“The Allen family’s… son-in-law?”0

Earl Rekar Allen shoved the queen off his lap, rose to his feet, and looked straight down at Karon. Beneath that gaze, Karon felt as though he were standing at the edge of the sea, marveling at its boundlessness, while the sea itself silently mocked his insignificance.0

“The sea tells me you did not lie.”0

Karon forced himself to remain calm as he nodded. He had not lied, but this reaction also proved that selectively telling the truth could lead to entirely different results. This was a being who was arrogant to the marrow of his bones. His personality seemed to be built from a trunk of wantonness, with only a few other traits hanging off of it as decorations. Karon had deliberately avoided the family’s founder and his tombstone earlier, whereas this man had taken the initiative to drag Karon in. Even after death, the corpse in the grave still carried an instinctive arrogance.0

“This year is…” Rekar suddenly stalled mid-sentence. His brow furrowed, as if he had fallen into deep contemplation.0

At the same time, pain flared across Karon’s forehead, like someone was pulling at his brain.0

“Not long ago, I wiped out the pirate coalition of the Pyros Sea and sank three adepts of the Morovin family, sacrificing them to the ocean. I should have just returned to port. Three days ago, the queen had received my letter and was already waiting in the harbor, washed clean and dressed in her most precious ceremonial gown, wearing the crown that symbolizes Veyn’s royal authority. She was ready for my favor, and I presented her with the Morovin family’s violet soulgem, for her to add to the crown when she returned. That is our privateers’ tradition. We never owe whores their pay, because they are the faith that lets us face storms and...2