A ghost ship was at its strongest upon the open sea. By summoning her true form onto land, Aige had effectively crippled herself.

But she had no choice. The power of Arthur Lyon's heroic spirit far exceeded her expectations.

Holy light flowed in his hands as if it were alive. For most people, one unit of holy light might neutralize two units of dark magic: that was the natural advantage of holy over dark. But a single unit of Arthur Lyon's holy light could erase a hundred units of dark power.

Aige did not want to drag this out. Vast though her magic was, it was not infinite.

The colossal ghost ship descended from the sky, locking onto Arthur Lyon's spectral body and smashing down with brutal force.

The deafening impact was followed by a terrifying shockwave that turned the entire area into a massive crater, with a blast radius that stretched for more than a dozen kilometers. Countless buildings collapsed. Even the palace walls were struck by the tremors, causing cracks to spread visibly across their surface.

Ambrose had been frowning as he headed toward the Ragetide Legion alongside Ariel. But when that earth-shattering boom echoed through the air, he immediately sensed something was wrong.

"This is ridiculous. He's only a heroic spirit."

The sheer destructive power at play alarmed Ambrose. He had thought himself among the top tier of legends, but in a battle of this magnitude, he could only serve as a support.

Ariel, on the other hand, literally had stars in her eyes.

Those favored by the Lord of Storms became battle-crazed zealots when they unleashed their power. Lightning energy turned their eyes a brilliant blue-white, as if thunder flowed through their veins.

Stormpriests fought like berserkers: lightning granted them speed, strength, and bodies nearly impossible to injure.

Fortunately, Ariel retained a shred of reason. She did not charge into battle, but instead asked curiously, "What exactly did you use to lure that undead here? And what are you using to trap it?"

"An ancient seal from the LyonEmpire," Ambrose replied. "It dates back to the founding of the empire. That which is sealed inside is precisely what that pirate captain seeks. She's now fighting the guardian of the seal."

"The Lyon Empire?!"

Ariel's voice rose several pitches, and her fists clenched with audible cracks. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Only then did Ambrose remember that the Ragetide Kingdom had migrated from the mainland. They had abandoned fertile lands because they were driven out by Lyon. This was a blood feud that likely ranked even above their hatred of the undead.

If that was the case... perhaps Ambrose could take advantage of her.

Ambrose resisted the urge to stroke his chin, a bad habit he had developed when scheming. A lich ought not repeat himself too often.

An idea popped into his head.

"Your Highness," Ambrose said gravely, "I understand the hatred between the Lyon Empire and the Ragetide Kingdom. That is precisely why this is a critical moment. You must prepare in advance."

"A critical moment? What do you mean?"

"Your earlier proposal to cooperate with the Silent Sea Pirate Company. If we mobilize the Ragetide Legion now, we can strike while their captain is isolated. Or we can assist her in breaking the seal and use the treasure within as a token of goodwill to negotiate cooperation."

He paused. "The choice must be yours, as the future queen."

Ariel blinked her clear emerald eyes, seemingly stunned by the responsibility suddenly thrust upon her.

Ambrose had seen that look many times over the centuries, most recently on Catherine's face. Women of high station, blessed by the gods since childhood, tended to be naïve about the world in much the same way.

Similar principles were involved in deceiving them all.

"So, Your Highness," Ambrose pressed gently, "do we seize this chance to eliminate them, or try to cooperate?"

Ariel hesitated. She glanced toward the distant battlefield, at the intense fight whose aftershocks they could feel even from afar. "Even if we make preparations, can we truly kill that undead?"

Ambrose was pleased. This was exactly where he had hoped to guide the conversation.

"Excellent. You've grasped the key point. The greatest problem with the Silent Sea Pirate Company is that we have no confidence in destroying them outright. Even if we kill the captain, do you think the remaining undead pirates will vanish? Of course not. Any one of their squadrons could raid our sea routes at will. All we'd gain is a blood feud, with no improvement to our situation."

