Inside a modestly decorated reception hall fixed with handcrafted furnishings, two men were seated on chairs facing one another. On one side was a young man in his late twenties wearing a red robe and on the other was an old man whose hair was starting to gray. The old man leaned against the backrest of his seat and projected an aura of solemnity, but the disoriented expression he wore on his face betrayed such an impression. On the other hand, the young man had a subtle cheeky smirk, which added to the confident disposition offered by his gallant appearance. The young man leaned forward, pressing the old man with his impudent gaze and language.
“So you’re saying you won’t honor my request, Secretary Pint? Do I have to spell it out for you? I, Shamrock ha Erixil of the Decemviri, am making this request! Are you really saying no now that I’m prostrating myself before you?”
Normally, the younger party would submit themselves before the elder party, especially more so if the elder party happened to be the Secretary of the Department of the Navy. Such was the norm in order to pay respect to the greater wealth of experience and achievements of those who came before. But the young man paid no such heed to the norm and laid bare his naked thoughts, for he held a seat amongst the Decemviri.
“I would never belittle any of the men in red… especially not you, Decemvirate Shamrock. However, the Odette’s captain has already been decided. If Lieutenant Curaçao is in need of a ship, I believe we have other ships that could fill the role.”
But just because the Decemviri was held in high regard doesn’t mean its members could get whatever they want. Secretary Pint’s attitude was civil but it appears he had no intention of giving into Shamrock’s so-called “request.”
“But there’s no time, admiral! The son of the Orenje family needs a ship as soon as possible and the only ship that’s both formidable and close to launch is the Odette! You must give command of the Odette to Curaçao!”
“So what of our promise to Captain Cairipinya? The Navy has promised to give him whatever he wishes in honor of his self-sacrifice and veritable service to the republic! And now he wishes for the best ship we could give him! You’ve met him at the awarding ceremony, right? Yes… I remember now. You were there with the rest of the government when you promised him! If you turn your back on him now, what impression do you think we’ll give the future generation? How will they be inspired to lay their lives on the line for our republic ?!”
Shamrock avoided the admiral’s gaze as he started gnawing on his nails in irritation.
“Tinaye, the Majestic Pearl of the Blue Sea, and its heroic protector, Cairipinya em Ruyter. The mere mention of his ship setting sail is sure to blow wind into the sails of all the despondent captains of our nation, who have turned away from the sea. Even now they all await his return. If they hear that he will not be setting sail because we allowed that dumbass son of the Orenje family to take his ship away from him, what do you think they’ll do? Surely you feel an obligation to help our struggling nation in these trying times where it’s said that one out of three ships that set sail never come back.”
“Of course. I also want to be of help. But what I want to change is different from what you’re thinking.”
“And what is that?”
“What I want to change is the image of our navy relying solely on the merit of one man and our drunkard captains who are more adept in navigating the taverns than the ocean!”
“Are you suggesting that the Navy isn’t doing anything?”
“The fact that the saying that ‘one out of three ships that set sail never come back’ exists is proof that the Navy is a shadow of its former self! As the Secretary of the Department of the Navy, you cannot say that you’re without responsibility!”
Up until this point, the admiral had been putting up with the young man’s attitude and language but this was the last straw.
“How dare you! That is not only an insult to me but to all the captains, officers, and sailors who have laid their lives on the line fighting the pirate scourge! Take back that statement at once!”
The admiral rose from his seat, glared at the young Decemvirate, and barked with a commanding tone. Shamrock gave his reply slowly.
“I understand very well that our brave men have put their lives on the line for our nation, but as the admiral you cannot possibly hide behind their valiant efforts! For all the hard work they’ve put in, they have no results to show for it and that is all because their commanders are incompetent and incapable! I am talking about their plight! How hard it must be to put everything on the line only to be cast away into the sea as fish food and for what?! I dare you, admiral: go to these men and tell them that your so-called ‘hard work’ has done nothing for them! It has done nothing for the nation, much less its people!”
Not one to back down, Secretary Pint lashed back.
“And whose fault do you think it is that the Navy is bounded as it is?!”
“Ah, so you’re saying it’s our fault now?!”
“Oh, hell I am! I’ve been saying for months now that we must strike the pirates’ base of operations! But you and the rest of the government have been shooting it down with your excuses that it’ll be a diplomatic problem! And do I need to remind you who has been misappropriating our fleet to escort certain transport ships?! We cannot deploy our ships to defend the sea routes because our fleet is being called for all sorts of ceremonies and reasons in Nasta Bay! And now you’re telling me you’re not responsible for any of that?!”
“Oh, now you’ve said it!!!”
