Captain – Chapter 43 – Captain, Please Spare My Life

The small town was deserted in the downpour, not a single pedestrian on the streets.

The residents of Frans Island, accustomed to living peacefully, seemed to sense an unusual danger in this gloomy storm. Every household had their windows and doors tightly shut, not daring to let even the light of their oil lamps shine outside, fearing that this small brightness might attract bloodthirsty beasts.

After some time, the oppressive silence was broken.

On the street where there should have been only deep darkness and raging storm, footsteps suddenly rang out, becoming clearer.

The person walked through the severely flooded street, stepping into ankle-deep puddles, creating distinct splashing sounds with no intention of concealing their presence, as if warning certain people—she had arrived.

Finally, the footsteps stopped.

A figure emerged from the thick darkness, stopping in front of an ordinary dwelling common on Frans Island. She then brushed the wet strands of hair behind her ear, revealing intense dark golden pupils, and in those eyes, there was no trace of extraneous emotion, only near-indifferent rationality and killing intent.

The arrival was Captain Roy, who had silently vanished from Duke Darren’s palace after that perilous escape.

After finding her curved saber and short pistol in the carriage, she had ridden a warhorse across dense forests and found the cold raven who had been waiting for her at the deserted garrison.

Then, with Alfie’s flying guidance, Roy returned to the small town, stopping at this wooden house, finally confirming the exact location of her target.

“How many people inside?”

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Roy’s gaze swept over each dark window of the residence as she quietly asked the raven perched on her shoulder.

“Report, Captain, there are four!” The cold raven shook its soaked feathers, assuming a posture like an eagle ready to strike.

Only four? As expected of Black Raven Society’s upper echelon, so confident they didn’t even keep an assassin by their side. Unfortunately…

You’re unlucky to have encountered me, the Captain.

Roy’s lips curled into a cold smile as she gently patted Alfie on her shoulder: “Go find a place to hide.”

Hearing the captain’s order, the previously imposing raven suddenly deflated, looking at Roy with pleading eyes, as if saying “let me peck their eyes out.”

Back on the Mermaid, the biggest rule was that the capable got more. Those who contributed most in battle or negotiations could choose their spoils first. The raven had once enjoyed a feast all to itself after blinding an enemy sniper, and thus, like the crew, had taken this principle to heart.

“Good girl, you’ve done more than enough. I don’t want to lose you after being betrayed by those ungrateful wretches, so be good. When everything is over, your merits won’t go unrecognized.” Roy stroked Alfie’s small head, persuading gently.

Keenly catching the words “merits,” the raven’s black pearl-like eyes immediately brightened. It lowered its head and gently nuzzled against its captain’s cheek before spreading its wings and soon disappearing into the deep curtain of rain.

Confirming that the raven had entered its element, Roy hesitated no longer. She walked slowly toward the dwelling, stepped onto the uneven stone stairs, and arrived at the severely corroded wooden door.

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Taking a light breath, the captain pressed one hand on the hilt of her curved saber while pushing the wooden door with the other, wanting to see if it was solid enough to require her blade.

For those sinister folk of the Black Raven Society, places like windowsills and hidden doors were likely sprinkled with poisoned nails, and after the battle with Scorpion Lion, her whereabouts had probably fallen under their close surveillance.

Unable to employ subterfuge and unable to conceal her movements, Roy had come to the residence in this straightforward manner, intending to break in with brute force to announce her arrival.

As that fair hand reached for the wooden door, Roy’s entire body tensed, ready to draw her blade or dodge.

But to her surprise, the door wasn’t as sturdy as expected, nor did it open at the slightest touch like in legendary tales, with countless poisoned arrows flying at her face. Instead, it…

Opened by itself.

Roy’s pupils contracted slightly, her outstretched hand quickly withdrawn, while the hand on the saber hilt suddenly tightened. Her body seemed to tremble reflexively. Under a force unimaginable to ordinary people, the Isk curved saber danced with dazzling silver light, slashing upward toward the darkness behind the wooden door.

Having reclaimed her most comfortable weapon, Roy’s instinctive slash was incredibly fast, even much faster than when she had broken through at the hall!

“Crack!”

In the blink of an eye, the half-open wooden door split with a hideous gash, hitting the stone wall beside it with a shrill cry. Wood splinters and stone fragments scattered.

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But as fast as the slash was, it drew no crimson blood, only split a wooden door.

Roy didn’t know how the door had opened—perhaps by some intricate mechanism—but she had no time to ponder the mystery of the self-opening door because all she knew now was that her slash had missed.

In close combat with a distance of at most three steps, missing an attack was an unacceptable fatal error. It meant losing the initiative and possibly being decapitated by the opponent’s prepared strike.

So Roy immediately retreated hastily while doing her utmost to bring back her saber to protect vital areas. In the view of this captain who had lived on the edge for years, as long as she wasn’t killed in one strike, injuries like severed hands or feet were acceptable.

During this process, Roy’s gaze shot toward the door like a hawk, trying to discern the appearance of the visitor by the faint light.

Who was it? Could it be Lone Wolf? Among the eight executioners of the Black Raven Society, aside from Scorpion Lion, this fierce character with a bandit background had the strongest combat prowess.

“Plop.”

Just as Roy’s thoughts raced, a slight dropping sound arose before her. After that, until her curved saber had successfully defended and she had remained vigilant for a full six breaths, she still hadn’t encountered the expected fierce onslaught.

This made everything seem like a ridiculous one-person show she had staged herself.

Thinking of this, the captain expressionlessly lowered her saber, casting her gaze upon the object that had fallen not far from the door.

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It was a slightly curved black wooden item, looking like the top of an expensive cane.

Well, all mysteries were solved. Why had the wooden door opened by itself? Why had such a swift and deadly slash missed? The cause and culprit of everything was this severed black wooden cane.

In other words, someone had previously used a cane to hook the door handle to open it, and she had been so frightened by this absurd scene that she had retreated several steps, holding her breath…

Having clarified the ins and outs of the previous scene, Roy’s expression turned so ugly it could drip water. The legendary pirate had been frightened by a cane as if facing a great enemy. If this were to spread to the Southern Islands, she would never be able to show her face again.

With easily ignitable anger, Roy strode up the steps, directly entering the dwelling, and only then did she clearly see the face of the person who had opened the door.

It was a pale-faced young man with neat short chestnut hair, wearing a pure black tailcoat popular among the aristocratic youth of the Federation. He was now sitting pale-faced on the ground, holding the black wooden cane that was missing its top.

Seeing this, Roy coldly raised the blade in her hand, wanting to give this fellow who had witnessed her embarrassment a quick end, so that the scene would forever rot in his heart.

However, the captain hadn’t expected that the Black Raven Society executioner, known for being ruthless and fearless, would raise the headless cane in front of him, close his eyes tightly, and cry out in panic:

“Captain, please spare my life!”