Celebration Banquet

"Oh! My dear Lord Arthur! You truly are a heroic old sea dog!"

Rhine Governor Drew enthusiastically embraced Arthur, grabbing his hand to lead him toward the banquet hall.

The great pirate general, Earl Drake, had once used the term "old sea dog" to express his own bravery and familiarity with the ocean after crushing the Invincible Fleet of the Xiya Empire.

The complimentary term from the Age of Discovery felt rather strange when applied to Arthur.

"Governor Drew, let us drink until we drop today!"

"Until we drop!"

At this victory banquet, Arthur met many important figures, such as Father Roberto and Deacon Wallace.

"Come, Lord Arthur, let me introduce you to the captain of Rhine Island: Eisen Black."

"Lord Eisen, this is Lord Arthur, who has thwarted the conspiracies of the cultists many times!"

"Lord Eisen! A pleasure!"

"Lord Arthur! A pleasure!"

Arthur shook hands with Lord Eisen and chatted while drinking, soon turning the conversation to the rampant pirates.

Lord Eisen had blonde hair and blue eyes, a shark-skin command saber at his waist, and cowhide shoulder straps with brass studs.

Arthur narrowed his eyes; the captain of the Rhine Island fleet.

"In the coastal waters outside the Mist Sea, pirate activity is becoming increasingly rampant, and the Empire's merchant ships have been attacked repeatedly."

Lord Eisen suddenly realized that Arthur also came from a pirate background and immediately added, "Lord Arthur, I am not targeting you."

"It is fine," Arthur said, taking a sip of wine; he did not care about his background.

Lord Eisen's words revealed a signal: he was very hostile toward pirates, which was a point that could be exploited.

"Is Lord Eisen not aware that there are two types of pirates in the coastal waters?"

"Two types?"

Lord Eisen was somewhat curious about Lord Arthur's statement; how did a pirate view other pirates?

"One type is the pure pirate, who comes to the sea to plunder passing ships."

"And the other type?"

"The other type of pirate does not need to plunder ships to survive; they provide escort for certain merchant vessels while plundering others. They have regular supplies of fresh water, hardtack, and rum, with no worries about survival."

Arthur finished the wine in his glass, turned, and headed elsewhere to mingle with the navy of Rhine Island.

Lord Eisen stood frozen in place, chewing over Arthur's words, his expression gradually turning somber.

Arthur observed the joyful atmosphere of the banquet hall, focusing his attention on the members of the Royal Navy.

"Lord Arthur! Come, let me toast you!"

There were quite a few "nobles" from the Tudor Dynasty whose family influence had declined, leaving them with no capital to survive on land.

They came to nearby islands and ports, using their "noble status" to scrape together some capital and connections.

There was no noble in the banquet hall more distinguished than Governor Drew!

The victory banquet lasted until the night ended; Arthur had drunk many glasses of wine and felt slightly tipsy.

He had encountered more "my ancestors were once wealthy" traditional Tudor nobles in one night than he had ever read about in books in his past life.

Nighttime.

Governor Drew and Lord Eisen departed, and Arthur stayed at the Rhine Governor's private guesthouse.

He utilized the power of the Moth, whispering in his mind to dispel the drunken haze.

He strode out of his quarters, feeling his way through the guesthouse.

Suddenly, Arthur heard some discordant sounds and walked to the corner of the corridor between the guesthouse rooms and the garden.

"Oh! James! You are amazing!"

"Is that so? How do I compare to Will?!"

"Damn it! Don't mention that guy; being married to him for three years hasn't been as pleasurable as these two days with you!"

Arthur felt a sense of solemn respect; to be engaging in such illicit emotional exchanges within the Rhine Governor's private guesthouse.

The stimulation of the words made him even more sober.

He lifted his foot, preparing to leave, when he suddenly heard that the commotion in the garden was not quite right; James let out a sound like he was dying.

"Mary! Mary!"

"Oh—Mary!"

The sound of the miserable scream stirred Arthur's memories, as if a pirate had been tied with a rope, a wound cut open, and then hung behind a pirate ship.

As time passed, the sound was like that of a pirate screaming as sharks, having caught the scent of blood, kissed him with their sharp teeth.

Dead? Dead?!

Arthur furrowed his brows slightly, turning to face the garden while walking backward.

He drew his flintlock and fired a shot into the air as a signal!

Thump, thump, thump. The guarding navy soldiers rushed over with their muskets raised, "Lord Arthur! What happened?"

Arthur pointed toward the garden and said calmly, "Someone was having an affair here; the moans turned into screams."

"You people on Rhine Island don't like the pastry shops, but prefer the open air instead. What a strange hobby."

The lead guard captain raised his musket and charged into the garden with his men, only to rush back to the corridor ten seconds later.

With a look of terror on his face, he returned to Arthur's side, pointing toward the garden with a trembling finger:

"A desiccated corpse! There's a desiccated corpse!"

Arthur patted the guard captain on the shoulder, casting an Ease effect to calm the nerves of the naval guard squad.

"Notify Governor Drew of the situation here. I will wait here."

"Leave two navy soldiers to seal off the scene."

"Yes! Lord Arthur!"

Arthur strode toward the garden, pausing at the corner to confirm there was no warning from the Moth before stepping into the garden.

In the corner of the garden, the shriveled corpse of a man lay in the grass, his lower body naked.

He had fallen on his back, his eyeballs bulging from their sockets; even a piece of salted fish dried for a month wouldn't be as parched as this.

"Lord Arthur, could it be one of those rumored vampires?"

"Yeah! I heard that vampires can suck a person dry in one breath, leaving them looking like a dried fish after death?"

"Oh! Damn you, John! I won't be able to eat dried fish anymore; you're done for!"

The three of them chatted around the desiccated corpse, the atmosphere gradually becoming lighthearted.

By the time Governor Drew arrived, Arthur was discussing with the navy soldiers which tavern on Rhine Island had the best flavor.

"Lord Arthur, I apologize for the shock!"

When Governor Drew saw the corpse on the ground, his expression turned incredibly grim.

The dead man was James, a captain in the Rhine Island fleet who had risen through the ranks for his mastery of artillery.

The ships he commanded could always precisely destroy the target's powder magazine, blowing enemy vessels into ash with pinpoint accuracy.

"While passing by, I heard the names Mary, Will, and James. Does Governor Drew have any leads?"

Mary, Will, and James?!

Governor Drew's face changed drastically. He immediately turned and ordered his navy subordinates: "Seal the port immediately. Prohibit any ships from entering or leaving."

"Call everyone off the merchant ships. I want every single vessel searched."

Governor Drew looked extremely anxious, unable to spare a moment to comfort Arthur, his distinguished guest.

Arthur frowned and called Mickey over, slipping him a silver coin as he said, "Mickey, go and find out the identities of Mary and Will on Rhine Island."

Mickey returned quickly and whispered, "Captain, I've found out."

"The auditor of Governor Drew's private vault is named Will, and Mary is Will's wife."

The wife of the vault auditor—no wonder Governor Drew was so anxious; it concerned his private little treasury.

"Let's go and see the show."