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Salt and Blood - Chapter 161
🕑 Added 2025-05-07 12:20:35 +0000 UTC<< Chapter 160 | Table of Contents | Chapter 162 >>
2.67 - Old Monsters
If you ask me, you don’t learn much after that first century. If I live to see a second I’ll probably end up fighting the god of death when he finally comes to claim my aching bones. My advice is to live big and live fast, everything after fifty is damn tedious
-Quoted from Admiral Valynor, Chief Commander of the Minenblum Royal Navy
“Lord Admiral, we have received some worrying reports from our spies in Nirodas,” a commodore said, bowing as he entered the Admiral’s quarters.
“This better not be another pointless waste of time,” Valynor said without looking up from the book he was writing in.
The commodore gulped nervously, an image of the last poor sod to give a ‘pointless’ report to Valynor strung upside down to the mast, stripped naked and left to hang as they sailed to their destination. He was still up there three days later.
“I assure you it is information your lordship will want to hear,” he said confidently, stepping right in front of the admiral’s desk.
The admiral waved a hand for the man to speak, still not looking up. It was rare that Valynor deemed the business of others more important than his own. An ear was all he was willing to spare his subordinate, unless the information truly was worth acting on.
His experience led him to believe that it was rarely a great idea to deviate from your existing strategy based on circumstances, unless a truly momentous change occurred. Which was usually never…
“The reports said that representatives of Derridas, Zoria, and the Emerlan Isle met in Nirodas. Included in the meeting were the pirate Rose Everblue, who led the assault on Eastfel Bay along with Duchess Windvayne of Derridas and even General Vagor of Zoria,” the commodore said, reading from a list of names the spies had provided him with.
“So you interrupted my work in order to tell me that a few big fish met in their little pond. What does that change, you imbecile? Whether one tadpole or one thousand stand in my path, it makes no difference. I am the unstoppable Admiral Valynor,” he said coldly.
The commodore was shitting himself. In fact, if the admiral had raised his voice or shouted he would have been less worried.
It was when Valynor used a calm and collected tone that he was devising a devious punishment for the unfortunate soul who had wasted his time or annoyed him. However, to the commodore’s surprise the admiral simply returned to his writing and waved him out.
As he opened the door to leave, the admiral cleared his throat, making him freeze. “Take that idiot down from the mast when you get on deck,” he said.
He was about to sigh in relief before remembering he was still in earshot of the admiral. Instead, he straightened up and replied, “Yes, sir!” with a salute, before shutting the door and rushing away as fast as possible.
Admiral Valynor smirked as he watched the young officer retreating with his tail tucked between his legs. No backbone, the youth today. You have to risk a court martial or two if you want to climb the ladder, he inwardly lamented.
Despite what he’d told the young commodore, the news was a little worrying to Valynor. Three nations of the Bluestone Sea meeting to discuss an alliance in Nirodas was a real threat.
A threat to his free time.
He’d only agreed to help King Malthax out this time by personally setting sail because he thought he’d only have to wipe one puny nation off the map. If instead he needed to destroy three, then he’d be away from home far too long.
Oh well, at least I can remind these young fools who really rules these seas. It’s good to stretch these old legs once in a while, he decided, before returning to his writing.
They were between Zoria and Minenblum right now, on a course for the Emerlan Isle. However, the reports stated that the target was heading for Derridas. A cruel smile appeared on Valynor’s face as a genius idea came to mind.
***
Rose’s head was still ringing as she stumbled onto the deck of the ship. The lingering effects of last night’s celebrations with Everyn and his brother almost made her swear to never drink rum again. Almost.
It had started out with just her and the two princes. The second prince joining had been a surprise, but when he’d asked to join her and Everyn saw no reason to refuse.
Despite his poor attitude at the beginning of their last voyage, the attack on Eastfel Bay had tempered him. He wasn’t completely insufferable to be around anymore.
They’d started with ale, since apparently that was the only way to drink ‘properly’. Rose was still new to it, so she trusted Everyn and went along with the flow.
As it turned out, the second prince was able to hold his drink far better than his older brother. Everyn was already slurring his words by the time they moved onto the rum, whereas Rose and the second prince were having a cheery conversation.
At some point, a few of the soldiers had turned up and Everyn loudly invited them to join. They seemed embarrassed and nervous to drink with their princes, but at his insistence they joined.
Once everyone was drunk, it no longer mattered. They sang, drank, ate, and made merry for the entire evening until they either passed out. The lucky ones in a bed, the unfortunate sods in a puddle of their own puke.
Rose was one of the former, thankfully. She’d had the presence of mind to stumble to her uncle’s house before her mind was truly gone.
However, her uncle had been less than pleased to be woken up in the middle of the night by a loudly yammering, drunken niece. Nonetheless he embraced her and put her to bed.
Breakfast had been a tad awkward, but her father and uncle’s happiness at having her back in one piece after the attack on Eastfel Bay far outweighed their annoyance and disapproval at her drunken antics.
After all, they’d been fifteen once. They remembered what had gone on in the taverns.
Rose’s uncle was joining her on the next voyage, given that he was the head ambassador for the Emerlan Isle in the upcoming alliance meeting with Zoria and Derridas. Her father was sorry to see her go, but he had long since understood that he couldn’t keep his daughter on a leash.
Everyn and his brother had yet to arrive. They would be coming from the palace with the rest of the assigned ambassadors.
Rose was quite impressed with how fast the king had selected the worthy talents from among his clamouring subjects, but she supposed he would already know which of them were best suited to what roles. If he didn’t, then he would be a shoddy king.
As she walked towards the middle of the deck, Daniel clambered out of the ladder hole from the lower decks. He was covered in grease and sweat, wearing overalls that were no less stained than his skin.
“Whaz all that?” Rose mumbled, waving an arm at him.
“Unlike some people, I’ve been hard at work making more modifications to the ship. I believe it should sail around five percent faster and the arcane cannons have a shorter firing delay and about ten percent more piercing power,” he replied with a pointed stare.
“Hey, we deserved to celebrate after all that! It’s not my fault you’re a boring loner,” Rose said with a huff.
“I resent that. Anyway, how did things go in the palace? Jason was worried the king might lock you up for being a pirate, even though I told him there was no chance after he’d already met you once,” Daniel continued.
“Pffff, as if. That old geezer puts on a stiff face but he’s a softie on the inside. In fact, it’s the opposite of our gentle giant’s worries,” Rose said with a booming laugh.
Hearing how casually she spoke of the king made Daniel, her uncle, and any soldier close enough to overhear their conversation go pale in worry. However, they were getting more used to her attitude by now and decided to ignore her and continue with what they had been doing.
“The opposite? What do you mean?” Jason asked, appearing from behind her and startling Rose.
“Gosh, you really are nimble for a guy your size, Jason. And your core, what the hell!? It’s been like three days, you’re a monster!” Rose exclaimed as she inspected his circuits while greeting him.
He simply shrugged. His overwhelming talent for arcane cultivation was a mystery to Jason, everyone who knew him, and probably even the pantheon themselves. “Tell me about what happened. What did you mean by the opposite?” he asked once more.
Rose grinned to her ears, pulling the envelope bearing the royal seal from inside her overcoat. Waving it in the air for a moment, letting everyone see it as their eyes went wide in realisation, she then returned it to her jacket.
“You’re killing the big guy. Stop being so cruel,” Daniel said, though he also wanted to know what was in the envelope just as badly. “What is it?”
“Hehehe,” Rose chuckled. “A lady never tells.”
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Comments
Catherine Luong
No time for a chat about divine parantage with her father? Kids these days. ( joking of course, but I think it could’ve been done over a drink or a few)
