"I respectfully decline."

Meredith, with a serious expression, refused outright. Mel shrugged and tried to persuade her again.

"Well, how about you guys capture Andica and give it to me? I'm sure I'll consider joining the Liberator then."

"Aoh, Xiaonai, Xiaomi are exhausted and don't know what to do."

The leader of the "Liberators" was in tears in a different sense this time...

I didn't expect to be offered the condition of "capturing the city"...

Oscar and Niaz had stiff expressions and thought: Oh no, this guy really is a pirate.

Mei'er smiled gently and made exorbitant demands on the members of the Liberator.

"So, little sister, leader of the Liberator? Are you going to give Andica to Mei-nee?"

That night.

Meredy and Mel appear on the Melkine's observation deck.

The big moon emits a soft light, illuminating the night sea.

Meredith had her hair down and was wearing a light dress and pajamas.

Before going to bed, she invited Mei'er to chat for a while.

The two of them drank from barrel-shaped beer mugs while gazing at the moon. However, since Meredith wasn't a great drinker, she simply added a few drops of alcohol to the full glass of juice.

As Miledy held the wooden barrel beer cup in both hands and sipped the beer, he looked like a child who was in a hurry to grow up, which made Meier couldn't help but smile.

"No, Meredith is an adult now. She just wants some juice today."

"Okay, okay, Xiao Mi is an adult now, and I understand."

Sister Meir patted Meredith's head with her left hand, and drank from her beer mug with her right hand. Her mug was filled with strong liquor that would burn if it came close to fire.

Meredith seemed embarrassed, and to hide it she pulled a sullen face and sipped her wine again.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, I want to tell Sister Mei about our experiences so far."

"……Yeah?"

Mel thought back to when she had used magic on Meredith to recreate past injuries.

She has a beautiful face and outstanding temperament, but she has suffered more serious injuries than the pirates themselves.

Why would she fight the world even at the risk of being seriously injured...

"Okay, Xiao Mi, tell me about your journey so far."

"good!"

Meredith smiled happily and began to talk about a past that could only be described as tragic.

Under the moonlight, the young girl, Meredith, recounted her half-life...

Finally, Mei'er heard the whole story and she unconsciously let out a deep breath.

Because there was an indescribable huge emotion accumulated in her heart, she really couldn't bear it if she didn't do that.

"It was such a tough past..."

Mei'er gave a self-deprecating smile as she could only say this.

"Hmm~ It was certainly tough, but thanks to it, I was able to meet my fellow 'Liberators', Ao and Kona. It was a wonderful journey, wasn't it?"

Miledy smiled and said that at this time, the boys were probably drinking together, and Oscar and Naz were probably talking about the same topic with Chris and the others.

Then, Meredith's expression changed, becoming serious. She looked at Mel with her eyes shining in the moonlight and expressed her sincere hope.

"Please take my hand to change the world."

Meredith held out her hand to Mel, but Mel didn't look at her.

"I refuse."

"Ahaha, I see."

Meredith laughed and immediately withdrew her hand.

"Hey, Mei'er, it's your turn to talk about your own affairs this time."

"Did you hear what Chris said?"

"Yeah, but I want to hear what Sister Mei has to say."

Seeing Meredith's innocent smile as she made this request, Meier smiled bitterly, thinking, "I really can't get past this kid..." Someone like Meredith must be what's called a "heartthrob."

"Alright, then I'll confess something. Mei-er actually has vampire blood!"

"What!! No, I'm not overreacting, I'm just genuinely surprised!"

Speaking of vampires, they are rarely seen on the mainland and can be said to be a synonym for a closed race.

The kingdom of the vampires, the Kingdom of Dustia, lies deep within the Azure Land—a vast wetland region covering the westernmost reaches of the southern continent. The vampires rarely venture out into the world. This race possesses magical prowess comparable to that of demons. Though small, it is renowned for its impenetrable power.

"Mei, Mei-sister also sucks blood?"

"Hehehe."

Sister Meier stared at Mimi's neck and licked it. Mimi let out a mournful "Ahhh!" and flinched away. Her expression was truly amusing.

"According to my late mother, my father seemed to be a vampire. The only things I inherited were my magical abilities and red eyes."

Mei'er didn't seem to have the ability to suck blood, but including being able to use magic from the Age of Gods, Miledi finally understood why Mei, as a seaman, had such superb magical talents.

"Uh~ Where is uncle?"

"My mother didn't tell me the details, so I don't know either, but it seems my father has returned to his own country."

"How irresponsible..."

"It was actually my mother who abandoned my father and left."

"What is Auntie doing!? Does she hate Uncle that much!?"

Meredith was stunned, while Mel smiled wryly. Mel's father seemed to be a noble figure among the vampires. It was said that he had originally planned to bring Mel's mother, Liju, and Mel, who was still in her womb, back to the country, anticipating the unrest that would follow.

But after some twists and turns, for the hard work that Mel's father might have to bear and Mel's life, Mel's mother Liju decided to give in and came to Andika at the end of the sea.

"Auntie is truly amazing."

"Yeah... She's a strong person, and very gentle."

