Woosh!

Several small galleys rapidly sped through the waves of the coast.

Each vessel contained a total of 30 rows, 15 on each side. The rowers were the former Winter Storm Pirates and the residents that had occupied the Winter Storm’s islands.

“Heave! Ho!”

A knight and a dozen soldiers from the 7th regiment were shouting their orders on the narrow deck, but the rowers continued to row diligently without speaking a word. Rather, they seemed to be trying way too hard for people who were once pirates, or sympathizers.

But there was a reason for their obedience.

The Governor-General of Leus and the 7th regiment’s commander had pardoned them all with the authority granted to them by the emperor.

Naturally, they weren’t given complete liberty without a price to pay.

Starting with Captain John Myers and the Swordfish, the pirates were sentenced to become the “Winter Storm Labor Force” under the orders of Alan Pendragon, with his authority as a duke and governor-general of the empire.

One of the dominators of the inland sea had become mere laborers overnight, but no one dared to express their dissatisfaction.

On the contrary, they were thankful that they did not share the same fate as Toleo Arangis. Anyone would shiver at the thought of getting their heads decapitated and hung from the helm of a ship. Moreover, all the orcs that had attacked the Pendragon family’s merchant ships had been killed.

All of them were dished crushed heads or had become fish food after having all of their bones crushed.

And the ultimate beings that had brought such a fate to the mighty islands orcs were…

“Haaaaaaaaph!”

They were yawning with boredom at the stern of the galley.

Ancona Orcs.

They were a tribe of orcs that neither the pirates nor the islanders had ever heard of. But unlike the island orcs, who were armed with crude, primitive equipment, the Ancona Orcs were armed to the teeth with strong armor and powerful weapons. Even some knights would become jealous of their equipment. The Ancona Orcs were on another level.

The island orcs had lived for a long time without having any natural enemies. The most threats they received were from sharks and humans. On the other hand, Ancona Orcs were experienced veterans that were in constant conflict with the powerful centaurs and various monsters like ghouls and zombies. Moreover, they battled in the rugged terrains of Ancona Mountain.

The Ancona Orcs’ strength, equipment, and above all, desire for battle was on a fundamentally higher level compared to the island orcs. It was only natural that the island orcs had been beaten like a dog after daring to attack the merchant ships.

With two or three such terrifying beings riding on each galley, the pirates did not dare rebel and rowed with all the strength they could muster.

Soon, the galleys approached the coast of a large island.

The galleys entered the natural breakwater. Over the past hundreds of years, the coral reefs, rocks, waves, and the winds had refined the coast to allow a natural anchorage for ships. Soon, the ships settled on the white, sandy beach.

Kiyaaah!

Simultaneously, loud cries resounded in the sky, and several griffons landed down.

“Sir Isla, thank you for your hard work.”

“Sir Lipton.”

The 7th regiment knight gave a military salute, and Isla nodded in response. Even though they were both knights, all of the 7th regiment knights showed respect to Isla. After all, he was the right-hand man of Leus’ governor general and duke of the empire.

However, the knights’ deference was not solely due to the differences in their status.

In the last battle, the 7th regiment troops had been successful in sinking one of the Arangis Duchy’s sailboats. Following immediately, they had approached the Blue Dragon in order to support the griffon unit of the Pendragon family.

And the sight that unfolded before them was simply shocking. Many of the 7th regiment’s soldiers had four or five years of naval battle experience, and some even spent more than 10 years on the battlefield. However, when they saw the scene, they could only open their mouths in wonder.

The deck of the Blue Dragon was covered red with blood, and the knights and soldiers of the Arangis Duchy were on the ground with fatal injuries.

On that day, Isla had killed nearly a hundred troops alone, then proceeded to drive dozens of others into a corner. He had only suffered minor injuries, and by the time the 7th regiment had arrived, the Stormbringer was preparing himself to slaughter the rest.

The unbelievable spectacle was enough to boil the hearts of the soldiers and knights of the 7th regiment. From that day on, all members of the 7th regiment under Isak came to recognize Elkin Isla as an undefeated warrior.

“What happened with the issue we discussed?”

“Yes. They should be able to last between ten days and a month on the islands that were occupied by Red Skull and Zagielka. If things become desperate, they can catch fish for food.”

“…..”

Isla nodded silently, and the knight continued on with a darker expression.

“But as predicted, the security will be a problem. Including the ones who have fled, there are still many orcs in the area. Smaller pirates as well. If they launch a surprise attack, the people will be helpless. After all, they suffered for a long time, and they must be malnourished as well. Even so, we cannot afford to send any troops.”

“Hmm.”

Isla stroked his chin while maintaining an impassive expression.

But unlike his cold appearance, he was also quite concerned about the issue as well. After the annihilation of the three major pirates, the island orcs, and Toleo Arangis, the forces of the Pendragon Duchy and the 7th regiment had divided into two units, contrary to their original plans.

One continued to sail to El Pasa as scheduled, but one remained in the waters of Latuan to recapture the islands occupied by pirates.

Thus, 15 days ago, one battleship from the 7th regiment, 300 troops, and 20 griffons stayed behind with Isla. Although it was a considerable number, it was inadequate to defend all the islands spread throughout the vast waters.

