Chapter 20

Chapter 20
“To confirm, what is the probability that this intelligence is incorrect?”

“It appears to be zero.”

Hearing Evan’s report, Alon pondered,

‘…What caused Ladan to turn to piracy?’

Alon had dispatched Ladan to the port city of Raxas not only because of his innate tracking skill but also due to his heritage as a member of the Sea God Clan.

Within the game’s lore, the Sea God Clan was exceptionally uncommon, with just a handful of members across the whole continent.

Outwardly, they resembled humans, making their true nature hard to detect initially.

But Alon, having experienced the game repeatedly and studied its background, was aware of Ladan’s lineage, which was why he had suggested the treasure hunter path to him.

Being of the Sea God Clan, Ladan possessed the ability to breathe beneath the waves, and combined with his tracking skill, Alon reasoned that recovering sunken artifacts would provide a steady income.

Furthermore, the life of a treasure hunter meant that a single major find could secure a life of ease, so Alon had even presented Ladan with a relic specifically designed to aid in tracking.

Yet now, Ladan was a pirate.

And not a minor one—he was among the most prominent pirates of the Seven Archipelagos.

“His status now surpasses even what the Count of Palatio once held…”

“That is correct,” Evan confirmed.

The pirates of the Seven Archipelagos were, in practice, more like sovereigns governing their own islands, each of which could be viewed as a small state.

Additionally, their strength in naval warfare was so great that even the Empire, renowned for its military power, could not afford to dismiss them.

The captains who controlled the archipelagos were superhuman beings, on par with sword masters or the warriors of the barbarian tribes, exceeding the capabilities of normal men.

More troubling was the rumor that the present captains were significantly more powerful than those who came before them.

As Alon turned this over in his mind, a question formed.

‘How in the world did Ladan succeed in killing one of these superhumans?’

Ladan’s strengths were not in direct combat, making this a confusing mystery. However, Alon soon reached a plausible conclusion.

‘If Ladan managed to retrieve some of the most powerful relics from the ancient era, then it would be conceivable.’

The waters around Raxas concealed numerous artifacts from the old age, and a number of them held tremendous power.

Alon himself had once devoted three tedious days to the treasure hunter mini-game just to acquire one such relic from the seabed near Raxas.

Although he eventually grew bored with the mini-game and abandoned it, the relic he had obtained proved its value.

Therefore, if Ladan had employed a potent relic to overcome a captain and seize his position, that would be a reasonable explanation.

Alon brought his left hand up to press against his eyes briefly, but then quickly collected himself.

In reality, he had expected that such unforeseen events might occur as he unleashed other disruptive forces upon the world.

He was aware the world was not so straightforward as to allow every detail to proceed according to design.

Nonetheless, the situation left a sour feeling, and he released a soft, weary breath.

***

It was the summer season.

Past the sea surrounding Raxas, a major port city and the effective capital of the Duchy of Corkia, stretched the seven archipelagos.

These seven islands, referred to by the populace as the Seven Archipelagos, were once united under the first pirate, now immortalized as the Pirate King, ‘Kaldean T. Braven.’

But after Kaldean’s premature death from heart disease, the Seven Archipelagos were split among seven rulers, each commanding their own island, with leadership passed down through their lines.

Since that time, the region has earned its name as the pirate sanctuary of the Seven Archipelagos.

Ladan, who had slain the pirate Alcryde Markney, the previous captain of the primary island who bore the title “The Slayer,” a power granted by the Emperor’s sacrificial blessing, now commanded the first island.

With a heavy exhale, Ladan gazed down at the island below.

Though termed a pirate town, the first island was surprisingly organized.

Countless dwellings were spread across the terrain, enclosed by cliffs that ringed the massive island, and the structures built upon these cliffs gave the island the appearance of a vast fortress.

Yet, what occupied Ladan’s thoughts was not the view, but his contemplation of the “Great Moon.”

‘What is the Great Moon, truly?’ he asked himself.

Ladan had never given the Great Moon much deep consideration before.

Not because he felt any profound devotion, but because he simply lacked any strong curiosity about it.

That did not mean he was ungrateful, however.

He was completely conscious of his situation.

Without the Great Moon’s intervention, he would have been taken by slave traders and used in biological experiments, leading to his certain death.

Furthermore, without the Great Moon, he would never have encountered Yutia, who aided him in awakening his abilities and shaping him into who he was now.

Despite all this, Ladan’s feelings toward the Great Moon were limited to gratitude, and his obedience to its commands stemmed more from his connection to Yutia than any direct loyalty.

For him, the statement “Everything is for the Great Moon” was simply equivalent to carrying out Yutia’s instructions.

