Lord: I can see loyalty.

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Central urban area of ​​the western border, town of torrential rain.

This is a remote fishing village that is almost unknown to anyone.

There was no port, and no merchant ships passed by. Only a few dozen dilapidated wooden houses were scattered along the coast, and a few old fishermen were mending fishing nets in the sunset.

No one would associate this place with the "Pirate King Finn".

An inconspicuous horse-drawn carriage stopped at the entrance of the village.

But another pirate king, Ulysses, jumped off the vehicle, frowned as he glanced at the dilapidated place, and then walked towards the village.

Behind him followed four fully armed knights, true knights of the West, dressed in fine plate armor, with longswords at their waists, and marching in unison.

"You can wait here," Ulysses waved his hand and walked towards the village alone.

He walked along several muddy paths and finally stopped in front of the most dilapidated wooden house.

The door was ajar, and a faint fishy smell and the crackling of burning firewood could be heard from inside.

"Finn, it's me." He pushed open the door.

The room was dimly lit, with only an old man sitting by the fire, holding a fishing net that was being repaired.

He raised his head, revealing a face etched with the lines of time. His eyes remained as deep as an ancient well, revealing no emotion.

"Ulysses," Finn's voice was hoarse but steady, "sit down."

Ulysses did not sit down, but stood in the doorway, looking down at him.

"How long are you going to hide? You've come to my side to hide."

He spoke directly, his tone filled with suppressed dissatisfaction, "That count in the South has already taken over Philip and Derek's territory, and Timothy has also sided with him."

"Of the five great pirates of the West, only the two of us remain. Do you still intend to stay here and be a fisherman?"

Finn kept his head down, continuing to mend the fishing net, without looking at him.

"That's none of my business."

"Unrelated?" Ulysses sneered. "You're not really stupid, are you? You really think that guy came to the Western Regions for the sake of the people there?"

"He's here to annex the West! Once he's recovered from his battles with Philip and Derek, you and I will be next!"

Finn didn't look up, but simply said, "I'm no longer a pirate, just an ordinary fisherman."

Ulysses frowned as he stared at the old man before him.

He suddenly realized that he really couldn't see through the other person.

Is this old man truly indifferent, or does he have ulterior motives?

"Finn," he softened his tone, "we've known each other for so many years, I know how well you've kept things hidden."

"That count is no ordinary man. The fact that he was able to defeat both Philip and Derek in such a short time means he possesses abilities we don't know about. Only if you and I join forces do we have a chance to fight back, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Finn finally raised his head, his deep eyes meeting Ulysses's. "Otherwise, I'll lose my old life here?"

Ulysses did not speak again.

Finn stood up and hung the fishing net on the wall. His movements were slow, yet they exuded an indescribable calmness and composure.

“Ulysses, I’ve lived for almost fifty years and seen too many people trying to secretly annex the Western Territory, whether it’s nobles from the capital, great bandits from the Northern Continent, or even the pirate kings within our Western Territory…” He paused, “but all I know is that they are all dead, and I am still alive.”

He turned around and looked at Ulysses.

Do you know why?

Ulysses remained silent.

"Because I never fight," Finn's voice remained calm. "If they want land, I'll give them land; if they want wealth, I'll give them wealth; if they want fame, I'll give them fame."

"I'm just an old fisherman hiding in a corner; who cares about a fisherman?"

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and gazed at the gray, misty sea in the distance.

"That Earl of the Southern Border wants the entire Western Border, so I'll give it to him. I only want my island and my fishing boat. He won't come looking for me, and I won't go looking for him."

Ulysses gritted his teeth, his facial muscles twitching slightly.

"You...you're just giving up like that?"

"It's not about admitting defeat," Finn said without turning around. "It's about survival."

The room remained silent for a long time.

Finally, Ulysses turned and strode away.

His boots slammed against the wooden planks, making a dull thud that was particularly jarring in the quiet fishing village.

"Finn." He stopped at the door, without turning around, "Don't regret it when you find out that the earl won't let you off the hook either!"

Finn still did not answer.

Ulysses slammed the door shut and stormed out.

…………

In the western border, atop the towering Eagle's Beak Cliff.

Ulysses' castle stands at the highest point of the peninsula, surrounded by the sea on three sides and a steep mountain wall on the other, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the gray stone walls, turning the entire castle into a terrifying blood red.

Ulysses, his face grim, strode into the castle, through the corridor, and into a spacious hall.

Rows of fine knight's armor hung on the wall, gleaming with a chilling light in the candlelight.

He walked to the set of armor in the very center and stopped.

That was his knight's armor.

It was more ornate than any other armor, with eagle patterns engraved on the shoulder armor and a blood-red gem set in the center of the breastplate.

"The Earl of the Southern Border..." he murmured to himself, reaching out to stroke the cold armor.

Behind these armor sets lies the result of his painstaking efforts over many years.

A full five hundred elite "pirate knights".

They were not ordinary pirates, but the best of the best among the wandering knights, impoverished nobles, and mercenaries he recruited from all over the Western Regions.

Ulysses equipped them, trained them, and gave them the best conditions.

Nominally, he was the only nobleman in the Western Territory with the status of a knight, but in reality, he already commanded a knight army capable of sweeping across the Western Territory.

Philip has warships, Derek has elite warriors, Timothy has intelligence and the North, and Finn has intelligence that others cannot see.

But he has a knight!

During the time that Philip and Derek were fighting Vio, he did not simply stand by and watch the Earl of the South invade the West.

His army of knights is also constantly growing!

"Since that old man claims he's no longer a pirate..."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the standing armored soldiers, a burning ambition igniting in his eyes.

"Then I will be the one and only Pirate King!"

He clenched his fist, his voice echoing in the hall.

"I will definitely defeat you!"

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the wall, as if he could see the distant south.

"Count Vio of the Southern Border!"

The renowned author Tianciliu has joined the platform with his new work, "Lord: I Can See Loyalty"!