Captain – Chapter 29 – The Lieutenant with the Knife

To prevent her pirate identity from being exposed, Roy had left her pirate-style attire along with the Isk curved blade at the inn before coming to the castle. The only weapon accompanying her was that black pistol with silver patterns, and it wasn’t even loaded.

In other words, she was now practically unarmed.

What perfect timing.

Roy observed the silver knife gleaming with cold light, quickly judging its origin. It was a standard-issue silver knife of the Auran military, even sharper than the Isk curved blade, an extremely light and convenient killing tool.

The uninvited guest who pushed open the door had his back to the moonlight, his face covered by a layer of black veil, making it impossible to see his true appearance. But the shoulder insignia he hadn’t had time to remove exposed his identity.

He was an imperial officer, holding the rank of lieutenant.

To attain an officer’s position in the rigorous and strict Auran military, even just the most ordinary lieutenant position required exceptional quality and sincere loyalty. Family background and experience were scrutinized down to the minutest detail, essentially creating an impenetrable wall without any loopholes.

But even under such circumstances, it seemed some ill-intentioned rats had still infiltrated.

“Stay right here, don’t cause me trouble.”

Roy rose nimbly, her body, slightly sore from practicing posture and dance steps, instantly tensed. She could even feel the blood flowing exhilaratingly, her heart beating like a war drum made of whale skin. A long-absent feeling of excitement gradually spread, bringing her back to that dangerous ocean filled with cannons and warships.

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That’s right, a pirate should dance among blood and fire, not be a golden canary on display in a hall filled with gorgeous curtains.

Roy thought joyfully, then took a deep breath. Her toes lightly touched the ground, and her entire body flew out like an arrow released from a bow.

Since leaving the solitary island, the first mate she had tricked into joining had gradually begun to display his abilities, to the extent that she, as the captain, had nothing to do all day except eat, drink, play, and tease the raven. Even her body seemed to be softening from this comfortable and carefree life.

But evidence proved that a dangerous character like her always accompanied swords. Even if she didn’t go looking for trouble, trouble would find her, although this time, the target didn’t seem to be her.

When Caine turned back alertly, his gaze immediately locked onto the shoulder insignia reflecting the moonlight. In just a moment, he already knew the identity of the visitor and was about to rise to question him when the captain’s irrefutable command sounded in his ears. After a brief inner struggle, he finally remained silently in place.

No matter how unwilling he was to believe or accept it, since the other had already stood at the door with a silver knife, and had chosen this moment when all soldiers, including the Major, were most relaxed, the force he represented was already apparent.

“Black Raven Society.”

Caine’s cold murmur echoed in the dim room, setting the tone for this unexpected yet seemingly inevitable assassination attempt.

Without dialogue or threats, not even the sound of wind, a thrilling combat unfolded before those slightly worried ocean-blue eyes.

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Almost flawless—this was Roy’s strongest impression at first glance.

The Auran Empire’s standard military knife seemed to transform into a tower shield in this lieutenant’s hand. Whether from the front or the flank, Roy couldn’t find any opportunity to break through this solid shield, so she could only lower her body and retreat, while watching the opponent’s every move with beast-like golden eyes.

“Are you the pirate beside the Young Master?”

Seeing Roy maintain a safe distance between them, the lieutenant put the silver knife back at his side and asked in an emotionless tone.

“Young Master?”

Roy feigned confusion, furrowing her brow, then said as if having a sudden realization: “Oh, you mean Caine? He is now my first mate.”

As she had anticipated, upon hearing the words “first mate,” even the iron will of a lieutenant who had served for many years couldn’t help but be slightly stunned.

Although he was a mole planted by the Black Raven Society in this remote frontier of the empire, he had still spent decades in military service and knew what the Howard family’s young master represented, as well as the irreconcilable relationship between the imperial navy and pirates.

Yet the pirate before him claimed that Caine, an imperial admiral who inherited Governor Naren’s name of the Lion, had become a pirate, and was her subordinate first mate. Any imperial soldier hearing such news would likely be shocked into a daze.

A flash of reflection suddenly appeared before his eyes. Without thinking, the lieutenant raised his silver knife horizontally, blocking in front of himself. He vaguely glimpsed the pirate drawing the short pistol from her waist with an unimaginable speed, presumably now aiming at his forehead.

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As an imperial soldier, the lieutenant naturally knew very well the swiftness of firing and the precise design accuracy of the fine pistols equipped by dignitaries starting from the rank of brigadier general. It far surpassed the matchlock guns commonly used by pirates.

But similarly, its power was much weaker than those primitive violent contraptions. Unless it directly hit vital areas like the head or heart, it would struggle to achieve a fatal blow with one shot.

And in this era, no lethal firearm capable of consecutively firing two bullets had yet appeared.

In an extremely short time, the lieutenant made an accurate judgment and decided on his next plan. As long as he blocked this bullet, the unarmed pirate, no matter how fierce, would be nothing more than a toothless tiger.

One second… two seconds…

Time seemed to slow down infinitely, flowing slowly with audibly suppressed breathing. But until the lieutenant mentally counted to three, the expected gunshot still hadn’t sounded, and his heart gradually tensed, sensing an inexplicable danger.

Given the explosiveness and swiftness the pirate had displayed when charging over, the piercing gunshot should have resounded with the flash of fire before the first breath ended. After that, he would have only a short time to kill them and escape before the soldiers surrounded this pavilion completely.

But why, why hadn’t the gunshot sounded? Why was everything moving further and further away from his plan?

“Clack.”

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The sound of the metal gun body falling to the ground was so crisp that it couldn’t escape the lieutenant’s sensitive ears. At the same time, he heard the approaching footsteps, so he released his left hand gripping the back of the knife, intending to immediately change his posture to face the enemy. But he hadn’t expected that fair hand to come so quickly.

That wasn’t a speed any human could possess!

That hand chopped down forcefully on the back of the knife from above. Although the Auran Empire’s standard military knife didn’t have a sharpened back, due to its inherently slim nature, the supposedly blunt back could still easily slit a person’s throat.

So the moment that hand contacted the back of the silver knife, crimson blood droplets scattered open, meaning that exquisite hand, like a treasure, had been deeply cut.

Seeing the enemy’s crucial right hand damaged, the lieutenant had no time to rejoice or pursue. He only felt a tremendous force transmitted through the silver knife to his hand gripping it, as if a heavy hammer had fallen from the sky, about to smash his hand and wrist to pieces.

“Crack!”

The crisp sound of bone breaking rang out, and the silver knife fell in response.

The lieutenant retreated urgently, clutching his wrist, but had no mind to care about the cold sweat flowing down his forehead. He didn’t even remember to show a painful expression. He just looked in terror at those dark golden pupils, at the tall girl who approached step by step, completely disregarding the hideous cut on her palm.

As if he had seen a devil.