Chapter 692
Rescue!
Cohen nodded in satisfaction. Van Ze's judgment and decision met his expectations and could even be considered the optimal solution.
Concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks—this was the core spirit he conveyed to Fan Ze.
Moreover, his main purpose in coming here was to support the Merfolk, and Fan Ze, as the former dean of the Imperial Naval Academy, understood his meaning very well.
However, this does make the Crimson Island main base seem somewhat...empty.
No wonder Flint is spending so much time in the dockyard. Jennings, who was originally in charge of administration and internal affairs, now seems to be taking on military and chart work as well.
Cohen turned around and looked at the young man in front of him, who looked slightly tired but still had clear eyes.
Stevens Jennings was the brother-in-law of Herman Donaldson, the now increasingly important Chief of Staff of the Emperor at Effie's court.
When Cohen sent him over, it was partly to place his trusted confidants and strengthen control, and partly because he valued Cohen's meticulousness and ability to handle complex matters.
It now seems that he has grown rapidly under Fan Ze's guidance and is already capable of handling things independently. (See Chapter 67, "Strategic Planning, Sowing Discord in Ceylon!")
“You’ve done a good job, Jennings. Tell me briefly about the recent situation of the pirate group and news of Van Ze and his men’s journey south.”
Jennings perked up, knowing that His Majesty was receiving a work report and learning about the situation at the front.
He quickly organized his thoughts and began to recount in an orderly manner, from the base's material reserves, personnel morale, and monitoring of the surrounding sea areas, to the frequency and content of communication with the southward-bound Van Zee fleet, and then to some noteworthy recent movements of forces in the northwest sea area.
The entire report was practical and specific, without any unnecessary embellishment, demonstrating Jennings' excellent professionalism.
Cohen listened quietly, nodding occasionally or asking one or two key questions.
His gaze lingered most of the time on the enormous nautical chart, but Jennings knew that His Majesty had taken in every word.
Not long after, Jennings reported to Cohen on the recent situation of the base, the communication with the South China Sea, and the allocation of supplies.
Clearly, after Commander Van Zell's departure, he managed this increasingly important sea fortress quite well.
However, when he mentioned the last piece of news, which was also the latest update that had just been sent back from Pearl Palace via encrypted channels, his speaking speed unconsciously became much more subtle:
"...In addition, Your Majesty, about an hour ago, we received an urgent message from Deputy Commander Beckman from Pearl Palace."
Reports indicate that the Southern Empire appears to be making some unusual moves.
They have assembled an elite fleet and are secretly escorting a group of... supposedly important merfolk figures who were captured and imprisoned by them many years ago, preparing to travel via the 'Silent Island Chain' route.
They were to be escorted back to a secret facility on the Imperial mainland called Black Prison Island, with plans to execute them immediately upon arrival to prevent future trouble.
His Majesty Claire was furious upon learning of this and has decided to personally lead a contingent of elite troops, in conjunction with the two chieftains of the Lan and Bitao tribes, to intercept and rescue them.
Commander Van Zell and Lord Beckman are currently at Pearl Palace assisting in developing a detailed rendezvous and cover plan…
Cohen, who had been leaning back calmly in his chair, tensed up immediately upon hearing the keywords "important figure imprisoned by the merfolk many years ago" and "secret execution."
A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he quickly asked:
Did Beckman say where this information came from?
Jennings felt a chill run down his spine under the Emperor's suddenly sharp gaze, and daring not to be negligent in the slightest, he quickly replied:
"Your Majesty, according to the information sent by Beckman, it seems that His Majesty Claire obtained the information personally from the Military Intelligence Bureau."
"That's Whirlpool Fortress..."
After a brief moment of thought, Cohen sighed softly, a clear look of worry appearing on his face.
Without a doubt, this was clearly a plan devised by the Southern Empire to deal with Claire.
Such a core escort and execution plan involves the Empire's top-secret operation of secretly abducting important figures from other races over the years, and should have been one of the Empire's highest-level secrets.
No matter how deep or high the position of the agents planted by the Military Intelligence Bureau, their access to fleet movements and troop deployments is already at its limit. How could they obtain such a complete top-secret plan, and at such a perfect time?
Cohen's thinking was frighteningly clear. He created the Military Intelligence Bureau and knew all too well how the organization operated and its capabilities were limited.
While the intelligence agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau are indeed ubiquitous and can obtain a great deal of valuable information, top-level secrets that are directly related to the core secrets of the empire and could trigger a diplomatic earthquake or even escalate into war if exposed must be kept at an unimaginably high level of secrecy.
Obtaining one or two relevant clues might be possible, but getting the complete plan is absolutely impossible.
