Trash of the Count's Family Vol 2. Chapter 501: The Prince and the Father (6)

After filling his stomach, Cale asked Ron,

“The atmosphere on the island is worse than I expected?”

Pour—

As he filled a teacup with lemon tea, Ron answered,

“The islanders can feel that the island is running low on food, Young Master.”

Island 16.

The gatekeeper, General Ferry, and the naval force that followed her were excellent. That was probably why they were included among the seventeen islands.

“Young Master. Island 16 is the largest island among those on the route to the central sea.”

Because of that, it had the largest island population in the area.

“However, this island lacks enough land to be self-sufficient in food.”

It was suited to being structured as a defensive fortress or military port, but the island’s soil was unfit for farming.

“Because of that, Island 16 has mostly secured food through outside merchants. But with pirates increasing, the merchants have stopped coming completely.”

That was not all.

“Also, the island residents cannot take boats out to fish. The pirates kidnap islanders and traffic them.”

Witira, who had been listening, opened her mouth.

“They are on the verge of starving to death.”

She nodded.

“So it seems they are trying to create a route for food supplies again through a large-scale pirate subjugation operation.”

In her own way, Witira could understand why General Ferry of Island 16 had made this decision.

“But—”

However, her expression turned subtle.

“Will that alone be enough? The island’s atmosphere is—”

General Ferry.

During the trip to the central castle of the island where Ferry stayed, the island atmosphere Witira had grasped was not simply hunger, but—

“Mm.”

When she could not quite continue,

“It was fear.”

The Heavenly Demon tossed out that one sentence and said nothing more.

“......”

Witira also shut her mouth tightly.

Fear or dread was clearly settled on the faces of the islanders.

Clack.

At that moment, Alberu set down his teacup and opened his mouth.

“Even if they conduct a large-scale pirate subjugation operation, that will only be temporary.”

Until the war within the Oceanic Alliance ended.

This chaos would only deepen.

“No matter how large Island 16 is, the scale of this naval force will gradually become unable to handle the increasing number of pirates.”

While the other generals fought for power, pirates would rampage everywhere in search of prey.

Perhaps there would even be generals who brought such pirates under their command.

“The residents of Island 16 trust General Ferry’s stubbornness and righteousness, but they must be anxious.”

Food was dwindling.

They might die if they went out to sea.

In such a situation, they still clung to their pride as gatekeepers and guardians.

“But they will grow more anxious and more afraid.”

Alberu looked at the warships, which had now become dots in the distance.

“General Ferry knows this as well. She knows things cannot continue this way.”

Then the answer was obvious.

“If it were me, tonight, I would try something.”

“Your Highness.”

Cale asked subtly,

“What would you try?”

Heh.

Alberu let out a deflating laugh and leaned back against his chair. Then he tapped the armrest with his fingers and spoke.

“Either strike Island 19 and fully seize the entrance.”

Tap. Tap.

“Or go call allies.”

Tap, tap.

“But since they cannot strike Island 19 in a sea full of countless pirates besides Island 19, would they not go call allies?”

“Oh.”

Cale let out an impressed sound and asked again,

“General Ferry would do that. But what would you do, Your Highness?”

Alberu had clearly said what he would do tonight if it were him, but when Cale threw the same question again, Alberu let out a faint smile and answered lightly.

“The moment the great general collapsed.”

Not now, but then, when the great general collapsed.

At that moment filled with chaos.

Swiftly and quickly.

“I would immediately seize Island 19.”

Remove the most dangerous enemy.

“And fully seize the entrance to the central sea.”

When Alberu had spoken that far, the Heavenly Demon tossed out a comment.

“If you did that, it would immediately look as though you had betrayed the great general and joined the power struggle.”

At that, Cale asked,

“What would you do?”

“Whenever it may be, if you kill only the leader, it collapses.”

The Heavenly Demon answered with a bored face, then turned his head as though he had lost interest.

...What a savage bastard.

As Cale saw it, this Heavenly Demon was the most savage one here.

