Chapter 269: Blood-Kin Prince Navy Team Half a month later. The Still Sea, north of the Dragonspine Empire. A cargo ship sailed slowly across the sea. The weather was calm today, perfect for sailing, but the captain at the helm looked tense, nervously glancing around. The crew members busy on deck also wore uneasy expressions. "Hey now, why's everyone acting like thieves? You're not smuggling," a passenger nearby couldn't help but speak up. He wore a hooded cloak that completely concealed his body and face, leaning against the cabin wall with crossed arms, hidden in the shadows. "Sir, we really can't deviate any further... We're already very far from the coastline," the captain pleaded, his face crestfallen. "What's wrong with being far from the coastline?" the passenger asked nonchalantly. "I told you, there are pirates in these waters!!" the captain cried. "If we run into them out here... with this small ship, we can't even escape!" "Then it means we haven't deviated," the passenger shrugged. "We came looking for pirates." "Sir... I'm really begging you, let us go! I—" "But no amount of money can buy back my life!" The captain's current mood was regret, deep regret. Right now, he just wanted to go back in time to this morning and slap himself twice. He shouldn't have been greedy and taken this job. This morning, three travelers in hooded cloaks—two men and a woman—had found him at the port, offering money for passage out of the city. Seeing their reluctance to show their faces, the captain guessed they were gang members being hunted by enemies, choosing to bribe a cargo ship to avoid being spotted traveling by land. After weighing the risks, the large sum of "passage fee" did its work. The captain himself was only making a brief stop at this port and was about to set sail anyway. Dozens of ships passed through this port daily; surely the local thugs these three had offended, no matter how powerful, couldn't possibly track him down. This extra cash was too good to pass up. So, he took the three passengers aboard and departed early for the Coral Peninsula to the northeast. Unexpectedly, less than three hours after setting sail, these three passengers revealed their true nature, hijacked the ship, and demanded they sail north, taking a wide detour before heading to the Coral Peninsula. "With us here, what pirates are you afraid of?" the passenger dismissed his concerns entirely. "When the pirates show up, you all just get inside the cabin. We'll handle the situation." "Are you... bounty hunters?" the captain asked cautiously. "That's none of your concern. I can only say we will do our best to ensure your safety," the passenger gestured with open hands. "Sir..." The captain wanted to say more. "Look, do I have to bite you and hypnotize you before you'll shut up and quietly steer the ship?" The passenger lifted his face. His face wore light makeup, making his complexion look more like a living person's, but his dark red eyes and the deliberately bared fangs clearly showed he was blood-kin. Blood-kin Prince, Kyle Kaodo. The captain immediately shut his mouth. Facing this passenger, the captain didn't voice his true thoughts. He wasn't actually that afraid of pirates, because he was quite sure the pirates likely couldn't defeat these three blood-kin, who appeared to be of high lineage. What he truly feared was when these three passengers would slaughter everyone on board, drain their blood, and dump their bodies into the sea. After all, blood-kin were a race known for hunting the living. Although this passenger repeatedly assured them they wouldn't be harmed as long as they obeyed, the captain still felt deeply unsettled. He didn't dare voice this fear, afraid that accidentally angering the passenger would make him the first victim. "Kyle, has the target appeared yet?" Another female blood-kin emerged from the cabin, her face dark. "I'm feeling a bit seasick." "If you want to puke, go do it over the side," Kyle waved dismissively. "This mission is such a pain," the female blood-kin muttered under her breath. "I rushed all the way to the Empire right after finishing business in the autonomous state and haven't complained yet. You two have had it much easier than me," Kyle chuckled. "What possessed 'Father' anyway?" the female blood-kin continued complaining. "What grudge could he possibly have with pirates in the northern Empire? Are we planning to join the Imperial Navy?" "Does his purpose matter to us?" the third blood-kin's voice came from inside the cabin. Kyle and the female blood-kin exchanged glances and shrugged. All three were bound by blood pacts to the Progenitor; they could only obey his commands. Although all three were baffled by the Progenitor's sudden order to capture a specific pirate leader in these particular waters, delving into the purpose was ultimately meaningless for them. After all, they could only do their best to fulfill the Progenitor's command. About fifteen minutes later, the lookout in the crow's nest shouted, "Ship sighted! Ten o'clock! A ship's approaching!" The captain instantly tensed up, called the first mate checking the deck to take the helm, grabbed his telescope, and peered into the distance. A large ship appeared in his view, heading straight for them. Its speed was clearly faster; within half a minute, he felt the silhouette of the ship in his view grow slightly larger. The distance was closing rapidly. The difference in scale was too great; even if this merchant ship pushed its engines to the limit, it would eventually be overtaken. Updates are released by novel(ꜰ)ire.net Then, the approaching ship lowered the Imperial flag it had been using as camouflage and hoisted a menacing pirate flag instead—a skull and an hourglass. "Pirates! They're here!!" the captain cried out in terror. "Surrender to them. Wait for them to catch up," Kyle calmly ordered the captain. The captain complied without much hesitation. "Lower the flag!" In these waters, not all pirates were excessively cruel. Some, to make robbing in their territory more convenient, had established their own "rules." After locking onto prey, they would hoist the intimidating pirate flag, signaling the prey not to resist futilely. If the robbed merchant ship cooperated sufficiently, they would not only spare the crew's lives but also, depending on the situation, "mercifully" leave some supplies behind. But if the prey completely ignored this "mercy," fleeing desperately or even resisting, they would be met with another flag—a blood-red skull. If the crew of the prey ship were caught then, their options were either feeding the fish or being captured and enslaved on the pirate ship. The merchant ship lowered its flag and furled its sails, waiting for the pirate ship to approach. Then, the captain looked at Kyle. "Now you and your crew can go back into the cabin, crawl under the covers, and pull the pillows over your heads," Kyle gestured towards the cabin with a polite "please" motion. "I'll call you when it's over."