'Royal Conqueror'... Joseph chuckled. Of course. He wasn't even the least bit surprised.

The woman was standing right at the edge, putting one of her legs on a gunwale. She had shoulder-length orange hair, and was fairly tall, almost Joseph’s height tall - around 185 centimeters. Her bulging muscles were noticeable even underneath the thick uniform and coat.

She was just standing there, like the pointed guns of the Morning Star crew weren’t bothering her at all. The woman was munching on an unfamiliar red fruit, before tossing its remains overboard.

“If you wanted to negotiate, then at least follow the law of good manners. You should put your sticks away.”

She laughed at Alchfrid’s proposition.

“A terrifying scourge of the void is afraid of some tin toys?”

“The terrifying scourge would have shot you on sight, captain. I still haven’t learned your name.”

“Oh, you realized I was the captain.” She smiled. “Why would you want to learn the name of the Imperial dog? Want to get yourself a date?”

Alchfrid chuckled.

“I can appreciate the beauty of any human, arid, or tree, just as well as the next person. I wish to know the name so that I had something to put on the wall next to the head, when I cut it off.”

The captain of the military ship shrugged.

“At least you were nice enough to keep your crew on a leash, and ask for my name, not demand it. Amelia Wolfhound, captain of the ‘Thunder Blade’.”

“What brings you to our little corner at the edge of the known Threshold, captain Wolfhound?”

She looked around and gestured her subordinates to lower the weapons. They followed with slight hesitation, but no one said anything against it.

Alchfrid did not repeat her actions, but instead nodded to Xander, who lowered his weapon a bit. The rest of the crew were keeping the positions.

Amelia found it amusing.

“Now you’re the one being rude, captain. We showed you our peaceful ways, opened our hearts, and your people are still willing to put a bullet into these poor hard-working soldiers?”

Alchfrid tilted his head.

“I see you got some new toys with you. Give us the same number of them, then we can discuss manners and fairness. That said, you wanted to talk, and I am listening.”

She coughed, pulled out a scroll from the belt, and unfolded it.

“To any and all thieving parties in Lower Riches, Neutral Frontier, and Sumeilien territory, you are offered the official Pardon by the Emperor itself! All you have to do is to lower your weapons, surrender your ship and follow the instructions of the authorities! You are to be provided with all necessary living commodities until you receive the official contract, signed by the High Judge of Tribunal and Emperor itself, that absolves you of any crimes prior!”

Emperor ‘itself’?

Alchfrid turned his head to Xander.

“What’s your take on this?”

The quartermaster cracked his neck.

“Sounds real enough. If there is someone that has the authority for such a decision, Emperor is definitely one, of course, closely followed by the Tribunal. And the High Judge has the last word in that instance.”

The members of the crew were glancing at each other. Whispers filled the air around them.

Captain Wolfhound folded the scroll back, tied a bullet to it with a rope, and tossed it across the gap. Xander snatched it out of the air.

“This was the expression of our good will. We are giving you the full week to think it over. Tell to all your buddies too. When you decide to accept the proposition, dock in any of the Imperial towns, or surrender to any military ship.”

Alchfrid took his tricorne off.

“Captain, do you have any idea about what your precious Empire is up to?”

She frowned.

“Of course. We are keeping the Threshold free from the threats to the citizens of the Sumeilien.”

“By buying deadly gas, that can turn entire islands into graveyards, where grass doesn’t grow and animals die out in horrifying ways? By strong-arming the pirates, turning them into privateers, sending them to fight a war against the country, which had done nothing to them personally? Selling experimental weapons left and right? From what you are protecting the citizens, exactly? Because, as I see it, the Empire itself has to be isolated from everyone else.”

His tone was calm and casual, but Joe felt the slight changes in his voice during that speech.

“If you really want to help merchants and innocents, go down into the Lord’s Maw, and hunt Menaces there. This place has been a problem for over a decade now, yet the Admiralty never bothered to clean it up properly.”

Amelia Wolfhound was silent.

“...Do you have any proof of your brazen words?”

Alchfrid chuckled.

“What kind of proof do you want, captain?”

She removed her leg from the gunwale and crossed the arms on the chest. Her face was no longer smiling.

“You say we buy the deadly gas and use it to destroy islands. This is a story you tell to the fanatics of Hrothgar, not to me. Then, your accusation of selling experimental weapons. I have not seen any on the outside, only ones strictly for military purposes. I demand a concrete and visible proof if you stand by your words.”

Alchfrid nodded to Joe.

“Joe, show her our new pistol.”

Joseph pulled out the electric revolver and raised it up above his head.

The soldiers were looking at each other. Amelia’s face turned into a mask.

“That doesn’t prove much. Might be just one sample that you stole from the dead hands of a soldier on the way.”

Joe heard a laugh from the Captain.

“We have a crate full of these things. If you wish to see it with your own eyes, we can show you, as long as you come alone. I give you my word - we will not touch a hair on your head, unless you pull something on us first. You can keep your weapons too.”

She furrowed her eyebrows.

“A charming proposition… Is this your way of calling me out?”

“No. This is the deal I offer to you right now. You wanted proof, you got it. If you want, I’ll make an Oath right there. How does that sound?”

Amelia reluctantly shrugged.

“...Why don’t you bring more of them here? Also, you never answered to the first accusation.”

“They are connected, my dear captain Wolfhound.” Alchfrid nodded to a couple of people from the crew, sending them to get the weapons. “If you are willing to at least partially accept that experimental weapons are out there in the open, then we can talk about Nature’s Bane.”

