Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 189

189

That place ahead is hell.

Two days after those events, Prince Erader boarded a ship once again.

Unlike before, the nobles seeing him off didn’t look so cheerful this time.

Prince Erader was trying hard to force a smile, but it wasn’t easy.

‘I made a mistake.

What happened two days ago… I really lost my mind.’

In fact, the Griffin unit was an option, not a necessity, for him.

The pirates’ momentum had been completely broken, as recognized by the nobles of the South, the sea warriors, and even Prince Erader himself.

They had suffered damage to their base, and their supplies were uncertain. If the kingdom pushed hard, they would eventually retreat and aim for the future. In that case, Prince Erader could have received some credit for defeating the pirates, even if he didn’t completely wipe them out.

However, the reason Prince Erader desperately wanted the Griffin unit was that he wanted not only Zion Claussen to be remembered for their achievements but also Prince Erader himself, who led the great victory at the end.

‘That way, the people and nobles of the South will support me.

But….’

The argument with Zion Claussen two days ago, and the emotional slip of the tongue…

He wasn’t yet confirmed as the next king, and even if he were, he should still show the utmost respect to Edgar IV, the ruler of Hispania. Yet, he dared to show a desire to infringe on the king’s rights.

A big problem had already arisen from that, but a different part would have resonated more strongly with the nobles of the South.

Even though he was still a prince, he showed a desire to suppress great noble families like the Claussen Territory with the authority and orders of the royal family, without respecting them.

Of course, he apologized and backed down immediately, but the damage was done.

What would those who saw the prince treating the nobles carelessly from the start think?

If such a prince becomes king in the future, would he show respect to them?

He was even pressuring the successor of a great noble family like the Claussens, who are loyal and devoted to the royal family and the kingdom. Wouldn’t he just draw a sword against less established nobles like themselves?

They thought it would be beneficial if that man became king, but what if it only brought losses?

‘…No.

It can’t be like that!’

The support base in the South is Prince Erader’s greatest weapon and his worst weakness at the same time.

If the South turns its back on him, all the other support bases that were watching will also disappear.

And the rapidly collapsing forces will naturally seek a new land, and the only place they can reach is one place.

‘…Vanessa.’

Prince Erader swallowed hard and tried to calm his nervousness.

It’s not like he has a sense of rivalry with his younger sister, Vanessa.

The only reason he’s struggling like this right now is to survive.

If he becomes the next king, Princess Vanessa will naturally marry a nobleman’s son and enjoy a relatively peaceful life away from power.

Since she was far from the throne in the first place, she wouldn’t attract such strong suspicion.

‘But I’m different, I’m completely different from Vanessa!’

The moment Princess Vanessa becomes the next queen, only hell will unfold for him.

If a new person becomes king, surpassing someone who was considered a strong candidate until just before, what will their supporters try to do first?

Anyone who knows even a little about power and politics will surely say this without even looking.

Remove those who could threaten the future royal authority and ensure stability.

‘If forces dissatisfied with the current king appear, who will they put forward and try to promote?

Of course, it would be the one who was closest to the throne originally.

To prevent such a situation, the king’s supporters will surely try to eliminate that dangerous element.

And in a case like now, that dangerous element is….’

Prince Erader, himself.

If he fails to become king and Vanessa takes the throne, he will surely die someday, whether his younger sister allows it or not, as he will be nothing.

That’s why Prince Erader has been so anxious.

Right now, his greatest weapon and best justification is being the ‘eldest son of the king,’ but in the future, it’s clear that it will become a noose around his neck. How can he, as a person, just stand still?

‘Both Vanessa and I know that our father put us siblings to the test for the last time.

Vanessa isn’t bad-hearted, but she’s not without a competitive spirit!

She definitely wants to make this Hispania her own!

If I’m pushed out, I die, I die!

So I can’t collapse here!’

Prince Erader gritted his teeth and vowed to himself again and again.

To survive, to prove his worth somehow in order to live.

“Your Highness.”

Fortunately for Prince Erader.

