Whoosh…
The night sea wind, carrying a briny chill, made Jacob hunch his shoulders involuntarily.
Though as a member of the Faolan family he was long accustomed to such gales, the heaving deck and taut sails still gave him an unreal sensation.
This feeling peaked when he saw
The vessel was a typical two-masted sailboat, comfortably fitting over eighty people without feeling cramped. For a family of the Faolan’s standing, acquiring a ship was no challenge.
What truly stunned Jacob was the performance of that Young Master Leylin just now!
«No! Actually… everyone was stunned…» Jacob glanced at the squad leaders beside him, who looked a bit vacant-eyed but burned with fervent gazes, and sighed inwardly.
Earlier, just before departure, in full view of everyone, Leylin had personally cast a layer of [Detection Avoidance] magic upon them all!
By the God of Knowledge! The Young Master hadn’t used any tools or scrolls at all—he had unleashed that third-rank spell entirely through his own strength!
To independently cast a third-rank spell was the hallmark of a seventh-rank mage! This Leylin Faolan, without a word, had actually advanced to become a seventh-rank mage.
«The gods above… isn’t advancing in the mage path said to be the most arduous of all? Two years ago, the Young Master’s promotion to fifth-rank mage already dropped many jaws. And now…»
Jacob lamented. His extensive adventuring experience made him acutely aware of what a fifteen-year-old seventh-rank mage represented.
As long as the young man met no untimely end, even just biding his time, he had a very real chance of reaching the fifteenth-rank [Grand Mage] within a few centuries!
In the entire Kingdom of Danbres, true [Grand Mages] could be counted on one hand. Several were even specially employed as court mages, holding positions of immense prestige.
To win such a figure over, the King would surely not begrudge a hereditary earldom and territory.
But these lavish gifts, which drove others mad with envy, couldn’t catch the eye of even a single Grand Mage.
For beings at that level, only the legendary realm remained in their sights.
And now, was the Faolan family about to produce a Grand Mage of its own?
Jacob suddenly felt a little dizzy.
"Cousin Lei Lin, you really deceived your poor sister..."
"I never imagined that my cousin was truly a genius when it came to mages!"
Isabel's eyes sparkled as though filled with countless little stars.
"Heh heh... everyone has their secrets. Just like you, dear cousin!" Lei Lin moved a little closer, bringing a flustered look to her eyes. "I'm looking forward to... the day you share yours with me..."
"Are you kidding me?" Isabel turned and walked away immediately, while Lei Lin's gaze grew somewhat deep and contemplative.
"Doing this really is somewhat unavoidable..."
Lei Lin sighed. The reason he had revealed his strength before the battle was to bolster the fighting spirit of the people beneath him.
Otherwise, once they learned that they might have to face the private soldiers of a kingdom's marquis, even if they didn't immediately collapse, a severe drop in morale would be the best-case scenario.
And now, a mage this young was already enough for some of them to fight and die for.
Even if the ordinary soldiers didn't yet understand what a fifteen-year-old seventh-level mage represented, the others would be more than happy to remind them or spell it out directly.
"Besides, our target this time is nothing more than a notorious pirate crew. Even if someone deliberately leaked the news, most people wouldn't necessarily believe it..."
Lei Lin let out a long breath. He had already done everything in his power to the absolute extreme. Now it was all up to luck.
"My lord! We've arrived!"
A triangular-eyed sailor whose gaze was like that of a venomous snake approached Lei Lin and reported in a low voice. His eyes burned with a thirst for blood and fire, and a frenzied desire for destruction.
If Lei Lin had seen that kind of gaze back at the manor, he would have ordered the man hanged on the spot. But now?
"To go out and kill — this is exactly the kind of mindset you need!" Lei Lin was confident that with his methods, even if the man truly was a venomous snake, he could tame him into perfect obedience.
"Your name — is it
Lei Lin studied the man. From him, Lei Lin could sense the bloody scent that came only from those who fought and killed frequently. Clearly, the man's private life had been quite eventful.
"Yes, Young Master Faolan!" It was obvious that Robin was quite surprised Lei Lin had remembered his name.
"Good!" Lei Lin clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the island materializing through the thin mist, issuing rapid orders. "Pass the word — everyone, conceal yourselves and try to make as little noise as possible!"
In order to guard against the enemy's detection and divination magic, Lei Lin had specifically applied a [Detection Avoidance] effect to his side before setting out, and throughout the journey they had been extraordinarily cautious yet swift.
