Lord: I can see loyalty.

"Lord: I Can See Loyalty" is sparking a reading frenzy, haven't you read it yet?

Portol, Earl's Castle, Main Hall.

A huge round table was placed in the center, and it was now surrounded by people.

Knight Commander Jimmy, wearing light armor on his upper body, tapped the table lightly with his hand, his gaze fixed on the western border of the map, deep in thought. Ansquie sat beside him, toying with the short sword in his hand.

Xavier sat on the other side, a thin booklet in front of him, occasionally jotting down a few words whenever something came to mind.

Several key captains of the militia were also present. They were all familiar faces who were among the first to join the militia and did not choose to join the Knights. Now they each managed the defense of a region, and it was rare for them to gather together.

Therefore, they are currently having a lively discussion, chatting and laughing.

In the remaining seats sat Axel, the leader of the Black Pearl pirates.

He sat casually in the chair, his legs slightly apart. But it wasn't served; he was still chewing on the chewy jerky.

Beside him were two trusted confidants: one was the tall and burly Marsan, and the other was an old pirate missing an ear; both were veterans of the Black Pearl.

Cohen stood on the other side of the round table, also gazing at the map, which had detailed information about Frido and the surrounding waters.

The door was pushed open again.

Vio changed his clothes and strode in, followed by Gina and Vincent, but the captain of the guard stopped at the door, closed the door, and stood guard.

"Everyone's here." Vio sat down in the main seat facing the door, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Enough with the small talk, let's get started."

After saying that, he nodded to Cohen, who understood and stepped forward slightly, pointing his finger at the map.

"Friedo Port, one of the important strongholds of the Western Pirates, is currently ruled by 'Pirate Philip,' and the Friedo Stone Tower is a place where he and other pirates often go to discuss matters."

He paused, then continued, "What we know so far are that the pirates he's working with are Derek and Timothy, who are also pirate captains."

"Among them, Philip claims to be the Lord of the West, and his fleet is indeed the largest, occupying several important large port cities bordering the South." Cohen then pointed to the south of the West, adding, "Derek has occupied a large area of ​​the southern coast and central part of the West, and..."

"He is an old acquaintance of our Captain Axel."

Axel paused in his chewing of jerky, then grinned, revealing the bits of jerky still in his mouth: "We were both employed in other places before, we didn't have much of a relationship, just acquaintances."

Cohen nodded in response and continued, "Timothy, one of the few female pirate leaders in the West and even the world, according to the intelligence gathered and most of the information coming from the West, she has little interest in the South and her target has always been the northern coast."

"So that means she might not participate in the war?" a militia captain asked.

"It's only a possibility." Cohen didn't make any definitive statements. "Although her fleet is among the strongest in the West, it's almost impossible for her to establish a foothold on the northern coast on her own, given that the capital is located there."

"Compared to the more ideal North, our South is right in front of us, and she has no reason not to get a share."

The round table fell silent for a moment.

"How many warships and personnel can Black Pearl deploy now?" Vio asked, breaking the silence.

"Seven ships that could truly be called warships... three of which were modified fast sailing ships, all equipped with ballistae, and they were very fast. Wait, didn't the Coen brothers capture another one with their men?"

Axel thought for a moment, then added, "Many of the newly built ones are quite small and can't really be called warships, but they're fine for carrying a few people to launch attacks."

"Where are the sailors?"

"Including our Black Pearl members, there are about three hundred people." He glanced at Vio. "Don't worry, Earl, that's enough. After all, there are also knights and militia, aren't there?"

Vio didn't reply, but instead turned his gaze to Jimmy.

Jimmy sat up straight, his voice steady: "The Azure Peak Knights now number two hundred and are ready to be deployed at any time. Simulated naval combat training has also been underway recently."

"As for the militia," Xavier closed the booklet and said, "we can barely mobilize a thousand men, but it might be difficult for them in naval operations."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Although the militia numbered over a thousand after deducting those trained, defending the city, and those on other missions, their combat effectiveness was significantly reduced compared to knights and pirates, especially in ship combat.

Vio nodded, stood up, and walked to a huge map of the southern border on the wall.

