They don't want me to try anymore.

But just then, you suddenly felt someone behind you, and you heard him say, "Calm down, I'm here to bring you the antidote..."

Oh, why is that...?

the other side.

Richard concentrated intently and began the operation.

Using the earlier magical mark, you found Veronica hiding and temporarily gained her trust with the antidote, although this trust was quite fragile.

But you still carried out your plan, despite her amused gaze.

[Through your infiltration of the enemy camp, you have gained complete control over the actions of Minus and the Evil Wind Pirates. At the same time, you have secretly gathered the group of loyal followers you brought from the slave trade, as well as several hidden small ships.]

These forces alone are not enough to confront the enemy head-on, but now you have discovered another opportunity.

[Because they firmly believed they had gained a significant advantage, the enemy's main force, including Minus, left their flagship and scattered throughout the island to search for Veronica.]

So you, along with the detoxified Veronica and your confidants, evaded all the searching soldiers, took a small boat, made a wide detour, and headed straight for Minus and the Evil Wind Pirates' ship.

Because the enemy's forces left to guard the ships were insufficient, you launched a surprise attack and successfully captured three ships.

This is ultimately an isolated island, not the mainland. Once you seize the ships and take them away, no matter how many pirates are on the island, they will become sitting ducks without supplies.

[Easy to switch between offense and defense!]

On the fifth day, after Veronica had eaten and drunk her fill and transformed into a swarm of bats to kill Minus, the enemy's morale completely collapsed, and they all surrendered. You won the battle with fewer troops.

You returned to port laden with your spoils, and to the astonishment of others, you began a feast.

call……

Richard exhaled a breath of stale air and began to think about his next plan.

Having temporarily stabilized the pirate group and gathered sufficient information about the Nion City catastrophe, he felt that he had achieved the most crucial gain from this simulation.

It's time to change the plan and start pursuing drama again!

However, this meant that the small pirate crew's captain's secretary and cook could no longer satisfy him...

Meanwhile, Veronica experienced an unprecedented surprise.

I wronged you!

This newly emerged Charlie is both loyal and talented! He's not in the same league as those other treacherous, cunning, low-quality pirates who betray each other as frequently as drinking water!

Moreover, his appearance is undeniably to her liking...

Yes, it's decided. This person must be kept firmly by my side!

Veronica's lips curled slightly—her usual cruelty towards those unruly suitors didn't mean she wasn't interested in the opposite sex; she just felt they weren't good enough for her.

But now, looking at the man in the character illustration, she had for the first time the thought that maybe she could give it a try.

It's just a simulation anyway, so it won't affect reality.

Consider it a small reward for him.

Captain Veronica invites you to her room after tonight's party.

[Upon entering, you see the beautiful captain, dressed only in a thin veil, lying on her side on the bed, smiling at you. The light from the oil lamp flickers, casting a gracefully curved shadow on the wall.]

【please choose:】

[1. Spend the night with her—falling in love with a vampire means paying two "services" from now on]

2. Firmly refuse – Woman, you're actually lusting after my body!

Richard blinked.

To be honest, if it were his first simulation, he definitely wouldn't have missed this scene. But after Elsa and Alice, he... was a little tired of it.

Moreover, if it were the innocent type, someone you could win over by gradually building up your affection for her, that would be fine—but Veronica, being a seductive and ruthless woman, taking the initiative to seduce you always makes you feel frivolous, and even a little dangerous.

Could it be that this woman thinks I deceived her during the process and that I am too powerful, so she suddenly drains me dry halfway through?

Ugh, what a Hongmen impart!

Richard shuddered and made a decision.

You firmly rejected Veronica's request.

On the open sea, Veronica paused slightly in surprise.

So many people are usually terrified of her, yet they still can't help but steal glances at her. Now, she's trying to get close to a man, and she's failed. Does this mean I'm not attractive enough? No, absolutely not…

...Heh, he's an interesting fellow.

But don't think you can reject me so easily!

Just as her competitive spirit was being ignited, new characters popped up.

Charlie throws a stack of documents onto your bed and presents you with a comprehensive expansion plan.

