Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 896 - 159: Encounter

On the deck, Captain Petra stared into the distance with a look of deep concern, seemingly lost in thought.

After twenty years of rough and tumble life at sea, he had never been this nervous. Even when faced with pirates, Petra hadn’t felt as tense as he did now.

There was no choice, for he had taken on a job he shouldn’t have.

In fact, Petra knew there were risks involved in this business. Sailing at night was very dangerous, and under normal circumstances, no one would require setting off overnight.

However, exceptions existed, and for the sake of British Pounds, Petra didn’t mind taking the risk.

In his mind, it was just smuggling a few people out. He had done similar things many times before.

Typically, smuggling was into Britannia, and it was rare to smuggle people out.

To Petra, these were minor issues, as long as the money was right, everything was negotiable.

All was going well until these special clients boarded the ship, and that’s when Petra realized something was amiss.

Having been at sea for so many years, Petra was well seasoned. No matter how much Victor Emmanuel III tried to disguise himself, his aura could not be concealed.

With years of experience, Petra immediately recognized that these people were no ordinary passengers; they were definitely significant figures.

The problem was that the Fulda was just an ordinary cargo ship, with no comfort to speak of.

Unless it was a time of crisis, prominent people, no matter how destitute, wouldn’t choose such a clearly inappropriate mode of travel.

No one wanted to take on such a job, as it meant enormous trouble. Before Captain Petra could change his mind, he was warned.

According to the deal, deliver the people to the Netherlands and his fee would be doubled; if anything happened on the way, his whole family would go to hell together.

Refusing was impossible, with his whole family under surveillance; Petra could only hope for God’s protection and a smooth journey.

...

As Petra was lost in his thoughts, two warships were rapidly approaching from the distance, not more than 20 nautical miles away.

The experienced first mate alerted him, "Captain, something seems off. The two warships behind seem to be targeting us."

Upon hearing the first mate, Petra rushed to the lookout room without a word and picked up the binoculars to look back.

Indeed, two warships appeared on the horizon, heading for the Fulda.

Because of the distance, Petra couldn’t yet tell which nation the warships belonged to. However, the shrinking gap still indicated that trouble was brewing.

"Based on our current speed, it will take no more than six hours for the following two warships to catch up.

Send orders to increase speed; we must get to the Netherlands as soon as possible. Completing this mission will mean an additional half on top of all earnings."

The first mate cheerfully replied, "No problem, Captain."

People risk their lives at sea for money; as long as the pay is sufficient, everything is negotiable.

However, Captain Petra was not so optimistic. With years of sailing experience, he could estimate that the Fulda was still more than a hundred nautical miles from the nearest Dutch port.

Under normal conditions, a warship wasn’t much faster than a cargo ship, but a warship’s speed could burst to its upper limit, potentially reaching twice the speed of a cargo ship at full throttle.

Of course, in those days, steamships were still subject to power limitations. Although warships were fast, once they proceeded at full power, they inevitably had to undergo major repairs afterward, and there was even a possibility of being scrapped.

Unless it was something extremely important, the navy would not ordinarily indulge in such extravagance.

...

The noise aboard the ship had also disturbed Victor Emmanuel III in the cargo hold.

"What’s happening, has we encountered pirates?"

For safety, when Victor Emmanuel III left, he had arranged for several cargo ships to leave the harbor together, and he had just chosen one at random to board.

In theory, as long as he was not exposed that evening, communication was inconvenient at the time, and even if the British Government discovered his disappearance the next day and ordered the Royal Navy to pursue, they wouldn’t be able to catch up so quickly.

Before anyone could answer, Captain Petra burst in.

"I apologize for the intrusion, gentlemen, but I have some bad news that forces me to disturb you."

"The situation is extremely critical, two warships have caught up with us, and they are less than 20 nautical miles away."

"I have already ordered to increase speed, but the Fulda is just an ordinary cargo ship. Even with a power retrofit, it still cannot outrun a warship."

"For the safety of everyone’s lives, I hope you can be forthright and clarify the situation so that we can make a decision."

