Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Pirate Empress (1)

About 95 years ago from now.

Early morning, on a small rocky isle in the northern part of the Caribbean Archipelago.

Normally, this place would see only a few lighthouse guards coming and going. But today, it was in utter chaos, embroiled in a fierce battle.

“Damn, that thing’s ridiculously huge!”

“…Is this even possible, Varlach? I’m asking if we can really take that thing down!”

“Ah, why the hell are you asking me?!”

At the front lines stood the blue-haired madman Varlach and a chatty Dwarf who never shut up for a second. The two held their ground, brandishing sword and axe while fending off the massive octopus tentacle flying toward them with shields raised.

Their opponent was...

KIIIIIEEEEEEEEK!

Towering over 50 meters tall, it had bloodshot eyes and a dark crimson body.

Its massive tentacles, which glowed menacingly blue, and razor-sharp suction cups were said to destroy a single ship with one swing.

Kraken, or perhaps Zaratan.

The apex predator of the sea, one that didn’t even consider anything smaller than a whale as prey.

The countless wounds across its body were proof of how many battles it had survived and how many lives it had claimed.

In the Caribbean Archipelago, calling this creature the “Beast of Ruin” was no exaggeration.

But today, there was one small—no, quite significant—problem...

The Kraken’s current opponents were a bit, no, very troublesome.

“Varlach, you idiot, can’t you block properly? You’re splashing water all over me!”

“Damn it, what’s a little splash?! If you hate it that much, why don’t you do it?!”

While the two vanguards blocked the Kraken’s advance, a sharp-tempered silver-haired Elf woman relentlessly fired arrows into its torso.

“Ahaha, once this job’s over, you better pay me properly, alright?”

A male priest, known as a prodigy of divine magic since his youth and a gambling addict, kept swinging his staff, casting various spells on the frontliners.

BOOOOOM!

Then, as a tentacle crashed down between the two vanguards—

“Move!”

Taat!

A Halfling, self-proclaimed “King of Thieves,” dashed up the tentacle that had landed on the rocky outcrop and rapidly approached the Kraken’s massive body.

“Hrrngh!”

Aiming between its eyes, he thrust his two long swords forward.

But...

KIEEEEK!

The opponent was the undisputed king of the sea.

SMACK!

“Gahk!”

Lifting one of its tentacles, the Kraken swatted the airborne King of Thieves like a fly.

“Ughhh, my back!”

Falling to the ground, the King of Thieves clutched his waist, shouting in frustration.

“Idiot, you can’t do anything right.”

The Elf shook her head and muttered.

“What? You wanna say that again?”

“Alright now, let’s not fight. This is business, people. Business.”

The priest kept smiling while casting healing spells, trying to soothe everyone.

It was a scene befitting the infamous party known as Madmans, known for raiding dungeons across the world and causing chaos wherever they went.

Just then, the Dwarf who had been blocking the tentacles alongside Varlach spoke.

“Varlach, how long do we have to hold out?!”

“Ah, just a bit longer! If we can wear it down a little more... that lady said she’d finish it off!”

“And when is thaaaat?!”

“I don’t know either!”

How long had the battle dragged on like that?

BWOOOOOOOO!

At the sound of a horn echoing from the side, everyone turned their heads.

Then...

“Ahoyyyyy! Sorry to keep you waiting, little ones!”

On a swiftly approaching skiff stood a muscular woman with her arms crossed, letting out a hearty laugh as she casually tossed the horn aside.

“Phew, finally… they’re here.”

Varlach Daphne wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a deep sigh.

The Pirate Empress, Redhoop.

The legendary woman who had ended the pirate civil war that once tore through the Caribbean Archipelago, uniting them into one system—she was the client for this mission.

Pointing a finger forward, she shouted with vigor.

“Full speeeed charge!”

“She says charge!”

“Aruuuuuuugh!”

At her command, the pirates onboard began rowing like mad, eyes glowing with a fierce blue light.

With four massive sails catching the wind, and nearly fifty mana users rowing in perfect sync, the speed was unbelievable.