Shamrock rose from his seat to stand on equal footing with the standing Pint. The two exchanged murderous glares as they breathed down each other’s faces.
“Just as I thought! It is you who is the main culprit of our nation’s distress! A corrupt ne’er-do-well who says yes but does something different when our backs are turned away! Filled with animosity, you’re using your high position as secretary to worsen the already bad mistrust between the Decemviri and the Navy!”
“Huh?! Are you saying everything is my fault?!”
Pint couldn’t hide the bewilderment on his face. He wasn’t expecting such an accusation.
“You’re right. We did do those things just as you said, but it wasn’t out of greed—they were out of necessity! The pirate scum have set their base of operations in a land with which we have little in the way of diplomatic relations and Atlantia is claiming dominion over them. If we attack them now, they will see it as us waging war against them! Isn’t it only natural that we don’t resort to that option?!”
“But that consideration is precisely why Atlantia is becoming more belligerent, yes?! They are basically a hostile state at this point! And there’s rumors that they’re supporting the pirates behind the scenes!”
“Those rumors are inexcusable! I’d like you to tell me who is spouting such baseless rumors! Let it be known that meritless rumors do nothing but worsen the situation we’re in! Atlantia is one of our trade partners, after all!”
“So what of the misappropriation of the fleet?! What’s your excuse?!”
“Since Tinaye cannot provide sustenance for its people under its own agricultural production, it’s only natural that we provide more protection for the transport of essential foodstuffs, particularly oats. Since the transport of such goods isn’t profitable in the least, I have personally provided for the ships and their crews’ provisions and payment to keep them coming in as a form of duty as a Decemvirate. And yet you dare say I am doing this out of selfishness?!”
“H-H-How could I have known that those transports were transporting foodstuffs!”
“You couldn’t have; we keep them a secret to keep them safe from pirate attacks.”
“But isn’t it reasonable to let me, the Secretary of the Navy Department, know?!”
“Why would I? Don’t we trust each other? Hmm? You’ve really ruined your retirement huh, Pint? You’ve sat on that damned chair of yours for so long you’ve basically rusted in place! If it were up to me, I would strike you down but consider this my mercy: resign by yourself and I won’t do anything to you.”
“You’re making me resign?! Only the Doge has that power! You have no business in such affairs, being the lowest ranked among the Decemvirates!”
“Alright then. You will resign, Pint. After all, I have that power.”
“What do you mean?”
Shamrock picked up a sealed letter placed on a table next to him and handed it to Admiral Pint as if to tell him to read it. He broke the seal, opened the letter, and read through it. Before long his hands started to tremble.
“How disappointing. Who would’ve thought that the Secretary of the Navy himself is in correspondence with the pirate scum?”
“No no no!!! T-This has got to be some mistake!!!”
“But it’s a known fact that one of your family’s servants has been bribed by the pirates and that the movement and deployment of our naval fleet were leaked. It’s precisely because of that fact that the pirates are able to slip through our tight control of the routes and attack our shipping! This is grounds for collaboration with the enemy to subvert the state!”
“N-No! I couldn’t have known! This happened beyond my control and my knowledge!”
“Do you understand what you’re saying, Admiral? It’s a bigger problem if you don’t know what’s going on within your own house! And even if you insist you don’t know, the people beg to differ! They have lost immense sums of wealth, possessions, and loved ones to the pirates! Once they catch wind of this, they’ll come knocking on your house with torches and pitchforks! Try to imagine the faces of your family and staff when that happens!”
“…”
“Admiral. You will walk out of this room, go to the Doge, and submit your resignation. As for your reason… I think it will be best to go with health reasons. You’re old, after all, and have more or less lost your vigor, not to mention your capacity for critical thinking has lost its edge.”
Pint groaned in vexation.
“And who will replace me as Secretary of the Navy?”
“You’re in no position to know. It won’t do us any good if that information will leak to the pirates.”
The old admiral sat down on his seat and sunk into it. His hunched back, sunken shoulders, and face covered with his wrinkly palms were a far cry from the solemn figure who once led the Navy at its height. All that he was now was a shadow of that former self of his. Still, with whatever flame he had left in him, he replied to the Decemvirate.
“Force my hand to resign as much as you want, Decemvirate Shamrock, just—for the love of god—don’t touch Captain Cairipinya or the Odette. Tinaye needs him, and he needs the Odette!”
Shamrock sighed and his eyes became bloodshot with irritation.
“Silence! I will not be hearing another word from you, old man! Heed my words, if you can even hear me with your accelerating deafness: the Odette will come under the command of Lieutenant Curaçao! This has already been decided!”
“That idiot son of the Orenje family is inexperienced and has no capacity for tactical thinking! If you want proof, his own parents used their connections to give him the rank of lieutenant and all he’s done in service was lose ships and guardian protectors!”
