Lord: I can see loyalty.

Western border, Port Soldato.

The port is exceptionally bustling today.

This is the first time so many ships have come to this port since it was occupied by the pirate Derek.

The reason was Derek's caution and selfishness; he imposed extremely high port fees on ships and did not allow a large number of warships to dock.

But upon closer inspection, the ships docked at Soldato Port were clearly warships!

The ships looked much the same, with little decoration or pattern, and each ship carried a pirate warrior who surveyed the harbor.

They were the confidants of the other pirate leaders in the West!

Inside the stone fortress in the port of Soldato, the pirate leaders were gathered.

This was their first gathering since they occupied the western border.

Of course, two people were missing from this pirate gathering.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 20 ...

Philip and Timothy.

Derek sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the other two people in the room. The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere in the air.

On the left is a man lounging lazily against the back of a chair.

He was around forty years old, wearing a well-made dark robe over a light leather armor, with an elaborately decorated longsword hanging at his waist.

He had regular features and his behavior did indeed have a certain aristocratic etiquette, but there was a faint hint of murderous intent in his eyes.

He was Ulysses Quinn.

The pirate captain who had forced others to bestow upon him the title of baron knight was now leisurely sipping a glass of wine, as if the meeting had nothing to do with him.

On the right is an old man.

He sat there, and it was hard to see him unless you looked closely. His full head of silver hair was neatly combed, and his face was etched with the lines of time. He didn't look like a person from the Kingdom of Rovia.

He wore a simple gray robe without any decoration, and there wasn't even a weapon at his waist.

It was Finn Griffin.

The most senior pirate in the West, a mysterious figure whom even Philip held in awe.

The hall remained silent for a long time.

"That woman Timothy, she really betrayed us." Derek finally spoke, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "She even killed the messenger I sent."

Ulysses chuckled and put down his wine glass.

"That was expected. That woman has never been on our side. She only cares about those fat sheep in the North. When has she ever cared about the West or the South?"

He paused, glanced at Derek, and spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

"Besides, you sided with Philip to ostracize her before, and now you expect her to help you?"

Derek's expression darkened, but he didn't refute it; instead, he looked at Finn.

Finn remained seated in the shadows, expressionless, as if none of this concerned him. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse yet steady:

"She wants to go her own way."

This is the only sentence; it expresses no anger, no surprise, and not even any personal opinion.

Derek frowned, but didn't press the issue. He cleared his throat and got to the point.

"Since you all know the situation, I'll be frank: that count in the Southern Territory is more difficult to deal with than we anticipated."

"Philip is dead, and I might be next... I need your help." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the two men's faces.

This is one of the few times Derek has shown weakness.

"Once I take over Frido and Mari, I can divide the territory among you, but only if you provide enough manpower—warships and soldiers, I need them all!"

Ulysses laughed, a laugh filled with undisguised mockery.

"Derek, are you giving us charity?"

"you……!"

"Don't be in such a hurry." Ulysses waved his hand, stood up, and walked to the window. "Let me guess, are you going to say next that if we don't send any men, all those territories will be yours after you conquer them?"

Derek's expression changed, but he didn't reply.

Ulysses turned around, leaned against the windowsill, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Derek, I'm not trying to discourage you, but how much better do you think you are than Philip? At least that guy has about twenty ships and a thousand or so men he's managed to gather. What about you? You're not even as good as him. What makes you think you can win?"

"I……!"

"Let me finish." Ulysses raised his hand to interrupt him. "That count in the South was able to destroy Philip in such a short time, which means he's not someone to be trifled with. If you act rashly now, be careful you don't end up like Philip."

Derek's face turned pale and then flushed, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, but he didn't lose his temper.

Instead, he suddenly laughed.

The smile was ferocious, and carried a hint of smugness.

"You're right, I'm not confident on my own." He slowly stood up, walked to Ulysses, and looked him directly in the eye. "But what if... I'm not alone?"

Ulysses raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Derek grinned.

"I've invited someone."

He paused, then uttered the name slowly and deliberately:

"Arnold from the North Continent."

Ulysses' pupils suddenly contracted.

"That one from the Northern Continent..." His voice held a hint of disbelief, all traces of aristocratic reserve gone. "That sea bear?"

"Arnold from the North Continent."

Ulysses' pupils suddenly contracted.

"That one from the Northern Continent..." His voice held a hint of disbelief, all traces of aristocratic reserve gone. "That sea bear?"

Finn sat in the shadows, and a flicker of emotion finally appeared in his unfathomable eyes.

But it wasn't the same kind of fear as Ulysses's; it was an unexpected event.

"That's right." Derek's smile grew even more sinister. "It's him!"

Ulysses was silent for a moment, then sat back down in his chair, picked up his glass, took a sip, and spoke with feigned composure.

"……interesting."

He looked up at Derek, his gaze now more serious.

"If it really is that Arnold, I'll have to think about it."

A smug glint flashed in Derek's eyes as he turned to Finn.

"Mr. Finn, and you?"

Finn remained silent for a long time, so long that Derek thought he wouldn't answer, before he slowly spoke:

"Since you have a way to solve it, that's perfect."

He stood up, his gray robe swaying slightly in the dim light.

"This will also allow me to do more preparation."

After saying that, he walked towards the door, his steps steady and neither fast nor slow.

Ulysses glanced at Derek, stood up, dusted off his robes, and followed Finn out.

The door was closed behind me.

Derek was the only one left in the hall.

He stood there, staring at the closed door, the smile slowly fading from his face, replaced by undisguised contempt.

"What knight pirate..." he muttered under his breath, "just a coward who forced those useless nobles to be granted titles."

He glanced in the direction Finn had gone and gave a cold laugh.

"And that old geezer, the pirate among pirates? He's just playing tricks."

He turned around, walked to the window, and looked at the warships moored outside, his eyes burning with greed.

"With the sea bear's help, the entire western region will soon be mine."