Pirate Kingship

Central Banta'an Archipelago.

The azure waves gently rippled, and a light sea breeze blew as a small flotilla of four sailboats traveled from east to west with the wind.

The privateer ship Golden Deer served as both an escort and the lead vessel, followed by a Navy cruiser, with two merchant ships from the Grenville family sailing side-by-side in the middle.

Soon after leaving the First Circulation Zone and entering the range of the Banta'an Archipelago, they experienced a rapid transition from a harsh winter to a blazing summer.

In recent years, the north has become increasingly colder, often suffering from frosts.

In terms of climate alone, it was far less hospitable than overseas.

Catherine had also changed into a comparatively lighter lemon-yellow dress and donned a pair of semi-transparent crystal high heels.

Even without makeup, her red lips and fair skin made her look youthful and beautiful, radiant and captivating.

What remained unchanged was that all her jewelry—hairpins, necklaces, bracelets, anklets—were all made of dazzling mithril.

As the only one to whom Byron was currently willing to share his treasures, she merely played with the invaluable Crystal Skull for a moment before tightly clutching the old Priest's Mithril Cross Holy Emblem.

"This is the real treasure," she said.

Helplessly, even though she knew the Crystal Skull (Number Three) was far more valuable than the Mithril Holy Emblem, her Giant Dragon nature was simply beyond her control. Compared to nurturing magical plants, Catherine had a greater love for genuine gold and silver.

She immediately integrated the Holy Emblem into the [Artifact Bracelet: Silver Moon] on her wrist, beaming with delight.

"Not bad, not bad, you did think of your sister. You've fattened up my little hoard by another two ounces (56 grams)."

She then planted a firm kiss on his forehead.

Just as Byron's Warrior's Cup could only hold liquids, the [Silver Moon Bracelet], meticulously crafted by a Third Order Grand Artificer, could only hold mithril.

To this day, even Byron had no idea how much stock was actually stowed away inside her bracelet.

Compared to the wealth loaded on those two ships, this little hoard truly represented her extravagance as a 'Miss Worth a Thousand Pounds.'

With her Second Order core technique, [Mithril Hand], she could transform mithril, a rare Extraordinary Metal, into various armaments.

Once she reached the Third Order, as long as she had sufficient family wealth, a single gesture could summon multiple mithril golems. These golems moved like the wind with boundless strength.

She could even differentiate them into various troop types, coordinating them in battle to the point where not even cannons could harm them.

Therefore, before that time came, she had to save every last bit of her wealth.

Even if she reached the Fourth or Fifth Order, her Giant Dragon habits were destined not to change.

Byron had appointed her as the Chief Financial Officer of his Governor's Mansion. There was absolutely no need to worry about someone else swindling even a single copper coin.

Miss Catherine was naturally the nemesis of all corrupt officials and unscrupulous merchants!

So... moving forward, they only needed to guard against her. The Governor's workload was significantly reduced—a joyous and commendable turn of events indeed.

"Byron, look! Is that Great Tayman Island ahead? We're almost there," Catherine exclaimed excitedly from the forecastle of the Osprey, where only the two of them stood.

At that moment, Byron was playing the role of "Vincent," supposedly just released from the brig, appearing as a true lord with his Guardian Knight.

As they spotted the island ahead, a signal flag was raised on the rearmost cruiser in the flotilla:

"We have reached our destination. This vessel will now depart from the formation."

Without waiting for a response from the Osprey, it executed a hard turn and sailed away on its own.

The fifty musketeers, who had already transferred to another merchant ship, the [Little Osprey], lined up on deck under the command of a Marines lieutenant.

Only this musketeer squad accompanied "Vincent" to Grenville territory to assume his post; the York Family was not about to contribute a cruiser for nothing.

Byron and Catherine didn't mind; in fact, they were relieved.

Now, it was a case of the strong versus the weak. Even if they inadvertently revealed something, they could easily arrange for some unlucky soul to 'commit suicide.'

"Inspect your ceremonial attire! This is our first time stationed in the colony. Show the spirit of the Kingdom's soldiers!" "Vincent," posing as the commander of this Marines detachment, issued the order to the musketeers on the other ship.

Royal Hound Vincent, who had grand aspirations of a marriage alliance with Catherine, had long since departed the Royal Court and was now utterly alone. He had not even left behind a Life Gem. Unless he could return to the Continent as the newly appointed Earl of the Grenville family, no one would give him a second glance. The musketeers were oblivious, allowing Byron to easily gain control of this fifty-strong army musketeer unit. Expecting them to charge into battle was unrealistic, but they were more than capable of serving as the defense force for the new territory. After a period of 're-education,' those remaining would be entirely his own people.

The only thing Byron lamented was his inability to be in multiple places at once. [Sea Hunter] Byron Tudor, [Pirate General] Bill, [Royal Hound] Vincent... his aliases were multiplying. With only Bruh to cover for him, he felt increasingly stretched thin. Yet, each identity had to be maintained.

Royal Hound Vincent is a pawn left by the York Family. If he were removed directly, not only might the York Family send an even more troublesome replacement, but the local governing Newman Family would also have fewer constraints and might even field one of their own kin. Before I set off, I pretended to offend Catherine, was publicly thrashed by her, and then thrown into the dark brig below decks. This allowed me to plausibly disappear from others' sight. Pirate General Bill is still a prominent figure among pirates; he must remain until his deputy, Byron, is fully established before he can be cast aside.

Byron couldn't help lamenting aloud, "If only I were a 'Time Management Master.' I'd love to find such a mentor and learn his ways."

