Chapter 84: The Franz Archipelago

Jack?

Hearing this name, Bruno naturally thought of the famous Captain Jack Sparrow!

That scruffy, roguish yet loyal pirate image had left a deep impression on him.

And now, this man standing before him… was also named Jack?

Although it was just a coincidence, it almost shattered the classic image of Jack Sparrow in Bruno's mind...

"Alright, Captain Jack… you and your pirates killed six Idar soldiers and eight Idar commoners in total..."

"No! That wasn't me! I didn't do it!" Before Bruno could finish speaking, Jack suddenly protested loudly.

"Even if you didn't do it, as a member of this pirate crew, you cannot escape responsibility," Lister stated righteously.

"Enough. There's no point in discussing this now. What I want to know is why you Basel people have come to my Idar territory!"

"We were originally operating along the eastern coast of the Basel Kingdom, but recently, severe floods struck the kingdom. The commoners are suffering from hunger and cold, which forced us to come here..." Captain Jack said with a despondent expression.

Bruno secretly nodded. This explanation aligned with the information he had gathered earlier.

However...

"The flooding in the Basel Kingdom what does that have to do with your band of pirates robbing and looting? If you wanted to plunder, you could have done it in the same places as before. Even in times of disaster, the commoners still have some savings. Why come to my Idar lands to seek trouble?" Bruno asked.

Hearing this, Captain Jack suddenly became agitated. "Pah! We rob you bloodsucking nobles, that's why!"

"How dare you!" Lister scolded.

Jack glared back and said, "We are all commoners by birth! If the nobles hadn't made it impossible for us to survive, who would choose to leave their homeland and become pirates? Although we are pirates, we have never raided commoners. We only targeted the noble estates along the Basel coast!"

"Where did you get your ships and weapons?"

"Kelvin Plato," Jack said. "He is one of the pirate leaders who have long occupied the Basel coast. Many of us, forced to flee, joined his ranks."

"But that still doesn't justify your crimes against the people of Idar!" Bruno said sternly.

"Actually... we were just running out of salt... We never expected so many guards at that salt field..."

Thinking about the battle at Cape Salt Field, Jack felt a chill run down his spine.

These pirates from the Basel Kingdom knew little about the Norman Empire, and raiding Idar's salt field had only been a spur of the moment decision.

After all, whether in the Basel Kingdom or the Norman Empire, salt was an extremely valuable commodity!

Salt fields were always controlled by nobles, so when the pirates targeted them, they felt no guilt.

To these Basel commoners turned pirates, all nobles were irredeemable villains hoarding land, oppressing the people, committing countless crimes.

So, they had anchored along Idar's coast and launched a raid in overwhelming numbers.

However, the salt field guards of Idar fought back fiercely!

The defenders at Cape Salt Field were equipped with some of Idar's rare enchanted weapons. Perhaps on the sea, these pirates would have the upper hand, but on land, the Idar soldiers dominated the battlefield!

First came a volley of enchanted arrows, followed by brutal close combat. Despite their small numbers, the salt field guards slowly gained the advantage.

By the time Jack realized he needed to retreat, his ship had already run aground...

What a disgrace!

Jack looked at Bruno with a deathly pale face, unsure of how this noble would deal with him.

"Where are the other pirates?" Bruno asked.

Seeing Jack's reluctance to answer, Bruno continued, "Idar only executes the true culprits. Those who killed Idar soldiers will not be spared, but for the rest including you there may still be a chance to live if you cooperate."

"Are you serious?"

Jack's response did not surprise Bruno. After all, these pirates had banded together simply to survive. As for Jack's claim about not robbing commoners, Bruno took it with a grain of salt.

Maybe Jack personally held that belief, but could he truly enforce it among his men?

Kelvin Plato was a name Bruno had heard before a notorious pirate leader along the Basel Kingdom's coast.

Would a man like that care about the lives of commoners?

Bruno certainly didn't believe it.

"So tell me, what is the real reason you came to Idar? Don't give me that nonsense about not robbing commoners. That might be your personal wish, but it definitely wasn't your crew's goal!"

"If I tell you… will you spare my life?" Jack finally showed a hint of fear.

"Captain Jack, do you really think you have any other choice? Even if you refuse to tell me, do you think the other captured pirates won't?"

After hesitating for a moment, Jack finally admitted, "We… discovered an unclaimed archipelago in the waters east of Idar. We call it… Franz Archipelago."

East of Idar?

An unclaimed archipelago?

Hearing this, Bruno's interest was immediately piqued!

Who could resist the temptation of an unclaimed archipelago?

Idar's unique geographical position made it a fertile and defensible territory, but it also made expansion difficult.

The Armis Mountains served as both a natural shield for Idar and an obstacle preventing expansion. The only way to trade with the outside world was through Thorn Valley.

But now, Captain Jack's mention of the Franz Archipelago suddenly presented Bruno with an entirely new opportunity!