"According to the information Cohen brought back, those people in the West plan to make their move after winter." He didn't turn around, his voice echoing in the empty main hall. "But now, our reconnaissance has been exposed, and given the nature of those pirates, they won't be foolish enough to wait until the scheduled time."

Axel stood up, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave a rare, serious bow: "Yes, Your Excellency."

Jimmy.

"exist."

"The Knights will enter Keslow Village and the surrounding coastal villages in batches. They are not to launch any attacks without my orders."

Jimmy nodded without asking any further questions.

Xavier.

"exist."

"The militia has deployed its elite troops to prepare on the borders of the south and west, guarding against the pirates while also preparing for a proactive attack. Once the pirates from the west appear, they will send someone to report at full speed."

Xavier agreed and added another entry to the booklet.

Vio's gaze swept over every face around the round table once more.

"Gentlemen, this is the first real external war in the Southern Territory since the banditry subsided." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "The pirates in the Western Territory have been entrenched for many years, and even the kingdom can't do anything about them, but we are different."

He paused.

"We have the best knights, the most elite militia, and the most fearless pirates in this land. We have weapons and armor forged from magic ore, and sailors who have been training all winter. If they come, we will not hesitate to fight them."

"Let them see just how tough it is to crack the southern border."

"good!"

Everyone around the round table echoed in agreement.

……

Caislow Village, by the sea.

It was three days later.

Seven warships lay quietly in the bay, their hulls rising and falling gently with the waves. Sunlight shone on the decks, casting long shadows of the busy sailors.

Several small boats were also moored nearby.

This includes both the old Black Pearl and newer ships.

However, the pirates on guard here were not the new sailors they had trained, but veteran pirates who had actually experienced battles at sea.

They were all busy at the moment; some were checking the strings of the crossbows, some were carrying arrows and bows, and some craftsmen were squatting by the ship's side, whittling something with a knife.

"Hey, do you think those bastards from the West will really dare to come?"

On the deck of a warship, an old pirate with a fierce face leaned against the ship's side, holding a piece of dry, hard jerky in his hand, chewing as he asked questions.

A thinner pirate squatting nearby was whittling a stick. Hearing this, he looked up and sneered, "Don't dare to come? Those bastards have gotten really bold. Ever since they defeated those cowardly nobles in the West, their ambitions have grown."

"You haven't seen it, back then..."

He paused, then suddenly stopped talking.

"Where?"

"It's nothing." The skinny pirate lowered his head and continued whittling his wooden stick.

Another, younger sailor leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Brothers, do you think we can win if a real war breaks out? I heard that Philip alone has over a hundred ships in the West!"

"A hundred or so ships?" The other two pirates exchanged a glance and burst out laughing, revealing several gap teeth. "That's all a bluff! A hundred or so ships? If there really were that many, the kingdom would have been crushed long ago."

"Philip's group has at most twenty or so ships, and half of them are converted merchant ships. One ballista shot would destroy them. They only have about seven or eight ships that can really fight, compared to us."

"But they're not going to fight the other two groups of pirates..."

"What, you want to talk about cooperation?" The skinny pirate raised his head, the wooden stick in his hand sharpened to a point, and sneered, "You're a pirate yourself, don't you know us? When pirates cooperate, it's a success if they don't stab each other in the back!"

"Besides, four of our seven warships are proper large warships. Look at those ballistae, look at the hulls—each one was carefully selected. And besides—"

He stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking.

His gaze went over the young sailor's shoulder and fixed intently on the distant sea.

The old pirate also immediately sensed something was wrong and followed his gaze.

Several thin, dark shadows appeared on the sea surface.

It's a black sail.

The young sailor followed their gaze and his expression instantly changed.

"That, that is..."

The old pirate had already stood up, the dried meat in his hand had fallen onto the deck at some point. He squinted, staring at the increasingly clear dark figures in the distance, his gaze growing heavy.

"That's right, it's a ship from the Western Frontier."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a sharp shout rang out from the lookout tower:

"Enemy attack—! Seven warships from the Western Frontier—! Approaching at full speed—!"

The entire bay erupted in chaos.

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