The wounds on Swain's body that had been blown up by the tin can had almost healed, and the lives of hundreds of pirates had become his nourishment, and Swain's flesh and skin had been reshaped. However, the place where Planck had slashed with his scimitar was still covered in black feathers, and Sven's left arm was also hanging low, and it seemed that he was temporarily unable to use his strength.

The wound from the flames on the scimitar was worse than Swain had expected, and the wound showed no signs of healing at all, and if it weren't for the feathers transformed by magic to maintain it for the time being, Sven's left arm would have fallen off directly.

He folded his arms and slowly turned around to look at the two men who had been hiding behind him for a long time.

The Rice brothers stepped out from behind the door where they were hiding, and the elder brother still had a captain's suit in his hand, which he had found in the captain's quarters. "Master Jericho," the two brothers bowed slightly to Swain, their expressions were wooden, but they could still see a respectful look, "please." ”

The older of the two draped the white captain's suit over Swain's body. Now the rain was still falling, and Swain's hair was soaked with beatings, and the black feathers on his body were soaked with the rain. Although the loose clothes could not completely cover the rain, Sven at least did not have to be naked in the rain anymore.

"Are you Sinjid's people?" Swain didn't refuse them to put on clothes for himself, he looked at the Rice brothers, his tone and eyes calm.

"Yes. The younger brother replied with a bow, for he was a little shorter and Sven couldn't see his expression, "Sir Sinjid thought that you might return to Midnight Fort, so he sent men all over the south coast of Pritown to wait for you. ”

"When did you join Sinjid?"

"Twelve years ago, when the Bay of Bis tsunami occurred, our brother was rescued by Governor Sinjid, who has kept us in hiding until now. ”

"So," Sven's gaze turned slightly, and he looked around the two brothers with wooden expressions to look at the battered cabin, "Your parents don't know?"

"Yes, they don't know anything about our organization, and the Commander has given us the task when he learns that we are going to Port Biss on the Vincent. ”

"Well......" Sven nodded slightly, "So, what about the little girl?"

The Rice brothers looked at each other, and then the younger brother said, "She is our mother's niece, her parents died in an accident, we have investigated, she should be fine." ”

Sven glanced at his right hand covering the wound, and even though he had magically turned the wound, there was still blood slowly flowing out under the black feathers. "Really, then why is she so thin, did you do it on purpose?" Swain looked at the Les brothers in front of him, the two young men's clothes were also wet from the rain, and the muscles on their bodies could be seen. This is not surprising, Sinjid has spent a lot of effort to cultivate these secret troops, even if they are usually hidden in all corners of the people, their physical fitness is no worse than that of regular soldiers.

The words that Sinjid had said to Swain still rang in his ears. "Please believe and remember my words, my troops, even if they are the opponent of the entire Southern Army, will never be inferior in the slightest, they are real war machines. ”

"Yes......" The elder brother of the Les brothers lowered his head, carefully figuring out what Swain meant, "although we can get a special allowance from the chief, Charlotte must look very depressed because of the need to hide her identity from being detected by others. ”

Seeing the Rice brothers' nervous appearance, Swain waved his hand casually, signaling that they didn't have to. "I'm just casually asking, you should know who the young lady is with me, right?"

"Yes, according to the information we have received, that lord should be the eldest princess of the Empire, Her Royal Highness Katerina Higrid No. Gion-Godunov, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Alexander. ”

"Yes, Her Highness cares about Charlotte, and she specifically asked about it, so that's why I asked. ”

The Les brothers bowed their heads respectfully, they were not too afraid of the identity of the eldest princess, but since Swain specifically mentioned it, even if Swain's tone was just a casual question, they didn't dare to be too contemptuous. "If His Highness wishes...... "Brother carefully organizes his words, "we will provide Charlotte with some better food and clothing." ”

"You don't have to worry about this, Her Royal Highness Catalina loves Charlotte very much, and she may want to take Charlotte away and raise her. ”

The two brothers were taken aback, and it was a great gift for Her Royal Highness the princess of the empire to raise a little girl who was a commoner. "If Your Highness has such a will, then we will never object. The Rice brothers didn't have much affection for Charlotte, after all, they had joined Sinjid's staff at a very young age, and the superfluous emotions had long since been erased.

