The salty ocean air whipped through the woman's hair as she boarded the ship, her heart racing with a mix of determination and dread. She scanned the deck with intense eyes, desperately searching for any sign of Vivienne and the missing crew members.
"Quickly bring her dead body, our mistress might want to see them," The second in command shouted, as she looked at her crew. They were dressed like pirates since they wanted to avoid all the dangers of Vivienne escaping and telling about what happened, but still, they were fully committed to killing them without any mercy.
The once pristine ship now bore the scars of a fierce battle. Its once-perfect sails were tattered and stained with blood, and the deck was littered with debris from the fight. The wooden planks were dented and splintered, evidence of the intense struggle that had taken place.
"Bitch! You will regret kicking me in the guts," With an angered look on her face, Isabella's second-in-command scoured the ship with ruthless determination. They moved swiftly and silently, their pirate attire blending with the shadows as they searched for any sign of Vivienne and the missing crew members. Their faces were stern and unyielding, a clear indication of their commitment to their dark purpose.
As they combed through the ship, the pirates' eyes were drawn to a trail of dried blood that led to the cabin. Their gaze locked on the crimson streak of blood, and they exchanged knowing glances.
"Hahaha~ that bitch is on the verge of dying, let's go and cut her head, Lady Isabella will be happy to see her sister like that," Laughter erupted from the crowd as they collectively kicked the half-closed cabin door, expecting to find a woman on the verge of death. To their surprise, however, their eyes fell upon a vast collection of barrels amassed inside, leaving them utterly bewildered.
The pirates' laughter came to an abrupt halt as they stared at the collection of barrels before them. At first, confusion still lingered in the air, but then their eyes fell upon the barrel with a little flame dancing on its top. A spark of realization spread through Isabella's second-in-command, and her expression turned from confusion to horror.
"Explosives! Jump! Jump into the ocean!" she shouted with urgency, her voice cutting through the silence that had befallen the cabin. The pirates reacted quickly, fueled by fear, and began scrambling to get out of the room.
"Get out! Get out now!" she continued, pushing her crewmates toward the exit. Panic set in as the pirates realized the dangerous situation they were in. The potential for destruction and loss of life dawned on them, making the situation far more perilous than they had anticipated.
But they were too late, as the only person who managed to escape from the cabin was the second-in-command.
"I have no regrets, as a warrior and a good vassal I did my duty," Captain Mary whispered to herself, her voice heavy with remorse and determination. She stared at the chaos unfolding around her as invaders desperately tried to escape the impending doom. "Vivienne, it's up to you now,"
As Isabella's second-in-command tried to jump out of the ship, the fiery explosion engulfed the entire boat, tearing it apart from the inside out. The force of the blast sent shockwaves across the water, shattering windows in nearby ships and creating a deafening roar that echoed through the sea.
In the darkness, a brilliant display of light burst forth like a magnificent fireworks show. The explosion's radiance painted the night sky in a vibrant array of colours, illuminating the waves below with flickering hues of red, orange, and blue.
Vivienne had gone too far away from the ship, but still she managed to see the explosion that happened and she tightly squeezed her sword as tears started to fall from her eyes. "Mary! I'm sorry, I-I never-"
She found herself speechless, fully aware that only Mary, the daring soul, would undertake such a reckless act to safeguard the lives of everyone else.
'Isabella, you're going to die, even if Oliver asks me to spare you now, I won't, nothing can save you now'
As the two life-saving boats fled from the brutal battle, Vivienne made a solemn promise to herself. Uncertain of their destination or where they would find refuge, they navigated the treacherous waters, driven by the hope of a safe landing.
***
In the dangerous waters of Behemothia, a fierce naval battle between two parties raged, engulfing the sea in chaos. Meanwhile, amidst the turmoil, Oliver dutifully held his plate, patiently waiting in line as dinner time approached for the people of Havoc Bay.
Oliver's initial impression of the living conditions in this place left him pleasantly surprised; it had all the necessary amenities for survival. However, his delight turned to concern when he noticed the exhaustion etched on the faces of the people around him. It was evident that without these basic necessities, they would have succumbed to the relentless demands of their work long ago. The women, in particular, toiled tirelessly in the mines from morning till evening, barely afforded a few minutes of respite, which he found utterly astonishing and alarming.
"Damn it! I don't want to mine for these people,"
"You say it, I joined Scarlet Circle hoping that I would be able to at least decrease a few hours from my work, but I didn't get anything, only the people close to Morgana will get some rest,"
The women behind Oliver kept complaining while holding their plates, but none of them noticed Oliver this time as he covered his whole body with the new clothes Gwendolyn gave him.
Oliver could already see the regret in their eyes and he knew if these people were released back to normal society, they wouldn't even dare to simply steal an apple from a tree because of the fear.
As Oliver stood in line, lost in thought about the plight of the people around him, he didn't notice that the line had stopped moving. In a moment of distraction, he accidentally bumped into the person in front of him. "Oh, I'm sorry," he quickly apologized, not wanting another problem since he had enough things to deal with.
As the person turned around, Oliver was taken aback to see that it was none other than Issac. He tried to initiate a conversation with Issac, hoping to understand more about the situation and the group's inner workings.
"Hey, Issac. It's me, Oliver. Can we talk for a moment?" Oliver said, trying to keep his voice low, aware of the sacred look on Issac's face.
Issac glanced at Oliver with a mix of hesitation and fear in his eyes. He seemed to be torn between acknowledging Oliver and avoiding any unnecessary attention. After a brief moment of silence, Issac turned his head and pretended not to recognize Oliver, focusing his gaze on a group of people sitting under a tree, seemingly observing them.
Curious, Oliver followed Issac's gaze and noticed the group he was looking at. They had a distinctive air around them, which clearly stood out from the rest. Oliver knowing that Isaac won't respond to him, no matter how he tries, decides to ask about it from Gwendolyn.
Proceeding through the line without any problem, Oliver took his dinner, which had some dried-out bread and watery soup, but the quantity of the food was so much that Oliver understood instead of taste, they were just focusing on keeping people energized.
Oliver took the plate of meagre dinner and walked toward a corner, finding a relatively secluded spot to sit and eat. As he settled down, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation pressing upon him. The oppressive atmosphere of the prison made every moment feel heavy and uncertain.
"Ugh~ I hate bland food, this is the only reason I can't stand this prison," Stuffing his mouth with some dry bread, Oliver muttered to himself.
Just as he began to eat his tasteless meal, his thoughts were interrupted by a soft touch on his shoulder. Startled, he turned around to find a woman with a group of other female prisoners standing there, their faces reflecting a mix of curiosity and interest.
"Look! It's him," One of the girls shouted, as she was trying to make a huge scene but the woman, who had her hands around Oliver's shoulder suddenly asked everyone to be silent with a stern look on her face.
"So little boy, why are you here? What did you do to come here despite being a man? You also killed another noble?" She casually remarked, then reached for a piece of bread from his plate and took a bite, as if attempting to establish a friendly connection. "By the way, you can call me Morgana, what's your name, little boy?"