Then, there is only one possibility left—this intelligence was deliberately sent to Claire by the other party.
He could almost picture the Southern Empire's scheme: using Claire's deep sense of responsibility towards the Merfolk, and her concern and guilt for her missing kin, to throw out this irresistible "bait."
Given Claire's fierce and decisive character, upon learning that her people had not only been imprisoned for many years but were also to be secretly executed, she would undoubtedly be furious and would be highly likely to personally intervene to rescue them.
But as soon as she leaves the Pearl Palace and the deep-sea territory that the Merfolk have cultivated for many years, a deadly trap set by the Empire's top forces awaits her.
And indeed, Cohen did just as he predicted.
He quickly contacted the head of the Southern Military Intelligence Bureau's Whirlpool Fortress station.
And indeed, Cohen did just as he predicted.
He quickly contacted Royce Cameron, the head of the Southern Military Intelligence Bureau's Whirlpool Fortress station, through emergency contact methods:
"Royce, to make a long story short, was the intelligence about the Southern Empire's secret escort and planned execution of former merfolk prisoners obtained and passed back by your people?"
Reus paused noticeably, seemingly not expecting His Majesty the Emperor to personally inquire about the matter, especially in this manner.
He dared not hide it and immediately responded:
"Yes, I personally relayed it back to headquarters."
Cohen quickly followed up with, "Do you think there's anything wrong with this intelligence?"
Reus immediately replied:
"Your Majesty, there is indeed a problem."
Although the contents of this intelligence are somewhat consistent with some unusual fleet movements of the Southern Empire that we have recently monitored.
However, the level of detail, especially regarding the specific list of prisoners and the handling of 'Black Prison Island', far exceeds the level of information we currently have access to.
In fact, my subordinates are preparing to submit an assessment report to headquarters regarding this matter, questioning the source and authenticity of this intelligence.
Cohen's heart sank slightly, but this also confirmed his suspicions.
He continued to ask:
"How well is this intelligence kept secret among the higher-ups of the Southern Empire?"
This time, Royce's answer was more direct, confirming Cohen's worst-case scenario:
"Your Majesty, this is precisely the most puzzling aspect."
According to feedback from our informants at various levels, the rumors about 'executing former merfolk prisoners' seem to be... not top secret among the Southern Empire's military and some high-ranking court officials recently.
There's even a semi-public circulation of this information. Although the specific details vary, the core message that "the Empire has decided to eliminate hidden dangers and execute important merfolk prisoners" seems to have been spread intentionally or unintentionally.
This is completely contrary to the confidentiality standards that should apply to such top-secret operations, and subordinates suspect... this may be a strategic information leak.
Royce's last statement perfectly matched Cohen's guess.
In fact, the cautious person in charge of Whirlpool Fortress had already sensed a strong sense of conspiracy when he first received the news about the "execution of old merfolk prisoners".
Royce was no mediocre talent; the fact that he was assigned to such a crucial position as the capital of the Southern Empire to oversee an intelligence network speaks volumes about his exceptional abilities.
When this intelligence began to circulate secretly within certain circles of the Southern Empire, Royce's first reaction was not joy, but vigilance.
Such an important top-secret operation should have had a suffocatingly high level of secrecy, so how could it have been exposed so "just in time," with the details becoming increasingly rich?
Therefore, during his initial routine report to the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters, Royce clearly expressed his concerns.
In his confidential report, he emphasized that the source of this intelligence was questionable and the way it was disseminated was abnormal. It was highly likely that the Southern Empire had deliberately released a "smoke screen" or "bait." He advised headquarters to treat it with caution and not to transmit it to the relevant parties for the time being.
They also requested authorization to further utilize deep resources to investigate the true intentions behind the Empire's actions.
Nefertis of the Military Intelligence Bureau, after receiving Royce's report, shared the same view.
She also believed that the emergence of this intelligence was too perfect and the timing too coincidental, suggesting there must be a trap behind it.
Therefore, instead of immediately passing on this dubious and alarming intelligence to Claire, Nephthys followed standard procedure and ordered Royce and relevant departments to continue their in-depth investigation.
The key task is to investigate the true purpose of the Imperial Navy's unusual mobilization and whether there are any signs of a secret gathering of high-level combat forces.
However, no matter how meticulous the plan was, it could not overcome the eagerness of people's hearts and the surge of emotions.
The Southern Empire's "semi-public" leak strategy worked; some vague rumors eventually reached Claire's ears through other channels.
Given Claire's personality and the resources she has, how could she possibly sit still when she discovers a major clue that might be related to her missing people?
So, while Nefertis, having received a warning from Royce, ordered a thorough investigation, Claire had already proactively contacted the Military Intelligence Bureau, requesting all intelligence regarding the matter.