“And his parents insist that that’s because you keep giving him subpar or old ships! They’re enraged, to say the least! They’re going so far as to say that the lack of understanding among the brass is robbing their genius son of a chance to prove himself!”
“So you’re saying giving him our best and most state-of-the-art ship will fix things?! All Captain Cairipinya had were outdated and rotting ships but he still managed to build the reputation he has now!”
“That just means he’s better with the older junk! That would be consistent with his taste in women since that’s what he’s known for these days, right? No wonder he was doing so well under an old fart like you!”
Shamrock spat in passing as he got up and left, leaving the now-former Secretary of the Navy to tremble in rage alone in the reception hall.
Shamrock bit his lip to maintain his composure as he felt the thrill of accomplishment from finally getting rid of the old geezer. Leisurely walking down the carpeted halls, he came across the restless, fidgeting figure of his chestnut-haired secretary. She seemed to have been waiting for him.
“Shamrock!”
Isla de Pinos. Female, age unknown though her looks tell of a woman in her late twenties, and a Renon, a race of demihumans who looked similar to humans. She has her hair arranged in a braided bun at the back of her head, a hairstyle that is currently in style in Tinaye, though it’s mostly to protect women’s hair from the salty sea breeze and the relentless sun. Her height is that of Shamrock’s chest. Then, as if to match Shamrock or to signal her feelings, she wore a bright red dress. While it didn’t hold a candle to the frilly dresses worn by noblewomen that put appearances over function, she was comfortable in it.
“What’s gotten you in a panic, Isla? Has Hardy put a curse on you?”
“What does it look like? Of course, I’m panicking for a reason!”
Isla wanted the merry-looking Shamrock to take her more seriously.
“So what is it?”
The definitive difference between humans and Renons is the presence of a third eye on the Renons’ forehead, which Isla possesses as a Renon herself. Their race is typically superior in intellect but due to their low number, they’re far and few in between all the humans. As for her age, Shamrock has taken every opportunity to ask her for it but she has never once entertained him. But given how she scores near-perfect points in the correct distribution of convex and concave curves, she was definitely not a lass but a fully-fledged woman.
This finely blessed woman looked around her and after confirming that they were alone whispered to Shamrock.
“Her Drunken Highness, Prim, had been attacked.”
“Outrageous!!! Is she alright?!”
Shamrock seemed surprised. A little too surprised. Isla’s third eye looked at him intently, blinking like a clicker. Then, she opened her mouth as if in pretend surprise and rolled her eyes.
“Ohhh, I see.”
“I see…? What do you mean by that?”
“So that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Guess I panicked for nothing.”
Isla slammed her fist onto her palm, turned around, and walked away as if to end the conversation. Seeing this, it was now Shamrock’s turn to panic.
“Wait, what do you mean by that last one?! Answer me, Isla!!!”
He chased after her and stopped her by the shoulder. Once more, Isla looked around to confirm there was no one around before whispering to Shamrock.
“That was you, right? The attack on Her Drunken Highness?”
“How’d you know?”
“‘Cause you aren’t surprised at all!”
“But I was, wasn’t I?”
“You think that’ll fly with me? I know how you look when you’re surprised. You’re more… I can’t describe it, but it’s like I just know, you know?”
Isla gave up explaining how she knew.
“Well, oops, I guess? Seems like I need to practice my acting skills more.”
Shamrock, too, gave up pressing her for answers and acknowledged that she was now in the know. The two proceeded down the hallway.
“So, how will it go?”
“But you already know that.”
“Yes, but there’s so many instances where plans don’t go as planned. I wanna know how it’ll end.”
“Then I’ll humor you: Her Drunken Highness will be fine; the pirate girl and the Avi are all over her. But that’s exactly what you expected, right? I knew you were going to do something to delay her marriage.”
“Of course! It won’t do if I let her leave before everything is in place. So… where is she now? The Doge’s Palace?”
“No, she’s still at the estate on Salinger Island. She was attacked while she was having a meal with her friends so she’s cooped up there.”
“Salinger Island, huh? A little too far for comfort. Maybe I should’ve had her attacked while she was on her way here from there…”
“That will never have worked.”
“But the point is that the attack fails?”
“Then let me rephrase it: it would’ve been successful. She would’ve been killed since there aren’t any places to hide on a boat.”
“Oh no, I can’t have that. The goal is just to scare her, not take her life.”
“Which is why it was the right move to attack her while she was having a meal.”
“Okay… But now what? What would be the most natural reaction for someone who is not in the know?”
