Chapter 53: Why Isn’t Revenge Justice?

Tu'ale's orders went unheeded. The dozens of members of the Guard were too busy trying to save themselves, and the crowd of onlookers had scattered, afraid of getting caught in the chaos.

There weren't many dead officers, but plenty had been badly injured, with some even losing their eyes to the sea birds. However, this wouldn't last long. More reinforcements from the port and the Governor's Mansion were swiftly converging on the area.

Tu'ale knew that by the time they arrived, it would be too late. Gritting his teeth, he pulled a palm-sized wooden plaque from his robe. The plaque emitted an eerie, spiritual energy, and strange blood-red symbols were carved into its surface.

At his command, a translucent sea serpent slithered out of the plaque and began winding around him. At the same time, an egg-shaped shield materialized around Tu'ale's body. The sharp beaks and claws of the sea birds battered against it, but the shield held firm, sending shockwaves back and injuring the attackers.

Tu'ale didn't have time to worry about the birds. Just as he was about to rush toward the port, a sudden, bone-chilling tremor surged through his soul, freezing him in place.

"Quiet..." Three crows, their eyes glowing bright crimson, suddenly appeared from the mass of birds and landed near him. Their claws scraped against his shield, producing a screeching sound that caused the shield to ripple and dim.

"Clang..." The crows struck again, and the shield shuddered violently, its glow flickering. Then, with a slight crack, the wood fragment split open.

Even so, the shield's defensive power was still impressive.

Tu'ale's heart raced, and he thrust his fine sword forward like an arrow, aiming for one of the crows. The bird dodged, but still received a slash across its back. Furious, the injured sea bird circled him with its companions, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Tu'ale struggled to keep up, his wooden plaque beginning to crack more severely. He had a bad feeling that once the shield broke, something dreadful would happen to him.

Though the Town Hall was nearby, Tu'ale didn't dare run inside. He knew that the crows would easily break through any building, and he couldn't afford to waste time.

With death looming over him, his mind remained unnervingly calm. He quickly began retreating toward the incoming guards, all while fending off the birds.

Gunfire rang out, and the three crows were momentarily forced back. But they didn't retreat far. Instead, they circled high above, continuing to watch from hundreds of meters up, their eyes fixed on the chaos below.

Tu'ale glanced around. Aside from the sea of dead birds and a few dozen officers groaning in pain, there was no sign of anyone else. On distant rooftops, a few shadows were visible, pointing and murmuring.

His blood pressure shot up, and his face darkened. He could already feel the mocking laughter of Storm Port's citizens waiting to rain down on him once this was all over.

"Chase them down!" he barked. "Seal off the port area. Tell the First Fleet there's a pirate invasion!"

Tu'ale knew that if he didn't deal with these troublemakers, he would be left with no dignity. But just as the guards started to move, the sea birds dived down once more. The guards fired their guns, but the birds quickly climbed higher, avoiding the shots. The guards barely advanced a few steps before the chaos grew even worse.

Fuming, Tu'ale could hardly contain his fury. He had been played, completely exposed. If the crowd scattered, even the guards wouldn't stand a chance, and neither would he.

Ian stopped by Leviathan, still holding Rebecca in his arms. He intended to hand her off to Anna, but the little girl clung to him tightly in her sleep. Unable to free her hands, Ian motioned for Lya to help Anna and the others board the ship.

Anna and the others, their eyes red and filled with emotion, hurried to climb aboard with Miltar's assistance, but their minds were still reeling from the situation.

Ian had barely stood on the dock when Roland arrived, standing a few meters away, a mix of surprise and disbelief in his expression. The man he had confirmed as dead now stood before him, alive. "Is... is it really you?"

Ian smiled at him. "Thank you."

Roland had changed. Maybe this experience had made him less naïve.

Ian understood Roland's character well. If he had known beforehand, Roland would have charged in recklessly to save him. Ian wasn't someone who couldn't tell right from wrong, and the debt wasn't his to pay. He was just grateful to Roland for saving Rebecca.

Roland's mouth opened, but no words came out. His face was pale, conflicted between evading responsibility, defending the church, or simply expressing concern. But none of it felt right.

Just then, Ian received a signal from Beatrice. The guards and the Governor's Mansion personnel were rapidly regrouping, splitting into several teams and heading their way.

Ian immediately spoke up: "You need to leave now. Don't stay here!"

He didn't want Roland to witness what was coming. The two had barely met, and he didn't want them to become enemies over this.

Roland froze. "You're planning revenge?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Ian's voice was cold. "What, 'Justice Knight'?"

Ian saw the conflicted look on Roland's face and couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Why isn't revenge justice?"

Roland, disoriented, walked away, the gulf between their beliefs too wide for either to bridge. Even sitting and talking together now seemed impossible.

Ian didn't care. He turned and strode onto Leviathan, his thoughts already focused on the coming battle. The First Fleet from the northern military port would be mobilizing soon, and he didn't have much time left.

His voice was cool and commanding: "Set sail. Prepare the cannons. We'll bombard Storm Port."

Lya, sharp as ever, had already figured out Ian's identity, but she was still stunned by the audacity of his plan. Bombing the port? That would put them directly at odds with the kingdom.

Still, she didn't hesitate. With Miltar's help, she quickly began to load the cannons. They would be ready to fire first.

Miltar, however, wasn't thinking about the cannons. He realized what Ian meant by "close-range bombardment." It was clear now—shotguns. Ian was planning to use the cannon fire to target the pursuers.

Bombing Storm Port hadn't been part of Ian's original plan. He had intended to slip away quietly, take his revenge later, and strike when the time was right. But as soon as he saw Rebecca's condition, his fury couldn't be contained.

And when the Governor's Mansion essentially kept Rebecca in a prison-like hold, the conflict had already escalated. After this defeat, there was no way the Governor's Mansion would let it slide without retaliation. Even if they didn't launch a large-scale manhunt, targeted retribution was inevitable.

At this point, Ian thought, why wait? Just attack!