Pirate Kingship

Seeing this, Guardian Knight Bruh, the most adept at reading situations, certainly wouldn't linger and be a nuisance, so he quickly gestured to the pirates around him.

The group immediately covered their mouths and silently withdrew.

"Hmm? What's the problem?" Byron turned to the apparently nervous girl behind him.

Violet, who had grown quite a bit taller during this time, stood before Byron, tilted her head up to him, and finally mustered the courage to ask the question she had been holding back for a long time.

"Good citizen sir, would you like to become a true, permanent citizen of Iron Anchor Bay and be my... first mate on the 'Flame Rose'?"

That was a close one; I almost blurted out "you are a good person."

Others might not resist this temptation, but he could.

However, even if it were not the situation he had imagined, he still couldn't accept the position of first mate.

It was for no other reason; he was simply afraid this Bay Citizen Princess wasn't resilient enough!

Even if he didn't betray her, she definitely wouldn't withstand the relentless misfortune.

"Miss Artist, although I, too, would like to agree, the Mandate of Heaven from my Sacred Relic dictates that a Lancaster must not be subordinate to others..."

A direct refusal would be too hurtful, and he couldn't clearly explain the origin of his 'Heartfelt Trouble' characteristic anyway. He could only use the 'Nation-Destroying Nail' as an excuse again, claiming its side effects prevented him.

"I see. It was presumptuous of me. Besides, you, a Lancaster, could obviously not spend the rest of your life in this tiny Iron Anchor Bay. I have my mission, and you naturally have your responsibilities."

After learning Byron's true identity, Violet hadn't harbored much hope to begin with. Now that she had his answer, a burden lifted from her heart, and she exhaled softly.

"However, the York Family, those traitors to the Bayfolk, have always been our common enemy. I look forward to fighting alongside you again in the future, good citizen sir."

The girl smiled and tipped her head to the side, playfully extending her pale, slender pinky to him.

"Of course, Miss Artist," Byron responded with a smile and hooked his finger with hers.

The anchor between them visibly strengthened considerably.

"However, although I cannot be your first mate, would you be willing to become an honorary crew member of the 'Golden Deer'?"

The 'Outlaw Madman' ability description read: "As the guiding light for outlaws, you understand the laws and can protect your crew with the 'Pirate's Ten Commandments.' In the face of Hightins Law Mages, your team will no longer be your vulnerability."

For criminals, this layer of protection makes escaping the judgment of Hightins Law Mages child's play. As long as swords or bullets don't touch me, I can do whatever I want!

"Commandment Five: No woman may join the crew; if a crew member brings a woman to sea, he shall be executed, female Transcendents excepted."

Although Violet, with her status as both a Third Order Artisan and the Bay Citizen Princess, couldn't realistically board his ship and sail with him at this stage, becoming an honorary crew member to secure a spot and enjoy the protection of the Outlaw Madman was certainly not an issue.

Violet agreed without a second thought. She signed her name in the voluminous 'Pirate's Ten Commandments' that Byron produced.

From this tome of over a hundred pages of weighty commandments, she glimpsed Byron's lofty aspirations. This alone set him leagues apart from the other pirates in Iron Anchor Bay, who merely idled away their days.

It was only when she saw the line, "Sheep: sole purpose is consumption," that she shot him a small, slightly blushing glare.

"So, what are your plans next?" she quickly changed the subject to hide her fleeting embarrassment.

"I'm preparing to head for the overseas routes..."

Just as Byron was about to share his grand vision with her, Bruh hurried back with a document, his usually marble-hard face showing a rare hint of joy.

"Captain, we just received a message from the Lighthouse Union—the Hightins Navy has issued a recruitment order! Our chance has arrived."

Byron glanced at it and then handed it to Violet.

"Remember when we intentionally let those peripheral privateer ships and free pirates escape? They were all from the group most trusted by 'Executioner' Bill. If the 'Golden Deer' were the sole survivor after the great battle, it would look too conspicuous. But joining them now, perhaps on account of Red Beard's old 'list of merits,' we might avoid suspicion and even snag a good position."

His last sentence was laden with meaning: "I cannot be your first mate, but I am more than willing to be a privateer captain under Edward IV."

「Kingston, the Hightins capital. Ganquan Palace.」

Mid-November had brought the first heavy snowfall since the palace welcomed its new master. The gently falling snowflakes painted the palace complex and indeed the entire Royal Capital pure white.

Yet, the same snow evoked entirely different feelings in those who beheld it.

Had Edward IV and his vassals seen it a few days prior, they would have imagined the entire world awash in the color of white roses, with no trace of Lancaster remaining. But seeing it now, a few days later, they only perceived a stark, desolate purity in the vast white expanse, reminiscent of the white carnations at the funerals of various nobles.

