Lord: I can see loyalty.

Frido Port, formerly the Frido Stone Tower belonging to Philip.

Vio sat in the high-backed chair that once belonged to Philip, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

The noise of dock construction drifted in from outside the window; it was the work of craftsmen and local residents from the southern border repairing facilities damaged in the war.

The door was pushed open, and Cohen strode in.

"Your Excellency, Timothy has responded."

Vio raised his head, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"So fast?"

Cohen nodded, a rare smile on his face: "The Brotherhood found one of her strongholds in the northern part of the Westerlands. It took some effort to get the message through, and she agreed to meet with you."

"Place?"

"Eaglebeak Reef." Cohen walked to the map and pointed to a small island southeast of Freedore Port, below the western border.

"The sea area between the western and southern borders, not far from Freedore, is not under the control of either side, and it is relatively safe there."

Vio's gaze fell on the small black dot on the map.

Eagle Beak Reef, though its name sounds dangerous, is perfectly situated, neither too close nor too far, so that no one gains an advantage.

"What about time?"

"Three days later, at noon." Cohen paused. "She's only taking a maximum of ten people, and she expects the adults to do the same."

Vio nodded without saying anything.

His gaze fell on the inconspicuous wooden box at the corner of the long table, which contained the ring found in Philip's lair.

The deep blue gemstone gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the window, as if it held a miniature ocean within it.

"Sir," Cohen asked tentatively, "you intend to...?"

"Give it back to her." Vio smiled slightly, tapping the wooden box lightly with his fingers. "Without this, she probably wouldn't have agreed to see me."

Vio understood that if he hadn't indicated in the message that he had obtained what Philip needed from her, she wouldn't have agreed to meet him.

And this meeting... Vio knew very well that it would be of great help to the battle.

Cohen simply nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

"By the way, there's new news from the capital as well." He took out a secret letter from his pocket and presented it with both hands. "It's from the Brotherhood in the capital."

Vio took the letter, unfolded it, and quickly scanned it.

The letter contained few words, but it was packed with information.

A powerful family in the capital has been making frequent moves recently. It is still unclear which family it is, but it has already alerted the high-ranking nobles.

The situation appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath, and people are already filled with anxiety.

Based on the experience of the last civil unrest, this situation will not last long and will soon affect the lower classes.

Vio finished reading the letter, held it up to the candle flame, lit it, and watched it turn to ashes.

"The capital, oh the capital..." he sighed softly, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "It's such an unsettling place."

Cohen didn't say anything, he just waited quietly.

Vio stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the shimmering sea in the distance.

"Timothy has been active in the North, and his agreement to meet me at this time..." He paused, "is probably related to what happened in the capital."

"What does Your Excellency mean?"

"It seems she really needs allies." Vio turned around, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Or rather, she needs to figure out which side she should be on."

Cohen nodded thoughtfully.

…………

Three days later, Eagle's Beak Reef.

The midday sun shines directly on the sea, illuminating the entire area.

The island was more desolate than I had imagined. Several huge reefs jutted out of the sea like eagle beaks, with a small beach in the middle and jagged rocks all around, almost devoid of vegetation.

The two ships docked at almost the same time.

On the southern side, Vio led Axel and ten elite knights off the ship.

The knights, fully armed, with their hands on their sword hilts, scanned everything on the island warily.

They had all mastered the basics of the Serpent Eagle Sword Technique, making them among the strongest in the kingdom.

The ship opposite was slightly smaller, with a black hull and no markings on its sails.

A dozen or so pirates jumped off the ship. They were all dressed in dark clothes, moved efficiently, and were clearly more disciplined than ordinary pirates.

The last person to disembark was a woman.

She wore a long blue robe covered with light leather armor, and a slender sword hung at her waist. She was tall and had long, dark brown hair that swayed slightly in the sea breeze.

She looked to be only around twenty-five years old. Her skin was a little rough from the sea breeze, but it did not diminish her charm at all.

Her gaze swept across the beach and landed on Vio.

For a fleeting moment, a barely perceptible look of surprise crossed her eyes.