Her eyes widened.

“...About what?!”

“Oh, so you heard about it. Then it makes everything easier. Hey, there are the toys I promised. Beautiful, aren’t they?”

The crew brought some revolvers, sniper rifles, and revolving rifles. Captain Wolfhound frowned.

“...Still not a concrete proof. You simply grabbed a crate full of this stuff from an unfortunate patrol ship. But I am willing to listen. What was that about the Nature’s Bane?”

“How long have you been in the Navy, captain?”

“...How does that relate to it?”

“Directly. Have you heard the name Gustav Drought?”

She slowly nodded.

“Yes. What of it?”

“He has been buying barrels full of Nature’s Bane from a certain citizen of the Empire, wife of Alexander Wolkur. Three hundred thousand Zinks for each delivery, every month. Want to read a contract?”

“I’ve never heard anything about Nature’s Bane being a dangerous gas. This is an energy source! It can’t destroy an entire island! There is nothing wrong with using it while supplying military!”

Alchfrid laughed.

“The name didn’t tip you off, did it? Then I suggest traveling to Stone Maw Island and taking a long look at everything that happened there. This is the place that got turned inside out by this very thing. That was also the place where we got the weapons, and I believe, some are left there still. You don’t trust me, because I am just a pirate - then see everything for yourself.”

That’s not a very good idea. The forest is gone, and mine is annihilated. They will find nothing there, except for wasteland... And mansion and buildings themselves. Well, if they find the barrels where we left them and connect the dots…

Amelia remained calm on the outside, but her gaze was intense.

“Why should I believe you?”

Alchfrid shrugged.

“That’s up to you. Your task was to make us surrender. I told you why we cannot surrender. You demanded proof. I showed you one. You found it insufficient. I pointed you to the place, where you can see everything for yourself. What you are going to do with that information is none of my concern. See, captain Amelia Wolfhound of Sumeilien Navy, you were reasonable and polite not to start shooting straight away like a monkey. I responded in kind. There is nothing more I can offer to you. Unless you really want to propose a duel to the bitter end. Or…”

Captain chuckled.

“...Or unless you really want to go on the date with me. I am a gentleman, I assure you. No crew either, just you and me, underneath the serene veil of stars, the crescent moon, and the Threshold…”

“Quite a romantic, aren’t you, captain Alchfrid?”

“What can I say - I love powerful and competent women.”

Amelia shook her head, slightly chuckling to herself.

“We can meet in my room on the Thunder Blade. It’s warm, full of plants and trophies with a lot of history. Suits one such man like yourself.”

“Excuse me lady, but in this instance, I prefer a neutral territory. A secluded uncharted island would suit us nicely. You and me, we can handle anything that the Chaos of life will dare to throw at us.”

She rolled her eyes.

“That was quite stale, captain. You should work on your game for a while, before going in for a kill.”

“I have only just begun…”

Amelia Wolfhound’s expression became serious.

“Captain Alchfrid. Since you were a man of your word, I will return a favor. I am letting your ship go, and giving you a week to let you think over Emperor’s proposition. If by the end of this week, your ship does not return back to the Empire, or we meet again in less… ideal circumstances, then… well. The fight to the bitter end it is.”

Alchfrid nodded.

“I appreciate your honorable and straightforward approach, Amelia Wolfhound. The “tin cans” in the Capital could use more people like you back in the days of glory. I will think over your suggestion, if only out of respect to you.”

Captain Wolfhound returned the gesture and turned to her crew.

“Engines up! We are leaving!”

The rhevalian on Thunder Blade ran up to her, trying to tell her something, but Amelia stopped him and pointed at the Control Room.

The Imperial ship began to accelerate. Soon, only a small point remained on the horizon, then the ship was gone completely.

Xander signaled to Theo to keep moving, then turned to Captain and Joe.

“Well, that was an encounter. One more thing to talk about at the place we just can’t get to.”

Alchfrid laughed.

“Seems like you bring a lot of bad luck, Joseph. Should we get rid of you quickly?”

“Captain, I thought we had a wonderful relationship. Was it all just a game?”

He shook his head, still chuckling.

“Well, lad, don’t blame this old man. What should he think, when right after we pick you up, we stumble upon several revelations at once, in just three days?”

“If you say it like that… maybe Roth was right, after all. Only got a Deity’s role backwards.”

“What, you got Deity of Misfortune’s ire? Tough luck, sailor. Prey that Aeriessythys gets you before the Curse does, he-he.”

Xander interrupted them both.

“It’s nice and all, but we have to talk it out with the crew too. This is an opportunity, that doesn’t come often. They might go for it. Even if we have no proof, that this is a legitimate Pardon.”

Alchfrid nodded and turned to the people behind him.

“You all heard the lady, lads. Emperor’s offering a full-on Pardon, for all the lives we’ve taken before, for all the gold we’ve stolen, for all the ships we’ve burned and left as sacrifices to the abominations of the void. I am not going to make the decision for you, but I just want to ask one thing from you - if you do end up taking her offer, do it on your own, without putting a knife in the back of the man next to you. We may not like each other, we may bicker and fight, but we’ve kept our home afloat for several years now - not always out of love, but to make our home the safest place in the Threshold!”

The crew roared, saluting with their weapons. Xander was keeping his fingers on the chin, deep in thought.

“Alright, lads! I am giving you all a break, until we reach Ghastly Wail!”