It was fair to say that the probability of this band of pirates discovering them was extremely small.
And even if they were discovered now, it wouldn't matter — the only difference would be whether the losses were small or large.
When the first wave of men secretly waded ashore and even began launching sneak attacks against the enemy's moored ships, Lei Lin knew that the outcome was already decided.
"It seems these pirates aren't quite as formidable as I imagined..."
Watching the battle descend into a maelstrom of blood and fire, Lei Lin suddenly cracked a smile.
He had originally thought that with noble backing, the enemy might be exceptionally well-equipped — perhaps even possessing magical weapons or the like. But now, looking at the ragged pirates, many of whom showed obvious signs of mixed blood and foreign ancestry, with barely any strong fighters among them, the whole force had the feel of cannon fodder and a motley rabble.
"Even after subjugating these pirates, they'd still just be treated as expendables?"
Lei Lin stroked his chin, as though something had occurred to him.
Under these circumstances, with his side well-prepared and launching a surprise attack, their equipment vastly superior to the enemy's, and roughly equal manpower, there was simply no possibility of failure.
"Of course, this is still a world of the extraordinary. If a few powerful individuals appeared, it wouldn't be impossible to turn the tide..."
Lei Lin's gaze drifted toward a corner of the island camp, where he could clearly sense powerful energy fluctuations.
"The captain of the Black Tiger Pirates — a tenth-level professional?"
Lei Lin let out a cold laugh. "Jacob! I'm leaving command here to you! Watch their ships, and don't let a single one escape!"
"At your service, Young Master!"
Jacob answered in a loud voice.
Having watched Lei Lin's command throughout the battle, he was already completely awestruck — that kind of fluid, effortless art of generalship was something he could never hope to replicate.
"Such talent... Could it be that the gods truly have their favorites?"
Jacob shoved aside the shock to his worldview and began diligently rallying the formation, tightening the encirclement around the enemy camp.
"As for Isabelle, come with me! Let's go pay a visit to Captain Steve!"
Raylin's figure drifted swiftly toward the front lines of the battlefield, with Isabelle trailing close behind.
……
As the notorious captain of the Black Tiger Pirates, Steve had the kind of rugged, villainous face that only a true pirate could wear — one eye and an ear long since gone, the price he'd paid for a betrayal by his first mate in his younger days.
Of course, it hadn't taken long for that daring first mate to be dismembered and tossed into the sea, where the only one left to hear his confessions was the Sea God himself.
After decades of fighting through blood and fire, he had lost plenty — including his right hand — but Steve felt it had all been worth every bit. After all, he was now a tenth-rank warrior, and the Black Tiger Pirates under his command were practically famous throughout these waters.
Especially after receiving an invitation from Marquis Lewis.
The Marquis had been very clear: if Steve's current operation proved successful, he would be made a landed Knight! Perhaps even a baronet!
"Someday, I'll be Lord Steve!" Every time this thought crossed his mind, Steve couldn't help but glance at his right hand — now just a sharp black iron hook — yet he still felt the sacrifice had been entirely worthwhile.
"This target is nothing more than a baron's estate, and they've already lost most of their elite fighters. What kind of force could they possibly have?"
Steve mused with indifference. In truth, had he not kept a tight leash on them, his bunch of whelps would have scurried off for entertainment long ago.
Everything had been going smoothly until just moments ago, but the sudden eruption of battle cries snapped Steve wide awake.
"What's going on?"
Steve hurled the rum bottle in his hand aside, slashed a massive tear through the tent with his hook, and strode out into the camp.
"We're under attack! There's a lot of them, and they're well-equipped!"
His second mate — a tiger-headed fishman — rushed up to him, panic barely concealed on his face.
After taking in the scene outside, Steve's expression twitched.
The situation immediately set off alarm bells in this old fox's mind: "Where did these enemies come from? Why didn't any of my detection spells or lookout posts respond? And more importantly — who the hell are they?"
Even now, Steve refused to believe these people had been sent by his intended target.
Moreover, thanks to Raylin's **Evasion of Detection**, every expensive magical detection item the enemy had purchased had been rendered completely useless, and the remaining lookout posts had been discovered and eliminated by Raylin one by one.
"Gather everyone and get them to the ships!"
Steve grabbed the second mate by the collar and shouted.