“Well, the natural thing to do as a Decemvirate would be to rush over there. That’s why I’ve already had Captain Aron bring a gondola around. Satisfied?”
“Wow! That’s my secretary, for you! Amazing work!”
“Nooo… I’m not just your secretary.”
“Oh? If not, then what are you?”
“I’m your little, conniving, co-villain of a secretary~.”
Even Shamrock couldn’t help but shrug in agreement when faced with the little smile of a three-eyed woman.
Nasta, the capital of Tinaye, is a city built from the ground on tidal flatland in the middle of Nasta Bay, making it appear as if it was floating on the water. Since tidal flatland isn’t usually a place where people build settlements, the city’s origin did not come from the organic settling of people in a single place over the ages. The authorities at the time, wishing to build their new state on maritime trade, specifically picked Nasta Bay as the location of the new city, and capital was poured in to build it.
One man can be credited for founding the city: the great merchant Karvankal nou Tarso. When strife and unrest gripped all corners of the Blue Sea, the king of Avion granted Karvankal, who had been searching for a land where all peoples could safely travel to and do commerce, the land in Nasta Bay and gave him the exclusive rights to do with it as he wished. At the time, no one believed that anyone could make any use of the land in Nasta Bay—not even the king and his court—and with the kingdom hardpressed with suppressing rebellion after rebellion, they recognized Karvankal’s autonomous rule over the land in Nasta Bay and turned a blind eye to his operations there. This was how Karvankal became Nasta’s first Doge.
Together with ten of his rich trader friends and with their immense combined capital, the Doge built Nasta’s seawalls, wharves, piers, and then later its shipyards and outfitting docks. Then, they laid the city out so that canals could serve as its streets, allowing for goods to be seamlessly transported in and out of the city. One after the other, they constructed the city’s warehouse district to store the goods being brought by the shipload, the commercial district for the many companies’ base of operations, the entertainment district to accommodate tradesmen and sailors, then the religious district, and then the residences of the common folk and the gilded gates of the ultra-wealthy. Amidst them all at the very heart of the city, the government and Doge Palace halls, the chamber of commerce and industry, the sales hall, and other important places of commerce and government are built.
This was the story of how Nasta came to dominate not only the maritime trade in the Avion Sea but in the entire Blue Sea. Eventually, the Avion royal house diminished in power due to the civil strife that plagued the kingdom, and the kingdom’s various territories, including its many islands, started breaking away altogether. Javia, Uvulla, Mannewham, Schillaf, Sarrandip, Llutavaga, and then Tinaye. At the time, the island of Tinaye had grown dependent on forestry industries supplying wood to the shipyards of Nasta, and with their economic subordination, nobody thought that the island would be able to become an independent country of its own. This was the story of not only Nasta but the Majestic Pearl of the Blue Sea, Tinaye, as well.
Given the city’s special history and its circumstances as a floating city, the primary mode of transportation—though it’d be more accurate to say it’s the only mode of transportation—was boats. Carts and carriages drawn by either horses or beasts were still used, but since there weren’t many bridges to allow for large ships to pass through the canals, they were rather inconvenient. Because of this, most households have their own boats, which they use to attend to their everyday needs.
An additional quirk of the city is that since there were so many merchants and sailors, land in the city was cramped and very valuable. This meant that many people couldn’t afford a home on the land so they instead made their boats their home. As a consequence, the city had more people than it had land for them and a sizeable portion of its population lived in boats. This is why many who were born in Nasta often grow up with an attachment to the sea, often with dreams of becoming sailors on board the big trade ships and seeing the world.
All around the city of Nasta were islands of varying sizes. These were where the extremely wealthy merchant families and the city’s powerful elite built their secondary estates. As mentioned earlier, the aim of Nasta’s builders was to create a city that could easily facilitate maritime commerce, but that came at the expense of making land in the city very cramped. Wealthy families and individuals, who desired a more comfortable life far from the confinements of the city, built estates in the outlying islands where they could exclusively have more space. While they conduct their regular business in the city, they and their family members could retreat to their secondary estates in their exclusive islands to enjoy the rest of their time.
Salinger Island was one of these islands. Personally owned by Harvey Luna Walvanker, the Doge of Tinaye, the island was the de facto residence of his family—though with his wife’s passing to disease, his only direct family was his daughter, Primera—and their close friends and attendants. Naturally, as the residence of the sovereign’s family, the island is also as heavily defended as the Doge’s Palace. Or at least, that should have been the case, as—whether due to a laxer security posture due to the island’s remoteness or some other reason—the island’s defenses proved inadequate in stopping an attack on Princess Primera herself.