Count Bremen, the head of Isik County, who can be said to be the center of the South, still trusts the prince.

If he showed or said that he no longer supported the prince, Prince Erader would have no more hope.

“Preparations for departure are complete.

The ships from other ports will also depart sequentially.”

“…Is that so.

Then let’s leave right away.

Shouldn’t we show the pirates the kingdom’s final judgment?”

Prince Erader forced himself to speak as if nothing was wrong.

Count Bremen stared at him for a moment, then nodded with his usual expression.

―

“Captain.”

“….”

“Captain!”

The subordinate next to him shouted, and a man with a rather grim expression distorted his face and turned to the side.

His gaze was so fierce that the person who raised his voice involuntarily shrank back!

“If you raise your voice one more time…”

“….”

“Then I’ll tie you to the bow and throw you into the sea.”

At those words, the pirate nodded frantically.

If you are tied to the bow and thrown into the sea, you will naturally be swept to the bottom due to the speed of the ship.

Then, your skin will be cut and torn by the barnacles and other things attached to the bottom, causing bleeding.

I’ll leave the events that follow to your imagination.

“Hoo.”

The man, who picked his ear, looked at the sailor who was standing at attention, terrified, and opened his mouth in a very annoying tone.

“What’s the problem that makes you squawk like a seagull chick?”

“…W, what if we encounter those monsters? We already know what happens if we meet those monsters that throw fire at ships, from the news from Sardinia.”

“What can we do?

Do we have a magician, or something else?

At best, we only have bows, but even those fly in such a way that it’s hard to hit them in the first place. If those guys rush at us to kill us, we’ll either burn to death, or fall into the sea and become fish food, or, if not, we’ll be caught by the kingdom guys, and those who are hanged will be hanged, and those who are imprisoned will be imprisoned.”

“C, Captain!”

The sailors around him were even more discouraged by the way he spoke as if it were so natural.

What strength can anyone muster when they say that there’s no other way but to die no matter what they do?

“….”

The captain looked around at his subordinates, who were completely discouraged, for a moment, and then suddenly burst into laughter.

“You bastards, did you think that the guys who gathered to do piracy could live well and eat well for the rest of their lives?

You guys are lucky if you die on the sea!

Whether you burn to death, drown, or drift and starve to death!

At least it’s better than being dragged to the kingdom and hanged!

Don’t be scared, you bastards!

If you think you’re going to die anyway, then rather make a fuss, make a fuss!”

“….”

“You sons of bitches.

Think about it.

The guys who caught and killed our friends like that have returned to the port.

Do you know what this means?

It means that those monsters also need to rest, and they won’t come out to sea for at least a few days!

No, they can’t!”

Perhaps because he had been showing a fairly decent appearance, unlike other captains until now,

the sailors began to listen to the captain’s words little by little.

“Now is the chance.

If we’re scared and hide in the sea, the kingdom guys will be happy and jump around!

Do you know what the weakness of ‘fire’ is?

It burns everything, regardless of friend or foe!

Think about it!

When we engage in deck battles with the kingdom’s ships, and when we land at the port and engage in street battles, can they pour that fire again?”

“…Ah!”

The sailors exclaimed as if they had finally realized something.

Since they don’t know when flames will pour down from above, they just grit their teeth and jump into the enemy like crazy.

Then, on the contrary, they can’t use the flames carelessly, and at least they don’t have to worry about burning to death!

“The kingdom guys are thinking the obvious.

They’re definitely thinking that our pirate bastards are scared and hiding on another island, or fleeing to the distant sea, or even giving up this kind of thing and running away!

If they thought that, it’s a fucking lie!

What’s our specialty?

We’re the guys who smash the back of the head of the careless guys, slit their throats, and stab them in the back!

Those guys who were so eager to catch us are being careless, are you going to miss that opportunity?”

“No!”

Pirates are simple.

Simple, but quite aggressive and hot-blooded, and many of them immediately attack if they see even a glimmer of possibility.

