."

Consequently, when Ronin arrived at the docks and heard these three proposals from Rhys, he gave his assent without a moment's hesitation.

"I shall take full responsibility for these three conditions."

Ronin readily agreed, adding, "You may assure Lurch that our endeavor is not only supported by the royal knights, but also under the protection of Baron Melonica. The overall peril is minimal."

Rhys nodded in understanding.

He was well aware of Melonica’s martial prowess, as was Lurch.

Yet only Ronin knew that this quiet, unassuming Baron had already ascended to the rank of a Meteor Knight.

Truth be told, when he first read the tidings in Rulance's letter, he had been struck entirely speechless.

He had not imagined that while Rulance lay gravely ill and Orson was broken, the Wushan territory would give rise to a third Meteor Knight.

As a man fiercely loyal to Wushan Castle, Melonica's advancement was undeniably a great boon.

Furthermore, should Rulance recover in the days to come, Wushan Castle would boast two Meteor Knights within its ranks, both of them veterans of the battlefield.

If one were to add Ronin, Elrond, Rydal, and even Macken into the account,

The number of seventh-rank extraordinary powerhouses within the Wushan territory would reach an astonishing six!

No matter where they went across the realm, it was a force of terrifying might.