At that moment, Raon asked while eating a cookie Ron had given him.

“Human, what would you do?”

Cale looked at Raon’s cheeks, which had grown very plump lately because he was eating well again—no, eating even better—and opened his mouth.

“I—”

Booooom—!

A faint roar rang out from far beyond the window.

“It seems they are fighting.”

As Alberu said, the large-scale subjugation seemed to have begun.

Looking at the sea where the sun was setting, Cale waited for Archie to contact them.

“......”

“......”

But the sun set, and before they knew it, night had arrived.

“......”

“......”

The ships that had gone out to subjugate the pirate ships began returning one by one.

“......”

“......”

Even after that, time passed.

When around half of the warships had returned—

When roughly two hours seemed to have passed—

“...Human.”

Raon asked cautiously,

“How far did Archie go?”

Exactly.

Archie had not returned.

I definitely told him only to check the situation, didn’t I?

What is that bastard doing?

Cale, Alberu, and Witira. The three who knew Archie’s personality exchanged glances.

At that moment—

“A ship is coming.”

At Choi Han’s words as he sat on the window frame and watched outside, Cale looked toward the southern port.

“!”

Raon followed his gaze, then shouted,

“The ships are all broken!”

“And it is not just one or two!”

At a time when half the ships had not yet returned, many ships returned all at once.

“This is serious.”

Just as Alberu said, the state of those ships was serious.

“And there still are not enough.”

Also, their number was not enough to make up the remaining half.

Clang, clang, clang—!

Starting with the southern port, lights began turning on all across the island.

Creeak.

Ron opened the door and looked one after another at the quiet corridor where they were staying, then above and below it, before opening his mouth.

“The castle is noisy.”

Choi Han continued,

“It is General Ferry.”

They could see General Ferry running toward the southern port outside the castle.

The urgency on her expression.

The ships that had returned damaged.

And the ships that had not yet returned.

“Let’s go.”

Cale rose from his seat.

“It must be Island 19.”

Cale nodded at Alberu’s words.

The only one who could do that to General Ferry’s naval force was Shark of Island 19.

Furthermore—

“It seems Shark has acquired a reliable backer.”

“It would be troublesome if Island 16 collapses.”

As Alberu and Cale headed toward the southern port where General Ferry was running, Raon asked brightly from behind them,

“But where did Archie go?”

Exactly.

Cale had no idea where Archie was or what he was doing.

Because the guy was so peculiar.

And the ones who felt confusion in the current situation were the small number of officers and naval soldiers who had remained on Island 16.

“What is going on!”

“No, if it is this bad— Did Island 19 send out its full force? Even if this was a large-scale operation, they went all-in for a pirate subjugation?”

“Is that not the same as declaring war!”

“More importantly, we must assess our allies’ damage!”

But they closed their mouths when they saw General Ferry striding ahead of them faster than anyone.

She boarded the first ship to reach the shore, one that was almost half-destroyed.

“Sob, sob. General!”

On that ship, a naval soldier with a deep wound crawled toward her and shouted.

“You are—!”

Ferry knew him.

She had no choice but to know him.

Ebo!

He was one of her younger brother Ebo’s closest aides.

Furthermore, this was Ebo’s ship.

That was why, even half-destroyed, it had reached this place first.

And because Ferry recognized this ship, she had no choice but to come running in a panic.

“G-General! Vice Captain Ebo has been c-captured!”

General Ferry’s face turned white.

“Shark appeared!”

Shark, the leader of Island 19 and the one who could be called the leader of the pirates around this area.

That bastard had taken her younger brother.

“The enemies knew about today’s large-scale subjugation operation!”

As expected, there was a spy on Island 16.

And—

“Shark aimed precisely for Vice Captain Ebo’s ship!”

Shark’s target had been Ebo, her younger brother.

Did that bastard know he was going to meet the Seventh General?

No. That was an utmost secret only she and her younger brother knew.

They had planned to tell even the sailors only around the time the subjugation was ending and move covertly then.

Then—

There was only one answer.

