A Sweet Girl Won't Be Fooled By The Villainess - [Vol. 3] Chapter 92

[Vol. 3] Chapter 92: Trouble Comes Knocking

The familiar occurrence of encountering unexpected events shortly after setting sail had already happened once when the fleet departed. Those blind pirates who blocked the way didn’t fare well and ended up as fish food in the sea. Now, is it going to repeat itself?

Ifia’s puzzlement didn’t last long. As the crew hurriedly approached, saying that Captain Kosev requested Miss Barlen for a discussion, Ifia and Jessica shamelessly followed along.

Upon reaching the bridge, they saw Captain Kosev with a stern face, pacing anxiously. His stubbled chin quivered with anger as he muttered, “These troublesome fellows, why couldn’t they bother someone else? They had to come bother me, so irritating.”

As he spoke, Captain Kosev glared furiously and shouted at his quiet assistant nearby, “Can’t we just ignore them outright!”

Dealing with an enraged Captain Kosev was no easy task. However, the assistant had no choice but to answer with a stiff upper lip, “Captain, their ship bears the insignia of the Xero nation. We only opened a trade route with Xero three years ago, and we’re currently in a friendly state. Although we don’t know why Xero’s fleet is on this route, if we refuse their request for assistance and send them away, once their fleet returns home and reports, it may affect the relationship between our two countries.”

Thanks to the Duke Barlen’s penchant for opening new trade routes, the Sith Empire had quite a bit of trade with other countries. The Xero nation mentioned by the assistant was one of them. Hearing this, Captain Kosev, even if angry, had to swallow his anger and acknowledge that he couldn’t just ignore the situation.

But this is precisely why he felt so frustrated.

Unlike the noble members of the envoy who were reluctant to leave too quickly, Captain Kosev was the complete opposite. As soon as he returned to the Sith Empire this time, he could confirm the route to the Taric Kingdom, seal it with the passage stamp, and then continue to open new routes.

Captain Kosev, who had retired from the military due to injuries, was passionate about the novelty and excitement of the sea. Witnessing the opening of new routes filled him with a sense of achievement, making him proud. So now, he couldn’t wait to return home.

However, just when he wanted to return quickly, an unexpected event occurred. It was so annoying!

Captain Kosev was just about to curse in frustration when he suddenly noticed Amelia Barlen arriving. She was standing at the door of the bridge, prompting Captain Kosev to hurry forward.

“Miss Barlen, there’s been an accident on the return route. The Xero fleet intercepted us on our way back, blocking our progress. They sent word that their ship was being chased by a sea monster and they seek assistance.”

Captain Kosev had dealt with Amelia Barlen before. Knowing that this formidable noblewoman didn’t appreciate vague language, he decided to directly address the issue they had encountered earlier.

Assisting the Xero fleet wasn’t actually a difficult task. After all, their fleet was well-armed, and they only needed protection. However, the distance between Xero and Taric was considerable. Their sudden appearance here definitely raised suspicions!

As for whether Xero would open new trade routes like the Sith Empire, unlike the Sith Empire with its abundant resources, Xero had only a large quantity of minerals to trade. However, Taric wasn’t in need of these minerals, they preferred spices and textiles. Therefore, this possibility could be easily dismissed.

After analyzing the situation, Captain Kosev became even more reluctant to deal with them, fearing being deceived. However, seeing Amelia Barlen was like finding his backbone.

He quickly threw the problem to her. It was better to let the professionals handle it rather than himself, who was only a half-baked expert, causing him a headache.

On the way to the captain’s bridge, Amelia had already dispersed her magic to conduct an investigation. She quickly received feedback. Unlike Captain Kosev’s headache, she found it interesting.

The Xero fleet had indeed concealed some information. It was like a dangerous combustible material. One careless move could ignite it and lead to a wildfire.

“Inform them that wanting the protection of the Sith Empire fleet is fine, but what are they offering in exchange? If they can’t provide something satisfactory, then ignore them and continue forward.”

Facing Captain Kosev’s expectant gaze, Amelia quickly gave the command. Upon hearing about the exchange of interests, Captain Kosev suppressed the urge to raise his hand to his forehead.

He thought that perhaps the Barlen family’s bloodline might have genes of reckless adventurers, which led them to often gamble with danger. Fortunately, he was obedient and didn’t need to worry about the overall situation anymore.

Later, when the crew arranged to notify the other party as per Captain Kosev’s orders, Ifia and Jessica, who had been hiding behind Amelia all along, finally learned the reason for the sudden stop.

Instead of pondering over convoluted matters, Ifia only heard the promise of profit. This didn’t seem like trouble knocking at the door. It was clearly a tribute!

Unlike Ifia’s curiosity about Xero’s “tribute,” Jessica, being part of the noble circle, occasionally heard about major events in the circle. The name “Xero” sounded familiar to her, and after pondering for a while, she finally remembered!

Wasn’t that the country famous for producing diamonds!

Compared to ordinary diamonds, Xero diamonds were even more brilliant, and of course, more expensive. The noblewomen of the Sith Empire, practically each one of them, owned Xero diamonds in their collections. Even Jessica’s mother was no exception… If one didn’t wear jewelry adorned with Xero diamonds at gatherings, they would be considered poor.