"Then I'll leave it to you on the Rice's side. Swain patted the Les brothers on the shoulder and made their way to the cabin.

Behind him, the Rice brothers bowed respectfully. However, while they were still keeping their heads down, the sixth sense, which had been trained for many years, reminded them that danger was coming. Before the two brothers could look up to see the situation, the crow that flew out from under the captain's suit had already pecked into their hearts.

The young brothers' eyes widened and they looked at Swain in disbelief. Vitality was rapidly draining, and although they had been strengthened by Sinjid's potions and training, they were flesh and blood, pierced into the heart by sharp beaks, and they only had the last few seconds to remain.

Swain turned his back to the Rice brothers, and didn't turn around. "This fellow Sinjid," his gaze was even colder, as cold as the storm, "it's a little carried away, and it looks like it's going to have to be beaten." ”

He left the two brothers who had fallen on the deck and took a step. The leather shoes stepped on the deck mixed with blood and rain, and the shoes that were once clean and shiny were now stained with a deep red color.

————————————

The eldest princess, who was left in the room by Swain, waited for the result in a haunted manner, and she didn't dare to go out for an afternoon, so she could only wait helplessly with Charlotte. During the long wait, she thought about a lot, and she gradually began to wonder if her actions were worth it.

Because of the sudden favor shown by her grandfather, Emperor Nicholas I, the eldest princess developed a desire for power and decisively embarked on this path. She was a resolute and determined person, and she said things like "What's the use of making such a determination if you don't do anything", but what happened next was completely different from what she had imagined before, and she never thought that she would be so shaken.

She can woo Swain, or she can accept Swain's unscrupulous style of acting in order to achieve her goals, because Caterina once thought that she was such a person. However, she is still too young after all, even if the royal life and education allow her to grow up quickly, there are some things that she can't abandon.

Ordinary girls at her age can't help but have some fantasies, just like Sophia. Even though Caterina had long understood that these fantasies could not become reality, even she felt that it was not a fault to have such fantasies. When Swain fled Porto Leon with her, she was affected by this emotion, even that feeling, and even obsessed with it, but now, she is once again tormented by the difference between ideal and reality.

Although the eldest princess had already made up her mind, she was still unprepared for the throne of the emperor, just like her uncle, who was only blinded by desire, but did not see clearly the responsibilities that required sitting in this position. Caterina is deeply terrified of Swain's plans, and the Earl Jericho seems to have truly abandoned the most primitive goodness of humanity and sacrificed himself to the demons. Caterina thought she was the same person as Swain, but when Swain said his intentions, Princess Celestia realized that she was still a soft-hearted person. That's why she took Charlotte in.

Now her feelings about Swain are extremely complicated, the melancholy expression that Swain shows when he yearns for freedom, and the coldness and cruelty when he says "they will all clean them up and be with this ship", the two images are intertwined in Princess Celestia's mind. Now Caterina couldn't see Swain for what he really was, and she had thought she knew the man who was always expressionless, but now she realized that she didn't know anything about Swain No. Jericht.

Is this really right? Is the so-called emperor just a synonym for a cold will, and does not need the emotions that human beings should have? The eldest princess stared blankly at herself in the mirror, for her, the impression of the throne of the emperor came entirely from her grandfather, and she was sure that Nicholas I was definitely not such a person. "If it were Grandpa, what would he do?" she was in a daze, not even noticing that she was making a sound.

Charlotte, who had been lying on the bed tossing and turning, heard the voice of Princess Celestia talking to herself, and she stood up, her little face full of worry. "Sister, did you just say something?"

Charlotte's voice pulled Celestia's scattered thoughts back, and she immediately smiled and looked at the little girl. "It's okay, my sister is just worried about my brother. ”

Hearing Princess Celestia mention Swain, Charlotte unconsciously flinched, she was still scared of Swain. "It's been a long time since there has been a sound," she said, frowning little as the sound of gunfire had terrified the poor girl, "Is it the pirates who have been repulsed?"

