Captain – Chapter 135 – Solomon Diggs

Crossing a bridge built over a water canal, past a series of fountains flanked by exquisitely carved goddess statues on both sides, Richi’s group finally arrived at the white marble steps leading to the palace.

“Captain Richi, we can only escort you this far. The captain is waiting in the palace at the top of the stairs,” Edmund said with his head lowered respectfully.

Except for a few influential figures on the Constantine, ordinary crew members were absolutely forbidden from setting foot in the palace unless under special circumstances.

Hearing this, the young man nodded slightly and climbed the steps with Cassius and Fern.

Before long, the three arrived on the platform in front of the palace doors, and the full view of the palace was revealed before their eyes.

It was a hall built entirely of marble, extreme in both scale and luxury.

Just the stone door carved with exquisite reliefs would have required a large sum of money to commission an Auran sculptor, then transported over the long sea route to this place, not to mention the beautiful murals extending along the side walls depicting the sea goddess calming the waves and embracing all living things.

The money and time required to build this palace and inscribe these decorations were incalculable, but there was no doubt that it all came from the blood squeezed from those miserable people before the Black Emperor lost control of Yadris.

Standing before the slowly opening palace doors, Richi looked up at the reliefs on the door and the seamlessly joined stone walls. He seemed to see the people captured by the Constantine from various places, especially Yadris, sweating profusely and covered in bloody marks as they moved the marble blocks.

“It’s a nice place, but unfortunately… occupied by the wrong person,” the young man said hoarsely.

“It will be ours, Captain, all of it will be ours, as long as we can end that nightmare.”

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The First Mate leaned close to his ear, comforting him softly.

Cassius knew well that deep in the captain’s heart, there was a murderous intent toward that tyrant.

Whether it was because of the crew members who had died in battle with the Constantine, or because of what that man had done to Yadris recently, it was all intolerable to all the Mermaid’s crew, including Richi, but…

It wasn’t time to turn on him yet, at least not now.

Richi was silent for a moment, then released his hands that had been tightly gripping two short knives beneath his sleeves, and walked wordlessly into the palace.

Led by several respectfully-faced maids, the three passed through the spacious and magnificent main hall, walked through a corridor hung with gray wooden flower racks, and came to a courtyard on the eastern side of the palace.

This courtyard was built entirely according to the Auran royal style, with pavilions, fountains, exotic flowers, and rare plants all in place. By a white stone fountain stood a straight figure.

Hearing the approaching footsteps behind him, the man turned around and smiled at the young man behind the maids. “It’s been a long time, little captain.”

Looking at the middle-aged man with a thick full beard, dressed in a neat light blue Federation officer’s uniform, with six well-crafted flintlock pistols inserted in his holsters, Richi dangerously narrowed his eyes. “It’s only been three months. Do you miss me that much…”

“Solomon.”

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The Black Emperor laughed heartily for a few seconds, then dismissed the maids with a wave of his hand before beckoning everyone to follow his lead.

The group turned left and right, arriving at a small cabin in the depths of the courtyard. Though decorated just as exquisitely, it was inconspicuous among the dense trees—this was the secret location where the Constantine’s influential figures held their meetings.

Pushing open the door and entering the cabin, they found the round wooden table in the center already set with meals and fine wine. White candles on pure gold candlesticks burned slowly, their flickering light illuminating several old bookshelves around filled with thick books and intelligence folders.

“Sit.”

Solomon walked directly to a bookshelf, casually searching for something, and spoke without turning his head.

Richi and his two companions sat down on one side of the round wooden table, waiting quietly and patiently. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time they had witnessed this scene.

Before long, the Black Emperor turned and approached, sitting opposite the three, and pushed several clearly inked parchments in front of Richi. “Take a look. If I’m not mistaken, you came to find me so urgently because of this person, right?”

Richi glanced at the confident Black Emperor, then turned his gaze to the parchments in front of him. These recently written intelligence reports should be what Solomon had specially instructed someone to prepare for them.

By the bright candlelight, Richi browsed through the materials in his hand. Although his expression didn’t change much, his slightly flickering gaze indicated that he was not calm.

The armed confrontation at the Banshee’s Eye.

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The mysterious girl who broke through the encirclement of the Constantine’s Fighting Squad members and took Bazel’s life.

The captain and First Mate who were expelled by Cecilia but mysteriously reappeared in the tavern the next day, received the bar owner’s support, and held a recruitment meeting…

“Many of my men died, especially the sailors sent to gather intelligence—not a single one returned. Until I sent people to look for them, do you know where they were found?”

Solomon poured himself some red wine, then gently swirled the crystal glass, asking softly.

Although this captain still wore a smile, that smile harbored a deep coldness and killing intent, with boundless storms brewing in his jet-black pupils.

“Where?” Richi asked without looking up.

“The residential areas on both sides of the Horn of Plenty. With your knowledge of Yadris, you must understand how complex the structure there is. But it was there that my men found the bodies of those sailors, each with their throats cleanly cut.”

“Little captain, to precisely track the movements of four people in such complex alleyways, and to silence them so beautifully without leaving any trace of struggle… this isn’t something just anyone can do.”

The young man’s finger paused as it moved among the inked words. “You’re right.”

Even if this wasn’t done by a single person, but by people who had been positioned in advance, it still proved that the person who made these arrangements was very familiar with the structure of Yadris.

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“In the past, many people have had grudges against me, but few have survived. And among them, those who know Yadris extremely well and dare to kill Bazel without hesitation in public are even fewer.”

The Black Emperor spoke in a sinister voice, draining the wine in his glass in one gulp.

“So, little captain, tell me, is she your target? And…”

Solomon stared at Richi’s finger, which moved slower and slower until it completely stopped under a line of ink, and asked expressionlessly, “Who exactly is she?”

Agile, powerful, having a grudge with the Black Emperor, unconditionally supported by Cecilia…

Richi’s racing thoughts gradually slowed, his blood-colored pupils fixed on the sentence describing that person’s appearance—light golden slightly curly long hair, dark golden pupils, outstanding beauty.

“Captain…”

The young man slowly raised his head, gazing into the Black Emperor’s black eyes, his voice cold without a trace of warmth.

“Captain Roy.”