Black sail

Chapter 705 LXXXV. The Frenzied Ending
Sallett had no loyalty to Lister; he was simply choosing the lesser of two evils between himself and Dolinger.

The reason I was falsely accused of the massacre of my entire family back then was because I didn't know how to play the game.

Lisiter can afford to play the game, and he can win.

Regardless of whether Li Site's Rashomon-like situation is useful or not, I have no choice but to play along to the end and go all the way down this path.

Xiaolong had a playful expression on his face, but unfortunately Quanjiu wasn't there, missing out on such an interesting scene.

Gedley's face remained grim.

They had absolutely no goodwill towards the pirates of Heaven's Port.

Micah had no choice but to confess how he had managed to deceive everyone, but now he could only place his bets on the Royal Court, since he had now made contact with the Holy Spirit Church and the Eternal Church was also an enemy.

"The Eternal Sect sent someone to slay a dragon in Murong and transport it back to their country, intending to present the dragon's corpse, covered in magical materials, to the champion of the Continental Martial Arts Tournament. However, they failed."

We killed Zote, who had fled here, in Muron. Then, we used magic to control several clergy members of the Eternals, making them act as a cover. I pretended to be a lieutenant who had survived the fierce battle against the dragon, and disguised Zote's body as a dragon to transport it here.

Fearing inspections along the way, they stayed on time and arrived at the arena at the last minute.

The final inspection by the Eternal Order of Paladins was also deceived by an arcane disguise spell cast by one of my companions.

Micah spoke the truth, but he knew what was important and didn't reveal that the Eternal Church was protecting the remnants of the Witch Hunter Secret Service. Not only Zote, but Marcus, who was now considered an ally, was also a remnant.

Otherwise, you'll have offended everyone. That's not just a matter of losing face; it'll lead to a civil war, and Lister will be the first to lose his head—no, the first one to lose his head.

His remarks left everyone present completely bewildered. What was he trying to prove? That the pirates of Heaven's Harbor were the bravest group in the world? No... dude, that doesn't need proving anymore. They're just a bunch of uncultured lunatics with knives and guns. What else can they offer besides bravery?

Lisite not only became very popular at the end of last year and this spring, but has now become the ultimate underworld figure who is making headlines again.

Who can be more popular than you?

Killing Zote and publishing it in the newspaper, then sending his coffin to the mainland for a martial arts competition—that's the kind of fate that will make your mother's name in history.

This guy who actually dared to send a coffin is incredibly brave; he deserves to sit at the same table as the nameless warrior from 1,800 years ago.

His face turned ashen. Brother Li's move was too ruthless. If these people really became national heroes, wouldn't he be in deep trouble? He looked at Wesker, "You have to save me, bro."

However, Wesker didn't care about this idiot at all; he just listened to Cicero's instructions.

Salert's eyes narrowed.

Cicero did indeed want to hear this. He hadn't anticipated the attack yet, but now he was truly resorting to a carrot-and-stick approach, trying to get Micah to give the Aran military government a way out.

Phoenix lacked experience and couldn't do anything.

Cicero pondered for a moment.

Contrary to Lister's expectations, Cicero not only didn't take the bait and stick approach, but actually took it seriously. This made Cicero see Lister as someone important, not a nobody, and he messed things up.

The number one player in the East China Sea is truly a hero.

The warlord of the East Sea, who was favored and supported by Lostella, was indeed no ordinary person.

The cold shoulder won't work now, and pretending not to hear won't work either. We have to make a statement, even if it's not a statement in the traditional sense.

"Indeed, this was the most interesting entertainment since the 16th Continental Martial Arts Tournament. As the state religion of Aran, the Eternal Sect needs to examine itself to prevent such incidents from happening again in order not to disgrace the Dragon Lord's dignity."

But Cicero still wanted to force a cold response, adding, "What country are you from?"

Cicero only asked the question because he heard from Ben that the man was an Aramean. Now he had to give Micah a way out, otherwise beheading him on the spot would be extremely inappropriate.

He had personally confronted Zote and understood the extent of Zote's influence and what an achievement it would be to defeat him.

