Pirate Kingship

The news of the "Battle of Iron Anchor Bay" completely dominated conversation among the coastal nations surrounding the North Sea during this time. As one of the main parties involved, the Kingdom of Hightens naturally bore the brunt of it.

Among them, the "Lighthouse Union," an international guild organization composed mainly of Transcendents from the Lighthouse Sequence, specially reprinted an issue of the Lighthouse Weekly (Chapter 69). It seemed as authoritative as if it had witnessed the entire crisis at Iron Anchor Bay firsthand. This was especially because a "certain informed individual," who believes in leaving a name behind good deeds, even disguised themselves to accept an interview, essentially restoring the apparent truth.

"Red Beard and the privateering pirates under the control of the York Family lay in wait as an inside force within Iron Anchor Bay.

"They intended to seize the position of Military Governor and control of the Pirate Code, to open the Maze Lock for the subsequently arriving Hightings Navy.

"Such despicable acts were jointly stopped by Bayfolk Princess Violet and a suspected Third Order Transcendent, 'Mad Hunt.'

"Afterward, in the chaotic battle between both sides, an entity of extraordinary power summoned by the York Family unexpectedly went out of control and casually annihilated the entire Strait Fleet.

"Those who play with fire will surely be burned!

"This newspaper has reliable information that the York Family very likely used the same tactics to defeat the Lancaster Family, their competitor for the throne.

"And now, York has lost this power.

"Furthermore, during the chaos of the battle, some privateering pirates and free pirates seized the opportunity to flee Iron Anchor Bay.

"But the North Sea is not safe at this time.

"This paper wishes to remind all vessels passing through the entire North Sea that the entity of extraordinary power might appear anywhere; betrayers, in particular, must be exceptionally cautious.

"It is said that the 'Child of the Devil,' a member of the Lancaster Party wanted by the York Family, was once spotted at Iron Anchor Bay and had seemingly reached a cooperation."

Upon seeing this newspaper, the soldiers responsible for guarding the Grenville family's estate all felt somewhat uneasy.

"The Irisflower Kingdom always seeks vengeance for the Hundred Years' War; the kingdom's coastal defense is under immense pressure."

"I heard that the great noble families in the Royal Capital are all holding funerals."

"I also heard the Church issued a decree, demanding a thorough investigation in our parish. Could something truly significant be happening?"

Although artists from the Hall Sequence, proclaiming, "Humanity can accomplish great things," launched artistic and literary movements to break the ideological shackles of the Church, and various bans related to names were gradually relaxed and repealed in 1453, the York Family's actions still severely violated taboos. They would likely face further accountability from the Church.

The fears of ordinary people often stem from the unknown; many had not known why the York Family was able to obliterate the Lancaster Family. Now, Byron, after his own decryptions, had also inadvertently stripped the York Family of its veneer of power. Worse still, he had thrown that protective hide into the sea, never to be retrieved.

The dual pressure from both the faith and secular levels made the York Family's situation even more difficult. Many no longer firmly believed that the York Family truly possessed the Mandate of Heaven.

Even the low-ranking soldiers couldn't help but entertain a thought: Now that the kingdom faces internal strife and external threats, might Lancaster not return one day to reclaim power?

Therefore, whether in the Grenville Earldom or in the territories of other Lancaster Party nobles, those soldiers affiliated with York subconsciously became much more polite to those "criminals." The officers in charge, especially, knew that the previous Earl Grenville had possessed enormous prestige in the Kingdom of Hightens.

About more than forty years ago, it was he who assisted the then King Henry V in defeating the Irisflower Kingdom, allowing Henry V to become the Regent King of the Irisflower Kingdom for a time. He married the daughter of the then Iris Flower King Charles VI, with whom he had Henry VI and Prince Sorrenberg. He also obtained the right of succession from her. At that time, the Irisflower Kingdom was even momentarily a part of the United Kingdom. The Kingdom of Hightens and the Lancaster Family also reached their most glorious and prosperous era.

Earl John Grenville held tremendous influence among both Lancaster supporters and the nobles under York's command. Many from both factions had ancestors who had received his aid and favor in foreign wars. Moreover, the Grenville family line was thin; now, only a granddaughter, Catherine Grenville, remained. Although she had grown up in the household of Prince Sorrenberg and was very close to them, she was not purged like most from the Lancaster Party but was instead confined to this estate.

When Catherine heard the soldiers' discussion and, idle with boredom, requested a newspaper to pass the time, the officers fulfilled her request.

It's Byron, it really is Byron.

The newspaper provided extensive coverage of 'Mad Hunt' and the Bay Citizen Princess. Only in a small corner did it mention that the Kingdom of Hightens's Wanted Criminal, 'Child of the Devil,' was also seen at Iron Anchor Bay. And it was this inconspicuous sentence that pierced through the facade of strength Catherine had maintained before others for over a month.

