Captain – Chapter 236 – The Governor’s Resolve

Since Captain Roy had taken over the Mermaid, there had been countless meetings both large and small, but decisions made through voting by the entire crew had occurred only once—during that storm when they betrayed her.

After that vote, the Mermaid had turned around and sailed away from Devil’s Island at full speed, leaving Roy alone on the isolated island, surrounded by countless warships.

Now, on another stormy night, at a time when the Captain had left the warship, the Mermaid’s second full-crew vote was about to begin.

Everything seemed like a replay of the past, yet everything was fundamentally different, because this time, they would decide not to abandon the Captain on her own, but to do everything in their power to find her and bring her back.

“The news that just arrived—I believe everyone has already heard—while being escorted to the fortress outside the city, the Captain was forcibly taken away by someone with a military order of questionable authenticity. Now she’s disappeared without a trace, her whereabouts unknown.”

Black boots splashed through rainwater, powerful declarations overpowering the thunder.

Caine walked along the path cleared by the crew, arriving at the center of the gathering. His gaze swept across faces streaming with rainwater: “This means the situation has escaped that Rear Admiral’s control, so his promise naturally lost its effect the moment he handed over the Captain.”

“And since the military was the first to break the agreement, we absolutely cannot hope for them to make any statement, because by the time their response finally arrives, it will be too late to remedy anything. Therefore, my thought is that we should rest briefly, then immediately weigh anchor and depart, continuing westward along the Loyce Canal.”

“With our speed on the waterway, even if they had a half-day head start and traveled day and night without rest, we would eventually overtake them. During this process, we’ll gather intelligence along the shore. As long as we determine their direction, no matter what changes occur, we’ll have the opportunity to respond.”

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“This way, whether the Captain encounters danger or needs our help, the Mermaid can arrive in time.”

At this point, the First Mate paused briefly, giving the crew time to digest the information, then continued in a deep voice: “But as I said earlier, even though we’re concerned about the Captain’s safety and want to make preparations in advance, this still goes against the orders she left behind. Therefore, we need a full-crew vote to decide whether this proposal can be approved.”

“Now, everyone listen—those who agree with the proposal, raise your hands; those who oppose, maintain your current position. Begin voting!”

As the young man’s words fell, the crew showed no hesitation. Hands rose uniformly, and even at a glance, it was clear that more than half had voted in favor.

“Ben, count the votes.”

Despite this, the First Mate still calmly gave the order. Among pirates, a full-crew vote was an extremely serious process that allowed no carelessness or errors.

The Bosun loudly responded “Aye,” moved among the crew for a while, then returned to Caine and reported in a deep voice: “Report to the First Mate, vote counting completed. Total of six hundred and thirty-five votes, six hundred and thirty-five in favor, zero opposed!”

“Very well, gentlemen, make brief preparations, then we weigh anchor and depart.”

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After a series of respectful responses, the crew lowered their hands and quickly returned to their respective positions.

Before long, the sails were raised one after another, and the heavy iron anchor was slowly pulled from the water with the sound of chains and planks rubbing against each other.

Confirming that everything was proceeding in an orderly manner, Caine finally gathered his thoughts and slowly walked up to Governor Naren, who had silently watched the entire voting process, and called out softly: “Father.”

The Governor nodded slightly, looking around at the bustling deck, and said somewhat emotionally: “That raven was right—you do indeed have great authority among them. Looking at this, my worry that you couldn’t control your emotions or the situation on the ship was unnecessary concern.”

At this, Naren smiled with some satisfaction: “When it comes to matters of the sea, you always do well, and compared to the navy, the pirate identity seems to suit you better, perhaps related to your mischievous nature as a child.”

Clearing his throat, Caine said somewhat awkwardly: “Let’s not talk about childhood matters. What’s more urgent now is how to change the unfavorable situation we’re in.”

“Change? Why change it?”

The Governor shook his head slightly and said: “Gavin has already been frank with me. Whether it’s the action at the church or those people taking Roy away recently, Robert’s shadow lurks behind all of this. And I think the purpose of these actions is nothing more than to provoke you, thereby affecting my judgment.”

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“As long as we lose our composure, whether or not they can prove Roy’s alleged crimes, the collusion between the Howard family and the Golden-Eyed Devil will become established fact and spread throughout Auran in a very short time. You know that slander is far easier than clearing one’s name.”

Although he knew his father’s analysis was correct, the First Mate couldn’t help saying: “But this storm is ultimately directed at you. Whether it’s the Captain, myself, or more people, we’re all just pawns used by Robert to frame you. In this situation, constant retreat isn’t a good enough strategy.”

Caine knew his father couldn’t possibly have no countermeasures. That letter sent to St. Caloie was the decisive means to win in one stroke.

And now that Rear Admiral Gavin had changed his mind, the warships and Elvet’s garrison could ensure the Governor’s safety to the greatest extent.

Although the shot fired in the church remained vivid in his memory, with preparations now in place, Robert’s assassins would find it extremely difficult to approach Naren, let alone threaten his life.

Therefore, while the current situation appeared to be entirely in Robert’s hands, it had subtly shifted in Naren’s favor.

They only needed to wait until His Majesty saw that letter, confirmed the edict was fake, and then with the support of His Majesty, the Holy Church, and the military that needed to extricate itself, Robert would no longer pose a threat and would pay a heavy price for forging the royal edict.

But the problem was that it would take at least a month for that letter to reach His Majesty and for St. Caloie’s response to return.

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During this period, Governor Naren likewise had no way to counter Robert, and to achieve his goals, the opponent would become increasingly unscrupulous.

“As long as I don’t make a statement, Robert has no way to influence me.”

Guessing Caine’s concerns, the Governor said calmly: “As for mutual destruction… the soldiers trained under me are far more reliable than those who only dare hide in the shadows. So now the only problem isn’t with me, nor with you, but with that Captain.”

“I can roughly guess her plan, but if I truly remain holed up in Elvet, hiding behind layers of protection, most of the danger would fall on her instead. And watching coldly as a young woman—the one my child loves—takes the blow for me has never been the Howard family’s way.”

“Besides, you all already have your own plans. How could I possibly hide behind you?”

Lightning flashed briefly across the sky, illuminating the Governor’s chiseled features, and with the rumbling thunder, his previously calm words became as majestic and forceful as a lion’s roar.

“The Garcia family estate is located in western Auran, less than ten days’ journey from here. If nothing unexpected happens, within just two days, I should receive Federo’s reply. And when his men arrive in Elvet…”

“That will be when our counterattack begins.”