With the total annihilation of Marquis Louis's maritime forces, the balance of power across the outer seas shifted overnight.
Before, under the crushing weight of Marquis Louis's enormous strength, both Leilin and the Barbarian Pirate Group had been forced into an alliance just to share and counterbalance the pressure.
But now, with Black Skull and Tiger Shark destroyed — and especially after most of their painstakingly assembled armed fleet had been sent to the bottom — the threat posed by Marquis Louis had vanished entirely. In its place arose a new rivalry: the freshly ascended Scarlet Tiger versus the Barbarian Pirate Group.
Of course, since there was still a fat prize lying unclaimed, the two sides had not yet escalated their conflict to the breaking point. But a future clash was already inevitable.
Leilin had long been prepared for this.
"Set sail! We're heading for Boddi Port — straight into the old fox's stronghold!"
At Leilin's command, his pirates erupted in cheers and set the Scarlet Tiger, their leviathan of a ship, surging toward the Boddi Archipelago.
……
Crash! Clatter!!
The crisp sounds of glass and porcelain shattering against the floor rang out in rapid succession, punctuated by the occasional roar.
Every maid and servant in the Marquis's estate held their breath, terrified of becoming the next target of his wrath. Ever since the news about William had come back, Marquis Louis had descended into complete hysteria. Several servants had already been dragged out and beaten to death — among them a few personal maids whom Louis had once been rather fond of.
In such circumstances, the servants' fearful silence was entirely understandable.
For some reason, the sight filled Dim's heart with a grim sense of satisfaction — even a tingling pleasure, like sweet revenge.
"That wretched William — has he truly been fed to the fish?"
Dim's mind howled with laughter, but not a trace of it showed on his face. "If the old man finds out about this, will he drop dead from rage on the spot?"
"Father! There's new intelligence about the family fleet!"
Dim's voice wavered between unease and dread, like a condemned man awaiting the executioner.
"Come in!"
Marquis Louis's voice drifted from inside the room, barely leashing his fury. Dim sneered inwardly and stepped through the door.
The Marquis's study was in utter chaos. Shards of broken glass and porcelain littered the floor, and on the desk lay the lifeless body of a young woman.
She had been a young, pretty maid. Her eyes still seemed to hold a lingering attachment to life, and her body bore the savage marks of violence — especially the livid bruising around her throat, the very thing that had robbed her of her last breath.
"Someone! Clean this up!"
Marquis Louis straightened his collar and issued the order. A stone-faced butler entered with several maids and swiftly cleared the entire study.
Once the door closed again, only Dim and Marquis Louis remained.
For reasons Dim could not quite pinpoint, looking at the Marquis — who now appeared calm after venting his fury — sent a sudden chill through his heart.
"Father…" Dim forced his voice into something resembling grief.
"Tell me… those incompetent fools were all wiped out?"
Marquis Louis sat in his plush armchair, his expression blank — neither sorrowful nor relieved.
"Yes! Our family's armed fleet was ambushed by the Scarlet Tiger and the Barbarian Pirate Group. It's been confirmed — they were completely destroyed near Haige Island…"
To Dim's surprise, the earth-shattering news barely registered on the Marquis's face. He showed almost no reaction, as though he had expected it all along.
"I see… After Black Skull and Tiger Shark fell, the family fleet followed them down the same path, hmph… From this day forward, our Golden Thorn Flower Family's claim to naval power over the Dambress outer seas is彻底 destroyed…"
The Marquis's eyes were threaded with unnatural red veins — the agony and madness of a lifetime's work reduced to ruin.
But seeing this, Dim actually felt much more at ease. This was a version of the Marquis he could handle.
"Pass the word — we're preparing to leave!"
Marquis Louis said to Dim.
"Leave? Go where?"
Dim's face showed bewilderment.
"Back to the mainland. To the Dambress royal capital. This place is no longer safe. Our family's strength has been gravely depleted, and those pirates will descend on us like starving wild dogs… We have to slip away while their attention is still fixed on the other ports and riches…"
Marquis Louis explained a few more things in a flat tone, and as he looked at Dim, a hint of warmth entered his eyes. "Dim, right now you are the only one of my children who has come of age… But as long as we are still alive, the Kingdom will not simply stand by and watch the Boddi Archipelago change hands…"