The atmosphere grew awkward.
Elizabeth hadn't expected Ethan to know that much. The gold coin in her hand suddenly felt uncomfortable to hold, no matter where she placed it, it seemed out of place.
"Of course, it would be best if this problem were resolved today."
Ethan gave her an easy way out, choosing to ignore the issue of the gold coin's original ownership.
"And as far as I know, that person isn't the real owner of this gold coin either."
Elizabeth remained silent for a moment before finally asking what the coin was for. She couldn't suppress her curiosity, she wanted to know the truth.
Judging by her expression, it was clear she wouldn't let this go without an answer. So, Ethan decided to give her a brief explanation.
When she heard that the coin, once touched by seawater, would be sensed by a cursed crew of undead pirates, Elizabeth looked skeptical, almost as if Ethan was trying to trick a child.
"I've told you the situation. Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Ethan noticed that Elizabeth wasn't holding the gold coin tightly, her fingers were loosely curled around it.
Without another word, he extended his hand and made a small motion with his fingers.
His well-practiced Mage Hand activated silently, lifting the coin from Elizabeth's grasp.
The sudden, inexplicable movement left Elizabeth momentarily stunned.
Then, she remembered something yesterday, when she had nearly suffocated in her corset, she had felt a strange sense of relief after standing beside Ethan in a daze.
At the time, she had assumed she had loosened the fastenings herself. But now…
Elizabeth wasn't a fool. In fact, she was rather sharp.
Her occasional naivety came from youth and inexperience not a lack of intelligence. Given the clues before her, it didn't take her long to piece things together.
"It was you yesterday!"
"No need to thank me. I'm always happy to help."
Elizabeth's face flushed. Whether it was from embarrassment or something else, even she wasn't sure.
Meanwhile, Ethan examined the Aztec gold coin, turning it over in his hand.
He hadn't noticed before, but now that he held it directly, he could sense the hidden energy pulsing within it.
It was an unusual fluctuation—one he couldn't quite define—but there was no doubt that this was the real deal.
"What kind of compensation do you want in return?"
At this point, it did feel a bit like a forced transaction, but Ethan had no intention of wasting more time.
"I never agreed to sell you the gold coin!"
Realizing that Ethan wouldn't return it, Elizabeth quickly put forward her own condition.
"But I can bring the gold coin with me..."
Ethan waved his hand dismissively.
Elizabeth wasn't the type to sit still, she had dreamed of adventure, of seeing real pirates, far too many times. And, like many young romantics, she tended to view adventure through the lens of the stories she'd read.
Bringing her along would only create more trouble.
"I can have my father arrange a warship!"
Elizabeth was determined to involve herself, even if it meant throwing her father under the proverbial carriage.
"You need a good ship to find those pirates, don't you?"
Ethan hesitated.
He did need a ship, and he hadn't actually solved that problem yet.
Buying one sounded easy enough but that required someone willing to sell.
While Port Royal had plenty of docked ships, every one of them had an owner. Buying one outright wasn't as simple as it seemed.
As for purchasing a new ship from a shipyard?
That would take way too long.
The idea of a warship, however…
"A warship?"
As Governor of Port Royal, Swann technically didn't have direct authority over the Royal Navy, but requesting the deployment of a warship to deal with pirates wasn't unreasonable.
And Norrington wouldn't have any reason to object.
"You reminded me, using a warship is a good idea."
Ethan had rejected Jack's plan to steal the Interceptor because it involved outright theft.
This was different.
Instead of stealing a ship, he could get the Royal Navy to cooperate.
Norrington had no reason to refuse.
For an officer seeking career advancement, earning military merit was essential. And in the Caribbean, the easiest way to gain such merit was by hunting pirates—ensuring the British Empire's interests in the region.
Elizabeth watched Ethan lost in thought and didn't interrupt.
Instead, she was already thinking about how to get him to take her along.
She refused to miss out on something this exciting.
Not only did she want to see if these "cursed pirates" were real, but she also wanted to know whether Ethan was just spinning a tale to amuse himself at her expense.
Ethan found the situation amusing.
Jack would undoubtedly be dragged into this mess.
Which meant a scenario that should have ended with Jack being captured by Norrington would now involve him standing right in the middle of the Royal Navy.
It was entertaining to think about but it wouldn't be easy to pull off.
And the girl in front of him clearly had her own agenda.
At some point, she would become a source of trouble.
