Pirate Kingship

Those colonial settlements located in inland regions, the indigenous city-states, needn't worry about being affected by the Coral Disease, but we sailors are not so fortunate.

Although there has never been a precedent of the May Wind attacking the port, the isolation of the Tayman Archipelago and International Port in the open sea inevitably causes unease.

The tavern owner, one of the first local residents, had watched the Tayman Archipelago's development up to the present and had absolute confidence in Byron.

Hearing the patrons' discussions, he couldn't resist interjecting,

"The Governor of our Tayman Archipelago, His Excellency The Sea Hunter Byron Tudor, is the great pirate who emerged unscathed from Silvergold Island. He is also the only pirate captain who has successfully advanced to the Third Order using the 'Pirate's Treasure Chest'.

"I'll let you in on a secret: many ships belong to the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company, but this time, not a single one was lost. With him guarding International Port, that 'Blood Plague' wouldn't dare come here. This round is on me."

In fact, Byron had received insider information beforehand. He was the first to recall his ships from sea, outpacing everyone else, which resulted in this convenient misunderstanding.

After being repeated several times, the rumor became accepted as truth, with his subordinates embellishing it further into its current form.

However, the effect wasn't bad.

Influenced by the tavern owner's confidence, the patrons all raised their glasses.

"That's right! To our Governor of International Port!"

"To our brave Mr. Sea Hunter! Cheers!"

Thanks to this, in just one short week, The Sea Hunter's legend had nearly reached the critical threshold of 20.

At any moment, it might trigger a new title effect.

"Sigh..."

Also sitting in this tavern was Poli Felix, the Knight of Judgment, who, although raising his glass as well, was clearly burdened with heavy thoughts.

Of the three Lancaster Party members who followed Jacqueline to infiltrate the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company, Felix, the eldest, had been transferred to International Port before Silvergold Island's emergence.

He had been here for half a month.

Now, what troubled him was not the Blood Plague, but rather The Sea Hunter himself.

At this moment, far from being pleased that The Sea Hunter had grown stronger, Felix was distressed beyond words.

He looked up at a notice from Royal Port posted on the tavern's bulletin board. It stated:

"The former Royal Family of Lancaster carried out acts of betrayal within the Kingdom, but the great King Edward has already eliminated the prime culprits. It is hoped that the Lancaster Party will abandon their delusions and turn to the light..."

To Poli Felix, all this seemed like nonsense and hot air. Too much blood has been shed, from the highest to the lowest levels; the blood feud between the parties is irreconcilable. The key is the latter part: 'The Kingdom has appointed the Pirate General, The Sea Hunter Byron Tudor, as the Commanding General of bandit extermination, fully responsible for the eradication of the Lancaster Party.'

The notice was dated seven days prior, right after Byron Tudor had returned from Silvergold Island.

No one else would pay attention to such a minor matter that did not concern them.

But for the Lancaster Party, it was a matter of life and death.

As soon as Felix saw the notice, he immediately sent the news to Gornaf Island, an Iris colonial island where the Lancaster Party had taken refuge.

I know all too well just how strong this Sea Hunter is. Now that we are in his sights, if we can't launch a full-scale attack and have Miss Catherine coordinate from within to take this fellow down, I'm afraid there might not be another chance. Yet, 'Son of the Highlands' Bere Tanya and 'Unbreakable Fortress' Sam Leopold, two Third Order masters, have their differences regarding this action. We had a good plan and plenty of time to execute it slowly. But who knows what got into the Newman Family; perhaps they've gone mad for recognition? Issuing such an announcement—isn't that blatantly drawing fire towards The Sea Hunter, pushing us to focus our attacks on him and force a life-or-death battle between us? Could they possibly not know Miss Catherine's background? There must be a conspiracy here! I truly detest unexpected changes.

The Golden Law had already delivered Felix's every action straight to Byron.

Looking at Felix's troubled face and referencing the intelligence obtained from Jacqueline, Byron couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

If I weren't trying to observe the reaction within the remnants, I wouldn't have cooperated with the Newman Family, who just lost a son, saw their New Continent dream shattered, and are eager for achievements. Indeed, these traitors of the Lancaster Party cannot be used directly. Recruiting Jacqueline early certainly had its benefits. During this time, I've finally managed to get a clear picture of the Lancaster Party's internal situation.

SNAP!

With a snap of his fingers, Sherry, the head maid among the six, appeared and handed him a document.

The intelligence revealed two primary leaders among the Lancaster remnants concentrated in the Bantaan Archipelago.

One was a Third Order Fortress Expert, nearly fifty years old: 'Unbreakable Fortress' Sam Leopold.

The other was a Third Order Storm Knight, just thirty-eight years old and in the prime of his life: 'Preempting the Enemy' Bere Tanya.

The latter was also the former military commander of the Heitings Colony—younger, stronger, and more restless.

Below them, the core strength consisted mostly of young and vigorous officers from the Storm Knight Order, approximately twenty in total.

Survivors from other Sequences were also numerous, with roughly forty individuals of Second Order Professional Rank in total.

They had fled with their private soldiers and family members, numbering about three thousand people in total.

Unfortunately, just as the White Rose faction had internally split into the Royalist Party and the Earl's Party, the defeated Red Rose faction was likewise not entirely united, with its members having various interests and demands.

This was especially true for 'Preempting the Enemy' Bere Tanya, whose awakened primary ability was the Breath of All Things. He could understand the emotions of any creature and grasp the weaknesses of inanimate objects. This fostered a rigid personality: he trusted only himself, not others, and valued rules above people's hearts. His methods were aggressive, and he was willing to fight and take risks.

The internal disagreement stemmed from his advocacy: find the "last Lancaster," immediately install him as a figurehead to rally support, and ensure no other issues interfered.

One might describe him as a progressive "constitutional monarchist," or, alternatively, someone "using the prince to command the vassals."

For me, neither scenario is good news. Although this is a different world, and I shouldn't encounter another "young Ming prince" accidentally drowning, I still have to tread carefully.

THUMP... THUMP... THUMP...

Byron casually tossed the document aside, his fingers tapping repeatedly on the desk.

As a leader, ideal subordinates are like NPCs—devoid of their own thoughts, families, emotions, and core interests, capable of executing orders with one hundred percent efficiency. Like that Flame Legion of seventy thousand, which was butchered. They had no families, no clans, no marital alliances, no intricate local networks, and no personal interests. From officers to common soldiers, they could all be cleanly slaughtered on command. But reality isn't like that. Even the historically notorious Boss Zhu couldn't possibly kill all the middle-ranking officers and senior soldiers. One can only say: impressive. Moreover, this isn't a unified empire but a separatist force. In any normal world, this situation would have led to the nation's fall eight hundred times over. The Lancaster Party is the same; they need a bit of pruning according to my plans before they can be used. Now that I have a general grasp of their intelligence and I've been promoted to Third Order Storm Admiral, whatever internal thoughts they might harbor are irrelevant. Even those who aren't entirely loyal don't necessarily need to be eliminated. Even a straw has its use, let alone a person. Even a troublemaker has their uses. But before I take over this group and use them to 'seek revenge' against the Newman Family, there's one last thing to do. I was pinned down by that elusive May Wind for a week, not daring to leave, fearing that stepping out would draw me into a whirlpool due to the Historical Rectifier. As for now... well...

Just then, Violet's voice suddenly resonated in his mind, bringing the long-awaited news:

"Byron, the First Tudor Mixed-Sail Ship is about to be completed! Hurry to the docks!"