…………

……

Chapter Sixty-Three: Ah, Women

"Captain, you have a grudge against the Evil Wind Pirates, but they command twelve ships and are backed by the Imperial Governor. Do you really think you can achieve revenge with just one Pearl?"

Since he wanted something dramatic, Richard came up with a new script.

However, before that, he needs to strengthen his own forces.

Veronica's personal abilities as a pirate captain are unquestionable; she is a genius on par with Alice, and even stronger in combat talent, making her virtually unbeatable in small-scale conflicts.

But with only the Pearl S. Buck, a pirate ship, and a few dozen men under its command, it was rather meager; otherwise, it wouldn't have been besieged on the island before...

Charlie refuses to sleep with you, but instead throws a thick stack of documents at you and demands that you read them.

He suggested that you take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate traitors to improve the discipline of the crew, formulate pirate rules, including optimizing the distribution of spoils, prohibiting gambling on board, and requiring stricter weapon storage, and he even wrote a draft for you to review.

At the same time, he analyzed the situation in the Divine Grace Islands for you, including the conflicts between the Empire, Vatican, the Northern Kingdoms, and the natives. He advised you to figure out who your friends and enemies are, and to engage in targeted robbery and smuggling to establish stable relations with other forces.

He also hoped that you would change the way you store large sums of money, instead of burying them all on deserted islands, you should invest them, use them to buy new ships and weapons, bribe officials at all levels in the colony, and establish an insurance system for the crew.

Finally, he suggested that when recruiting new crew members, priority should be given to indigenous people with reddish-brown skin, freed slaves, and second- and third-generation immigrants.

He concluded that the Evil Wind Pirates were strong, had powerful backing, and a stable supply chain. In this situation, we shouldn't be complacent with small-scale, sneaky victories, but rather accumulate strength and try to reverse the tide of the battle.

For the first time since birth, Veronica felt a little ashamed.

This shame stemmed from both being rejected in his advances and being outclassed in terms of social standing.

Although the pirate crew was generally poorly educated, Veronica herself, as captain and a vampire, was still quite knowledgeable—almost to the point of being naive.

She recognized the value of Charlie's entire development plan.

In the past, she had always tried to expand her fleet, but the profession of piracy is inherently high-risk and unstable. She was also a vampire, and even if she always won battles, there were not many people willing to be loyal to her. Sometimes, she would accidentally capsize her ship.

So after several failures, she almost gave up hope of overwhelming the Evil Wind Pirates with her overall strength. Helpless, she could only focus on improving her own strength in order to find an opportunity to take revenge by sneak attack in the future.

But the solution before her suddenly gave her a sense of enlightenment.

It's feasible, worth a try!

This Charlie is simply a genius...

You accepted all the suggestions.

Soon, your pirate crew became a unique force in this sea area, renowned for both their bravery in battle and their strong discipline.

You also changed your tactics of robbery and bribery, established smuggling relationships with the indigenous tribes in the nearby waters and the greedy colonial lords, cultivated personal friendships, greatly improved the pirate crew's living conditions, and expanded their income channels.

Three years later, you will be able to fight the Evil Wind Pirates on equal footing.

That evening, you touched the threshold of gold, and you realized the time had come.

[With the intuition honed through years of piracy, and the intelligence gathered by Charlie, you accurately predicted the route of the Great Captain of the Evil Wind Pirate Crew.]

You assembled three of your best warships and launched a surprise attack on the enemy fleet under cover of night, achieving a resounding victory.

You personally slew the Grand Master of the Evil Wind Pirates, ending that nightmare from many years ago.

At this very moment, you were promoted to Gold Rank 1.

the other side.

"A resounding victory? Two years earlier than expected..."

Richard had assumed that the final battle would take place when Veronica's forces were able to steadily overwhelm the Evil Wind Pirates.

Unexpectedly, Veronica's talent in warfare was even stronger than he had thought. She was a classic intuitive player, and usually, as long as Richard provided enough resources, she could win with fewer troops using a single strategy.

That's good. The first part of the plan has been successfully completed. Next, we should...

That evening, Veronica invited you to her room again, and this time, she was much more sincere than before.

...He's incorrigible!

Richard's lips curled slightly; his stubbornness was kicking in.

Ha, you covet my good looks? I won't give them to you!