Such an incident could only be treated as a national emergency. For the Decemvirate Shamrock, who held direct leadership over Tinaye’s anti-espionage organization Black Hand, it was imperative that he rush to Salinger Island at once. It is his responsibility to uncover the culprit’s motive and background and then quickly set up countermeasures.
“We’re comin’ alongside the jetty! The water’s uneasy so be careful, Sir Shamrock!”
As Captain Aron warned him, Shamrock turned to look out at the unfolding view of Nasta Bay from the window. Beneath the waves glistening in the sun, he could make out the white surface of the seafloor. They must be close.
He looked at where they were headed and sure enough there was a wooden jetty. All sorts of boats were moored along the jetty but since his was an official government gondola, it was ornately decorated. Marines on standby at the jetty noticed his approaching gondola and quickly got to work helping bring it alongside the jetty.
“Here!”
Captain Aron tossed a mooring line toward the marines who then caught it and pulled on it. In no time, the gondola came to a stop along the jetty, and the mooring line was tied around one of the bollards.
“Quite a low number of soldiers around considering the princess had just been attacked.”
Isla remarked.
It is just as she says: there were only four marines in the vicinity in total. There were also only two military-issue boats, which could be assumed were the marines’.
“Right. There’s no telling when those pirate scum will come back so there ought to be more men stationed here, but…”
Shamrock looked around. There were indeed only four marines. Had Isla not mentioned it he probably wouldn’t have noticed how thin the security presence was. It was unsettling how the scene of the crime wasn’t flooded with soldiers. It was just unnatural and it felt as if this was some sort of bad omen.
Coming onto the jetty with lots of questions, Shamrock approached the one who was directing the marines earlier.
“You there. Where’s your CO?”
“He’s on guard at the estate. Over there.”
“Hmm.”
Shamrock and Isla walked on over to dry land. As they approached the summit of a mound in the direction the marine pointed earlier, Primera’s estate came into view. There, they found out that that was where most of the marines were concentrated.
“Is Her Drunken Highness really a descendant of the Avion royal house? Even for the daughter of the Doge, she seems to be living in relative frugality…”
Isla noted.
“This is more stinginess than frugality. That Harvey keeps a tight lid on his treasury and would rather save than spend.”
While Salinger Island was more or less bequeathed by the Doge to his only daughter for her exclusive use, it wasn’t that big in terms of area. Roughly circular in shape, it would probably take less than half an hour for someone to walk from one side of the island to the other. Given the fact that there are many islands owned by Decemvirates and wealthy elite which take more than half a day to walk from one end to the other, the island owned by the family of the ruler of Tinaye could be considered to be rather modest.
Of course, having an entire island to oneself is still comparatively more extravagant than what any commoner has but for the equally wealthy and powerful Shamrock, these accommodations were severely lacking. For him, the flow of money is supposed to be like a river: money flows in just as quickly as it flows out. To dam the outflow on one end is tantamount to wastage—to crime. For him, to live is to spend money. To use it to hire legions of maids and servants to tend to his needs; to use it to buy the best ingredients for the best chefs to turn them into the most luxurious meals; to use it to enlist the best farmhands and fishermen to bring to them the best and freshest meats. In other words, he believed it was the responsibility of those who have money to use it, for if he did not continue spending money the people on whose services he enlisted would be out of employment. Though of course, he also believed that spending beyond one’s ability to earn would do more harm than good; he simply thinks that when one has the ability to spend lavishly, one must do it. While still on the topic, he too is saving up for his retirement, but he believes that it is a sin to save too much. It didn’t matter whether there was some sort of plan to shoulder huge expenses; what good is the wealth one has saved up if one cannot take it to the afterlife? There ought to be limits and money must not be wasted sitting in some treasury somewhere.
To that end, there are many ways to spend money. One of these was investments. Immense capital would be directed to the building of ships, the recruitment and pay of a good and robust captain, and then finally the purchase of legal and stamped goods and having them shipped off to faraway lands. While there, they would find a buyer for their goods, and then use some of the sales made to purchase curious articles and goods, which would then be sold at a high markup back in the domestic market. This process ensures that not only would their coffers be constantly supplied with money, but that their young captains would also gain valuable experience and their crews would have something to feed their families. No doubt the shipbuilders, dock workers, and other relevant people would benefit from this.
Naturally, this affair isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; disappointments do occur. But in this survival-of-the-fittest society, all the cogs must work together to maintain order and the social strata provide for a system wherein only the best and brightest could make it to the top. Monarchies, republics, oligarchies—all of these systems of government throughout history experienced varying levels of success, but the one thing that unites all of them is the goal of maintaining their respective orders by relegating the “undeserving” to where they deserve to be: at the very bottom.
