Chapter Nineteen: Steel and Timber

The room fell silent in an instant, the only sound the rustling of Hugues drying his hair.

Alexei closed his eyes in despair. He had known all along that this lord was unreliable. Just moments ago, he had allowed himself a fleeting hope—he was still too young, too naive.

What did it mean to refuse to pay the maritime tax?

Since the unification of the pirates under Jewel Bay, they had forbidden random plundering, instead imposing maritime taxes on various islands and fleets. As long as the tax was paid according to the quota, one’s ships and territories would not be harassed by pirates and could develop peacefully.

Conversely, Jewel Bay considered itself at war with any lord who refused to pay the maritime tax.

Yes, war—not the occasional raids of pirates on a whim.

Though Jewel Bay was nominally a pirate coalition, those near the Storm Ocean knew it was effectively a nation.

Jeremiah had just called the Pirate King “Governor,” not casually—it was the recognized term throughout the Seven Seas.

“Governor” was an imperial title, usually bestowed by the Empress, but this pirate governor had only self-appointed the title.

Though self-appointed, the Empire had not openly opposed it; rather, it tacitly accepted the title, a subtle understanding. The Empire’s reach could not extend fully onto the sea, and the Pirate King had no desire to wage war against the Empire.

Thus, a delicate balance was maintained: the Pirate Governor’s men occasionally raided imperial fleets, and border counts like Hugues were authorized to expand freely into the Storm Ocean.

“My lord, even the Empress who sits on the Iron Thorn Throne must tacitly acknowledge the Pirate Governor of Jewel Bay. And now you intend to declare war on Jewel Bay?”

Alexei’s heart ached.

“Tomorrow, every inch of sea you see will be filled with ships flying black sails, and before that, these two pirates will have severed our heads to feed the sea’s voracious horse-faced fish.”

“Or perhaps you can drag the entire Empire into this, forcing the Empress to pay the price of losing the four western provinces to war with the Pirate King. But then, you would no longer be just the illegitimate son of Duke Cohen—you’d be nothing, not even his bastard father.”

Jeremiah was stunned by Hugues’ words. He glanced nervously around, as if expecting a squad of iron-clad soldiers to burst in and tear him to shreds.

How long had it been since anyone dared oppose Jewel Bay on the Storm Ocean?

Not even Bloodport, home to the grand Sanctis Cathedral of the Candlelight Guild, dared to openly defy Jewel Bay—it housed the Empire’s entire naval fleet.

Yet this lord before him had the audacity to overturn the table?

Was this some trap set by a rival? After all, collecting maritime taxes was a lucrative post.

Jeremiah preferred to suspect Hugues of underhanded dealings rather than believe he truly intended to refuse paying the maritime tax, for waging war against Jewel Bay on the Storm Ocean was absurd.

Perhaps landlocked nations could claim neutrality due to their terrain, but this was the sea.

If he returned today, tomorrow the black-sailed fleet would be knocking on Castel’s door.

Jeremiah was already signaling covertly to the tattooed man, but Hugues’ next words stopped him.

“If Jewel Bay is willing to engage in equal trade, then it’s worth discussing.”

Equal trade? You want to talk equal trade with pirates?

Jeremiah’s gaze darkened. Was he overthinking? Was this noble merely an ignorant child?

The tattooed man gave no sign of alarm—no ambush, it seemed.

Very well. This child would soon reveal his true nature if threatened.

Jeremiah reached for the curved dagger at his waist, intending to sever a few fingers as a lesson.

Yes, those slender fingers resting on the table would do nicely.

But Hugues spoke slowly again:

“For instance, iron, or timber?”

“Hm?”

Jeremiah’s hand froze in mid-air.

He fixed Hugues with a steely glare, his voice hoarse: “You must be joking.”

Iron and timber?

The sea’s greatest shortages were iron and timber—more precisely, weapons forged from iron and ships built from timber.

These required blacksmiths and shipyards. Jewel Bay did not lack these industries but lacked raw materials.

While the Empress’ power at sea was weak, the land was another matter entirely.

The Empire had been expanding outward for a full decade, wielding swords and gunpowder to cultivate and conquer.

Though many enemies remained on land, the northwestern coast had no foes left. Separated from Jewel Bay only by the sea, border counts like Hugues were as numerous as sesame seeds scattered along the coast.

In such circumstances, the Pirate King could barely expect to gain a scrap of resources from the land... or so it seemed.

If Hugues could procure iron and timber, Jewel Bay would not only cease collecting maritime taxes at his doorstep but would even buy these materials at prices above market value—whatever quantities he could supply.

You want free trade? Absolutely no problem. No matter who buys on the Storm Ocean, the goods eventually end up in Jewel Bay’s hands.

Jewel Bay might even establish a dedicated trade route for this purpose, personally guaranteeing its safety.

Such was the influence of Jewel Bay on the Storm Ocean.

But could Hugues really secure such sensitive resources? Jeremiah knew little of the Empire’s inner workings, but iron and timber were tightly controlled commodities everywhere. Did Hugues have such powerful backing?

Jeremiah studied Hugues with suspicion.

Wait, before Hugues arrived, someone had mentioned his background...

Those sent to collect taxes in the border counties granted by the Empire were usually given some information about the lords—border counts were notoriously tough, and clashes were not uncommon. If neither returned, the black-sailed fleet of Jewel Bay would come knocking the next day.

Jeremiah had naturally received Hugues’ dossier, but he had been drinking at the time, and the man briefing him, seeing his drunken state, had only mentioned it casually.

He vaguely recalled that this lord was the child of some great figure.

Wait, where did he say he was from? Ah, the Duchy of Cohen?

Duke Cohen?

Jeremiah gasped. His knowledge of the Empire was limited to a handful of names, countable on two hands, and Duke Cohen was among them.

The Duchy of Cohen was a large territory in the Empire’s southern borderlands, and judging by Hugues’ youth, this land was likely inherited from his ducal father.

What was his rank again? A border count? How significant was an earl?

Jeremiah was unfamiliar with the Empire’s nobility hierarchy, let alone the civil and military officialdom systems; even so, his gaze toward Hugues had shifted.

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