On top of that, as if built for this exact purpose, the ship’s prow was fitted with a razor-sharp steel ram, pointed like a needle.

KIEEEEK! KIEEEEEEK!

Sensing something was wrong, the Kraken flailed its tentacles, beginning to thrash in a frenzy.

But—

“No, you’re not going anywhere.”

FWAAAAASH!

The magic, arrows, and explosive sword strikes unleashed by Madmans hit all at once, preventing the Kraken from turning its attention away.

And the result was…

KWAOOOOOOM!

The skiff rammed straight into the Kraken with its steel ram, shaking the creature’s body violently.

KIEEEEK!

In pain, the Kraken wildly swung its tentacles, lashing out at the ship.

Then—

“You bastard... I’m turning you into boiled octopus today! Chaaaaaaarge!”

“Chaaaaaaarge!”

“Let’s gooooo! Follow the Admiral!”

With dozens of crew members, Redhoop charged in headfirst.

KAANG! KAANG! KANG!

FWOOOSH!

How many blades had they swung, how many arrows fired, how many cannonballs launched?

By the time the sun began to set and dyed the sky in hues of orange...

KIIIIIIIIEEE!

THUUUUUUUD!

The once crimson Kraken had turned pale, and collapsed against the rocky isle as if clinging to it.

From sunrise to sunset.

The long, grueling battle that had lasted well over half a day had finally come to an end.

“We did iiiiiit! We won!”

“Wahahaha, we got the damn thing!”

The pirates, who had once regarded that monster as their mortal enemy, now burst into tears of joy and cheered ecstatically.

“Phew… Huff, huff. This really doesn’t add up profit-wise, Varlach.”

“You lunatic… Why the hell did we even take this job?”

“We should’ve just torn that bastard to pieces from the start…”

Drenched in sweat, Madmans slumped to the ground and began venting their frustrations at Varlach.

Raising his thumb and smirking, Varlach replied.

“Come on, it was fun, wasn’t it? Right?”

“Tch, fun my ass.”

“You’re seriously… sick.”

As everyone cursed with their expressions and mouths alike—

SMACK!

“Guhak!”

Redhoop suddenly appeared behind Varlach and slapped him on the back with a hand like a pot lid, laughing heartily.

“Ahahaha! Great work, everyone! Thanks to you, we finally got rid of that annoying bastard!”

“……”

This woman… had no sense of moderation, did she?

Varlach rubbed his sore back and replied with a disgruntled expression.

“So then, what about the payment you promised?”

“Of course, I’ll give it to you. And I’ll even throw a special ‘Caribbean-style’ banquet just for you lot.”

“Phewwwww. Thank you, dear client.”

“And one more thing...”

“One more thing?”

Redhoop stroked her chin for a moment, then grinned slyly.

“I’d like to grant you a small... gesture of goodwill from me, Redhoop.”

“And what would that be?”

“I’ll give you the special right to form a pact with me, Redhoop. How about it? Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

What the hell is she talking about now?

Raising one brow high, Varlach tilted his head in confusion.

---

---

Back to the present.

A room filled wall to wall with gold, jewels, weapons, and skull decorations...

And hanging on the wall, a massive portrait of the first Pirate Empress, Redhoop.

“So you’re saying... you’re from the House of Daphne?”

“Yes, yes, I’m telling you, I am.”

“Hmmmm…”

Sitting in a plush crimson chair.

The current Pirate Empress, Redrose, sat with her legs and arms crossed, eyeing Hardin suspiciously.

Then—

Tremble, tremble, tremble!

Beryl and Mikkelsen, seated beside Hardin, sat with their hands and legs neatly tucked in, their faces pale as ghosts and drenched in sweat like rain.

‘What the hell is this guy trying to pull now?!’

‘…Please don’t say anything stupid. Please.’

Honestly, at this point… this situation felt worse than when they’d blabbered nonsense in front of Princess Medeia.

At least with Princess Medeia, it didn’t feel like she’d kill them on the spot.

But this woman...