Hearing that the warships had caught up, Victor Emmanuel III’s face turned pale, and he sighed helplessly.

Recalling the heavy responsibility he bore, Victor Emmanuel III forced himself to calm down and slowly said, "Captain, there are still quite a few goods on board the Fulda, aren’t there?"

Captain Petra nodded. It was undeniable that a cargo ship would carry goods.

Having received an affirmative reply, Victor Emmanuel III said, "Very well, now apart from the essential coal, throw all the merchandise and debris overboard.

"Including bedding, personal items, weapons, ammunition, and only keep half a day’s ration of food and water. Do whatever possible to reduce the weight."

Victor Emmanuel III’s casual suggestion shocked Captain Petra, who then exclaimed, "That’s impossible! If we throw away these goods, I’ll be ruined!"

It was no exaggeration; with Petra’s fortune, losing a ship’s cargo left him no choice but bankruptcy.

Victor Emmanuel III merely smiled faintly, feigning nonchalance, and said, "Do not worry, I will bear all the losses, including dealing with any discontent from your employer.

"Now, what you need to do is ditch these unnecessary items and find a way to increase the ship’s speed to escape our pursuers."

Compensation?

Victor Emmanuel III admitted he was a pauper, perhaps even the poorest royal in Europe.

The substantial inheritance left by his forebears was almost exhausted due to his efforts to reclaim his kingdom.

To maintain a respectable life, Victor Emmanuel III was already deeply in debt. The so-called compensation was nothing more than a promissory note.

However, no matter how penniless he was, he could not show weakness. At any rate, reaching the Netherlands was the first priority; whether to pay the compensation could be decided later!

After reflecting for a moment, Captain Petra still shook his head, "It still won’t work, even if we throw all the cargo overboard, the speed increase is, at most, two knots, and we still cannot outrun the warships.

"Don’t forget, the warships have cannons; they can attack us from a distance, and the small frame of the Fulda can’t withstand much damage."

The money doesn’t matter, what is crucial is life. In these times, enforcement was not civilized, and the navy’s favorite method of communication was through cannon fire.

Victor Emmanuel III furrowed his brow and asked with concern, "Is the pursuing warship British or French?"

Captain Petra rolled his eyes and responded in an exaggerated tone, "It’s still uncertain. But since we departed from London, the pursuing warship should be British.

Have you also offended the French government?

God, I’m really such bad luck! To encounter such a situation is utterly terrible..."

Victor Emmanuel III waved his hand, "Captain, there’s no need to be so pessimistic. If the warship is British, they wouldn’t dare to open fire.

I think instead of wasting time here, you’d better hurry and clear the storeroom, at least it increases our chances of escaping this ordeal.

Otherwise, if we fall into the hands of the British, I won’t be harmed, but you would certainly be doomed. Believe me, they would hang you."

Regicide is not something just anyone can do, although Victor Emmanuel III’s throne may be of a lesser quality, a king is still a king.

In Europe’s political system, regicide is a heinous crime.

Victor Emmanuel III was certain that the British were very displeased with his flight, but their displeasure would not reach the extent of committing regicide.

The British Government could not afford the stigma of regicide, and the Royal Navy couldn’t bear it either, whoever does it would be ruined.

On the other hand, it’s hard to say about the French. The two parties are already enemies, and Victor Emmanuel III has no faith in the honor of the Bonaparte Dynasty.

Moreover, since Victor Emmanuel III escaped from London, the French, with just thick enough skin, could easily deny everything and then shift the blame onto the British.

Captain Petra’s expression darkened, and after a moment he said, "Alright, you win. But Your Highness, you’d better give me a satisfactory explanation or else we part ways here."

Compromise was the only solution. Petra wasn’t ready to die just yet.

After pondering for a moment, Victor Emmanuel III slowly said, "Rest assured, the reward afterwards will definitely satisfy you.

If you perform even more excellently, granting you a title is not out of the question."

Nobility titles are quite valuable in Europe, yet also very cheap. At least now in the Kingdom of Sardinia, titles are worthless.

While in London, to gather funds for the restoration of his kingdom, Victor Emmanuel III had sold titles more than once.

