Captain – Chapter 50 – The Truth

Everything seemed to be settled.

Roy was unwilling to leave, which meant she would face the ferocious crew of the Orca alongside the thirty-five assassins who stayed behind.

The two sides that had been in fierce opposition chose to fight shoulder to shoulder because of that old man’s powerful methods, making one marvel at life’s strange twists.

What surprised everyone was that the captain wasn’t the only one who chose to stay. There was also Viper, the Duke Darren, who had orchestrated the assassination.

“This failure isn’t your fault. You don’t need to take responsibility for it.”

Watching the young man try to persuade the Duke, although he didn’t mention the reason for the failure, Roy, standing to the side, instinctively turned her head away, and even her smile became somewhat unnatural.

Speaking of the Black Raven Society’s disastrous defeat, it seemed that a large part of the credit should fall on her.

“You misunderstand, Elder. I just want to accompany those children on their final journey.”

Darren smiled freely as he explained his true intentions to the young man. All those assassins had been trained by him personally, and after living together day and night, they understood each other better than family. This rear-guard mission was essentially a suicide mission, and he didn’t want to abandon them.

This was one reason, but definitely not the most important one.

The young man thought silently, a faint sense of loss rising in his pitch-black eyes. He knew very well that to make the imperial military focus temporarily on that civilian residence, Roy and the remaining assassins would not be enough. They needed a prominent figure who could command respect.

And the Duke, viewed as a traitor, Viper, who ranked second among the Black Raven Society’s executioners, was obviously the best choice.

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“It’s not just that, is it?” the young man asked with lowered eyelids, voicing the question hidden in his heart.

“Yes, Curtis. There are also some personal reasons, and I think Captain Roy will need a guide, won’t she?” Darren gently stroked the young man’s soft hair, as if comforting a nephew.

So the young man’s real name was Curtis.

Roy thought quietly, and when she heard Darren mention a guide, she immediately remembered the complex secret passages they had gone through earlier. If she had to go back alone, she would probably still be wandering in the maze even after everything above was over, so she nodded repeatedly in agreement.

“I understand. Then… farewell, Uncle Darren.”

That was the last thing the young man said.

Watching a section of the secret chamber’s wall close, leaving no trace of change, Roy curiously asked the Duke: “Didn’t Mountain Demon say earlier that all exits were blocked? Won’t they fall right into the military’s ambush if they leave like this?”

Darren casually picked up the lantern by the stone door, gesturing for Roy to follow him while walking into the pitch-black secret passage where one couldn’t see their fingers before their eyes.

“Even if Mountain Demon infiltrated the organization for ten years, obtained a large amount of confidential information, and even knew all the exits of the secret base, there are some things he could never access.”

Darren didn’t explain too clearly, so Roy could only guess: “So, there are other exits, is that what you mean?”

“Yes, clever girl,” Darren smiled and praised her.

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Darren’s tone was natural, as if he were a familiar elder to Roy. Although the captain didn’t dislike this kind Duke, hearing the word “girl” in his speech still grated on her ears.

“Your Grace, please call me Captain, or just refer to me by my surname.”

By the light of the lantern, Roy saw that Duke Darren’s temples had turned completely white, which was not the same color as his lustrous gray hair, but rather the indelible marks left by time.

Duke Darren wasn’t as young as she had perceived. He might already be sixty or seventy years old, maintaining his vibrant appearance only through meticulous care and grooming.

“I’m already sixty-seven, not much younger than Federo.”

Seeming to know what Roy was noticing, Darren ran his hand through his temple hair and explained to her. In this era where medicine was not advanced, sixty years was already the end of life for the vast majority of people. At sixty-seven, Duke Darren was clearly of an advanced age.

“I couldn’t tell at all. I thought you were barely fifty.”

Having just realized that Duke Darren was already an old man, the young woman naturally switched to respectful terms, just as she had said before, Captain Roy was a good pirate who respected the elderly and loved the young.

One sentence pleased Duke Darren so much that his smile deepened. Seeing the timing was right, Roy carefully asked: “By the way, Your Grace, you said you had some personal reasons for staying. May I have the honor of hearing them?”

Although Roy was already a legendary pirate of fearsome reputation, with a maturity far beyond her actual age in dealing with people and situations, when facing certain matters, she was still filled with the intense curiosity of a newborn kitten. If the truth couldn’t be revealed, it would torment her like a hundred claws scratching at her heart.

This was also why she had been willing to ask the Scorpion Lion so many questions back then.

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“Of course.”

Seemingly amused by Roy’s probing behavior, Duke Darren nodded with a smile: “Because you are the main reason I stayed.”

“Huh?”

Roy’s surprised exclamation traveled far in the silent passage. Only after realizing her loss of composure did she lower her voice to ask: “Why me?”

“Don’t rush, Captain. After I ask you a few questions, you’ll naturally understand what I want to tell you.”

Darren smiled at the bewildered young woman and began his questioning: “First, may I ask which side Mountain Demon was on?”

Roy answered without hesitation: “An Auran military spy. Isn’t that what the Elder said? And he admitted it too.”

“That’s right, he was an imperial spy. Then why would he personally carry out the revenge against Naren, watching with his own eyes as Caine’s stepmother and sister perished in the fire?” As he said this, the smile on Darren’s face gradually disappeared, leaving only heaviness and pain.

“Perhaps… to gain the organization’s trust, in order to find an opportunity to assassinate the Elder?” Recalling Mountain Demon’s actions and words earlier, Roy answered without much certainty.

“Yes, including revealing important intelligence about the organization to the imperial military, that was undoubtedly his purpose. But think carefully, throughout the entire empire, who is the head of all spies?”

Roy seemed to part the fog and see a glimmer of light in the profound darkness. She frowned and murmured: “The head of all the empire’s dark forces is…”

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“Federo.”

That name was like a flash of lightning in the boundless night, splitting the chaotic clouds and bringing the captain’s mind into a completely different world. In that world, countless scenes flickered, rushing past before her eyes.

The pale golden characters once again lit up on the back of her neck, flickering continuously in the soft lamplight.

Mountain Demon was an imperial spy placed in the Black Raven Society. To gain the organization’s trust, he accepted the founder’s revenge plan and implemented it forcefully. Throughout this process, a thin, hunched figure always stood behind him, coldly directing his every word and deed.

At that old man’s indication, Mountain Demon “coincidentally” chose the time when the young master of the Howard family left the manor, igniting that hellish fire that filled the sky with black smoke. This also caused the then-illustrious Governor Naren to sink into decline, eventually focusing only on political affairs and no longer managing military matters.

Wasn’t this precisely clearing the greatest obstacle in the path of that young officer?

With superior abilities, brilliant military achievements, and the incredibly deep foundation left by Naren as a stepping stone, that old man’s expectations were fulfilled. Caine naturally took up his father’s lion-like reputation and the rank of Admiral, and would become the foremost supreme commander of the imperial navy in the near future!

He might even become the youngest Governor in imperial history after Federo’s passing.

And by that time, with the power of two Governors, the complete loyalty of the navy, plus the eerie and powerful dark forces left by Federo, in which direction would the empire advance?

The Duke spoke at the right moment, revealing the final truth that Roy found difficult to unravel.

“He wants to turn the empire upside down.”