The fact is still that the smooth circulation of money brings many people happiness and satisfaction. It is the very concept that embodies the success of Tinaye’s story as a country of commerce.
“That’s why… Grr, dammit!”
But there was something that was causing the flow of money in Tinaye to slow: the wealthy elite, the overseers of the trade unions, the commanders of the navy, the captains—those who possessed most of the money in the country were all old geezers. These people, who fear they have everything to lose, are more risk-averse. They fear that the wealth they have spent all their life building will vanish the moment the risk comes to bite them and due to their advanced age, they fear that they don’t have many opportunities left to do something more ambitious. In other words, they were more predisposed to maintaining the status quo and were thus shutting off the nationwide outward flow of money.
If they were so fearful of loss, they should’ve just turned their backs on the world and lived their final years as a recluse. Unfortunately for all of them, they’d rather let their rotting living corpses solidify in their grand chairs, unwilling to part with them. They do not take risks nor do they seek adventure. Even the ships being built are rehashes of old models since they’re unwilling to innovate and push the envelope. The captains they staff their ships with are all old men who already have experience. They set aside merit for seniority and they left the young men who are outgoing and adventure-seeking to rot at the docks. Even the so-called “quality” and “rare” goods being shipped back from far away are the same as ever; no longer are there novel and exciting things being brought back to the market. All these trade missions ever do these days are to go to safe and known destinations, never seeking to go beyond or discover someplace new.
All of these factors contribute to the diminishing of profits, which has been going on for some time now. Their great accomplishments worthy of the hall of fame have long since faded into the history books with the means of creating new ones hamstrung and left to decay. Even if there were younger men who were as headstrong and ambitious as he was to appear today, the old guard would never allow them to grow. Without avenues for new investment or growth, the drive to do something radical and different is also stifled.
“Incompetent bums, the lot of them! Just retire and let us take the reins, goddammit!!! Just be proud of your glorious pasts elsewhere!!!”
Whenever Shamrock sees any of those old geezers out and about, he gets the sudden urge to break into a fit and clobber them up. If he held the reins of power, he would surely, definitely, absolutely do whatever it takes to force these old men out of their positions. With their seats finally vacant, he would appoint young men of spirit and ambition to take their positions and allow for meritocracy to take its course. But to do that, he must first get rid of the old man, Doge Harvey, and then the nine other Decemvirates.
But how would he do that?
As he walked, pondering the different options, they arrived at the steps of the estate in no time. Still, even here, the number of marines Shamrock expected to be present at the Walvanker estate was lacking.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Passing through the formation of marines that had gathered at the entrance, he found himself in the estate foyer where he saw the pirate girl standing with a harpoon in one hand. The sharpened end of the harpoon had drops of blood dripping from it while parts of her captain uniform and the ornate floors of the foyer were stained red. Still embedded in the walls were bolts of arrows. These altogether tell of a great fight that had taken place.
“Here I was wondering who I’d find with the posse outside when it’s just the orphaned girl of Arch, the righteous pirate! You just don’t tire, do you? From the fuss you raised this morning and now this?”
Shamrock called out to Shura. He was referring to when she came running to the Black Hand about the landing of suspicious individuals at the harbor this morning. It appears that this time, she was also responsible for fending off the attack on the princess.
“Ever since grandpa and my brothers saved Prim’s mother from the ruffians that one time, I’ve come to accept that it’s my duty to protect her.”
“Admirable! You hold true to the Arch family name! If you’d like, you could be there to protect me, too.”
“Me? Protect you? Thanks, but no thanks. You already have one hell of an escort.”
Shura glanced at Isla, who stood alongside him.
“Oh, me? I’m just his secretary, dear.”
“Really? Well, if there exists a bastard you can’t handle, I don’t think I’d fare any better against them than you.”
“Oh, you overestimate me, hehehe. I’m just a wee li’l lady, after all.”
Isla replied. Shamrock agreed with her; she was no fighter.
“Ahh, huh…”
But the orphaned pirate girl seemed to think otherwise. It seemed more like an inconsequential assertion, of course, but Shamrock had no appetite for watching two girls having a ‘lovely’ staredown.
“Aaaaaanywho… Where’s Her Drunken Highness?”
“She’s with her father. They’re having a private discussion.”
“Just the two of them? Where’s the Avi girl?”
Shura lifted her index finger up to the ceiling.
“Upstairs?”
“No, the sky.”
Shura explained that Odette must have been flying high in the sky with her white wings spread wide, looking down on the islands spread across the great blue ocean and soaring higher and higher. When compared to the winged creatures out there, the Avi are all in a class on their own, able to soar to heights no other creature could. As such, other creatures yield to their majesty and offer them more respect than they do toward other creatures. Using her superior sight, Odette was scanning the entirety of Nasta Bay for one tiny speck: the boat that Primera’s attackers had used.