Some reactionaries are alive, and their influence is only 100%, but some reactionaries are dead, and their influence will be thousands or even tens of thousands of times greater.

The worst outcome would be if this madman from the East China Sea died here.

Tonight's events were intended to garner support for the Second Prince and weaken the First Prince's influence by exploiting anti-imperialist elements within the country.

The princes had complicated relationships.

Strictly speaking, the eldest prince is the legitimate eldest son, and the current Queen of the Astalia family was only made the principal wife after the death of the eldest prince's mother.

The eldest prince himself inherited more of the emperor's bravery than Phoenix and was also the first in line to the throne, so this matter was very difficult to handle.

Upon hearing this question, Micah immediately felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

“I am an Aramean, from Dawnport. I once served as a forensic doctor and executioner in the Dawnport Legal Affairs Department.” Micah never imagined that in the end, it would be his Aramean identity that would save him.

What a trick of fate.

The Arameans were both their downfall and their triumph.

Only then did Micah give the royal court a way out, allowing Cicero to back down.

Cicero gave a theatrical laugh. "Since he is a citizen of Aramean, it's no wonder he is so valiant. Detain this man according to legal procedures and schedule a trial according to the law. In Aramean, everything is governed by the national constitution. Finally, we must return the stage to tonight's protagonist, the champion of the Continental Martial Arts Tournament."

After Cicero finished speaking, Micah was immediately escorted away from the venue.

Micah breathed a sigh of relief, unsure whether it had succeeded or not; only Lister, who had made the purchase, knew.

Qili, leaning against the railing, had a complex look in her eyes as she stared at Micah, who was being escorted away. Even as he was led into the passage, Micah's eyes still held a passion he had never seen before.

Qili was somewhat lost in thought.

The best... moment?

Cicero's method of resolving the matter displeased the guests from other countries, but he managed to handle it as a bit of entertainment, barely mentioning Zote, and thus minimizing the damage to the royal authority.

Sallet was somewhat incredulous. So, was Rashomon a success or a failure? Had the royal court softened its stance towards Heaven's Port?

But none of that matters anymore.

The farce is over, and the spotlight has been returned to tonight's absolute protagonist, the Continental Martial Arts Champion, Ge Delei.

Because of this farce.

The field, now covered in flowers and gold leaf, is filled with soldiers and religious figures: Lockhart, Chiand, Royal Knights, Paladins…

At Cicero's signal, the guard of honor and the band resumed their activities.

The scene was solemn and grand like never before.

"The Pope has presented the champion with a priceless gift. Warrior of the continent, supreme hero, Gerdrey, what do you want?"

Phoenix stood up.

The 16th Continental Martial Arts Tournament is about to conclude.

Once Gedley is satisfied, this long day should be over.

Everyone present held their breath. Although there was a terrifying interlude in the middle, the annual, highly anticipated segment had finally arrived.

Gedley's expression was ashen, his hand pressed against the lining of his clothes.

The most outrageous idea had already taken root in his mind: it was only a matter of time before he was found to be connected with Rodrigo XI, so he had to do it today, no matter how crazy it was.

Gedley stepped forward. “My wish is that I may have an audience with the Emperor today.”

A wave of waves has risen again.

Is this the champion's wish?

The entire arena was stunned; Phoenix couldn't believe his ears.

Cicero squinted.

All the military government personnel felt like they were living in a dream, wondering what was going on tonight.
Even the Rashomon incident hadn't affected him. Augustus, who remained unmoved no matter what happened, raised his head, revealing his terrifying eyes beneath the brim of his hat.

Today...Is it an audience with the Emperor?
Does that mean he wants the emperor to come and see him?

Lockhart had already received instructions from Cicero and had discovered that Gedley was from the Duchy of Bema and might have ill intentions. He immediately moved closer to him and reminded him, "Watch your words."

But Gerdrey didn't care about him at all.

Why not talk about hatred and all the loud firewood now?

"More than a decade ago, the Emperor proposed something in order to prevent the aftereffects of the Lords Act."

Gedley's lips tightened into a steely expression, his gaze fixed on the royal special seat.

Augustus's eyes were bloodshot. Did he really dare to say those four words?
"I demand a duel with the Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)