"But it shouldn't be too much of a problem."
Previously, he had been against bringing her along because, with only himself and Jack, neither of them would have had time to look after her.
But if Norrington agreed to send a warship, that changed things.
Not to mention, before even getting on the ship, she would have to convince her father to allow it.
And even if she managed that, once aboard, Norrington himself would be too worried about her safety to let her run off and cause problems.
It wouldn't be his responsibility anymore.
"If you can convince Norrington and if your father has no objections..."
Hearing Ethan say this, Elizabeth felt a sudden surge of excitement.
It was as if she had never been more energized in her entire life.
"Deal!"
Now caught up in her excitement, Elizabeth finally remembered the peculiar trick Ethan had used earlier.
Curious, she asked the question that had been nagging at her.
"How did you do that just now?"
"Magic."
"Magic?"
Elizabeth was still skeptical but after everything she had heard and seen today, she couldn't dismiss the possibility entirely.
In fact, it all seemed bizarre enough that "magic" didn't feel entirely unbelievable.
"Is it really magic?"
Ethan nodded.
"Can I learn it?"
This wasn't the first time someone had asked him that.
He wasn't surprised.
After all, hadn't he once asked the same thing himself?
Ethan understood Elizabeth's feelings perfectly.
He studied her carefully before answering.
"If it's just simple spells, you should be able to learn them."
"What do you mean?"
"In other words, you won't be able to go far down the path of magic."
Elizabeth's mental power was fairly ordinary, similar to Ethan's when he first started. However, unlike Ethan, she hadn't spent time refining her control through constant practice. As a result, her talent for magic was significantly lower than his had been at the beginning.
Under these circumstances, she might be able to grasp the basics of magic over time, especially with Ethan's guidance and accumulated knowledge. But truly becoming a magician? That was nearly impossible.
Of course, if Ethan were willing to invest immense effort and rare resources into training her, then nothing was entirely out of reach.
Elizabeth, however, didn't seem particularly bothered by this revelation.
If magic were too easy to learn, that would have felt abnormal.
Her current understanding of magic made Ethan's answer seem reasonable.
"Where did you learn magic?"
"Through various adventures, I met several masters along the way."
From the Ancient One to Akara, Isendra, Xul, and even Merlin—many had contributed to his foundation in magic. Looking at those names, Ethan's progress didn't seem unusual at all.
"Several...?"
Elizabeth was speechless.
Who was this person?
Encountering one magic master would be extraordinary, he had met several on his journey?
Were magic masters just wandering around, waiting to be found?
She had never even seen one before today, and until now, she had believed magic only existed in stories.
The conversation continued, with Elizabeth bombarding him with questions like an eager child.
Ethan answered selectively, only responding to questions that weren't particularly important.
He should have left after securing the gold coin, but since he now planned to involve the Royal Navy, he decided to stay and wait for Governor Swann's return.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long.
Swann returned home for lunch around noon and was surprised to see Ethan, especially when he realized the young man had been chatting with his daughter.
According to the housekeeper's reliable reports, Ethan had arrived in the morning and had been talking with Elizabeth in the sitting room ever since.
As a father, Swann greatly appreciated Norrington.
He believed Norrington was a good match for his daughter, a stable and respectable choice.
That said, he still maintained an open-minded attitude about Elizabeth's decisions.
However, the conversation that followed took a direction he hadn't expected.
"Pirates? The Black Pearl?"
In the Caribbean, the Black Pearl was a figure that straddled legend and reality.
Of course, someone of Swann's position knew that it was real. But because it moved unpredictably and its captain was particularly ruthless—leaving almost no trace behind—the Royal Navy had never been able to take action against it.
Many lower-ranking soldiers believed the Black Pearl was nothing more than a myth.
"You want to capture them?"
Swann began to wonder if Ethan had come to Port Royal on some secret mission.
"More accurately, I intend to eliminate them."
The real goal was to earn Jack Sparrow's trust and secure his future assistance but there was no need to explain that to Swann.
One thing, however, had to be made clear.
"I also need the Black Pearl intact. The pirates on board can be dealt with, but the ship itself must be preserved."
Hearing this, Swann quickly adopted his official stance.
He didn't give a direct answer, nor did he make any promises.
Instead, he explained that military operations like this required the approval of Brigadier General Norrington, Port Royal's commanding officer.
A decision could only be made after careful consideration.
Especially since Ethan had no official documents or recognized authority.
**
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