Captain – Chapter 33 – Eve of the Storm

“Satisfied.”

Roy split her snow-white teeth in a grin, admitting her triumph without a hint of shame.

Caine, unexpectedly, wasn’t angry. He simply furrowed his brow and sat beside her, asking, “What benefit does this bring us?”

Though mysteriously manipulated by the captain, her deputy knew her all too well. Roy was a person incredibly stingy with emotions. If she was willing to go to such lengths to deceive the major, she definitely had her own purpose.

As for marrying him? A pirate captain with no feminine consciousness, who constantly boasted about her past deceptions of noble ladies, was hardly capable of such genuine intention.

Seeing her plan exposed, Roy’s smile gradually faded. “Of course, my dear deputy. This captain is only willing to suffer this slight for your sake.”

Recalling her previous pitiful act, Roy couldn’t help but shudder. Though incredibly effective, even a shameless person like her found the performance hard to accept.

“Think about it. At a governor’s ball, how could I possibly infiltrate without a proper identity? Moreover, I’d need to slip past that old eagle’s eyes. And no matter how you look at it, the identity of a fiancée is the perfect shield.”

Roy’s eyes reflected the blue sapphire teardrop ring as she added, “Of course, this also helps dispel the major’s suspicions about me.”

“But why the Andersen family?” Caine asked, looking at the captain who seemed like an entirely different person.

“First, my eye color is almost identical to the Andersen heirs. That’s powerful evidence.”

Roy counted off on her fingers: “Second, that military industrial family has enough power to interface with the Howard family. Even as a collateral heir, under the Andersen brand, I wouldn’t face excessive criticism.”

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“And you should know very well what profound impact a female Andersen would have if she married into the Auran Empire,” Roy glanced at Caine, who was deep in thought, and smiled cunningly.

“Yes, if you were truly a collateral Andersen lady betrothed to me, neither the Federation nor the Empire would raise any objection,” Caine nodded, agreeing with her analysis.

In recent years, though the two most powerful forces on the continent still had conflicts of interest and border friction, they largely maintained sufficient peace and respect, but lacked further development.

If such a marriage suddenly emerged, both sides would welcome it and push for its smooth progression.

“But have you considered what trouble we’d face if the Andersen family exposed your identity?” Caine’s tone shifted as he voiced his concern.

“Are you stupid? We’re just using an excuse to attend a ball, not actually fulfilling the marriage…”

Roy’s words halted midway, her eyes suddenly widening. She looked at Caine as if he were a monster, stammering: “Caine, you wouldn’t…”

“You’re overthinking it,” Caine replied calmly, lowering his eyelids.

“Right, I always said a upright military officer like you could never fancy a completely unscrupulous pirate,” Roy said, seemingly relieved, and smiled: “But you’d better treat me like a brother. On a pirate ship, there’s not much distinction between men and women.”

“Got it, let’s continue with the previous matter,” Caine smoothly redirected the conversation, revealing no hint of his complex inner emotions: “According to your plan, entering the ball shouldn’t cause any issues. Even if the Empire investigates, given the vast distance between Hipalia and the Empire, a round trip would take over two months. By then, we’ll long be gone.”

“Exactly right.”

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Roy praised him, but her admiration quickly faded, replaced by an unusual heaviness: “But you’ve been overlooking one thing.”

Caine saw such a serious expression on the captain’s face for the first time and suppressed his subtle thoughts, asking seriously: “What?”

“Have you considered why the Black Raven Society would risk losing a noble executor, sacrificing decades of effort within the Auran military, just to avoid exposing themselves prematurely?”

Caine’s pupils involuntarily contracted at her words.

Yes, regardless of potentially losing an executor, they were determined to kill him before the ball. Why?

To ensure the ball would undergo no possible changes.

Even without bodyguards, Caine Howard was still a lion—dangerous and ferocious.

“They want to kill Governor Federo, at any… cost,” Caine whispered. Though he had anticipated the ball’s extreme danger, he never imagined the Black Raven Society would make such a massive sacrifice.

No, the Scorpion Lion’s death might just be the beginning.

At that moment, a fluttering sound came from the study’s wooden window. Roy stood to open it, and waiting quietly outside was Alfie, who had disappeared for an entire day.

The ravens landed on the captain’s shoulder, lowering its body and sharply reporting a number.

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“One hundred thirty-two, Captain.”

Caine watched silently, now understanding why Alfie had left so early—surely to scout Black Raven Society intelligence. But what did this number mean?

“Alfie is particularly sensitive to the smell of blood. No matter how thoroughly you wash, if you’ve killed someone, it can’t escape its nose. And those guys’ blood smell is far darker and more sinister than ordinary assassins.”

Hearing the number, Roy turned to Caine and gave a bitter smile: “Caine, maybe we should just avoid this mess. We could sail out tomorrow morning. The Black Raven Society won’t abandon their grand plan just to hunt us. I’ll reclaim the Mermaid later and then find trouble with them.”

Seeing the always fearless captain make such a statement, Caine pressed his lips together and, after a long silence, asked: “What’s wrong?”

“One hundred thirty-two. One hundred thirty-two assassins. The Black Raven Society is going all out.”

Roy knew her deputy wouldn’t leave early due to her persuasion or potential danger, so she sighed deeply and revealed the shocking truth.

Black Raven Society assassins were the most skilled killers in the world, constantly accompanying darkness, killing countless Empire and Federation dignitaries with poison-laced blades.

As the organization’s most powerful force, such elite assassins never numbered more than two hundred, especially after those who died during the previous assassination attempt of Governor Naren.

This time, one hundred thirty-two assassins were hidden on this cramped island—one could imagine the Black Raven Society’s determination.

Not counting the two already seen and the three executors including the dead Scorpion Lion, killing an imperial governor might mean even the organization’s last mysterious elder had arrived on Frans Island.

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Such a terrifying lineup made even Roy’s scalp tingle.

Caine understood the captain’s persuasion. He knew her decision was correct. Unless the Empire deployed massive regular troops for protection, he could do nothing against over a hundred Black Raven Society assassins eyeing him. But…

After minimal contemplation, Caine spoke again: “No, Captain. I’m staying.”

“Even if you’ll die horribly?” Roy asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes,” Caine’s expression was incredibly resolute: “Imperial soldiers never fear death.”

“But you’re a pirate now, you stubborn fool.”

Roy seemed to hate him to the bone, but eventually laughed softly, her words like a devil’s whisper: “But this is exactly why I chose you as my deputy… This captain will reluctantly accompany you this time.”

Suddenly, a flash lit the wooden window, immediately followed by a low, terrifying thunderclap, reminding Roy of the night she set foot on Devil’s Island.

The dark, gloomy sky looked so similar. Perhaps the next moment would bring a storm to completely destroy Frans Island and this warm, harmonious small town. But the captain didn’t care. She just leaned against the window frame, silently thinking to herself:

I hope you won’t let me down, Caine.