With his sabre raised Victor did not hesitate as he swung it down, severing Klaus's head from his body. Unlike when he killed his father, Victor felt no remorse or dissatisfaction when killing his former tormenter.
It was an anti-climatic death, to say the least. Klaus did not beg or resist as Victor went to execute him. There was no overwhelming feeling of triumph or freedom that Victor felt, only nothingness. The act felt like taking care of a bug. Victor had been so busy running the Dukedom that all the emotions that he felt towards his half-siblings and stepmother vanished.
Disgusted at the sight of his dead brother Victor left it to be cleaned up by the soldiers. On his walk back to his office Victor was calm, he had killed people before and now was not afraid or shaken by taking another.
When Victor arrived at his office, he finally received a system message.
'Optional Quest 2 Completed: Execute Klaus Luxenberg!'
'Rewards: 2x 2-Ship Summon'
Victor was baffled. The reward was worth 50,000 Store Points. That was more than what he received for executing his father, as the 10,000 store points and 3x 10-Gun Artillery Unit Summon equated to 40,000 Store Points. What was even weirder was the fact the rewards Victor just got were exactly what he needed.
Since receiving the system Victor had not once tried to fully grasp an understanding of it. All he knew was it gave him quests and bountiful rewards. Sometimes he wondered how the system knew what exactly to give him, like when he received a pill to transform his body or Victor's memories and even now with reinforcement for his fleet.
Not messing around Victor used his new summons. Once the green screen with the pictured options came up there was still only 1 selectable option available. Victor was now getting 4 74-gun ships of the lines.
"Hopefully with these ships, Grand Admiral Nelson will be able to oppose the Pirate King and his fleet," Victor muttered, hoping for a chance at retaking control of trade routes from the pirate scourge.
Soon after saying that a blue screen from the system appeared.
'Main Quest: Defeat The Pirate King and His Fleet!'
'Rewards: 1x 100-Man Bodyguard Summon and 20,000 Store Points'
This quest would prove to be difficult. Victor had never been involved in naval combat before, let alone journeyed on a ship. Thankfully Victor had an extremely capable and experienced Admiral who could command the fleet during this ordeal.
Realising that attempting this quest would be a massive undertaking he summoned all his important officials to the meeting room. The likes of, Veronica, General Rapp, Grand Admiral Nelson and a few other people in Victor's inner circle convened at Victor's request.
With everyone in attendance, Victor began to speak. "Everyone I have gathered you all here to discuss the rising threat of the Pirate King and his fleet. Tomorrow 4 more ships of the line will arrive and the Luxenberg fleet will leave to hunt these treacherous ruffians."
Everyone applauded at the news of more ships, but Victor had not finished talking. "When the fleet departs from Hannover I will be next Grand Admiral Nelson on the Holy Trinity. We shall hunt down those pirates."
The room fell silent as people began to process Victor's declaration. One of the financial administrators raised his hand and asked, "Who will run the Dukedom in your absence, my Duke?"
Victor raised his hand and pointed at his sister who was sitting across the table from him. "She is as much of a Luxenberg as I am, under her leadership, I am certain the Dukedom will be just fine during my absence. General Rapp, Sebastian and Florence, I trust that you 3 will support her to the best of your abilities."
The 3 followers nodded. No one in that room protested Victor going on such a dangerous mission. Many of them knew how capable he was and with the grand admiral beside him, he was sure to be safe. All were fine with this announcement, apart from Veronica.
"You are leaving me in charge? I am not like you brother, I can not run a territory." Veronica stated, worrying about her ability to manage so many different things as a stand-in for her brother.
"You will be fine Veronica, the people in this room will support you the same way they support me. You are my family and you are the only person who can lead while I am away." Victor replied, trying to comfort and convince his sister.
The people of Victor's inner circle all smiled and nodded at his words. They trusted Victor's judgement and knew that Veronica was capable of taking her brother's place while he was at sea. With that all settled Victor adjourned their meeting and began to prepare for tomorrow's voyage.
The salt breeze caressed Victor's face as he stood aboard his flagship. The midday sun was beating down on the backs of the sailors as they began to prepare for departure.
It was his first time on a ship, but standing at the helm of it gave him a sense of pride. Dressed in his personalised naval uniform Victor stood alongside his trusted Grand Admiral as the fleet of 7 ships departed from the port of Hannover.
Looking back in the harbour, Victor was able to take in the scenery of the place he called home. He could see the cheery faces of his people wave him goodbye. It was unfathomable for Victor that in the last year so much had happened. The people who once presumed him inferior and weak now viewed him as a respected lord. The city which had begun to look run-down was now shaping up to return to its prime.
Turning to face the open sea Victor could only marvel at its tranquillity. The calmness of the water and the light breeze that filled the sails was a good introduction to the beauty of sailing. Enjoying the view, Victor spectated the crewman on his ship as they let out the full sails. The flapping of the elegant blue sails was a joy to watch for Victor. The golden eagle resting on that dark blue field looked like it was going to fly away.
"It is a 2-week journey to The Triplets my Duke, however, if the wind is favourable we might be able to arrive a day before that." Said Grand Admiral Nelson.
With a smile on his face, Victor continued to stare out into the sea. Not breaking his gaze Victor replied confidently, "Excellent, let's catch us some pirates."