After a week of sailing from Jowa, they arrived at an island near Malac. Chris, the leader of the mercenaries, peered through his binoculars and cautioned Abigail, "These islands are notorious pirate hotspots, especially with this thickening fog. We need to stay vigilant from tonight onward!"
"Absolutely! Protecting the Queen is our duty!" The deputy leader, Abe, quipped. He was young and enjoyed flirting, but since he couldn't flirt with Sage, he turned his attention to Abigail.
Abigail smiled at him. "In that case, I shall entrust my safety to you, Abe."
Taken aback by her statement, his enthusiasm surged. "Certainly, my Queen!"
Having encountered his fair share of women, Abe realized that Abigail was the only one who could engage with his jests while maintaining seriousness.
"What do you mean by 'my Queen'? We're just here for a business deal."
"Yeah, it's our duty to protect her. You're not trying to steal all the glory, are you?"
"You rascals, enough with the banter. The one who brings back the most pirate heads will earn favor with the Queen." Chris stowed the binoculars away and scolded playfully, prompting everyone to join in the banter.
As night descended and the dense fog settled in, Abigail found herself unable to sleep. She glanced at the navigation line, eagerly anticipating the reunion with Xavien and the others in a few days. Unable to resist, she peered out of the window.
Such a vast sea with freezing temperatures… Gosh, Sean must've suffered a lot.
Abigail averted her gaze, feeling a pang of sorrow that made it hard to catch her breath.
Despite the initial anticipation, the first night passed without encountering any pirates, as did the second. By the third night, with still no sign of pirate activity, everyone began to relax slightly.
They were still a day's journey away from Xavien's island. The progress was slower than Abigail had estimated.
"Everyone must stay extra vigilant tonight," Abigail warned Chris.
"Yes. After three days of silence, they likely think we've lowered our guard," Chris responded, his expression grave.
It was late into the night when Abigail couldn't sleep again. Glancing out of the window, she caught sight of a distant, faint light. She immediately shouted, as soon as she sensed danger, "Stay alert!"
Before the sentence had fully left her lips, the ship lurched abruptly. Abigail swiftly dressed, armed herself, and rushed outside. She arrived just in time to hear Chris swearing, "D*mn scoundrels! Rise and arm yourselves to take some heads!"
Having anticipated the pirates' arrival for days, the crew reacted with excitement rather than panic as they hurried to the deck. Abigail was about to join the crowd when Simond stopped her. "Stay here. This is the mercenaries' job!"
"Are you attempting to make me back down?" Abigail questioned coldly.
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