Captain – Chapter 42 – The Old Man’s Vision

Listening to the young lion roar in his ear, Federo finally looked up from the confidential report, squinting at the young man who had always been obedient to his elders, as if seeing the dear friend from many years ago.

Back then, he too had seemed to rely on such words to defy the Emperor’s authority.

However, he had never grown to the point of commanding the entire imperial navy, and Federo himself was not the Emperor who would hesitate out of friendship.

As for that girl… she was certainly no harmless female slave from the Federation!

“So what? Caine, don’t forget how far you’ve come, what resources the Empire has invested in you, and what expectations your father and His Majesty have placed on you. And now you want to use the power you obtained from them to oppose the Empire’s will?”

Not giving the young man a chance to retort, the old man tapped the desk with his withered fingers, his tone terrifyingly grim: “Yes, she saved you, helped you greatly, and even bewitched your heart, but surely you know how many imperial soldiers have died by her hand, and how many imperial warships have sunk under the Mermaid’s cannons!”

“Even if the legendary Golden-Eyed Devil turns out to be a woman, her violent and cold-hearted nature will never change one bit. She will never become a docile rabbit like your mother—she will only look for opportunities to tear out the Empire’s throat.”

Caine was momentarily speechless. He had certainly considered the irreconcilable rift between them. Of course, he had never thought of avoiding those enmities, which was why he had been trying his best to find a suitable way to ease the relationship between the captain and the Empire.

He had even thought of positioning himself as a solid buffer, but now it seemed too naive. In the eyes of men like Federo, anyone who had ever dared to pull the Empire’s whiskers shouldn’t exist in this world.

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As the room fell into oppressive silence, the door opened at an opportune moment. Rear Admiral Merri entered with a detailed map of Frans Island.

He spread the map between the two men, pointing at places marked with bloody crosses: “Governor, Commander, the exact location of the Black Raven Society’s base has been confirmed. It’s in a residential building in the small town.”

“Very good.”

Federo withdrew his attention from the young man and coldly ordered: “Except for the musket squad that will remain on guard, order all soldiers from the Pilgrim to surround the building. Don’t let a single rat escape. As for dealing with those rats… leave that to those people… and remember, no survivors.”

The admiral departed with his orders. Federo didn’t explain to Caine who “those people” were, but simply looked into his eyes and said with undeniable authority: “The topic of that captain ends here. When this matter is concluded, you will return with me to see your father and His Majesty.”

Caine lowered his gaze, bowing his head slightly: “Grandfather Federo, by military rank, I am currently the highest commanding officer on Frans Island. According to protocol, any order requires my approval.”

“Yes, but you didn’t interrupt me, did you, good boy?”

Federo’s expression gradually softened: “Besides, don’t underestimate the power of us old men. You can try ordering Merri and see whether he’ll listen to you or continue following my commands.”

Seeing that Caine didn’t respond, Federo secretly sighed and advised in an unusually gentle tone: “Actually, you know very well that this is all just a farce. Once that captain and the Black Raven Society’s rats leave this world together, everything will return to normal.”

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“At that time, I will attribute all the credit for this mission to you. This way, you should be able to command all naval forces as your father once did, becoming the most powerful military force in the Empire. Then, with you and Naren working inside and outside, you could make the entire Empire dance to the Howard family’s tune.”

Federo seemed to already envision such a future, his face breaking into a smile—he hadn’t smiled this much in decades.

“When I die, the position of Governor will likely fall into your hands. Just think, a family with two Governors—what a glorious sight that would be!”

That would also make His Majesty deeply uneasy.

Caine thought silently, but didn’t interrupt the old man’s narrative. Indeed, from any perspective, the path Federo had arranged for him and the Howard family was the best one. Every word he said was correct, and the price required to achieve such a glorious future was merely one pirate captain whom he had only known for a few months.

Merely one…

Caine felt an inexplicable pang in his heart. The scenes from the isolated island still seemed fresh before his eyes. Though only a few months had passed since they depended on each other for survival, it felt as if they had spent an extremely long time together—too long to forget.

“Well, it’s late, and you must be tired. Go rest now. If you need anything, have Ivan prepare it for you.”

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Knowing that the officer was still struggling inside, Federo buried himself in processing confidential reports again, dismissing Caine.

Leaving the study, led by the worried-looking Lieutenant, Caine left the castle and returned to what had been his father’s residence.

Because of his long immersion in military culture, Governor Naren didn’t like the luxurious castle granted by His Majesty. Instead, he had ordered the construction of a rather ordinary residence not far from the castle, where he lived with his wife and children, only moving to the castle when distinguished guests arrived or when handling military affairs.

Arriving at the home filled with beautiful childhood memories, though no longer the same as before, Caine didn’t choose to return to his bedchamber but instead pushed open his father’s room directly.

Matching Naren’s efficient style, the room was quite simple, with only a few pieces of furniture including a bed and desk. The snow-white walls had not even a decent painting, just a portrait of Naren and his wife in their youth.

Besides these, there was a coat rack in the room, on which hung a dark military uniform with admiral’s epaulets and a black triangular hat with gold trim.

Thanks to the servants who cleaned daily, the room remained spotless as if new. Caine walked in, sat on the edge of the bed, lit the kerosene lamp beside him, and gazed at the portrait, lost in thought.

The woman in the portrait was not his young, beautiful, noble-blooded stepmother, but his birth mother—a Federation female slave who had drifted to the Empire because of war. Beside her stood Governor Naren in his immaculate uniform, with the same dazzling silver hair as Caine.

“Young… young master, I’ll be just outside the door. The soldiers are also stationed around the house. If you need anything, just call for me.”

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From the open doorway, the lieutenant carefully reminded him, afraid of upsetting the young man whose mood was unpredictable.

This so-called protection was actually just a precaution taken by the old man who feared Caine might take action. After all, he wasn’t like his extraordinarily powerful captain, and even if he could fight his way out, he wouldn’t have the heart to harm these old subordinates of his father.

“I understand.”

Hearing Caine’s seemingly calm tone, the lieutenant sighed with relief. Although he didn’t know what conflict existed between the Governor and the young master, he had certainly heard their heated argument. Now it seemed everything hadn’t yet reached the point of no return.

The door closed gently. Raindrops continued to hit the window urgently while Caine quietly gazed at the portrait. The kerosene lamp’s flame was warm and steady, casting light on those two faces that time had yellowed slightly, as well as on Caine’s calm countenance.

What would you do if you were here… Father?

The young man thought silently, his once flickering and dim eyes gradually brightening. He knew the answer had been in his heart all along.

Because many years ago, Governor Naren had already given his answer.