Me.

Shark was trying to draw her out of the island.

There would certainly be some scheme within it.

That sly Shark bastard moved only when he was certain.

Then he must have finished all preparations.

And I—

Half of the warships had returned, but—

“General!”

A subordinate urgently reported next.

“They say pirate ships are gathering at Island 19! We can see the flags of several pirate island captains as well!”

Night.

Having kidnapped her younger brother Ebo.

Shark of Island 19 had also drawn in numerous nearby pirate islands.

“Does he intend to end Island 16?”

General Ferry’s face hardened.

Ebo. In her younger brother’s possession was also the letter to the Seventh General.

What should I do?

When black mist covered Ferry’s mind—

“G-General.”

Along with her flustered subordinate’s voice, a gentle voice reached her.

“Is there anything we can help with?”

She turned around.

Cale Henituse and his companions were there.

Cale spoke to General Ferry in a kind tone.

“We happen to be quite good at smashing pirates.”

That was true.

And at that same time—

Another beastman who was also good at smashing pirates was lost in thought.

“Kahahahaha! Now that we have caught Ferry’s younger brother, that crazy bitch will have no choice but to come out to sea!”

Atop a very large ship.

Shark, the pirate leader of Island 19, looked down below and burst into mocking laughter to his heart’s content.

“Mmph, mmph!”

On the deck beneath his gaze, Ebo, who had suffered severe injuries, was tightly bound and struggling.

In addition, his close aides glared at Shark with rage blazing in their eyes.

“Kahahahaha!”

But Shark was simply delighted.

At that moment, a subordinate hurriedly approached while holding a video communication orb.

“Boss!”

“...What? Boss?”

“Ah, General!”

“Good. Kahahahaha!”

Now I am a general!

While Shark could not contain his excitement—

“The Third General’s hands and feet will also arrive soon!”

“Is that so?”

Kahahahaha!

At the news that the hidden card he had been waiting for, the one that would let him completely devour Island 16, would soon be complete, Shark could not contain his delight.

“Heh heh. This Shark will devour this entire sea today!”

Waaaaaaah—!

General! General!

The pirates beside Shark cheered and cackled at the sight.

“Quiet!”

But soon, at Shark’s voice, everyone shut their mouths.

Unlike other pirates, the pirates of Island 19 had a certain framework of discipline.

It was the result of Shark’s intention to form at least some semblance of a navy in order to oppose Island 16.

A small measure of composure dwelling in the wildness of pirates.

The smile on Shark’s lips deepened.

His eyes sank low.

That appearance was truly like that of the man called Shark, the one who had seized control of Island 19.

He spoke to his subordinates.

“Still, we must not let our guard down. Right?”

Instead of answering, the pirates showed smiles that did not hide their brutality.

At that sight, the complexion of Ebo, General Ferry’s younger brother, darkened.

And—

“Heh heh heh. Let’s smash all of Island 16’s ships! We will feed them to the sea!”

Waaaaaaah—

Waaaaaaah—

Below the enormous ship.

On the surface of the seawater, Archie poked his head out slightly and secretly fell into thought.

This enormous ship was full of bastards shouting that they would smash things.

“Should I smash it?”

For some reason, he wanted to smash this ship.

Those pirate bastards were somehow irritating. He just wanted to beat the crap out of them.

But recalling Cale’s words telling him only to check the situation, Archie agonized.

Ah, seriously! Should I smash it? Should I not?

For now, while agonizing over it, Archie followed Shark’s ship.

The dark night sea.

No one noticed the orca beneath the surface.

And the orca suppressed his desire to smash the ship apart immediately and followed for now.

Ha. I’ve gotten a lot nicer, and my patience has improved too. Later, if Young Master Cale says I can smash it, I’ll smash it right away! Heh heh!

Archie felt proud, in one corner of his heart, of his own personal growth.

SPLAAAAASH—

Shark’s ship cut through the water.

“Human, we are going too!”

SPLAAAAASH—

The mist ship also headed back out into the night sea.