Checkmate

The endless sea merged with the sky in a single line, and the salty breeze blew against their faces.

A fleet of three multi-masted sailing ships was docked at the pier. The masts stood like spears, their decks reflecting the blinding sunlight. Sailors scrambled along the rigging and cables, performing final checks before departure, their shouts rising and falling in a chorus that pierced the clouds.

Porters stumbled aboard the cargo ships carrying large barrels of fresh water and supplies. The cargo hold doors were wide open, and the purser was loudly tallying the items within—mostly ready-made clothing and metal household goods. These were the two most famous products of Rhine City, popular throughout the entire Kingdom of Lande and even half of Middle Earth.

“Boarding.”

“Departure check.”

“Add coal, start the steam engine.”

“Cast off.”

Billowing black smoke poured from the sterns, and the propellers churned up pale spray. The gangplanks were retracted, and sailors at the mastheads exchanged flag signals. The three large ships slowly left the long bridge, beginning to drift with the waves.

“Prepare for de…”

“Woo~~~”

A long, deep horn blast cut the air. A column of carriages raced toward them from afar, causing pedestrians on the pier to shriek in alarm. Simultaneously, seven or eight small boats swarmed from all sides, blocking the path of the three ships just before they could clear the bridge and enter the shipping lane.

“Heave to and prepare for inspection.”

The small boats signaled before forcing the large ships to stop. The gangplanks were extended once more. Several carriages that had been driving recklessly screeched to a halt at the edge of the bridge, and a group of local lord's naval troops stormed onto the flagship's deck, followed by several mysterious priests in black robes.

This was, naturally, Lynch and Knight Rick leading the church's knights in pursuit. They had utilized official channels to mobilize the port garrison, forcing the fleet to stop at the very last moment.

If they had been allowed to leave the port, catching them would have been impossible. Seeing all three ships halted, Lynch, who had donned the black robes of a priest of the Black Night, finally let out a breath.

“What is the meaning of this? What is going on?”

The captain, dressed in a bright red coat, hurried over. He froze upon seeing the people on the deck, then quickly put on a smile and strode toward the leading naval officer. He extended his hands to shake the officer's hand eagerly, and three Friedman gold coins slid into the officer's palm like magic.

“We suspect there is contraband on your ship. Shut down the steam engines immediately and submit to an inspection.”

The officer pushed the captain's hand away with a stern expression and signaled to the priests behind him.

“Officer, what is this about? We are a registered, legal cargo fleet. We are the fleet of the Commercial Daily Chamber of Commerce, all loyal subjects of the Kingdom. It is absolutely impossible for us to transport contraband.” The captain said with a mournful face. “Look, we have already cast off our lines and sacrificed the chickens to the Sea God. If you make us stop again, it’s the same as cursing us to encounter a shipwreck the moment we leave port.”

“That is your own concern. Whoever told you to transport contraband? Open all cabin doors and wait for the search. Once confirmed that there is no contraband, you will naturally be allowed to leave.”

“Officer, that is not legal.” The captain’s face darkened. “Our ships have already left the pier, meaning we have exited the territory of Lande. Even in territorial waters, you are only permitted to perform spot checks, not a full search.”

“You know the law? The Lord's order is the law. Enough talk, hurry up, or I will have you executed on the spot for disobedience.”

The officer snorted coldly, his face set. The soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward in unison, their rifle butts slamming against the deck simultaneously—an imposing display of sheer pressure.

“Wait.”

The captain was a bit too calm. Lynch realized something was wrong and wanted to warn the officer, but…

“Click, click.”

Blinding flashes lit up the darkness beneath the deck, and then more than a dozen people emerged, followed by workers carrying cameras. Once the workers set up the cameras on deck, another round of shutter clicks echoed. The dozen or so people—a mix of men and women, mostly dressed in light coats and shoes—held paper and pens, heads bowed, scribbling rapidly.

“Donald, don't get angry with them.” A middle-aged man in formal attire stepped out slowly, leaning on a cane. He looked somewhat similar to the description provided by the captured smuggler—he had to be Jefferson. He bowed slightly to the soldiers and priests, his eyes narrowed into a sinister smile. “How fortunate. Reporters from every influential newspaper in Rhine are present. Gentlemen, please feel free to demonstrate the might of our Rhine military.”

Reporters?

The expressions of most of the men changed.

If no one saw, anything could be handled. If one or two media outlets were present, they could argue later. But if the entire city’s media were present, it would be a public relations disaster. The question was, where did these reporters come from?

“Heh heh. In ten days, it is the birthday of the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Friedman—the dear aunt of His Majesty Emperor Rudolph II. As loyal subjects of the Emperor, everyone is naturally interested in reporting on this grand event. Since our Chamber of Commerce had ships, we invited our peers from Rhine to join us.” The sycophantic man grinned, revealing his teeth. “What’s the matter, officers? Do you have a problem with these newspaper reporters? Or do you insist on violating the laws of Lande to force a full search of the ship?”

They had actually been checkmated.

The lead officer’s face grew awkward. He stole a glance at Knight Rick, who was also finding the situation troublesome.

These reporters were Jefferson's safety measure. It was no wonder he had set sail with the fleet so unhurriedly; having the entire city’s media as an escort was far safer than trying to flee in a panic.

“Hahaha, gentlemen, are you still planning to delay our departure? We are not as leisurely as you all; every minute is precious and cannot be wasted. Heh heh heh.”

Rick felt caught in a dilemma. He could ignore the reporters and cameras, force everyone into custody, and search the entire ship. Based on Jefferson’s behavior, he was eighty percent sure the item was in his possession.

However, the cost of doing so would be severe. Even if they found the item, it would trigger a media firestorm, and other churches would surely be happy to kick them while they were down, potentially damaging the reputation of the entire church. If they failed to find anything, it would be even worse—he would become the laughingstock of all Lande, and even if the church wanted to protect him, they would be forced to punish him.

“Gentlemen, we are currently discussing our reporting arrangements and truly have no time to play with you. If you do not intend to illegally force a full search of the ship, please retract the gangplank from below. Our reporter friends have never liked interacting with your sort, and I… heh, I do not like seeing your faces either. So, please leave.”

“You…”

The lead officer clenched his fists, but after glancing at the surrounding reporters, he involuntarily took a step back. Knight Rick’s face was also grim; with his strength, he could easily eliminate everyone present, yet he could only endure his anger, helpless against Jefferson’s cold, mocking smile.

Could it be that even though he knew the man was the culprit, he had to watch him escape in such a triumphant manner?

“I just heard you say that according to Lande law, one can perform spot checks on ships in territorial waters?”

Lynch pulled at the hood of his robe. His voice was not loud, but most people on the ship could hear him.

“Yes.” A flicker of hope rose in Rick’s heart. “Every ship is subject to spot checks on three to five key cabins.”

“Then that is simple.” Lynch walked slowly toward Jefferson, looking at his smiling face, and asked softly, “Sir, what makes you think that I cannot sense what my Goddess’s lost property feels like?”

Jefferson’s smile stiffened. He crossed his arms and stepped back half a pace.

“Guess if I can find the stolen goods you’ve hidden, Mr. Jefferson? Now, checkmate.”