Chapter 138: Craig’s Scheme [1]

The massive iron boarding ramp of the black giant ship groaned under the steady weight of dozens of passengers filing into the vessel’s cavernous interior.

While the crowd swarmed the decks to find their assigned quarters, Craig von Darkstar lingered near the outer edge of the main deck.

He rested his forearms comfortably against the heavy wooden gunwale of the ship, gazing out over the vast, churning expanse of the harbor.

A sharp, invigorating maritime breeze swept across the deep-sea port, howling gently as it caught his transfigured silver-white hair, sending the pale strands fluttering wildly across his face.

The scene was breathtaking.

Far below the gunwale, the emerald-green waters of the port were crystal clear, revealing the terrifying yet magnificent shapes of massive marine predators cutting effortlessly through the currents.

Craig watched with amusement as several large, sleek sharks swam in synchronized circles in the distance, their dorsal fins slicing gracefully through the white-capped waves.

A calm, knowing smile curved softly upon his lips as he absorbed the salty air and the raw power of the ocean.

He had already dispatched Ser Damian and Annie to secure their belongings in Room 500 and Room 501, ensuring the young mana apprentice was comfortably settled.

Meanwhile, standing faithfully like an unyielding monolith just a few paces behind him was Ser Hughway.

The veteran Lord Commander kept his hand resting lightly near the hilt of his broadsword, his sharp, battle-tested eyes scanning the surrounding passengers and deckhands with unwavering vigilance, ready to intercept any hidden threat at a moment’s notice.

Without turning his head away from the horizon, Craig broke the silence, his voice carrying clearly over the howling wind.

"Hughway," Craig inquired smoothly, "do you know the exact schedule? When does this vessel cast off its moorings, clear the deep-sea port, and officially make its way out into the Creptun Ocean?"

Ser Hughway stepped closer, leaning slightly against the railing beside his master.

He cast a quick glance toward the bustling command bridge above.

"According to the port master’s manifest and the captain’s final call, My Lord, we will depart in precisely twenty minutes," Hughway answered in his deep, gravelly tone.

"That window gives the last straggling passengers enough time to find their cabins. All the contracted sailors are already at their stations, and the ship enforcers have completed their initial sweeps of the cargo holds to ensure our private security is fully squared away."

Hughway paused, his expression turning slightly more serious as he calculated the journey ahead. "It will take us at least seven steady hours of cruising to fully cross the enclosed waters of the Northern Ire Sea and transition out into the open currents of the Creptun Ocean."

The veteran knight crossed his arms over his heavy breastplate, his brow furrowing. "Once we cross that boundary and enter the Creptun Ocean, My Lord, we must be fully prepared to raise our guard.

While Governor Aslan Maverick’s Naval Patrollers maintain absolute, suffocating control and jurisdiction over the Northern Ire Sea, the Creptun Ocean is an entirely different battleground."

Craig tilted his head slightly, showing keen interest. "A different battleground, you say? Elaborate."

"Indeed," Hughway nodded grimly. "The Creptun Ocean is the massive, swirling maritime nexus of the known world—it serves as the vital oceanic bridge connecting the Western Continent, the Eastern Continent, the Southern Continent, and the Northern Continent all at once."

A dark shadow crossed the knight’s weathered face. "And because it connects the southern landmasses, it acts as the primary breeding ground for outlaws.

From the Southern Continent emerge the most ruthless maritime syndicates known to history.

Over the decades, there have been countless brutal pirate attacks targeting commercial fleets heading toward the Southern Gulf down south, the Maetrys Sea leading to the Eastern Continent, and crucially, the Kotyr Sea which serves as our direct maritime gateway to the Northern Continent."

At the explicit mention of pirates, a sharp, brilliant spark of predatory intelligence flashed within Craig’s emerald-green eyes.

The gears in his mind began turning at a furious pace.

"Pirates, hm?" Craig murmured, a faint, dangerous chuckle escaping his throat.

He turned his head to face his Lord Commander. "Tell me, Hughway... across all those treacherous waters, how many major pirate factions hold true, supreme dominance?"

Without a moment of hesitation, drawing from decades of military campaigns and intelligence briefings, Ser Hughway reeled off the names that struck terror into the hearts of every merchant captain.

"There are six supreme pirate factions that rule the underworld of the Creptun Ocean, My Lord," Hughway stated without missing a beat.

"They are the Black Bear Faction, the Skull Lords Faction, the Blood Vikings Faction, the Brotherhood of Death Faction, the Cult of Nadia Faction, and finally, the Sons of the Storms Faction."

Hughway held up a hand, ticking the territories off on his fingers. "Each of these six supreme factions commands immense fleets, controlling over ten minor, independent pirate clans scattered across the Creptun Ocean.

Specifically, the Black Bear Faction and the Skull Lords jointly rule the turbulent waters of the Southern Gulf. Further east, the Maetrys Sea is fiercely contested and controlled by the Blood Vikings and the Brotherhood of Death.

Meanwhile, the northern shipping lanes leading directly toward our destination—the Kotyr Sea—fall under the absolute, tyrannical domain of the Cult of Nadia and the Sons of the Storms."

As the comprehensive breakdown concluded, Craig suddenly threw back his head and let out a rich, echoing laugh that cut through the roaring sea breeze.

He turned his gaze back to the calm, azure waters directly beneath the ship’s massive iron hull, raising an ironic eyebrow. "If these syndicates are truly so powerful and ubiquitous across every major oceanic highway... tell me, Hughway, why is there currently not a single pirate faction daring to rule or establish bases across our current path in the Northern Ire Sea?"

Ser Hughway offered a rare, grim smile, a ghost of pride touching his lips as he recalled ancient history.

"Because, My Lord, the Northern Ire Sea used to have its own masters," Hughway explained, his voice dropping into a tone of deep reverence.

"Decades ago, before he ascended the throne of the Rynchester Duchy and claimed absolute sovereign power, two massive pirate armadas—the White Fox Faction and the Black Star Faction—ruled these exact northern waters like unyielding kings."

Hughway shook his head. "They made the catastrophic mistake of raiding the wrong coastal territories. The Crimson Duke personally mobilized a punitive fleet, sailed into these very waters, and utterly wiped both factions down to the last man, hanging their captains from the harbor walls."

The knight looked out across the tranquil waves. "Ever since that absolute purge, not a single pirate clan or outlaw fleet has dared to drop anchor or set up a base anywhere across the Northern Ire Sea.

Especially not with the terrifyingly vigilant surveillance of the Ducal Naval Command patrolling the sector.

The Rynchester Duchy legally regulates every league of this sea, giving them absolute political justification to declare immediate, merciless war on any pirate foolish enough to drift into their sight."

Craig nodded slowly, absorbing every word of the strategic history lesson. The pieces of his grand design were falling neatly into place.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Craig turned his body away from the railing.

He slightly tilted his head toward the southern horizon—the distant direction leading down toward the Creptun Ocean and the turbulent territories controlled by the southern syndicates.

A sharp, cunning grin spread across his face, his emerald eyes glinting with calculating ambition.

"Tell me, Hughway..." Craig whispered softly, his voice dripping with dangerous intent as he pitched a proposition that would shock any ordinary merchant.

"Once our vessel officially crosses the boundary line and enters the deep waters of the Creptun Ocean... do you think it would be entirely impossible for us to deliberately cast out a tempting little bait, and draw in the aggressive attention of the Black Bear Faction and the Skull Lords?"