It was just one step. A single step. All she needed to do was cross the gangway connecting the flagship of the Grand Commander of the Archipelago Expeditionary Force to her husband King Luten’s flagship.

Across that bridge, Luten was already captured and kneeling. If she could just cross over and plunge her sword into his neck, her long suffering would end.

Some say revenge cannot be repaid with death, but that’s nonsense.

She had no interest in what the Republic people were saying about keeping the king alive as a bargaining chip. Her sole plan was to take his life and then destroy everything he had built.

If only she had lived.

“Your Majesty!”

Splash.

Aira lost her balance while crossing the gangway and fell into the swirling sea between the two ships.

Ah, what a foolish way to die.

As she stared blankly at the rippling surface while slowly sinking, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

“Ugh… throw a life preserver!”

When the foolish princess fell helplessly with revenge right in front of her, the one who dove into the sea without hesitation was the Republic’s hero, the youngest admiral, and Grand Commander of the Archipelago Expeditionary Force, Jens Will—the man who had joined hands with her believing it would benefit them both.

The ship above became chaotic, and Aira, staring vacantly at the clouds drifting through the sky like torn sails stained with dirty water, turned to meet Jens’s troubled gaze.

At twenty-two, Aira sensed her end as she looked into his gray eyes.

Death is often compared to darkness. But darkness is peaceful. Those gray eyes—neither black nor white but the color of ash that had burned everything—seemed more fitting for death than darkness, as if she didn’t deserve even that peace. With this thought, Aira spoke.

“Admiral.”

“Yes.”

“My time is already up. Completing my revenge with my own hands… is now impossible.”

“…”

Seeing Jens silently watching her, completely soaked with seawater, Aira straightened herself. Gathering her final strength, she gripped his wet shoulder tightly enough to tear it.

“The Republic plans to keep him alive for their use. As a Republic soldier, you’ll have to follow that plan. I know this puts you in a difficult position. But I’ll compensate you. Admiral, I ask you to give that man a thorough death, a cruel and miserable end.”

“…”

Jens looked at his tensed shoulder before meeting her eyes again. She couldn’t even guess what lay behind those gray eyes.

It had always been this way. They were from different countries, with different cultures and positions. All she could offer was a transaction common to all three nations, and he agreed after considering his country’s benefit. Aira planned to propose another deal to him—the one thing everyone desperately wants.

She had leverage too. Despite his detached expression toward everything, he lived more fiercely than anyone. Such people always have desperate wishes. Like me.

She scraped together the last of her resolve and called him. Not by his title “Admiral” that so many used, but by his name.

“Jens.”

“…!”

She felt him clench his teeth. Life preservers were being thrown to rescue their precious admiral, and his subordinates were climbing down rope ladders from the ship, risking danger, but he didn’t spare them a glance, keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

“Jens. Make a contract with me. Give Luten death, destroy everything he built. I’ll pay the price. In return, I can grant your wish.”

“…Wish?”

“Yes. Whatever it may be. Even the most impossible thing. If you bring him down as thoroughly as I desire.”

Jens looked over her hair, now long and flowing in the seawater, her bloodied face, and then her eyes, before lowering his gaze. While hands reached out around them to rescue him, Jens still held onto her and slowly spoke, his face becoming desperate just as she had anticipated.

“My wish is…”

* * *

“Your Highness. We’ll proceed with the planned course.”

“What?”

The 17th Imperial Princess Aira, seated in the royal chair on the bridge, blinked. Captain Fletcher of the Girogssar gave her a sympathetic look, thinking she must be tired from the ongoing naval battles.

She was still just a young princess. At barely sixteen, she had been forced onto this warship after being pushed out by her siblings’ power struggles.

Despite being born with magical abilities and being the Emperor’s biological child, unlike the adopted princes and princesses, she was merely the seventeenth princess. Her exceptional abilities made her situation all the more unfortunate. Fletcher swallowed his expression and spoke again.

“The Archipelago fleet is in sight. We’ll set course for them. Shall we raise the surrender flag?”

“…Wait. Just wait a moment.”

This naval battle was orchestrated by the royal family to eliminate the 17th princess. Most of the families loyal to her had already been killed through false accusations and conspiracies, and the remaining ones were all aboard this ship, sent with the princess to the front lines of the Servolang Naval Battle.

The 9th Prince, commander of the battle, openly revealed his intentions by sending the Girogssar only on deadly missions. The crew of the barely intact ship was ready to follow the princess’s final decision, made after long deliberation.

Surrender and asylum.

The known world was divided between the Empire and the Republic, two continents that constantly bloodied the strait between them. The Archipelago, which appeared about 100 years ago claiming neutrality, had recently formed an alliance with the Republic.

After lengthy discussions with her surviving retainers, the princess decided that the previously neutral Archipelago would be better than the Republic, which had been fighting the Empire for 600 years. She chose to surrender to the King of the Archipelago, clearly to save at least the lives of her remaining retainers.

Being an Imperial Princess, Fletcher thought bitterly, the Archipelago royal family wouldn’t treat her poorly. He resolved to follow the princess’s decision.

“Your Highness.”

“…Not the Archipelago.”

“Pardon?”

“The Archipelago won’t work.”

Her voice sounded like broken glass pieces colliding. Hearing the princess’s sudden and desperate voice for the first time, the retainers on the bridge turned to look at her. The princess had her head down, gripping the armrests tightly. Her thin hands trembled like those of a long-suffering patient.

“Then, Your Highness. Shall we join the 2nd Fleet as ordered by the 9th Prince?”

If they joined the fleet and survived the battle, they might be falsely accused, but at least the princess could survive. The 3rd Prince, who adored the princess, wouldn’t make any more mistakes. Hearing this, the princess raised her head. Her face had turned pale blue.

“No.”

“Your Highness.”

“This naval battle… no. It’s a death trap.”

Her voice was thick and sticky. Though still a young girl, the darkness in her voice was not easily dismissed. Fletcher found it difficult to understand. Just this morning, she had been joking with him in a deliberately light voice about what they would do in the Archipelago and how they would support her retainers.

“Your Highness. The flagship has raised the signal. We must join the 2nd Fleet immediately.”

“The Archipelago fleet is also moving away. If we miss this chance, going to the Archipelago will be impossible…”

The crew shouted in confusion at the rapidly changing maritime movements. But the princess, who needed to give the orders, could only move her lips without speaking. Her eyes darted around aimlessly.

Seeing the princess in a state of panic, Captain Fletcher turned away. They had placed too heavy a burden on the young princess. He chose a third option.

“Set course southwest. We’re heading for international waters.”

“Aye!”

The princess had rejected their plan to go to the Archipelago. Joining the Imperial fleet as ordered by the 9th Prince would only lead them to a miserable death. Yet they couldn’t go to the Republic, their enemy.

Fletcher planned to temporarily withdraw from the battle zone to give the princess time to calm down. They were already being driven to death anyway. Such insubordination was relatively minor in comparison.

The battered Girogssar cut through the water relentlessly after the Servolang Naval Battle. The ship shook with the rapid turn. The princess snapped to attention at the movement.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re heading for international waters for now. Your Highness, please take your time to make a decision.”

“International waters…?”

The princess, looking slightly dazed, raised her finger to her lips. She looked like someone trying hard to recall something important. She quickly scanned the maritime chart. Soon her eyes widened in horror, and a question burst out like a scream.

“Southwest?!”

“Yes. For now, that direction.”

“No! The Republic’s new weapon is there…”

BOOM!

Before the princess could finish, the Girogssar hit a Republic mine hidden underwater. With a tremendous noise, mines exploded in succession, and the Girogssar was instantly engulfed in flames.