In addition, the Pendragon family’s griffons had suffered damage in the battle against the sea griffons as well. Seven were killed and six were gravely injured. The griffons would tire out from all the flying, so were unable to guard the entire area with deficient numbers.

“I am glad we have John Myers and the labor force, but we cannot maintain this forever. Even so, we are not in a situation to be asking for support from headquarters in Leus…”

It was as such.

Even though Leus possessed a significant force known as the 7th regiment, they also had their hands full defending the waters of Leus and Merlade.

There were just too many problems that could arise if they asked for any more troops from the 7th regiment.

“We have contacted the duchy, so we will be hearing from them soon.”

“Ah! You mean the knights of the Pendragon Duchy will be coming with reinforcements?”

The knight’s face lit up.

But Isla shook his head expressionlessly.

“I do not know either, our duchy is not in a very good shape either.”

“Hm…”

The knight’s expression quickly darkened.

It was then.

“Hmm…?”

A very soft sound caught Isla’s attention. He lifted his head towards the far sky, where the sound was originating from. He could see dozens of winged beasts flying towards them from the horizon.

It did not take him long to realize that they were griffons.

Isla’s gaze grew cold.

All of the griffons in this area belonged to the Pendragon family. As captain, Isla was aware of all their locations.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

Isla spoke in a low voice, then climbed on his own griffon.

“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”

At the knight’s cry, the soldiers of the 7th regiment lined up their shields and armed their crossbows.

However, as the sound grew louder, Isla stopped himself. It was a faint, but familiar noise – the whistle used to command the Pendragon Duchy’s griffons.

‘Perhaps…?’

Isla showed a rare display of astonishment as he looked to the skies.

The advancing creatures were definitely griffons of Pendragon. Moreover, they were all mounted with a rider.

Soon, the griffons settled down on the white sand.

The 7th regiment soldiers had their shields up and crossbows aimed towards the group. Several people dismounted the griffons, and a tall man with wide-shoulders awkwardly waved towards the soldiers.

“Hey! Sir Isla! Long time no see!”

“…..”

Isla remained silent as he observed the tall man with a subdued expression.

“Ugh! Motherf.. Dammit!”

The tall man started walking towards the group, then floundered around when his feet fell deep into the sand. The 7th regiment’s knight became puzzled at the sight.

“Excuse me, Sir Isla? Do you know him?”

“Ah, you should respond when someone greets you. It’s been a long time, so why don’t you say hello?”

“…..”

Killian spoke in a blunt voice, but his wide grin revealed his true emotions. A faint smile appeared on the lips of Isla as he looked at Killian.

***

A large banquet was held at the residence of the Governor-General of El Pasa for the first time in a long while.

As the residence was remodeled from an ancient royal castle, it was very spacious and luxurious. In addition, the residence was painted in intense colours, contrasting from the elegant, but strict castles of the mainland nobles. The residence was truly the pinnacle of extravagance.

Scarlet and yellow silk draped across the entire palace, and large, fluffy sofas decorated with gold were placed throughout the space. The nobles and leaders of El Pasa could be seen casually socializing on the sofas, enjoying precious alcohol and food.

The exotic dances revealing the voluptuous bodies were a feast for the eyes, and the exciting, coquettish music of the south pleasured the ears.

A banquet of El Pasa was completely distinct from its mainland counterparts.

In the free atmosphere, participants, regardless of their gender, status, and age, were busily glancing towards a particular place.

Their gazes seemed to head towards Count Cedric, the governor-general of El Pasa, but in reality, it was centered on a figure beside him.

The recipient of the countless gazes were four people – A solid-built young man wearing a simple white linen shirt and black pants, two amazingly beautiful ladies with their own unique charms, and a cute girl who roused the desire to give her charming cheeks a bite.

“Since he cut off the Orc Eater’s neck, I thought he would be a big, boisterous man…”

“That’s what I am saying! How could a man with such a fine-looking face have dealt with the violent, scary Toleo Arangis…?”

The noble ladies of El Pasa chattered endlessly.

Slowly but surely, their chatter shifted to a different topic, a fundamental subject that could never be left out in a good chatter.

“But which one of the ladies is Baroness Conrad?”

“Oh! Isn’t it obvious? It is the lady who is clinging to the duke’s side. The MUCH more elegant lady must be the eldest lady of the Pendragon family.”

At one lady’s words, every woman's gaze shifted to Lindsay.

“Hmph! Considering that she is a woman from the mainland, her figure is not bad.”

“I wouldn’t say not bad, it’s a little… big…”

At another person’s words, the women simultaneously dropped their gaze from Lindsay.

‘How could this be…’

“I lost…’

Their expressions quickly stained with helplessness.

The women of El Pasa boasted their figures to be much better than the women of the empire. However, this was the moment when the pride of El Pasa’s women shattered.

But the disappointment and the self-depreciation lasted only a moment.

They were the proud women of El Pasa. They were passionate. If they liked a man and found him attractive, they had no hesitation in spending a night with him. As such, the ladies of El Pasa stood up and confidently walked to the center of the hall where the duke and the ladies were chatting with Governor Cedric.