Captain – Chapter 272 – Well Done

Even the calmest river would become extremely violent when disturbed by fierce winds and heavy rain. The thunderous sound of rushing water could be heard clearly even from inside the residence.

Not to mention, from the cliff face down to the turbulent water surface was at least twenty meters. Even in calm weather, falling from such a height would likely result in death or serious injury, let alone on such a stormy night.

Therefore, in the eyes of the soldiers who witnessed the young woman falling like a bird from the top of the cliff, this was clearly a desperate act of someone with no escape, with no possibility of survival.

But after seeing the young woman’s smile and farewell gesture, the officer somehow couldn’t put his mind at ease.

After all, such a shocking turn of events had occurred under his watch, leaving the Governor wounded and near death. For someone who had received a secret mission to ensure Robert’s safety, this was an inexcusable dereliction of duty.

To mitigate his guilt, the only option was to capture the assassin and bring her to justice, or at the very least, take her life.

If due to his carelessness he allowed the culprit to escape freely, the price he would pay when facing the anger of the surviving Governor and that old man sitting in the highest seat was unimaginable.

With this thought, the officer’s breathing immediately became more rapid, and cold sweat even trickled down his forehead.

After a brief decision, he shouted orders, directing some soldiers to rescue the Governor and extinguish the growing fire, while he led the rest to follow the path the young woman had taken, all the way to the edge of the cliff.

Looking down, he saw no rope hanging from protruding rocks that could have been used for climbing down, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

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Believing that the other’s plunge was truly a desperate act forced by circumstances, the officer was about to turn back and order soldiers to search along both banks of the river to prevent any surprises, when suddenly a flapping sound came from not far ahead.

The sound was so powerful that even after penetrating the deep curtain of rain and reaching the soldiers’ ears, it remained incredibly clear and steady.

This was no ordinary hawk or falcon’s wingbeat, for even the sea eagle raised by the Marshal himself couldn’t make such a sound when soaring.

As the soldiers looked confused, not understanding what could be flapping its wings in that downpour, a lightning bolt tore through the night, revealing the answer.

Suspended in midair, some ten meters from the cliff top, was a “monster” covered in pitch-black, rock-like scales, with thick wings unlike feathers, two horns on its head, and eyes reflecting mysterious and profound purple light. It hovered in the heavy rain, dispassionately observing them.

And what this “monster’s” strong though not overly thick talons were gripping was the wrist of the young woman who had earlier plunged off the cliff.

By the illumination of the lightning, Roy also discovered the group of soldiers. She smiled at them as if showing off, then raised her other empty hand, bringing her index and middle fingers together, and swept them forward from the side of her forehead, as if saying “no need to see me off.”

After a roar that seemed like a challenge, the young dragon turned and flew toward the opposite bank with the Captain.

Seeing this, the officer finally awakened as if from a dream, roaring for the soldiers to open fire.

But by now, the young dragon had already flown another ten meters, and with the adverse weather conditions, the lead bullets all deviated from their path, falling downward, with not a single one coming near them.

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Witnessing this, the officer raised his hand with an ugly expression, stopping the soldiers from firing another volley.

He narrowed his eyes, watching the shadowy figure occasionally visible in the rain, seemingly trying to determine where they might land, so he could send people to pursue.

But when another lightning flash lit up, its light sweeping like a tide across the pitch-black river surface, illuminating the scene on the opposite bank, the officer’s pupils began to tremble uncontrollably. His face was filled with shock, and one could even see traces of undisguised terror.

When the cannon fire had first sounded, the officer had led soldiers to provide support, feeling extremely surprised that someone could use artillery inside the imperial hinterland. And judging by the sound and destructive power, it was the “absolutely prohibited item” that met the Auran military’s standard specifications.

He thought the other party might be military personnel, or assassins who had received armed support from some military bigwig. They had positioned at least a dozen cannons on the bank opposite the residence, plotting to assassinate the Governor.

Combined with recently received intelligence, he even thought this was the work of Robert’s target, the former Naval Commander and Imperial Lion, the head of the Howard family. After all, even though that man had left the military, he was still unconditionally supported by the Imperial Navy.

But when the lightning flashed and the darkness shrouding the river receded, the scene that entered his eyes shattered all the officer’s previous conjectures, leaving only overwhelming shock and unease.

Because on the water surface near the opposite bank, a magnificent warship was quietly anchored. On its pearl-white hull, countless gun ports were open, with numerous deep black muzzles protruding, aimed directly at the residence.

And at the top of the main mast with furled sails, a pure black flag flew wildly in the wind and rain.

A pirate ship—how could a pirate ship appear in the imperial hinterland!

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Screaming madly in his heart, the officer turned his head somewhat stiffly toward the bow.

Although due to the darkness and angle he couldn’t clearly see the ship’s name carved into the hull, he could distinctly make out the beautiful mermaid figurehead that had unveiled its mysterious veil and was silently praying in the downpour.

“The Mermaid…”

This whisper, like a moan, became the officer’s final words in life. The moment his voice fell, the warship’s grayish-white hull suddenly lit up, tearing open the darkness that had regathered after the lightning faded.

What followed were dense, piercing whistling sounds. In just an instant, the cliff top was completely consumed by artillery fire.

More cannonballs fell on the already battered building, shattering and breaking all the walls and pillars that were still stubbornly standing but about to collapse.

The main hall, which could have held on a while longer, also collapsed by half amid the roar of cannon fire. The soldiers who had just rushed in through the gate, either going to rescue the Governor or frantically extinguishing the flames, suffered heavy losses in the renewed impact and explosions, forcing them to withdraw from the hall.

With a thunderous sound, the marble pillars finally reached their limit, collapsing down with a mournful cry, completely blocking the soldiers’ rescue route together with the rising flames.

Cold raindrops penetrated the broken ceiling, falling on the face of the weakly breathing man, temporarily reviving his blurred consciousness.

Robert raised his eyes with difficulty, watching this building constructed with countless resources and manpower, a veritable work of art, collapse bit by bit, as if watching his ambition and that brilliant blueprint move step by step toward destruction.

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Ten years ago, he had destroyed everything that child had with his own hands. Now, she used equally cold methods to erase all his hopes and the vision he had pursued throughout his life.

Is this your revenge, child?

All the light and shadows before his eyes were changing and distorting. Countless scenes flashed by, finally stopping at that rain-drenched street, freezing on that pair of eyes full of expectation and affection when the boy handed him that jewelry box he himself treasured so much.

As his life was about to be extinguished, the man closed his tired eyes, but the corner of his mouth suddenly moved, revealing a smile filled with complex emotions.

That smile was so cold, yet also contained emotions resembling relief, relaxation, and affection—feelings that had never truly appeared on him in these decades.

“Well done.”

The barely audible words echoed out, soon covered by the complex sounds of rain and the crash of the collapsing building, making it difficult to discern whether such words had ever really existed.

The next moment, the entire building completely collapsed, burying all sins and beauty together.

Only quiet and eternal darkness remained.