Chapter 4

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Panic was spreading.

The powerful elven attack caused many companions to die tragically while the survivors were also under the threat of death.

In a desperate situation, people needed a leader to make the right choice for them.

Everyone looked in the direction of the captain’s room.

In the warm and bright captain’s room, the captain, who was dressed in formal clothes and had a gentle expression, wiped the pipe in his hand and calmly said, “Your Highness, Commander Cleveland.”

“We’ve already been locked onto by the Wayne Wings. A powerful Grand Mage can rely on the enhancement platform of the elves’ main ship to unleash the power to destroy a small fleet. Moreover, we’ve already lost almost all our casters. We can’t fight it at all.”

“Similarly, it’s impossible to escape. We can’t escape the tracking of the Eagle Eye Technique and the Atmospheric Vision. The other party has the means to sink us dozens of nautical miles away.”

He looked at the two people opposite him and adjusted his hat before saying seriously, “The Penguin is already at the end of its rope. The long expedition has already ended. The entire crew and I will abide by the oath we made to the Grand Duke and be prepared to return to the Sea God’s embrace.”

“Your Highness, should we turn around and fight? To show the courage of the Duchy of Goethe, or should we raise the sail and escape to fight for an imperceptible chance of survival? Or should we stop on the spot and look back on our beautiful past and wait for the Grand Mage opposite to replenish his energy to cast a spell… I’ll leave the choice to you.”

He bent down and bowed.

The princess who the captain spoke of had long changed into a hunting outfit that was convenient for movement. The outfit of her shirt, pants, and boots outlined the beautiful curves of her body. However, what did not match this heroic outfit was her overly beautiful face which looked weak. Her lush hair which was more brilliant than gold was tied up high, and her sapphire-like eyes were clearer than the clearest sky. She was the most beautiful pearl in the Duchy of Goethe.

After hearing the captain’s words, the princess subconsciously looked at her Guardian Knight.

Commander Cleveland was a calm and capable young man. He was the most orthodox kind of knight. He came from a famous family and had received the strictest training since he was young. He regarded honor as life and his mission as above everything. With his personal struggles and the progress of his family, he became the Guardian Knight of the youngest daughter that Grand Duke Pershing doted on the most.

This pair of knight and princess became the object of envy of the young people of the Duchy of Goethe. The knights were envious that Commander Cleveland could defend the princess with his sword and shield. The girls and noble ladies were envious that the princess could obtain the guardian oath of Commander Cleveland. The handsome and powerful knight and the beautiful and intelligent princess had always been the classic protagonists of poetry and drama. This had always been the case.

The young knight looked back at the princess he wanted to protect.

He leaned on his sword and knelt on one knee. He said calmly, “Your Highness, I will abide by the oath and fulfill my duty. I will follow you to the end of the world and sweep away all the dangers and obstacles for you until death separates us. Ever since I set foot on this journey, I’m already prepared to sacrifice myself for you. However, as your Guardian Knight, my mission is to protect your life, so…”

He lowered his head deeply and his voice became low, “It’s an unbearable humiliation to surrender to the enemy, but for Your Highness’s safety, the dignity of a knight is not something that can’t be given up. Please allow me to raise the white flag and wash away this humiliation with my own blood. As for Your Highness… although the elves are fighting Goethe, they will definitely treat the descendant of the seven heroes well. As long as you’re alive, there’s still hope.”

The room fell silent.

The captain bit his pipe and stared at the half-kneeling knight and the elegant and weak princess.

“Please look up, Guardian Knight Cleveland.”

The princess’s gentle voice sounded, but her lark-like voice contained the power of steel, “I want to ask you a question.”

“Please speak, Your Highness.”

“Since the war between the Empire and the Twilight Dynasty, the Duchy of Goethe has been the first to bear the brunt. The Elven Dragon Fang Army has wreaked havoc on the beautiful red soil. Cities have been occupied one after another, and armies have been defeated one after another. The heroic warriors have fought a bloody war alongside the brave citizens, just like our ancestors…”

“Then, Knight Cleveland, let me ask you. Ever since the war began, have you ever heard of even a Goethe citizen surrendering to the elves?”

Knight Cleveland shook.

A large amount of blood surged into his face, causing his handsome face to flush red with embarrassment.

He lowered his head deeply and shouted, “Please forgive my negligence and disrespect, Your Highness!”

The princess shook her head lightly. “I don’t mean to blame you. I’m only explaining an ironclad rule. We’ve ruled the Duchy of Goethe for hundreds of years and obtained endless wealth and loyalty from the red soil. Now that the country is on fire and the warriors are fighting hard, the Tedrell family must fight to the last breath.”