However, on the very next day, following this news, she received a decree from King Edward IV.

"By royal decree, Countess Catherine Grenville, your fief is to be transferred."

The messenger, a man with a harsh countenance, conveyed this news to her. This beautiful young woman, renowned across the entire northern Strait Islands and hailed as the "Flower of the North," had just come of age and inherited her family's title, a genuine countess. Beautiful, wealthy, and also the rightful owner of her entire earldom in legal terms.

"To where will it be transferred?"

Having received the long-awaited news, Catherine accepted this final judgment from the York Family with complete calm. A noble's fief is their foundation; no one would accept such a capricious royal decree without reason. But having been defeated, there was naturally little to say. Thanks to her grandfather's immense prestige and her status as the living heir, the Grenville family still had the chance for their fief to be transferred. Too many Lancastrian vassals whose lines had ended in the war had already been stripped of their lands and titles within the past month.

Of course, if the York Family had achieved another great victory at Iron Anchor Bay, Edward IV might have disregarded the disapproval among the nobility and greedily seized lands in an unsightly manner. But under the current internal and external crises, the stability of the people's hearts was clearly more precious than land, and the York Family's methods had softened considerably.

Catherine was sincerely grateful to that 'Mad Hunt' and the Bay Citizen Princess.

The messenger, looking at the famous "Flower of the North," showed a trace of barely discernible pity in his eyes as he coldly spat out a location: "The Bantaan Archipelago."

「Iron Anchor Bay.」

The name "Mad Hunt" was not only widely celebrated among pirate groups but had also thoroughly made its mark throughout the entire North Sea.

Naturally, Byron himself was the happiest.

I've gained another point in just a few days. Even though it will get slower, I'm not far from the 25 points needed for the next ability upgrade.

Byron Tudor lay back leisurely in his captain's chair, legs propped up on the desk, as he casually flipped open the Sailing Logbook.

Captain: Byron Tudor (Lancaster)

Lineage: North Bay Folks

Race Motto: Revenge is certain! Sequence Motto: Seizing is better than hard toil! Professional Motto: I am the vanguard!

Titles: 1. The Last of Lancaster (Enemy of York, permanent persecution, relentless pursuit); 2. Mad Hunt (Mad Hunt Legion)

Legend: 21

Spirituality: 4.2 (Commanding fleet battles that stirred the situation, completing decryptions, and consecutively improving after causing the demise of the Strait Fleet, Byron was confident his promotion speed was even faster than that of the genius Violet)

Profession: Storm Knight

Class: First Order Servant

Innate Ability:

Weather Intuition, Cognitive Revision

Professional Ability: Swordsmanship Mastery, Mountain Goat Steps, Riding

Forbidden Knowledge: Ritual - Holy Grail of Blood/Blood Brew, Blood of Transformation: Second Order 22 portions, Third Order 1 portion

Entries: Historical Reviser; Heartfelt Trouble; Outlaw Madman

Warship: The pirate ship Golden Deer; Special Effect: World's fastest three-masted sailing ship

Miracles: Storm Sigil Ring, Bloody Mary's Gourmet Cookbook, Warrior's Cup, a pair of Echo Conches...

Contracted Creatures: 27 mutant Man-Eater Sharks

His path as a Transcendent was advancing by leaps and bounds.

It was the last two Hidden items, though, that made Byron frown.

After the great battle, the Decryption Rate of Hidden: The Shadows of the Red and White Rose War (Historical Influence 31) had risen from 40% to 50%.

The Decryption Rate for Hidden: Prophecy, Authority, and the Mad Hunt Deity Woden's Racial Revival Prophecy (Historical Influence 69) also jumped from 11% to 15%.

Regarding the latter, although he had agreed to help Violet keep an eye out for her father, the North Sea Pirate King 'Whale Hunter,' there was no hurry, nor could it be rushed. One is Third Order and the other merely First Order. For them to chase a secret with an influence of 69—one that could make even a Fifth Order Legendary Pirate King disappear—was undoubtedly courting death. His first stop before he went missing was the Bantaan Archipelago, filled with natives, Evil Spirits, and Bizarre occurrences; that might be worth a little attention.

But for the 'Shadows of the Red and White Rose War,' I've already exposed the mastermind from the Navy Department and his accomplice, 'Touch of the Kraken.' Yet the Decryption Rate is still only 50%. Could it be that the secrets hidden behind these shadows are even deeper than what I currently see? Where should my next decryption efforts be directed? The Strait Islands proper, or the Bloodthirsty Cult, which is also rooted in the Bantaan Archipelago and has connections with the York Family?