During this time, Edward IV had been swamped and stressed. He frequently summoned his important ministers to the palace to discuss how to deal with the current adverse situation.

The one who came to his private study today was the recently appointed Naval Marshal of the Kingdom and his reliable ally, the 'Kingmaker,' Earl Warwick.

"Your Majesty, the papal bull of censure has already been delivered. The 'Judgment Knights' from the Tribunal of the Ecclesiastical Court are due to arrive in the Royal Capital tomorrow. How should we respond? The Archbishop of Canterbury likely can't withstand such pressure, can he?"

Edward IV pinched the bridge of his nose hard. Any king would instinctively loathe such a clerical institution that encroached upon royal authority. But he didn't have the audacity to say no to the Church. He had indeed received covert support from some powerful figures within the Church, but some taboos still couldn't be brought into the open.

"The new Archbishop of Canterbury is merely a liaison between the Church and us. In the 'Council of the Divine Presence' at The Holy Silver Empire's St. Peter's Cathedral, we have even more influential supporters. Finding a scapegoat to satisfy the Tribunal—do I really need to teach you such things?"

The Naval Marshal hesitated slightly. "So, we shift the blame to... General Norwich and Lord Chancellor Dudd Light?"

Edward IV nodded expressionlessly. "I will issue orders to strip them of all their titles as punishment. Their use of forbidden knowledge to summon the 'Touch of the Kraken' was a personal act, unrelated to the Kingdom. That is the official truth."

After making this ruthless decision, he inadvertently glanced at the issue of Lighthouse Weekly that had been left on his desk. The phrase "Traitors must be exceedingly careful" seemed particularly jarring.

For an instant, his eyes darkened before becoming exceptionally sharp.

I have done nothing wrong!

Henry V of the Lancaster Family had once built a great legacy. However, during the reign of his successor, Henry VI, the 'Mad King,' the nation's fortunes declined once more. Yet, Henry VI didn't lose his throne because he was an insane, incompetent ruler. On the contrary, he was a Sage recognized by friend and foe alike. He was frugal, refined, kind-hearted, and deeply cared for his people. He emphasized education, established numerous universities, and held little interest in warfare. He was a stalwart figure of the Lawful Good alignment. But such individuals often lack the necessary ruthlessness, making them less suited to kingship than those of the Lawful Evil alignment. His ultimate failure in the Hundred Years' War against the Iris also became the catalyst for a thirty-year civil war.

Edward IV folded the newspaper and tossed it into a drawer, then heard Naval Marshal Earl Warwick continue, "Your Majesty, the Strait Fleet has suffered severe losses. We urgently need to replenish warships and sailors, and the Kingdom's financial situation is worrying. Expanding privateer recruitment at this juncture is an ideal solution to our pressing problems. Not only can we acquire a capable armed force without spending our own funds, but we can also continuously amass great wealth. I've heard the Kingdom of Castilia uses its own fleet to ship back tons of gold and silver from the Bantaan Archipelago. Privateers, if sent on long-distance routes, would undoubtedly achieve great success. If we capture just a few of their ships, we'll have the funds for shipbuilding. The Navy Department has already issued recruitment orders for privateers. These are the applications received from freelance pirate captains. Please review them..."

Among them, the notorious 'Executioner' Bill was prominently listed, his name appearing quite high up.

"The severe losses sustained by the Strait Fleet necessitate an urgent shift in our overseas policy. I suggest selecting a group of reputable and capable pirate captains. You could then issue them official charters, authorizing them to recruit their own ships and sailors to form official privateer flotillas. You might even grant them the title of 'Pirate General.' They could then act in place of our naval fleet overseas, shouldering some of the responsibility for protecting the colonies."

Edward IV reviewed the documents and, finding no objection, stamped them, making them official. "Let's proceed with that. 'Historians' tell us that humanity's first explosion of wealth began with the mastery of agriculture and animal husbandry. In time, crops mature, and livestock reproduce on their own. Even if you harvest greens, they continue to grow. This significantly improves the efficiency of wealth accumulation. The same principle applies to these pirates. Once a group of pirates develops higher aspirations beyond drinking, gambling, and womanizing, we need only wait for them to mature before we reap the rewards."

The young king looked up, his eyes brimming with ambition. "The 'Astronomers' of the Tower Sequence have long confirmed that our world is a massive sphere. Beyond our Old Continent lies an infinitely vast world. I assert that the future of this world lies upon the great sea before us, provided we seize enough territory overseas. Then, it may be possible that on the lands of Hightins, the sun will set on one of its colonies only to be just rising on another. Mr. Warwick, you and I will ultimately witness the Kingdom of Hightins grow into such a formidable nation!"