"Those damned barbarians are the only force in the outer seas that still dares to oppose us. Just half a month ago, they ambushed one of our fleets and sank three of our pirate ships…"
Isabelle's expression darkened. "Furthermore, they've seized control of Pirate's Harbor and are denying us entry!"
"Not only that, I have a feeling they're connected to the recent turmoil in the outer seas — the forces of the Abyss and Hell, and the Church of the God of Murder…"
The female assassin's aura had become even more concealed — she must have reached at least a tenth-level class — and she was eager to prove herself before
This sort of behavior was naturally rather inappropriate, and under Isabelle's gaze,
"Interesting… interesting…"
Leylin sat in the seat of honor. The devilish power to read hearts allowed him to easily gauge the emotions of his subordinates.
"Karen… ostracized because of her origins and because of her past intimate relationship with me, and now trying to show what? And beyond that… I sense she's hiding something else — that anxious feeling… it's about her own kind, seeking my protection…"
Leylin cast a brief glance at Karen, and it immediately made the half-drow stiffen with tension.
"I-I'm sorry, Master!"
The half-drow apologized pitifully, nearly reducing herself to tears.
In Karen's eyes, though Leylin's glance had been brief, it felt as though he had pierced straight through her heart, leaving every one of her petty schemes and calculations with nowhere to hide.
"Perhaps… even the matron mothers of the Underdark don't have such terrifying eyes…"
A thought suddenly flashed through the half-drow's mind.
"Isabelle is the one I've designated to hold authority! Until she gives her permission, none of you have any room to act! Understood?"
Leylin's voice was deep and low. "If this happens again…"
"No! I swear! I promise you, it will absolutely never happen again!" Karen immediately dropped to her knees and kissed the back of Isabelle's hand. "Please forgive me…"
"Forget it!" Isabelle nodded.
What satisfied her was Leylin's attitude — that was enough.
The female assassin's sudden appearance had been nothing more than a minor accident. The discussion at the meeting soon returned to the barbarian pirate crew.
……
The Pirate's Port.
Despite several rounds of suppression by the royal navy, the Pirate's Port showed not the slightest sign of decline.
On the contrary, because the Faolan family had swiftly taken over the trade routes of the Bodie Archipelago, even the original golden shipping lanes had not been abandoned. The port was still filled with merchant ships laden with cargo, and the chaos of war and its aftermath had turned it into a paradise for pirates to roam freely, even giving the Pirate's Port a trend toward greater prosperity.
At this moment, inside a secret chamber of what had once been the barbarian inn, the barbarian chieftain Ougede sat with the same imposing, broad-legged posture as always. Beside him was the still-breathtakingly beautiful Madam Tiren.
But now, Madam Tiren's eyes were filled with wariness. Even the fox tail behind her had been drawn tight, its fur bristling strand by strand, as if she were on guard against some terrifying enemy.
Across from the two of them sat a young nobleman with black hair, dressed in gentleman's formal attire.
"So… are you two interested in my proposal?"
The young nobleman wore a pleasant smile on his face, and his manners and bearing were filled with refined aristocratic breeding, giving off a warm and refreshing impression. Yet Madam Tiren felt not the slightest bit of ease.
Because the young man standing before her was, in fact, a devil!
Compared to this kind of evil creature that specialized in luring human souls to corruption, even barbarians and ogres were practically good people.
Moreover, in Madam Tiren's understanding, devils had always been synonymous with treachery and cunning, which only heightened her wariness.
The young nobleman across from her seemed not to have noticed her psychological turmoil, and continued speaking with eloquent confidence: "As I understand it, the heir to the Faolan Archipelago — that genius mage Leylin Faolan — has returned. It seems he has also secured some outside support. He reignited the original mage tower, turning Faroan Island into a natural fortress…"
A port protected by a mage tower and one without were two entirely different concepts. Even Ougede's expression turned grave.
Leylin's advancement to High-ranking Mage had occurred within the Nether Ruins. After emerging, he had immediately encountered the orc wars and never went through any official rank verification, so naturally no news of it had spread.
"Leylin… you say?"
Madam Tiren thought again of that brat who had caused her to suffer defeat time and again, and her fingers clenched involuntarily.
He was just like the devil before her — charming and refined, yet utterly slippery, and absolutely uncompromising when it came to his own interests.
"No… that Leylin Faolan, the Baron's heir, seems even more terrifying than the devil in front of us…"
The thought surfaced in Madam Tiren's mind without warning — pure feminine intuition, with no logical basis whatsoever, yet it made her furrow her brow.
