Black Sail
Chapter 51: LI. Unveiling the Curtain

Chapter 51: LI. Unveiling the Curtain

The great enemy was annihilated.

Every person in the mine had a different expression.

Liszt understood that it was not the time for laxity yet; the major threat had yet to come. The pursuers were completely dealt with and weren’t a worry anymore, but the encircled troops at Londen City were the major concern. On the way here, Caroso had mentioned that not only were there Madmen from the Eternal Sect, but also someone named Zahak, the main liaison to the peak of the Aran, who had trained with the damned Aran Sword King—a ruthless character among ruthless characters. It was uncertain if General Fen and his troops could withstand them.

"Since we’re all in the same boat now, there’s no need to hide anything. We must trust each other completely. This journey is fraught with peril, and we must know who we are transporting."

Although Shadi said this, he was merely curious about the identity of the Black Robed Man. Despite the cloak and hood that completely obscured visibility, the skeletal outline suggested it was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old woman. Could such a creature really pose a threat to the Emperor, a man capable of slaying dragons barehanded?

He hurried towards the Black Robed Man, short dagger still in hand, ready to pull off the mask and see the true face.

"No, the Earl must have stipulated that secrecy was part of the agreement. Not only is there the promised final payment from the Earl, but upon reaching Heaven Port, when things conclude, the contact will also offer a hefty reward."

Caroso unhesitatingly blocked the way, even though they had just been through a life-or-death battle together. These pirates were lawless; if they knew the identity of the passenger, it would surely lead to trouble.

"Was it said like that?"

Swan, who had been present during the discussion of the agreement, glanced at Liszt—not to confirm the truth of the statement but to seek Liszt’s judgment.

The atmosphere in the mine, which had just relaxed, became tense and deadly once more.

Claude, keenly sensing the tension, realized they were now in league with the Black Sail pirates.

Liszt’s mind raced with thoughts. He had indeed promised the Earl, but verbal agreements held limited power. Was there still a substantial reward waiting at Heaven Port? A frightening thought took root in his mind. Opportunities would abound on the ship, and since the Black Robed Man had been protecting Goria, there likely was some affection there already. These were honorable people, unlike the deceitful fugitives that comprised the pirates. If relations deteriorated, how could he make use of them?

"Yes, that was indeed said. We must return to the ship quickly. From here to the secret port, we must pass through Lavender Town. Every second counts."

Liszt stated calmly.

Hearing the Captain speak this way, Swan also abandoned the thought. In these past couple of months, he knew Liszt to be a man of ruthless methods and meticulous mind; his judgments were always weighed carefully and never rash.

"Can you still walk?"

Liszt asked Goria, who was a renowned figure on the adventurer’s guild’s newsletter, tough and determined.

She was severely injured now. Edmond’s swordsmanship was too much for even Heroic Level adventurers to withstand. If not for the Junlin Sword, several would have perished in this mine today.

Goria leaned against the wall, managing to stand upright and nodded her head. However, a fresh wound in her waist and abdomen was bleeding, turning the white shirt under her leather armor crimson, and her leg bore a large gash, which was not a good sign.

Swan raised his eyebrows. Getting back to the main road would take some effort while carrying a burden would slow down the pace.

"Do you have a doctor on your ship?"

Caroso inquired.

"Of course, and we’re well-equipped with all sorts of facilities and medicines."

Liszt contemplated solutions. Goria, this girl, was unable to walk; they might lose her before they even got back to the ship. Even though the mysterious person wore a Black Robe, she appeared to be a delicate young lady. Knowing she was a woman because of her well-developed physique resembling that of Holy Maiden Mountain, it was clear that this mysterious person was submissive to both Goria and Caroso. Controlling these two meant controlling the mysterious person, a matter of great importance that required careful planning.

"Alright, we can only do emergency bandaging now. Stop the bleeding first; hang in there."

Caroso tore a few strips of cloth from his cape. Riding back on horseback would be bumpy, and he was unsure if Goria could endure it.

Liszt saw that Claude was big and strong and asked him to carry Goria. Caroso was already extremely fatigued from continuous fighting, having fought there and back again, sustained solely by the Mad Will of the Church.

At this moment, Claude looked rather distressed, covered in the blood of Constitutional Soldiers, lost in thought.

"Claude, you carry her," Liszt patted Claude’s shoulder, "From now on, you’re one of our own brothers, a core member. Your crew isn’t made up of ordinary sailors, they can serve as gunners, and you’ll be specially looked after."

Claude nodded, agreeing that this was the only option.

Half an hour later.

The group of seven returned to the main road, where the sky had darkened to a deep dusk, the blood-red remnants of the sun ominously faint.

Claude’s regular troops had killed a few Constitutional Soldiers, taking good care of the horses tied by the roadside.

"Are the people on your ship... capable?"

Caroso couldn’t help asking this as they faced their final challenge. If they could break through, the vast sea awaited, and they could escape once and for all.

"Not just capable... my men are the dragons among men."

Thinking of the likes of Mika, Archer, and Rein, Liszt said somewhat reluctantly, breaking open the wax seal of a wooden box, releasing a swivel of dark purple mist that coiled into a raven with flesh and blood. As its wings spread, it soared into the sky and headed for the secret port, soon disappearing from sight.

"Let’s go."

Liszt shouted, and now everything depended on the invincible General Fen.

Immediately, hooves thundered, racing towards the coast.

Elsewhere.

Secret Port.

On deck, over a hundred pirates remained silent, each absorbed in their own serious thoughts, casting gloomy looks.

The weather looked grim. Though it was only evening, the dark clouds made it feel like night was about to fall, and a storm seemed imminent.

Rein and Archer, leading twenty men, had already disembarked and were responsible for alerting and searching for enemies outside Londen City.

On deck, Fen paced back and forth, calculating the time. It had been almost three days since Liszt and his group had left, with no news, and Zahak was already keeping a close watch.

As a crow cawed, Fen’s attention turned to the sky outside the cave. The raven returned and circled down to land gently on his hand, dissolving into a dark purple mist that seeped between his fingers.

In a corner, Ox suddenly opened his eyes, intense killing intent flashing across them.

"Everyone, pay attention. Winch operators, coilers, stay on board and prepare to set sail at a moment’s notice. The rest of you, follow the plan."

A bizarre scene unfolded around Fen; a man identical to him in appearance and attire, even wearing the same style of monocle, slowly emerged from his side.

"Fen" was the first to disembark.

With that, all hands were on deck.

Morison followed closely, leaping over the ship’s rail and landing firmly on the pier from a height of over ten meters.

Ox, carrying a Massive Sword, also smashed down, causing the pier to creak loudly.

Seventy to eighty pirates swarmed down the gangway, each wielding Sound Fire Scimitars and various weapons. These desperadoes from all over the world moved together, their presence dreadfully formidable.

"You three, any outsider that comes here, kill them."

Although Fen was physically on board, he could send out his Spiritual Body, but the further away it got, the weaker the effect, with a limit of fifty miles; he could not multitask beyond that, and Wolman also needed to keep watch.

"No need to tell me that."

Wolman was eager to personally dispatch any Aran people.

Leaning against the ship’s rail, Fen closed his eyes, his thoughts extending to the Spiritual Body, a profound and mystical connection.