Captain – Chapter 220 – The Turning Point

A muffled groan was heard as the colonel clutched his nose and fell to the ground. Crimson blood flowed steadily from between his fingers, staining his clean uniform.

“Uh, why did you suddenly hit him?”

After glancing at the fallen Berney, Roy finally realized what had happened. She looked at her First Mate who was slowly lowering his fist, her tone full of astonishment.

As the former commander of the Auran Navy, Caine’s will and composure had always been formidable.

Neither incoming storms nor cunning opponents could easily break his calm and rational state, let alone provoke him into such impulsive action.

Only when matters involved her would his attitude become infinitely gentle, or particularly unyielding.

The captain understood this, and understood the reason behind it, but she still couldn’t comprehend why he would choose to act at this moment.

After all, they were still surrounded by Auran soldiers, and such behavior would only intensify the conflict, offering no help in resolving the situation.

“He was too noisy. I found it irritating to my ears.”

Caine’s tone was flat as his cold gaze swept across the soldiers surrounding them, finally landing on Rear Admiral Gavin, whose expression was fluctuating between anger and uncertainty.

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“I find it hard to imagine that the military would tolerate such a scoundrel rising to the rank of colonel. Does this mean that among the elites selected from countless soldiers on the front lines defending the Empire’s safety and maintaining Auran’s honor, there are many others like him?”

Faced with this question that seemed to insult the military’s honor, the Rear Admiral remained silent. The officers behind him also said nothing, as if not knowing how to refute.

Because the facts were right before them, and they had already committed to memory the identity of the person speaking these words before accepting their mission.

This young man who was even younger than Berney, along with the governor who had remained silent throughout, represented the most brilliant military stars of the Empire in the last hundred years or even generations. The military achievements they had established and the honors they bore were so dazzling that they overshadowed any other officer.

Yet ironically, the head of the Howard family and his son, two generations of Auran admirals, the Imperial Lions… were now heavily surrounded by soldiers.

In the face of the evidence provided by that gentleman, and the name of Golden-Eyed Roy, the military’s important figures had agreed to this plan.

They had approved the witness put forward by that governor, and also approved Rear Admiral Gavin’s proposal to deploy military forces to apprehend the imperial criminal Elizabeth Roy. But there was also one order, written at the top of the plan under the instructions of those high-ranking elders.

“Regardless of the outcome, ensure the safety of Naren Howard and Caine Howard, and during the operation, do not disgrace the military’s strict discipline.”

“Rear Admiral Gavin, don’t tarnish our reputation in front of the pride of the military.”

Recalling that line at the beginning of the plan, and the calm words of the elderly man sitting in the chief seat with his benevolent countenance, the Rear Admiral’s expression grew even darker. His resentment toward this colonel with his improper conduct grew stronger, though he refrained from expressing it in front of so many people.

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Struggling to his feet, Berney wiped his face hard, smearing blood everywhere. He stood ramrod straight, quickly suppressing the annoyance in his eyes, and said hoarsely: “I was indeed out of line earlier. I apologize to young Master Howard and… this lady, but I assure you, this has no connection with the military.”

“I… I was simply too eager to arrest an imperial criminal and bring her to justice. I hope I can have your understanding.”

Hearing the colonel’s statement, the Rear Admiral behind him finally showed some relief in his expression. Caine’s action earlier, besides being due to the colonel’s aggressive attitude toward the captain, also had much to do with his improper conduct.

Now that the other party had shown such a sincere attitude and tried to extricate the military from this affair, no matter how much dissatisfaction the First Mate had, it was not appropriate to express it for the moment.

So Caine merely nodded coldly, saying nothing.

“A misunderstanding, it seems to be just a small misunderstanding.”

Seeing the situation seemingly return to control, Roy secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At this rate, as long as she handled things properly, that man’s plans would naturally come to nothing.

“Sir, you should be very clear that marks made by a red-hot branding iron are basically impossible to remove, unless that piece of skin is cut away. But obviously, I haven’t deliberately done so to conceal… crimes that never existed in the first place.”

The smile returned to the young woman’s face as she explained softly to Rear Admiral Gavin, seeming truly like an innocent young lady who had been framed.

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Hearing her explanation, the soldiers looked at each other, feeling that she indeed had a point.

“As for my identity, although we’re borrowing the name of the York family, I’m actually not a member of that family.”

Seeing her explanation was effective, Roy continued to make up a story with a serious face: “My real name is Elizabeth Anderson, from the Anderson family of the great port of Hipalia. All my credentials are on the White Rose. I can retrieve them for you and the gentlemen to examine.”

“And even if Auran wants to seek confirmation from the family, I can stay in Elvet and wait for a response with you, sir. But if it’s finally proven that I am indeed innocent, then I hope the Auran military, as well as the gentlemen who questioned my identity, can provide an explanation to me and my family, and compensate for all the benefits we’ve lost these past few days.”

“Sir, what do you think?”

The captain’s performance, in the eyes of the soldiers who didn’t know the truth, was simply exemplary of a young lady from a distinguished family. While politely expressing her willingness to cooperate with the military investigation and seeking the Rear Admiral’s opinion, she also did not lose the pride, composure, and the inherent firmness inscribed in the bones of a child from an ancient family.

You want proof, I’ll provide it. You want to verify, I’ll cooperate. But if everything ultimately proves you’re wrong, then you, including the Auran military, must apologize!

This was not one-sided submission. If things went awry, what would be lost in the end was the face of those old men in the military’s upper echelons, a responsibility not everyone could bear.

So Roy’s true purpose was to use this to force the other party to back down, both sides would step back, and pretend nothing had happened.

She knew that Rear Admiral Gavin, Colonel Berney, and even more hidden agents among the soldiers knew she was the person they were looking for, but the problem was…

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They couldn’t produce evidence.

The only mark that could prove her connection to that boy from ten years ago had been casually erased by that devil, but with the help of the ship’s doctor, she could easily prove that there was indeed such a collateral heir in the Anderson family.

Therefore, this had become a deadlock.

Even though Roy was well aware of that man’s power, she couldn’t imagine what means he might still have to turn around such a hopeless situation.

But facts proved that she had still underestimated his ruthlessness.

Obviously, Gavin also understood the current delicate situation. After pondering for a long time, he signaled the dejected colonel to step back, then looked at the smiling young woman, seemingly about to say something diplomatic.

“Since it’s a misunderstanding, then…”

But just as the Rear Admiral began speaking, a violent gunshot unexpectedly rang out from in front of the third row of pews!

It was like that man’s merciless chuckle directed at her.