Captain – Chapter 217 – Imperial Criminal

“Beloved couple, we meet in this solemn and sacred hall, under the watchful eye of the Auran Goddess, to hold your engagement ceremony.”

Bishop Daniel stood before the pulpit, performing the invocation for the young man and woman standing to his left and right.

His warm, gentle voice, like a spring breeze, brushed past Roy and Caine’s ears, calming the anxiety and nervousness in the hearts of these young people newly entering the sacred hall.

“Marriage is no small matter. It concerns the happiness of both of you for the rest of your lives and should never be taken lightly or hastily, but should be considered seriously and cautiously. Therefore, before we begin the ceremony, I need to seek the opinions of everyone present.”

The bishop’s gentle gaze fell upon the young woman on his right who had her head slightly lowered and seemed somewhat absent-minded: “So, Miss Elizabeth, are you ready to establish an engagement with the gentleman before you?”

As if awakening from a dream, Roy blinked rapidly, then looked up at her First Mate who was quietly watching her.

Looking into those blue eyes, deep as the ocean and filled with profound emotion, the captain suppressed her complicated thoughts and said softly: “Yes, Your Excellency.”

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window, falling upon the young woman in her wedding dress, illuminating her snow-white tulle gown and soft, slightly curled pale golden hair so brilliantly that her fair face was covered with a hazy glow, making her as beautiful as a harp-playing angel from mythology.

And when her pink lips parted to give her answer, Caine felt the shadow and worry that had hung over his heart for three whole days and nights dissipate in that moment.

It was as if their meeting and understanding of each other, the storms they had weathered together, the engagement they were now entering into, and their future wedding had all been predetermined by the pen of fate, requiring no further words, no further worries.

Under the bishop’s inquiry, the young man’s answer was no different, and the governor, sitting alone in the audience section, also nodded slightly when the bishop’s gaze turned to him.

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“Then, I declare the engagement ceremony officially begun. May the Auran Goddess bless you both.”

After closing his eyes and praying silently for a moment, Daniel reopened his eyes, ending the pre-ceremony invocation and prayer.

After the bishop’s announcement, Roy and Caine sang “The Reverent Wedding Song” together.

The young woman’s crisp voice intertwined with the young man’s deep singing voice, making the ceremony seem even more sacred and solemn. However, not long after the song began, the captain’s voice suddenly weakened considerably, becoming somewhat indistinct.

If the hall hadn’t been exceptionally quiet, probably no one would have been able to make out what she was singing.

The “Reverent Wedding Song” passed down by the Holy Church was not complicated but rather refreshingly simple and catchy. Roy had completely memorized it after humming along with her First Mate’s rhythm just a few times as they passed through the central cloister, so her current situation was clearly not due to forgetting the lyrics.

Seeing the young woman’s extremely unnatural expression and the blush spreading across her cheeks from embarrassment, Caine couldn’t help but smile, which only made her voice drop even lower as she took on a gritted-teeth expression, looking as if she wanted to give his shoulder a fierce bite.

The duet ended quickly.

When the last lyric fell, Roy sighed with relief, feeling that these short few minutes had been even more unbearable than when she was surrounded on the Mermaid.

Seeing this, the bishop nodded slightly and began his admonition to the couple: “Before the Auran Goddess, I hope you will remember that love and faithfulness are the cornerstones of joy and eternity. May you always keep the solemn vows you make, and finally, may your lives be forever happy and harmonious.”

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“Now, let us begin the establishment of the engagement.”

Hearing the bishop’s announcement, Caine’s expression remained as calm as ever, while Roy’s eyes flickered slightly. Her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously clenched, as if she had already anticipated the approach of certain events.

Calculating the time… it should be coming.

Thinking silently, Roy’s mind wandered slightly, causing her to overlook the bishop’s question to Caine, as well as his unhesitating answer.