As the Southern Empire had calculated, and as Cohen had deduced at this moment, Claire had taken the bait.
She may not have been entirely unaware, but faced with the cruel reality that her people were about to be secretly executed, any risk of a trap seemed worthwhile to her.
This is an open conspiracy, a scheme targeting Claire's lack of responsibility and character weaknesses.
Cohen sighed softly. He completely understood Claire's choice. If it were his family members who were imprisoned and facing execution, even if it were a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, or an ambush from all sides, Cohen Corleone would absolutely rush in without hesitation.
This has nothing to do with strength; it's the bottom line, a responsibility, and an inescapable burden for a king.
The Southern Empire grasped this point precisely.
Cohen forced himself to calm down. Since the other party had set this trap for Claire, they must have made the most thorough assessment and preparations to deal with the power Claire possessed.
Claire, a high-ranking legendary figure, wields the divine artifact, the Trident of Poseidon. She is surrounded by the elite of the Crimson Raiders, two legendary patriarchs of the Merfolk, and the entire Pearl Palace as her backing.
Even so, the other side was still confident in setting up this trap and believed it was enough to capture Claire, which meant that the power they used must have far exceeded the norm.
Cohen frowned deeply. If it were just him and Claire working together, he was confident that with his Shadow Descent ability, he could rescue Claire and escape unscathed.
But simply rescuing Claire is far from enough.
Since the other side used those imprisoned merfolk as bait, as long as these people are still in the hands of the Southern Empire, and as long as this "weak point" exists, similar things may happen again.
This time they used "execution" to lure you out; next time it might be a "public trial," a "parade through the streets," or other crucial moments where they use this to blackmail you.
If she can't save her people, Claire's inner conflict will never be resolved, and there will always be a vulnerability that the enemy can exploit.
Since we're going, since we're destined to step into this trap, we can't just be satisfied with rescuing Claire.
He not only had to bring Claire back safely, but also rescue every single one of his imprisoned clansmen.
The goal is to smash this carefully laid trap of the Southern Empire, along with the mastermind behind it, to pieces.
The goal is to use the most forceful methods to tell the Southern Empire, and to tell Greg or anyone else who is scheming behind the scenes, that there are some people you cannot outmaneuver!
Cohen fell into deep thought; there was no doubt that he had to go in person.
However, how to proceed and in what capacity to intervene requires utmost caution.
The power he currently possesses, enough to rival an empire, ostensibly belongs to Effie.
Once he makes a move, it could easily expose Effie's relationship with the merfolk, raising further suspicion from the Southern Empire and even making them doubt his identity as the Pirate King.
Especially now that the Covenant of the Gods has just been announced, the situation on the continent is turbulent and unpredictable, with powerful neighbors eyeing it covetously.
His identity as the "Pirate King" is currently hidden behind the fog, and it is his important trump card and room for maneuver.
Once his identity as the Pirate King is exposed, it will bring immeasurable political, diplomatic, and even military pressure to Eifine.
Cohen slowly shook his head. Revealing his identity as the Pirate King too early would force Effin to get involved in a full-scale confrontation with the Southern Empire prematurely, disrupting his overall future plans.
Moreover, even if Effie can withstand the pressure, are Claire and the merfolk truly safe?
No, this will only tie them more firmly to Effie's chariot, exposing them to an even fiercer storm.
This is not protection, but rather placing them in greater danger.
However, the Crimson Raiders alone are probably not strong enough to face the "feast" that the Southern Empire might be preparing for Claire.
If the other party dares to set a trap, they must be quite confident.
There will be no shortage of legendary powerhouses, and there must be some kind of preparation against the Trident of Poseidon. They may even have used some of the empire's most treasured war machines or forbidden techniques.
Fan Ze and his group can play a supporting role, but if they want to achieve a "perfect solution"—rescuing Claire, all the imprisoned tribesmen, and launching a fierce counterattack—their strength is still insufficient.
He needed a force, a force powerful enough to turn the tide, one that had nothing to do with Effie, and preferably one that would make the Southern Empire hesitant to escalate the situation.
Soon a name will appear deep in my memory.
Charles Wilson, the God of Healing.
This was a mid-level deity who had clearly expressed his willingness to cooperate to Cohen before the announcement of the Covenant of the Gods.
Even though they are restricted by the current rules of the continent, beings above the Saint level cannot descend in their true form at full power.
But the resources a deity can mobilize and the influence they can exert far surpass those of ordinary mortal forces. If they were willing to intervene…
Cohen did not hesitate any longer, and time did not allow him to weigh the pros and cons repeatedly.