The commander held the hilt of his sword tightly and replied firmly, “I’ll follow your will, Princess. This is my life’s honor. I’ll always protect you!”

The captain took off his hat and greeted the princess, “Your Highness, your courage and strength are not inferior to your brothers and sisters. You’re worthy of the blood of the seven heroes. In that case, please allow me to order a sail in the direction of the Elven Navy and let the great Sea God and the detestable elves see our courage.”

The princess shook her head and said, “No, we can’t die.”

The two men in the house were stunned.

“It’s not time to give up yet… The warriors of Goethe are bathed in blood. Father, my brothers, and my sisters are all fighting for the duchy. I can’t help much in battle, but I have my own mission.” She looked at the captain and knight and said firmly, “We have to reach the imperial capital and lobby the royal family and the great nobles to provide more reinforcements and help to Goethe… This is my mission!”

The captain frowned and said, “So, Your Highness means…”

The princess said, “Escape.”

The captain smiled bitterly and said, “Where can we escape to? The enemy is the elves’ main ship equipped with a powerful Grand Mage. Be it the combat ability or magic attack ability of the battleship, it’s far superior to our Penguin. In this sea area, we don’t have any chance… nor do we have any chance to escape.”

“We do.”

The princess’s words were concise. She strode towards the sea map on the wall of the captain’s room and pointed north, “I’ve been observing the starry sky previously with the help of the astrolabe. We’ve already approached this forbidden sea area. At this point, the only way to survive is to advance southwest at full speed!”

When the captain saw the direction that slender finger pointed, he did not have the time to admire the beautiful finger. A trace of shock flashed through his eyes, “This…”

“The Holy Seal Islands.”

The princess’s voice seemed to sound from the horizon, “Let’s go there and avoid the pursuit of the elves.”

“This is a taboo among taboos, Your Highness. I’ve lived on the sea for 40 years. The thought of sailing to this place is something I don’t even dare to think about.”

Even the iron-willed and fearless captain hesitated, “This…”

“The elves think so too… The legend of the Holy Seal Islands is like a myth among human sailors. It’s only an ancient and unknown taboo. However, on the side of the long-lived elves, it means that it’s really top secret. The sharp ears are even more afraid of this place than us. If we sail to the Holy Seal Sea, they definitely won’t pursue us. This is a chasm that their entire race doesn’t dare to cross.”

The princess said, “This is our only chance.”

The captain was still hesitating.

Unlike the princess, he lived on the sea all year round and had a deeper understanding of the mystery and danger in the sea. In the vast and endless sea, there were too many unknowns, temperamental terrifying monsters, dusty prehistoric ruins, the projections of powerful creatures in the distant starry sky, the coordinates of creatures from other dimensions… These “chances” were usually not good.

Instead, it was a situation even more terrifying than death.

In other words, to the captain, compared to rushing towards the unknown danger and the sea area of the Holy Seal that had not seen a survivor for hundreds of years, he would rather be killed by the elf battleship here.

The princess stared at him intently. “Captain, at this point, there’s no other choice. Even if the door to the abyss is ahead, I’ll do it for Goethe.”

Knight Cleveland immediately stood up and took a step forward. “Captain, for the sake of Goethe, please give the order immediately. You are also a citizen of Goethe.”

This confrontation was short and long, as if it had been a long time. It was as if it had only been an instant. The captain closed his eyes. In the next moment, he opened them again, and in his eyes was a sharpness that could only be tempered on the sea.

In the endless sea, controlling the intensity of curiosity and greed was the most important quality.

—But so was courage.

He nodded heavily. “I understand. The Penguin will follow your will.”

The princess heaved a sigh of relief and revealed a smile, “We still have time. The enemy Grand Mage needs some time to reestablish his elemental affinity. Now, let’s save the survivors of the Bane…”

The captain said indifferently, “Your Highness is wrong.”

He ignored their stunned expressions and strode out of the captain’s room.

Under the command of the first mate, the Penguin was approaching the attacked friendly battleship. The sailors were already preparing to throw the rope, and the ship doctor was also waiting solemnly. The first mate was shouting for the survivors.

The captain pressed the first officer’s shoulder and took his microphone.

“Penguin to Bane! I’m the captain of the Penguin, Oswald!”

On the opposite ship, a few bloody figures appeared. When the magic attack descended, they relied on their superb skills to dodge it.

The burly man in the captain’s uniform replied, “I’m the captain of the Bane! Our ship has been struck by a long-range magic attack. We have suffered heavy casualties. The hull has been broken. Requesting backup!”

