Mareth froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Well, in that case, Lord Ethan, just say what you came to say."
Ethan's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I'm sure the Crimsonstar Kingdom already knows what you're up to. After all, that other Pirate King you ran into—Seyric? He was just one of their pawns."
The moment those words left his mouth, both Mareth and Thalassa's expressions shifted sharply.
A flicker of panic flashed in their eyes.
Before they could respond, Ethan continued, his tone steady. "Crimsonstar Kingdom isn't stupid enough to let a threat like you grow unchecked. So next time, you won't be facing some puppet. You'll be up against their navy. Think you're ready for that?"
Queen Thalassa of the Stellamaris Kingdom didn't answer.
But her eyes said everything—uneasy, shaken… maybe even scared.
Ethan let out a quiet sigh and went on. "To be honest, I originally came here for the Kirin's Creature Dwellings."
"The Kirin's Creature Dwellings?!"