“Miss Elizabeth Roy, are you willing to become the wife of Mr. Caine Howard, to live together as lovers and companions, and to love and respect him? Are you willing to share equally with him in joy, pain, victory, and happiness?”

The bishop’s inquiry resounded like a thunderclap in the captain’s ears, causing her dark golden pupils to contract slightly as her entire body instantly tensed.

A moment later, Roy relaxed again. She lowered her eyelids and remained silent for a long while before saying softly: “I…”

The young woman’s voice had barely sounded when it was interrupted by a disturbance from the central cloister.

Hurried footsteps rapidly approached, breaking the serenity of the hall, as if to drag this spacious sacred place back into the mundane world.

A group of fully armed soldiers in military uniforms poured into the cathedral and, upon entering the hall, quickly divided into two columns, occupying advantageous shooting positions behind each row of pews.

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After everyone was in position, they simultaneously raised their firearms, pointing the black muzzles at the silent young woman.

The hall returned to silence, with only the deliberately hushed breathing of the soldiers and the unhurried footsteps coming from the central cloister.

Soon, a middle-aged man wearing a Rear Admiral’s insignia and bearing a stern expression appeared at the entrance to the hall.

Six high-ranking officers followed behind the man, the lowest-ranked being a colonel. All were the highest commanders responsible for the safety of Elvet and the surrounding areas.

After identifying the target’s position, the middle-aged man waved a hand toward Roy.

At this signal, more than a dozen soldiers on standby at the rear quickly holstered their firearms and pressed forward with hands on their sword hilts, surrounding the four people near the pulpit tightly.

Finally, the soldiers arrayed along the path to the pulpit and encircling the four opened a passage, allowing the expressionless Rear Admiral to pass through with his officers.

When the Rear Admiral stood before Roy and her First Mate, the entire process had taken less than five minutes.

Turning around, the Rear Admiral bowed to Governor Naren, who was slowly rising to his feet while gripping the back of his chair, then shifted his gaze to the unperturbed Bishop Daniel.

After a moment of silence, the Rear Admiral reluctantly lowered his head: “Please forgive me for trespassing into the church district, interrupting your ceremony, disrupting the tranquility of the sacred place, and offending the Goddess. I ask for Your Excellency’s forgiveness on behalf of the military.”

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There was little interaction between the Auran military and the Holy Church. Every person who served as an officer in the military had to be a firm atheist.

This was because His Majesty the Emperor wanted to ensure that these pillars supporting the Empire’s security established in their hearts the concept that royal authority was supreme and divine authority secondary, thereby avoiding situations from distant history when the church threatened royal rule and the Empire’s foundations.

For this reason, military personnel, especially high-ranking figures with officer titles, had always been indifferent to the church and divine authority, and naturally were extremely averse to bowing their heads to bishops and the pope standing behind them.

But today’s situation was special. To ensure the smooth execution of a certain secret order, the Rear Admiral had no choice but to take this stance to reduce the possibility of conflict with the Holy Church.

The sound of dense footsteps arose again as armored Holy Cross Army soldiers poured in from outside, taking control of the hall and surrounding areas.

If these military men made any transgressive moves, they would not hesitate to apprehend those who desecrated the sacred place, send them to the church’s tribunal, and have the cold-hearted judgment priests mark them with sin imprints for judgment.

Hearing this, Daniel said seriously: “The Empire and the Holy Church have an edict that, except in special circumstances, military personnel may not set foot in church districts. So, Rear Admiral Gavin, please present your pass and state your purpose.”

Taking a piece of parchment from a colonel, Gavin presented this order, bearing the crimson seal symbolizing the Emperor’s will and clearly written ink characters, to the bishop with both hands. Then he turned his gaze toward the young woman who had remained silent throughout, and delivered his verdict in an indifferent voice.

“By the command of His Majesty the Emperor, I arrest the imperial criminal—Elizabeth Roy—on a series of charges including piracy, murder, and destruction of property, and will escort her to St. Caloie…”

“To receive His Majesty’s personal judgment!”