From dukes to knights. As long as there is money, there is nothing that cannot be sold.

For Victor Emmanuel III, a title is the cheapest asset, completely worthless until the restoration of his kingdom is successful.

Even if the restoration is successful, the value of Sardinia’s titles would be greatly diminished. After all, they were bought with money, so do not expect the noble world to acknowledge them.

Captain Petra was not foolish; there are many nobles in Britain, but the fact was only some exiled royal families could actually offer titles as compensation.

Given the current situation, Victor Emmanuel III’s identity had essentially been exposed.

Though Petra knew this, being emotionally intelligent, he forcefully suppressed any impulse.

This was not a good time to reveal identities, as no monarch wishes to be seen at their most destitute.

"Not a problem, Your Highness, I’ll go handle it right away!"

After finishing, Captain Petra glanced at Victor Emmanuel III and then exited.

"Wealth is sought in danger; this holds true across all cultures and ages," thought Captain Petra, who had been adrift at sea for over twenty years and had grown weary of the lifestyle.

However, lacking any opportunity to change his path, he had no choice but to carry on. Now the chance had arisen—though Victor Emmanuel III appeared destitute, his noble descent was undeniable!

From the current situation, the Kingdom of Sardinia’s chances of restoration seemed as uncertain as the Anti-French Alliance winning the war.

Based on past experiences, Captain Petra believed the odds of victory for the warring sides were even. Joining Victor Emmanuel III now was a huge gamble in life.

Theoretically, Captain Petra in the midst of the New Year’s trading should have steered clear of gambling, but the problem was he couldn’t rely on the other powers at all!

The royal households and great nobility of Europe all had their own loyal servants. Who would be so foolish as to forsake a proven asset for some mysterious stranger?

Regardless of the growing negative public perception towards the Aristocratic Group, the nobility still held the reins of power.

Even the most influential capitalists were striving to become part of the Aristocratic Group, and Petra was no exception.

...

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As crate after crate of goods was thrown into the sea, Captain Petra felt his heart bleeding internally; everything he jettisoned was money.

Even though Victor Emmanuel III had promised compensation, whether he could fulfill that promise remained to be seen.

After all, the king was exceedingly poor, and the war to regain his kingdom would require a vast amount of money.

Even if the restoration proved successful, the future would still entail many years of hardship.

Had he not defected, it would have just been a matter of demanding his money; the king could not simply ignore debts. But seeking to turn his life around by defecting meant Petra couldn’t trouble the king with such matters.

The pang of loss didn’t last long; the pursuing warship suddenly increased speed—15 nautical miles, 10 nautical miles, 5 nautical miles...

The distance between them closed rapidly, the harsh reality leaving Captain Petra no room to dwell on his pain.

The first officer spoke in a panic, "Captain, the British behind us have hoisted a signal flag demanding that we stop for inspection or they will open fire."

That was the British Royal Navy—anyone active at sea these days knew they were the last force you wanted to provoke. Discover more content at novelbuddy

Under normal circumstances, everyone avoided close encounters with them as much as possible.

The reason, of course, lay in the Royal Navy’s reputation of being both plunderer and enforcer. Even if it was a British ship, encountering the Royal Navy at sea still caused great concern.

And especially now, since Captain Petra had ordered all goods to be dumped, the ensuing anxiety was even more intense.

Suppressing his discomfort, Petra replied, "Tell them this is the high seas and not within Britannia’s jurisdiction; they have no right to inspect us."

The first officer’s voice trembled as he said, "Captain, is this wise? If they truly open fire, we’re doomed.

Perhaps we should just stop and let them inspect us, given that there’s nothing left onboard worth their interest..."

"They’re after me, but that’s no longer important. Signal back to them that if they wish to commit regicide, let them fire!"

A sudden voice startled the two men; unbeknownst to them, Victor Emmanuel III had appeared behind them.

Seeing Victor Emmanuel III reveal his identity, Captain Petra quickly urged, "Your Majesty, what are you doing out here? This isn’t safe; please return to the cabin!"

...