But after he removed his armor, why did he look like a native? He had just transformed into an eagle to carry away the largest portion of gold near the temple using a Storage Curio."
Major Newman's face was also particularly somber. "Our mole embedded within the People of Castilia has just sent a message. Cortes tricked everyone! Initially, the major powers of the Banta'an Archipelago thought he merely intended to break the heart of the Aztec Empire and cause it to collapse into chaos. It would be convenient for everyone to start a feast of spoils. Unexpectedly, he even colluded with the Queen of the Aztecs. He helped Emperor Aztec successfully create a Golden Code and ultimately seized the fruits of victory. He even unleashed a horrific Bizarre, intending to use an unprecedented plague to wipe out most of the natives and crown himself king. I guess perhaps even the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Castile are unaware of his true ambitions or the existence of that Golden Code. And The Mad Hunt seemed to have disguised himself as a follower of Cortes at first. Then, striking at a crucial moment, he ultimately became the final victor. Damn it! Even if Cortes had won, we shouldn't have let *him* win!"
They looked at each other, each with a sense of shared distress. Both of them knew well what their own group had done in the past: providing the Touch of the Kraken to the York Family, first extinguishing Lancaster, then attacking Iron Anchor Bay. Rumors said that the final Child of the Devil from Lancaster was granted asylum by the Mad Hunt. In the face of this infamous killer, who had committed several significant deeds, even if they seemed to be of equal rank, how could they not be afraid?
"Right," Major Newman continued, "since the Old Continent is about to celebrate the Holy Nativity Festival at the end of the year, sailors will not venture far. Recently, the only fleet from the Old Continent to arrive in the Banta'an Archipelago before the Holy Nativity Festival was the Hightins Long-range Fleet. A mere Third Order adept could not possibly cross the First Circulation Zone alone to reach Banta'an; he must have come with the large fleet. As commander of the fleet, I didn't even notice that such a dangerous individual was hiding amongst us." Major Newman suddenly understood the whole story and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. If the Mad Hunt had secretly assassinated him, he feared he would have had no chance of arriving alive at the Banta'an Archipelago.
Suddenly turning his head to look at the group of pirates behind him, most of them were from that Long-range Fleet. Muttering to himself, "Yes, apart from these men now under my very nose, the rest of the passengers must all go through a strict screening. We must unearth the true identity of the Mad Hunt. Even the [Son of the Devil] might have used some disguised identity to follow at his side. Finding the Mad Hunt will then make it easy to locate that last Lancaster. We cannot allow this royal descendant to survive and threaten us. Not to mention the White Rose's York, even we vassals won't be able to rest easy."
"Right, and there's also the Church. The Tribunal will certainly be interested in this Mad Hunt, who stands with the Bayfolk. Let those Reformist Clerics, Judgment Knights, and the Empire's powerful mercenaries, the Doppler Swordsmen, come to kill him."
Byron had just finished making arrangements for 'Falcon' Alvin. No sooner had he opened his eyes than he heard Major Newman and 'Swarm' discussing him. They had even ruled out the only correct option first. Facing the subsequent pursuit, I'll choose... to cling even more tightly to the thighs of the Bloodthirsty Cult and Major Newman!
No sooner had the words left Major Newman's mouth than Byron quickly stepped forward, righteously echoing in agreement, "Mr. 'Swarm', General, if it hadn't been for The Mad Hunt, Captain Redbeard Edward, with his Undying Body, wouldn't have failed. We wouldn't have fled Iron Anchor Bay in such a sorry state. But rest assured, this time we will definitely not run away. Anyone who wants to harm you two must step over my dead body first. Right?" he added, looking over at the other Pirate Generals.
But behind him, except for Bruh, who was nodding in agreement while disguised as Bill with a 'Shaman Mask,' there was silence from the rest. The reputation of a person, the shadow of a tree—weren't they clear about just how ferocious the Mad Hunt is? Maybe that fellow was nearby, watching them. Show too much loyalty, and if someone takes your head at night, who can you reason with?
Compared to this, the loyalty of Pirate General Bill and his deputy Byron stood out even more. 'Swarm', having become something inhuman, also felt a wave of warmth in his heart. Unlike The Mad Hunt, who was always rebelling against us, Bill and Byron are truly men of loyalty and righteousness. They were not just talk. The Battle of Iron Anchor Bay, the proactive hunt for Sea Monsters, and Byron's counter-charge against the 'Shaman Mask' all proved this point.
Major Newman couldn't help but nod in approval, thinking to himself: Byron brought back methods for cultivating three kinds of Spices; these are like endless gold and silver mines. I'll plant these for three years, five years, or even eight or ten years. It's enough for my descendants to become wealthy tycoons.
Originally, 'Hook,' who had the largest influence, died unexpectedly, and those two quietly swallowed up the Privateer Fleet. I was prepared to give them a little reprimand. This doesn't conform to the rules and expectations set by the Navy Department.
But now it seems giving them command of this fleet is far more reassuring than placing it in someone else's hands. Even the vacant Pirate General position... I could maneuver a bit and consider promoting Byron.
Standing nearby, Geronimo, the Captain of the Guard from the temple of Chichen Itza City, didn't understand what they meant by 'the Mad Hunt.' But he had seen the severity of that strange plague from the Aztecs and the Anti-Aztec Alliance. He was filled with gratitude towards Bill and Byron. If they hadn't convinced the city-state leaders not to ally with those utterly corrupt People of Castilia, the victims now suffering from smallpox in the Imperial City would have included some from Chichen Itza City as well.
"General," Geronimo said, "now that the Bizarre spreading the plague and the Mad Hunt are gone, and the People of Castilia are leaderless, let's hurry to the Imperial City and grab the gold. I just saw some minor powers grab a big haul and immediately evacuate the Imperial City. If we don't act now, we won't even get a sip of the broth."
At that moment, 'Throat-Slasher' and his men dragged a bunch of wooden boats belonging to Tlacopan City over. Not just him—all the other pirates looked expectantly at Major Newman and 'Swarm', who were leading the group.
Before the equally interested Major Newman could finish his sentence.
Behind the Hightins expedition forces, the sound of heavy hoofbeats suddenly rang out, and then the air was filled with the smell of fresh blood and rotting flesh.