Captain Oswald took a deep breath.

His voice tore through the wind and waves.

“The Penguin will sail to the Holy Seal Islands to escape the pursuit of the elves’ main ship. Before the Wayne Wings launch a second over-the-horizon strike, they will place a tracking mark. Therefore, in the name of Goethe, the remaining crew of the Bane, I ask you to—”

The captain paused for a moment, and his voice became calm and even gentle.

—But it was firm.

He said, “Be prepared to sacrifice yourself.”

The violent wind on the sea roared angrily, tearing through everything and freezing his body and mind.

The two captains looked at each other across the waves.

“The Grand Duke ordered us to send the princess to the capital at all costs.”

The captain of the Bane stretched out his hand and gently hammered his chest. “We obey.”

Then, he turned around and said sternly, “Check the secondary mast! Adjust the ballista! Weapon Chief! Prepare the bait ballista!”

He did not speak to the people on the Penguin anymore.

“My brothers, my comrades… See you in the palace of the Sea God.”

Captain Oswald looked at his peer deeply, then turned around and ordered the ship to sail. The sailors followed silently and sadly, and the princess walked out quickly.

“I’m not questioning your authority or orders,” she said, “but the two ships are not far apart. It won’t take any time to save the survivors…”

“You’re wrong, Your Highness.”

The captain said in a low voice, “When the elves’ main ship discovers us, they’ll be the first to launch an over-the-horizon attack. After sinking one ship, they can calmly deal with the other without worrying that we’ll escape… According to the usual tactics of the Elven Navy, they’ll send the Spirit of Nature here.”

The Spirit of Nature was a spiritual body that grew in the endless forest and lived with the plants. Elves built civilization and kingdoms in the vast forest and accompanied the Spirit of Nature all year round. It was ordinary to control and use.

This spirit body had an extremely high wood affinity and would automatically find plants to live in. In the forest, they could allow plants to grow healthily. At sea, they were the secret to the Elven Navy’s victory.

This was because most of the battleships of the various countries were wooden.

After throwing the Spirit of Nature into the targeted sea, these plant spirits would automatically find a target to reside in. Once they attached themselves to the enemy ship, in the magic vision of the Grand Mage, the enemy battleship would be as conspicuous as a lighthouse on the dark sea.

Powerful long-range magic attacks would be modified to the greatest precision.

“As for the Bane’s final mission… it’s to block this tracking mark for the Penguin and intercept the next round of magic attacks,” the captain said. “They’ll use the bait ballista.”

The Penguin set sail. Amidst the cries of the sailors, the princess looked at the Iron Fist Bane in a daze. No matter how the wind at sea blew on her delicate face, there were no tears at sea, because all tears would disappear in the rain.

She only tried her best to watch, stare, and observe as the sky flashed with light again. She watched as the emerald green aura of nature crossed the sea and watched as the Bane shot arrows into the air. They spread out and weaved a fine net to capture the Spirit of Nature… until the light of extinction attacked again.

The captain took the helm. Although the men at sea had experienced death, their brave hearts had never been broken.

“If a ship sinks, more than a hundred people will die in the sea. If we lose a battle, thousands of people will die miserably. If a city falls, tens of thousands of people might sink into misery.”

He said, “To be honest, we’re all small figures. We risk our lives for money, honor, or belief. In fact, our deaths are insignificant, just like wild dogs. We don’t know how many people will know our names, nor do we know if our actions are worth it…”

The captain turned to look at the princess, “Because the person who decides this is you, your father, your brothers and sisters, and the noble lords of the capital… This is very unfair, but that’s the truth. I can only fulfill my duty and pray to the gods and you…”

He held the steering wheel steadily and whispered, “Please let all the sacrifices be meaningful.”

The princess did not answer.

In front of blood and sacrifice, words and oaths were so empty.

It was so empty that no one needed this.

Facing the wind and the rain, Penguin split the waves in the darkness. Everyone’s hearts were floating in sorrow and confusion. Ahead was an unknown fate.

The princess prayed silently.

Praying that the dead warriors would be at peace, praying that all sacrifices would be meaningful.

She prayed that it was not a bottomless abyss ahead and that the last hope of Goethe would not be extinguished.

What she did not know was that someone was sleeping soundly on the forbidden island.

In that person’s dream was the story of the game he played before he slept. The traveler who was pursuing history and thinking about his fate walked over from the long journey. He stood on the shattered mountains and rivers and looked at the brand new world that was walking towards rebirth from destruction.

He was carrying a flag.

A flag of the old world.

…