Captain – Chapter 18 – The Imperial Lion

The soldiers, suddenly reprimanded, jolted awake, wondering why the Major wasn’t enjoying wheat wine in his study today and instead had come to inspect with such a poor mood.

However, when the two gathered their senses and looked, seeing that familiar coldness in his eyes and brows, their hearts instantly sank.

“Young… Young Master, no, Commander, why have you come?” the soldiers asked tremulously.

Although it had been a long time since they had seen him, these two soldiers had personally witnessed the appointment notice that made them so proud, as well as the portrait sent with the military dispatch, which is why they could recognize the identity of the person before them at a glance.

The young Howard master, or rather, the youngest admiral of the Auran Empire, the Commander of the First Naval Fleet.

Yes, Caine had never been the junior officer Roy referred to, but the naval commander who inherited Governor Naren’s reputation as the Imperial Lion!

Although the uniform that had been mended by the tailor on the merchant ship was severely faded, when he wore it to the fortress symbolizing the Auran Empire’s military, that habitual nobility and authority still made the two soldiers’ legs so weak they could barely stand.

A sense of despair surged in their hearts. No one knew whether the always-strict commander would still remember childhood sentiments, but their crime of neglecting duty was inescapable.

To the two soldiers’ surprise, after hearing the words “Young Master,” Caine’s cold expression gradually softened.

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Perhaps he truly recalled his childhood, or perhaps he realized that he was no longer a naval commander, that even the epaulettes symbolizing his rank had been buried along with the officers and men of the First Fleet outside Devil’s Island. So he merely reminded them to “stand guard seriously” before having them go in to report.

Before long, the heavy wooden doors opened wide.

Three hundred soldiers stood in two rows, watching the young Howard master, unseen for more than ten years, who had already succeeded his father to become a pillar of the imperial military, walk past. Then he entered the main keep’s study with the red-eyed Major who had come out to greet him.

“Oh my, Young Master! Since you’re still alive, even if you didn’t immediately notify the military, you should have at least informed the Governor! Do you know how many times the Governor has come to Frans Island in just these two short months? And how many times he has personally taken a ship out to sea?”

The Major was no longer young. Due to his position, he naturally hadn’t grown fat on rich food, but he had developed a sizeable beer belly. From any perspective, he was an indisputable middle-aged uncle, and now with reddened eyes, he was nagging like a housewife.

Although Frans Island was said to be near the conflict zone, in reality, not a single nearby naval battle had ever occurred, nor would any pirate be foolish enough to waste effort occupying such a barren land from which not even oil could be squeezed.

So there were only three hundred soldiers stationed on the island, and the Major commanding these three hundred seemed more like someone who had been exiled, with no further opportunities for advancement. This was why he had become so lazy, to the extent that he had grown portly.

As for why he was so excited to see Caine, on one hand, it was because the Major was an old soldier under Governor Naren, having watched the young master grow up; on the other hand, it was because the Imperial Lion was too revered in the military, his military exploits too dazzling, making him an object of admiration for every naval officer.

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Two months ago was when the First Fleet had just entered the waters around Devil’s Island.

Hearing that his father had put aside his heavy administrative duties to personally come search for his whereabouts, Caine felt a slight warmth in his heart.

That man had spent more time apart from him than together, and his requirements for him were very strict, demanding perfection even in some unimportant etiquette. But undeniably, Governor Naren truly loved him.

The brief tenderness quickly dissipated. Caine asked the Major in a deep voice: “Has the news of the First Fleet’s loss of contact been reported to the military yet?”

“No, it’s limited to the highest naval commanders, His Majesty the Emperor, and the three Governor-Generals.”

Returning to business, the Major wiped his moist eye corners, resuming a solemn expression, and asked: “Young Master, what exactly happened? The First Fleet…”

“Total annihilation.”

Caine lowered his eyelids, his ten fingers interlocked and gripped extremely tightly, so much that his knuckles could be seen turning white, enough to imagine the anger now brewing within him.

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The study was briefly silent, then came the Major’s shocked murmur: “How could it be? Unless the Pronora Federation and the Southern Islands fully united, this is simply impossible.”

The Auran Empire was the most militarily powerful country in the world today, especially on the boundless ocean, where the imperial navy could suppress any force.

Except for Roy, this sudden variable, the navy had hardly suffered any losses in recent years, let alone a catastrophe like annihilation.

As the Major said, unless the Great Captain and the Federation Council joined forces with the strength of their entire country and islands, they might be able to make the First Fleet disappear without a sound, but this was also absurd, because the Great Captain who ruled countless pirates could never ally with anyone! This was his promise to the whole world since taking that position.

“It wasn’t the Great Captain, nor those spineless shrimps from the Federation.” Caine confirmed the Major’s guess in a low voice.

“Then… the Golden-Eyed Devil?”

The Major hurriedly asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was an utterly foolish notion. No matter how strong the Mermaid was, it was absolutely no match for the First Fleet. That cold-blooded captain was not a deity after all.

“It was a natural disaster, a disaster with no warning.”

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Even nearly two months later, when Caine recalled that scene like divine wrath, he still trembled somewhat. Only when truly facing the power of nature can one understand how ignorant the view that humans conquer the world is.

“For dozens of nautical miles around, everything was swallowed by whirlpools. Lightning split the dim sky, striking every warship. We couldn’t even extinguish the fires…”

In Caine’s ocean-blue pupils rolled a painful color. That boundless power took only a few short minutes to bury the pride of the Auran Empire, the mighty fleet unrivaled across the ocean, in that desolate sea area.

Caine’s description was too bizarre, making the Major stunned for a moment. But he quickly accepted this fact, as if never doubting that this commander would fabricate stories to trick him. This was the reputation that this young military star had forged through time and honor.

Even if Caine said it was heaven’s punishment for the Auran Empire, those military leaders would likely believe it wholeheartedly.

“Such accidents are unpredictable. Young Master, you… shouldn’t blame yourself too much. I will immediately write to His Majesty and the Governor. You can wait for a response on Frans Island first. After knowing the course of events, His Majesty will surely understand.” The Major carefully chose his words, comforting the deeply pained Caine.

Listening to his consolation, Caine gradually calmed down, slightly frowning in hesitation for a moment before slowly speaking: “No, just inform my father and the others that I am safe and sound. I won’t be returning to the military for now.”