So young?

Vio was also sizing her up.

Just as the intelligence report said, there was a sense of coldness and alienation; even before any conversation took place, I felt like I was being kept at arm's length.

But those eyes were peculiar; they weren't the greedy or fierce gaze common among pirates, but rather... how to put it, an arrogant look, as if they were used to scrutinizing others.

The two started walking at the same time and finally met in the middle of the beach, stopping when they were three steps apart.

"Timothy," she spoke first, her voice cold and detached, without any unnecessary pleasantries.

"Vio Ross." Vio bowed slightly, his tone equally concise.

A moment of silence followed.

Timothy's gaze lingered on his face for a few seconds, as if confirming something. Then, she tilted her head slightly, a barely perceptible smile in her voice:

"I had assumed the Earl of the Southern Border was an old man."

Vio was taken aback, then a slight smile appeared on his lips: "I also thought that the only female pirate captain in the Western Territory would be more ferocious."

Timothy didn't respond to that. "Speak, what do you want? Or rather, that thing you mentioned..."

Vio didn't answer immediately, but instead took the wooden box from his pocket and handed it over.

Timothy's gaze fell on the box, and his pupils contracted slightly.

She didn't reach out to take it, but just stared at the box, her voice lowered slightly: "This is it?"

"Open it and take a look."

Timothy was silent for a moment, then slowly reached out, took the box, and opened it.

The century-old ring lay quietly in the box, its deep blue gemstone gleaming in the sunlight.

Timothy's hand paused slightly.

She stared at the ring for a long time, the sea breeze ruffling her hair, but she remained motionless.

Vio didn't disturb her, but just watched quietly.

After a long while, Timothy finally raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Why are you giving it to me? What do you want?"

Vio said calmly, "It's simple. This thing is useless to me; it belongs to you anyway."

Timothy remained silent.

"Of course, more importantly, I do need help."

Timothy stared at him for a long time, as if trying to determine the truth of his words. Finally, she slowly closed the box and put it into her bosom.

"Count of the South..." she said softly, "you are much smarter than I thought."

Vio didn't speak, he just waited.

Timothy took a deep breath, looked up, and the aloofness in his eyes dissipated considerably.

"I can tell you a few things."

Vio nodded.

"First, don't worry, I won't attack the Southern Border. I never planned to, and I certainly won't now." She paused. "The Northern Border is keeping me busy enough."

"Secondly, Philip has been abandoned. Derek may seem reckless, but he's actually quite shrewd. He's contacting Ulysses, preparing to join forces against you."

Vio raised an eyebrow slightly. "Ulysses?"

"That's right, you should have information about that hypocrite with noble status." Timothy's tone carried a hint of disdain. "He keeps a group of knights under his command, so you won't have an easy time in the ground war. Derek sought him out to make up for his disadvantage on land."

Vio nodded thoughtfully.

"There's one more thing," Timothy said, lowering his voice and becoming serious.

Finn Griffin.

Vio's gaze sharpened slightly. "That old pirate?"

"Yes." Timothy nodded. "I always thought he wouldn't get involved in these things, but I recently heard that he's making preparations as well."

"What do you mean?"

Timothy shook his head: "I don't know, but he's always been secretive. The fact that I can hear about it means he never intended to hide it."

She paused, then looked directly at Vio.

"Count Vio, you'd better be careful. Even Philip is afraid of Finn, that old fellow. Once he makes a move, it won't be a small matter."

Vio was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

Thank you for letting me know.

Timothy glanced at him, said nothing more, and simply turned and walked toward his own boat.

After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and turned around.

"This ring is a keepsake from my father." Her voice was soft, almost carried away by the sea breeze. "Thank you. Perhaps we'll work together in the future."

She strode away, and the black boat slowly sailed away from the shore, disappearing into the distant horizon.

Vio stood there, watching the ship sail away, motionless for a long time, the sea wind howling and making his cloak flutter.

Vio simply turned around, his gaze fixed on the western border, with only one thought in his mind.

The next objective is simple: Port Mari, eliminate the first pirate leader, Philip.