For instance, the diamonds embedded in Miss Barlen’s attire were Xero diamonds, even if they were just fragments, they held considerable value! This also reflected the Barlen family’s extravagance. Thinking about all this, Jessica’s tear of envy almost rolled down her cheek. She immediately remembered Ifia’s lack of common knowledge and blurted out all this information.

Upon hearing this, Ifia’s eyes brightened. She had only thought of the word “tribute” earlier, but now there was something tangible to replace it. Even though she had harvested a bag full of diamonds from the dark elves, beautiful things like this were always welcome. No one would refuse more.

“Captain, we’ve received a reply. They stated that if they ensure the safety of the fleet, they’ll offer ten Xero blood diamonds as gratitude,” the crew member handling communications rushed back panting, not taking too long.

The Xero fleet wasn’t overbearing, they offered blood diamonds as compensation. However, Captain Kosev, a rough sailor who spent years at sea, wasn’t familiar with diamond jewelry, let alone other ordinary crew members who hardly ever saw diamonds, let alone blood diamonds.

Standing beside Captain Kosev, Amelia Barlen of the Barlen family showed no visible emotions and didn’t have much reaction to the chips offered by the Xero fleet.

There was a cold indifference between her eyebrows. However, when Jessica heard the words “blood diamonds,” she couldn’t help but gasp in shock. Xero blood diamonds, which were extremely rare and valuable? And ten of them? Did you know, the Sith Empire only possessed a dozen or so Xero blood diamonds, which were incredibly rare!

Jessica instinctively covered her chest with her hand, excitedly wanting to dance. This prompted Ifia to look at her curiously and then lean in closer, asking in a hushed tone, “Jessica, are blood diamonds very rare?”

“Of course, they’re Xero blood diamonds, each one is extremely precious. Even the Sith Empire’s royal family has only a few. Now, to be able to produce ten all at once!”

“Why are they so scarce? Is there any explanation?”

Just listening to Jessica’s explanation, Ifia found it hard to empathize.

After all, blood diamonds are just red diamonds, what’s so special about them? At most, they’re just a bit redder. Sensing Ifia’s indifference, Jessica immediately added, “Xero blood diamonds are different from other diamonds. Apart from being purer in color, they are also more brilliant and dazzling. There’s even a legend that they are the incarnation of the eyes of demons.”

“The eyes of demons…”

Hearing the intriguing words, Ifia’s interest was piqued. She immediately looked up at Amelia with enthusiasm, and when their eyes met, a hopeful expression filled her adorable face, practically screaming “I want.”

Seeing this, Amelia’s previously indifferent expression finally changed. She smiled at Ifia and immediately turned to Captain Kosev, who was waiting for orders, to give a response.

“Tell the Xero fleet that thirty Xero blood diamonds will suffice as payment. Anything less is not up for negotiation.”

Amelia’s commanding tone was different from her usual aloofness, her decisive demeanor left no room for doubt. Like a natural-born leader, every word she uttered was convincing. The impact was so great that even the messenger didn’t ask Captain Kosev for his opinion and quickly left after hearing her command.

Captain Kosev shook his head helplessly, but he didn’t harbor any resentment. After all, even he found Amelia’s authority awe-inspiring. Such a person is not just a hero but also a leader, someone who will not go unnoticed.

While Captain Kosev sighed in his heart, Amelia paid no heed to what others were thinking. After giving her final instructions, she immediately walked over to Ifia’s side. As expected, she was greeted warmly by Ifia, who practically wanted to hug her tightly.

“Amelia, you’re amazing! So many Xero blood diamonds!”

However, after expressing her joy, Ifia felt a bit embarrassed. After some hesitation, her black eyes sparkled, and she spoke up again, “Could you sell me one Xero blood diamond?”

Considering Ifia’s current wealth, purchasing a Xero blood diamond was well within her means. However, according to Jessica, Xero blood diamonds were priceless…

So Ifia wasn’t sure if she could actually buy one. As for asking for a free blood diamond, Ifia felt she didn’t have the audacity to make such a shameless request.

“Do you like them that much?”

Instead of giving a direct response, Amelia suddenly asked, prompting Ifia to nod earnestly. After some thought, Ifia gave her reason.

“Besides being beautiful, Xero blood diamonds are said to resemble the eyes of demons, which makes me really want to own one.”

Ifia didn’t know why, but she always felt that Xero blood diamonds should be very beautiful. After all, they were diamonds resembling the eyes of demons!

It was as if she had seen real demon eyes somewhere and was deeply fascinated by them. This feeling came suddenly, but Ifia didn’t resist it. She really wanted them.

Then, Ifia didn’t know which word she said struck a chord with Amelia, who raised her hand to pat Ifia’s head. Her purple eyes were full of smiles, no longer teasing.

“Alright, I’ll give them all to you.”

In fact, Amelia was even considering whether to visit Xero country later. Bring back all the blood diamonds from there.

When Ifia heard Amelia’s words, her eyes widened in surprise. She naturally knew that Amelia wasn’t joking, so she quickly waved her hands repeatedly. It was already good enough to sell her one Xero blood diamond.

But before Ifia could stop Amelia’s idea of splurging, the messenger hurried back, shouting loudly, “Miss Barlen, the Xero fleet has agreed!”

Suddenly, from ten Xero blood diamonds to thirty, Jessica became even more excited. However, the messenger didn’t finish his words. He scratched his head awkwardly before continuing, “But, the Xero fleet has requested that you personally come to their ship for a discussion.”