This was why, when the Great Moon first gave him a direct order, Ladan felt a sense of opposition.

Like the former Seolrang, he also believed that being sent to Raxas served no real purpose.

Ladan had too many enemies who deserved his vengeance.

He needed retribution against the “black ones” who had massacred his entire clan on an obscure, unnamed island where they had lived peacefully.

He also needed revenge on the cursed hunter who, after he had narrowly escaped the black ones and made it to the mainland, exploited his weakened condition, murdered his parents, and sold him into slavery.

To Ladan, becoming a treasure hunter seemed pointless, and the gifts from the Great Moon did not appear to align with the oath of vengeance he had sworn.

At least, that was the case until he discovered that the captains of the Seven Archipelagos were the very individuals who had killed his parents.

The reason Ladan uncovered this truth was straightforward.

All the current captains of the Seven Archipelagos wielded the power of the Sea God Clan.

While it was publicly stated that they received the Emperor’s blessing through sacrifice, the reality was that they offered parts of their own bodies in a sacred ritual to gain power from the sea god “Claiod,” whom they venerated.

The instant Ladan understood this, he rushed frantically to the main square in Raxas.

There, he discovered the old, tattered, and now obsolete wanted posters for the pirates of the Seven Archipelagos.

In that moment, Ladan knew with absolute certainty.

The current captains of the Seven Archipelagos were the same people who had murdered his parents in his youth.

They had acquired their power by using the bodies of his parents.

The moment this realization struck, he was flooded with a powerful mix of fury, elation, and disorientation.

Even though Ladan had never spoken of his past after being saved by the Blue Moon, it felt as if the Great Moon had arranged every detail from the outset.

As if keeping a pledge, he had given him the chance for revenge.

However, the opportunity for revenge did not mean it could be taken instantly.

From an objective standpoint, Ladan was presently outmatched by the captains who wielded the power of Claiod.

While he was capable, his strength was insufficient to overcome those who had ascended to a superhuman level.

As he started to think it over, Ladan soon recognized that the solution was in the gift the Great Moon had given him.

The gift, called the Goggles of Amrita, possessed the power to reveal the countless relics hidden on the ocean floor, simplifying the search for them.

After learning that certain relics could make up for his deficit in power compared to the captains of the Seven Archipelagos, Ladan saw that it had all been arranged from the beginning.

Simultaneously, he grasped the genuine purpose of the Great Moon.

‘Vengeance and control over the Seven Archipelagos.’

The moment he comprehended this, the Great Moon transformed into something greater than a mere object of his gratitude.

Not only had it laid out the entire path for Ladan, but it had also provided him with the means to achieve his revenge.

From beginning to end, it was all part of a design.

“For the Great Moon,” Ladan said without thinking.

These words had once been empty for him, just a phrase with no substance.

But now, “For the Great Moon” was no longer hollow.

Now, when he spoke those words, they were filled with genuine intent.

“For the Great Moon.”

Only then did they truly embody a sense of loyalty.

***

Approximately three months had passed since the news arrived about the fifth son becoming a pirate of the Somali.

As the intense heat of summer finally began to recede, and the forest leaves started to blush with red, Alon stepped into a carriage.

He was traveling to the grand church gathering hosted every two years at the estate of Duke Rotegre.

‘I would prefer to avoid this if possible…’

Although his body was physically in the carriage, Alon’s thoughts were heavy with aversion.

The dark reputation of the Count Palatio family had dissipated after years of obscurity, but it had been replaced by ridicule, which irritated him.

Still, the reason he complied was because all nobles of Asteria were obligated by law to attend the grand church every two years.

A peculiar regulation demanded attendance once every two cycles barring extraordinary circumstances.

Thus, Alon was in the carriage en route to the grand church, where he would soon meet with two other nobles.

This was a prearranged agreement, as mercenaries and bandits frequently preyed on nobles during the grand church season, so traveling in larger parties was wiser.

As nobles, they had sufficient guards to deter trouble, but even a skirmish could deplete valuable personnel, so they bolstered their numbers from the outset to prevent any conflicts.

Through this mutual agreement, Alon naturally journeyed with two families from the eastern regions, and the day progressed smoothly.

…The issue, however, arose that very night.

“Count Palatio, isn’t it rather inadequate to have just one guard… Are there monetary constraints?”

“If you are experiencing financial difficulties, I might be able to provide assistance.”

“Ah… It seems you inherited your title somewhat hastily, and now your treasury is suffering.”

Alon looked on, astonished, at the two nobles who were making such a deliberate effort to insult him openly.