Triumphant Return
Especially the second point.
Would a wizard ever run out of money?
For a long time, in the eyes of ordinary people, wizards have been symbols of wealth! Wherever they go, they receive the best treatment and have numerous nobles eager to offer them wealth to curry favor or gain their support.
A wizard running out of money? What a joke!
With this thought, Captain Jack dispelled the last bit of resistance in the hearts of the pirates. Then he unfolded the piece of cloth: "This is the new flag that young nobleman just drew for us... our new banner."
Soon, the Black Pearl, now flying the new flag, turned towards the nearest port.
After a day and a half of sailing, the former pirate ship encountered the Imperial Navy warship that had been pursuing them for the past two days!
After a tense standoff, the officers on the navy warship were shocked to see that the flag flying on the opposing mast was not a pirate flag... but a strange one!
Soon after, the signal officer reported that the pirates had sent a semaphore signal requesting to surrender... they were not pirates.
The situation quickly became much simpler.
The captain of the navy warship ordered his men to stand down and accepted the "surrender" of the pirate ship. He then learned that the long-missing young master of the Russell family was on this pirate ship...
Moreover, the young master had somehow captured a ship full of pirates!
The captain of the Imperial Navy warship was stunned! According to Imperial law, any noble has the direct authority to deal with their captives... of course, major crimes like treason are exceptions!
But for a noble to handle a few pirates... this minor issue was something the captain was willing to overlook.
After all, this was the young master of the Russell family! The eldest son of Earl Edward!
Earl Edward, who once served as an admiral of the Imperial Navy's expedition fleet, had extensive connections within the navy and held great prestige!
Naturally, no one on this naval ship would dare trouble Earl Edward's son!
After the two ships came to a parallel stop, the esteemed Master Freyr was transferred to the warship via a dinghy. For safety, two squads of soldiers were dispatched to the pirate ship to keep an eye on the pirates.
"Master Freyr!" The captain of the navy warship was a typical navy man, without any armor, dressed in a uniform, of short stature. His skin was bronze from exposure to the sea and wind, and his hands were rough: "Our entire fleet has been scattered, searching the nearby waters for you! There is a standing order that whoever finds your ship can get a month's leave to rest in Walker Port! Thank the gods, I get to claim this great reward! Hahaha..."
Freyr was slightly surprised... an entire fleet was looking for him?
Although his father had been a high-ranking naval officer and was now the second most powerful figure in the Imperial military... he didn't particularly like him... it seemed unlikely he would go to such lengths to find him?
With doubts in his mind, Freyr had a conversation with the captain in the captain's cabin. Freyr quickly grasped the situation.
It seemed he had become a key bargaining chip in the Imperial military's negotiations with the Magic Guild.
Finding him would ease tensions.
Failing to find him... would exacerbate and intensify the conflict between the military and the wizards' guild! Something no one wanted to see!
"And who are these two..." the captain glanced at Lilith and Naya beside Freyr.
"My friends," Freyr vaguely replied.
He certainly wouldn't say: they were the two wizards who caused havoc in the military camp! See the woman in armor? She nearly killed me! She attacked the local military camp!
If he said that... it would definitely stir up trouble!
Naya's magic had fully recovered! If she caused trouble, she could easily send everyone on these two ships to the bottom of the sea!
The navy captain wasn't a fool, but he didn't pry further, simply skipping the topic: "Well then, please rest. I have prepared food and water... if you need anything, I will arrange it... please, do not hesitate! My brother once served in the Imperial Expedition Fleet under your father! I have great respect for Earl Edward. He is the pride of our Imperial Navy!"
Before leaving, the captain couldn't resist asking: "Forgive my curiosity... Master Freyr, what do you plan to do with the pirates? They are ruthless outlaws, you..."
"They are my captives. I have the primary right to deal with them, don't I?" Freyr smiled: "I will soon have a fleet, and I will incorporate them into it. I need experienced sailors and seamen. And, I quite like their ship."
Actually, the navy captain wanted to remind Freyr: you don't yet have an official title, so strictly speaking, you can't have a private army.
But, in reality, all major families' heirs in the Empire would eventually receive titles. Whether they established a private army sooner or later, people would turn a blind eye. Who would truly question this?
"I have named this ship 'Black Pearl.' It will be the flagship of my fleet," Freyr continued to smile.
"So, what is the name of your fleet... oh, no, I don't mean to pry, but since they were pirates, now that they belong to you, I need to do some paperwork to remove them from the navy's cleanup list. I need you to provide the name of your fleet."
Freyr laughed and led the captain to the deck, pointing at the nearby Black Pearl.
"See the flag on the ship?" Freyr smiled brightly.
"...I see it," the captain said, puzzled: "I've never seen such a strange flag... what does it mean?"
If someone from Freyr's past life saw the flag, they would faint!
Because the flag bore a large, round letter "M"!
"McDonald's!" Freyr replied without missing a beat: "My fleet is named the 'McDonald's Fleet'! You can file this name in your records."