No, the Pirate Empress, ma’am (?), was...

“Tchhhh.”

When Redrose clicked her tongue, Beryl and Mikkelsen flinched involuntarily.

“Got any proof that you're from the House of Daphne?”

“Here, check the noble seal. It’s legit, right?”

Hardin pulled out his noble badge and showed it. Then, he took out a skull-shaped sculpture made of quartz and added,

“They said that if someone from our family brought this skull necklace to you, you’d grant them any request. Was that wrong?”

“Phewwwwww…”

Redrose furrowed her brow with a disgruntled expression before slowly closing her eyes.

---

– Redrose. If someone ever shows up claiming to be from the House of Daphne and brings this to you… do grant them their request.

– Daphne? Who the hell are they, Grandma?

– Just a bunch of third-rate nobles from the rotted-out Fabian Empire.

– …Excuse me? But the Empire scum hate us, don’t they?

– That’s true. But still, grant them their request—just once. And if by any chance you happen to like them… then forming an alliance with them might not be such a bad idea.

---

Words spoken often by her grandmother—once the master of the Caribbean Archipelago—while showing her that necklace.

Back then, Redrose had thought it was just one of those things old people say.

But now, not only had those guys appeared right in front of her, they’d also reportedly wiped out hordes of monsters in The Dead Speak Not.

She couldn’t help but be thrown off.

‘From a Viscounty… Doesn’t seem like they’re from some big-deal family.’

Redrose stared intently at Hardin’s face.

That slick-looking face didn’t flinch, even while she was radiating killing intent from head to toe.

‘Is that confidence, or is he just insanely gutsy?’

At the very least, no one had ever stayed that calm in front of her until now.

Redrose quietly stroked her chin and asked again.

“So then, what request made you Empire rats crawl all the way out here?”

To this, Hardin gave a grin and began rubbing his hands together.

“Ah, well, we were hoping to recruit some of the fine talents of the Caribbean Archipelago into our house.”

“Recruit talents, huh?”

“Yes. We’re in need of some good seafarers. And in the Caribbean… you’re practically tripping over skilled sailors, aren’t you?”

“Fair enough. The Fabian Empire’s ship handling is downright disgraceful.”

Hardin’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

‘Yup, like grandmother, like granddaughter.’

Grandma and granddaughter alike, their mouths were absolute sewer pipes.

Also—wait, hold on. I’m definitely way older than her, right?

Hardin raised one corner of his mouth and asked.

“Then… does that mean you’ll allow it?”

“……”

Silence fell over the room.

Redrose, still staring at Hardin, remained deep in thought for a while before finally speaking.

“Well, fine. I’ll allow it. It was my grandmother’s dying wish, and it seems you really are from the House of Daphne.”

“Ahaha, thank you! If you entrust us with the Caribbean’s finest, I guarantee they’ll be treated well—you won’t regret it.”

Just as Hardin answered with a bright smile—

THWACK!

Redrose slammed her palm against the table in front of her.

“But there’s a condition.”

“…And what might that be?”

“If you’re going to hire people from the Caribbean, that’s no different than entrusting you with my sons and brothers. So… I want to see it with my own eyes. Whether you’re truly worthy of that trust.”

“And how do you plan to confirm our worth…? Well, I don’t really mind either way.”

What now...?

Hardin scratched his head and trailed off, only for Redrose to fold her arms and speak in a firm tone.

“You said your name was Hardin Daphne, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I’m Hardin Daphne, Grand Young Master of House Daphne.”

“Then you, shall we… cross swords once?”

As Redrose declared with a hard voice, Hardin responded with an awkward smile and asked again.

“So, you want to duel me, is that it?”

“That’s right. You’re asking to take my people under your command. I need to make sure you’re at least capable enough to be trusted with that.”

“But we survived The Dead Speak Not, didn’t we?”

“…I’m not the kind to trust anything I haven’t seen with my own eyes.”

Also, I’m personally curious.

Curious to know what kind of confidence makes you hold your head up so high in front of me…

A wide grin slowly formed on Redrose’s lips.

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