Infants

Somewhere in the new world ...

In the Darset family's mansion, originally intended for assisting noble lords in building palaces, after helping a noble lord complete the construction of a palace, Darset's parents disappeared and never appeared again. Sensing that something was amiss, Darset fled almost overnight and eventually became a pirate after drifting on the open sea for a while.

Since his parents had groomed him as their successor in construction, Darset had high expectations in architectural matters. This knowledge of hidden layouts inside buildings made him gather a group of pirates around him and become a small leader.

In contrast, the other members around Darset joined the pirates either because they had accidentally killed someone while resisting oppressive local nobles and had nowhere else to go or because they harbored dreams of getting rich at sea.

Darset only briefly observed the main hall and then led his pirates to a luxurious room.

As they made their way, they found several corpses scattered around the mansion, including pirates, marines, and even CP members disguised as slaves.

It seemed that multiple factions had clashed here.

"Hmm, Darset, it seems like we're not the only ones eyeing this place, huh?" remarked one pirate, poking at the corpses on the floor with his cutlass, expressing some regret.

However, Darset didn't respond. Instead, he observed the layout of the room for a moment before clapping his hands and announcing, "Found it."

"A hidden chamber?" The others perked up, hoping it might be a treasure vault.

"Yeah," Darset nodded, then approached a luxurious bed in the room. He moved a body lying on the bed aside and, with a few twists at the headboard, revealed a passage behind a vanity table.

As the vanity table moved, revealing a narrow passage shrouded in darkness, Darset stood still, squinting into the darkness of the corridor.

While the other pirates grew impatient, Darset waited, knowing that such narrow passages didn't allow for much maneuvering. If someone was hiding inside, a single gunshot could keep them at bay. He waited for the hidden person's nerves to be on edge and for the right moment to strike.

Finally, when a chair thrown into the dark corridor was met with a gunshot, Darset saw the figures inside, illuminated briefly by the flash of gunpowder.

Without hesitation, the pirates rushed in after the first unlucky one was downed by two shots.

Once Darset entered, he discovered a room at the end of the corridor containing various treasures, including ornate weapons adorned with precious gems.

Seeing three flintlock pistols lying on the ground, Darset realized they had been used for the gunfire earlier.

Now, a bound figure lay on the floor, and Darset approached cautiously.

"Want to have some fun with her, Darset? She's got the skin and the scent of a noblewoman," one pirate joked, adjusting his belt.

Sighing inwardly, Darset raised his blade to fend off the advancing pirate.

"Perhaps someone important's offspring is hidden with such care. Maybe we can use them to bargain our way out later," Darset thought to himself before his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion.

In the chaos that ensued, Darset and his crew faced unexpected opposition, but as seasoned pirates, they acted swiftly, aiming to eliminate any threats that stood in their way.

In the end, Darset found himself facing two infants, unexpectedly hidden in the secret chamber. This unexpected discovery left Darset momentarily stunned, but amidst the ongoing battle outside, he knew he had to act quickly to ensure the safety of the children.

As the skirmish ended, Darset realized he couldn't leave the infants to perish in the mansion, nor could he risk handing them over to the marines, knowing the consequences they might face.