“The attackers managed to all escape by boat, taking with them their wounded. Odette is up there tracking them down, guiding the marines toward them. They’ll be caught soon enough. Then, we’ll be able to make them spit out who was the shitty fuck who ordered the attack on Prim.”
Shamrock felt a chill run down his spine, but he maintained the grip on his emotions and kept up his collected expression.
“Ah, so that’s why there weren’t that many guards around. Alright then. Once you catch them, inform me. I’d like to be there at their interrogation.”
“‘Course ‘course.”
Ending the conversation, he went further in to see the doge and his daughter.
“Not good… This is not good.”
Shamrock whispered to Isla.
“Why?”
“Because the attackers are my men!”
“Wait, you did not use the Black Hand for this, right? Right?!”
“…I did.”
“Why?! Why not hire some random thugs you have no connection with?!”
Isla rebuked him. Once they catch them and reveal that Shamrock was behind it all, they’ll come after him next.
“Do you expect me to have any sort of connections to these ruffians you speak of?!”
“You were a ruffian yourself, weren’t you?!”
“Yeah but once I was adopted by my old man, I completely cut them off! And I can’t just contact and hire the same pirates blockading us! What the fuck did you expect me to do?!”
“Ah well, guess that’s that. But wait, how did you convince the Black Hand to go with your plan?”
“I told them this is all part of a diplomatic strategy, that this is to convince the doge to delay Prim’s marriage. I told them not to assassinate her but that they try to do something convincing.”
The incident would make for a good pretext to delay Primera’s marriage. Changing the agreement between countries for no good reason complicates diplomacy but if the princess were to suddenly come under attack, it should be enough to convince the Duke of Schilaff to delay the marriage.
“Ohh… If that’s the case, then you really are in biiiig trouble.”
“That’s why please, I beg you: go with that pirate girl and keep track of every step she makes in chasing after my men! I don’t want them to get caught or be forced to talk! If ever they do catch them, we only have a small window of opportunity to do something before they’re interrogated!”
“Oh, your poor men. Ordered to do the reckless and though they did their jobs splendidly, you’re now shutting them up for good.”
“That’s why I’m hoping they can get away!”
“Too late for that, though.”
Shamrock and Isla looked up at the sky. Somewhere up there in the blue expanse, an Avi was looking down on them. There wasn’t a place in Nasta Bay where they could escape or hide from her very sharp eyes. The Avi make for amazing allies at sea, but they also make for troublesome enemies.
“So what will you do?”
“Do what I officially came here to do.”
“‘Kay. You do what you do best. But don’t count on it too much, alright?”
As she said that, she turned around and went back to the foyer. Shamrock continued deeper into the estate alone. After some time walking down the hallway, he reached the reception hall. As he stood in front of the doors, he could hear voices coming from inside.
“Now that it’s come to this, I can’t let you stay here any longer! You must be sent to Schilaff with haste!”
“Don’t be so hasty, father! And I just can’t be the only one heading for somewhere safe!”
“This isn’t up to you! You’re going and that’s that! This attack is a sign that you’re not safe as long as you remain in Nasta! And no, your transfer out of here isn’t just to keep you safe; we must think of upholding our alliance with Schilaff, as well!”
“Then leave it to me, father. Mother has always told me of the importance of our lineage from the royal house so I understand well what our responsibilities are. Our alliance with Schilaff is to enlist the help of their navy, yes? To drive off the pirates and then later Atlantia, which has designs against us.”
“Correct. Pardon us for using you as a strategic diplomatic asset in this trying time.”
“You need not fret, father. If marrying into the Schilaff family will serve our country well, I will gladly do it.”
An alliance? With Schilaff? Like hell that’d happen! Disbelieving what he just heard, Shamrock pushed against the doors with both of his hands, flinging them wide open.
“Your Highness… Did I hear that right? Do you intend to seal an alliance with Schilaff?”
Harvey Luna Walvanker, Doge of Tinaye, the Majestic Pearl of the Blue Sea, brushed aside the question and addressed Shamrock directly.
“Shamrock!… You’re here faster than I expected.”
“I weighed anchor as soon as I heard the news.”
“I see. Many thanks for coming here in person. I understand you’re a busy man.”
Shamrock turned his gaze to Primera.
“Your Highness! I am glad to see that you are safe!”
“…Mmm.”
There’s no doubt about it: Primera is gorgeous. But Her Sober Highness cast a downward gaze, making no effort to even look in Shamrock’s direction. She seems to have replied but it was hardly any louder than the buzzing of a mosquito. That’s because it seems that she has the peculiarity of being extremely shy to anyone outside of her family and friends without the help of alcohol.
