138. The Calm Before the Storm

2024.02.15.

In the middle of the sea.

Several small boats were rapidly chasing the vessel carrying Clade and his group.

“What kind of troops are those?”

Clade narrowed his eyes behind his mask and sharply questioned Federico.

“They’re the Imperial Second Knight Division troops sent by the Empress to support us immediately after the attack.”

“Then what about that group?”

“Huh?”

“Send them all back.”

“What do you mean…? It’s dangerous to proceed with only the crew on this ship!”

“What if the enemies who landed on shore ambush the Empress’s procession? The guards aren’t meant to protect only Her Majesty, are they?”

Since when had Clade started caring so much about the Empress? Federico was sweating profusely, completely flustered by Clade’s sudden unreasonable demand.

“Sir Eugene Kimfri is with us, so it should be fine.”

“He’s injured too. I can’t attack them while feeling insecure about my rear.”

Coldly muttering, Clade stared into the distance at the island presumed to be their base.

Confused by Clade’s sharp reaction, Federico reluctantly sent a signal for retreat to the following ships.

A short while later.

Contrary to Federico’s anxiety, as soon as Clade landed on the island, he began ruthlessly driving back the remaining enemies left behind.

It was an awe-inspiring display of skill—no one would believe this was the same man who had only defended throughout the swordsmanship tournament.

***

Meanwhile.

Eugene Kimfri was also in the middle of the sea.

He stood on the swaying deck, glaring at three figures standing before him like criminals.

These were individuals who had slipped through the ranks of soldiers hastily gathered at the coast, stubbornly refusing to disembark and ultimately following the ship all the way out to open waters.

“The Empress specifically sent us to bring back the missing party safely—how could you disobey? You said you’d return with Brother, claiming it was safe, even dismissing the guards! How can I go alone now?”

Tasha, his younger sister, boldly raised her chin, her eyes defiant.

“J-just strolling along the c-coast when I heard p-pirates had arrived, so I thought I might be of h-help…”

Noel, who had suddenly appeared from somewhere, had sprinted all the way to the ship as soldiers boarded.

“…….”

The third was Yu An, who had come with Noel and remained unmoved despite Eugene’s repeated pressure to send her back, even by rowboat.

Eugene was anxious, having heard that Federico had gone ahead as the vanguard to the island suspected to be the pirate stronghold.

He had thought it unnecessary to go sightseeing—just issue a warning and send a small boat—but they had been stubborn.

“Haa…”

He held his throbbing head and looked at Yu An, who stood stubbornly before him, as if seeing a stranger.

Honestly, Yu An was the biggest problem.

Noel, though not as dedicated to swordsmanship as Bollonico, was still a man of the royal household and possessed more than basic combat skills.

As for Tasha, despite being a woman, she was the eldest daughter of the Kimfri family—well trained enough to defend herself.

He could have ordered them to stay behind and guard the ship if they insisted, but Yu An was different.

What kind of bull-headedness made someone who claimed to be unwell so stubbornly insist on joining the medical corps?

“I know this isn’t a leisure trip. I’ll definitely be helpful. Just now, I noticed there aren’t many medical personnel.”

As if reading Eugene’s dilemma, Yu An added confidently.

It wasn’t something one could reasonably expect from someone who had spent a whole month confined to bed, vomiting blood—but honestly, Yu An was right.

On this ship carrying nearly 200 people, there were barely three or so medical staff to treat the injured.

They were personnel left behind to care for the wounded on land and hastily overlooked when rushing out to sea.

“Lord Kimfri! The vanguard team has returned!”

While Eugene was agonizing over what to do, a series of small boats carrying his subordinates—who had gone ahead with the vanguard—approached their vessel one after another.

“We report!”

It was reported that the vanguard led by Marquis Federico Companni had returned with orders: “The Imperial Knight Division must fully protect the Empress’s entourage.”

Eugene Kimfri rarely frowned, but now his expression darkened.

“How many were in the vanguard?”

“Fewer than 100.”

As Yu An’s face turned pale, Tasha stepped forward, frowning.

“Let’s go back, Brother.”

“This isn’t your place to speak, Tasha.”

“They don’t need help! You’re injured right now! Even returning for treatment wouldn’t be enough—how can you talk about支援?”

The wound Clade had inflicted had reopened during his fierce fight with the menacing Bollonico.

Blood had seeped through the bandages, faintly staining the uniform Eugene had hastily stitched and worn.

Eugene swallowed hard and turned to a Marquisdom knight standing nearby for his opinion.

“Set aside the vanguard’s opinion. What do you think?”

“Well… truthfully, the Karso Pirate Gang has plagued the southern coast for years. If the vanguard has indeed located their base, I believe it’s better to send reinforcements and finish them off. They’re quite strong—especially their captain, Karso, who’s a former naval officer from the Torca Archipelago.”

When Eugene nodded, finding logic in the suggestion, Tasha stepped forward again.

“There’s no need for you to go personally. There are already 200 Marquisdom knights on this ship—why must you go? You even sent back the Imperial support! Even you can’t push yourself in that condition.”

For a moment, Eugene caught the disappointed expressions on the Marquisdom knights’ faces.

