Captain – Chapter 239 – Black Raven

“Click.”

With a soft sound, the shackles fell from the girl’s wrists and were caught by the middle-aged man.

After arranging the shackles neatly, he gestured toward the carriage door: “Pleased to meet you, Captain Roy. Now please exit the carriage; the interior needs some cleaning.”

With that, the man turned and left the carriage first.

Watching his back, recalling his practiced manner when unlocking the shackles earlier, the Captain raised an eyebrow, forming a general assessment in her mind.

Stepping out of the carriage, Roy confirmed her bearings and approached the man standing behind the vehicle.

She followed his gaze toward the assassins who were cleaning up the scene, remained silent for a moment, then asked: “Whose people are you?”

Stroking his beard, the middle-aged man smiled and said: “Whose people would the Captain like us to be?”

Hearing his counter-question, Roy shrugged: “Any side would be fine, as long as you’re not Robert’s people. I think we’d have something to discuss then.”

“Then as you wish, we are not that Governor’s subordinates.”

Hearing this, the wariness in the girl’s eyes diminished slightly. Although she was never one to be fooled by mere words, this man before her seemed to possess a certain strange charm—just conversing with him could calm one’s mind.

So the Captain’s face also broke into a smile as she asked curiously: “Then which member of the Black Raven Society might you be?”

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Judging by how the assassins immediately located the key after capturing the carriage, they clearly understood the organization’s shackles and her situation very well. After that, the middle-aged man had effortlessly triggered the mechanism and opened that very concealed keyhole, further confirming this point.

Thus, it wasn’t difficult to guess that they came from the Black Raven Society.

The reason she had asked the previous question was that after meeting Tomb Bat, she understood the Black Raven Society wasn’t entirely unified internally. There were fanatics willing to abandon organizational principles and betray organizational interests for those they followed.

Therefore, before deeper engagement, she needed to determine exactly whom these people represented.

“Black Raven. That’s my codename in the organization.”

The man’s deep, magnetic voice reached her ears. Roy’s pupils contracted slightly as she turned to study his face, her fair cheeks filled with doubt.

“What, you don’t believe me?”

Feeling the girl’s burning gaze, the man withdrew his attention from the assassins and smiled at her, seeming long accustomed to such reactions.

“It’s hard to believe that a gentle gentleman like yourself is actually the legendary… head of the Shelley family, who causes Federation councilors endless headaches and even fear.”

Black Raven of the Black Raven Society—this was a codename rich with legendary color.

The man it represented was the organization’s foremost executioner, the honorary chairman of the Federation Council, and also the head of the royal family of the Mistel Empire.

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Each of his titles was supremely dignified and brilliant, representing immense power. When stacked together, even an Imperial Governor would pale in comparison before him.

So Roy truly couldn’t imagine that the head of the Shelley family—one of the most noble figures in the world, who took “power above all” as his creed and showed not the slightest inclination to compromise even in the face of the Auran Empire’s overwhelming maritime power—would have such an amiable appearance.

“People always like to expand their imaginations boundlessly and proclaim them as truth, so facts often become distorted.”

Black Raven explained nonchalantly: “In those councilors’ eyes, I’m a tyrant who enforces power. That’s really no different from how, in the eyes of Auran citizens, you’re a devil spreading terror. Both are the result of deliberate smearing by certain individuals.”

Glancing at the sword at his waist, Roy twisted her mouth noncommittally: “Your identity is no secret among various high-level circles. According to the Great Captain, most of those shocking deeds you’ve done were merely to pass the time when bored. If so, being regarded as a tyrant isn’t purely slander.”

“Besides, Mr. Shelley, as the absolute promoter of military, economic, and political integration among Federation countries, whether in terms of pursuing power or harboring hostility toward the Auran Empire, you don’t seem like someone willing to accept the organization’s principles.”

The Captain asked curiously: “That being the case, why did you join the Black Raven Society?”

“Yes, unifying the Federation to gain the power to confront Auran is indeed one of my pursuits. But how can you be certain that’s not just another game I’m playing?”

Seeing the girl’s bemused blinking, Black Raven smiled and said: “For someone like me, power and wealth come easily. If I don’t set some goals for myself, my entire life would sink into mere enjoyment.”

“That’s precisely why I wanted to challenge the Auran Empire, to challenge that old fellow who has occupied the world’s throne for decades. Past experiences told me that only this goal could make me slightly excited.”

“But the problem is that now, or rather, more than a decade ago, I found something more interesting and more important. That attracts me far more than any power or unification, so naturally, I left those things behind and joined the Black Raven Society.”

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Hearing this, Roy said somewhat incredulously: “So this more attractive thing you mention… is seeking balance between various factions?”

“No, to be precise, it’s pursuing a lady.”

Black Raven waggled his finger meaningfully. After saying this, an assassin quickly approached the two.

“Sir, all bodies and bloodstains have been cleaned up.”

Black Raven nodded slightly and ordered: “Have the children change their clothes; we’re preparing to depart.”

While Black Raven was speaking with the assassin, the Captain remained immersed in his previous words. But no matter how hard she pondered, she couldn’t find any connection between joining the Black Raven Society and pursuing a lady.

“Captain Roy, we should board the carriage now.”

Awakened by the man’s call, Roy finally realized that regardless of why he joined the Black Raven Society, it had nothing to do with her. More importantly, she needed to understand the purpose behind her rescue.

“Wait a moment, Mr. Shelley. I still don’t know what the organization’s intentions are. Don’t tell me you’re trying to win people over by rescuing me?”

Before the man could speak, the Captain preemptively said: “Let me be clear—being taken by these people was my own decision. In fact, the organization’s abrupt intervention hasn’t helped me at all; rather, it has seriously disrupted my plans and might even cause me great trouble. I need reasonable explanations for all this.”

“Yes, yes, we’ll discuss once we’re in the carriage.”

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Watching Black Raven waving his hand while walking toward the carriage door, Roy opened her mouth slightly, unsure where his confidence came from that she would definitely accept the Black Raven Society’s arrangements.

The answer was soon revealed.

Holding the carriage door, Black Raven smiled at the girl and said: “If you’re unwilling to board, then you’ll have to complete the rest of the journey on foot, and you’ll need to arrange your own food and lodging.”

With that, he directly entered the carriage, giving the Captain no room for negotiation.

Roy stared dumbfounded at this scene, taking quite some time to recover.

She couldn’t believe there was someone in this world even more unreasonable than herself.

Looking at those assassins disguised as Auran soldiers forming a protective circle around the carriage, hearing the sound of the whip cutting through the air, seeing that this group truly intended to leave her behind, Roy ground her teeth in annoyance before whistling loudly.

With the sound of flapping wings, the jet-black raven descended from the sky, landing on her shoulder and calling out in a somewhat sharp voice: “Captain!”

“Alfie, the Great Captain was right—we’d better minimize contact with these Black Raven Society folks.”

Despite saying this, under the raven’s curious gaze, the girl still ran after the carriage that had begun to move forward.