Salt and Blood [A Pirate LitRPG]

There are many forms of governance. Some believe that giving everyone a voice is a fool's path, but only time can reveal the truth

-Excerpt from 'Power and Influence: How to Rule a Nation,' by Sea-Emperor Vadaris Neptuna

"A lady never tells," Rose giggled mischievously as she returned the envelope bearing the royal seal to the pocket of her overcoat.

The laughter sent pangs of pain spiking through her skull and she winced, slightly ruining her mojo. Damn hangovers. I suppose the gods had to balance the sheer bliss of being drunk, she inwardly cursed.

"What lady!? You're the farthest thing from-" Daniel started to shout before Jason raced over and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Maybe the lady could make a generous exception this once. I really am curious," Jason said as Daniel struggled against his grip. It was hopeless, however.

"Well, I suppose for such a handsome and polite gentleman I could reveal a little secret," Rose replied, taking the letter out and pulling it from the envelope. "As my reward for impressive contributions to the Emerlan Isle, I received this letter personally signed by King Bartholomew," she announced to many shocked gasps.

Most citizens of the isle had never even met the king, so for her to have received a letter with his personal signature and the royal seal was an incredible privilege. They were equally jealous and approving—they all knew how hard she'd fought to earn it. If anyone deserved a reward, it was Rose.

"Wow, that's cool. What does it say?" Jason asked.

At those words, her uncle sighed and shook his head. He had previously possessed a small sliver of hope that Rose might be turned from piracy after this war and perhaps have her talents turned to the service of the nation instead. That letter had dashed those final hopes.

"Ahem," Rose cleared her throat while unfolding the letter and holding it up in the air, letting everyone see the signature and stamp at the bottom before she began to read.

"For her meritorious and noble deeds in the defence of her homeland, alongside various other accomplishments, the pirate Rose Everblue is hereby awarded this letter…

…

Signed,

King Bartholomew of the Emerlan Isle," Rose finished and folded the letter neatly back into three before returning it to the envelope and then her jacket.

After a few seconds of silence, she looked around and realised that everyone on deck who'd listened to her recital was frozen with a slack jaw and wide eyes. They were absolutely stunned by the contents.

Never before had a pirate been given permission by a nation to plunder in their waters. It was beyond absurd, yet at the same time they couldn't deny it was a fitting reward for their current commander.

"Woah! So that means you can raid whatever ships you want without getting punished? That's so cool," Jason said, breaking the silence. "You'll be rich in no time."

"As long as I'm within the Bluestone Sea, yep! To be honest though, I doubt I'll stay for long after this war is over. My sights are set much higher than raiding middling merchants forever," she replied, sighing as she thought of her goal which had been put aside until the threat of Minenblum was dealt with.

Around an hour later, the two princes arrived together, along with a few other councillors and nobles. Rose recognised a few for the wrong reasons—they'd been part of the group complaining about her reward in the throne room.

However, she would put aside petty grudges for the sake of her country. If the king believed they were the best people for the task then she would trust his judgment.

"Alright, let's set sail! Full…" she paused as she thought about the appropriate phrase. After all, the ship ran on arcane power, not wind power. "Fast as frick ahead!" she roared.

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Despite the absurd descriptor, the crew roared along with her. When they'd set sail for Eastfel Bay, the soldiers had followed her orders out of duty to their king and nation, but now they truly recognised her leadership and would follow her into the depths of hell if necessary.

Many of them were even hoping the war wouldn't end too soon, as they knew she would be leaving at that point. A few of the most fervent zealots who'd fought right beside her had even considered turning to piracy to follow her. However, they all had families and children to get back to, so that wasn't possible.

They set sail for Derridas once more. Their destination was Nirodas once again, the capital of the largest nation in the Bluestone Sea.

Minenblum was technically larger, but half of its landmass was in the Sunblessed Sea, so it didn't really count. Though Minenblum would certainly argue that point.