"Not only does he command a massive armed fleet, he also has the pirates at his back. Moreover, given the Faolan family's current standing, they'll certainly want to suppress the open-sea pirates and keep the trade routes flowing freely. That makes you lot their primary target! You need my power!"
The young devil spoke slowly. Flickers of darkness passed through his eyes, along with a trace of surprise — the pressure that the nobleman's return had brought to bear on these two seemed to exceed even his expectations.
"Your — name!" At that moment, Oggard, who had been sitting cross-legged the entire time, shot to his feet and glared down at the devil.
"Nawei! You may call me Nawei. It would be my pleasure to serve you…"
The devil Nawei wore a warm, sincere smile, and paired with his handsome features, it was the sort of thing that would drive countless noble girls wild. But to Madam Tiren at this moment, it was like the grin of a venomous serpent — it made her blood run cold.
A burst of blood-red flame rose up. The young devil gave a graceful bow, then vanished into the teleportation fire.
Once Madam Tiren confirmed that he had truly departed, she frowned and casually set up another layer of isolation formation.
"I think… we shouldn't be making deals with devils. You know what they're like…"
A look of worry crept across her brow.
"We have no choice! Leylin's forces are too powerful — we can't match them!" Oggard's voice was heavy with resignation, drawing a bitter smile from Madam Tiren.
In terms of pirate strength alone, even if the Crimson Tiger Pirate Group had risen meteorically out of nowhere, the Barbarian Pirate Group had nothing to fear.
But the Faolan family was far more than just pirate muscle! Once they had seized the enormous wealth of the trade routes, they had swiftly assembled a terrifying armed fleet — one whose scale even surpassed that of the former Marquis Louis.
With noble status and the righteous mandate of protecting the sea lanes, they could expand their forces openly and without restriction, quickly growing beyond the control of Pirate Port.
And against their combined above-board and covert campaign of suppression, the Barbarian Pirate Group's authority in the open seas had been steadily eroding. It wasn't a catastrophic collapse, but it was hardly a rosy picture either.
At the very least… launching another Pirate Tide was now essentially out of the question.
"The barbarians' interests in the open seas will not be taken by outsiders! Never!!!" Oggard roared. In his grip, the massive demonic horse-chopping saber seemed to sense its master's fury, emitting a low, trembling hum.
Oggard was not merely the leader of the Barbarian Pirate Group — he was the guardian of the barbarians of the open seas! The entire barbarian people depended on his protection to survive. On this matter, there was simply no ground on which he could afford to yield.
"My love! I will help you... even if it means falling into hell, I will be with you!"
Lady Tiren's eyes were filled with tenderness as she clung to Oggard's arm.
……
Just as the scene was growing rather heartwarming, Lady Tiren's body trembled and the glow of [Greater Telepathy] flashed across her form.
"There's another visitor outside! A priest from the Church of the God of Murder!" Tiren hastily wiped her eyes.
"Let him in!" Oggard's response was curt and decisive.
Soon, they were face to face with the emissary from the Church of the God of Murder.
The emissary this time was an old acquaintance — the same priest Raylin had encountered at the Thieves' Guild before.
"You two! I bring the latest intelligence regarding that devil!"
One had to admit, when it came to gathering intelligence, the followers of the God of Murder — those creatures who lurked in the shadows — possessed extraordinary talent.
"Speak!" Lady Tiren's face at that moment seemed veiled in a layer of frost.
"Although we cannot yet determine the exact nature of the entity, we can confirm that this Nawei hails from the forces of the Third Level of Hell..."
The priest continued slowly.
"The Third Level of Hell? A subordinate of
Names like Mammon were not the true names of devils, but rather something akin to titles — even speaking them aloud would not alert the entity in question.
"Indeed! The continent has been quite unsettled of late. The devils of the Dambres Kingdom appear to have undergone a significant reshuffling, and it seems connected to the legendary
The Church of the God of Murder appeared to have cooperated with the Barbarian Pirate Group more than once or twice — they were even sharing intelligence of this magnitude.
"Finally... we are fully committed to tracking down the Crimson Tiger Pirate Group's location and supply points, and I believe we will have results soon!"
"Under the watchful gaze of our God, nothing about the enemy can remain hidden!"
The priest's eyes were shot through with veins of red, and a fleeting look of menace surfaced on his face before quickly fading away.
"Sigh... even the God of Murder cannot be trusted anymore..."
After the priest had left, Lady Tyrion sighed directly, her face clouded with worry.
"Could it be that the strong deity truly, as the rumors say, is on the verge of falling to the lower planes... what truly turbulent times these are..."