I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!

Chapter 47 Pirate King

Cassius' eyelids fluttered open only to find that the ship was still intact. His first instinct was to check on the Duchess. He immediately turned behind to look where she had been just moments ago, and he found her sitting on the railing of the ship's bridge like before. But then, as his eyes drifted past her, his breath caught in his throat.

At first, he thought it was just the towering waves of the sea, a vast wall of water rising high behind the Duchess. But as his gaze swept across the horizon, his pulse quickened. The water didn't break against anything—it moved with an unnatural fluidity. No matter where he looked, the rolling sea surrounded them in every direction.

It was as if the sea itself had become sentient, orbiting the ship like a living, breathing entity. The water didn't crash or break, but flowed with a fluid grace, constantly in motion yet never overwhelming the vessel. The ship drifted within the sea, surrounded by these ever-moving currents, but there was no shore in sight—no land, no horizon.

"Water... no, considering the density, sea manipulation but to this extent..." Cassius murmured, his thoughts racing.

"Merfolks?" the Duchess guessed, her voice steady but carrying a note of uncertainty.

"Merfolks have always maintained a peaceful and respectful relationship with humans, even with the Duke. They've never interfered with any kind of ship, no matter how tense the situation might be. However, I know who's behind this trap, and he won't be long now. You need to leave this place, Miss, before he arrives." Cassius said, his voice laced with urgency, his eyes scanning the horizon

"Who?"

"This is not the time for questions, Miss," Cassius replied sharply. Leave right now."

"B-But what about you?" asked the Duchess, her voice wavering with concern.

"It is not possible for me to leave this place," Cassius said with a deep sigh, his gaze fixed on the tranquil sea surrounding them. "Though the water appears calm and serene from here, I can sense the shift in mana beneath the surface. It's moving rapidly, far too fast for me to fly through. The currents will tear through anything in their path. And with my affinity is... the most unfavorable one in this scenario."

He then turned his attention to the Duchess, his eyes softening but with a sense of urgency. "But Miss, you can leave. Considering the nature of your power, you have the means to escape. You can easily fly out of this place using your power. It's the fastest and safest option for you."

"It is not possible for me to leave this place," Cassius said with a deep sigh, his gaze fixed on the tranquil sea surrounding them. "Though the water appears calm and serene from here, I can sense the shift in mana beneath the surface. It's moving rapidly, far too fast for me to fly through. The currents will tear through anything in their path. And my affinity cannot even help, it is... the most unfavorable one in this situation."

He then turned his attention to the Duchess, his eyes softening but with a sense of urgency. "But Miss, you can leave. Considering the nature of your power, you have the means to escape. You can easily fly out of this place using your power, or you can head deep into the land of Merfolks, with your Identity, they will keep you safe. It's the fastest and safest option for you."

"But I can't leave you here."

"Miss, don't argue," Cassius said, his voice hardening as urgency crept into his words. "You must remember the promise you made when you first asked me to help you escape the mansion. You said it yourself—you'd throw me away without hesitation the moment danger came upon us. You have to keep that promise."

Alas! Cassius's prayers went unanswered. By the time the massacre of the merchant crew was complete, eight harrowing minutes had passed, yet there was still no sign of an opening. The pirates, covered head to toe in blood, gathered on the deck, laughing and mocking as they trampled over the lifeless bodies. Their gruesome task was done.

Cassius and the Duchess could only watch in silence, their hearts heavy with helplessness. The weight of their inaction bore down on them.

'Why? Why? WHY IS THERE NOT A SINGLE OPENING THIS ENTIRE TIME? Cassius screamed in his mind, his frustration and despair mounting with every passing second. His hands clenched around the hilt of his sword, the trembling now impossible to control.

'You're telling me a pirate is at the level of the five heroes? And all those sailors died in vain.' He couldn't fathom why the dome continued to operate with the same flawless efficiency as it had from the very beginning, trapping the ship for over eight minutes without any noticeable decline.

A man slowly hovered off the pirate ship, his movements fluid and effortless, before gracefully landing on the deck of the merchant ship. In one hand, he carried a trident, its sharp prongs resting casually over his shoulder. As soon as his feet made contact with the wooden planks of the deck, a heavy silence fell over the pirates, whose raucous laughter had filled the air moments before.

Then, in an instant, the entire crew erupted with a single, thunderous shout, their voices crashing like waves against the ship's hull:

"WE HAIL THE PIRATE KING!"

"MASTER OF THE DEEP!"

"RULER OF THE SEA!"

After repeating their chant three times, the pirates became silent. From within their ranks, a limp man emerged, his movements slow and deliberate. A brightly colored parrot perched on his shoulder. As he reached the Pirate King, he sank to one knee, his head bowed in respect. The parrot squawked softly in the silence.

"We have killed everyone on the ship, as per your order, Sir"

The Pirate King's gaze shifted to the kneeling man, his expression unchanging—bored, almost disinterested, as if the slaughter of an entire crew was nothing more than a minor task. "You mean everyone, Birdey."

"Yes, Sir. Including the merchant who was hiding himself in the barrel inside the cabin," the man said, a dark laugh escaping his lips. His teeth, bloodstained and jagged, gleamed in the dim light as he grinned, the remnants of his brutality still evident in his expression.

"Then why are those two alive?" The Pirate King's voice was low, laced with a dangerous edge, his eyes narrowing as they fixed on Cassian and the Duchess.

Without waiting for a response, the Pirate King raised his trident high, the shaft gleaming in the dim light. In one swift, effortless motion, he swung it through the air.