For many of those on board and back home, it was the first time since the sudden invasion of Fairwater Bay that they had hope in their hearts and were able to smile. The war might not end with their conquest and subjugation.

Everything depended on the outcome of the talks in Nirodas. All of those chosen as ambassadors felt the weight of the countrymen's hopes and dreams on their shoulders, but were prepared to do their jobs.

***

General Vagor of Zoria was a decorated war hero. He'd fought in the country's brutal civil war on the losing side, yet even after the war ended he was still recognised as a hero by the people of the nation.

Even those who had won the war and formed the government of the New Republic of Zoria had allowed him to keep his position in the military. After the civil war, he'd led his nation in minor territorial wars with other nearby small nations and some skirmishes with Minenblum when they grew bold.

This was the first time he was nervous about meeting an enemy in battle. That was because this was a battlefield he wasn't used to whatsoever—the political theatre.

The only thing keeping his frayed nerves in check was the fact that he was in his own office, with his prized dog on his lap. Miss Julia always kept him calm. He'd never married and the dog was his everything.

If any of his enemies found out the fearsome General Vagor gushed over the tiny pooch like a princess they might faint of shock. The person he was meeting today did no such thing.

Instead, Admiral Farris of the Minenblum Royal Navy smiled, flashing perfectly white teeth, as he reached over the desk and stroked the dog without asking for permission. Mistress Julia preened as his hand ran down her fur.

However, Vagor's eyes narrowed. The smile held no trace of friendliness. The glint in the man's eyes was false. It was the smile of a predator, not a cheerful compatriot.

"What a beautiful pup. You must care for her a great deal given how pampered she seems," the admiral said as he reclined in his chair.

The comfort with which he sat made it seem as if it was his own home he was resting in and not the office of a general of an enemy nation. As the second highest ranking officer of the Minenblum Royal Navy he was entitled to a certain degree of arrogance.

"She is the light of my life," Vagor replied coldly, pulling the dog closer to him so that the admiral couldn't reach her again. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Farris. You're not the type to reminisce with an old rival for no reason."

The way he almost spat the word 'pleasure' made his stance on the surprise visit clear. Despite the lack of warmth in the reception, Admiral Farris kept smiling.

"So harsh, Vagor. Do you truly not care for me? I still fondly remember the passion with which we fought at the battle of the Radiant Wall. My loins burned as our cutlasses clashed! Truly, we were alive then," Farris said, his voice filled with the zeal of a battle-crazed maniac.

Vagor had to bite his tongue to not berate the insane admiral for his words. However, no matter his personal thoughts he was representing his nation in this meeting and had to behave appropriately.

"Care is a powerful word, Farris. I respect you as a warrior and a rival, no more or less," he replied. "Get to the point, I'm a busy man."

"Always such a stickler for the rules," Farris sighed, his smile vanishing and his eyes glazing over as he dropped the friendly facade. "So be it. We have heard of these little gatherings going on at Duchess Windvayne's behest. Are you truly going to ally yourself with those ants?" he said, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"A truly great warrior recognises when he cannot win a battle alone. Sometimes putting old grudges aside to fight a shared enemy is necessary," Vagor said, not caring about the implications of his statement.

"I see. How disappointing. I always admired you, Vagor. I thought you were a real man. I had hoped to make you see sense, but it seems your fate will be the same as the rest of the Bluestone scum. I at least hope you will make our final battle worthwhile," Farris said, standing up to leave.

"It will be your final battle, perhaps, but not mine," Vagor stated confidently.

Farris smiled as he turned his back, flashing sharp canines that truly made him seem like a predator beast rather than a human. "You promised. Don't break it," he said as he left the office.

After the Minenblumian Admiral had left, Vagor sighed in relief and started to stroke Miss Julia. "Dear Farris, you might be a maniac but you're right about one thing. Our battles were the stuff of legend. It's been a while since my blade burned with passion like that. This alliance is necessary, but that doesn't mean it has to last forever," he said, speaking to nobody but the dog in his lap.