He quickly retrieved a golden leaf from the Heart of Eternity, a communication token left behind by Charles Wilson.
It contains a trace of extremely weak divine power from the God of Healing, which can, when necessary, establish a brief communication channel across vast distances.
Cohen held the golden leaf in his palm, closed his eyes, and slowly poured his powerful legendary-level spiritual energy into them.
The leaves began to emit a faint herbal fragrance and a sense of warmth and life.
Guided by this faint divine power, Cohen's consciousness seemed to penetrate through layers of spatial barriers, ascending into a strange realm that was difficult to describe in words.
After a brief silence, a peaceful and soothing voice, seemingly capable of calming all pain and anxiety, resonated deep within his soul:
"Your Majesty Corleone, I have been looking forward to seeing you for a long time!"
The opening remarks from the God of Healing caused Cohen to pause slightly.
Charles Wilson's reaction was much more enthusiastic than he had expected.
Charles Wilson was indeed very excited.
Although limited by his own divine level and influence, he was unable to personally descend to the main plane on the day the covenant of the gods was announced, unlike the elemental gods such as the Goddess of Light and the God of Ice, to witness the conflict and negotiations that shook the continent.
But the information that came to him afterward through various channels, especially about Cohen Corleone's performance in that incident, had already stirred his emotions.
A legendary figure who overpowered the four top powers, defeated the past incarnation of the God of Darkness head-on, and has an ambiguous connection with many powerful deities!
These events, one by one, have long transcended the categories of "ordinary heroes" or "powerful monarchs," depicting a terrifying existence that is unfathomable, possesses boundless potential, and may even shake up the future continental landscape.
Although many deities, upon their return, remained silent due to the majesty of the Goddess of Light, they did not publicize Cohen's past life identity.
But Charles was convinced that the young king must have been a great god in his previous life.
Charles Wilson is now increasingly grateful that he extended goodwill and expressed his willingness to cooperate to His Majesty Corleone before the situation became fully clear.
In retrospect, this move was absolutely correct, and may even be considered one of his wisest decisions in nearly a thousand years.
However, along with the relief, a strong sense of crisis also arose.
Based on the available information, Cohen is surrounded by too many people.
The Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Ice are the elemental deities who govern the fundamental laws, holding revered positions and possessing immense power.
Bahamut, the dragon god, is ancient and powerful, with unfathomable depths of knowledge.
The elven pantheon is even more extensive and complex, with intricate networks of relationships.
Compared to these beings, Charles Wilson, a mid-level deity whose main divine duties are "healing," "life," and "order," has a solid base of believers within the human race and his influence should not be underestimated.
However, in the "collaborator" map that Cohen may be constructing, he does not seem to be irreplaceable.
If I can't quickly demonstrate my unique value and solve Cohen's practical problems, how much weight will my initial gesture of goodwill carry in His Majesty's heart?
Could other, more powerful, and more proactive deities eventually surpass them?
Even...being gradually marginalized, and ultimately losing this crucial future investment?
Therefore, when he sensed Cohen's request for contact through that token, Charles Wilson responded almost instantly, filled with a sense of urgency that "finally, there's an opportunity."
He desperately needed an opportunity to prove his worth, and he desperately needed Cohen Corleone to "owe" him a huge favor, thus firmly binding their relationship together.
He even secretly hoped that Cohen would encounter more trouble and need more crucial help, so that his assistance would carry more weight and his position in Cohen's "camp" would be more secure in the future.
So, after expressing a warm welcome, Charles Wilson, without any airs of a deity or any pretense of probing, spoke directly:
"His Majesty took the initiative to contact us, presumably because he has encountered a problem that requires some extra assistance to solve."
Please speak frankly and without reservation.
His words remained gentle, but his eagerness to help and offer timely assistance was almost palpable.
He was eager for Cohen to immediately pose a huge problem so that he could use his divine power to turn the tide and become an indispensable ally of Cohen.
Cohen was incredibly perceptive; he immediately discerned Charles's mindset from his overly enthusiastic, even somewhat eager, response.
This holy god of healing seems to value this relationship more than he had anticipated.
This was an unexpected bonus, and it saved us from a lot of roundabout probing.
Without hesitation, Cohen quickly explained his predicament, the Southern Empire's open schemes, the trap Claire faced, and his complex need to both save people and break the deadlock.
After hearing Cohen's account, the Holy Spirit responded without the slightest hesitation:
"So that's how it is. The Southern Empire's actions are no longer a simple military game, but a trampling on the dignity of life and basic order. Their intentions are despicable."
"Your Majesty Corleone, please rest assured, this matter concerns both moral principles and your trust in me; I will certainly do my utmost to assist you!" (End of Chapter)