Captain – Chapter 204 – The Warship in Their Path

Just as the Governor had said, although Roy’s destination might not necessarily be Elvet, since she had presented it as a smokescreen to confuse those with ulterior motives, this trading metropolis would inevitably be marked on the Mermaid’s route.

After nearly twenty days of sailing, as the sun set in the west and fiery clouds with flowing hues spread across the horizon, the lush green hills along the shore finally began to recede. In their place appeared artistically designed palaces, small yet exquisite plazas, pure white churches with towering spires, and elegant residences stretching as far as the eye could see.

This mighty city at the forefront of the world, too beautiful and prosperous to seem of this earth, was Elvet—the Auran Empire’s absolute core outside the imperial capital, integrating culture, commerce, and art.

Here, museums rarely seen elsewhere stood throughout the city, palaces and churches surrounded it like city walls, azure canals crisscrossed everywhere carrying countless sightseeing boats, and innumerable merchants, clerics, and artists gathered in the city, composing Elvet’s brilliant chapter.

“Ah, Elvet… I’ve been here before, to attend a literary salon hosted by a marquis. Partly to gather intelligence, but also to see if the marquis’s daughter was truly as angelic as rumored.”

Standing at the bow, Roy gazed at the massive port appearing in the distance, her tone rather nostalgic.

Hearing this, Caine smiled and asked, “So what happened? Did you get to see her?”

“Of course I did. Not only did I meet the marquis’s daughter and confirm the rumors weren’t exaggerated, I also had…”

Roy turned her head slightly, giving her First Mate a meaningful smile. “A wonderful evening with her.”

Seeing the young woman’s lack of shame and rather proud demeanor, Caine shook his head helplessly. “Captain, you really do have quite a few romantic debts. I just hope that during our stay in Elvet, we don’t run into your former lover, or we’ll have another mess on our hands.”

Adhering to the principle of playing their roles thoroughly, Roy had decided to let the Mermaid stay in Elvet’s port for several days, both to find channels to sell some jewels and to replenish water supplies and, most importantly, wine stocks.

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This trading metropolis was known to gather the world’s most famous wines, truly a paradise for wine enthusiasts.

“Don’t worry, we’re not going ashore this time, so there’s no chance of meeting her.”

The captain smiled confidently, then added, “As for selling goods and selecting wines, we can leave all that to the ship’s doctor. He seems quite enthusiastic about such matters.”

The young man sighed lightly, “If only it were that simple.”

Just as the captain and Great First Mate were discussing how to spend their time in Elvet while minimizing the possibility of being discovered by the marquis’s daughter, an urgent warning suddenly came from Daniel in the crow’s nest.

“Captain, Great First Mate, a warship is approaching us!”

Hearing the youth’s warning, the sailors on deck exchanged glances, instinctively revealing uneasy expressions.

Whether it was due to extraordinary luck or the Auran Empire’s overconfidence in their sea defense line and checkpoint screening capabilities—believing no enemy could infiltrate inland via waterways—during these nearly twenty days of voyaging, the pirates had seen merchant ships of all specifications and styles, but notably hadn’t encountered a single warship.

So upon hearing that a warship was approaching the Mermaid, the pirates’ first reaction was surprise, followed by instinctive fear and hostility. The Fighting Squad members in particular had already begun asking Harriet whether they should retrieve weapons from the lower hold.

Hearing hurried footsteps, Roy turned around and gestured to calm the stern-faced Harriet.

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“Relax, Squad Captain. Tell the men that we’re not on a pirate ship now, but on the White Rose, which has a transit document personally signed by the Governor and is here to conduct legitimate business in Auran. How could the warship possibly be coming for us?”

“You mean it might just be passing by coincidentally?”

Harriet frowned deeply, saying worriedly, “Captain, I think we should take precautions and bring out the weapons and cannons first. That way, even if our identity is exposed, we’ll have a chance to fight our way out.”

Having reached Elvet, they had already completed most of the Loyce Canal journey. If they proceeded at full speed, in at most ten days, the Mermaid could sail out of Auran’s western exit and return to the vast, free ocean.

“Please, do you really want to start a war with the imperial military in Auran territory?”

Receiving a glare from the captain, Harriet considered the potential consequences and scratched her head somewhat troubledly, “That would indeed be foolish, but it’s still better than being caught unprepared and unable to fight back if they strike first.”

“That’s assuming they’re really coming for us.”

Roy smiled nonchalantly, then ordered the Squad Captain, “But you make a good point. We can’t always count on luck being on our side. Have your squad members retrieve their weapons and place them in the gun room. If anything seems off, we can either hide them again… or take action.”

“Yes, Captain!”

After Harriet departed quickly, Ben pushed aside the gathered sailors and approached Roy, handing her a spyglass.

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Extending the spyglass and looking through the crystal lens, Roy finally saw the warship that Daniel had mentioned.

It was a large three-masted warship of military design, comparable to the Mermaid in specifications and firepower.

“Damn, so it’s such a large vessel. No wonder Daniel was so anxious.”

Roy’s gaze moved past the warship’s heavy hull and gunports that could open at any moment, to its deck, where she observed the fully armed soldiers standing straight at attention. Then, seeing the snipers adjusting their rifles in the crow’s nest, the frivolity in her tone immediately diminished.

Warships of this caliber were not numerous, even in the Empire. Without special circumstances, they were generally deployed at the boundaries where imperial waters met those of the Federation and the Southern Islands, not appearing so abruptly inland.

Roy continued observing the approaching warship while issuing cold commands: “Ben, pass the order to have the sailors dismantle the fishing nets and tear off all those rags. Then notify Lance to have the gunners adjust and position the cannons. I want them ready to fire at any moment.”

“Understood, Captain.”

Withdrawing his gaze from the Bosun’s retreating figure, Caine looked at the young woman’s profile and asked gravely, “Is their target really us?”

“Not certain, but it seems it can only be.”

Hearing the captain’s solemn voice, the First Mate frowned slightly, “Can you tell the ship’s name? Or at least what the captain looks like?”

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“From this angle, I can’t see the port stern—they seem to be deliberately concealing it. As for the captain’s appearance…”

At this point, the captain’s voice suddenly broke off.

It wasn’t until Caine called her for the third time that the young woman snapped out of her trance.

Roy slowly lowered the spyglass, her brow furrowed and her dark golden pupils filled with surprise, as if she had seen someone utterly unexpected on the deck of the approaching warship.

“Well? Can you describe the captain’s general appearance? I might recognize him.”

The First Mate inquired softly. As the former Naval Commander of the Auran Empire, he had met many high-ranking officers. If Roy could describe the person’s features, he could determine the visitor’s identity, stance, and even purpose, to prepare a response in advance.

“I recognize that captain.”

Roy didn’t answer Caine’s question, but instead looked at him with a troubled gaze. After remaining silent for a long while, she smiled awkwardly and said with some difficulty, “The captain of that warship appears to be…”

“Governor Naren.”