At a time when trust and expectation in the Imperial Knight Division had already plummeted due to Bollonico fleeing without hesitation, this was especially significant.

“…We absolutely must go and help.”

Yu An, her face pale and voice trembling, voiced her opinion. Eugene looked at her in surprise, seeing her tightly gripping the hem of her dress.

“The vanguard has fewer than 100 men. What if they’re severely injured or all killed? Not helping when we can is just too…”

“Lord Kimfri is injured right now! Your Highness!”

“But if someone as strong as Lord Kimfri doesn’t lead them, what good are 200 or 300 men? The Marquisdom’s knight commander is on land. We also need a commander here to assess the situation and make decisions. Didn’t we set out to sea for exactly this purpose?”

Tasha grabbed Eugene’s sleeve as if to stop him.

Then.

Yu An’s small hand gently took Tasha’s.

Tasha, rarely excited, flinched in surprise, but Yu An, her eyes turning red, pleaded desperately.

“I’ll go with you. Please let me.”

“What is this? What kind of nonsense is this?”

“I’ll definitely support the medical corps. I’m a Pelliese. I’m a capable physician. I promise I’ll personally take care of Lord Kimfri.”

“How can I possibly trust you, Your Highness!”

Tasha cried out in shock, then suddenly froze.

Unlike Noel’s pale face, Yu An’s expression grew calmer as she heard Tasha’s sincerity.

“I swear on my life. So please, don’t block the vanguard’s reinforcement.”

No matter that she was a Pelliese, how much real experience could a woman who had lived sheltered in a mansion her entire life before marriage possibly have treating patients?

Yet the strange, intense confidence in her dark eyes, and the way Yu An, who had been avoiding him for the past month, now pulled desperately at his sleeve after pushing Tasha’s hand away—made Eugene’s heart tremble for a moment.

Noel, too, had never seen Yu An beg someone like this before. After a brief moment of shock, he stepped forward.

“I-I won’t be a burden, Lord Kimfri. I-I’ve been training consistently, so if any d-danger arises, I’ll protect T-Tasha and Y-Your Highness.”

Tasha stared at Noel, eyes wide open, and her face gradually flushed with anger.

“I’m not going either. Whether it’s running errands for the medical corps or keeping watch on the ship, I’ll do something.”

“Tasha.”

“If the elders won’t return, what can I do? Even if I go back alone to the Empress, I’ll have nothing to say!”

Before Eugene Kimfri could make a decision, Tasha had already made up her mind, roughly messing up her hair and firmly planting herself on the spot.

Eugene clenched his lips tightly, looked at them, then abruptly left to plan the reinforcement mission with several Marquisdom knights.

Noel glanced once at Yu An, nervously picking at her cuticles, then turned to look at the Marquisdom knights, who were cautiously watching Tasha and her group.

The sun still hung high in the sky, yet the heavens were gradually darkening.

It felt just like the moment before a storm.

***

Watching Clade’s sword descend like rays of light upon the charging pirates, Federico and his men were left speechless.

Clade’s blade, already piercing through the necks of pirates as large as houses, protruded with blood soaking the steel.

Fresh blood splattered across the crown prince’s maskless, picture-perfect face.

As Clade pulled out his sword and approached them, a chilling smile played on his lips.

The southern anti-emperor faction, watching this scene, trembled with spine-tingling goosebumps.

The moment they had seen Clade, their last flicker of hope, fail to even reach the finals of the swordsmanship tournament.

The moment they had watched him abandon the southern coast under attack by Bollonico and Harol Companni.

The despair they had felt—was this southern land, this Euphris, truly devoid of any real hope?—had vanished without a trace.

In their hearts, once as desolate as barren fields, a new sprout of hope had begun to grow.

***

“They’re all incredibly moved.”

While Clade briefly sat down carelessly to rest, Federico approached with flushed cheeks.

“Many are deeply touched seeing you in such an impressive display of growth. And they’re especially impressed that you preserved most of your forces while personally throwing yourself into battle.”

“What’s so impressive about that?”

“Excessive modesty can be impolite. Thank you. I should have persuaded them earlier and brought them before Your Highness myself.”

Federico didn’t even realize he had already shifted his address of Clade—from “Lord Count” to “Your Highness.”

His heart was pounding harder than ever.

The moment to dismantle the pirate gang that had tormented him for years was right before his eyes.

The remaining enemies and their captain were hiding at the peak of the mountain in the center of this island—but they were as good as captured.

The long-cherished wish he had agonized over—how easily they could be crushed with just a little Imperial support—was now being fulfilled, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Still, you must be badly injured. You should receive treatment immediately. You suffered a serious thigh wound in the semifinals.”

“This is nothing.”

Clade froze mid-mutter, unaware he had spoken aloud, when a soldier suddenly ran up to them and urgently reported.

“Lord Companni! Reinforcements have arrived!”

“Reinforcements?”

A puzzled Federico hurried toward the coast.

Indeed.

Against the backdrop of the fading orange twilight, a massive ship was approaching, preparing to dock at the island.

For a moment, Federico glanced cautiously at Clade, who had silently followed, and flinched.

Unlike himself, who inwardly thought, “Good, reinforcements have come,” Clade’s eyes, upon confirming the approaching bow of the ship, seemed to roll halfway back into his head.