"I guess so. Princess Celestia kept smiling, but her heart was not as optimistic as she said. The sound of the exchange of fire had stopped for a while, but then it started again, and there was even the sound of cannonballs. She knew that there were no shipboard guns on the Vincent, so the sound of the guns could only come from the pirates' ships. Anyone who compares the difference in combat power between the two sides can understand that the sailors on the Vincent have no chance of winning at all, and the pirates also took out cannons, and when the cannons sounded, Princess Celestia even wondered if the ship would sink.

After all, Caterina had never seen Swain's true combat prowess, and even though Swain had shown her the tip of the iceberg of the wizarding world, Princess Celestia still couldn't accept the magic of magic so quickly. If the resounding of the firefight was the beginning of Swain's fight with the pirates, now that the gunfire has stopped, is it time to decide the winner?

Although Celestia has mixed feelings about Swain now, she can't help but worry about Swain. In any case, if she, a weak woman, wants to escape such a desperate situation, she must have Swain's help. Caterina thought very clearly, if Swain wins, then the deck should be safe now, but if he loses, then it is useless to hide in this room, the pirates will definitely find themselves.

As a princess of the Empire, how could she be a trembling coward in such a place!, Princess Celestia stood up, and the pride of refusing to retreat at Porto León returned to her. "Charlotte," she said softly, stroking the little girl's hair, "Sister went up to see what was going on, would you stay here obediently?"

Charlotte, who has always been docile and obedient, refused to listen to Princess Celestia this time, and she firmly grasped the hem of Caterina's skirt for fear of being left behind by her. "Sister," she looked at Celestia with pleading eyes, "will you take me with ......you?" I'm scared of ......."

Princess Celestia pursed her lips, and although Charlotte didn't say what she was afraid of, Caterina could understand that she was afraid that she would be left alone. "Okay. The eldest princess sighed, she still relented, "But you must follow your sister firmly!"

Charlotte nodded vigorously, and the look in her eyes finally relaxed. "Well, you can ...... Can I go and see Aunt Rice......'s like that? I'm worried about them. She lowered her head and said very softly, probably because she thought that this request was excessive, so she did not dare to look at the face of the eldest princess at all.

What a good boy. Charlotte gently caressed Charlotte's face, and she felt even more pity for the poor and sensible girl. "If you have the chance, go over and have a look, do you know where their room is?"

"Hmm!" Charlotte nodded excitedly after receiving an affirmative reply from Princess Celestia. Her affection for the eldest princess is unreservedly grateful, and in her eyes, there should be no more gentle and kind person than the eldest princess.

So, Princess Celestia took Charlotte out of the room. They take every step with great care, at this time, even the passengers of the ship can become irrational thugs, and they can best protect themselves if they try not to attract attention.

The aisle in the cabin was pitch black, and there should have been bright lights in the aisle, but it seemed that the pirates had cut off the power, and all the lights were dim, and the eldest princess could only grope with her own memories and move slowly. Several times, she stepped on soft things, although Caterina sometimes has some girlish fantasies, but she is not an innocent girl who does not know the world, she knows very well what she is stepping on, but she does not scream, even if it is only on the surface, she remains as calm as possible.

Charlotte also didn't speak, silently being held by the eldest princess, and struggled to move forward among the corpses. The little girl's strength exceeded Celestia's expectations, perhaps because of the tragedy of the death of her parents, Charlotte is always extraordinarily sensible.

Celestia kicked her foot up the steps, she knew the hallway was here, and she could walk to the deck just by following the hallway. In the dark, Princess Celestia pulled Charlotte to step on the steps carefully, for fear that she would fall down in the air. And the light gradually appeared in front of them, and the deck was already close in front of them.

Caterina heard the wind and the rain, and in the midst of the wind and rain, she faintly heard someone talking.

It was Swain!, though the voice was indistinct, but Caterina was so impressed by Swain's tone that she immediately judged it to be Swain's voice.

Then in the faint light, Princess Celestia hurried to the hatch and onto the deck.

However, the first thing she saw was the Rice brothers falling behind Swain.

She froze in place, not even the corpses of pirates and sailors on the ground as hard as Swain's killing of the Les brothers. "Why......" she muttered, staring blankly at Sven.

"Huh?" Sven frowned, looking at the Celestia who was still standing, he had not deliberately used his magic to sense the movement on the ship since he repelled the pirates, so he did not notice the Celestia in the first place.