"Should we take this chance to cooperate, then?" Ariel frowned. "But it feels like a waste of such a rare opportunity..."

Ambrose suddenly raised his voice. "As a leader, the worst mistake you can make is indecision. No matter your goal, if you waver, your subordinates cannot act. Tell me plainly, do you have absolute confidence in eradicating the Silent Sea Pirate Company?"

Ariel sighed. "No."

"Exactly. They have existed longer than the Ragetide Kingdom itself. They have survived a thousand years. Now, from the standpoint of the future queen of Ragetide, what do you deem best for the kingdom?"

Ariel's tone hardened. "We must take this opportunity to negotiate."

"Well chosen," Ambrose praised. "And don't worry. We will not sue for peace. We will negotiate as equals."

"Can we truly do that?"

"Of course. Who do you think lured that undead ashore? I prepared for this long ago. Think carefully. Why would their captain come alone for such an important treasure hunt instead of bringing her crew?"

"Why?" Ariel instinctively wanted the answer handed to her, but under Ambrose's expectant gaze, she forced herself to think.

She was a princess and the future queen. She had to learn to reason for herself.

They had nearly reached the gates of the Ragetide Legion's camp before realization struck her. "I got it! The treasure must be extremely powerful. If another undead obtained it, her position might be threatened! I'm brilliant, aren't I?"

Ambrose: "..."

Brilliant indeed. It had taken him five seconds to come up with that excuse, and nearly twenty minutes for Ariel to reach a similar conclusion.

Still, it wasn't a bad effort. Ambrose was a magician who put his points in intelligence, after all.

By praising her appropriately and overwhelming her with affirmation, Ambrose could effectively manipulate her. "Your Highness is truly insightful," he said solemnly. "It took me half a year to reach the same conclusion."

"Half a year? You've been preparing for that long? Why didn't I know about it at all?"

"Because I suspect there are undead informants within the Ragetide Kingdom. Perhaps those three court mages, especially Winston, the necromancer. Do you expect me to believe he has no ties to the undead? The more people who knew of my plan, the greater the risk of exposure. I kept it secret, so please don't take offense."

"How could I?" Ariel said warmly. "Lord Greywater, you are a pillar of the kingdom. In the future, please continue to assist me."

For some reason, her face flushed red.

Ambrose wondered if he had gone too far and overexcited her.

That would be troublesome. Excited people made reckless decisions. He needed to redirect her attention.

"The Ragetide Legion is here, Your Highness. Why don't you issue the mobilization order yourself?"

"Me? Why? You used to guard this legion jealously. Why hand it over to me now?"

"Because times have changed, Your Highness. You are the future queen. Everything in this kingdom rightfully belongs to you. I merely managed the legion on your behalf. At this turning point, it is time for you to rise to command. All of this was prepared for you."

That was, of course, an excuse. Issuing orders to the Ragetide Legion required a ceremonial display. Ambrose could cast lightning magic, but as he had once explained to the necromancer, magical signatures were distinct. An expert would see through him instantly.

No Shapeshifting spell could turn his dark magic into the Lord of Storms' power.

One cast, and he would be exposed.

Letting Ariel handle it was the perfect solution. It would keep her both occupied and invested.

Her face reddened further. "So you've planned this for me all along... and I never realized."

"I couldn't have made it too obvious. His Majesty still reigns, after all, and swearing an oath of loyalty to you would be treason. Please keep this between us."

Ariel smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I won't let Father blame you. I'm sure he wouldn't."

Ariel looked beautiful when she smiled, but still, she was no match for Catherine. If Ambrose could resist Catherine's smile, Ariel's would hardly sway him.

Together, they entered the camp. The kingdom's most powerful legion began its preparations in earnest.

As he watched the stormpriests assemble, Ambrose silently hoped that everything would proceed according to plan. [1]

1. Oh no, a flag... ☜