Chapter One: Pirates

The noonday sun shone down upon the boundless sea, its shimmering surface exuding a languid tranquility. Sun Li stood at the prow of the small merchant vessel, the sea breeze gently brushing his face. He narrowed his eyes in thought, pondering his plans upon reaching Jinzhou. In truth, he had no concrete itinerary; his primary goal was to witness firsthand the ways of mainstream society in this world, so as to devise better strategies for future expansion and governance.

“In another day, we’ll pass through the Caribbean Strait,” he mused aloud to his subordinate. “I’ve heard this region used to be teeming with pirates, but after the Empire of Madrid declined and the Empire of England took over, their powerful fleet drove most pirates into hiding. Seems I won’t get to meet any legendary Caribbean pirates this time.”

There were only Sun Li and twenty attendants aboard this vessel, whose duties were merely to serve and to sail. Sun Li, supremely confident in his own knight-level prowess, saw no need for bodyguards. In fact, upon learning that this era too had a so-called Caribbean Strait, he had hoped for a pirate encounter—just to see if the pirates of this world were as flamboyant as those in the movies.

Of course, the real delight would be to stumble upon a pirate lair and make off with their treasure. That, after all, was the true pleasure.

“Indeed, Your Majesty—uh…” His subordinate, a member of the Brocade-Clad Guard, was about to chime in with some well-timed flattery, hoping to curry favor and perhaps secure a promotion, when his eyes widened in astonishment at the sight behind Sun Li. A warship, more than twice the size of their own, was bearing down upon them, flying a black flag emblazoned with a skull and crossbones.

Catching the unusual expression on his attendant’s face, Sun Li turned and saw the pirate ship approaching, a wry smile touching his lips. “Well, these pirates certainly know how to make a mockery of things. I’d just been lamenting their demise at the hands of the English, and here they are, come to laugh at me.”

He chuckled at himself, betraying not the slightest tension at being confronted by pirates. Instead, his curiosity was piqued as he appraised the pirate ship. “Seems the technological level of this world is about on par with Earth’s early modern era—right down to the design of the pirate ships. Not a hint of novelty,” he grumbled under his breath.

“When the pirates come aboard, since our merchant vessel has not a single cannon, raise the white flag and offer no resistance. If they’re merely after loot and don’t mean to kill, I’ll go with them as a hostage—you all will pretend to be my household servants, and I’ll be a wealthy young noble. I’ll negotiate for you to go fetch ransom; once you’re gone, wait for me in Jinzhou. Don’t worry about my safety—I’ll come find you once matters are settled. After all, it’s not far. But if they’re unreasonable, and mean to kill even after taking our valuables, then we’ll destroy them and leave only a few survivors. Understood?” Sun Li instructed his men.

Perhaps he harbored some romantic notion of piracy from a previous life, for he actually looked forward to visiting a pirate lair—even as a captive.

It was certainly a bold plan. But his order to surrender made sense: while the pirate ship was nothing special, it did boast eight cannons to a side. It would never stand against an English cruiser, but sending their little merchant vessel to the bottom would be easy work.

And so, Sun Li’s party dutifully raised the white flag and waited for the pirates to board, the entire scene calm and oddly harmonious. The pirates, for their part, found it strangely unsettling—these people were far too docile, far too composed.

When the pirates finally boarded, Sun Li was in for a shock: every last one of them was a wood elf! He couldn’t help but think—shouldn’t these wood elves be in forests, not drifting about at sea? What kind of sense did that make?

Before Sun Li’s astonished gaze, a lithe figure stepped onto the merchant vessel. Judging by the respect shown by the wood elves, it was clear this was their leader.

But—why was the pirate captain an elven woman?! Scarlet lips, fair skin, a delicate collarbone that drew the eye, and a voluptuous figure that seemed about to burst her clothing. Below that devilishly slender waist, her round hips jutted out enticingly, and her long, shapely legs added a further touch of allure.

Was this the aura of a true queen? Sun Li thought if she had a whip and a candle, he’d be completely undone.

As jaws metaphorically dropped all around, the elven beauty—no, the pirate captain—advanced with an elegant gait. She seemed utterly unfazed by the mix of shock and fascination in the dark-haired, dark-eyed humans’ eyes, as if long accustomed to such reactions. Calmly, she surveyed the so-called merchants.

“You’re not English, are you?” Though phrased as a question, her tone left little room for doubt; it was more a statement of fact, with a hint of curiosity.

Of course! Had she ever seen an Englishman as dashing and handsome as this? Or so Sun Li thought to himself. Out loud, he replied with utmost seriousness, “Beautiful lady, we are not from England. We are merchants from the Song Kingdom, on our way to Jinzhou to conduct business.”

“From the Song Kingdom, are you? As long as you’re not English, we wood elves have no vendetta with you. But are you sure you’re merchants? My crew searched your entire vessel just now and found nothing but daily necessities—no goods of any kind. Care to offer a reasonable explanation, ‘Mr. Merchant’?” She stressed the word “reasonable,” making it clear she was unimpressed with such childish trickery.

Sun Li, too busy admiring her beauty, had neglected a crucial detail: in order to increase their speed, they had loaded no cargo whatsoever! The realization left him uncomfortably embarrassed—in every sense of the word.

“Well, to be honest, I am a wealthy nobleman from the Song Kingdom. My father has recently opened several businesses in Jinzhou, and I am traveling there to expand our commercial interests and manage funds. Years of being a merchant have left me with certain habits, and I must apologize for the oversight—it was a hasty departure, and I forgot to bring any goods this time.” He offered a sheepish smile, hoping to patch over his lie—or perhaps to leave a favorable impression on the beautiful woman before him.

“Oh? So, young master, how do you intend to compensate us for this fruitless trip? We wood elves are not in the habit of killing casually, but as pirates, to return empty-handed from a voyage is not something I can easily answer for to my crew.” The elven captain’s gaze sharpened, her words laced with threat.