Captain – Chapter 39 – Breaking Through

Black Raven Society assassins!

Hearing the sound of bowstrings releasing and blades piercing flesh, Roy quickly understood what was happening. She instinctively lowered herself to hide in the darkness, but a pair of strong arms pulled her into an embrace, carefully moving toward Federo’s direction.

“Captain, it’s me.”

About to forcefully break free, Roy heard the familiar voice in her ear and immediately reduced her resistance. She gritted her teeth and complained: “Why are you holding me? If those rats discover us, we’ll die even faster this way!”

“It’s alright, the Governor can control the situation.” Caine ignored the captain’s weak struggles, leading her step by step into the iron wall formed by the crowd of people.

Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Roy discovered that nearly a hundred navy personnel, who should have been waiting outside the manor, had appeared in the hall. These were the ambush forces arranged by the admiral as a precaution.

But even if there were five hundred guards in this hall instead of just one hundred navy personnel, they still couldn’t possibly defeat the Black Raven Society’s assassins in a darkened environment!

Sure enough, within just a few breaths, the iron wall formed by the military was nearly broken. Over a dozen navy men on the outer perimeter had their throats pierced by poisoned arrows, while many more died in brutal close combat.

“Don’t be foolish, this small number of people can’t possibly hold them off.”

Seeing the situation, Roy’s expression gradually became calm. She deftly broke free from her First Mate’s protection, her dark golden eyes gleaming in the darkness: “Caine, listen carefully to what needs to be done next.”

Caine was silent for a moment, knowing he couldn’t dissuade the captain, and could only ask in a low voice: “Tell me.”

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“Have these navy men ignore the other nobles and focus on getting Federo out of here. Once the Black Raven Society sets a target, they absolutely won’t waste even the slightest moment on irrelevant people. In the current situation, the nobles are just burdens slowing your escape.”

Roy spoke quickly, her eyes rapidly scanning the dim hall. Using the occasional flash of lightning through the skylight, she quickly assessed the situation.

It turned out that the maids serving food, the attendants looking after clothing, and even the young butler had all transformed into ruthless killers the moment the crystal chandeliers shattered. They were almost impassively harvesting the lives of the unprepared navy men, while teams of well-equipped crossbowmen and assassins emerged from secret passages on all sides, converging like sharks that had scented blood.

“Remember to stay close to the Governor. Though he’s annoying, his side will definitely be the safest place right now. I don’t want to lose a First Mate over this mess.” As she spoke, Roy began removing her constraining ceremonial dress.

The white gown slid down onto the blood-splattered floor, revealing the clean-cut coarse linen shirt and tight pants the pirate captain wore underneath.

Hearing this, Caine furrowed his brow: “What about you? Where are you going?”

Roy didn’t answer her First Mate’s question, she just calmly asked: “Where are my curved blade and short pistol?”

“Under the seat in the carriage compartment. The carriage should be parked on the west side of the hall.” Caine answered instinctively, adding: “The pistol has only one bullet.”

“That’s enough.”

Having made all preparations, Roy patted Caine’s shoulder: “Have your men get ready, we’ll break out through the main entrance.”

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“Why the main—” Caine’s words were cut short by Roy’s cold voice.

“Execute the order, First Mate.”

Seeing that Caine’s face still showed hesitation, Roy explained reluctantly: “If you reacted this way on a pirate ship, we would have been shot full of holes long ago. I’ve already identified the Black Raven Society executor—it’s your dear Duke Darren. Go!”

The captain gave the naval officer a hard shove, pushing him into the navy’s protective circle, while she herself sprinted toward the main entrance, swift as a cheetah.

Knowing the breakout had begun, Caine withdrew his gaze from her retreating figure and pushed through the crowded navy men, quickly reaching Federo’s side. Remarkably similar to Roy’s thinking, the Governor’s first command was also to break out rather than rely on the terrain to wait for rescue.

“Governor, please follow me through the main entrance.”

Caine took the short pistol and military saber handed to him by Merri, his azure eyes now devoid of any hesitation or uncertainty, replaced only by an authority and presence that could not be defied.

From this moment on, he was no longer the pirate captain’s indecisive First Mate, but had transformed back into the Auran Empire’s majestic and inviolable lion.

“Oh, how did you reach that decision?” Federo showed no displeasure at the younger man’s command, his emerald eyes filled with admiration.

“Duke Darren is the Black Raven Society executor, and this is his palace. The emergency secret passages he previously provided are surely filled with ambushes. In light of this, the main entrance is actually our most likely path to survival.”

Their movements didn’t slow during this conversation. Upon hearing Caine’s command, Admiral Merri didn’t hesitate even slightly, not even thinking to consult the Governor first. Clear and concise orders flowed continuously from his mouth.

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“Sixth squad, watch the rear! Third and fourth squads, secure the flanks! The rest, follow me for the frontal breakthrough!”

While the remaining navy men knocked aside tables and pushed through the panicking nobles, slowly advancing toward the main entrance, a slender figure had already rushed ahead of them toward the heavy hall doors.

Dodging incoming arrows, Roy parried the Black Raven Society’s special stabbing swords with a military silver knife she had picked up, severing the throat of an opponent with a single slash. Before this, she had already killed no fewer than five assassins.

These professional killers, who had nearly decimated the imperial navy, seemed like mere novices before the young woman. The impact of this scene was so powerful that both the fleeing nobles and the resolute navy men, willing to die paving the way, couldn’t help but cast astonished glances at her.

No one could have imagined that the admiral’s fiancée possessed such formidable strength.

Seeing the path to the main entrance gradually widening, Federo, who was moving with difficulty with Caine’s support, slightly narrowed his eyes. He studied the young woman’s silhouette as if examining a treasure, a hint of surprise and delight finally rising in his emerald eyes.

It wasn’t the joy of seeing hope for survival, but the excitement of personally witnessing the empire’s mortal enemy.

So it really is you…

The doubts and suspicions that had lingered in his mind since their first meeting were finally resolved. A barely perceptible smile curved Federo’s lips, and even the sound of his cane striking the floor took on a pleased rhythm.

Thanks to the young woman’s efforts, the hall’s main doors burst open, but waiting outside was a dense rain of arrows.

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Only about twenty assassins had entered the hall, with more lying in ambush in various secret passages throughout the palace. In the courtyard, there were roughly thirty more.

Roy dove sideways to avoid the arrows, then rolled across the ground into a courtyard pond, startling the fish below into panicked scattering. As for the navy men who had advanced too quickly and were turned into pincushions, they weren’t even within her consideration.

That should do it.

As far as Roy was concerned, she had done what needed to be done. What followed would be the brutal clash between the imperial navy and the Black Raven Society assassins. Since the assassins’ main force wasn’t positioned at the main entrance, they would need time to arrive, giving Caine and his group a chance to seize this opportunity.

As for her…

Making sure she had evaded the assassins’ watchful eyes, Roy burst out of the other side of the pond, breaking through the curtain of rain and making her way toward the west side of the hall. Soon, she found the carriage that had brought her here, along with the four startled warhorses.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s me.”

Roy soothed them in a low voice. Recognizing her familiar face, the warhorses stopped their threatening foot-stamping and snorting, allowing her to swing open the carriage door and dart inside.

Feeling under the seat, Roy found her beloved curved blade that she had been separated from for so long, as well as the short pistol with the goddess engraving. Her face, streaming with rainwater, immediately broke into her trademark smile.

The game was only just beginning.