Chapter 302: Now It Was Their Turn

The Skyreaver was already Legendary. Cassian had no way to raise its Quality further at present, but he had seen its speed for himself. Even an ordinary Mythic troop would struggle to keep up with it.

A fine ship to have won.

The other prize was just as interesting.

[Pale Moon Codex]

[The supreme sword art of the Pale Moon School. Contains four forms: Moon Mirror, Moonfall, Moonless Guard, and Moon’s Scorn.]

The Pale Moon School was one of the Black Banner’s strongest traditions of swordsmanship.

Powerful Skill Books were hardly beyond Cassian’s means anymore. This one offered something more useful than another strong attack. Paired with the Golden Statuette’s disguises, authentic Black Banner sword arts might give an enemy a very unpleasant surprise.

Celia was the obvious choice for the book.

A burst of laughter drew his attention back to the deck.

Darian was carrying a warship model around, making certain everyone saw it.

"Look! A Legendary warship! It actually dropped!"

Cassian smiled. The man did love an audience.

The coalition had brought only a handful of Legendary vessels. Darian had singled one out and kept after it until his force destroyed it. With Cassian’s paid Vein blessing improving his drops, he had been lucky enough to obtain an unactivated ship.

Congratulations came from every side.

A Legendary warship mattered a great deal here. Today’s battle had made one thing clear: if Divine Province could hold the sea routes, it would remove more than half the threat from its enemies.

Darian looked at the model, then turned toward Elara.

"Here. You can have it."

She had been smiling for him. Now her eyes widened.

"No. Darian, I can’t take that."

"Why be so formal with me?"

For a moment, Cassian watched them with an unusually gentle expression. He wanted a long life, certainly. He wanted to keep growing stronger. But it was for moments like this too, with these people beside him.

Then Darian continued.

"You accept Cassian’s presents. Why won’t you accept mine?"

Cassian’s smile changed.

Of course. He should have known better. Darian had found another way to compete with him.

"Take it, Elara," he said. "A Legendary ship will make exploring the outer seas much safer. And I’ll give you something to go with it."

He brought out an Epic figurehead and held it toward her.

Elara looked from the figurehead to Darian. Her lips parted, but no formal words of thanks came. She accepted the gifts, then spoke with quiet resolve.

"The next time an enemy comes for us, I’ll take the lead."

——

Third Realm. Highcrest.

"My nineteenth has won himself a Legendary warship!"

Edran’s laughter filled the room as he watched the broadcast.

It stopped abruptly.

"He gave it away?"

A Legendary ship meant little to him in the Third Realm. In a newcomer sector, it was another matter. Arranging the Realm-side purchase that had put Seabreaker into his son’s hands had cost even Edran dearly.

Now the boy had obtained another and simply handed it to a friend.

"Ah, let him."

His smile returned.

"That Vayne girl has some steel beneath her gentle manner. And there seems to be something unusual about her constitution. It’s good for my son to have a friendship like that."

Merrick found his opening.

"Leading Divine Province to victory over such an enemy. Young Lord Darian has something of your own bearing in your early years, my lord."

Edran knew perfectly well when his steward was flattering him. It still pleased him to hear it.

He could not quite bring himself to take all the credit from Cassian, however.

"That fleet of Cassian’s... And several Nine-Star Heroes. He hid his strength well."

After a moment, he turned to Merrick.

"How are preparations for the newcomer sector’s first Provincial Ranking?"

The steward straightened.

"We’re concentrating our support on Cloudrest, as planned, my lord. In the two months since the Contest of Champions, they’ve discovered tens of thousands of Wild Buildings. Dozens are Epic, and hundreds are Rare."

He continued with growing confidence.

"House Frost has distributed more than a thousand Epic Building Blueprints and a hundred thousand Rare ones. We expect them all to be built before the ranking settles."

Edran nodded in satisfaction, then shook his head in wonder.

"The sector hasn’t even been open for half a year. First place in the Legion Contest... What a reward."

Before this year, the Homeworld’s best result had merely placed it in the top hundred. No one had understood just how much first place would change things.

As the thirteen Crown Provinces explored their land, the resources they uncovered kept surpassing expectations.

Completing those hundred thousand buildings would do far more than raise Cloudrest’s Construction Index. Troop Buildings, Mystery Shops, Blessing Altars, resource Buildings, smithies, taverns, potion shops—their effects would reach into every part of the Province’s growth.

Merrick lifted a hand to emphasize his point.

"Elsewhere, a Lord who finds a Rare Blueprint still has to scour the market for enough materials. An Epic Building is scarcely worth dreaming of. Our thirteen Provinces have Rare resources in amounts they can hardly imagine."

His smile widened.

"Cloudrest will take first place in the Construction Index."

He chose not to mention Free Will’s enormous investment in building a Region up to two thousand Fortune. That much Fortune was enough to produce Epic resources. His master was in an excellent mood; there was no need to spoil it.

Edran remained more cautious.

"Don’t become careless. Caerwyn and House Valcrest are spending heavily too."

He was competing with their rulers as surely as their Provinces would compete on the ranking.

Merrick suddenly pointed at one of the broadcast views.

"My lord. Cassian has posted an announcement..."

The message was already causing an uproar in the Homeworld Channel.

[Cassian Vale: I am Cassian Vale, Governor of Divine Province. On behalf of the Province, I declare that all waters within two hundred thousand kilometers of Divine Province are Crown territorial waters, effective immediately. Lords of other nations are forbidden to enter. Violators will be killed.]

Edran stared for a moment. Then he laughed again.

"Breakwater Isle is only a hundred and forty thousand kilometers from Divine Province, isn’t it? He’s included the Black Banner’s own shores! That boy certainly knows how to press an advantage."

——

Black Banner Lords filled the Channel with furious replies.

[Have you lost your mind, Cassian? You think you can declare our homeland part of the Crown?]

[Why stop there? Claim the whole Homeworld Realm while you’re at it!]

[One victory, and he thinks he owns the sea. I’m taking my ships out. Let’s see what he dares to do.]

Their temporary allies in Western Beacon joined in.

[We stand with the Black Banner. We condemn Divine Province’s bullying at sea.]

[Divine Province must abandon this course immediately.]

Lords from all thirteen Crown Provinces answered them.

[Do you hear yourselves? Who just sent a fleet into our waters? If Divine Province hadn’t been strong enough, what would you have done to it?]

A Western Beacon Lord was quick with an explanation.

[That was entirely different. Divine Province is in rebellion against the Crown, and Cassian is a menace. The Crown’s own government invited us to put down the rebels and restore peace. Unfortunately, the rebels proved stronger than expected.]

The Black Banner’s senior leaders said nothing.

They had seen what the Ghost fleet could do. It really could shut their ships inside their harbors. However hard they considered the problem, none had found a reliable answer to it.

Cassian ignored the insults. When Nessa and the others prepared to argue, he stopped them too.

"Let them shout. In a few days, they’ll be coming to us to beg."

Darian’s eyes brightened.

"Are we going into their own waters to raid them?"

Cassian looked toward the Black Banner’s shores.

"Ever since the Jade Court took charge, the Black Banner and the western powers have spent a century beating us back at our own gates. It’s time they had a taste of it."

"I’m coming!" Darian said at once.

Cassian’s mouth curved. Sometimes he felt like the oldest boy in a pack, with Darian eager to follow him into the next bit of trouble.

"All right."

With Mirage cover and his Legendary flagship, Darian’s fleet would have the protection it needed.

But repaying that century of humiliation was only part of what Cassian had in mind.