“Your Highness. Did I hear that right? Did you just mention an alliance with Schilaff?”
“Mmm. I was considering enlisting their aid.”
“It is worrying that you decide on such an important matter without consulting the Decemviri. The house of Schilaff, which rules the Duchy of Schilaff, is one of the major families that descended from the former kingdom of Avion. If Her Highness, Princess Primera, the sole surviving direct descendant of Avion’s royal house, were to marry into their family, that would be grounds for the Duchy to claim succession to Avion and thus suzerainty over all successor states.”
“And why would they do that after all this time? Why would anyone want that after all this time?”
“I’m merely pointing out that that is within the realm of possibility.”
“If Prim’s existence is all you need to make that a possibility, everyone would be suspecting us of such plans too. But no one seriously expects us to do that.”
“That’s because they know Tinaye is a republic, a state ruled by representatives of the citizenry. That is why no one found it problematic when you married Her Highness, the late queen, who was a descendant of the former royal house. But it would be different if a monarchy, which values peerage and descent above all else, married Princess Primera. All they need to claim suzerainty is if someone with royal blood were to marry into their family.”
“But our internal problems will go away with an alliance with the Schilaff!”
“And what about our external problems? The successor states of the former Avion have maintained peace through a delicate balance of power. If Tinaye and Schilaff were to conclude a strong alliance through this marriage, not to mention marrying off a direct descendant of the former Avion royal house to the son of the Duke of Schilaff, what do you think the other states see of this? Do you think they’ll just sit by and watch?”
“Then let’s endeavor to get rid of all misunderstandings, but only after the pirates are dealt with.”
“And what of the royal restorationists? Tinaye still has some individuals who cling to the glory of the past. They insist that Her Highness must take the old royal house back and unify all seven states by force.”
“Let them bark! It’s all that they could hope to accomplish, after all! We politicians resolve our issues through logic, not fantasy! That is why I consider enlisting the aid of Schilaff to relieve the distress that plagues our republic! I will not hesitate to do whatever it takes to save our country! Do you understand, Shamrock? These pirate scum are driving us to the wall here!”
Of course, he understands the situation well. But Shamrock is still against this because he doesn’t want to pick the most logical and effective solution to resolve their crisis. No, he wants to be praised—to be admired for solving it.
“Of course; a Decemvirate like me will abide by what Your Highness decides. But surely there will be those who won’t take this decision lightly, yes? And what if this attack was carried out by those people?”
The Doge groaned. Shamrock’s statement hit where it hurt the most. Quickly regaining his composure, he lashed back.
“All the more reason why I will not be giving into their whims! My daughter will be sent off to Schilaff and that’s that!”
“The restorationists will be up in arms to obstruct that!”
“They will be too slow to stop it.”
Out of options, Shamrock’s tone turned grim.
“There’s one more problem: our escort fleet isn’t ready.”
“Didn’t they just say that they’re outfitting the new ships ahead of schedule?”
“Indeed, their outfitting is ahead of schedule, but the problem is manpower. Right now, Tinaye is short on sailors, particularly the slaves we’ll need for the oars.”
“Huh???”
Tinaye has seen many of its sailors lose their lives due to repeated pirate attacks with some being taken captive. Even if they could build more ships to combat the pirate threat, it isn’t as easy to replace lost sailors.
“The Decemviri are diligently making efforts to resolve the manpower issue. That is why I ask Your Highness to wait a little bit longer.”
The Doge, however, wasn’t convinced.
“I need not wait. Just release a requisition order for more slaves!”
Such a requisition order would mean that the state would confiscate the required amount of slaves from the republic’s slave traders. Since these slaves are essentially these slave traders’ property, issuing such an order would undoubtedly evoke opposition from them. Be that as it may, this was the quickest way of supplying ships with manpower as unlike sailors, which required extensive training, slaves didn’t need a lot of training to do the work needed of them.
“A slave requisition order? That is just asking for trouble from the slavers. But that’s not to mention that issuing the order would also signal your intentions to the opposition, which means they could respond accordingly and with speed. With that said, the threat still stands.”
“That’s why we’ll do things secretly. The slavers will oppose it, no doubt, but that’s a given. My reputation’s rock bottom anyway. Any talk of greater opposition to me is no longer news.”
With that, Shamrock was completely out of options.
“As you command, Your Highness…”
Preparations were forwarded at record speed with the slave requisition order being forwarded to the relevant institutions by nightfall. The resulting order unwittingly caused a ripple effect, further complicating the mission of Tōdō, Edajima, and Tokushima to rescue the American journalist.
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