The remaining three ships continued forward. The island ahead grew larger and larger, transforming from a green dot into a lush expanse of rich verdure.

In the clear azure seawater beside them, several sea turtles, each as large as a carriage, swam leisurely past.

Not far beneath them, on the seabed, lay clusters of beautiful, colorful coral reefs.

To vacation and swim here would certainly be very pleasant.

Byron leaped up, scrambling up the shrouds of the foremast to the high crow's nest.

A silver light flashed around Catherine, and clad in beautifully crafted full Knight's Armor, she swiftly followed him.

The moment they had a clear view of the scenery ahead, they couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so beautiful!"

From their vantage point, they could see almost the entirety of Great Tayman Island, whose average altitude did not exceed two hundred meters.

The island was approximately 35 kilometers long and had an average width of 7 kilometers. Its lush trees made it resemble a vast chunk of emerald.

The terrain was gentle, primarily consisting of vast green plains surrounded by low hills, extensive mangrove swamps, and colorful, beautiful coral reefs.

The transfer document stated that the waters near the island were rich in lobsters, sea turtles, tortoiseshells, sponges, shells, and various other seafood products. The forestry prospects were also very good.

The island was widely planted with various fruit trees: coconuts, breadfruit, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits, and more, as well as palms, high-quality dye-producing inkwood trees, and mahogany.

Although it had a tropical climate, being surrounded by the sea kept the average annual temperature between 24-30°C, making for a very pleasant climate.

The only downside was probably the current level of development, which was far too low.

From their vantage point, most of the island still retained its primitive appearance. The only settlement was Georgetown Port.

Even the port's most important feature, the lighthouse, looked somewhat dilapidated and was in urgent need of repair, perhaps even expansion.

The small port, where a few sailboats were haphazardly docked, was also very rudimentary.

After taking over, they would have to spend money—a lot of money!

The light in Catherine's eyes, which had brightened at the beautiful scenery, instantly dimmed.

She pressed a hand to her ample chest, feeling somewhat short of breath. "I knew it. With the precedent of Tayman Brac, previously occupied by the People of Castilia, the situation on the other two islands in the archipelago—the main island, Great Tayman Island, and the secondary island, Little Taiman Island—wouldn't be much better. As expected, this is a mess. Generating a positive return will take more than just a day or two of hard labor."

The fiefdom information transferred along with the enfeoffment order had already described the situation as less than ideal. In reality, it was even worse than Byron and Catherine had imagined.

The documents mentioned a small population; the 220-square-kilometer island had only a few hundred permanent residents.

Originally, it was an autonomous colony established by private adventurers and had been developed for less than five years.

Its main revenue came from Agriculture, the Fishing Industry, forestry, and a kind of supernatural-level enchanted tortoiseshell product.

Two months ago, due to an exploration accident, the adventurer George, known as "Nine Lives Cat," never returned with his core team. He had been on the verge of reaching the Third Level Middle Sequence of the Silver Law.

Without reliable armed forces, it was difficult for the remaining ordinary people to continue operating in a place as dangerous as the Banta'an Archipelago.

Latterly, they could barely afford to light the lighthouse or buy the Spices protected by the Silver Law. Eventually, they had no choice but to relinquish their land rights, submitting an application to the Kingdom and the maritime court, requesting an official takeover of the island.

That was how it finally ended up in Catherine's hands.

Byron's attention was more focused on the missing Adventurer, "Nine Lives Cat."

Wilderness Sequence Adventurers, like me, must constantly pursue danger to advance. But a single mishap can mean losing everything. Nine Lives Cat wasn't truly unkillable; everyone has their day of reckoning.

To advance to [Adventurer] requires completing a ritual known as the "Limit Eight Items," paying homage to the forces of nature.

They are: the Eruption of Strength; the Descent of Sky; the Awakening of Earth; the Being of Water; the Perpetuity of Wind; the Concretion of Ice; the Dominion of Life; and Absolute Trust.

At the mortal stage, completing just one allows a successful promotion to Adventurer.

If one could pass all eight, they could break through human limits and achieve nirvana. This would allow them to advance to the Second Order in one step and gain core skills far surpassing their peers.

The ability [Adaptive Evolution] meant that as long as one didn't die in a great disaster, good fortune would follow. This allowed them to transform step by step amidst tribulations, ultimately becoming non-human entities of both will and body!

Of course, the mortality rate for Adventurers was consistently among the highest of all Sequence professions.

Those who could complete all "Limit Eight Items" at the mortal stage were exceedingly rare.

But regardless, this was a new beginning for the two of them.

Moreover, the Tayman Archipelago was strategically located on the trade route connecting East and West, offering a naturally convenient business opportunity.

—Low EQ: "Gimme!"

High EQ: "Let us journey to the World's End to have a romantic rendezvous with every merchant ship and every native."

The brother and sister exchanged a smile, their hearts suddenly filled with soaring ambition. With perfect understanding, they declared in unison:

"We have arrived, and so have the good times!

From today on, we'll be island lords, plant trees, make money, and become famous across the seven seas!"

However, just as the flotilla rounded a northeastern corner of the island and sailed towards Georgetown on the southern shore, a cannon suddenly boomed from the direction of the distant port.

Two sailboats that had just docked there swiftly replaced the Hightins flags on their masts with the skull and crossbones pirate ensign.

A horde of fierce and malevolent pirates swarmed from the ships' holds onto the port.

A gravelly voice, rough as a broken gong from too much smoke and drink, bellowed, "Harkins People, hand over all your Spices, gold, silver, food, and Rum right now!"