Those who hesitate at sea are likely to miss opportunities, and if they miss opportunities, they have to wander the sea empty-handed without getting anything, and then return to the land with no hope.

“Fuck, let’s fuck them up!”

“If I’m going to die anyway, I’d rather smash the heads of the careless kingdom bastards and die!”

“Puha!

If you’re going to die, you die alone!

I’m going to kill all the navy guys and take the port!

With a cask [large barrel] of rum in one hand and a woman’s chest in the other, you bastards!”

The pirates, who had been drooping until just now, are shouting as if nothing had happened.

The captain looked at the scene and realized that this was really the last gamble.

Clearly, they are trying to look okay to their colleagues and themselves, but they are not really convinced and shouting.

‘So we have to get past the navy and get the port in our hands no matter what.’

The situation was so urgent that he couldn’t inform all the pirates scattered here and there in the sea.

However, he informed many pirate colleagues who had heard the news of these facts and asked them to lure the navies coming out of the port and take them as far as possible.

For one thing, pirates were one step ahead in ‘night navigation.’

‘The opportunity is only once.

Other pirates lure all the navies around, and some of our ships hold onto the navies in Sardinia port, then we enter and occupy the port as it is.

It’s something I wouldn’t even dream of in normal times, but if we go in around evening and aim for midnight, we have a chance of winning!’

Night navigation is incomparably more dangerous than day navigation.

Even near the port, the water depth becomes shallow, and the ship may run aground.

It’s too deep for a person to swim, and if it runs aground far from the port, then everyone has to die on the spot without being able to move.

For this reason, the royal navy extremely disliked moving ships at night.

Of course, it’s not that they don’t have the ability to navigate at night at all, but they strongly preferred not to, so the pirates were relatively a little more superior.

It was natural that the captain, who had once served in the navy, knew the weakness well.

The captain’s last aim was this.

At evening time, pirate ships appear at once from all directions and show their attack.

In this way, the royal navy staying in the port is drawn as far as possible, and Sardinia, which has become relatively empty, is penetrated using the night time, and occupies at least the port, even if not completely.

After that, the port itself is burned and destroyed so that it cannot be used, and then they leave the place by land or by ship.

At first glance, it seems like a reckless act with no gain, just good to die, but for the captain and the pirates, this was the best plan.

‘If the port is neutralized, the ship is also neutralized at the same time.

In addition, we have to force the kingdom guys to defend, not attack.

If we use those monsters for reconnaissance or defense purposes for a while, not for attack, we can somehow buy time.’

The forces secretly helping him sent news.

They will send supplies and ships secretly diverted from Nudia and the Holy Prussia, and even magicians.

They said that they would give support that could soon form an almost regular army-level formation, so please hold on a little longer.

‘I will hold on no matter what.

To do that, I need time.

If those monsters move again, then all these damn pirates will be scared and run to the land.

Then I can’t do anything I want to do.

Now is the time to throw the last winning move!’

You guys made me like this, and this situation is Hispania’s own fault.

So I will definitely take revenge on them, and you must experience how terrifying the existence of myself, whom you abandoned, has become a dagger.”

The captain recalled that he had once loved and devoted his whole body to Hispania, but all that came back was sharp criticism and betrayal, and he blazed his will to take revenge on Hispania.

―

“Trisha.”

At the man’s voice, a woman like a blazing flame raises her head.

Trisha quietly looked at the man who called her and waited for the next words to come out of his mouth.

“It seems like the time has come.”

“…Finally, the time has come.”

“Yes.

It’s finally here.”

Zion smiled very gently and slowly stroked the woman’s hair.

After a while, Zion moved his hand to her cheeks and then to her red lips. He stared at Trisha’s orange eyes, which reminded him of the glowing flames, and opened his mouth.

“Can you grant my request?”

…Hwareureureuk!― [Sound of flames erupting]

“…You’re stating the obvious.”

If you want, I’ll burn anything.

―――――――Author’s words―――――――

Bbwaiiaaaaaaaa!