But her gentle mother passed away when Mei was eight years old.

"After that, I started living in the slums. Luckily, I had magical talent, so I was able to barely survive. And because I met Chris and the others, I was able to make a living."

"But you became a pirate, didn't you?"

"Yes, because I'm dissatisfied with Bahar's rule. That man's methods are based on the law of the jungle. He doesn't care if people get hurt, die, get cheated, or become displaced. He thinks it's all because of his own weakness."

Everyone is responsible for everything, this is Andika's rule, and Mei'er doesn't think it's wrong.

However, the people that the lonely Mei'er met, and those who were willing to become her family, were all people who were hurt, deceived, and driven away by the powerful in the name of "taking responsibility for themselves."

"Then, I, who possess power, must provide them with a safe place to live and rule in a way that will be accepted and protected by all, regardless of strength or weakness. If I can't even do that, how can I be called the leader of the Free City?"

Mei said this with a carefree smile. Meredith gave a wry smile, as if to say, "This is a headache."

Because it seems that it is very difficult to persuade her to join.

But Meredith couldn't give up yet, because she vaguely sensed something.

"To provide a safe place for the weak? But Mei'er, your purpose shouldn't be just that, right?"

"...? What are you talking about? Ah, you mean power and wealth? Of course I want those too. Mei-sister is a pirate, so of course I want to satisfy my own selfish desires—"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about. You probably have other wishes that you'd rather fulfill, right?"

"...Of course I do. I have a lot of wishes that I want to fulfill. I'm a pirate after all."

Mei'er answered reluctantly. She didn't know whether she had succeeded in getting away with it.

Seeing Meredith's clear eyes staring at her, Mei'er looked away.

Sometimes there are people who, though obviously without any basis, can get to the heart of things.

Mei'er was sweating profusely. The girl who fought against the world was indeed not an ordinary person.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Meredith, but considering her position as a "liberator," she was still afraid of the possibility...

"That's it."

When I came to my senses, I saw a bright smile on Meredith's face.

Mei'er could sense that she was planning to wait for her to speak.

(It’s a headache~)

Coincidentally, the bitter smile that appeared on Mei'er's face was exactly the same as that on Meredith's just now.

After that, the two chatted a lot.

In the moonlight, the two of them snuggled up to each other and talked about everything, looking like a pair of real sisters.

On this day, Tigné made a rare appearance in Bahar's office in the palace.

The reason is to have a meal.

Today was actually Ace's birthday, and senior members including Bahar and Kelvin had thrown a celebration for him. Tigne usually attended small family gatherings like these, which was why she was waiting in the office for Bahar to finish work.

Tigne leaned against the window frame, slightly straightening his back as he gazed out the window, looking quite endearing. Ace and his subordinates in the room all had kind expressions on their faces.

"Boss, I've received reports that unusual weather conditions have become less frequent recently, and the monsters in the coastal waters are gradually returning to normal."

Hearing Ace's words, Bahar lit his cigarette and nodded.

"As expected, it seems to be related to the ruins, as it's now completely destroyed. It's a shame it can't be used as a weapon, but considering what might happen if the seal weakens... we must continue investigating as a countermeasure. In short, we have to proceed with caution."

Bahar glanced at Tigne, who averted her gaze with a subtle expression. While he knew it was necessary to continue the investigation as a precaution, dealing with the seal of "Antica's Disaster" was, after all, a laborious task.

If there's nothing wrong, it's best not to touch the seal, let alone use it as a weapon... Tigne's thoughts were all written on his face.

"What? Do you have any objections?"

“No, no, I have no objection…”

Seeing Bahar's gaze, Tigne's body trembled and he lowered his head.

Bahar smacked his lips as usual and returned to work. A while passed in a delicate atmosphere until someone's stomach finally growled, causing everyone to look up.

Then, everyone looked at each other and prepared to start preparing for the celebration banquet...

At that moment, someone suddenly spoke.

"Are you Bahar Devat?"

「!?」

There was no sign of this beforehand, and no one knew when the other person started standing there.

All I knew was that there was a man standing quietly in front of the door.

"Who are you?"

The men in black all snapped back to their senses upon hearing their leader's voice and surrounded the man. Tigne was stunned by the suddenness of the situation.

"I am Royce Byrne, Captain of the White Light Knights."

"What!"

Hearing that name, Bahar felt himself breaking out in a cold sweat. His mind was instantly filled with doubts, and his gaze was about to drift towards Tignes, but he mustered all his willpower to stop himself.

Ross ignored the wavering Bahar and Ace and the others who were frozen in place, and just carried out his mission.

"I will expel the heretics who are endangering Antica—the pirates."

"...Those guys, that's really troublesome for you. Sorry, we are so incompetent."

Bahar understood that the Kingdom of God had judged that Andika had no way to deal with it, so it took action. Bahar's words were sarcastic, but Rouse's expression remained unchanged.

"Did you come here specifically to tell us this?"

"We've dispatched a division-sized force, and it should be over in a few days. I'll come and inform you once the subjugation is complete. Until then, please demonstrate your unwavering loyalty to the Church through your actions this time."

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