"Puff"

Charlotte fell to her knees on the bloody and rain-soaked deck, her white dress quickly dyed red. "Brother Reddy, Brother Simon......" Her eyes froze on Brother Rice's corpse, tears streaming from her eyes, and the rain stained her face.

Princess Celestia immediately crouched down and hugged Charlotte tightly, covering her eyes. "Why are you doing this!" she cried out, the emotions in her heart as fierce as the storm, "didn't you say that even you have your own principles for acting?"

"I kept my principles and promises, and that's why the girl in your arms survived. Sven looked at Caterina coldly, he had warned Celestia before, but she still hadn't changed it. Swain now feels that he has mistaken this princess, although she left a firm and determined impression on Swain at first, but in the past few days, the performance of the eldest princess has really disappointed Swain.

"But why did you kill her brothers, don't you think that if you let her lose her loved ones, it won't count as a harm to her?"

"If that's the case, then there are too many people you want to sympathize with!" Sven's voice also became louder, his wound was still bleeding, and the magic not only did not suppress his injury, but also failed to suppress his feelings, "these people, all the people who died here, do you have to sympathize with them, do you need me to save the lives of all of them, will you be satisfied?"

Princess Celestia's slender neck twisted slowly, and she looked around at the corpses on the deck, the pirates' deaths were horrific, but there was no fear of corpses in her heart at this time. "You have the power to save the sailors!" she roared, the rain had completely ruffled her hair, "but you would rather die than save them! You can kill all these pirates, why do you have to watch all the innocents die before you do it?"

"That's enough!" Swain couldn't help but roar, his wound cracked open, blood staining his white coat red, "Your Highness Katerina Higrid No. Gion-Godonov, you don't know anything about the secrets that our Jericho family keeps, and you don't understand how to take on the responsibilities of the Emperor. If you are still so naïve, then you don't have to mention your ridiculous ambitions to me again, and I advise you to stop dreaming about that throne, you don't deserve it at all!"

Swain's words were almost the deepest insult, seared deep into Princess Celestia's heart. Caterina stared blankly at Swain, not knowing what to think of this man now, or what to think of her fantasies about Swain.

Ignoring the princess sitting on the floor, Swain shook off the hem of his shirt and walked to the bow of the boat. "If you seek salvation!" shouted Swain, turning his back to Katarina, "then I tell you that you never want to think about it! You have knocked on the gates of hell when you embark on this path, and I am the devil you have unleashed." Now the people on this ship, except for you and me on this deck, only the child in your arms can survive!"

The whole ship trembled as Swain shouted, and the hatch that Princess Celestia had just walked out of suddenly closed automatically, and black feathers gradually covered the surface of the ship.

"What are you going to do—" Caterina had never been so scared of Swain as she was now, and in her sight, Swain's black wings spread out again, but this time she couldn't help but feel any beauty in Swain. The Vincent seemed to be a living creature, and Caterina could even feel the rhythm of breathing coming from the deck.

The hole that had been punched by the shell was now covered in black feathers, and Caterina suddenly realized that Swain had completely sealed off the interior of the ship, blocking all the passages in the cabin and on the deck.

"Wait! Aunt Charlotte's still in there, and so many more! Don't do that, Sven, count me begging you—"

Celestia's pleas were not answered by Swain, and after the black feathers covered the entire ship, Celestia heard in despair the wails and chewing sounds from the cabin. The Vincent has been turned into a monster by Swain, yes, a monster, just like Swain.

Charlotte had already been stunned by all this, whether it was the sight of her brothers dying in front of her, or the fact that her aunt was still in the cabin, it was almost fatal to the poor little girl.

Swain didn't pay any attention to Celestia at all, more and more blood was coming out of his wounds, and the magic coverage couldn't stop his injuries from getting worse. But he had to persevere, and at such a cost, he could not stop, and even if there were many sacrifices, he had to harden his heart and continue to move on, deceiving himself, telling himself that it was all necessary, and only then could he let the ship go to Fort Midnight and carry on his purpose.

"Forward!" he gritted his teeth and roared loudly, "towards Midnight Fort—"